My favorite games of 2023 that came out before 2023

Not all of the games I played and loved in 2023 actually came out in 2023. The three titles covered here -- About An Elf, Dragon Quest Treasures, and Pokémon Violet -- are prime examples. They're also among my favorite games of last year.

About An Elf (Switch)

Developer and publisher Meringue Interactive describes About An Elf as a "point-and-click-ish, RPG-ish, visual-novel-ish game." Though accurate, it doesn't do this 2022 eShop release justice.

About An Elf may be the strangest game I've ever played. Nearly every aspect of it will have you scratching your head -- from the outlandish cast (which includes an Ulala-esque elf and her "oh noes"-spouting cat companion), to the nonsensical save-the-world story, to the inscrutable battles, and more.

They'll also likely put a smile on your face and keep you engaged for the few hours About An Elf lasts, though, which is the main reason I'm giving it a nod here. Another reason: despite the fact that About An Elf is a fairly silly and superficial experience, I regularly think about returning to it and its fever-dream world.

Dragon Quest Treasures (PC, Switch)

A lot of folks turned up their noses at this release as soon as they realized it wasn't a new Dragon Quest Monsters game. I feel no allegiance to nor nostalgia for the Monsters series, so I went into it with few biases or expectations.

I'd like to think that's at least partially responsible for why I enjoyed it so much. Also helping matters was that Dragon Quest Treasures reminded me of a similar offshoot, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, that quickly won me over in recent years. Both games offer up open worlds that are thrilling to explore and more action-focused gameplay than their parent series provide.

Sure, Treasures could and probably should include a wider selection of Dragon Quest's iconic enemies, but I had a blast even with the palette-swap-heavy crew that currently fills the game's varying environs.

Pokémon Violet (Switch)

Well, well, what have we here? Another game that message-board denizens love to hate and yet I adored. For me, Pokémon Violet was one of the best experiences I've had with a Pokémon game to date.

Of course, how could it not? It took what was my favorite aspect of Pokémon Shield, the Wild Area, and expanded it to cover the entire map, after all. Another draw for me was the three storylines you can tackle at your discretion. I get the feeling it would be difficult, if not impossible, to finish the game without completing all three stories, but I appreciated the increased freedom all the same.

Really, though, the highlight of playing Pokémon Violet for me was the same highlight of all my favorite Pokémon games so far: the simple joy of spotting a new Pokémon, trying to and (hopefully) succeeding at catching it, and then moving onto the next, rinse-and-repeat style. 

See also: my favorite games of 2023 (that actually came out in 2023)

My favorite games of 2023

A lot of blockbuster games released in 2023. None of them made it onto my list of favorite games of the year. (Shocking multitudes, I'm sure.)

I don't say this to suggest those AAA titles are beneath me or anything of the sort, of course. On the contrary. For various reasons, I either didn't play any of those games or I played them and they just didn't gel with me like they did so many others.

Which games did gel with me last year? The handful of indie or otherwise small releases you'll read about starting now.

Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society (PC, PS4/5, Switch, Vita)

I adored this game's predecessor, Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk, despite its dark-as-tar story. Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society is a lot lighter in that area, though no less enthralling overall. Labyrinth of Galleria doesn't do as much to alter or update its forebearer's wall-breaking, pit-jumping, dungeon-crawling gameplay, which is sure to disappoint some, but it still offers enough unexpected twists and turns to make it well worth playing by series veterans and noobs alike. Bonus (or word of warning, depending on how you look at such things): Labyrinth of Galleria is a long game. To see its true and final ending, you'll likely need to devote well over 100 hours to it. You can experience a ton of what the game offers and see its initial credit roll after 40 to 60 hours, though, if that sounds more manageable.

Metro Quester (PC, PS4/5, Switch, Xbox One/S/X)

Don't judge this retro-inspired dungeon-crawler by its "unlicensed NES game" title or similarly cheap-looking cover art. If you tend to enjoy hack-and-slashers like Wizardry or Etrian Odyssey, you'll dig Metro Quester (or just Quester, if you play it on PC), too. Which isn't to suggest Metro Quester is some kind of ripoff of those classics. It's viewed from a top-down perspective, for starters, plus there's a survival element to Metro Quester that not only helps differentiate it from the competition but also adds intrigue and tension. Metro Quester's story is minimal, but can still manage to surprise and impress if you pay attention to the occasional bits of text that pop up along the way. The battles here are the real selling point, though, thanks to their flexibility and exhilarating, whiz-bang snappiness.

Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo (Mobile, PC, Switch)

I've enjoyed a lot of adventure games (or visual novels, VNs, if that's the verbiage you prefer) in my time, but the ones I've enjoyed the most have featured spooky or scary elements. Raging Loop and Gnosia are two examples from previous years, and now Paranormasight can be added to the pile. At its heart, Paranormasight is a murder mystery. There's more to it than that, though, as you might imagine -- with supernatural urban legends and curses both playing important roles in the proceedings. Another interesting quirk to Paranormasight is that you'll occasionally replay portions of a character's story, which helps the experience feel less boringly straightforward than the bulk of its genremates.

Suika Game (Switch)

Does the world really need another match-things-that-drop-from-the-top-of-the-screen puzzle game? Suika Game provides a firmly affirmative answer to that question. The rules of Suika Game are so uncomplicated that you could play it in any language and not feel lost. The gist: get two fruits of the same type (cherries, strawberries, oranges, and more) to touch and they'll become a bigger one -- up until you reach the big kahuna, the watermelon. (Fun fact: suika is Japanese for watermelon.) Rinse and repeat until your accumulated pile of fruit hits the top of the screen. It sounds simple and even a little stupid, but it's also intoxicatingly addictive.

World of Horror (PC, PS4/5, Switch)

I never knew how much I needed a Junji Ito-inspired horror roguelike RPG VN until I started through World of Horror in early December. World of Horror is both not at all what I expected and far beyond what I expected of it. In doing so, it bizarrely and even bravely defies categorization. Hell, I'd go so far as to say it deserves a genre of its own, should any future games dare to follow in its footsteps. At any rate, if you've ever dreamed of playing a game that makes you feel like you're living -- and attempting to survive -- in a post-apocalyptic Japanese city right out of one of Ito's macabre manga, here's your chance.

