My Top Ten Favorite Games Of 2023

With another year behind us and my last unfinished top ten contender complete, I’m finally ready to share my top ten favorite games of 2023 blog! I played a ton of awesome games this year so the competition was fierce. I’ve also been reordering my list all year as all ten games here and my runner ups all spoke to me in different ways and figuring out where they all ultimately fit, especially with distance, proved very tricky. I have a ton to cover so let’s get right into it with my honorable mentions.

This year I actually have six(!) honorable mentions which is much more than usual. For my top ten GOTY blogs, I always pick games that first released in the current year so graphical remakes, remasters, and rereleases aren’t eligible to be included. That said, I have to give a shoutout in my honorable mentions this year to four of them: Super Mario RPG, Advance Wars 1 + 2 Re-Boot Camp, Metroid Prime Remastered, and Trails To Azure. These four games are all some of my favorite games of all time and had awesome upgrades and additions included such as the battle system remix and new post game super bosses in Mario RPG and the new online versus mode in Advance Wars that made them feel extra special. My fifth honorable mention is for Master Detective Archives Rain Code which is the latest game made by Kazutaka Kodaka the creator of Danganronpa. It’s a wild, messy adventure, but it all comes together for a spectacular finale spread across the last two chapters. I’m really looking forward to seeing how they build upon it in the sequel!

My sixth honorable mention was my most welcome surprise of the year, the Arc 2 fan translation of my all-time favorite mobile game Magia Record which infamously shut down in English back in October of 2020 right after teasing Arc 2! This fan translation has been running for a few years now, but I only just discovered it after checking the Magia Record wiki following the release of the exciting first trailer for the fourth Madoka movie back in September which reignited my love for my favorite anime series. While you can actually play the game again if you are willing to jump through some hoops, I was content with watching the translated cutscenes on Youtube which is about as close to ideal as possible. The fan translation is in progress, but you can watch roughly half of Arc 2 without issue which amounts to 30 hours of fully voiced cutscenes in the Main Story and a few hours of additional unvoiced cutscenes in the Another Story campaign. While you obviously lose out on getting to enjoy the combat, big duels, and monsters, the way this was done where the fan translation group injects text into the game and preserves some of the fun localization quirks like Alina speaking Italian makes it feel like the game never left. Of course, all of this wouldn’t matter if the story didn’t live up to Arc 1, but it absolutely does. I was really impressed how smartly it picked and built off some of the most interesting threads from Arc 1 to create an exciting character focused set up. All of the main characters I loved from the first Arc like Iroha and Tsuruno wonderfully return and some of the side characters like Karin, Ryo, and Ikumi, are elevated as well to stand alongside them. At the same time, Arc 2 introduces four main new factions: Promised Blood (my favorite!), The Tokime Tribe, the Neo-Magius, and one other initially shrouded in mystery. All of the groups are filled with entirely new characters all eager to clash with the original characters and each other. With a massive cast to juggle, the story could easily fall apart, but at least for the first half of Arc 2 it somehow manages to make all of the characters and plot elements gel amazingly well together and it’s only getting more interesting and dramatic as it goes. My favorite chapter so far was definitely chapter 6 which had immense payoffs for Felicia’s story in particular among other dramatic showdowns and revelations. I can’t wait to continue the story whenever Another Story Chapter 6 drops!

Ok with my honorable mentions done, let’s move on to my top ten favorite games of 2023!

10: Octopath Traveler II (Switch, also on PS4/5 and PC)

My blog was delayed as long as it was because I just had to finish Octopath Traveler II before settling on my final ten games which I did after 83.5 hours. Octopath Traveler II shares a similar structure to the original game where eight characters are largely traveling their own journeys, but are brought together for turn based combat with a job system that evokes Final Fantasy V. As you level up and advance through the individual stories it becomes safer to venture farther and farther out into the world to discover new towns and optional dungeons. Like the first game, the basic flow of combat is to build and spend BP to power up your actions and break enemy shields to deal massive damage. Your understanding of the job system, which lets you take on sub-jobs and mix and match learned skills, allows you to come up with devastating combos to conquer the most dangerous enemies with ease. The familiar elements and structure definitely impacted my enjoyment as well as the pressure I felt to finish it quickly, but the core gameplay is rock solid and fun and the new additions and refinements really elevated the experience over the original. Chief among the improvements is that the new characters all rock! I really liked all eight of the characters this time and was invested in seeing their stories through whether that was Hikari’s journey to take back his kingdom from his violent, usurper brother or Castii’s journey to rediscover her lost memories and create a cure for a deadly plague. My favorite of the group is definitely the merchant, Partitio, who has a huge heart and infectious energy (I especially love his “Yeehaw!” line in combat lol.) The new map is another big improvement as it is less video game-y in layout which makes exploration significantly more interesting and I appreciate there’s a wonderful surprise to discover inside it halfway through the journey. Finally, while it is unfortunately only at the end and fairly short, Octopath Traveler II actually gives you a team up adventure with all eight characters interacting at once this time. This dramatic end to your journey, complete with a wild final boss, makes for a memorable end to your adventure.

