Top 5 games of 2010 (Game of the Decade Countdown)

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

With the decade coming to an end in just a few days, it is time to look back on the many video games released. There were many titles that I enjoyed across most to all platforms from 2010 to this year. In fact, this decade is when I really got into gaming. So I have decided to break up this discussion into multiple countdowns. I will be writing a list for each year of the decade, counting down from 5 to 1, my favorite games of that year. So let’s take a trip back to 2010.

Who Should be Super Smash Bros Ultimate's Final DLC Fighter?

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

With the SNK icon (or maybe not, depending on who you ask) Terry available for a bit now, it’s hard not to question who is going to be the next character to debut in “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.”

There have been many leaks suggesting some beloved characters are or are not in fighting chance (no pun intended) of making it into the roster. Wishful thinking is something I always do when it comes to such a topic though. So, let’s take what we have heard and put it aside, as only facts from the developers are what guarantees anything for sure. I’d like to do a countdown of 10 characters I most want to see appear in “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” as the fifth DLC fighter.

The 2019 Games That Never Were

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

This year saw plenty of hotly anticipated games release. We finally got a proper “Devil May Cry” sequel, “Borderlands” returned better than ever and Electronic Arts released a single player “Star Wars” game with no loot boxes or microtransactions. But 2019 had a lot of titles set to be out before the end of the year. As Thanksgiving is over and December is here, it is sad to see a list of games that are set for a 2019 release to have no release dates. It is pretty safe to assume they aren’t making that deadline afterall. These are some of those games.

December in Gaming is Quiet... But That's Nothing New

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

It is almost December and subsequently the end of another year of too many games to play. Over the last 11 months, many titles have released across all platforms. Many of 2019’s game of the year contenders hit store shelves and digital marketplaces alike over the course of September to now. With “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” and “Pokemon: Sword and Shield” releasing last Friday, it is almost completely safe to say I have no new games coming out to worry about until next year. And I have a strong feeling that others can say the same.

But we still have a whole month. It sounds like I am skipping December. Sure I am worked for the holidays but the month is anything but exciting when it comes to brand new game releases. A quick dive into the titles still to come for the remainder of 2019 proved to me that the final month of the whole decade is going to be one of the quietest yet in gaming. But that’s expected.

I revisited December and its game release schedule over the decade and found a pattern. The trend is that it is a quiet month for games coming out, especially given the fact that it follows some of the most jam-packed months in the form of October and November, even September as of late. So the big fall releases really are just fall and not holiday season after all.

DISCLAIMER: the games releases I researched for December 2010 to December 2018 exclude ports. I found a ton of notably great games with December release dates but those were ports to other platforms. I am strictly going by initial launch.

There's Ambitious and Then There Is Watch Dogs: Legion

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

When it comes to innovating in the modern age of gaming, developers and publishers really have to push to stand out. Once upon a time, tropes like choices that actually matter, a focus on storytelling and narrative execution and dynamic open worlds to explore were all new and unheard of. Today, as we near the next generation of consoles, few titles really attempt unheard of ideas and good ones at that.

While Ubisoft has certainly missed the mark on plenty of their games through questionable decision making over the last several years, I am on the side of believers in the French publisher. Ubisoft is responsible for some of my favorite games of the current and previous generation. Few have left me with such fond memories as 2016’s “Watch Dogs 2.” And its predecessor, though clearly flawed, was also a favorite of mine. So when E3 2019 went down and Ubisoft unveiled an extensive look at the next game in the hacking series of open world mayhem, I was sold right away.

8 Pokemon that Deserve Evolutions

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

As if we needed more of a reason to be excited for the next generation of “Pokemon,” earlier today some new Pokemon were revealed for the upcoming “Pokemon: Sword” and “Pokemon: Shield.” Weezing has a Galarian form (yes they are doing this again for the Galar region… and yes that is awesome) leaving it to look like a cross between a bong and Abraham Lincoln, though some social media users may go with Doug Dimmadome instead. But the Pokemon that got attention in today’s news that really stood out, at least for me, was Linoone. A creature that is as generic as any other “HM Slave” of yesteryear is actually getting both a fresh Galarian form and a new evolution. I thought this was awesome news and leaves me all the more curious to see if and how Game Freak will best their attempts at improving older Pokemon as seen vividly in “Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl.”

So here we go with a list that everyone has done before. The difference is I have good incentive to countdown with you Pokemon I want to evolve thanks to today’s exciting news. These are the top eight (I chose to with eight since this is generation 8 technically) Pokemon that deserve new evolutions, specifically in “Sword and Shield.”

What Games Am I the Most Excited for This Month?

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

Sure, the summer has never been the most lively time for game developers and publishers to come out swinging; nevertheless, there have always been at least a few notable titles to hit store shelves and digital marketplaces alike amidst the heat. I personally loved and continue to love my time with “Super Mario Maker 2” capping off June and recently found myself very invested in the brutal action of “Wolfenstein: Youngblood” making the last two months at least somewhat impactful for game releases for me. This month may just step it up tenfold though with more than a couple of games that are genuinely on my radar. Read on to see what games of August 2019 I'm most excited for and why. Then be sure to leave me your own list or single game that has you the most hyped in this swansong of summer.