13 games I hope are announced and/or released in 2023

I need more games like I need a hole in the head, yet I can't help but hoping new ones will be announced all the same.

Speaking of which, here are 13 games (presented in alphabetical order) I hope are either announced or released at some point in 2023.

The Alliance Alive 2

Considering FuRyu went from The Legend of Legacy to The Alliance Alive, I doubt they're going to follow up the latter with a direct sequel. I'd take one, though, and in a heartbeat. I'd also take a direct sequel to The Legend of Legacy, actually, especially if it fixed some of the original game's flaws. Should the loopy bastards at FuRyu find a way to come up with something similar that also features an alliterated title, well, I suppose I'd take that, too.

The Alliance Alive

Bravely Default Collection

I'm sure most Bravely fans would prefer a brand new offering over a collection of the series' first two entries. I'd also welcome a Bravely Third or even a Bravely Second II (erm, or a Bravely Default III?), to be sure, but before any of those games are released, I'd prefer to get my greedy hands on a Switch compilation of Bravely Default and Bravely Second. I wouldn't even need anything fancy here; a "simple" remaster would more than suffice.

Deltarune Chapters 3, 4, and 5

I was a bit wary of Deltarune after finally playing and thoroughly loving Toby Fox's previous offering, the transcendent Undertale. I needn't have worried, if Deltarune's first two chapters are anything to go by. I've especially enjoyed Deltarune's brainy and exhilarating battles so far, though its characters and soundtrack have impressed, too. At any rate, I want more, and I want it as soon as possible.

Disaster Report 4

Disaster Report 5

The Switch port of Disaster Report 4 was a complete mess in many regards, but I loved the hell out of it anyway. I've heard even the best versions of the game paled in comparison to previous installments of the series, but since I haven't played any of them, all I can go on is my experience with this fourth iteration. It was tense, touching, and took me places I never saw coming. As such, I'd love to take another run at this long-running series sooner rather than later.

Dungeon Encounters II

This ask should come as little surprise considering the original Dungeon Encounters was one of my favorite games of 2021. How the development team of that game could enhance or expand upon their first effort is beyond me, but I'd sure like to see them take a stab at it. At the very least, I'm confident they could come up with a new cast of creative and colorful party members. That said, the existing Dungeon Encounters includes a caped pumaman, a sword-wielding dog, and a giant roly-poly cat, which could be tough to top.

Dungeon Encounters

Etrian Odyssey VI

I know the Switch, the most likely home for a new Etrian Odyssey game, poses some unique challenges for the makers of this previously dual-screened series, but even so I'm surprised it's taken this long for a sixth entry to see the light of day. Hell, we're not entirely sure a sixth Etrian Odyssey is being worked on, are we? A teaser of sorts hit the internet ages ago, but did it specifically name the Etrian Odyssey series? Regardless, I'll buy and play an Etrian Odyssey VI should it ever make it out of Atlus' secret underground laboratory.

Ghost Trick 2

Does anyone really think Capcom is going to make and publish a Ghost Trick sequel anytime soon, if ever? I doubt it. I have all the power here, though, so I'm going to hope for it anyway. As long as it's released for consoles and not just mobile, I should add. On a related and likely more realistic note, I'd totally buy a remastered release of Ghost Trick if it hit the Switch. The damn thing would probably only be sold through the eShop, but I'd grit my teeth and pick it up all the same. That's just the kind of Ghost Trick fan I am after adoring my virgin playthrough of it in 2019.

SaGa Scarlet Grace: AMBITIONS

A new mainline SaGa game

The last mainline SaGa game, SaGa Scarlet Grace, came out (in Japan, for the Vita) just over six years ago. An enhanced version released worldwide and for more modern systems three years ago. I'd say the time is right for a follow-up to appear, wouldn't you? Please agree with me, as SaGa Scarlet Grace: AMBITIONS is one of my all-time favorite games and I'd desperately like to play another game that's in the same vein. Of course, every SaGa game since Romancing SaGa 3 has been radically different from the one that came before it, which suggests the next release won't be anything like Scarlet Grace. I'll be OK if that comes to pass, too.

Onion Games' new RPG

I'll play anything Onion Games releases at this point, as long as it releases for a system I own (though I'd prefer for such a game to not be mobile-only). After all, I've already had a blast with Black Bird, Dandy Dungeon, Mon Amour, and of course Moon. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't especially thrilled that Onion Games' next offering will be another RPG. In particular, I love that I have no idea what to expect from this mostly unknown game -- though of course we all know it will be weird and dark and beautiful and probably will include kissing in some form or fashion.

Mon Amour

Opoona Remastered

Do I really want to return to Opoona's world? Yes, yes I do. I'm not entirely sure I want to return to it in its original form, though. After all, I got horribly lost, or at least turned around, pretty much every time I played Opoona on my Wii a few years back. To be honest, I don't have the highest of hopes that a remaster would fix this or any of Opoona's other issues, but I'd probably buy it anyway if it were made available for the Switch (and so could be played portably).

Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! console port

When I started writing this post a couple of weeks ago, I asked for a Pocket Card Jockey remaster or sequel here. Then developer Game Freak announced this reimagined version for the Apple Arcade service. As I don't currently own an iOS device, and I don't expect to own one anytime soon, I sincerely hope Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! gallops away from its iOS exclusivity and onto consoles (like the Switch, cough cough) as soon as is contractually possible.

Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!

Tobu Tobu Girl 2

Here's another unlikely announcement or release. I'm going to put it out into the universe anyway, as the original Tobu Tobu Girl thrilled me to pieces in 2018. If you've never heard of it, Tobu Tobu Girl is a fast-paced, high-score-chasing platformer that has you climb the screen rather than race to the left or right. The original was made to the GameBoy's specifications; honestly, I'd take more of the same here, but I'm guessing developers Lukas Erritsø Hansen and Simon Larsen would prefer to change things up the second time around. Sadly, I'm pretty sure they're not up for giving the world a Tobu Tobu Girl 2, but I guess it's possible they've changed their minds since I last chatted with them about the topic?

Tomodachi Collection 3

I had a wonderful time playing Tomodachi Life (the North American title for Japan's Tomodachi Collection 2) back in 2014. So much so I put nearly 130 hours into it that year. I've been daydreaming of a sequel, which I guess would be called Tomodachi Life 2 here and Tomodachi Collection 3 in Japan, ever since. Surely the devs at Nintendo of Japan are hard at work on this game, right? And for the Switch, not its eventual successor? Assuming that's the case, it'd better allow same-sex couplings this time around.

See also: 10 games I want to play in 2023

10 overlooked Nintendo DS games you need to play as soon as possible

Ten years ago--yes, a whole decade ago--I published a post here about five Nintendo DS games you should have played, but probably didn't. That write-up highlighted titles like Daigasso! Band Brothers, Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light, and Kirby: Canvas Curse.

I stand by those picks today, of course, but I also can't help but feel like they're just the tip of the iceberg as far as overlooked and underappreciated Nintendo DS games are concerned. Hence the creation of the post you're reading now.

A Kappa's Trail

This is a Nintendo DS game--a DSi game, to be exact--but you'll need to buy it via the Nintendo 3DS eShop these days. And even then, you'll need to hurry, what with the eShop closing its virtual doors in March 2023. Why should you bother? Because this Brownie Brown-made title is easily one of the best to ever hit the DSi service. It's an action-puzzle game that has players lead the titular kappa from each lengthy stage's start to its finish using the system's stylus and touch screen. As you can probably imagine, there are countless obstacles along the way--not the least of which is a purple disembodied hand that follows your path and prompts a "game over" if it catches up to you. In short, A Kappa's Trail is unique, tense, fun, and doesn't overstay its welcome.

A Kappa's Trail

Again

You've heard of, if not played, Hotel Dusk and Another Code (Trace Memory in North America), right? Well, Again was developed by the same team that made those well-regarded releases. All three are point-and-click adventure games that task players with solving a mystery. You could think of Again as the ugly duckling of the trio, but don't let that keep you from giving it a try. It lacks a lot of the charm that fills both Hotel Dusk and Another Code, but even so Again features an intriguing whodunit that puts Nintendo's unique hardware to ample use. It even has you hold your DS or 3DS system sideways like it's a book, just like Hotel Dusk and its sequel, Last Window, do.

Alice in Wonderland

If you're looking for a Metroidvania that strays a bit from the norm, track down a copy of Alice in Wonderland. Despite its rather hideous cover art, the game itself, made by a company called Etranges Libellules, is a beaut. Its art style is equal parts The Nightmare Before Christmas and Okamiden. Don't worry, I'm not recommending Alice in Wonderland simply because it looks great. Its gameplay is alluring, too, thanks in large part to the partners who join and assist you in your journey through Wonderland. Alice in Wonderland isn't without fault, I'll readily admit, with the main culprit being the occasional tussles that tend to annoy rather than thrill. The overall experience should prove intriguing enough to make up for it, though, if you're anything like me.

Boxlife

Boxlife

Skip Ltd., otherwise known for blessing the world with Chibi-Robo! and Captain Rainbow, produced a ton of brilliant, bite-sized games for the GameBoy Advance, DS, and Wii back in the day. Boxlife (Hacolife in Japan) is among the cream of the crop, in my humble opinion. It's certainly among the most unique--and not just when compared to Skip's other releases from the era, but also when compared to other puzzle games, period. Of course, what else would you expect from a puzzler that tasks you with cutting pieces of paper and then folding them into boxes? Unfortunately, Boxlife contains just two modes, and both can get pretty tough pretty quickly. If you go into this one thinking of it as a mobile game you'll play for a few minutes here and a few minutes there, rather than something you'll play obsessively for hours on end, though, you'll probably get a lot more enjoyment out of it.

Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime

For a long time--too long, really--I ignored Rocket Slime because I assumed it was a Zelda ripoff starring everyone's favorite Dragon Quest enemy. Boy, was I wrong. In reality, this game is a tank-battle simulator--albeit a cute tank-battle simulator. During said battles, which occur quite frequently, you race around your fantastical vehicle, pick up ammunition, and toss it into one of a pair of onboard cannons, which then launch the ammo at the opposing tank. This tends to be a frantic affair, but it's nearly always enjoyably frantic, so keep that in mind. Also, the game's tendency toward hyperactivity in this area is balanced by the sense of calm that pervades the sections that sit between the tank-on-tank tussles. Here, you happily hop around a lively overworld and gather materials to use in your next, inevitable skirmish. Combined, these disparate components produce a whole that's far more engaging than they have any right to be.

Ghost Trick

Ghost Trick

This Shu Takumi-directed, Capcom-developed release is one of the most compelling Nintendo DS titles around. Ghost Trick is part adventure game and part puzzler, if you can believe it. And the puzzle sections don't play like Tetris or Puyo Puyo, as you might imagine; instead, they basically involve connecting dots. I know it sounds boring, but believe me when I say it's surprisingly captivating and gels perfectly with Ghost Trick's story. Speaking of which, the game's story is a winner, too. It's centered on a guy--or, rather, a former guy who's now a ghost--named Sissel who can't remember who he was or who killed him. Your job while playing Ghost Trick is to help him solve both mysteries. Doing so is a joy, especially when you factor in the game's gorgeous art and music.

Pictobits

If ever a puzzle game could be called an inverse Tetris, this Skip Ltd.-made offering is it. To be honest, Pictobits' gameplay is a smidgen too chaotic for me, but I still appreciate and recognize that it's an interesting puzzler loads of people are likely to enjoy. This is especially true when you consider its overtly NES-talgic visuals and soundtrack. Something to note here is that Pictobits (Picopict in Japan and Europe, Pitcopict in Australia) is a DSiware title, just like A Kappa's Trail mentioned earlier. So, if you want to buy and play it these days, you have to do so via a 3DS (or a hacked DS, I suppose).

Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love

Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love

This Vanpool-developed point-and-clicker may be the most bizarre game Nintendo's ever published. For starters, it stars Tingle, the loveable weirdo from The Legend of Zelda series. That alone is a major eyebrow-raiser. Then there's the fact that its story skewers that of The Wizard of Oz. That Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love is an old-school adventure game not unlike LucasArts' best efforts from back in the day is just the cherry on top.

The World Ends with You

Much like several other DS games discussed in this post, I dragged my feet on playing The World Ends with You for an embarrassingly long time. Don't be like me. If you haven't played this thoroughly modern RPG and you still own a DS or 3DS, get it now. Controlling two characters at once (one with your system's touch screen and stylus, the other with its directional pad or face buttons), as you do while playing The World Ends with You, can be awkward and confusing at first, but you should eventually come to grips with it enough for it to feel something at least approaching exhilarating. The game's controls aren't the only thing that make it stand out from the JRPG pack, by the way. The same can be said of its visuals, soundtrack, setting, and cast, too.

Time Hollow

Time Hollow

Time Hollow is yet another mystery-centric adventure game for the DS, though this one is a decidedly different beast from the ones mentioned elsewhere in this write-up. A key case in point: Time Hollow allows you time travel (to a limited degree) by drawing circles on the screen that open portals to the past. It's clunkier than it could be, not as thrilling as it sounds, and doesn't prevent the game from being fairly linear, but even so I enjoyed the time I spent with Time Hollow and don't at all regret adding it to my collection.

Honorable mentions: A Witch's Tale, Contact, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, Soul Bubbles, and Super Princess Peach

See also: 10 overlooked Nintendo 3DS games you need to play as soon as possible

Ghost Trick's North American box art is kind of kinky, too

Earlier this year, I suggested (in this post) that the Japanese box art for Capcom's Ghost Trick--the DS adventure game developed by Ace Attorney creator Shu Takumi--was "kind of kinky."

Well, it seems the art (below) that will appear on the cover of the North American version of the game--which will hit store shelves on Nov. 2--will retain some of that kinkiness.

OK, so maybe "kinky" isn't the best word. There's definitely something a bit, er, queer about that bum-in-the-air pose, though, don't you think?

Pre-order: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

A tale of two trailers

During its recent Captivate 2010 event, Capcom unveiled new, English-enabled trailers for two of its upcoming DS releases: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective and Ōkamiden..

Here's the one for Ōkamiden:



(The one for Ghost Trick can be seen here.)

According to those in the know, Ghost Trick will see a Western release later this year, while Ōkamiden won't be heading stateside until sometime in 2011 (though it'll hit the streets in Japan by the end of 2010).

See also: 'Ghost Trick's box art is kind of kinky (and a little bit gay)' and 'Ōkamiden one step closer to being released in Europe and North America'

Ghost Trick's box art is kind of kinky (and a little bit gay)

Or, maybe I just have a dirty mind. What do you think?

Ghost Trick is an adventure game that's being made (for the DS) by Ace Attorney creator Shu Takumi. According to the game's Wikipedia entry, it "begins when a man named Sissel is killed and has no recollection of his memories. However, he has to find out how and why he was killed before his soul disappears the next morning."

It will be released in Japan on June 24 and in North America sometime this fall.

Watch: (Japanese) Ghost Trick trailer.