Blizzard Entertainment has had a pretty successful 2016, starting with Overwatch releasing to stellar reviews on its way to becoming the next big thing in eSports. Hearthstone has again seen multiple popular updates this year, ranging from the dark Old Gods expansion to the more fun-filled Karazhan adventure . Even the old flagship World of Warcraft is experiencing a bit of a return to glory, with the nostalgia-filled Legion expansion breathing new life into the game after the disaster on Draen

Again, Pokémon is my favorite series and without any title in 2015, I found Yo-Kai Watch to be an excellent substitute. Comparing the two is definitely easy but after playing Yo-Kai Watch and watching the cartoon, it’s worth noting Yo-Kai Watch can stand on its own. The mix of kooky characters is great and each one having its own personality makes the game a unique experience. Yo-Kai Watch is a wonderful RPG for those in search of something that’s just plain fun. I would consider this game as my best 3DS title of the year.

The voice over narration perfectly sets up the conflict that the Horde and Alliance have remained locked in for the last ten years and by focusing on unnamed heroes, rather than icons of the Warcraft world , players are able to imagine themselves as the Orc warrior going berserk or the Dwarf hunter exploring the snowy mountains. Maybe it's just nostalgia taking over, but we're tempted to roll a new character every time the drums of war start beating in this trai

Another strategy game I played on my list is SteamWorld Heist and it’s a winner for me. Understanding the gameplay is simple and the story jumped right into the action. Exploring randomly generated ships and shooting it out with robots makes every stop along the way a true challenge. The old west aesthetic and steam-powered environment in SteamWorld Heist is pulled off much better than Wild Wild West. It’s almost the complete opposite of SteamWorld Dig but you could say SteamWorld Heist is a more grown-up version in the series. It’s a game to both kill time and robots with.

Dota 2 is free to play with no exceptions. The only items you can purchase are purely cosmetic. This makes it so everyone can have an equal experience with the entire game without paying one dime. If you want, however, you can purchase things such as outfits, environmental effects, announcer packs, HUD skins, loadings screens and couriers (an animal in Dota 2 that will bring you your items after purchasing them). You can purchase a battlepoint booster, which will increase the rate at which you level up for a certain amount of time. However, your level has no effect on the game. Dota 2 isn't stingy with these either, as it gives you a random cosmetic item every time you level up.

No list of Blizzard cinematics would be complete without mention of the original World of Warcraft reveal trailer. In many ways, this is the trailer that kicked off the modern era of Blizzard gaming. The reveal trailer takes players back to Azeroth after Warcraft 3 and offers a brand-new perspective on the Warcraft setting. Aside from Trolls, just about every race and class get some love in this trai

Arthas and Nova should never really end up in a battle together as far as Blizzard lore is concerned, but Heroes of the Storm allows players to live out that "who would win in a fight?" fantasy over and over in an addicting MOBA game tier List format. This trailer does a stellar job of showing just how fun things can get when you relax and don't think too m

The CW's Crisis on Earth-X crossover event – featuring Arrow ** , Supergirl ** , The Flash ** and Legends of Tomorrow ** – was a better team-up than Warner Bros. and DC Films' **Justice League ** . Ever since The CW expanded its comic book TV universe to include The Flash , a spinoff from the network's flagship DC series Arrow , they've aired annual crossover events. While the first year only featured a team-up between the Green Arrow and the Flash, these events have grown exponentially to include heroes from Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow . This year's crossover event, Crisis on Earth-X, was the biggest yet to air on The CW with the heroes facing off against Nazi versions of themselves from an alternate unive

Pokémon is my absolute favorite franchise and it was very unfortunate there was no entry to the series this year. However, Pokémon was wise enough to appease me by releasing something, even if it was a puzzle game. Pokémon Shuffle has been a game I’ve constantly replayed. I’ve been enjoying it for over a year and I show no sign of stopping. New levels are constantly being added and timed challenges keep it interesting. It’s perfect to play on the go and with it now on mobile devices I highly recommend giving it a play.

Duking it out with gigantic creatures is great in any video game. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate came out last February and brought its massive monsters to the U.S. One of the game’s biggest strengths is its diverse weaponry and armor you wear to hunt down big trophies. Customizing yourself to fit the action is necessary in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and luckily there’s enough to wear. Even though your goal is to track down and kill the monsters, it is amazing seeing how different they all are. All the sizes, colors and abilities make for a wild adventure.