What were your favorite games of 2023? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

See also: my favorite games of 2023 that came out before 2023

My favorite games of 2022 that weren't released in 2022

I wasn't planning on publishing a post about my favorite games of 2022 that weren't actually released in 2022 (hence the little bonus note at the end of my last write-up), but then I got to thinking about it and decided I had a few things to say about these not-quite-current games after all. So, here we are again.

Chack'n Pop (Arcade, PS4, Switch)

OK, so I'm starting things off on a rather questionable note. I say that because technically the version of Chack'n Pop I played and enjoyed this year (Hamster's Arcade Archives port for the Nintendo Switch) was released during 2022. Calling it a 2022 release seems disingenuous at best, though, considering it was introduced to the world as an arcade game all the way back in 1983.

At any rate, Chack'n Pop is a wonder. It's often called a precursor to Bubble Bubble, and while that's true (Bubble Bobble didn't come out until 1986), it's only true in terms of release dates and a small amount of character overlap. In terms of gameplay, the two titles couldn't be more dissimilar. Chack'n Pop is slow and methodical, to the point it often feels like a puzzle game. Also, whereas even people who are terrible at Bubble Bobble can make it through a multitude of stages, especially if they use continues, those who find Chack'n Pop challenging will struggle to make it through more than a couple. I could be said to be included in this bunch, by the way, but that hasn't kept me from continuing to plug away at and thoroughly enjoy the game.

The Fairyland Story (Arcade, PS4, Switch)

Oh, look, another game often described as a Bubble Bobble precursor. This one more strongly resembles that 1986 classic, though, especially as far as its gameplay is concerned. That said, only those who don't quite know what they're doing will play The Fairyland Story in a similar fashion to how they play Bubble Bobble -- as in, spamming the attack button (which here causes protagonist Ptolemy to shoot magic from her wand) to turn each level's enemy creatures into mouth-watering hunks of cake. Clued-in players tackle The Fairyland Story in a far more deliberate manner.

If this is news to you, the gist is that dropping a piece of cake onto two or more enemies at once nets you a medal that, once grabbed, adds a multiplier to your score as long as you stay alive. Along with this, The Fairyland Story's enemies are highly manipulatable, and combining this aspect of the game with the aforementioned one can result in scores that make your eyes roll back and your head spin.

As is true of most such things, pulling off the above at all, let alone consistently, is easier to suggest than it is to accomplish. I myself am still a rough work in progress here. Knowing what is possible is a hell of a motivator, though, as are the rest of this game's components, like its adorable sprite art and charming backing tunes.

The House in Fata Morgana (PC, PS4, Switch, Vita)

This is one of those "games" (in quotes because it's not really a game, but rather a Visual Novel) that various people whose opinions I respect told me I needed to play (experience?) for years before I finally dove into it earlier this year. Did I share their high praise of The House in Fata Morgana in the end? Yes... and no. Don't get me wrong, this VN does many things well. The story is entrancing, haunting, and surprising. The art is gorgeous, as is the exotic, ethereal soundtrack.

I struggled with some other aspects of The House in Fata Morgana, though. At times, its story is too haunting, verging on tortuous. I also thought it overstayed its welcome by a good bit.

In the end, I appreciated The House in Fata Morgana's positive attributes more than I abhorred its negative ones. Its story went places I didn't expect -- at all -- and for that alone it earns the exalted position it has among VN fans. I'm not sure I ever see myself going through it again, mind you, but I'm glad I reached its credit roll at least once.

Pocket Card Jockey (3DS)

I could probably include Pocket Card Jockey in every post like this I ever publish, or at least I could over a period of 10 or so years. Which is a long way of saying this digital 3DS offering, made by the folks at Game Freak (you might know them from a little series called Pokémon), worms its way back into my heart on a regular basis. A case in point: 2022 was the sixth year I put more than 20 hours into Pocket Card Jockey since its Japanese release in 2013. (I put just under 35 hours into it this year, for the record.)

Pocket Card Jockey is one of those Nintendo games like Endless Ocean that I just don't understand how they didn't blow up with the masses. I'm guessing the fact that it's a 3DS game and not a DS one, and that the only way to buy it is to venture onto the eShop (as opposed to walking into a retail store or logging onto Amazon), is chiefly responsible for holding it back. The horse-racing theme probably didn't do it any favors either. Regardless, it's a crying shame, as Pocket Card Jockey is a blast. How the wizards at Game Freak turned the typically sedate game of solitaire into such a nail-biting, just-one-more-try electronic experience is beyond me. Thankfully, I don't need to understand how they conceived of Pocket Card Jockey or brought to life; I only need to sit down and enjoy the spoils of their hard work.

(Related aside: if you're struggling with this game, read my guide on how to play and succeed at Pocket Card Jockey.)

Rainbow Islands (PC Engine)

I swear I didn't intend to make this write-up so Bubble Bobble-centric. I guess that's just what happens when you start playing a game that's related to Bubble Bobble, and that leads to you playing another and then another. At any rate, Rainbow Islands is my favorite of the bunch. And by that I don't simply mean my favorite of the Bubble Bobble-adjacent games I played in 2022, or even of all the Bubble Bobble-adjacent games in existence. Honestly, I think I like Rainbow Islands even more than the great Bubble Bobble itself at this point.

Now you're going to want to know why. I'm not sure I know myself. I guess the main thing I prefer about Rainbow Islands to its brethren (sistren?) is that it is, or it can be, a more exhilarating experience. Once you're powered up to a certain degree, you can practically (and sometimes literally) fly through its vertical-oriented stages, quickly hopping here and there and wiping out the game's adorable, big-eyed baddies with rapidly slung rainbows along the way. If you're anything like me, such runs will inevitably come to a crashing halt because of one dumb decision or another. I always dust myself off and get back up again, though, ready to give it another shot while bopping my head to its main "Not Somewhere Over the Rainbow (No, Really)" backing tune. 

