My favorite games of 2013

I haven't played as many games in 2013 as I imagined I would before the year began, but I've still played enough to be able to write a post about the ones that have pleased me the most.

Strangely--or perhaps not, considering my current obsession with the dual-screened handheld--all of the games discussed herein were released for Nintendo's 3DS. (That's not to suggest I've only played 3DS titles this year; pretty much all of the other games I played in the last 12 months, though, were for "older gen" systems like the DS, GameBoy, PC Engine, PlayStation and PSP.)

Animal Crossing: New Leaf--If I were to hold up one of these games as my absolute favorite of 2013, it would be this one. Not only have I played it more than any other title this year, but I've spent more time with it than I've spent with any game in the last few years (if not ever). I'm still not sure which Animal Crossing game I like best, the original or New Leaf, but it doesn't really matter--they're both among the most entrancing games I've ever come across.

Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale--Thank goodness for the 3DS eShop. Without it, gamers outside of Japan probably never would have gained access to this nostalgia-tinted title, which I can only describe as three parts open-ended adventure and one part card battles. Don't worry if that sounds less than thrilling--I can't imagine anyone but the most crotchety of gamers disliking this digital release.

THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves--Although I haven't enjoyed Beyond the Waves as much as I enjoyed its more simplistic and straightforward predecessor, I've still had a good time with it. Sure, I find some of the newly introduced elements to be overwhelming, but I like a number of them, too--such as the new body colors and the additional clothing and equipment that can be used to alter the looks and even abilities of your adorable "Denpa" crew.

Nintendo's four "new" StreetPass Mii Plaza games--I held off on buying Flower Town, Mii Force, Monster Manor and Warrior's Way for quite a while (I only did so about two weeks ago) because I was unsure as to whether they'd be worth $15. Now that I've spent some quality time with each of them, I can safely say they're well worth the asking price--assuming you regularly StreetPass other 3DS owners--with Mii Force (the shmup shown above) and Monster Manor being my current faves.

Pokémon X--Back when it was first revealed, I wasn't all that sure what to think of the latest pair of Pokémon games. As soon as I started playing one of them, though, I was sold on its brilliance. That I've yet to get even close to finishing it says more about how hectic my life has become in the last few months than it does about the quality of this portable RPG, so rest assured I'm going to do my best to beat it in 2014.

Witch and Hero--It may surprise some of you to hear this, but I think this eShop title may be my second favorite game of 2013. There's just something about its mix of simplicity and depth (in terms of its gameplay--as in, there's more to Witch and Hero than simply bumping into baddies as quickly as possible), I guess. It's not for everyone, as the saying goes, but for me it's been the perfect title to turn to whenever I've got five or 10 minutes to blow.

A few games that I likely would've included here if I'd played more than an hour or so of them so far: Darumeshi Sports Store, Fire Emblem: Awakening and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

10 Wii U games I'd like to play in 2013

One thing to keep in mind while reading through the following list: It's possible I won't even buy a Wii U system until late next year, so expecting me to buy and play all of the Wii U games mentioned below between now and the dawn of 2014 may be a bit much.

Still, I consider myself to be a pretty positive person--when it comes to gaming, at least--so I'm hopeful that I'll get to play at least a handful of these 10 titles before 2013 is over.

1. Bayonetta 2--Although I've thus far avoided experiencing the first Bayonetta, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little excited about its Wii U-based sequel. Don't worry, I'm planning to check out the Xbox 360 version of the original before the much-ballyhooed follow-up winds up on North American store shelves.

2. Dragon Quest X--Of all the Wii U games included in this post, this is the only one that has yet to earn an official North American release announcement. Interestingly, should the Wii U version of Dragon Quest X arrive on our shores before next Christmas (which is when I'm expecting it to be released--if at all), it may prompt me to pick up Nintendo's latest console earlier than I had planned. That's how much I want to play it.

