My Top 11 Games of 2023

Hello and welcome to the list of my favorite video games I completed in 2023. I played a lot of games this year, and now is the fun time to look back and rank all of them. 2023 was overall a good year for games. For most it was an incredible year, but for me it was.....fine. I must admit, I wouldn't put any game I played this year above my 3 favorite games I played last year (Outer Wilds, Triangle Strategy, and Origami King), so I can't help but feel a little disappointed overall. Nonetheless, it was a fun year with lots of great games to talk about, so without further ado, here are my 11 favorite games of 2023.

An Ambitious Sequel - Pikmin 2 - A Pikmin Retrospective

Hello and welcome to part 2 of my Pikmin retrospective! In this segment I will dive into the second game in the series: Pikmin 2. While the first game wasn't a massive sales hit like Mario or Pokemon, it was still an overall success, such that development on a sequel was quick and welcome. Three years after the first game captivated many players, Pikmin 2 was released on the Nintendo Gamecube in 2004. It established the series as one of Nintendo's main franchises, and the two games would go on to be some of the most beloved on the system.

So how was Pikmin 2? How did it improve on the mechanics of the first game, if at all? How did it change what the first game was known for? Well, let's dive in.

A New Adventure - Pikmin 1 - A Pikmin Retrospective

Pikmin has been one of my favorite video game series since I first played the games around 20 years ago. They hold a special place in my heart. So, to celebrate the long awaited release of the fourth game in the series: Pikmin 4, I thought it would be fun to go back and analyze the first three games. After all, Pikmin 4 will be releasing around 10 years after Pikmin 3, which released around 9 years after Pikmin 2. It is rare for us Pikmin fans to get a sequel, so I'd like to make it as special as possible. I went ahead and replayed the first 3 games, and have just finished Pikmin 4. So what better time to look back and reflect then now, here is Part 1 of my retrospective of the Pikmin series.

How Return to Dreamland Deluxe Reignited my Love of Kirby

Ah Kirby, a franchise that was a favorite of mine growing up. When I was young, I completed every Kirby game I could get my hands on, and considered myself a big Kirby fan.

But then, something happened: I changed. My enjoyment of the Kirby games shrunk over time, and before I knew it I was uninterested in new Kirby games, considering myself done with the series.

Yet, this past month I decided to play Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. So much was it that I've begun to reconsider my stance on the Kirby series, wondering if in fact I may still be able to enjoy these games, and return to being the Kirby fan I once was.

So, how did this happen? In this post I'll be detailing my experiences with the Kirby series, and why Return to Dreamland was so special in bringing me back to Dreamland.

A Polished yet Familiar Sequel - Octopath Traveler 2 Review

Ah Octopath Traveler, what a fascinating game. Of all the video games reviews I've written, I don't think there's one I've thought about as much. Say what you will about that game: its flaws were many, but it was one of the most unique and interesting games I've played.

So of course when its sequel released, I had such an interesting experience with it that, just like the first, I had to put the many thoughts I had down to paper, and I couldn't help but want to write a sequel review.

So let's talk about Octopath Traveler 2, and the highs and lows it took me on. Let's dive into this utterly fascinating JRPG and the unforgettable experience I had with it.

My Top 19 Anime of 2022

I decided to start doing a list of my favorite games each year for 2022, so why not do the same for anime? After all, looking back, I watched 12 anime series to completion, and 7 anime movies in 2022. So once again, I will reflect and give a brief blurb on each anime I watched in 2022.

My Top 10 Games of 2022

Greetings! I thought this would be a fun thing to do, and I might get in the habit of doing it every year. With 2022 coming to a close it is a time to reflect, look back, and remember the experiences we've had this year. So what better way to do it then by ranking every video game I've played in 2022, from my least favorite to favorite!