By Update: DK is competing for ‘Ultimate GOTY’
- by Liam Doolan
Update []: Donkey Kong Bananza has been shortlisted for Golden Joystick’s ‘Ultimate Game of the Year’. Voting is now accessible. Participants are to select their top three favorites in sequence (#1 being the highest preference). Here’s what DK faces. The results will be unveiled along with the other winners on 21st November 2025.
Ultimate Game of the Year
- Blue Prince
- Split Fiction
- Hades II
- Ghost of Yotei
- Peak
- Silent Hill f
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Clair Obscure: Expedition 33
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
Original Story: [Sun 5th Oct, 2025 02:30 BST]
The Switch 2 game collection has already garnered several accolades this year, and as we approach the conclusion of 2025, even further nominations are beginning to surface for Nintendo’s latest platform and its exclusive titles.
The UK-based ‘Golden Joystick Awards’ have returned for the 43rd annual celebration, marking the introduction of Switch 2 games, which we’ve spotlighted below.
This includes the launch title Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, launched in the following month. Mario Kart has been nominated for ‘best multiplayer’, while Donkey Kong is nominated for ‘best audio design’, and both are contenders for ‘console game of the year’. As depicted below, they’re competing against titles like Death Stranding 2 and the recent launch, Ghost of Yōtei.
Console Game of the Year
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Mario Kart World
Best Multiplayer Game
- Battlefield 6
- Peak
- Elden Ring Nightreign
- Split Fiction
- Mario Kart World
- Rematch
Best Audio Design
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Battlefield 6
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Two Point Museum
- Cronos: The New Dawn
And that’s not the end, as the Switch 2 has also been nominated for the ‘best gaming hardware’ category, alongside the system’s Pro Controller! Here’s what Nintendo’s technology will be contending against:
Best Gaming Hardware
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller
- WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD
- Elgato Facecam 4K
- Razer Blade 16
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
Pokémon GO has also received a nomination for the “still playing” mobile award. Regarding the ‘Ultimate Game of the Year’, nominations for this accolade will be disclosed next month. Voting across 21 categories is now accessible to the public until the end of the month, and the award winners will be declared on 20th November.
If you’d like to view the other categories and games nominated for the Golden Joystick Awards, check the links below.
When the winners are revealed, we will provide an update.
[source gamesradar.com, via gonintendo.com]
Liam is a news writer and reviewer at Hookshot Media. He has been reporting on games for more than 15 years and is an enduring admirer of numerous iconic video game characters.