Sea of Stars launched on Nintendo Switch last year and, after a beefy free update and with an even beefier free DLC on the horizon, it’s safe to say that it’s a banger. But what inspired the developer, Sabotage, to make such a gem? What studios sit on its mood board? Who is the go-to touchstone for all things game-making? According to Sea of Stars director Thierry Boulanger, it’s Nintendo.
Now, we challenge any dev to look us in the eye and say that they haven’t, in some way, been inspired by the House of Mario over the years. But, as Boulanger told GamesRadar, the Big N is “just the motherlode of everything you can learn”, with the studio’s work in the 1980s and ’90s being particular points of inspiration for the Sabotage team.
Today, December 3, marks PlayStation’s 30th anniversary. To celebrate, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) hosted the 2024 PlayStation Partner Awards in Japan Asia (hereafter PlayStation Partner Awards), honoring all the incredible games and talented developers who released their games on PlayStation within the Japan/Asia region.
In addition to celebrating the success of the 2024 PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 titles (October 2023 through September 2024), this year’s awards also recognized exceptional games created by Japanese and other Asian developers released on legacy PlayStation platforms over the past 30 years – the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation 4. Read on for a rundown of all the games that received awards at this event.
Games are listed in alphabetical order.
Excellence Award
Awarded to the title developed in the Japan/Asia region that have had a consistent and significant impact along with commercial success over the past three years*.
Genshin Impact (HoYoverse)
Grand Award
Awarded to the top three titles developed in the Japan and Asia regions with the highest worldwide sales between October 2023 and September 2024*.
Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science Interactive Technology) Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (FromSoftware, Inc / Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.) Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix Co. Ltd)
Partner Award
Awarded to titles developed in the Japan/Asia region with top-ranked worldwide sales between October 2023 and September 2024*, with particularly noteworthy accomplishments.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 (Capcom Co., Ltd.) Honkai: Star Rail (HoYoverse) Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Sega) Persona 3 Reload (Atlus Co., Ltd) Tekken 8 (Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.) The First Descendant（Nexon） Zenless Zone Zero（HoYoverse）
Special Award
Awarded to PS5 titles developed in collaboration with SIE outside the Japan/Asia region that achieved outstanding success within Japan/Asia between October 2023 and September 2024*.
Rise of the Ronin (SIE, developed by Koei Tecmo) Stellar Blade (SIE, developed by Shift Up)
Users’ Choice Award
Awarded to the top five titles released in the Japan/Asia region between October 2023 and September 2024, selected by user votes in the Japan/Asia region, out of the top 30 titles with the longest total gameplay time.
Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science Interactive Technology) Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix Co. Ltd) Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Sega) Rise of the Ronin (SIE, developed by Koei Tecmo) Stellar Blade (SIE, developed by Shift Up)
PlayStation Generations Awards
Awarded to titles chosen by users in the Japan and Asia regions from each PlayStation generation – the original PlayStation, PS2, PSP, PS3, PS Vita, and PS4. All games are previous “PlayStation Partner Award” winners.
PlayStation Generations (1994 and beyond) Final Fantasy VII (Square Enix Co. Ltd.)
PlayStation 2 Generations (2000 and beyond) Final Fantasy X (Square Enix Co. Ltd.)
PlayStation Portable Generations (2004 and beyond) Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (Capcom Co., Ltd.)
PlayStation 3 Generations (2006 and beyond) Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.)
PlayStation Vita Generations (2011 and beyond) Persona 4 Golden (Atlus Co., Ltd)
PlayStation 4 Generations (2013 and beyond) Elden Ring (FromSoftware, Inc / Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.)
* SIE’s indicators, such as player numbers, are also factored into the selection of nominees. Listed publishers are those of the Japanese PlayStation Store.
Here are messages from the recipients of the “Excellence Award” and “Grand Award” to all the players.
Genshin Impact
(Hoyoverse)
* Photo of the HoYoverse team’s resident cat.
“I would like to express our sincere gratitude to our players and PlayStation! This new award marks a significant milestone in our journey over the past four years, reflecting the precious memories and moments of companionship shared with our players, as well as the long-lasting, stable, and trusting partnership we’ve built with PlayStation.
The world of Genshin Impact is filled with endless possibilities, and our adventure is far from over. This year, we’ve arrived at Teyvat’s sixth nation — Natlan. Here, Travelers can join forces with Natlan’s warriors and Saurian companions, soaring through the skies and delving into the earth, exploring the vast world to their hearts’ content. And moving forward, we will continue to create exciting and fresh content to show our appreciation for your continued attention and support.”
– Dai Wei Game Designer HoYoverse
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
(FromSoftware, Inc / Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.)
“Thank you to all the gamers who have spent their time playing Elden Ring.
We will continue to strive to deliver exciting and meaningful games to our fans.”
– FromSoftware, Inc Elden Ring development team
“Thank you so much for this very prestigious award. Although there was a longer wait for the Shadow of the Erdtree compared to our previous DLCs, we’re delighted that so many players picked up the expansion to explore the all-new story in the Realm of Shadow. We’re only able to continue receiving such awards nearly three years after the main game’s release, thanks to our loyal players continuing their journey in the Lands Between and keeping the game and community thriving. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has played the main game and DLC. Thank you very much.”
– Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. Elden Ring development team
Black Myth: Wukong
(Game Science Interactive Technology）
“It is an incredible honor to receive the Grand Award. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of everyone at Game Science Interactive Technology and the support of our valued partners, as well as the enthusiastic response from all Black Myth: Wukong players.