Rusty's Real Deal Baseball (3DS)

Rusty's Real Deal Baseball is another victim of the 3DS eShop curse. As in, it's a great -- brilliant, really -- game that was mostly and sadly overlooked by millions upon millions of Nintendo 3DS owners because it wasn't a DS game and/or wasn't given a physical (boxed) release. Also, much like Pocket Card Jockey may have been hurt by its horse-racing and -breeding theme, Rusty's may have been hurt by its focus on baseball.

All you and anyone else need to know is that I love Rusty's to death -- and I hate baseball. OK, so hate may be too strong of a word here, but I'm certainly no fan of the sport. The reason I adore Rusty's Real Deal Baseball despite its unfortunate theme: it often feels like an offshoot of Nintendo's just-as-bonkers Rhythm Tengoku series. That's right, it feels like a rhythm game. Add to that the game's ugly-cute anthropomorphic dog characters and its head-scratchingly dark story, and you've got yourself a must-play 3DS game -- even for folks who have no love for the so-called American pastime.

See also: my favorite games of 2021 that weren't released in 2021

My favorite games of 2022

Something I have to get out of the way right at the start: 2022 has been a weird year for me. In all sorts of ways, but especially when it comes to video games.

Although I played many more games in 2021 and 2020 than I did in, say, 2018 and before, this year has felt like a real step back. Nowhere is that more obvious than in the number of games I finished this year: a measly six.

At least I enjoyed four of the six games I finished this year enough to call them favorites. (Actually, I also enjoyed one of the remaining two, but it was released before 2022 and so doesn't fit in here.)

What four games am I talking about? Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and Yurukill: The Calumniation Games. I'm also talking about Live A Live, which I sadly have yet to finish.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch)

I have a spotty history with the Kirby franchise. During my youth, I turned my nose up at its NES, SNES, and GameBoy releases because I thought they were for kids who'd never played any "real" games. It wasn't until I tried a few of Kirby's Nintendo DS releases--and then, quickly, some of the earlier ones I'd missed--that I realized the error of my ways. Yes, Kirby games are for kids, but they're also for adults--and everyone between. The only people they're not for are curmudgeons who hate all things cute, colorful or fun.

That remains true for The Forgotten Land, even with its dramatic move into the third dimension. To be honest, although I enjoyed pretty much every component of this game--from its candy-coated visuals, to its jubilant soundtrack, to its thrilling boss encounters--I most got a kick out of exploring its multitude of environments. If the only point of The Forgotten Land were to walk and hop and float from a stage's starting point to its exit, I still would've been perfectly happy with my purchase.

Live A Live (Switch)

Live A Live is one of those (formerly) Japan-only RPGs I've wanted to play since it first released. Oh, I know an English fan translation of it has been out in the wild for ages, and I even gave it a (brief) go nearly as long ago, but for whatever reason it just didn't click with me at the time. I'd say the exact opposite about this HD-2D remake, even though I've yet to finish it. I've thoroughly enjoyed the four stories I've played through thus far, and that's nothing to sneeze at, if you ask me.

As for why that is, well, for starters, I like that each of Live A Live's stories take a few hours to beat, tops. Although my teenage self loved to tackle RPGs that demanded 100-ish hours to conquer, my current, much older self doesn't have the time or energy for such things more than once or twice a year. Just as importantly, though, I dig how unique and varied the stories and characters are within Live A Live. I mean, one puts you in the shoes (boots?) of a cowboy in the Old West; another plops you into the life of a lovelorn caveman.

Admittedly and obviously, such short stories lack the depth of the ones that serve as the backbones to comparable epics like Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, or Xenoblade, but I'm OK with that in this instance. For me, the breadth of the stories offered up here, along with the interesting ways in which they're told, trump the missing dimension.

Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness (PC, PS4, Switch)

Before Binary Star Falling into Darkness was announced, I'd never even heard of Made in Abyss. I tend to like Spike Chunsoft-made games, though, and I liked the look and sound of this one, so I pre-ordered it at my earliest opportunity. While I awaited its release, I bought and read the first volume of the manga and watched the first two episodes of the manga. I enjoyed both, despite the dark tone and gory imagery, so was pretty sure I'd appreciate this game adaptation.

Boy, did I ever. Not right away, though. The game's "Hello Abyss" mode, which was mandatory upon release and basically acts as a tutorial, intrigued but also annoyed. It feels quite restricted, plus it tells an extremely minimalistic version of the anime's and manga's story. It wasn't until I started my way through the "Deep in Abyss" mode that I truly fell in love with Binary Star Falling into Darkness. Here, the game feels like an offshoot of the Shiren the Wanderer series in the best possible way. It feels like a distinct offshoot, though, offering plenty of unique twists and turns that make it seem like a real-time jaunt through a good chunk on Made in Abyss' nightmarish world.

Truth be told, there were times when Binary Star Falling into Darkness made me want to break my Switch over my knee or fling it into the nearest wall thanks to some of its odd gameplay choices and overall jankiness. For the most part, though, I couldn't put it down. In fact, I wanted to keep on playing it well past its credit roll, and that took me 80-plus hours to reach.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Switch)

As with the aforementioned Kirby, my experience with the vaunted Pokémon series is complicated. Although things between us started out positively enough--I played and finished and loved Pokémon Red at some point not too long after it released in the U.S.--they went downhill shortly after. To the point that I didn't finish another Pokémon game until Let's Go: Eevee came out in late 2018.

Since then, I've finished two more Pokémon games: Shield in 2019 and this one earlier in the year. I'll be honest here: I think Legends may be my favorite of the bunch. And not just the bunch, but of all the Pokémon games I've played to date (and I've played at least a bit of all of them). Why? The gist is that I enjoyed the freedom of it. Although I've liked a lot of the Pokémon games I've played, they've all felt a bit too straightforward. Legends felt anything but. On a related note, I loved and appreciated how you can avoid battles altogether in Legends and instead just catch wild Pokémon by sneaking up on and chucking Poké Balls at them. 

I also appreciated that Legends didn't overstay its welcome. I finished it in just over 45 hours; smack dab in the middle of my personal sweet spot as far as RPGs are concerned.

