People who play video games don't just sit in the audience and watch, clap or boo. They interact and sometimes even help shape the trajectory of an artform. They do this as pro players and amateur critics, as speedrunners and community organisers, and more. Each year we highlight those who have made an impact that was huge, influential or that just moved us.

One of the most heart-warming stories in video games this year was the discovery in September that the Nintendo Switch console contained a secret tribute to the beloved Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, who died in 2015 at the age of 55. But Nintendo doesn't want to talk about it, and it isn't clear why.

The cutman is indispensable to combat sports. A good one adds a veneer of civility to a brutal affair by reducing swells and stopping blood. He can extend a fight for an extra round or more, armed with nothing but Vaseline, a cold piece of metal called an enswell and a chemically soaked Q-Tip.

Photo: David Becker / Stringer

The man who made Mario and Zelda needs you to tell him something, Kotaku. As I was concluding my interview with him at E3 last week, I asked if he had anything else he'd like Kotaku readers to know. Oh, he did. But he also wanted to know something that only you can answer.