3. New Super Mario Bros. U--Strange, but true: Apparently I'm only interested in the New Super Mario Bros. titles that are made for Nintendo's consoles. After all, I was bored to tears by the DS-based original, and I've yet to even try its just-released-for-the-3DS sequel. New Super Mario Bros. U, though, earned a spot on my "to buy" list the minute I laid eyes on it. In fact, I expect it to be the first Wii U game I pick up (unless, of course, I buy the "Deluxe Set").

4. Nintendo Land--As I believe I've said before, I'm going to get Nintendo Land simply because of "Balloon Trip Breeze." I'm also pretty interested in "Animal Crossing: Sweet Day" and "Luigi's Ghost Mansion" and "Metroid Blast," though, so it's not like I'll be blowing my hard-earned dough on a single, bite-sized mini-game.

5. Pikmin 3--This game would be on my Wii U wish list even if I hadn't seen screenshots and videos of it before now. Is it going to be the earth-shattering, made-for-the-Wii-U-from-the-ground-up sequel that some die-hard fans had hoped it would be? Probably not, but that doesn't mean it isn't going to be a ton of fun.

Five games I have to rip from their shrink-wrap and actually play in 2013

Anyone who thought yesterday's post--about the five games I have to get back to (and hopefully finish) in 2013--was shameful is sure to flat-out swoon (in a bad way) as a result of today's post, which shines a forlorn light on a handful of games that I've not only failed to wrap up, but failed to unwrap.

Once again, I'll focus on just five games in this post, although I sincerely doubt that's the extent of my still-shrink-wrapped backlog.

1. Chulip (PS2)--Of all the games I own but have yet to play, this obscure PS2 release is the one that pains me the most. After all, it's completely "my cup of tea," as they say--it's Japanese, it's quirky (which often goes hand in hand with being Japanese, I know), it's cute ... oh, and it involves kissing people in public. Why have I not played this again?

2. Dewy's Adventure (Wii)--Full disclosure: I've actually opened this one. Not only that, but I've played a tiny bit of it. Just a tiny bit, though--probably just 15 minutes or so. Even then, it was quite a few years ago, so I hardly remember what it was like. I do recall being at least mildly (if not mostly) turned off by its motion-controlled gameplay, though, so I'm feeling apprehensive about picking it up again. Don't worry, I'll "take one for the team" sometime next year just so I can finally review the damn thing.

3. Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (DS)--I only bought this Square Enix game a few months ago, so I don't feel as bad about this unopened game as I do the others included here. Still, you'd think I would've at least freed it from its plastic wrap and checked out its manual--especially given my love for the Dragon Quest series' slime character. Would you believe me if I promised to boot it up in the next few months?

4. Hot Shots Golf (PSP)--This is a fairly recent acquisition, too, if memory serves. Given my overwhelmingly positive experience with its sister title, Hot Shots Tennis, though, I'm shocked it's remained imprisoned in its original packaging for so long. Does this mean my love affair with my PSP is almost over? Say it ain't so! Maybe the spark would be rekindled if I picked up a pink or purple (lilac, really) PSP in 2013.

5. Pilotwings Resort (3DS)--Note: I could have included another 3DS game, Steel Diver, on this list, too, but since I decided to focus on just five unfortunately overlooked titles I had to make the tough decision to focus on just one of them. That said, I'm not sure why I went with Pilotwings Resort. Maybe it was because I was far more interested in it than in Steel Diver when I bought both games from Best Buy for $10 total late last year? Regardless, I'm sure I'll get around to playing them eventually, although I'd be lying if I said I'm currently excited about the prospect.

Now that I've had my say, I have to ask: Are any of you in the same boat? Are there unwrapped or simply unplayed games in your collections that you'd like to spend some quality time with in the coming 12 months?

Five games I have to get back to (and hopefully finish) in 2013

Well, it's that time of year again. No, not the time of year when I bore you with posts dedicated to my favorite games that were released in the last 12 months (that doesn't happen until next week). Rather, it's the time of year when I grouse about all the games I failed to complete during that same time frame.

