Hello and welcome to an incredibly GOTY-centric edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight and as always I, @zombiepie, am honored to be your host! There's really no good way to get around it. 2020 is already off to a bummer of a start. As most of you already know, Dan is leaving the site to pursue a new employment opportunity producing podcasts for WWE. He's moving as a result and will be starting their new job on January 5th, 2020. I know the man has developed the reputation of being the "goofball" at Giant Bomb, but Dan certainly deserves credit where credit is deserved. He is a wildly creative mind and used each video feature he created as an opportunity to try out new ideas and concepts. He rarely, if ever, let his enthusiasm disappear on streams, especially if he was allowed to talk about the state of wrestling. Therefore, I wish him all the best in his future endeavors and hope you can join the rest of the community in expressing gratitude for everything he has done on and for Giant Bomb.
- First, if you wish to follow Dan's work in WWE, subscribe to After the Bell and The New Day: Feel the Power podcasts on your podcast streaming platform of choice.
- If you haven't read Vinny's tribute article to Dan, then do that right now. It's both touching and sweet and well worth your time. Additionally, here's a link to the community thread wishing Dan the best.
- To return to the subject of GOTY, here's a summary of everything that won. If you wish to review guest lists well after the fact, check out the "Article" section underneath the "Word" tab.
- Congratulations to Giant Bomb user @drfidget for winning the Giant Bomb GotY 2019 Fantasy League!
- Moderator @marino did his usual "Data Dump" and used SCIENCE to determine Giant Bomb's Game of the Year! Also, do not forget to check out the community-run "Giant Bomb Game of the Year Database!" It has every Giant Bomb GOTY category and winner since 2008!
Tweets Of The Week (Tributes To Dan)
also, congrats Dan on making Giant Bomb trend at the absolute worst fucking time. just astounding timing.
— Hideo Kojima's Death Comedy Strand (@alex_navarro) January 3, 2020
Well Dan, you shot those guys in their dicks.
— Giant Bomb Out of Context (@giantbomb_ooc) January 3, 2020
- Jeff Gerstmann, 2015
I am going to miss taking absurd photographs of @DanRyckert every six months.
— Brad Lynch (@MarinoV1) January 3, 2020
Good luck with the next thing, duder. pic.twitter.com/2lrxi3uir6
@Giantbomb @jeffgerstmann @DanRyckert Goodbye, Dan! Best of luck with all that wrestling nonsense.... You'll be missed! #jeffhachi #giantbomb pic.twitter.com/8q38evTtbT
— Daniel Fu (@Odd_Particle) January 3, 2020
Thinking today about the many goofs we’ve had with @DanRyckert. Back in 2015 @johntdrake @JosephJBroni @patbaer and I hijacked a giant bomb panel to do an intervention for Dan in the only way we knew how...https://t.co/jA3fNlKXxZ (52:35 in if time stamp breaks)
— Eric Pope (@MrPope) January 3, 2020
My favorite @DanRyckert contributions to @giantbomb.
— Lik Chan (@LikChan) January 3, 2020
Metal Gear Scanlon
Mario Party Party@PaulRyckert
Food stories pic.twitter.com/3m1GOKvhgE
When I was trying to break into the more professional side of games writing, @DanRyckert was happy to give advice. His was the first unsolicited and still appreciated DM I got after the GI layoffs. The game industry isn't just losing a talent, it's losing a mentor.
— Imran Khan (@imranzomg) January 3, 2020
@alex_navarro pic.twitter.com/pIjUS3rUye
— Steve Kim (@Fobwashed) January 3, 2020
Dan is an enigma and I will genuinely miss working with him. He has always supported my ideas and his genuine enthusiasm for games has been so motivating for me at this job. That said, I will not miss all of the boxes under his desk that would constantly creep over to my desk. https://t.co/7HyyJaCskF
— abby russell (@ybbaaabby) January 3, 2020
@giantbomb This may be my favorite @DanRyckert moment ever, if not of all time in gaming. pic.twitter.com/t1DrDt8rW2
— Paul Novak (@dudewantshisrug) January 4, 2020
User-Created GOTY 2019 Content!