9: Final Fantasy XVI (PS5)

It’s been quite a long time since the first 100% new mainline Final Fantasy game was presented to us and XVI was largely worth the wait. The game starts off confidently with a violent prologue, but does unfortunately lose a lot of steam in the main narrative when the focus shifts roughly two thirds of the way in from the more grounded human drama to the inhuman villain who is a charisma void. But even though the story doesn’t quite stick the landing, there is a ton to love about XVI. The main characters, including the protagonist, Clive, as well as Cid and Jill, and the awesome Hideaway characters like Gav, Charon, and Blackthorne, make for some of my all time favorite Final Fantasy characters. The voice acting that brings these characters to life is exceptional too and really elevates the story including some of the more shaky narrative moments. I did largely enjoy the action combat system for the majority of my playtime, but I did find it came up short of hitting the level of depth I wanted from it. Far and away the biggest triumph of XVI are the epic Eikon battles. These fights between colossal beasts channel incredibly rad Asura’s Wrath-like energy with the big hits and explosive moments driven by being as awesome and entertaining as possible. When I think of my favorite moments in games this year, the Titan and Bahamut fights in particular are near the top of my list. Finally, I do want to give a shout out to the amazing soundtrack throughout. I’ve never played Final Fantasy XIV (not for lack of trying), but I’ve always heard how revered Masayoshi Soken’s soundtrack was for XIV. The soundtrack he put together here is phenomenal and especially elevates the most exciting moments of XVI. In particular, I adore Find The Flame, No Risk No Reward, To Sail Forbidden Seas, Our Terms, Ascension, and Away.

8: Spider-Man 2 (PS5)

I knew my love for Spider-Man 2 was going to be dampened by Venom and while it ultimately was, I still had an awesome time with the third Insomniac Spider-Man game. Both Peter and Miles are immensely lovable characters and getting to spend more time with them and the extended cast, especially on Miles’ side, was very welcome. I also largely really enjoyed Harry Osborne who essentially appears in person for the first time in the Insomniac games. While I just don’t vibe with Venom, Peter’s relationship with Harry drove much of the story and had some excellent moments attached to them both in the present and in flashbacks. Both the amazing set pieces in Spider-Man 2, like chasing Lizard up the side of a skyscraper, and the heartfelt quiet scenes, like spending time with a lost old man in a park, are equally amazing. As I was playing, I was regularly blown away by the spectacular graphics the game boasts. There’s a mission in particular where you chase after Peter as Miles when the Black Suit has taken over and I couldn’t believe what I was experiencing as I was battling villains in torrential rain with the New York skyline brilliantly rendered in the background and it was all running flawlessly. Beyond the story and presentation, the gameplay itself somehow feels even better than ever. Swinging through the city is an absolute blast, I love the stealth gameplay where you pick off enemy camps one enemy at a time, and when it switches to beating up hordes of villains it feels immensely satisfying thanks to the new abilities for both Peter and Miles. I can’t wait for more Insomniac Spider-Man after having such a great time with Spider-Man 2. Some of the plot threads this game leaves off on, both in the main story and in some of the very cool side quests, are very compelling and I’m so excited to reconnect with them and the characters in the DLC and games to come.

7: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Future Redeemed (Switch)

My 2022 GOTY was Xenoblade 3 so I was really looking forward to its DLC expansion Future Redeemed and it 100% delivered. While Future Redeemed is a prequel to Xenoblade 3, it really serves as the big conclusion to the trilogy as it brings back Shulk, Alvis, and Rex for one last adventure who team up with new characters Matthew, Nikol, and Glimmer. The main character, Matthew, is a lovable goof and I was especially pleased he has the Martial Artist class from Xenoblade 3 as the basis for his moveset since that was my favorite class in the base game. The combat remains a blast in Future Redeemed and while not much of a game changer, the new team up attacks are very cool. What stands out most for Future Redeemed on the gameplay front is exploring the new Cent-Omnia region that sits in the center of Aionios. This massive map has many secrets and hidden paths to both find and create yourself and the exploration music attached to its various zones is more in line with Xenoblade 1 and 2 which is a huge treat (the new battle theme incidentally rules!). Like the base game, there’s a very light Metroidvania element as you learn how to craft new devices that open up new routes throughout the world. I really dig the new progression system in Future Redeemed as nearly everything you do feeds into leveling up your characters and most excitingly there are major upgrades to find by exploring. While I don’t want to get too much into the details for people who haven’t played it yet, the approach to the big town at the center of the map was awesome as a huge fan of the series and the final ending of the adventure was absolutely wild and over the top. While the Xenoblade trilogy is now truly over, I’m so excited for what the future of the Xeno series might hold. As for Future Redeemed itself, my only real complaint is that it ended because I was so down to keep on adventuring which is an excellent place to be.