The five games (some of which were released in 2012 and some of which were released earlier) that are causing the most grousing at the moment:

1. Corpse Party (PSP)--Why did I stop playing this digital-only title after thoroughly enjoying its introduction? To be completely honest: I got stuck. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem for me, but for some dumb reason I was stubborn this time around and refused to turn to a walkthrough to get myself out of the situation. As you probably can imagine, I only put up with that for so long before moving on to something more enticing. I swear, though, that I'll return to Corpse Party sometime soon--especially since the sequel is set to hit PSN anytime now.

2. Deadly Premonition (Xbox 360)--You might think I gave up on this quirky adventure for the same reason as the one stated above, but that actually wasn't the case. Instead, I walked away from Deadly Premonition early in the year because I just couldn't take any more of the combat scenes it was throwing at me. That said, I didn't intend to stop playing the game for good; I just wanted to take a bit of a breather. So, expect me to tackle this Hidetaka "SWERY" Suehiro-designed title with renewed vigor sometime in 2013.

3. Kirby Mass Attack (DS)--I honestly have no idea why I stopped playing this one just a few hours into it. I'm guessing another game caught my attention and wooed me away from it--although for the life of my I can't come up with which game accomplished that feat. Anyway, much like Deadly Premonition, I quite liked what I'd experienced of Kirby Mass Attack's unique gameplay and charming (as always) graphics before the game inexplicably fell by the wayside, so I think it's a fair bet that I'll pick it up again sooner rather than later.

4. Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)--Some of you are sure to be shocked to hear that I moved on from this game before seeing its end credits. Well, prepare to be shocked even more: Not only haven't I finished it, but I only conquered a few of its worlds before turning my attention to Mario Kart 7. What was it about this particular Mario adventure that left me feeling a bit cold? I'm not entirely sure, although I think the tiny levels that I recall encountering had something to do with it. I've since been told to stick with the game, though, so that's what I plan on doing as soon as my 3DS backlog dwindles at least a bit.

5. Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)--Here's another headscratcher--or at least it is to me. The reason: I loved the hell out of this open-world RPG before it dropped off my radar. This time, though, I have a valid reason for walking away from a game I was thoroughly enjoying beforehand. Basically, I went on vacation--and when I returned, I was swamped with work and ... well, I'm sure you can imagine what happened next. Considering my jaw was regularly planted on my chest while I worked through the first 10 or so hours of Xenoblade Chronicles, I don't think it'll take much arm twisting to convince me to go back to it at some point in the next 12 months.

How about you gals and guys? Are there any games that you failed to finish in the last year or so that you'd like to wrap up in 2013?

You don't say: Another PSP-based Hakuoki game is coming to North America

Unfortunately, it sounds like this Hakuoki title, unlike the one released earlier this year, isn't very good. (That's what a good percentage of the folks posting comments here are saying, at least.)

Still, I'm curious about it. Despite the fact that its gameplay sounds Dynasty Warriors-esque. (I'm not a big fan of hack-and-slash games. Shocking, I know.) Oh, and despite the fact that it doesn't seem to include any scenes in which Isami Kondou makes out with Shinpachi Nagakura.



I've yet to add it to my lengthy "to buy" list, though, because the folks at Aksys Games have done little more than announce their intent to bring it to North America and share its localized name (Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi) so far.

More information on this PSP release is sure to appear on its official website sooner rather than later, though, so if you're like me and you're at all interested in it, you'd do well to pay it a visit every now and then.

See also: 'A somewhat gay review of Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (PSP)'

FYI: the PSP's still got a pulse

You could have knocked me over with a feather after I read on Friday that the folks at UFO Interactive are preparing to bring Elminage Original, a dungeon-crawling PSP title made by a company I've never before heard of (Starfish), stateside sometime in 2013.

Here is a gameplay video of the Japanese version of Elminage Original, which apparently will be a PSN-only release in North America:



Whether or not I end up buying a copy of this interesting (and, admittedly, kind of fugly) looking game--which is said to be "Wizardry hard" and allows players to customize character icons by loading images from a memory card--next year will depend entirely on how much it costs, so here's hoping the powers that be at UFO Interactive attach a reasonable price tag to it.

(Via siliconera.com)