PUBG, Smash Bros and Brawl Stars: Our favorite Twitch streams of the year

We run through our best streams and best moments of the year!

Video gaming

Josh Ye,Ravi Hiranand,Xinmei Shen,Karen ChiuandJulianna Wu

Published: 6:00pm, 24 Dec 2018

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This article originally appeared on ABACUS

It’s been a fantastic year for games. Here on Abacus, we’ve streamed dozens of games on our Twitch channel. We’ve done China’s biggest games and some lesser-known ones. We’ve collaborated with our colleagues to play some party games together. We’ve even had special guests join us for a gentle conversation (along with some less-gentle Mario Kart).

So with the year coming to a close, let's revisit some of our favorite games and on-air moments.

Xinmei: PUBG Mobile

My pick is so obvious. It's PUBG. PUBG PUBG PUBG.

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It is to some degree my first ever real gaming experience. I was fascinated by the idea of Battle Royale (despite being traumatized by the movie as a kid) and was immediately drawn to PUBG’s realistic look and straightforward gameplay. But the biggest reason? It’s free to play on mobile, and it’s super newbie-friendly because it has, well... lots of easy-to-shoot bots.

Ravi: New Super Mario Bros Wii

I'm not gonna lie, beating our colleagues in our Mario Kart 8 stream was pretty special, and talking to the creator of the Pebble smartwatch was a lot of fun. But there can be only one highlight this year: Watching Josh die a lot while playing Mario.

We managed to get our hands on the China-only version of the Nvidia Shield, which is special because it has a few Wii games on it -- one of the extremely rare occasions when Nintendo allows its games to appear on another platform. I thought we'd have a nice, relaxing stream, playing the casual multiplayer New Super Mario Bros Wii. But that peace was rudely interrupted by Josh dying... over, and over, and over again.

Whether running into enemies, jumping straight into pits, or even (oops!) being thrown into danger by yours truly, it was honestly impressive. Josh argued that it's not his fault: He grew up in China, and didn't have access to Mario when he was younger like I did.

My take? I urge you to check out the video for yourself.

Julianna: Brawl Stars

As a long time Supercell fan, I absolutely love their new game Brawl Stars. It’s easy, straightforward and fun to play (some think it's too straightforward, but whatever). For people who are generally bad at MOBA games but still want to enjoy the tension and the sense of teamwork (like me), Brawl Stars is the game for you.

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Besides the default “Gem Grab” mode, I also like their take on battle royale and even football. Each game lasts less than two minutes, allowing me to jump into the game every now and then without becoming addicted. And how can you not love Supercell's striking but simple cartoon character designs?

Josh: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

This game is essentially what I got the Nintendo Switch for (although I got the Pokemon Let’s Go edition of the console).

I desperately want to get better at Smash because I remember back in college, people’s social status were determined not by GPA or the amount of partying we did... but how good we were at Smash. But people took it WAY too seriously, and I simply couldn’t compete.

But now we finally have a new, competent Smash game... and maybe this is a new beginning for me. Judging by our stream, I'm already off to a good start.

Karen: Sausage Man

I’m not a regular gamer like some of my colleagues are. But I do enjoy the occasional distraction, especially when it involves cute characters.

That’s why Sausage Man, or Sausage Party as it is known in China, is just perfect for me. Unlike some other (easier) games I’ve played, this one requires the right amount of skill to keep me alert without overwhelming my limited capability.

Yes, I still can’t drive properly in real life (or in a battle royale). But it doesn’t prevent me from enjoying the myriad ways I can dress up a sausage, or watch it flip through the air. If you’re tired of PUBG, try this!

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For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters, subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast, and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report. Also roam China Tech City, an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus.

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