{"id":24118,"date":"2023-12-29T00:01:55","date_gmt":"2023-12-29T00:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/?p=24118"},"modified":"2023-12-28T13:42:58","modified_gmt":"2023-12-28T13:42:58","slug":"carys-best-video-games-of-2023-awards-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/2023\/12\/29\/carys-best-video-games-of-2023-awards-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Cary’s Best Video Games of 2023 Awards Show!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It\u2019s the end of the year so you know what that means?\u00a0 It\u2019s time for my \u201cBest Video Games of 2023 Awards Show!\u201d\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

Trombone Champ (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I was in high school, I played trombone in the band.\u00a0 So when I first heard about the music game Trombone Champ, I was intrigued.\u00a0 Originally it was just on Steam, but after looking at it I thought it would be a perfect Switch game.\u00a0 I guess they thought so too because it got ported to Switch this past year.\u00a0 It gets the award for two reasons.\u00a0 One, it reminds me of the silly music rhythm games we got on the PSOne and PS2 like Mad Maestro and Gitaroo Man.\u00a0 And two, when I was in high school, I actually played the bass trombone more specifically, and this game lets you play a bass trombone, too!\u00a0 Fun Fact: this isn\u2019t the first motion controlled trombone game.\u00a0 There is a mini-game in the first Super Monkey Ball game on the Wii that lets you play trombone, but it\u2019s not very good.\u00a0 This one\u2019s way better.\u00a0 Just good, silly fun.<\/p>\n

Runners Up:<\/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 a mention here.\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.<\/p>\n

Samba de Amigo: Party Central (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before Taiko Drum Master, Samba de Amigo was my favorite music game.\u00a0 I still even have the Dreamcast maraca controllers under my bed!\u00a0 This one just uses the JoyCons for motion controls.\u00a0 It works better than the Wii version anyway.\u00a0 They even have some Sonic songs, which is cool.\u00a0 I think you can get some Space Channel 5 songs as well via DLC.\u00a0 I wonder if Ulala dances with you like in the Wii version?\u00a0 Any game with Ulala in it can\u2019t be all bad, right?<\/p>\n

Head Bangers: Rhythm Royale (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Battle Royale games, where you compete online against a bunch of others for the number one spot, are becoming very popular lately.\u00a0 Most of these are shooters, but some are a bit more creative, like Tetris 99 or the more recent racer F-Zero 99.\u00a0 And now there\u2019s a music\/rhythm battle royale game with Head Bangers: Rhythm Royale!\u00a0 Play as your very own head bobbing silly pigeon as you play music mini games (kind of reminds me of Rhythm Heaven), as you compete for the highest score.\u00a0 And on a personal record, it\u2019s the first Battle Royale style game I\u2019ve gotten first place on!<\/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><\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not the biggest fan of all the Switch ports that have come out over the years, but at least this one adds a lot of neat stuff like new copy abilities, a new game mode with different levels to play as with Magolor, and a whole theme park with a bunch of classic mini-games.<\/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><\/a><\/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.<\/p>\n

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

Sea of Stars (PS4)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

When I was a teenager in the early to mid 90s, I loved 16-bit RPGs.\u00a0 Couldn\u2019t get enough of them.\u00a0 I poured over Final Fantasy 4 and 6, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Lufia 2, and many more.\u00a0 But once I started college and the 32-bit era came about, I started to fall out of the RPG loop for whatever reason.\u00a0 And now I don\u2019t play near as many RPGs as I used to as a teen.\u00a0 Many times since then, a game maker has tried to capture the magic of those 16-bit RPGs with a new title, but they almost always miss the mark.\u00a0 Until now.\u00a0 Sea of Stars is a new RPG by the same folks who did The Messenger.\u00a0 The Messenger was a 2-D platformer starring a ninja, and I reviewed it way back when.\u00a0 Sea of Stars is actually meant to be a prequel to that game, but luckily you don\u2019t have to have played it to understand what\u2019s going on here.\u00a0 Which is good since I don\u2019t remember a whole lot about what went on in The Messenger!\u00a0 Anyway, in Sea of Stars, you\u2019ll play as one of two Solstice Warriors as they are charged with defeating evil Dwellers.\u00a0 Along the way they\u2019ll meet friends, encounter twists and turns, betrayals, and much more.\u00a0 Sea of Stars plays most like Chrono Trigger.\u00a0 There\u2019s actually a better RPG than this that came out this year, but it wins an even bigger award!<\/p>\n

