We have officially entered the penultimate month of 2024. A time of fun, celebration, and reflection before we look ahead at plans and projects for 2025. For some people, Christmas time has already begun. For the sane ones, we’re enjoying some peaceful reflection en route to Thanksgiving. The one day a year where time stands still. Where we take a second to highlight the good things in life.
I’m sure some people need that breather more than I do. However, I wanted to take this time to share a list of 11 (for November) games I am personally thankful for. That does not mean they are my 10 favorite games of all time. Though, some of these do appear on that list as well. These are simply games that I feel a deep connection to, or have to thank for one reason or another. A chronological showcase of why gaming as a hobby should not be looked down on.
LEGO Batman
Originally Played: 2008
The original LEGO Batman is one of the first games I have distinct memories of playing. Not including educational games on the VSmile. I clearly remember sitting on the couch playing through the levels with my mom, who was the best Robin I could’ve asked for. Not minding how I’d refuse to leave an area before breaking every single thing and collecting everything I could.
Batman & Robin. Thankfully, better than the movie
Even now, I still have a deep fondness for LEGO games. I grew up playing games like LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, LEGO Marvel Super-Heroes, and LEGO Indiana Jones (finding Star Wars characters in that game blew my young mind). And still occasionally return to the world of bricks to check out games I missed like LEGO Harry Potter and LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean.
My fondness for video games began with LEGO Batman. And I can pretty safely say I wouldn’t be writing this article right now without it. It’s also a key reason why Batman remains my favorite fictional character to this day. Plus, the game serves as a perfect introduction to the world of Batman and its most iconic characters.
Sly 2: Band of Thieves
Important Years: 2008/2018/2020
Surprisingly, I played a game featuring charismatic and/or attractive anthropomorphic characters at a young and impressionable age, and didn’t become a furry! Crazy, right?
Seriously though, Sly 2: Band of Thieves is still one of my favorite games of all time. It can’t be understated just how much it upgraded the ideas introduced in the first game and created a more wholly realized product with its own identity. I still remember the feeling of joy I had completing different missions around the hub worlds and seeing how my work contributed to the grand heist. Even if I never actually finished the game. Young me wasn’t very good at games.
Thinking about her
My original copy of Sly 2 and the PlayStation 2 I played it on are still in my possession. So I was able to bust it out about a decade later and finally see it through to the end. Creating new memories by playing it on my birthday and having friends around to laugh with. If I can look ahead for a second, my wish for Christmas this year is for Sony to figure things out and get someone on making Sly 5 already.
And as one final addendum to Sly 2‘s legacy in my life, it inadvertently helped me discover my favorite band: Ninja Sex Party. I was watching Twitch Streamer Ray Narvaez Jr.’s VOD of Sly 2 when I heard his $69.69 donation alert go off, a snippet of NSP’s song “6969.” Curiosity led me to the song, then to more of their songs, and now here we are. It’s funny how things work out sometimes. Especially considering I had been a fan of Game Grumps for years at that point and never once checked NSP out.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Important Years: 2009 – Present
I still vividly remember studying every detail on the back of the box on the ride to my mom’s house the day she surprised me with this game. I think even then, before I had seen or played anything from the game, I knew it was something special. Though it took me a few years to fully realize how special it was.
Batman is the best
My 6-7 year old gaming skills were only enough to get me to the first boss, Bane. I couldn’t even beat him. But I could watch others do it. And a few years later I was able to return to Arkham – before Return to Arkham – and finally beat it myself. And now it’s become almost a yearly occurrence for me to replay the game 100%. I can do it in my sleep at this point.
I got to see Batman in a completely new light, and learn so much more about incredible characters like Scarecrow and Victor Zsasz. Kevin Conroy will always be Batman to me, and Batman Arkham Asylum is a huge reason why. I’m not afraid to admit that his passing was one of the few celebrity deaths I actually cried over.
