well i'm going to at least give tf a shot. i didn't like the first dkc or the first metroid prime much, and the second of each turned out much much better. i feel that the controls will mostly be better, allowing in less frustration in what should be better designed levels. now that they've established sort of what a normal dkc should be, they have no choice but to get crazier with it in the next one.
without playing them, i feel this is how i'll probably rank the games before the year is through:
1. tearaway - just got a feeling about it. it's almost the only thing selling me on the vita, but it comes across as genuinely charming and inventive and a real breath of fresh air for the 3d platforming genre.
2. rayman legends - an even more ambitious rayman origins is probably going to be amazing, and i suspect it would have topped the list without tearaway being involved. i've become less excited over the music levels since sound shapes came out and tackled that idea more thoughtfully, but legends still looks amazing regardless.
3. sonic lost world - like sonic colors, there will be a lot of exploration in this game. the presentation is unusual, and only somewhat similar to super mario galaxy. instead of being a ripoff, this game actually looks to be a really fresh take on the 3d platformer. i'll throw the 3ds version in here too even though it's a different game. it'd probably go at the bottom of the list separately, but mostly because the load times between areas will grate on my nerves, i'm sure.
4. new super luigi u - this is placed a bit low given my love for nsmbw and nsmb2. i don't have nsmbu yet, nor have i played it. i think i might be succumbing to nsmb fatigue a bit, but i'm still looking forward to this a lot.
5. super mario 3d world - i suspect this will be a very enjoyable experience in the long run. i've gotten over my initial distaste for the game, which i think mostly stemmed from being forced to play the game with just a d-pad and 3 other players. when i went back and had more alone time and could play on the gamepad, i was having a lot more fun exploring the levels. i just hope it's not as sinfully easy as super mario 3d land.
6. dkc tf - even though it's one of the lowest on the list, i still have high hopes for it, as aforementioned. basically, i'm keeping my fingers crossed that this turns out to be the dkc2 of retro's library.
7. ratchet & clank: into the nexus - about 3 years ago, this might have topped the list given how much i loved a crack in time. i know that this has the talent back, but it's still hard to get excited for it after a few years of unexciting ratchet games that i've hyped myself over before release.
at this point in time, i expect most of these games to make my top 10 bet games of the year list, joining the last of us and fire emblem.
also keeping an eye on puppeteer, pac-man, and shovel knight. i'll probably get shovel knight, but i don't have much hope for the other two.
