The year 2023 has passed by, and for the most part, it was a great year. I was fortunate enough to travel, spend time reconnecting with friends, and DJ for fun. However, towards the end of the year, I was laid off from my job, which gave me a lot of free time. So, I decided to utilize this time to write this list. Hopefully, this new year will be more memorable and fruitful than the last one.
5. Hi-Fi Rush
Bethesda released a new game without any prior announcement, and it is amazing. The game has vibrant and colorful worlds, coupled with rhythmic beats and action-packed combat. Hi-Fi Rush has a layered progression system that makes it a delightful experience, where the player needs to hit the right notes to take on harder enemies as they progress towards the end. I strongly recommend this game. Hi-Fi Rush will be available on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch next month, but if you have Xbox Game Pass, you can play it right now.
4. Super Mario RPG
I haven’t played the original game on SNES, but I heard great things about it from our SuperRPGFriends. Therefore, I decided to check out the remake. The game is a combination of whimsical and comedy elements, and I found myself thoroughly engaged with Mario’s story as I navigated through the Mushroom Kingdom in search of stars to defeat Smithy. The collaboration between Square Enix and Nintendo was unusual, but it worked quite well. It’s a shame that the original characters like Mallow and Geno haven’t appeared anywhere else in the Super Mario universe. Nonetheless, it’s a superbly made and relaxing RPG suitable for newcomers and veterans.
3. Super Mario Wonder
Super Mario Wonder was like a breath of fresh air for 2D Mario platformers. It was great to see the focus on musical themes, and the Piranha level will always be ingrained in my mind. Initially, I was worried that the levels would become too stale, but the Nintendo team kept them engaging enough that I often thought, ‘maybe just one more level…’ even when I had planned to stop playing for the night.
2. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
I am a huge fan of Yakuza (Like a Dragon) game series. Over the past few years, the remakes of the original games leading up to the recent titles have felt like an incredible journey, which has been both rewarding and never-ending at the same time. Kiryu has been the focus of the series for quite a while, but now that the mainline games are transitioning to Ichiban, it’s good to see one last game with Kiryu. It’s great to finally play a game less than 15 hours long!
1. Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
I couldn’t finish playing Breath of the Wild and had trouble completing it when it was first released. But, Tears of the Kingdom was different and managed to keep me engaged throughout. The innovative build and fuse mechanic made combat and interactions in the world of Hyrule significantly better. I still have to go back and defeat the final boss and complete the last temple, but I spent over 60 hours exploring the world, searching for hidden treasures, and even got the Master Sword early. I highly recommend playing this game.
