December 2
Super Mario Maker 3DS
The only game to truly justify the use of the touch pad on
the Wii U has made its way to the supremely popular 3DS handheld. Unfortunately,
this is a limited version that removes some of the cool social features, and
you are forced to miniaturize the experience to the tiny 3DS touch screen, but even
despite that it still might contain some of the best platforming a mobile
console has to offer. Available December 2nd on 3DS.
December 6
The Last Guardian
This game is literally over 10 years in the making. With
history going back to E3 2008, this title was originally slated to release on
the PlayStation 3. Team ICO has been hard at work, and their masterpiece
follow-up to Shadow of the Colossus
will finally be in our hands in the near future. Expect a beautiful world,
intense moments, and some sort of giant cat birds. Available December 6th on
PS4.
Dead Rising 4
The first Dead Rising
was a surprise hit in the early days of the Xbox 360, and while this entry is
purported to have effectively eliminated the series’ telltale countdown timer,
there is always more room in the year for more over the top themed zombie
slashers. More wild weapons are there to be crafted, Frank West has returned,
and it's all under the falling snow of the holiday season. Dead Rising 4 is
available on Xbox One and PC December 6th.
December 8
Yakuza 6
While the Yakuza series
has never become a smash hit in the west, the titles continue to have their
small but devoted fanbase. It is likely that if you are a fan of this style of
game you already know of it, but if you are looking for something new, think GTA meets a Takeshi Kitano movie with a
little Shenmu mixed in there for good
measure. Yakuza 6 (Like a Dragon 6:
Poetry of Life as it’s called in Japan) hits store shelves and online
stores December 8th, exclusive to the PlayStation 4.
December 13/14
Stardew Valley
In addition to being one of my favorite games of 2016, this
love-letter to the 16-bit era is rapidly climbing my list of all-time favorite
games. Stardew Valley combines elements of Harvest
Moon, Animal Crossing, Minecraft, and countless other titles to make a game
about farming, exploration, and relationships that is as complex and deep as it
is simple and relaxing. Stardew Valley is making its way over to consoles after
nearly a year exclusive to the PC on the 13th and 14th for the PS4 and Xbox One
respectively.
December 15
Super Mario Run iOS
This iOS exclusive is Nintendo’s third of a planned handful
of mobile games they teamed up with massive Japanese mobile developer DeNA.
Play Mario on your phone in this endless runner inspired by the franchise that
made Nintendo a household name. Collect coins and eat mushrooms to become large
starting December 15th on your iPhones and iPads.
December 20
The Walking Dead: A
New Frontier
Telltale Games sure have been busy the last few years since
the surprise smash hit they had with the first episode of the now many-part
adventure game series based around The Walking Dead. The third ‘season’ of
content is here, expect more hard choices, emotional storylines, and likely, at
least one rage quit moment when someone unexpectedly perishes. Available on
literally every platform anywhere on December 20th (Windows, Mac, PlayStation
4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS and Android)
-Justin Wicker