The inspiration for Black Myth: Wukong comes from Journey to the West, one of China’s ‘Four Great Classical Novels.’ Thanks to this masterpiece written over 400 years ago, and the fusion of China’s rich cultural heritage with the latest advancements in game development technology, we were able to create an action RPG that brings the grandeur and beauty of Chinese mythology to life. Moving forward, we will continue listening to player feedback, exploring cutting-edge technology, and creating more exciting gameplay and thought-provoking stories.
Thanks to our distribution platforms and to every Destined One who has joined us on this westward journey!”
– Feng Ji Founder & CEO, Game Director Game Science
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
(Square Enix Co. Ltd)
“I am thrilled that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was chosen for the Grand Award – which is only awarded to the top three Japanese/Asian titles with the highest worldwide sales – especially since Final Fantasy VII Remake received the same honor. I am truly grateful to the many fans who have supported this game and made it possible for us to receive this esteemed award.
The Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy will finally conclude with the next installment. The team is working incredibly hard to make it a rewarding finale, so we hope that you will continue to support us.”
As Graham pointed out earlier this year, A Difficult Game About Climbing is a difficult game about climbing. A Bennett Foddy’s Getting Over It-inspired limb-flailer, where hoisting yourself up a mountain as a bald man is painfully moreish. Well, let me introduce you to A Difficult Game About Driving, a difficult game about driving. Again, you play as a bald man (called Jeff) who sits in a 4×4 bathtub and must ascend a series of difficult roads. There’s a demo out now and let me tell you, it’s awfully good.
Ahead of The Game Awards next week, the ‘players’ voice’ nominees have now been revealed. This is a “100% fan voted award” that takes place across three rounds.
Round one requires players to vote for their 10 favourite games from a list of 30, and ends on 4th December 2024 (aka tomorrow). On the Nintendo front, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has made this top 30 list. Apart from this, some other featured games available on Switch include Sonic X Shadow Generations, No Man’s Sky, Fortnite and the indie hit Balatro.
The return of college football to the gaming space is a cause for celebration for many. From the ability to represent their alma mater or just engage with the incredible energy present in collegiate sports, there is a lot to like. College Football 25 arrived July 16 earlier this year as the highly anticipated return of the beloved sports series. It became a smash hit, pulling in as many as 700,000 players in its first day of early access and a staggering 2.2 million by the end.
If you haven’t played EA Sports College Football 25 yet, you are in luck. Right now you can grab the game for just $29.99. Will this deal last past Dec 2 (Cyber Monday)? We’re honestly not sure. Amazon may surprise us all, while Best Buy has a countdown clock to bring on the urgency.
Get EA College Football 25 for $29.99
College Football 25 had big updates in August 2024, including several improvements to overall gameplay and the Dynasty and Ultimate Team modes. There are new formations to teams’ playbooks, switch stick delay settings, and fixes for bugs such as defenders slipping through double teams without the right animation.
Brian Barnett writes reviews, guides, features, & more for IGN, GameSpot, & Kotaku. You can get more than your fair share of him onBluesky &Backloggd, & enjoy his absurd video game talk show, The Platformers, onSpotify & Apple Podcasts.
There is one game that all my friends are pestering me to play above all others, and it is Yakuza / Like A Dragon. There is a reason for that, so they say: “It’s only one of the best video game franchises ever!” Well, now you and I can grab a copy of Infinite Wealth, for just $24.99 on Amazon and find out for ourselves. Maybe if I finally play it, they’ll stop bugging me about it. (You hear that, Kris?!)
Brian Barnett writes reviews, guides, features, & more for IGN, GameSpot, & Kotaku. You can get more than your fair share of him on Bluesky & Backloggd, & enjoy his absurd video game talk show, The Platformers, on Spotify &Apple Podcasts.
Nintendo’s Switch Online ‘Missions and Rewards’ program has today added a new wave of icons based on the Game Boy title Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.
As you can see below, there are icons featuring Mario and even Wario, and they’ll set you back 10 Platinum Points each. These icons will be available between now and 6th January 2024, so get them while you can (thanks, NSO Icons Alerts):
If you enjoy fantasy or RPGs, there is a good chance a Final Fantasy game is on your ‘best’ list. Whether you like the newest remake or like delving into the originals, there is a lot to like, and the Final Fantasy Anniversary Collection is on sale right now, helping you save $20 on six of the most influential FF games ever made.
Final Fantasy I – VI Collection Anniversary Edition for $54.99
My favorites from this list are IV and VI. I’m not sure what that means about me, that if you put a V and an I in the title of a Final Fantasy game, I’m inclined to like it (particularly because I also enjoy VII, VIII, and XVI). If you want more game deals, check out our hub of the best PS5 Game Deals.
Brian Barnett writes reviews, guides, features, & more for IGN, GameSpot, & Kotaku. You can get more than your fair share of him onBluesky &Backloggd, & enjoy his absurd video game talk show, The Platformers, onSpotify & Apple Podcasts.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of the most impressive games ever made, so you’d be forgiven if you missed a lot of content as you traveled through Hyrule. Luckily, the people at Piggyback have lovingly crafted the Official Guide to help you find every secret in the expansive game, and the Official Guide Collector’s Edition is half off for Cyber Monday. If you’d like a collector’s item that doubles as an old-school physical guide, this would make a great addition to any Zelda players who already use the online ToTK guides, but want a keepsake, too. (It’s 496 pages of written-form wiki).
Zelda: ToTK Official Guide – Collector’s Edition for $22.50
Via Piggyback: “Working closely with Nintendo®, we have created the authoritative, all-encompassing guide to The Legend of Zelda™: Tears of the Kingdom. We cover all features and facets of the game with a single mission: to help you enjoy each and every moment of your adventure.”
Brian Barnett writes reviews, guides, features, & more forIGN,GameSpot, & Kotaku. You can get more than your fair share of him onBluesky & Backloggd, & enjoy his absurd video game talk show, The Platformers, on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.