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

Trinity Trigger (Switch)<\/strong><\/a><\/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

BEST 3-D ADVENTURE<\/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 This one took me too months and 100 hours to beat!\u00a0 The sequel certainly improves on some things, like better dungeons, bosses, and progression.\u00a0 It has that additive quality that makes you want to keep playing.\u00a0 Just like Metroid Prime Remastered that I mentioned earlier.\u00a0 The building gameplay mechanic is cool, which allows for lots of creativity.\u00a0 I like to call it \u201cThe Legend of Zelda: Nuts & Bolts.\u201d\u00a0 And I got to keep my horse from Breath of the Wild.\u00a0 A lot of people would consider this their GOTY, but not me, as it had too many problems for my tastes.\u00a0 Breakable weapons (nobody likes that, Nintendo), confusing controls, and unintuitive gameplay mechanics are the three main culprits.\u00a0 And is it just me or does the Internet sure like Purah?\u00a0 My favorite is Urbosa, myself.<\/p>\n

BEST 2-D ADVENTURE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

No big surprise here.\u00a0 Super Mario Bros. Wonder is probably the best 2D Mario since Super Mario World and Yoshi\u2019s Island.\u00a0 It\u2019s not BETTER than those games, but it\u2019s very good.\u00a0 A very lively and imaginative game.<\/p>\n

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

Disney\u2019s Illusion Island (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is actually a Metroidvania 2D platformer, albeit a very easy one.\u00a0 But it\u2019s meant for the whole family as four can play at the same time as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy.\u00a0 Too bad they didn\u2019t call it \u201cIsland of Illusion\u201d to go along with the other Mickey game titles like \u201cCastle of Illusion, World of Illusion, Power of Illusion\u201d etc.\u00a0 But this one really doesn\u2019t play like those games.\u00a0 It\u2019s more similar to Rayman Legends.\u00a0 I\u2019m not really a big fan of Paul Rudish\u2019s Mickey style, but this one\u2019s still a lot of fun.<\/p>\n

Sonic Superstars (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s another 2D Sonic.\u00a0 I\u2019m not the biggest fan of Sonic, but this one\u2019s pretty decent.\u00a0 And you can play as Tails, my favorite character.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why people rave about this and Sonic Mania, but hate Sonic 4.\u00a0 Aside from the episodic release, I didn\u2019t have much problem with that one either.<\/p>\n

WEIRDEST GAME<\/strong><\/p>\n

Detective Pikachu Returns (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think the weirdest thing about this game is that it was actually released!\u00a0 A lot of people gave it bad reviews, but I really liked this one.\u00a0 But then, I also liked Pok\u00e9mon Channel, so what do I know?\u00a0 It\u2019s really more of an interactive narrative, but I like to call it \u201cPhoenix Wright for kids.\u201d\u00a0 And if your kids have strong reading skills and like Pok\u00e9mon, I think they might like this one, too.<\/p>\n

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

Everybody 1-2-Switch (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just like Detective Pikachu Returns, I think the weirdest thing about this one is that it was actually released.\u00a0 It\u2019s actually a sequel to the Switch launch title, but this one takes a more Jackbox style approach.\u00a0 It\u2019s not the best, but not as bad as other reviewers say it is.<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Sleep (Mobile)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

There are many Pok\u00e9mon games out there, but the strangest ones are usually on mobile devices.\u00a0 We\u2019ve gotten the Pok\u00e9mon teeth brushing app with Pok\u00e9mon Smile, and Magikarp Jump!, a game starring the most useless Pok\u00e9mon of all!\u00a0 And now you can track your sleeping habits with the Pok\u00e9mon Sleep app.\u00a0 I liked how this game featured Snorlax, as that\u2019s my favorite Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>\n