Author's Note: Alright, every year I dedicate a section to community created GOTY lists and blogs for three to four weeks straight. If I missed your list, you can still get it on the next Spotlight by simply dropping a link to any GOTY lists or blogs you made on the most current Community Spotlight! I'm going to probably have the GOTY section available one more week after this edition, and then just co-opt any belated lists or blogs into the normal format for the Spotlight.
User GOTY Lists
- Top 10 Games Of 2019 I Played A Lot, But Might Not Have Come Out In 2019 (By: @evie)
- GOTY 2019 (By: @TechnoSyndrome)
- TFP's Top 10 Games Of 2019 (By: @thefakepsychic)
- Best Of 2019 (By: @finaldasa)
- The Games That Were: 2019 (By: @drm2thej)
- Best of 2019 (By: @draugen)
- Game of the Year 2019 (By: @irrelevantjohn)
- 2019 Ranked (By: @splitterguy)
- Return of the Origin of My GOTY List 2: The Final Revengeancing (By: @undeadpool)
- OK, It's The Best 2019 Games (By: @dinosaurcanada)
- Game of the Year, 2019 (By: @make_me_mad)
- My 2019 Top 5 Games of the Year List (By: @gangway)
- Best New Old Games of 2019 (By: @rjayb89)
- GOTY 2019 (By: @beachthunder)
- Rio Starwind's Top 10 Games Of 2019 (By: @riostarwind)
- A Baka's Game of the Year List 2019 (By: @baka_shinji17)
- GOTY 2019 (By: @d_w)
- GOTY 2019 (By: @chaser324)
- Top Games Mike Played in 2019 (By: @fuguemaster26)
- My Top Ten Games of 2019 (By: @madbootsy)
- GOTY 2019 (By: @scruxx)
- Best of 2019 (By: @icedmetal57)
- GsOTY 2019 That I Actually Played (By: @dochaus)
- Game of the Year 2019 (By: @gravitypenguin)
- Top 10 Games of 2019 (By: @driadon)
- Top 10 Games of 2019(By: @totsboy)
- Game of the Year 2019 (By: @fisk0)
- Game of the Year 2019 (By: @ryuku_ryosake)
- GOTY 2019 (By: @infinitespark)
User GOTY Blogs
ArbitraryWater's Best Games of 2019 (That Didn't Actually Come Out In 2019) +
ArbitraryWater's Best Games of 2019 (That Came Out In 2019) (By: @arbitrarywater)
Giant Bomb user ArbitraryWater handed out some highly creative 2019 superlative awards for the old and new games they played last year including "Best big dumb AAA Co-Op Game," "Most overhyped gameplay 'twist'," and "Best game that aggravated my RSI."
Clagnaught's Games of the Year, 2019 Edition (By: @clagnaught)
clagnaught finally got around to making a 2019 GOTY blog and you can use the link below to read all about their favorite games as well as the ones that did not quite make the cut!
The 2019 Sparky Game Festivus Extravaganza (By: @sparky_buzzsaw)
Likewise, Giant Bomb user Sparky_Buzzsaw also hands out their 2019 superlative awards such as "hot sauce of the year award," "tablet game of the year," and "2019's biggest disappointment."
ZombiePie's End Of The Year 2019 Multimedia Extravaganza! (By: @zombiepie)
Giant Bomb moderator ZombiePie pits anime, movies, albums, and games in a battle TO THE DEATH on their 2019 "Multimedia Extravaganza!" Awards hilariously include: "Most Acceptably Mediocre" and "Most Objectively Good Game I Did Not Enjoy!"
Games of the Year 2019 - DarthOrange Edition (By: @darthorange)
DarthOrange lists the ten games they most enjoyed playing in 2019, and they didn't limit themselves to the "standard" allotment of games for their ranking of the best games from the year.
