Cary is Looking Forward in 2025!

On 01/19/2025 at 09:38 PM by Cary Woodham

Around this time, I like to make a list of games that are releasing in the coming year that I’m looking forward to. Of course, this isn’t a full complete list, as there will assuredly be titles announced throughout the year that I may get as well. But anyway, here’s what I know now, for the most part, so let’s take a look at what games I’m looking forward to in 2025!

Hello Kitty: Island Adventure

Hey don’t laugh! Well, OK, you can laugh a little bit. It is kind of funny that a 48 year old man is looking forward to a Helly Kitty game. But then, this game is a lot like Animal Crossing, and that’s my number two most favorite video game of all time (Pac-Man is number one of course) so that’s why. It’s been on Apple Arcade for a year or two now, but I’m too cheap to get a subscription to that, so I’ll just wait for the Switch version. It comes out at the end of January. My plan is to buy the game and see if my mom would like it, because she loves Hello Kitty and Animal Crossing too. And if I think she would, I’ll get her a copy of the game later on and we can play it together.

Okami Sequel

One of the things Capcom announced at the Game Awards this past year was that they are working on a sequel to Okami, which was my GOTY back in 2006. I love that game. It seems like they may be pretty early on making the game, so it may not even come out this year. But I’m still looking forward to it. Keep in mind that Okami actually already has a sequel in Okami-Den, which let you play as a puppy on the DS!

Shadow Labyrinth

What happens when you mix Pac-Man with a Hollow Knight style dark Metroidvania? Well you get Shadow Labyrinth. This was also announced at the Game Awards this past year. Recently, Amazon Prime released a series called Secret Level, which are CG animated shorts based on various video games. Some of these included WarHammer, Armored Core, etc. The two I was most interested in was the Mega Man one, which was really good but way too short. They need to make a whole series about that. And the other one was Pac-Man. But they took it in a WEIRD direction. In the short, a swordsman is trapped in a dystopian maze and must eat or be eaten. He’s guided by Puck, a robotic floating sphere that looks like Pac-Man. The short is weird and hyper violent, and Namco made a game out of it. Normally I wouldn’t play a game like that, but morbid curiosity has got the better of me and I just have to see how they take Pac-Man in new dark directions.

SEGA VGA Announcements from the Year Before

In the Game Awards that came out the year before, SEGA announced they are planning on making new games based on classic franchises like Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Shinobi, and Crazy Taxi. Not sure how they’ll top Streets of Rage 4, but I’ll certainly keep an eye on what they’re doing with those franchises!

Big Walk

Also announced at the Game Awards the year before last, this is a new game made by the same folks who did Untitled Goose Game, so if it comes to consoles I can play, I will definitely check it out.

Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution

I think this was supposed to come out last year but it didn’t. I always thought that the lost GBA Shantae game was eventually turned into the one that was on DSiWare initially. But I guess I was wrong! WayForward is going to release the long lost GBA Shantae game on modern systems. Shantae games are always good and I’ve played all of them. I’m usually pretty good about getting to review WayForward’s games, so I hope I can review this one, too!

Pokémon Legends ZA

I really liked the first game, Pokémon Legends Arceus. They added new elements and action to the classic Pokémon formula and I appreciated the changes, since I’ve been tired of the mainline games being mostly the same. So I’m definitely keeping my eye on this one.

Fantasy Life: The Girl Who Steals Time

I missed playing the first Fantasy Life on 3DS, so I’d like to check this one out if I have the time.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma

I also like the Rune Factory games as they combine farming elements from Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons mixed with action based dungeon crawling. If I have the time, I’d like to check this one out, too.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2

I think it’s cool that this one has both Power Stone games on it. That’s a series Capcom needs to revisit.

Metroid Prime 4

I always have this on my list, but we actually have a confirmation that it’s coming this year now, so hopefully that’ll still happen. My only hope is that it’s not too hard. I never beat Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and I couldn’t beat the last boss in Metroid: Dread!

Nintendo Switch 2

Shortly after I wrote this article, Nintendo finally announced the Switch 2 coming out this year. Probably in response to all the leaks that have been happening. I would’ve thought they’d announce it as a Super Bowl ad like they did with the original Switch. My only hope is that Nintendo makes enough of them so that they aren’t hard to get at launch. If I can get one at launch, it’ll really help me with reviewing games for it, so please pray that I can do just that. Also please pray I can get into the Switch 2 Experience show they’re having in Dallas in a few months.