WarioWare: Move it!\u00a0 (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s WarioWare, so you know it\u2019ll go here since I like the series so much.\u00a0 A lot of people say this is like Smooth Moves on the Wii, but did you know in Japan, the title translates more to Smooth Moves 2, so it really is more like a direct sequel to that one.<\/p>\n

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

F-Zero 99 (Switch)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Nintendo\u2019s futuristic high speed racing series: F-Zero, hasn\u2019t had a new game in nearly two decades!\u00a0 Until now.\u00a0 F-Zero 99 is a 99 player battle royale racing game modelled after the original SNES launch title.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure that\u2019s exactly what F-Zero fans wanted, but for a Nintendo Switch Online freebie, it\u2019s not too bad.<\/p>\n

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

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 (PS4)<\/strong><\/p>\n

What? You thought I\u2019d say Street Fighter 6?\u00a0 Well as much as I like Cammy, I wouldn\u2019t want to pay full price for SF6.\u00a0 The only reason why I have SFV is because I got it super cheap at Capcom\u2019s booth at PAX one year.\u00a0 But Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a Smash clone with Nick characters.\u00a0 It\u2019s not as good as Smash, but still fun and it has Garfield in it and I really liked Garfield as a kid.<\/p>\n

Before I get on with my Game of the Year, I wanted to list a couple of games that I played this year that actually came out last year that I really liked.\u00a0 I wish I could\u2019ve played them last year and put them on that list, but you can\u2019t play \u2018em all!\u00a0 So those games are Arcade Paradise<\/strong> <\/a>on PS4 and Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits<\/strong><\/a> on Switch.<\/p>\n

And now it\u2019s time for my Best Video Game of 2023 award!\u00a0 Taiko drum roll please\u2026<\/p>\n

GAME OF THE YEAR<\/strong><\/p>\n

Super Mario RPG (Switch)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I complain about all the ports and re-releases and remakes on Switch, so I guess I\u2019m being a bit of a hypocrite here.\u00a0 But in this case, I\u2019m OK with it.\u00a0 You see, this past decade so far has been pretty rough for me.\u00a0 Probably for all of us.\u00a0 We\u2019ve had COVID, my mom\u2019s breast cancer scare, some family problems, and I\u2019ve had to move this past year.\u00a0 So having a game that is both comforting, memorable, and familiar is just what I needed.\u00a0 The original game came out at a time in my life when my outlook was more positive and hopeful (just starting college), and I have so many good memories playing it.\u00a0 My little brother Jeff loved it and as a little kid he always asked for me to play \u201cMario PG\u201d and I\u2019d have to read every single line to him and if I forgot he\u2019d yell out, \u201cTell it!\u201d\u00a0 And even though I didn\u2019t know it at the time, in just a few months after the game\u2019s initial release, I\u2019d be starting working at The Dallas Morning News writing game reviews!<\/p>\n

And the Super Mario RPG remake is a darn good one, too.\u00a0 Back in the day, having Nintendo and Square collaborate on something was a big deal, and there weren\u2019t very many Mario spin off games like there are now.\u00a0 The remake is very faithful to the original, and the updated graphics look amazing and the remixed music is exactly how I imagine it would sound improved.\u00a0 The text is funny and peppy and the original was one of the first games to really have a more \u2018modern\u2019 sounding translation (along with EarthBound).\u00a0 It\u2019s a bit short and easy, but perfect for RPG beginners and anyone who just wants a fun and breezy RPG to play.\u00a0 It put a smile on my face anyway and games don\u2019t do that much anymore for me.\u00a0 The best part is that next year in 2024, we\u2019re getting an even BETTER port of another Mario RPG: Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door!<\/p>\n

Well that\u2019s all for now.\u00a0 In the comments section, let me know what you think of my picks, and tell me YOUR favorite games of 2023.\u00a0 Later!\u00a0 –Cary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the end of the year so you know what that means?\u00a0 It\u2019s time for my \u201cBest Video Games of 2023 Awards Show!\u201d\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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":24107,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24118","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\/24118","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=24118"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24118\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24120,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24118\/revisions\/24120"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}