[GOTY 2019] I Have Played Games And Once Again Decided To Write About Them (By: @frankxiv)
Instead of taking the "normal" approach to their 2019 GOTY blog, Giant Bomb user frankxiv wrote about every game they played in 2019 and ranked them from worst to best.
2019 And Gaming For Me... (By: @shivermetimbers)
Giant Bomb user shivermetimbers exhaustively reviews all of the games they played in 2019, both good and bad, on their latest blog! Here's a link so you can enjoy it on your own time!
My Top Ten Games of 2019 (By: @gamer_152)
Every year Giant Bomb moderator Gamer_152 selects their ten favorite games that they played for the first time in the year. In purely alphabetical order, here are the top ten game experiences of 2019.
Bran Makes A List-2019 Edition (By: @brotherbran)
Giant Bomb user BrotherBran found 2019 to be a "weird-ass year" for video games. Nonetheless, they were still able to make a GOTY blog listing their ten favorite games from the year!
2019's Top 10 Games: BT's, BB's, And BD's Oh My! (By: @bmaxwell)
BMaxwell thought there were plenty of games to enjoy during 2019 and as such, shares their ten favorite games from the year in the following blog!
The 15 Or So Games I Played In 2019 (By: @sombre)
Giant Bomb user Sombre played exactly fifteen games, both new and old, this year and ranks all of them from best to worst on their latest blog! Use the link to discover which ones they most enjoyed!
5 Games of 2019 That Occupied My Brain (By: @wess)
Wess only felt comfortable putting five games on their 2019 GOTY blog, but don't let that stop you from checking out their EXHAUSTIVE write-up about each of those games!
2019: Ranking the Rest (By: @majormitch)
There were a TON of games MajorMitch played that didn't make their 2019 GOTY list, and on their latest blog they review the game that didn't make the cut and why.
Mattallica's Top 10 Games of 2019 (By: @_mattallica)
User _Mattallica thought there were plenty of games to enjoy in 2019 and uses their GOTY list to talk about their ten favorite video game experiences and some of the games on it may surprise you!
My 2019 Top 10(ish) Games (By: @asmo917)
There are plenty of surprises on Giant Bomb user Asmo917's 2019 GOTY list! Give it a read and discover why they truly enjoyed each of the games on their list!
My Favorite Games Of 2019 (By: @joe423)
Giant Bomb user Joe423 ranks and discusses their favorite 2019 video game releases using their latest blog! As you will discover if you read their blog, they thought 2019 was a solid year for sequels and follow-ups.
This Year Of Games 2019 (By: @bonbolapti)
bonbolapti reviews the highs and lows of their 2019 in terms of gaming on their latest blog! Give it a read and enjoy their AMAZING banner work as always!
My End Of 2019 Awards (By: @danielkempster)
Giant Bomb user danielkempster threw out the standard GOTY format for their latest blog by ranking their favorite video games they played, both new and old from the year!
Eleventh Annual Moosies Video Game Awards! (2019) +
The First Decennial Moosies Video Games of the Years of the Decade Awards Part II! (By: @mooseymcman)
Giant Bomb user MooseyMcMan exhaustively reviews their gaming highs and lows as well as their annual "Moosies Video Game Awards" with two highly entertaining blogs!
Game of the Year 2019 (By: @superharman)
Superharman had a hard time limiting their 2019 GOTY list to just ten games and you can read all about it and why they think 2019 was an underrated year for video games!
StarvingGamer's Games Worth Starving For (or Otherwise) in 2019 (By: @starvinggamer)
StarvingGamer hands out their special distinct awards on this blog as well as their top ten list. In particular, you might be surprised to see which game ended up taking their "Most Disappointing" award.
My Gaming in 2019 (By: @egge)
Egge found many of the high profile games of 2019 disappointing, but the five games on their GOTY blog weren't that and you can read all about why using the link above!