Yurukill: The Calumniation Games (PC, PS5. PS4, Switch)

When Yurukill was revealed, I assumed it would literally be half visual novel and half shmup. I was unsure if I would like it based on this--I'm hardly the world's biggest shmup fan, and I've only recently come around to VNs--but I pre-ordered it anyway because I tend to enjoy games that dare to combine disparate genres. (See: NIS' Void Terrarium and Mad Rat Dead.)

By the end of its first chapter, it was clear to me that Yurukill was more, and better, than I imagined it would be. For starters, it's really more of a mashup of an escape-room adventure game and a bullet-hell shmup, if you want to be specific. More importantly, it's not a straight half-and-half affair. Quiz-focused trial segments regularly interrupt and invigorate the proceedings. They also help bring everything together and make Yurukill feel more like a cohesive experience than it would otherwise.

Also helping matters is that every component of Yurukill is of a certain quality. And I'm not just talking about the adventure and shmup gameplay here; I'm talking about the character art, the soundtrack, and the voice work, too. Honestly, that last element may be the standout of Yurukill for me, especially Yu Kobayashi's brilliant, bonkers, giddy turn as the game's antagonist, Binko.

BONUS: My favorite games of 2022 that weren't released in 2022

• Chack'n Pop (PS4, Switch)
• The Fairyland Story (PS4, Switch)
• The House in Fata Morgana (PC, PS4, Switch, Vita)
• Pocket Card Jockey (3DS)
• Rainbow Islands (PC Engine)
• Rusty's Real Deal Baseball (3DS)

See also: my favorite games of 2021

My favorite games of 2021 that weren't actually released in 2021

Although I played and loved a lot of games this year that were actually released in the last 12 months, I also played and loved a lot of games that came out before 2021.

In particular, I played more Vita games in 2021 than I have in years—three of which are highlighted below. I also played a handful of DS games.

A Kappa’s Trail (DS)

This Nintendo DSiWare game is a breath of fresh air for several reasons, though the most noteworthy are that it makes full use of the DS system's touch screen (in fact, the machine's directional pad or face buttons are disabled during play) and it forces players to figure out what to do right from the word go.

Granted, I'd hardly call this digital release one of my favorite games of 2021 if all it offered were a lack of handholding and slick, stylus-centric controls. On that note, A Kappa's Trail is also quite a looker, no shock given the wizards at Brownie Brown (of Mother 3 and Magical Starsign fame) made it. Its lead-a-big-headed-kappa-to-the-end-of-each-winding-stage-while-avoiding-myriad-pitfalls-and-perils gameplay is unique, too, not to mention tense, thanks to the creepy disembodied hand that slowly stalks you and threatens to cut short your otherwise jaunty journey.

Don't worry, the latter isn't overly off-putting; instead, it injects the game with a welcome dose of drama that elevates the experience beyond "pleasant but boring."

Airship Q (PC/Vita)

When I imported my copy of this game many moons ago, all I knew about it was that it was supposed to be Terraria with cats. In reality, that description isn't entirely accurate. Airship Q is a far more straightforward title than Terraria, though this doesn't mean it's constricted. On the contrary, it's as open as you could hope for it to be; however, there are times you'll be forced in a particular direction to advance Airship Q's rather meager story.

Now to throw some cold water onto this little "review": Airship Q is a bit janky. In particular, its block- and physics-based world regularly does its best to spoil your progress and fun by trapping your craft or keeping you from reaching your intended destination. This usually induces laughs rather than rage, but don't be shocked if it causes the occasional fit. It shouldn't prompt you to huffily pull the plug on your playthrough, though, or at least it shouldn't if you do like I did and think of this aspect of the game as charming instead of irritating.

Gravity Rush (PS4/Vita)

Gravity Rush is one of those games that are filled with brazen, brilliant ideas that never fully gel. The characters (Kat, the protagonist, especially) and steampunk-ish setting fascinate, and its soundtrack alternatingly soothes and soars. Speaking of soaring, dashing and falling through the air as the aforementioned Kat is one of the more exhilarating experiences I've had in a game in eons.

Dashing and falling into one or more of Gravity Rush's low-key nightmarish enemies, on the other hand, tends to be tiresome rather than breathtaking, and it didn't take me long to both dread and even detest such tussles. Fulfilling the game's many missions gets old quickly, too, though not as completely as its battles.

Perhaps appropriately, the story in Gravity Rush veers wildly between riveting and ridiculous—almost like it exists to meld the game's positive and negative attributes. It leans toward the former more than the latter, though, and that was enough for me.

A ringing endorsement, right? Maybe not, but the fact is I'm still thinking of my time with Gravity Rush, and I'm also already contemplating taking another stab at it. In other words, its pros outweigh its cons, or at least they did for me. Considering how bold Gravity Rush is overall, putting up with its handful of quibbles isn't such a difficult task.  

Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk (PC/PS4/Switch)

I avoided starting Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk for ages because screenshots of it intimidated me. Specifically, the number of party members depicted in said screens got me thinking this dungeon-crawling RPG would be far too convoluted for my feeble brain. After finishing and putting more than 75 hours into it, I'm glad to report it's not. In fact, its multi-character battles are far more conventional than initial impressions suggest.

Which isn't to say Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk is traditional to a fault. It actually offers up several innovations that make it seem surprisingly fresh. Two standout examples: you can jump over pits while exploring its many maze-like dungeons, and you can break through walls to examine previously inaccessible areas.

Building and customizing your party, which can eventually include as many as 40 members (each of whom are puppets, not humans), provides a similarly unique thrill. Unfortunately, it's a bit too deep to delve into here. The game does a decent job of explaining it as you go along, thankfully.

Another area in which Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk excels is its story. Hell, a dungeon role-playing game having anything more than a barebones backstory is worth noting, but the one included here wouldn't be out of place in your typical JRPG. That it ends up being rather poignant only adds to the allure.

Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love (DS)

Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love is such a bizarre mashup of ideas that I'm frankly amazed the powers that be at Nintendo greenlit its development. It's a point-and-click game that stars everyone's favorite jumpsuit-wearing oddball, Tingle, and sports a story that parodies The Wizard of Oz.

