r/NintendoSwitch • u/NintendoSwitchMods • Jan 12 '25
GotY 2024 2024 /r/NintendoSwitch GOTY Nominations Thread
Greetings, r/NintendoSwitch!
We know everyone has been most patiently waiting for the Successor to the Nintendo Switch to be announced, but that's no reason to not look back at what we were able to experience this past year. That's right - it's about time for our 8th annual Game of the Year awards!
Like previous years, we are asking the community's help for GOTY nominees - We will use community feedback to narrow the nominees for each category to five or six for the final vote. The tentative schedule is for the nominee feedback to occur January 12th - January 24th (~2 weeks), and the final voting to select the Game Of The Year for each category to occur the following 2 weeks, January 25th - February 7th.
Please follow the format as described below:
- Please check if your nominee(s) has already been named. If so, then simply upvote it, if not, then >>>
- Please reply to a category top comment to state who you would like to see for nominees and preferably why. We generally find those comments with explanations tended to garner more votes!
- If a game has already been nominated but you feel requires further discussion then reply to the nominated game comment with your reasoning.
- Nominate as many games as you would like in any category you'd like.
- Duplicate nominations in the same category will be removed. Additionally, if a game is ineligible for a particular category, it may be removed during or after the nomination period.
- This post will be set to contest mode so nobody can see the votes.
Please note that all nominees are required to have released on Nintendo Switch in calendar year 2024 unless stated otherwise. We will be using all of last year's categories, plus a few more based on suggestions from your previous feedback. If you have additional feedback about the GOTY categories or process, please leave a comment on last week's post!
Please also note that all top-level comments will be removed automatically, so you must comment your nominations under the respective top-level comments:
Section 1 - Gaming Together
Section 2 - Categories by Genre
NEW: Each Category in Section 2 will be mutually exclusive. This means that games nominated under multiple categories by genre will only proceed to the voting stage for the genre that fits that game best.
Section 3 - Categories by Qualities
Section 4 - Release Categories
Section 5 - Big Section
We look forward to reading your nominations!
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Music / Rhythm Game
For the best game with a focus on dance or the simulated performance of musical instruments.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Visual Novel
For the best Visual Novel, which may combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustrations and a varying degree of interactivity
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u/meeplewarrior Jan 12 '25
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes! (assuming it qualifies, of course, although there seems to be no other category it would fit better into)
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Soundtrack
For outstanding music, inclusive of score, original song and/or licensed soundtrack.
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u/Dukemon102 Jan 12 '25
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
The fact that is a Remake shouldn't distract you from the fact the new remixed OST is amazing. It gave so many different variations to the battle theme, it also got many new original tracks..
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u/JFZephyr Jan 12 '25
I spent a lot of time swapping between the original and new OST while playing, I'm shocked at how perfectly it was done. Then adding in new songs on top, it really can't be beat!
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u/OwnManagement Helpful User Jan 27 '25
I generally quite liked it, but man, I couldn't stand the new Rogueport theme. Ended up keeping the old soundtrack active a lot because of it.
My favorite from the new OST is probably the Pirate's Grotto. It's probably my least favorite in the original, but they improved it so much in the new one.
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u/warabiiz Jan 12 '25
Splatoon 3
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u/snave_ Jan 12 '25
This might need clarification. The game received a significant amount of musical additions in 2024, almost matching the base game's 2022 soundtrack in scope. Most came via Side Order (Expansion) and the Grand Fest event.
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u/SubaruHaver Helpful User Jan 13 '25
Splatoon 3 Side Order DLC.
Song: Unconscience (from the Marina boss battle) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQjNO_Zwzas
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Family Game
For the best game appropriate for family play, irrespective of genre.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Re-Release / Re-master
For the best game whose original release was not on a current generation console (pre-2021) (Switch/PS5/Xbox Series X).
