Well, it's December and that means that all the big new releases are just about done with for the year. Typically, they would have already been done since October, but this year we were fortunate enough to receive a not insignificant number of titles that were apparently running a little late to the party. This very week, in fact, saw a couple of fairly big releases, including the new Marvel-based strategy RPG from Firaxis Games. In (Marvel) Midnight Suns you get to create a new original hero and take them into tactical battles along with famous Marvel heroes such as Wolverine, Iron Man, Blade, and Ghost Rider. It sounds pretty interesting, to say the least.

Also out in the last 5 weeks, The Callisto Protocol, a spiritual sequel to the Dead Space games by one of the very co-creators of that series; the long-awaited next installment to the epic God of War franchise; and another non-Mania entry to the otherwise uneven Sonic the Hedgehog series. Darkness falls. Rise up. Then jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 35 days.

Hello again. I hope everybody had a nice Thanksgiving! Well, it's been too long since our last GOG sale post and we very nearly missed being able to post this one, but if you're reading this, and it's on or before the 30th, you're not too late to take advantage of some pretty crazy holiday deals.

That's right! Everybody's favorite DRM-free online game store has a Black Friday sale going on from now until the end of November. They're advertising discounts on over 4,000 titles and have even offered up a free giveaway or two! So be sure to go check it out before it's over. Or, you can always jump past the break for a short list of some of the best deals we've seen so far.

Well, it's late October, which means Halloween's nearly upon us. What better way to get in the spirit of the season than by playing a brand new title starring everybody's favorite Umbra Witch, Bayonetta! Though most people are no doubt at least somewhat aware of the supposed controversy surrounding Bayonetta's voice actress shake-up with this third installment, it's probably best not to worry about it too much. It seems like a lot to untangle and, at the end of the day, it's more Bayonetta, the critics seem to love it, and Jennifer Hale is awesome.

​Also out in the last 13 weeks, an enhanced Switch port of Persona 5, one of the very best games of 2017; the much-anticipated follow-up to 2019's best period horror stealth game, A Plague Tale -Innocence-; and a multi-console release of the 2020 My Little Pony inspired indie fighter, Them's Fightin' Herds. Beauty becomes the beasts. Jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 91 days.

Right around the same time that Nintendo released their 8-bit Famicom game console in Japan, the original version of what would eventually be released in the rest of the world as the Nintendo Entertainment System, arcade developer Sega released a competing console that they called the "SG-1000". Then, a year later, they released a redesigned version called the "SG-1000 II". Neither system was particularly successful. So after another year, Sega decided to make a few upgrades, most notably to the graphics chip, which would be based off of their System 2 arcade board. They then released this newly overhauled version which they dubbed, the "Mark III".

Unfortunately for Sega, they still couldn't stand toe to toe with Nintendo, even after multiple hardware revisions. At least, not in Japan. So Sega then decided to try their luck in the Western markets. The Mark III was rebranded as the "Sega Master System" and given futuristic-looking facelift. Once again, Sega managed to sync their release to Nintendo's, launching the Master System right around the same time that the Nintendo Entertainment System came out. Never let it be said that Sega was one to shy away from a fight. 

Although the Master System was technically more powerful than Nintendo's console, with the exception of Brazil and a few European markets, it never really managed to come close to the impressive sales numbers of the NES. One major reason for this was a lack of software, primarily thanks to Nintendo's shrewd licensing requirements, that forbade third-party developers from releasing their NES titles on competing platforms. To Sega's credit, they did still manage to snag a few high-profile third-party titles, here and there, even despite this rather gargantuan obstacle. Additionally, being a (then) up-and-coming development house themselves meant that their console would at least have a stellar selection of first-party titles to choose from. So, even though Sega's hardware couldn't compete on quantity, that doesn't mean it didn't still have plenty of quality. Read on for a list of 12 of the best games that the Sega Master System had to offer.

In 1984, the video games market was virtually non-existent in the West. While Atari and it's competitors had been making money hand over fist just a few short years earlier, a steady stream of poorly made and wildly unpopular titles, coupled with the rise of personal computing alternatives, led to the infamous video game crash of 1983. Many believed that the dedicated video game console was merely a fad that had already passed and would never turn a profit again. Meanwhile, in Japan, Nintendo had found great success with the release of their new 8-bit Famicom system, actually managing to reach the number one spot in game console sales in a still-thriving Japanese market. This newfound success, in addition to the complete non-existence of any would-be competition in the West, gave Nintendo the confidence to see if they could reignite game console sales in that market as well.