Actually, there's more to Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love than just pointing and clicking. You solve puzzles, complete mini-games, and even woo some ladies, too.

Whether or not you tend to enjoy this genre, it's worth checking out—in large part because it was developed by the talented crew at Vanpool, an offshoot of the renowned Love-de-Lic (known for cult classics Moon: Remix RPG Adventure and UFO: A Day in the Life).

Spelunky (PC/PS4/Switch/Vita)

Admittedly, my obsession with Spelunky began after I bought the Switch port that released this past autumn. I quickly moved over to the Vita version, though, and that's where I spent most of my time with this masochistic title.

That I enjoyed it enough to play it for more than 20 hours is a near-miracle, I must say. This type of platformer has never been my cup of tea for all sorts of reasons I won't bore you with now. What's different about Spelunky? For starters, I feel like I'm at least slightly more in control of my destiny while playing it than I do while attempting similar efforts. Also, dying in Spelunky rarely devastates me. And even when it approaches doing so, I still typically end up laughing at the comedic cruelty of it all before moving on to just one more run.

If you're wondering why I or anyone else would willingly go through such hell over and over again, well, my only answer is that I like the challenge of it. Success, at both the individual stage and overall game level, always seems within reach—if only I could do this next time, or not do that. It's easy to blame yourself, rather than the game, for failing, though never so harshly you give up and move on to something less taxing. 

See also: my favorite games of 2020 that weren't released in 2020

My favorite games of 2021

Although I played a lot of games in 2021, only about half of them were actually released this year. And even then, most were far from the AAA efforts that tend to fill similar GOTY write-ups. 

Still, I hope those who read this post will enjoy the thoughts I share below on what I consider to be my favorite games of 2021.

Something to consider as you scroll: I've sadly yet to experience a good handful of 2021 releases that I expect would've made this list had I gotten around to playing them. Among the games in question: Fuga: Melodies of Steel, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, NEO: The World Ends with You, Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi, and Voice of Cards.

Bravely Default II (PC/Switch)

You're probably already aware that the character models in this Bravely Default sequel are less visually appealing than their counterparts in the original. Bravely Default II's soundtrack doesn't hit the same highs as the previous game's either. 

Even so, I found Bravely Default II to be enormously compelling. The claymation-inspired, diorama-esque world is a joy to race around, and its battles exist somewhere within the same exhilarating realm as those found in the first Bravely Default and the oft-similar Octopath Traveler.

The cherry on top of this sadly divisive RPG: the bonkers story, which becomes more and more compelling--not to mention bizarre--the deeper you delve into it.

Deltarune Chapter 1&2 (PC/PS4/Switch)

I dragged my feet on plunging into the first two chapters of Deltarune until late this year because, frankly, I couldn't fathom how they'd even remotely reach Undertale's splendorous heights. Boy, was I wrong. I don't know that I could declare Deltarune chapters one and two to be better than the whole of Undertale, but I also wouldn't argue with anyone who makes such an assertion.

For me, the main area in which Deltarune bests its precursor is combat. Battles in Deltarune have more depth and are more strategic than those in Undertale. I also found them more fun, truth be told. I can't quite say the same about Deltarune's characters, story, or soundtrack. In particular, Queen and Lancer pale in comparison to their Undertale counterparts, Sans and Papyrus, though the former are by no means duds.

Whatever. All I know is I'm itching--desperately--to play Deltarune's remaining chapters, however many Toby Fox and crew decide to release into the world. For me, that makes the whole "which is better?" discussion moot. At least until the next time I play through Undertale (wink wink).

Dungeon Encounters (PC/PS4/Switch)

Dungeon Encounters offers up a terrible first impression, looking like one of Square Enix's lowest effort titles ever. Give it a whirl, though, and you're sure to realize, as I quickly did, it's a minimalistic Etrian Odyssey viewed from a decidely different perspective.

Even that sells this digital RPG short, though, as I enjoyed playing Dungeon Encounters more than I've enjoyed playing any Etrian Odyssey title to date. I also managed to finish Dungeon Encounters--something I've yet to do with Etrian Odyssey's many releases.

Why? The sense of mystery and exploration is strong in Dungeon Encounters. Not only do you map out floors of a dungeon, but you solve riddles to find new abilities, party members, treasures, and even the final boss. Also, the game practically begs you to break it in various ways. Once you've acquired certain abilities, you can jump around the 99-floor dungeon nearly at will. As you might expect, there's a risk-reward element to this play style, but that's yet another feather in Dungeon Encounters' cap.

All in all, if you're usually an RPG fan and you're up for tackling a tough one (though not unfairly so) that dares to stray from the norm, give serious consideration to Dungeon Encounters in 2022.

Gnosia (Switch)

Raging Loop was among my favorite games of 2020. One of the main reasons I loved Raging Loop so much was that it deftly blended aspects of the social-deduction game, Werewolf, into what is otherwise a spooky visual novel.

Gnosia also incorporates aspects of Werewolf into its gameplay. It's not a VN, though. Rather, it's more of a Werewolf simulator. The end result is every bit as gripping as you might expect if you've ever experienced Werewolf in some form or fashion. If you haven't, the gist here is that you're on a spaceship with a slew of extremely colorful characters (literally and figuratively) and you need to suss out which are Gnosia, alien-like creatures who will, without intervention, kill all humans aboard.

The thing is, you don't play through Gnosia just once. You play through it many, many times. A single loop may take as little as a few minutes or as long as a quarter-hour or more. While working your way through a particular loop, you'll regularly encounter event scenes that expand one or more characters' backstories. Only after you experience all of these scenes can you access Gnosia's true ending.

Really, though, the ending is the icing on this pixelated piece of cake. The real joy comes in the journey to that point--getting to know your crewmates, using what you glean there to your advantage (or their disadvantage), and figuring out what you need to move the overarching story toward its satisfying conclusion.