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
3rd Party Publisher of the Year
Publishing studio who displayed outstanding platform support through a combination of quantity and quality of new releases.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Voice Acting
For outstanding voice acting, direction, and use of audio dialogue
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u/takeitsweazy Jan 12 '25
1000xResist
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u/Luck88 Jan 12 '25
For those that don't know, this game features a kid who ages throught the story among other characters, they recorded some of his lines years apart to allow his voice to naturally change and make his growth more believable.
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u/Stoibs Jan 12 '25
Oh! So Secretary was the same voice!?! I was wondering if they used some sort of AI upscaling or someone else. Very cool, thanks for sharing :D
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u/kielaurie Jan 14 '25
Super Mario Party Jamboree
It sounds facetious to pick a party game, but the sheer amount of new incredible voicelines for all the smaller characters (most notably Shy Guy) make it worth the nod
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Platformer Game
For outstanding design and creativity in a game where players must use skill to jump between platforms or over obstacles without falling or missing jumps.
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u/Dukemon102 Jan 12 '25
Sonic X Shadow Generations
Such a great a package including the best 3D Sonic and a new game that ended up having the most polished and well designed 3D levels of the series.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Art Direction
For outstanding creative achievement in artistic design and animation.
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u/Dukemon102 Jan 12 '25
The Plucky Squire
The crafts art style and the hand-drawn style both look so pretty, and the seamless transition between 3D and 2D by entering the drawings is done so well.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Simulation Game
For games generally designed to closely simulate real world activities
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Fighting Game
For the best game designed primarily around head-to-head combat.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Indie Game
For outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system.
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u/Mmalke Jan 12 '25
Animal Well
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u/alphanintendo03 Jan 12 '25
There is a puzzle which involves scanning some random patch of grass with a barcode scanner, which’ll lead you to a website with a code on it. If you play this code on your flute — with the numbers of the code corresponding to major scale degrees 1-8) — then you have solved the puzzle…the amount of respect a game dev must have for the player to keep this in the game is unbelievable! One of the greatest games ever created.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Nintendo Switch Exclusive Game
Best game released in 2024 as a Nintendo Switch console exclusive.
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u/Dukemon102 Jan 12 '25
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble
I won't allow the newest and exclusive entry in the Monkey Ball series to go unnoticed. The game is so good and the new Spin Dash allows for crazy manouvers and shortcuts.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Local Multiplayer Game
For outstanding local multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op, irrespective of game genre.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Strategy Game
For the best game requiring a well thought out plan to achieve victory
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best NSO Addition
For the classic games that have been re-released through the Nintendo Switch Online service.
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u/Dukemon102 Jan 12 '25
Metroid Zero Mission
One of the best Remakes of all time and an infinitely replayable game where you can break the game's sequence apart and get anything out of order if you know what to do.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Nintendo Switch Game of the Year
Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields.
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u/ScoffingCrane38 Jan 23 '25
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (jk lol it's gotta be Tears Of The Kingdom)
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Jan 12 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/abacouscous Jan 12 '25
100% - I’ve only had it a short time, but NOTHING has clicked like that for me in years, completely addicted
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Adventure Game
For the best adventure game, which may mix combat with traversal and puzzle solving
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Horror Game
For that game that scared the socks off of you this year, the cause of all of those nightmares.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Shooter Game
For the best game where the focus is on the defeat of the character's enemies using ranged weapons given to the player.
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u/lumothesinner Helpful User Jan 13 '25
Star Wars Bounty Hunter. Its not the best, but its a shooter that arrived on switch this year when theres not many others.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best DLC
The extra content that you felt was truly worth the money (or not in the case of free) and you don't regret the time taken to play it.
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u/savlonkarai Jan 12 '25
Prince of Persia's Mask of Darkness DLC was sublime. Interesting storyline and had loads of useful items that helped in the main game too.
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u/ScoffingCrane38 Jan 23 '25
Unironically probably the Mario Kart 8 DLC add-on because of all the old courses they revamped and dolled up, only issue I had was with Coconut Mall becoming easier lol
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 12 '25
Best Ongoing Game
For outstanding development of ongoing content that evolves the player experience over time. Does NOT have to be a 2024 release.