And that’s all the games I can think of for now! In the comments section, let me know what you think of my list, and fill me in on any other games coming out that you think I’d like. And also tell me what games YOU are looking forward to in 2025! Later! --Cary

SanAndreas

01/22/2025 at 02:21 AM

I'm hyped over the Switch 2. Thinking about trying to get into the Switch 2 Experience in Los Angeles.

I hope Virtua Fighter 6 comes out this year. Tekken seriously needs competition, and I always liked VF better.

Cary Woodham

01/22/2025 at 10:47 AM

I'm glad they're doing a Switch 2 Experience in Dallas. I just hope I can get in.

It's been a while since we've had a new VF game, hasn't it?

01/23/2025 at 03:14 PM

Last full release was Virtua Fighter 5, which was in arcades back when the PS2 was still the big console. They've done multiple refreshes of it, including a recent face-lifted version on PS4/5 and Steam, which was done by the Ryu Ga Gotoku team. VF6 will be the first true sequel in 20 years. Sega should have capitalized more heavily on Tekken 4 being a weak game back in the day.

01/24/2025 at 12:53 AM

I'm not really a big fan of either Virtua Figher or Tekken. Only reason why I have a couple of Tekken games in my library is because they had a feature or mode I liked, and I still waited until they went way down in price before I got them. For instance, one or two of them had a side scrolling beat 'em up mode, and one let you unlock the old arcade game StarBlade. And the Wii U version of Tekken Tag 2 let you dress up the characters in Nintendo outfits. So I think I have those, but I didn't get them until they were less than 20 bucks (I think I got the Wii U one at 10 bucks). I think the only thing that interested me in Virtua Fighter was that in one of the games, you could unlock an outfit for Sarah Bryant that let her dress as Ulala from Space Channel 5. The only 3D fighter I really got into was Soul Calibur, but that's because it was made for dummies like me. :)

Who are your favorite VF characters? Mine are Jeffry, Sarah Bryant, and Vanessa Lewis. I don't know why I like those characters, I just do.

01/30/2025 at 01:38 AM

My main is Pai Chan, the Chinese lady. Vanessa is a good choice as well.

01/31/2025 at 10:30 PM

Again, I don't really have a good reasons for liking the characters I do. I just like them.

Have you had any luck in getting into the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience in LA? I didn't win the drawing for a free ticket to the Dallas one but I did get on the waitlist for the regular tickets. I may try to see if I can get a press pass, but I don't know if Nintendo will do that for this event or how I would be able to find out. Nintendo is pretty picky on who is on their press list. Last time I was on it was when I wrote for The Dallas Morning News!

KnightDriver

01/24/2025 at 01:55 PM

I'd be very interested in an Okami sequel (I still have Okamiden) and anything they might do with Golden Axe. The original Fantasy Life was pretty cool, so I'd be interested in a sequel. Also, I've always heard about Power Stone but never played them.

Switch 2 is bigger, which has me interested. Bigger screen is always good in my book.

01/25/2025 at 07:30 AM

I'm always glad for a bigger screen. And the controllers are bigger too, so hopefully that'll help. I always thought the Switch's JoyCon's felt rinky-dink in my hands. Not one of my favorite Nintendo controllers, that's for sure.

01/25/2025 at 10:36 AM

Yeah, I did notice that the thumbsticks on the joycons felt flimsy to me this week. I feel I need to be very careful with them or they might break.

01/28/2025 at 10:23 AM

And then there's the famous "JoyCon Drift." I hope Nintendo has better QC on the Switch 2.

01/31/2025 at 12:26 PM

I think I haven't played my Switch enough to get the drift. I do get it on Xbox on every controller I get after about a year or so.

01/31/2025 at 10:31 PM

I never had a problem with my 360 controllers. Just the red ring a couple of times.

02/01/2025 at 12:13 PM

Yeah, I don't remember much problem with 360 controllers but I now use wired Xbox Series controllers and they seem to wear out faster. Their cheaper though, or maybe I just drop them to many times. Oh, and the red ring I had too. I went through about three 360s.

02/02/2025 at 09:22 PM

Luckily I think the red ring only happened to me twice. If it happened to me a third time, I would've said 'three strikes and you're out' and never would've played my 360 again. Almost happened with my Switch with JoyCon drift, too.

PixlBit