Minecraft
Originally Played: 2011
I was around for the golden age of Minecraft. And I was there for all of it. I remember when Emeralds were the hot new addition on the scene. But even more than that. Minecraft showed me how social games can be. Playing it with my friends on our iPhones, iPads, laptops, or whatever we had around. Messing around for hours on end doing whatever we felt like.
Let’s have some fun in Minecraft
Minecraft was also my gateway into what would become the massive world of YouTube Let’s Plays. I have so many fond memories of watching all the classic members of Team Crafted play different minigames and mods across all kinds of worlds and servers. SkyDoesMinecraft and MinecraftUniverse’s playthrough of Herobrine’s Mansion is a core foundational memory of mine.
Minecraft was the first game that I ever made a friend over. All because I was singing a Minecraft parody to myself in my bus line (that’s right, we used to be cringe too), and someone else in the line happened to have it downloaded on their phone. I could make a whole article about how much Minecraft dominated my life around this time. But I’m sure anyone around my age reading this already knows what that’s like.
Kid Icarus Uprising
Originally Played: 2013
The story of Minecraft was a game I loved bringing me into the world of YouTube. The story of Kid Icarus Uprising is the world of YouTube bringing me a game I love. Kid Icarus Uprising is my favorite Nintendo game of all time, and I owe it all to the YouTuber Chuggaaconroy. Who is still going strong 11 years later!
Medusa and the Forces of The Underworld
Kid Icarus Uprising was all sixth-grade me really cared about. I couldn’t wait to get home and watch Chuggaaconroy’s newest video on the next chapter. And when I finally got around to playing it myself a few years later, I didn’t care that I already knew the whole story. The game and the characters were all such a blast that it felt like reconnecting with old friends. And, back to the world of middle school cringe for a second, Pit and Viridi were my introduction to shipping.
I still love Kid Icarus Uprising and get high on copium every time a Nintendo Direct rolls around, hoping for the announcement of a sequel or a remake. Which is unlikely to ever happen. But I’ll always have the great memories, the videos, and the game on my 3DS to replay whenever I want.
Pokémon X
Originally Played: 2013
Technically, I can also attribute this to Chuggaaconroy as well. As his Let’s Play’s on games like Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness gave me an interest in the series that I had never had before. However, I mostly remember Pokémon X for being the first Pokémon game I ever played. Aside from running around for a few minutes in Pokémon Platinum on a friend’s GameBoy Advance.
Mega Evolution ruled
And I did all the classic young first-time Pokémon player things. I made a team of Pokémon I thought looked cool, loaded them up with whatever moves did the most damage, and spammed my way through as many fights as possible. The Sylveon on my team in that inaugural playthrough is pretty much the sole reason Sylveon is one of my favorite Pokémon, and a key reason why Eevee is my overall favorite.
I have since played at least one game from every Pokémon generation. While I would go on to like games like Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon White Version more, I will always have a special place in my heart for Pokémon X. As the saying goes, “never forget where you came from.”
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
Originally Played: 2014
This game being 10 years old really makes me feel old. I still remember seeing Markiplier’s video on the hot new horror game on the scene, Five Nights at Freddy’s, in my sub box on YouTube. I didn’t want to check it out because I didn’t like horror games. It wasn’t until a family friend told me I needed to that I finally gave in. And I’ve been stuck in this quite literal rabbit hole ever since.
The second FNaF movie should recreate this teaser
However, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 holds a more special place in my heart than the original. Mostly because it led me to a new best friend in middle school that I’m still friends with to this day. We bonded over analyzing the new teaser images on creator Scott Cawthon’s website in the weeks before the game’s release. And then discussing the game and what all the creepy 8-bit minigames meant.
My Five Nights at Freddy’s fandom isn’t as strong as it used to be. Though I will never turn my back on the series. I still check out all the new games, I saw the movie the night it came out, and I’m eagerly anticipating the sequel. It’s the least I can do to give back to a series that gave me more than it ever intended to.
WWE 2K17
Originally Played: 2016
I could basically copy most of what I just said for this entry here. Though this one has had an even bigger impact on me and my life than Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. And it’s all thanks to that same friend, as well as another close friend we’d make a year later.