Mon Amour (PC/Switch)

After I played Onion Games' Mon Amour for the first time following its release, I thought, "this is cute, but I probably won't spend much time with it." I returned to it the next day, mostly to give it a quick second chance before moving on to something more my speed. Instead, I got wrapped up in its silly quest to rescue Princess Mona and her multitude of servants. I intended to only save a few of the latter, but by the time I'd done just that, I was hooked--or at least I was hooked enough to continue on rather than prematurely pull the plug on my Mon Amour adventure.

I'm so glad that happened. Because that's when I discovered there's more to this little gem than its Flappy Bird-ish gameplay, plethora of rescuable "mon-a-girls," and appropriately zany soundtrack. Notably, it's surprisingly strategic once you realize how your actions affect the playfield. With that knowledge in mind, you'll likely have as hard a time as I did putting down Mon Amour until you've saved every citizen, climbed the high-score list to an acceptable degree, or both.

SaGa Frontier Remastered (Mobile/PC/PS4/Switch)

I've been enamored with SaGa Frontier since first laying eyes on Japanese screenshots of it in some old gaming magazine or other in advance of its late-1990s release. For me, it was far closer to what I wanted from Square Enix (then Squaresoft) during the 32-bit era than Final Fantasy VII was.

I'm even more appreciative of what SaGa Frontier brings to the table today, thanks to the fact that it's now portable and sports a cleaned-up--and thus less confusing--localization. As it always was, SaGa Frontier remains thrillingly exotic, with locales, characters and battles that inspire awe while also getting the eyes popping and blood flowing.

True, SaGa Frontier can be brutal, with death lingering around nearly every corner. But even that is a positive, in my mind--considering how common it is for battles in RPGs to feel yawn-inducingly superfluous.

See also: my favorite games of 2020

My favorite games of 2020 that weren't actually released in 2020

Although I recently declared Moon, Paper Mario: The Origami King, and Void Terrarium to be my favorite games of 2020, the truth of the matter is I had an even better time with the trio of pre-2020 titles highlighted here.

Combined, I devoted nearly 170 hours to Raging Loop, SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions, and The World Ends With You. That alone should make it clear just how much I adored them. But why did I adore them? Keep reading to find out.

Raging Loop (PC, PS4, Switch)

Visual novels, VNs to those in the know, can be hard sells for folks who aren't fans of the genre. I know that all too well. It took me a long time to come around to these interactive books myself—and even now my experiences with them tend to be hit or miss.

What made the difference for me and Raging Loop? I'd say its horror-tinged story and rural-Japanese setting played key roles. So did its distinct and well-developed characters. Most important of all, though, was the tension this Kemco-made game introduced at the outset and then steadily built upon over time as its Werewolf-inspired mystery progressed toward its thrilling conclusion.

Will you enjoy Raging Loop if you tend to dislike VNs or scary stuff? I doubt it, to be brutally honest. That said, if it intrigues you at all, I'd highly recommend giving it a try—especially if you come across it during a sale. 

SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions (Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch)

Akitoshi Kawazu's SaGa games are known for taking the RPG genre to all sorts of weird and wonderful places, but Scarlet Grace: Ambitions takes the cake in that regard. For starters, although you and your intrepid party explore a world map just like you would if you were playing a standard RPG, that's all you explore in SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions. There are towns and dungeons here, but you don't enter them; instead, you peruse their "contents" (for lack of a better word) via a menu. In the former, that can mean chatting up a local or checking out a shop's wares, while in the latter, it typically means engaging in one or more battles.

Speaking of battles, they're both the focus and the highlight of SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions. As well they should. They're brilliantly strategic, not to mention addictive. The main hook is that your actions can alter a fight's timeline, and if you manage to defeat a baddie positioned between two (groups of) party members, you're compensated with what can be a tide-turning "United Attack." Your opponents play by the same rules, though, so there's a risk-reward element to this SaGa's turn-based fights that keeps you on your toes.

Beyond these tussles, SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions offers those who tackle it a magnificent OST (composed by Kenji Ito), a multitude of recruitable characters, and the kind of impressively—and sometimes befuddlingly—open-ended adventure that has been this series' calling card since day one.

The World Ends With You (DS)

The World Ends With You is the kind of game that makes you wonder what the Dragon Quest and, especially, Final Fantasy series could become if the suits at Square Enix let loose a bit. Almost everything about this action RPG makes you raise your eyebrows in appreciation: the stylized visuals, the modern setting, and the impressively eclectic soundtrack, especially. 

The frantic, dual-screened battles bedazzle, too—though they just as often bewilder. As exhilarating as controlling and otherwise keeping track of two characters can be, it can be exasperating as well. Still, once the fights in The World Ends With You click with you, they almost feel transcendent. When's the last time you said that about Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy—or any other JRPG, really?

Honorable mentions:

• Again (DS)
• Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers (PS4, Switch)
• Hey! Pikmin (3DS)
• Pokemon Shield (Switch)
• Yomawari: Night Alone (PC, Switch, Vita)

See also: my favorite games of 2019 that weren't released in 2019

My favorite games of 2020: Moon, The Origami King, and Void Terrarium

I've spent most of 2020 ping-ponging between feeling terrified and traumatized. One of the few areas of my life that has bucked that trend over the last 12 or so months has been the time I've devoted to video games.

In fact, I've both played and enjoyed more games in 2020 than I have in many years. The three games I'm highlighting here are my favorites of the 45 or so I put at least some time into this year. Or at least they're my favorites of the games that came out between Jan. 1 and now. (I'll publish a similar post about my favorite games of 2020 that weren't released in 2020 shortly.)

Moon (Switch)

Although I'm a lifelong fan of role-playing games, I'm far from a stickler for tradition. As much as I adore old-school, by-the-numbers JRPGs (think Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light), I also appreciate attempts to deviate from the norm. Onion Games' Moon--previously known as Moon: Remix RPG Adventure--is a perfect example of the second category. So much so I hesitate to call it an RPG. What is Moon then? An adventure game, I guess. But it also features a liberal dose of simulation and puzzle elements.

