{"id":23631,"date":"2023-07-07T00:01:03","date_gmt":"2023-07-07T00:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/?p=23631"},"modified":"2023-06-26T11:59:06","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T11:59:06","slug":"carys-best-games-of-2023-so-far-awards-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/2023\/07\/07\/carys-best-games-of-2023-so-far-awards-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Cary’s Best Games of 2023 SO FAR Awards Show!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Around this time of year, I like to make a list of my best games SO FAR, because usually the AAA titles are released later in the year during the holiday season, and the titles that came out earlier tend to be forgotten.\u00a0 So here\u2019s when those games get their due.\u00a0 Keep in mind that this is my list only and no other outside opinions contributed.\u00a0 And if a game isn\u2019t on this list, it either just didn\u2019t appeal to me as much or I haven\u2019t had a chance to play it yet.\u00a0 Ok with that out of the way, let\u2019s begin!<\/p>\n

BEST MUSIC\/RHYTHM GAME<\/strong><\/p>\n

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line (PS4)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I really like these music games, since they feature Final Fantasy music, some of the best songs ever.\u00a0 The first one was even my GOTY way back when it was released.\u00a0 After I played this home console version, I realized that they only made this one since they can\u2019t make money off the 3DS versions anymore.\u00a0 In fact some parts of the 3DS games are better, but it\u2019s still pretty much the same game. But I still really like this series a lot so it gets the award.\u00a0 I\u2019m really glad I got to play the arcade version.\u00a0 Shame we never got the Dragon Quest version that came out only in Japan.\u00a0 Later this year we\u2019ll get a new Samba de Amigo game so we\u2019ll see if it beats this one.\u00a0 Before Taiko Drum Master came out, Samba de Amigo was my favorite music game.\u00a0 I still have my maraca controllers in the box under my bed!<\/p>\n

BEST ARCADE CLASSIC COLLECTION\/REMAKE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is always the biggest category because I like classic arcade collections and remakes.\u00a0 Even if I do get tired of how many there are on the Switch.\u00a0 When I first got Metroid Prime on GameCube, I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d like it, since I\u2019m not a big FPS fan.\u00a0 But boy I sure did like it!\u00a0 While I didn\u2019t notice a significant change in the remastered version, it has been a long time since I played it last, so maybe I\u2019m just remembering it better than what it was.\u00a0 I still say it looked pretty good for a GameCube game.\u00a0 Metroid Prime Remastered has that addictive quality that not too many games have anymore.\u00a0 If you missed out on this one, you really should play it.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad I got the physical version!<\/p>\n

Runners Up:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection (PS4)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I hate how Capcom advertised it had ten games, since it counted each version of some of the sequels.\u00a0 But it\u2019s still a good collection of the first six games here.\u00a0 I really only played through the first three back in the day, but my brother Jeff sure loved them.\u00a0 I think they could\u2019ve added more to this, like the GameCube Network Transmission game, the Battle Chip Challenge card game, and the 3DS Star Force games.\u00a0 But maybe they\u2019re saving that for the sequel.\u00a0 Capcom\u2019s done that before!<\/p>\n

Zool Redimensioned (PS4)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Back in the 90s, 2-D mascot platformers were all the rage, thanks to Sonic.\u00a0 There were so many that I got downright tired of them and skipped out on quite a few.\u00a0 Also this was about the time I was really big into 16-bit RPGs like Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger, so yeah.\u00a0 Anyway, one of these mascot platformers I missed out on was Zool.\u00a0 He was a ninja gremlin guy who tromped around 2-D levels based on themes like candy, tools, toys, music, and more.\u00a0 Zool was on pretty much all the consoles at the time, but hasn\u2019t been heard from since.\u00a0 There\u2019s a rumor that the infamously bad Wii game Ninjabread Man was originally going to be a 3-D Zool title, but I\u2019m not 100 percent sure on that.\u00a0 Anyway, now Zool is back on some modern consoles and PC with all sorts of new modes and features.\u00a0 Now that I\u2019ve played it, I have to say I didn\u2019t think this one was THAT bad.\u00a0 Kind of reminded me of Jazz Jackrabbit, a 2-D mascot platformer I did like back then.<\/p>\n

Kirby\u2019s Return to Dreamland Deluxe (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have to be honest here.\u00a0 As of this writing, I haven\u2019t gotten this game yet.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to save this one for people to get for me for Christmas or birthday.\u00a0 So why did I put it on the list?\u00a0 Well I played the original on the Wii, and it was a darn good game and led the way for two of the best single player Kirby games on the 3DS (Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot).\u00a0 And this Deluxe version adds neat new things.\u00a0 But even though I\u2019m a huge Kirby fan, I didn\u2019t feel like paying full price for it.\u00a0 I can wait to get it for a holiday.<\/p>\n

We Love Katamari Reroll Royal Reverie (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love the Katamari games so this one goes on here.\u00a0 They say they added some new levels featuring the young King of All Cosmos, but it\u2019s really just five of the same levels with slightly different rules.\u00a0 I used to not want a brand new Katamari game, since Namco kind of beat that series into the ground.\u00a0 But I think we\u2019re ready for a new one now.\u00a0 And when I say new, have different locations to roll around in other than mostly Japan.\u00a0 Maybe different time periods like rolling around dinosaurs or medieval castles.\u00a0 Or maybe roll up characters in Namco worlds like Pac-Land or Soul Calibur?<\/p>\n

