Every year I aspire to write about my favorite media of the year, and every year I realize that sounds like work.

Here’s what I consumed in 2025 and I’ll note a few of my standouts as well.

TV

This year I decided to watch Twin Peaks. I never watched it before. I can legitimately say that there’s nothing like it. I watched “The Return” series as well, which has a massive 25 year gap. I could try to explain it, but that would be doing it a disservice. I now see the influence it has over the Alan Wake video game series, more than I did before. It was weird, unsettling, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Andor Season 2 did not disappoint and provided hope in these dark times. “Rebellion’s are built on hope”.

Also Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man was a good surprise return to a street level Spider-man, with some fun twists and turns along the way within the greater Marvel universe.

Movies

Superman redeemed the character for me in many ways, and James Gunn delivered a great story about kindness and doing the right thing despite everything. Kindness is the new punk rock.

And obviously KPop Demon Hunters was fantastic.

Books

So bad news, I didn’t get as many books read as I would have liked, but the good news is that it was more than last year.

Video Games

On to the main event.

I began the year playing all the Donkey Kong Country games, only to be surprised when the Switch 2 games were announced a new game Donkey Kong Bananza would be released. Donkey Kong Bananza was fantastic, I loved it, it felt like DK was finally back to kick some tail. Also… the moment where the true villain awakes during the classic fake credits¹ … gives me chills every time. No notes.

DOOM: The Dark Ages came and went. I really liked it, not as much as DOOM: Eternal, but I thought it was a fun heavy metal demon destroying romp through and through. id Software stands out as a developer that seems to know what they are doing amongst the monolith that is Bethesda/Microsoft. I am awaiting the DLC to get back to it.

Alan Wake II is really a standout game for me in 2025 (despite being released in 2023). I love these games, I love this universe and I can’t wait for Control: Resonant. I highly recommend playing either Control or Alan Wake II and going in blind.

Kirby Air Riders is everything I wanted out of a modern iteration of this game. The online mode is fantastic because I rarely have the chance to play this game with friends who would be interested in playing. Thank you, Sakurai!

I played my second Yakuza game, and need to start playing the rest of these in 2026².

2025 was a year for me: A new Donkey Kong, a new Tetris, Geometry Wars (Sektori), Katamari, Mario Kart, DOOM, Tony Hawk, Tribute Games beat-em-up (Marvel Cosmic Invasion), the Nintendo Switch 2,and so much more. I really liked everything I played on my list.

A standout for me this year was Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. A game that I feel deservedly took GOTY at the Game Awards. I loved this game, and I would highly recommend it to nearly anyone. It felt like a peak RPG from the 90s, but modernized. The story was engaging without relying on tropes, and the voice acting was exceptional. The battle gameplay was fun and engaging, expanding on RPG strategy by allowing character customization and discovering effective synergies and strategies. Each character plays uniquely, and the music was top-notch.

Finally, we arrive at my most anticipated game of 2025, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Metroid is a series I love, despite its imperfections. Replaying Metroid Prime Remastered in 2023 really made me wonder what a ‘modern’ Prime would look like. There was an 18-year gap between Corruption and this release.

Ultimately, Metroid Prime 4 isn’t what I imagined. I know it’s been divisive among fans, and while I think it might be a great entry point for someone who has never played a Metroid game, the design feels stuck in the past with little to surprise. For a game released in 2025, it seems like it ignored the design evolutions found in modern heavyweights like Hollow Knight. The game had a troubled development after essentially being restarted. I appreciated almost every aspect of the game, including the setting, music, Samus’ suit, art direction, and even the NPCs. However, the gameplay felt overly linear. Additionally, the main antagonist, who has been anticipated for over 18 years, had a rather disappointing origin story. While Metroid isn’t known for its engaging storyline, it often benefits from fans filling in the gaps. Although it’s not a bad game, and I may be an overly critical fan, I remain hopeful for as a strong foundation is laid for the next Metroid Prime.

There You Have It

Overall 2025 from a media standpoint was a was a standout. I think part of what I want to do with 2026 is go back and play some older games I never played or haven’t revisited in a decade or two. I am excited to be surprised with what I don’t know.

What were some of your favorite games you played this year? I want to know. Also let me know if you need any recommendations.

1. I’ve tried to avoid spoilers with this game, but if you’re an old school DK fan, you will not be disappointed. ↩
2. Kiryu-chan!!! ↩