Giant Bomb Galleria
Dan Sketch & Mario Party Party Tribute (By: @morehandclaps)
It seems you can always count on morehandclaps to make Giant Bomb themed works of art to warm your heart. These tributes to Dan certainly do that.
Clue Crew (By: @AndrewGeorger)
Dan wasn't a prominent figure of Giant Bomb East's "Clue Crew" series, but Twitter user AndrewGeorger couldn't imagine making this work of art without him.
Nobody Wins (By: @fugitiverabbit)
I can think of no better way for Dan to leave Giant Bomb than what happened in the "final" Mario Party Party. And this fan-art happily celebrates that.
Dearest Abby Fan Art (By: @zippedbinders)
Over on Twitter, user zippedbinders wanted to show their love for Abby's "Abby Dearest" web-series, which if you haven't seen should totally check out when you have the time!
Best Of Blogs
Data Dump: GOTY 2019 Staff & Guests Breakdown (By: @marino)
Every year moderator Marino applies SCIENCE to determine Giant Bomb's GOTY and this year is no different. Likewise, if you want to see how the guests lists would have impacted Giant Bomb's overall GOTY ranking, then check out the final portion of his blog!
How I Learned To Love Pathologic (2), Or My Game Of The Year (By: @vookatos)
Giant Bomb user Vookatos named Pathologic 2 as their 2019 Game of the Year earlier this week and uses their latest blog to review exactly why that is the case and why more people need to play the game!
The First Assassin's Creed Game Is A Flawed But Immersive Experience That Aged Better Than I Expected (By: @bigsocrates)
Are games from the 2000s now considered "old school?" BigSocrates doesn't care, and played the original Assassins' Creed regardless! Give their blog a read to discover why they found it flawed but beautifully immersive.
My Favorite Games Of The Last Decade - Part 1 (By: @joe423)
Giant Bomb user Joe423 is starting a new blog series where they look back on the highs and lows of the last decade of video games. This episode reviews the "best surprises" and most compelling visual design.
Thoughts on AI: The Somnium Files (By: @bowl-of-lentils)
Giant Bomb user Bowl-of-Lentils put AI: The Sonmium Files on their 2019 GOTY list despite a handful of grievances against the game. Read all about their "complicated" relationship with the game on their latest bog.
TV Shows of the Year: 2019 Edition (By: @darthorange)
Giant Bomb user Gangway only felt comfortable putting five games on their 2019 GOTY list, but don't let that discourage you from giving it a read! See which shows they most enjoyed last year, and feel free to share which ones you enjoyed as well!
Indie Game of the Week 150: GNOG +
Bucketlog December: Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE +
Indie Game of the Week 151: Smoke and Sacrifice (By: @mento)
First, what in the world is the Playstation VR enabled 3D puzzle game, Gnog, all about? Well, you're in luck, because that's the topic of their first blog! Second, they ended 2019 by playing Tokyo Mirage Sessions! Read all about why they thoroughly enjoyed their time with the game! Finally, a new year will not stop Mento's "Indie Game of the Week" blog series! Their latest episode examines Smoke and Sacrifice from Solar Sail Games!
Catching Up: The Last of Us (By: @barthvader25)
barthvader25 is starting their 2020 New Year's resolution of playing games from their backlog early! This week they managed to complete The Last of Us and share their final impressions on their first episode!
Join The Discussion
Farewell And Best Wishes To Dan! (By: @thelastgunslinger)
Remember to join the rest of the Giant Bomb community in wishing Dan the best in their future endeavors at WWE! Likewise, join the rest of the community in sharing your favorite memories regarding Dan.
Giant Bomb Moments of the Decade (By: @basicallyolly)
What are your Giant Bomb "MOMENTS OF THE DECADE?" Was it a funny one-off moment from a quick look, or was it the culmination of a new premium feature? Join the community discussion using the link below!
Giant Bomb GOTY 2019 Discussion Thread (By: @liquiddragon)
GOTY coverage, here's a link to the Giant Bomb Community discussion thread for the Awards and Award Winners! Additionally, feel free to join the community in discussing the format change to Giant Bomb's GOTY coverage, but remember to keep things civil and respectful.