Their WWE fandom got me intrigued in the wild world of sports entertainment. I knew about the big names like John Cena, Randy Orton, The Undertaker, etc.; and had briefly been a fan as a kid. But I had no idea just how big a role those three letters would play in my life from that point on. And purchasing WWE 2K17 was largely responsible for that.
Definitely no problematic figures here
I’d have my friends over to play it all the time, I’d play the story mode for hours on end because I had nothing else to play. And I discovered Universe Mode, where I got to create my own shows and storylines. And, because I have too much time on my hands, I have a continuous Universe Mode that’s been running since WWE 2K18.
Pro wrestling has become my second biggest hobby behind video games. Like video games, I spend probably too much money on it each year. In fact, I’m catching up on WWE NXT while I write this very sentence. And it’s all because of my friends and this game.
Control
Originally Played: 2020
I didn’t play a wide variety of video games between 2016 and 2020. Most of my time was spent on WWE 2K. It was only thanks to the utter dumpster fire atrocity that was WWE 2K20 that I started branching out into more games. A journey that would lead me through iconic series like BioShock, Uncharted, The Last of Us, Resident Evil, and some you might see later in this list. And that road started with Control.
Whatever you do, don’t look away from the fridge
Control was the first game in a long time that I truly got lost in. Exploring the depths of The Oldest House, searching for all the secrets and side missions hiding in the walls. It expanded my gaming repertoire and encouraged me to try genres I wasn’t familiar with. As I hadn’t played many third person shooters or Metroidvanias before that.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the other major influence Control had on my life. Introducing me to Alan Wake and the Remedy Connected Universe. I knew of Alan Wake, and even had a digital download code for it after I got the Quantum Break Xbox One for Christmas. Though I never played it. And never wanted to until I learned that Control was connected to it and would have DLC tying the two together. I love that series now, and never would’ve discovered it if I never played Control.
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
Originally Played: 2020
We all remember how fun March 2020 was, right? Well, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc was one of the first games I played after the lockdown began. And, little did I know, it was exactly the escape I needed. As weird as it is that my escape from a pandemic was a post-apocalyptic hellscape where highschoolers murder each other in increasingly complex and nonsense ways. Video games are fun that way.
It’s just common sense
While the first Danganronpa was a good time, the sequel is the one that really stuck with me. The characters, the story beats, and the thrilling final act fully engrossed me and helped me forget about the state of the world. Aside from that one chapter where half the characters get violently sick and are quarantined from the rest. That hit a little too close to home.
Danganronpa isn’t for everyone. But it was just the wild ride I needed at that time. A bright and crazy game full of colorful and memorable characters, fun mysteries, and several late-game emotional gut punches to define one of the most tragic fictional relationships I’ve ever seen. And, as an aside, it opened me to the absolutely wild world of Japanese games.
Persona 5 Royal
Originally Played: 2020
Which brings us to our final stop on the list. The most recent game that I can truly say I’m thankful for. The mammoth Persona 5 Royal. And, by extension, the regular Persona 5. Much like Danganronpa, it was the right game at the right time. Something for me to pour literal hundreds of hours into when I had nothing but time on my hands. Crammed with content and characters for me to engage with.
Danny Sexbang but evil
All in all, I put about 300 hours into Persona 5 combined. 100 into regular P5, then 200 into Persona 5 Royal because I failed to get the bonus chapter in my first run. 300 hours that I never get tired of. 300 hours with an incredible cast of characters, crisp and sharp gameplay, and the most amazing soundtrack of all time. I liked the game so much that I bought it for a third time just to get the Collector’s Edition for the PS5.
And I have to give quick thanks to Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, Persona 5 Strikers, and Persona 5 Tactica as well. Especially Persona 5 Strikers. None of these spinoffs are as good as Persona 5. However, they all gave me more time with characters I grew to really care about, and even more songs to add to my Spotify. Cementing this series as one of the many I’m thankful for.
