I've included some abridged comments/additional thoughts for a few entries because the presentation was far too long and had a lot to get through as I just kept adding to it over the course of the year. I wasn't at all discerning, but then why should I have been? I enjoyed a lot of videogames this year and I'm happy about that. It was an embarrassment of joyous riches during an otherwise painful year for so many. For each category, the games are loosely ranked preferentially in ascending order, but the order is only really set in stone for me when it comes to the top few entries in each group. I also included consoles this year for greater context and for any curious as to how to play these games.
2023 Presentation Here (Slideshow)
2023 Presentation Here (Video)
[The first entry on the list is indeed a damn Pokémon mini videogame. I genuinely thought this was a good deal of fun. Reminiscent of
Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble. I would love to play it on original hardware. I'd also love to collect Pokèmon mini games. And I wish I had one billion dollars.][In the early 2010s, thanks in no small part to a certain forum community, I developed a profound affection for Shinya Arino's
GameCenter CX, which Retro Game Challenge is based on. I'm still surprised this was ever localized! The "fake" retro games included within are just believable enough, and the in-game magazines and manuals hiding tips and tricks make me painfully nostalgic for print media.][They played this on
The Sopranos one time. The image I used in the presentation is when they played Mario Kart 64, though. And Tony was masterfully playing it with only one paw on that audaciously-pronged controller while goofing on A.J. with the other. When I originally saw this videogame make an appearance on the show I was a bit surprised. Now I just like to believe that A.J.'s later interest in current events like the War on Terror originated with Blast Corps.][I have never felt more connected with God, Jesus, Nature, Oceanus, Glaucus, the Halcyon birds, Mother Mary, Baby Jesus, the West Wind Zephyr, and the concepts of moistness, dampness, and good old fashioned wetness than I did during the WETRIX WEDNESDAY festivities. If you soak your cartrdige of
Wetrix in a bowl of grimy water you will gain the powers of a hydromancer. Please note that Wetrix comes in many attractive forms, including Wetrix, Wetrix+, Wetrix GB, and a sequel experience known as Aqua Aqua. If you think you know Wet then simply think again.][The original incarnation of this game came out on the PSP. It's considered by some to be an "
Ys lite." I found it to be a charming dungeon crawler with delightfully simple yet somewhat archaic level design.][Does any Game Boy game look as good as this?]
[Some games from the Siactro back catalog that I hadn't yet checked out. A huge blind spot that remains for me is the "Haunted PS1 Community"-adjacent
Tasty Ramen.][I'm adding this one "posthumously" (as if I need to make this list longer) because I played through the first
Spyro the Dragon in this remastered collection, and I was amazed by how great the movement felt. The level design can be a bit obtuse when embarking on a completionist playthrough, though. It's okay, I forgive that little purple cutie.][A unique, ethereal 3D puzzle game in which you guide a beach ball through cubiform stages. There's a modern day spiritual successor to this underutilized beach ball-type videogame called
Puzzle Dimension, available on Steam for the modest price of a couple smackers. That game uses a marble though -- a new twist on an old classic. The Kororinpa series is, from my understanding, also a solid take on the genre, but these offer so much freedom of movement that Super Monkey Ball could be pointed to as the closer relative.][There is a distinctively derisive attitude online towards
Yakuza 3. Key compaints often point to the extreme tendency of boss characters to block many of your attacks during combat (hence a popular nickname for the videogame: "Blockuza 3"). Yakuza and Yakuza 2 both have also been remade completely via the "Kiwami" editions of the game., while Yakuza 3, 4, and 5 have merely been remastered. Thus, when playing in "release order," the jump from the modern, polished Yakuza Kiwami 2 to the incredibly-PS3-feeling Yakuza 3 Remastered certainly is a challenge in its own right. I still enjoyed my time with the game, though, and much of that was due to the Okinawa setting. I also started playing Yakuza 4 Remastered and I believe I prefer it to its predecessor (not an unpopular opinion fromy my understanding), though the plot was a little less cohesive (and I couldn't even figure most of the main characters' motivations by the time I got to the end!)][Wow am I glad I finally checked these games out! I was beyond impressed by the sheer inventiveness and willingness of these games to wholeheartedly embrace burgeoning, largely untested genres (and combine them nonetheless!) Not only that, but they're still loads of fun today. First-person shooting and platforming, which cleverly and effectively assists players with control of the camera. I sincerely believe that if the camera did not forcibly shift to a downward-facing viewpoint upon initiating a second jump, the game would not work nearly as well. Being mindful of what is directly below you is crucial. Anyways wow! Again!]
[Pronounced "ERROR: GAME RESET." A mobile game with creative help from Yoko Taro. Takes Sega game franchises (other companies too!) and personifies them as bewilderingly seductive anime girls. It reminds me of
SEGAGAGA. And guess what -- it's already getting shut down!][You can buy some of the games in the collection piecemeal. I saw the original
METAL GEAR SOLID was being sold individually for a whopping $15.99. Wow! That's only two dollars less than the going rate for METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN!][A PS5 exclusive as of this writing, and, despite being interested in the game, not nearly enough to convince me to purchase an entire console for it.]
[Winner of the Most Unwieldy Title Award.]
[An idle/clicker game that instantly had me hooked despite this not being a genre I engage with too much. It's unique in that it has an end. I sat down and played it for an hour and didn't stop until I reached it. This game completely hypnotized me.]
[This one definitely shouldn't be allowed!! But they put it out again and it's one of my favorite games!]
[One of the secret best online multiplayer modes of the year. Running through courses alongside the ghosts of other players... spamming emotes... reviving one another... Well, there was just nothing like it! However, compared to all other Mario games, this one is a relatively easy romp all the way through.]
[So many strange and inconsequential systems in this game. You can get a character's fortune told. You can adopt pets. You get a weird, separate personal pet that follow you around and produces beautiful little pellets. There's a minigame where you fly a wyvern through rings. Also, this game has a feature designed specifically for perverts: you're able to retire your character to their bedchambers, and upon falling asleep, they'll be greeted by a party member barging into their room and monologuing over their sleeping body about how peaceful they look. When your character's eyes open you're greeted by the degenerate grin of said party member mere inches from your character's face. The game encourages you to wear headphones for this part. Winner of the Most Sensual Experience Award.]
[No need to finish the year off -- winner of the 2024 Most Unwieldy Title Award.]
[Winner of the Most Ludicrous Name Award.]
[Winner of the Most Acceptable Name Award.]
[Winner of the Most Triangular Award.]
[I'm adding this one "posthumously" too because I forgot to include it at the time, but damn, what a good movie...]
[Well that's foolish... I actually read Michael Crichton's
Sphere last year. Oop! I'll still recommend it anyway because I think about that orb once a week minimum.]Presentation Can Be Found Here :^)
You can clicke here for presentation 0__0
ACTUAL VIDEOGAME O' THE YEAR