February 28, 2026

Hello! Welcome back to my annual post series where I gush over some of my favorite media to come from the past year. Despite a lot of the ups and downs in 2025, there were many great projects released that prove people are still putting their all into their art, and video games are a great example of this! There were rough patches when it came to hardware updates and poor practices, but despite this, there were games from last year that are truly special.

So, without further ado, please enjoy my top favorite video games from 2025! [Oh! And if you sign up with your email, not only will you get notifications for whenever I post, but you can also comment and spark some discussions about what your favorite games were from last year!]

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

It genuinely feels like it’s been a decade since my initial post made in anticipation of City of the Wolves, so it’s crazy to think that it’s not been that long since its release. Part of that undoubtably comes from its commercial reception, as unfortunately this game did not make it big with general audiences. Between the controversy of its real-world guest character inclusions and insanely expensive marketing efforts that didn’t know which audiences to target, it isn’t surprising that it failed to make its money back.

That’s disappointing, because this game is really great! In fact, it may be one of the most fun, balanced fighting games I’ve played (at least at low-level gameplay) in recent memory. It seems to take a lot of inspiration from Street Fighter 6 with its S.P.G. system and built-in super armor moves, but it carves a unique identity with the inclusion of classic SNK-isms like just defends. Plus, new ideas like the incredibly satisfying combo mechanic of cancelling EX specials into S.P.G. moves illustrates this game’s personality.

Characters feel super fresh and unique. It’s crazy that I felt generally negative about the real-world inclusions like most, but even they are a ton of fun! Movesets are relatively grounded (for a fighting game, at least), but the general move options available and the breadth of archetypes feel like there is something for everyone.

And this is all solely about the gameplay, not the overall package, which includes a huge story mode and unique options like full color control. I sincerely hope this game rebounds with future DLC releases, but either way, I’m at least very happy it got made. It’s a great, modern SNK release.

Mario Kart World

Well, to address the elephant in the room, one of 2025’s biggest gaming headlines was the release of the Nintendo Switch 2. It was consistently marred in controversy throughout the year and seems to have plateaued in sales. The console wasn’t alone in causing outrage, though, as its headliner launch title nearly usurped the Switch 2’s attention thanks to an array of outrageous choices from Nintendo.

I agree with a lot of the criticisms about Nintendo’s practices with this title. But, to rip the band-aid off, I actually really love Mario Kart World as a game.

Despite it all, making Mario Kart a jank, chaotic open-world is kind of the breath of fresh air I needed to get engrossed back into the franchise. The characters look so good and, though it’s also a bit jank, the updated trick system can feel wonderful. This is arguably the most flawed game that I’m including on this list, but it may be the one that brought me the most sheer joy.

It’s simply imperfect fun, which truly captures the spirit of what Mario Kart is.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Now for a game with zero controversy, Hollow Knight: Silksong may be the best game of 2025. It turns out, giving a small team plenty of time to create their singular vision pays off in spades, as this game feels like it takes the original and runs with it. It’s more polished, gives you more options, and experiments with new ideas that tend to pay off well.

For transparency’s sake, I will admit that this game didn’t grab me nearly as much as the original. However, Hollow Knight is one of my favorite games of all time, so I’m not going to fault it for not living up to that standard. I still love Silksong, though, and for the metroidvania purists that take issues with the first game, I think this one makes enough changes to create a new experience.

If you haven’t played either of the Hollow Knight titles, I can’t recommend them enough. And considering a lot of concerns about the direction of the video game industry, it’s great to see an indie game generate so much hype and maybe even exceed the original expectations.

Elden Ring Nightreign

Sometimes, a triple-A game company can take a risk with an IP that pays off. Elden Ring Nightreign is such a fascinating example of iterating upon a classic in a way that feels fresh and exciting, but authentic enough to the original experience. It isn’t perfect, but this soulsborne meets Fortnite idea is actually pretty fun.

The genius of this game lies in its gameplay loop, as the process of trying to collect good enough gear to take on extremely hard bosses in about thirty minutes or less is thrilling! Plus, I care enough about the Elden Ring world and gameplay style that it’s still interesting for me to explore the map repeatedly.

This is the least accessible game on this list, but that isn’t inherently a bad thing. It’s an interesting ‘budget’ game release that I hope gives the From Soft team some ideas on how to make The Duskbloods even better.

Kirby Air Riders

Another Nintendo kart racer? Within a few months of some of the company’s most controversial releases? In this economy?

Yeah, I’m not entirely sure what they were thinking, either. Kirby Air Riders is the strangest singular gaming experience I had in 2025, and the timing of its release feels a tad misguided. Which is a shame, as similar to Fatal Fury, I think Air Riders is really great!

It feels like maybe the most Sakurai game ever, which is crazy because I feel like most would consider Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to be his most defining title. This game has so much content, it’s insane. And while I’m not in love with every mode on offer, a lot of it is really fun!

This is a great ‘quick bursts’ kind of game, as hopping online for a five minute City Trial run is a great way to have a bit of fun. Mario Kart World is a more accessible experience, but for those disappointed in that title, I do highly recommend Kirby Air Riders.

Donkey Kong Bananza

Donkey Kong Bananza is likely Nintendo’s best release of 2025! Once again, it’s crazy to think that just a few months ago I wrote on my hype for this game, and now it’s already cemented itself as a cult favorite. Like a lot of these games, I don’t think it reached the huge audience Nintendo was hoping it would, but it did what it needed to do.

It delivers a really fun, polished platformer with plenty of new ideas. Like this team’s last title with Mario Odyssey, they absolutely mastered how to make a character fun to pilot. Donkey Kong always feels really great to move around with! And like I said, I think that’s basically what they needed to do.

It’s pretty, the music is good, and the characters are a blast. I’m glad the Donkey Kong franchise has a great new direction and I’m excited to see where it goes next!

Looking Ahead

2026 seems like it’ll be a bit of an inconsistent year as well, though there have already been some releases that have blown me away! I think my biggest hope is just that there are some surprises. We don’t know much about how this year will shape out with some studios, so I’m hoping that if they have something to show, it’s something new.

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Thanks for checking out this post! Stay tuned for more. In the meantime, if you want to hear more of my thoughts on some iconic pop culture, consider giving Monkey D. Luffy vs. the World, the podcast I co-host, a listen! We’re covering One Piece, Hunter x Hunter, the works of Suda51, and more to come. If any of that interests you, please check it out!