WTMG's Leo Faria: "We know we are probably not going to get a new Wario Land anytime soon. As a result, Pizza Tower feels like a massive breath of fresh air. It took everything that worked in those games (excluding the portability, unless you’re a lucky Steam Deck owner), added in a truckload of funny, 90s-as-hell imagery, and dropped it into Steam like the homage we’ve been waiting for. It was a bizarre mixture between Wario Land and Ren & Stimpy that worked a lot better than I could have imagined. Some levels annoyed the hell out of me, and the game isn’t very long, but it was a pretty enjoyable ride until the very end."
Wario would be proud.
VGChartz's Lee Mehr: "Whether in games, movies, or what have you, everyone likes an underdog story. When you consider the arduous task of making a good game, the odds can already feel stacked against everyone; now, consider making that good title and garnering attention in today's age. But that's also the beauty of today's age: being too cash-strapped in your marketing can be a non-issue if you seize on the right opportunity - perhaps a couple of popular influencers or consistent word of mouth - and catch an audience off-guard. The games that exceed someone's expectations, whether through ignorance or reserved pre-judgement before playing it, are what this award wants to highlight.
Even though some of the titles that've reached this shortlist have big corporate support, it's the story behind them that caught so many people by surprise last year. That's the important context to consider as to what makes something qualify for, and ultimately win, this category. After much deliberation, here are the finalists."
HiFi Rush surprised 6k people out of millions of gamers..They just have to shoehorn Xbox stuff in there.
Don’t worry, rumors have it that it’s coming out on Playstation soon so you guys can pretend that it’s always been a great game.
Wait. Do you not believe the context *surrounding* the game itself earns it this consideration? I'm not really getting this random 6k number either.
VGChartz's Evan Norris: "2023 was an eclectic year for platformers. No matter your platforming taste or proclivity, there was something in the last 12 months to satisfy you. For fans of the off-beat humor and ingenuity of the Wario Land series, Pizza Tower appeared as a proper spiritual successor. For those craving the speed and style of Jet Set Radio, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk delivered an amazing urban playground in which to vibe. And for old-school platform aficionados raised in the 1990s, there was plenty of nostalgic goodness, including a new Sonic game, Sonic Superstars, and the first new 2D Super Mario adventure in over a decade, Super Mario Wonder."