Regardless, it's wonderful, not to mention wonderfully chill. There's no rushing while playing Moon. Hell, you can't even run while playing Moon. You saunter. You slowly scour Moon's modest surface in an attempt to help both its earthly inhabitants and its apparitional ones. The latter are the souls of creatures slain by a video-game's unhinged hero, while you are a real-world boy sucked into that make-believe world and charged with righting said madman's wrongs through the power of love.

Moon tends toward the obtuse and melancholic, but that just adds to its peculiar charm--as do the game's eclectic background tunes, which--in another delightful twist--you can change at will.

Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch)

Although The Origami King is a more than fitting subtitle for this latest Paper Mario adventure, an even better one, in my humblest of opinions, would've been The Origami Odyssey. After all, this entry in Intelligent Systems' long-running RPG series feels like proper, globe-trotting trek. You zip from one eye-poppingly exotic locale to another while attempting to save Princess Peach (amongst other important--and far more interesting--tasks), sometimes via an appropriately recyclable vehicle.

The rest of The Origami King will seem a bit foreign to Paper Mario fans, too. In particular, this title's turn-based tussles are more like puzzles than the select-battle-options-from-a-menu affairs that are typical of the genre. I prefer the tried-and-true myself, though the new method introduced here grew on me by leaps and bounds once I became accustomed to it.

Even if you fall in love with these brainy fights from the word go, though, you're unlikely to consider them a highlight of the experience. Instead, you'll probably reserve that honor for The Origami King's witty text and wondrous soundtrack.

Void Terrarium (PS4, Switch)

Nippon Ichi Software's Void Terrarium does everything it can to turn off potential players. First there's its name, the full version of which is void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium. Then there's its post-apocalyptic aesthetic, which seems more banal than breathtaking, especially early on. There's also its "human Tamagotchi" component, which is just... confounding--again, particularly at first.

And yet I found Void Terrarium utterly captivating. Sure, the desolate environments of this part-time dungeon-crawler can be samey, but if you're anything like me, you'll barely pay attention to them thanks to the game's heart-pounding soundtrack and surprisingly compelling story. Oh, and the robot-battling action on offer here is plenty exhilarating, too. Not bad for a title that started off looking like a real dud, eh?

Honorable mentions:

• Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories (PC, PS4, Switch)
• Mad Rat Dead (PS4, Switch)
• Part Time UFO (Mobile, Switch)
• A Short Hike (PC, Switch)

See also: my favorite games of 2020 that weren't released in 2020 as well as my favorite games of 2019 and my favorite games of 2018

My favorite games of 2019: Lapis x Labyrinth and The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince

If you had told me this time last year that I'd declare Lapis x Labyrinth and The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince my favorite games of 2019, I'd have laughed in your face.

Back then, these Nippon Ichi Software-made games were barely on my radar. I wasn't even sure I was going to buy the localized version of Lapis x Labyrinth. And though I'd already placed a pre-order for The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince by that point, I had a sinking feeling I wouldn't enjoy it.

All those fears flew out the window within minutes of starting The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince, and within a few hours of doing the same with Lapis x Labyrinth.

Warming up to and falling in love with The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince was easy. Everything from the start screen, to the opening cinematic, to the introductory tutorial, to the music that accompanied them set the perfect tone for what was to come.

So, what was to come? About five hours of blissful platforming and puzzle-solving.

Actually, it isn't the platforming and puzzle-solving in The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince that's blissful. It's the whole package.

On their own, neither of the above-mentioned components are overly impressive. The platforming in this game pales in comparison to that of Celeste, Hollow Knight, or even Super Mario Bros. The same can be said of its puzzle-solving elements and those of that sub-genre's stand-outs.

These shortcomings are easy to excuse when they're combined with The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince's story, characters, and atmosphere, though. In that context, they feel like two important-but-far-from-vital parts of a charmingly interactive fairy tale.

Still not seeing why I consider The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince to be one of my two favorite games of 2019? How about this: I can't stop thinking about it. Even after finishing it twice.

Also, I've spent more time thinking about The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince this year than I've spent thinking about Ghost Trick, Last Window, or Mother 3. If that's not a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is.

Lapis x Labyrinth hasn't had the same long-term impact on my psyche, but it sure affected me while I raced through it this past summer.

That's chiefly because this side-scroller is one of the most visceral--or maybe I should say instinctual--titles I've ever experienced. In fact, once I came to grips with Lapis x Labyrinth's controls and gameplay loop, I made it through the remainder of its frantic, frenetic adventure almost on auto-pilot.

A case in point: after a surprisingly short getting-to-know-you period, whenever "ENCOUNTER!!!" flashed on the screen to alert me of yet another enemy swarm (spoiler: this happens a lot), my fingers basically took over and did what was needed to rid the stage of them.

To be totally honest, I'm not used to feeling so skillful or powerful while playing a game. I usually feel like an oaf--particularly during side-scrolling action titles (a category that aptly describes Lapis x Labyrinth) that require perfect jumps or precise timing.

As such, you might think Lapis x Labyrinth's stressful, stay-on-your-toes action would've worn me out after a while. It didn't. On the contrary, I loved it. So much so that I stuck with it long enough to see its credit roll and put nearly 30 hours into it along the way.

It just hit me that what I've said so far may help you understand why I named Lapis x Labyrinth one of my favorite games of 2019, but it doesn't really help you understand what it's all about or even how it plays.

I'll try to tackle that in an upcoming post. For now, though, hopefully the following description will do the trick. In my mind, Lapis x Labyrinth is one part Etrian Odyssey, one part Muramasa: The Demon Blade, one part Mystery Dungeon "monster house," and one part slot machine.

Actually, I could toss in a couple more games here, like World of Final Fantasy, but I figure that would make things more confusing.

Honestly, it's too bad NIS America didn't put a Lapis x Labyrinth demo on the PlayStation Store, the Switch eShop, or even Steam. Telling people it's an exhilarating, side-scrolling, treasure-collecting dungeon-crawler only goes so far with most folks.

Still, if what I've said here, or what you see here, piques your interest at all, you could do a whole lot worse than take a chance on Lapis x Labyrinth at some point in the new year.

