Ah, 2012. Not that great of a year, in more ways than one.

In terms of games released, I thought 2012 wasn't that good, especially when compared to 2010 and 2011.

However, I did manage to finally construct my top 10 games of the year, after some difficult decision making.

I do have some rules for this list: Only games I have played, and only games that have come out in 2012. Despite the fact that I played games like Fallout 3, Bayonetta, and Batman: Arkham City for the first time this year, they won't be included on this list because they were all released in previous years.

With that said, let's get started.

#10: Dishonored

Starting off the list with a game that I liked a lot more than I thought I would, we have Dishonored. I think the thing I like most about this game is the fact that you can choose which way you want to play the game. The game encourages stealth, but if you want to use the numerous amounts of unique ways to kill enemies, go right ahead. However, the game isn't perfect by any means. I really do like the Steampunk Victorian London styled city, but the environments tend to blend together, and the locations in this game aren't very memorable, with a few exceptions. Not only that, but I feel like some of the levels can drag for longer than they really need to. Either way, I still think this is a game worth checking out, especially if you're a fan of stealth-based games.

#9: Skullgirls

I seemed to have gained more of a taste for fighting games this past year, seeing as how I seem to be enjoying them more. At #9, we have the game that took years to come out, Skullgirls. Honestly, I think that one of the best aspects of this game is the unique characters. I mean, we have a girl with demonic hair, a circus star with a hat with giant arms, a 40s cartoon character, and a cat lady with detachable limbs. Gameplay wise, it's sort of a mix between Street Fighter (the button and attack layout) and Marvel vs. Capcom (the partner system). However, unlike Marvel vs. Capcom, choosing a partner is not required, which can make for some interesting matches. To elaborate, you can choose to play with either 1, 2, or 3 characters at a time. The less characters you play as, the stronger each individual character is, for the sake of balance. I think my biggest problem is that the story mode could have been a bit more fleshed out than it was. Each character has their own story, but each story is only about 25-30 minutes long. It's also a shame that the dialogue in story mode wasn't voiced, because there are some great voice actors in this game, such as Erin Fitzgerald, Kimlinh Tran (from TeamFourStar), and Kira Buckland (aka Rina-chan). Despite the story-related issues, this game is awesome, and is definitely worth the 15 bucks to buy it.

#8: Sonic & All-Star Racing Transformed

At #8, we have Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Oh my god, this game is really friggin fun. I mean, I knew this game was going to be good (because I loved the first game), but I ended up liking this one a lot more than the first. It's not very often I have this much fun with a racing game. First of all, I love the level design. Every track in this game is completely unique (unlike the first game, where they re-used level themes over and over again). And while some of the tracks might be a bit long (the Golden Axe and NiGHTS tracks in particular), the tracks actually change every lap to keep things fresh and interesting. The character selection in this game is also really good, getting rid of characters like Big the Cat. And while I'm a bit disappointed that characters like Ryo Hazuki were scrapped for this game, I am glad that they added characters like NiGHTS (who really should have been in the first game) and Vyse from Skies of Arcadia. Overall, I really liked this game, despite the fact that Danica Patrick is in it.

#7: Professor Layton & The Miracle Mask

For the first time ever, the professor makes his jump to the 3DS, and it does not disappoint. Miracle Mask may not be my favorite game in the series (that would be Unwound Future), it's definitely not my least favorite (that would be Curious Village). New and uniqe puzzles, great aesthetics, and a really interesting story make this game worth picking up. It did take me a while to finally pick up, despite the fact that I've has it since Christmas. In fact, this game is the reason why this list was delayed for so long. I wanted to play it extensively before I actually gave an opinion. Sure enough, it was good enough to make it on the list.

#6: Persona 4 Arena

Another fighting game? What the hell is going on here? Yes, at #6, we have BlazBlue with Persona characters, Persona 4 Arena. Oh boy, where do I begin? Arc System Works making a BlazBlue-styled fighter with Persona characters is just a recipe for amazing. I love the characters (it helps that I'm a huge Persona fan), I love the music, and I really like the way the game plays. Every character has their own fighting style that makes them very different from one another. Personally, my best character is Chie, seeing as how I've won 10 out of 40-something matches online with her. If there's one major gripe I have with this game, it's the story. In BlazBlue, every character follows their own path and has their own unique story to go with them. In this game, nearly every story follows the same formula, with maybe one or two exceptions. Aside from that, this game is really fun, and I would highly recommend it to any fan of fighting games.

#5: Kid Icarus Uprising

Moving into the top 5, at number 5, we have my favorite shooter (if you could classify it as that) of 2012, Kid Icarus Uprising. I really love this game. The game is split into two different gameplay styles: flying through the air on-rails shooter, and on ground combat. Both gameplay styles work really well and are really fun to play. This game is also the first game published by Nintendo to be fully voiced since Star Fox 64 (honestly, I don't know why they don't do voices more often). The voice acting is great, and the dialogue is hilarious. I do have a few problems, however. Some of the levels in this game tend to drag a bit. Also, everyone's big gripe with this game, the controls. Personally, I don't think the controls are that bad. They're not terrible, but they do take some getting used to. Overall, Kid Icarus Uprising is a great game that I honestly hope gets a sequel sometime in the future.

Anyway, that's it for part 1 of my top 10 games of 2012, I hope you all enjoyed it so far, and part 2 will be up in a few days.

Thanks for reading, and I hope your having a fantastic day.