What Game Have You Had The Most Fun With This Year? (By: @cupofdoom)
Here's a fun GOTY-themed discussion I think everyone can get behind: what game did you have the most fun playing? Your ultimate GOTY might not necessarily be the game you played the most, so, what is that game for you?
The Worst Song of This Decade? (2010-2019) (By: @liquiddragon)
Inspired by Giant Bomb's "Worst Songs of the '80s" feature, here's a link to our community discussion about the worst songs of 2019 as well as the decade! For 2019, I'll throw my lot in and say you should avoid "The Big Day" by Chance the Rapper.
Games You Are Checking Out Because Of The GOTY Stuff (By: @mrangryface)
Here's a fun discussion thread on the forums: what games are you going to check out as a result of GOTY coverage? Current front-runners include Outer Wilds, Judgement, and Ape Out, but are there any others that piqued your interest?
New Year's Resolutions (By: @sloppydetective)
Speaking of 2020, do you have any BIG New Year's Resolutions? Whether they are personal or gaming-related, feel free to share them with the Giant Bomb community using the link above!
Best Gatling Gun in Games? (By: @isomeri)
Here's a fun discussion thread if you want a break from all of the GOTY buzz on the site: what is the BEST Gatling Gun in video game history? Share and discuss your pick with the rest of the community!
GTFO Discussion Thread (By: @swaney)
The 4-player horror game from 10 Chambers, GTFO, has entered Early Access. Have any of you checked it out? Does the game deliver on the promise it showed in trailers and promotional materials?
Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker Discussion Thread (By: @humanity)
People still have a lot to say about the state of Star Wars, myself included. So, here's link to our community discussion thread for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker! Whether your impressions of the film are positive or negative, feel free to share them over here!
Lovable Lists
Top 25(+1) Games of the 2010s (By: @marino)
The 2010s were rough for Marino, but that didn't stop him from having an awesome time playing some equally awesome video games. Foregoing the normal ten, Marino shares their twenty-five(+1) favorite gaming experiences from the previous decade.
Ranking of The 2010s (By: @splitterguy)
Splitterguy "stole" Ben's idea of ranking each year of the 2010s using their old top 10 GOTY lists. Here's what they decided on, and don't forget to make your own when you have the time!
Favorite Games Of The Past Decade 2010 - 2019 (By: @jazz)
Giant Bomb user Jazz got around to creating a "Games of the Decade" list and there are some real bangers on it worth checking out! Use the link to give the list a read and don't forget to make one of your own when you have the time!
Best of the Tens (By: @themasterds)
Giant Bomb user TheMasterDS took up the challenge of ranking their GOTY winners from best to worst throughout the 2010s on their latest list!
"I Should Get Back to Playing That" But Probably Won't (By: @sgtsphynx)
As with every year, moderator SgtSphynx looks back at the games released during 2019 they should go back to and finish, but probably will not.
10 Games I'm Looking Forward To The Most In 2020 (By: @beachthunder)
Giant Bomb user BeachThunder feels good about 2020 in terms of video games, and highlights ten games they cannot wait to play next year!
Favorite Game Writers & Storytellers (By: @psykhophear)
psykhophear took the time to review and annotate their favorite writers and storytellers in the video game business. Use the link below to check out their list, and don't forget to think about creating a list of your own!
Useful User Reviews
- @riostarwind was able to crank out one review before the start of 2020 and that was a review for the highly entertaining River City Girls from WayForward and Arc System Works!
- @bonbonetti uses their review of Rebel Galaxy Outlaw to discuss why they think the game is a major step forward in storytelling for the rougelike genre, but a "step backward" on everything else.
Wonderful Wikis
Finally, it'st only fitting to remind everyone of the ridiculous nonsense and quotes you can forever find on Giant Bomb's wiki page for the man. It's a fitting tribute to the man, the myth, the legend.
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