See also: 'Black Bird and Sushi Striker, my favorite games of 2018'

In honor of the 28th anniversary of GameBoy's Japanese release, here are a handful of my all-time favorite GB games

A little birdie (OK, so it was this NeoGAF thread) told me this morning that the Nintendo GameBoy launched in Japan 28 years ago today.

If math isn't your forte, that means the Japanese GameBoy was released all the way back on April 21, 1989.

Given my love for Nintendo's first portable game system (see my "Year of the GameBoy" posts for a taste of how I feel about this handheld), I thought I'd publish a post that discusses some of my favorite GameBoy titles in honor of today's milestone.

Astro Rabby--This choice is sure to raise a few eyebrows, as I know folks who think it's a bit of a turd. Still, I really enjoy playing it--flaws (like its hair-pullingly frustrating bonus levels) and all. Some of that enjoyment is derived from the uniqueness of Astro Rabby's gameplay--which puts you in the paws of a robotic rabbit that hops through space via a top-down, auto-scrolling stages in search of "power-up parts"--I have to say, although I also have to say it's simply a lot fun to soar through this 1990 release's levels while its peppy soundtrack plays in the background. For more on why I like this game so much, read my Astro Rabby review. Also, see my "Year of the GameBoy" post about it for photos of its box, cartridge and instruction manual.

Balloon Kid--By now, it should be clear that I not only love this Balloon Fight follow-up (it's actually known as Balloon Fight GB in Japan), but that I've loved it since it was first released in North America 27 years ago. After all, I recently published a post that explained why Balloon Kid helped shape my taste in video games. It's far from perfect, of course--the scrolling is choppy and there are only eight stages to complete--but it's such a nice change of pace from the typical platforming fodder that fills the GameBoy's library that its imperfections are barely worth mentioning. To learn more about this game's pros and cons, check out my Balloon Kid review.

Bitamina Oukoku Monogatari--True story: not only did I not play this Namco-made RPG back when it first hit store shelves in my neck of the woods (as Great Greed), but I wasn't even aware of its existence at that time. Now that I've played through a good chunk of it (you can read some of my thoughts on the experience in these old posts), I'd actually go so far as to call Bitamina Oukoku Monogatari one of my favorite role-playing games from that era. It's beyond antiquated, and the text in the North American version (I can't comment on the text in the Japanese original) is so stilted and simple it's often difficult to decipher what's being said, but its breezy, one-on-one battles are such a blast and its soundtrack is so blissful that these missteps are easy to overlook.

Burning Paper--How this game has flown under the radar for so long--it first hit Japanese store shelves in early 1993--is beyond me. I guess its pedigree (for lack of a better word) could have something to do with it. A company called Pixel developed Burning Paper, while LOZC G. Amusements published it--and neither had even slightly pinged my radar before I first became aware of this game. Regardless, I think it deserves a spot on every write-up ever published about GameBoy games you need to play thanks to its arcade-y, Patchwork Heroes-esque action and its shimmering background music. Also worth noting: Burning Paper's beautiful packaging.

Donkey Kong--I have to imagine a lot of GameBoy owners passed on buying and playing this title back in the day because they assumed it was just a black-and-white port of Nintendo's classic quarter-muncher of the same name. That describes the cart's first few levels, but after that this portable entry in the Donkey Kong series reveals its true colors as a puzzler-platformer of nearly unrivaled quality. Although I'd of course recommend picking up a physical copy of Donkey Kong for GameBoy (due in part to its pretty packaging) as a result, a digital copy (available via the 3DS eShop) will only set you back $3.99 at the moment, so go that route if you're no longer in the market for actual GB carts.

Osawagase! Penguin Boy--Much like Burning Paper, above, this Natsume-developed title features gameplay that appears to have been inspired by Qix. Don't worry if you find that Taito product to be a bore; Osawagase! Penguin Boy (Amazing Penguin outside of Japan) is a far zippier affair. It's also far cuter, thanks to the beret-wearing penguin that serves as its protagonist. In the end, if you're looking for a GameBoy cartridge that'll entertain you whenever you've got a couple of free minutes, or if you're any kind of Pac-Man or Pengo fan (both of are represented here, along with the aforementioned Qix), you'll want to give Osawagase! Penguin Boy a try as soon as you're able.

Painter Momopie--Speaking of Pac-Man, this Sigma Entertainment effort easily could be described as a clone of that world-conquering Namco classic. In fact, I did just that in a recent post about my five favorite Pac-Man clones. Painter Momopie sets itself apart from everybody's favorite dot-chomper, however, by basically inverting its predecessor's gameplay (your goal is to fill each screen--with paint--rather than empty them) and by being set in what looks to be a witch's home or academy. (Do you know Japanese? You'd help me immensely if you checked out the first page of the Painter Momopie instruction manual and then educated me on its backstory.) Curious to learn more about this Japan-only release from 1990? Read my Painter Momopie review. Also, ogle the game's packaging here.

Pitman--This may well be the best game Asmik ever developed or published. Even more impressive: Pitman (Catrap in the West) is one of the best, most interesting titles released for the GameBoy during the system's 14-year reign. If you've never played it, it's an action-puzzler that sports adorable graphics and animation as well as brain-busting gameplay. Bonus: Pitman's box, cartridge and instruction manual are every bit as precious as its in-game visuals.

Shippo de Bun--The good news about Shippo de Bun, which was called Tail 'Gator when it was released in North America: it's yet another top-shelf GameBoy title that is unlike pretty much every other game made for Nintendo's first handheld. The bad news: even loose cartridges go for a pretty penny these days. (Don't even think about buying a complete-in-box copy unless you're a serious collector or you're willing to part with a good amount of money.) So, your best bet, should you want to become acquainted with the single-screen platformer-esque action of Tail 'Gator or Shippo de Bun, is to play it using an emulator. I know that won't be the most appealing option for many of you, but I'd recommend it anyway given the compelling nature of this Natsume GB cart.

Do you have any favorite GameBoy games (Japanese or otherwise)? If so, share your thoughts about them in the comments section of this post.

See also: 'Some of my favorite SNES games in honor of the system's 25th anniversary' and 'Seven ways you can celebrate the 27th anniversary of the PC Engine's release'