Nintendo first decided to test the waters with their newly-created Vs System, arcade cabinets housing slightly modified, localized versions of already existing Famicom titles. In addition to generating additional revenue via the arcades and giving Nintendo a way to gauge the popularity of various titles, this strategy also had the added bonus of creating buzz and fostering awareness of those titles ahead of the console's launch. Furthermore, when it came time to release the console, Nintendo opted to start out with a limited test market launch, first in New York, and then in Los Angeles, in order to make certain that the system would in fact sell. Nintendo's strategies paid off, and on September 27th, 1986, they finally released their rebranded Nintendo Entertainment System nationwide in America. The video game console was back and here to stay.

In order to help restore consumer confidence and avoid another flood of low quality titles on the market, Nintendo also enacted strict controls on product approval and game licensing for their console. This was made famous by their official seal of quality that could be found on virtually all game cartridges produced for the system; and the NES had quality titles in spades. In fact, it was mostly thanks to its strong stable of games that the system was such a spectacular success. Here are but 12 examples of the best titles that the Nintendo Entertainment System had to offer:

Well, 2022 is already 2/3rds of the way done, and now that the "new" generation of consoles (that came out nearly two years ago) are finally starting to become easier to obtain at the suggested retail price, it seems that the time is finally right to discuss the best games from the prior year. Assuming you can still remember that far back, 2021 was actually another decent year for gaming. Even though the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 remained next to impossible to obtain at sane prices, they both saw the release of some great new titles and even the occasional exclusive (although in the case of the Series X, that term is somewhat generous). There were also a number of big releases for the Switch and PC as well. Please read on for a list of the best games of 2021 according to 12/12 Games:

Is it just me, or does it seem like this has been a pretty decent year for Nintendo so far? Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Triangle Strategy, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Mario Strikers: Battle League, and now Live A Live AND  Xenoblade Chronicles 3?? Switch owners may not know what they did to deserve all this love but I'm sure they don't hate it. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a continuation of the popular RPG series, both previous entries of which have also appeared on the Switch, and Live a Live is a modern remake of a Square Enix Super Nintendo/Famicom title that was never before released in the West.

Also out in the last 7 weeks, a fantastic collection of mid-90s Capcom arcade fighting game hits; a totally radical brand new, yet retro in all the right ways, TMNT game; and one of legendary shoot-em-up company Psikyo's single best games ever made. Live to fight. Fight to live. Then jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 35 days.

Well it's been quite a while but finally, Nintendo has seen fit to grant fans another Mario soccer/football game. The last one (not counting 2017's 3DS sports compilation game, Mario Sports Superstars) was 2007's Mario Strikers: Charged for the original Wii console. Clearly, it has been too long. Mario Strikers: Battle League looks to offer up a pretty decent game of footie. Here's hoping it was worth the wait.

Also out in the last 11 weeks, a Switch port of Obisdian's fantastic 2004 Star Wars title, Knights of the Old Republic II; and GOG ports of the incredibly terrifying and atmospheric 2014 sci-fi horror game, Alien: Isolation, and a handful of great Worms games. Battle soccer is back. Jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 77 days.

Not so long ago, in this very same galaxy, Respawn Entertainment created a fantastic original entry to the beloved sci-fi franchise called Star Wars: Jedi - Fallen Order. The game was definitely something special and you may recall that I even saw fit to include it in the list of my 6 Favorite Star Wars Games of all time. Well apparently I wasn't the only one who loved it, because they've just officially announced the sequel and dropped a pretty strong trailer to boot!

​Star Wars: Jedi - Survivor will continue the adventures of Cal Kestis as he is pursued across the galaxy by the deadly Imperial Inquisitors. As of right now, all we know is that the title will be released sometime next year (presumably for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X). I don't know about you but I can only feel my desire for this game increasing by this most welcome news.

Feel free to check out the trailer after the break and...may the force be with you.