Ray\u2019z Arcade Chronology (PS4)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a collection of Taito\u2019s \u201cRay\u201d series of shooters.\u00a0 There\u2019s only three of them, but only three were ever made.\u00a0 You\u2019ve got RayForce, RayStorm, and RayCrisis.\u00a0 I never really spent much time with these beforehand (and I call myself a Taito fan), but after playing these now, I came away pleasantly surprised.\u00a0 I\u2019ll have a full review of this one up at a later date.<\/p>\n

BEST RPG<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trinity Trigger (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is actually an action RPG, but I liked it so I\u2019m putting it here.\u00a0 It plays like Secret of Mana (three people can even play at the same time) and has GameCube era graphics and style.\u00a0 I used to love playing games like this, and they really nailed that classic feeling here.<\/p>\n

BEST PUZZLE GAME<\/strong><\/p>\n

Puzzle Bobble Everybubble (Switch)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I freaking love Puzzle Bobble.\u00a0 It\u2019s one of my top three favorite puzzle games, right on up there with Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo and plain ol\u2019 Tetris.\u00a0 It\u2019s actually a spin-off of the arcade classic Bubble Bobble, but this is one case where the spin-off ended up being more popular than the original game it was based on!\u00a0 The series was originally called Bust-A-Move in the US, but I\u2019m so glad they changed it back recently because I hated that name.\u00a0 Puzzle Bobble just makes more sense.\u00a0 Also, this is one type of game that gets heavily imitated on cell phone devices.\u00a0 I bet Taito wished they would\u2019ve gotten some kind of stricter patent or something (not sure how that works), but their game isn\u2019t entirely original itself either.\u00a0 Anyway, the newest game in the series: Puzzle Bobble Everybubble is now available on Switch!<\/p>\n

And now for the best game of the year SO FAR.\u00a0 Taiko drum roll please\u2026<\/p>\n

BEST GAME OF 2023 SO FAR<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course this one\u2019s no surprise.\u00a0 As much as I ragged on Breath of the Wild, I still spent more than 60 hours on it and beat it, so I must\u2019ve liked it somewhat.\u00a0 The sequel certainly improves on some things, like better dungeons, bosses, and progression.\u00a0 But there are three main reasons why I made this one my GOTY SO FAR.<\/p>\n

One is that it has that addictive quality that makes you just want to keep playing.\u00a0 Just like Metroid Prime Remastered that I mentioned earlier.\u00a0 Two is the building gameplay mechanic, which allows for lots of creativity.\u00a0 I like to call it \u201cThe Legend of Zelda: Nuts & Bolts.\u201d<\/p>\n

THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH HAS BREATH OF THE WILD SPOILERS<\/strong><\/p>\n

But the third reason is a little silly.\u00a0 In the first game, you could ride horses, and you can in this one, too.\u00a0 In BotW, I got a horse and named it Turbo Horse, like I always do.\u00a0 The name Turbo Horse comes from an inside joke my brother Jeff and I have.\u00a0 I have told this story here before.\u00a0 Anyway, in the last battle in BotW, you have to fight a giant pig monster Ganon, and you start out the battle on your horse.\u00a0 Well the camera angles here were so bad that I couldn\u2019t see where I was going and he stomped my horse flat and killed it!\u00a0 And since it was at the end of the game, I couldn\u2019t resurrect my horse with the Horse God.\u00a0 But in Tears of the Kingdom, the game reads your save file from Breath of the Wild, and lets you carry over your horses from that game.\u00a0 And since Turbo Horse was on there, technically they pretty much brought him back to life!\u00a0 Yay!<\/p>\n

END SPOILERS<\/strong><\/p>\n

But while I like Tears of the Kingdom a lot, it definitely has a lot of problems, too.\u00a0 Breakable weapons (nobody likes that, Nintendo), confusing controls, and unintuitive gameplay mechanics are the three main culprits.\u00a0 And as of this writing, I just reached a huge difficulty spike in the game which has stalled my progress.\u00a0 I hope this doesn\u2019t end up being like Metroid Dread where I\u2019m not able to beat it because it gets too hard.\u00a0 So Tears of the Kingdom may not make it to be my GOTY at the end of the year.\u00a0 Especially since the June Nintendo Direct had so many great games that\u2019ll be released by the end of the year that could topple it.\u00a0 Stuff like the Detective Pikachu sequel, new WarioWare game, Super Mario RPG remake, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder.\u00a0 But we\u2019ll just have to see!<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s all for my list.\u00a0 In the comments section, let me know what you think of my pics, and tell me YOUR favorite games of the year SO FAR.\u00a0 Later!\u00a0 –Cary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Around this time of year, I like to make a list of my best games SO FAR, because usually the AAA titles are released later in the year during the holiday season, and the titles that came out earlier tend to be forgotten.\u00a0 So here\u2019s when those games get their due.\u00a0 Keep in mind that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":23630,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miscellaneous"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23631"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23631\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23633,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23631\/revisions\/23633"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}