6: Like A Dragon Gaiden The Man Who Erased His Name (PS5, also on PS4 and Xbox One/SX)

When Yakuza 6 first came out, I hadn’t finished all of the Yakuza games up to that point so Kazuma Kiryu’s, at the time, big farewell adventure didn’t quite have the impact it was supposed to have for me. Like A Dragon Gaiden is obviously not Kiryu’s final adventure as he is set to be one of the two main protagonists for Like A Dragon 8, but even so Gaiden is set up like yet another farewell to Kiryu, as it sends him on one more solo adventure that both reminds us of his “greatest hits” in a way with a return to brawler combat, the return of Pocket Circuit, etc. while introducing new characters for him to befriend and/or clash against. The story begins with Kiryu being forced to work in secret for the Daidoji group. He is essentially dead to the world at large to protect their secrets so the group will not threaten his family. As part of the story, Kiryu now has access to an additional fighting style that incorporates more precise hits as well as secret agent gadgets like a Spider-Man-like whip, drones, and jet boots. These new abilities complement his classic moveset very well and give even more energy to the finest brawler combat in the series. One of the major side activities in Gaiden is an extensive arena mode which is so exciting to take on in large part because the combat is such a blast this time. Beyond combat there is of course a generous array of side activities including substories and minigames. In particular, I really latched onto Pocket Circuit racing since I actually never really played it in prior games it had appeared. While it is somewhat rigid, I had fun upgrading my car to take on the increasingly elaborate courses and increasingly difficult competitors. What ultimately elevates Gaiden for me is absolutely Kiryu and the story. There are so many fantastic scenes with Kiryu right at the heart of them including an extended sequence where he parties across town, his many encounters with the two major villains that end in awesome fist fights, and the emotional ending that works as well as it does by carrying the full weight of the series behind it and because of an absolutely stellar performance by Kiryu’s Japanese voice actor. As I’m writing this blog, I’m barely a few days away from Kiryu’s next adventure which seems to be absolutely massive in comparison, and yet the story here is just so fantastic, exciting, and impactful that I think Gaiden is going to stick with me for a long time.

5: Tevi (Switch, also on PC)

Tevi is the follow up game to Rabi-Ribi which was an indie bullet hell Metroidvania game that was generally really awesome, but it had major problems with some poor, embarrassing character designs and too much fanservice that made it not the easy, strong recommendation it should have been. All Tevi needed to do then was to tone down the fanservice elements which thankfully it does. What’s cool about Tevi though, is that it is an even better Metroidvania than Rabi-Ribi by somehow being even grander than that already massive game and because it evolved its combat into an almost 2D Devil May Cry-like experience while still keeping the bullet hell flavoring of Rabi-Ribi for extra spice. The story of the game makes a bad first impression with some tired anime jokes and cliches, but after a few hours those elements largely disappear and I came to enjoy the main characters, especially Tevi herself and her friend Sable, and was invested in where the story was heading. While the story does a good job guiding you through the world, I was really impressed with how huge the maps are and how unrestricted you generally are in exploration. While I had a sense based off the completion percentage of how big the game was exactly, I was always impressed running into new zone after new zone, most of which do not reuse themes between them.

In addition to the standard permanent stat boosts and ability upgrades to find, scattered around Tevi’s world are a ton of badges to sometimes discover and to sometimes purchase. The badge system resembles Paper Mario’s at first glance, but you ultimately can equip far more badges in Tevi than you ever could in Paper Mario as your limit continues to increase over the game. This means most badges aren’t terribly dramatic, but through them and the new crafting system you can really shape Tevi’s abilities in a way that feels unique to you which is very cool. The normal movement feels expertly fine-tuned for both exploration and combat and it remains engaging through the full adventure. The same goes for Tevi’s moveset in combat which increases in options and complexity as you level up. My favorite part of Tevi is definitely the boss fights that really put your skills to the test. One on one duels return in Tevi and are better than ever, but I was most glad to see giant boss monsters for added variety. As the game goes on, most boss fights have multiple phases and due to the exciting Devil May Cry-like action and the demands of the bullet hell patterns, these fights become very intense and spectacular. I especially adored the final boss fights which I couldn’t believe I conquered on my first try. As I was out of healing items and my health bar was flashing as I entered the final phase, the final boss began just spewing bullets everywhere and the screen literally started tilting left and right to emphasize the chaos and yet somehow I still managed to pull through. It was an unforgettable ending to an amazing adventure.

4: Pikmin 4 (Switch)

It’s been a decade since Pikmin 3 and while I will be forever disappointed the awesome co-op modes from prior games did not return and also due to how frustrating some of the simplified controls can be in practice, Pikmin 4 offers the best and most substantial campaign in the series which is wonderful. For the main game, Pikmin 4 does not feature a day limit to complete your tasks so you can tackle levels at your own pace which I personally prefer even as I enjoy working efficiently. Exploring each of the levels is immensely fun as you build up your army, slay monsters, create shortcuts, find treasure, and discover and conquer Dandori challenges and caves, the latter of which gloriously return from Pikmin 2. Pikmin 4’s main levels are especially amazing including the first ever beach level (complete with a sand castle you explore and a tide that recedes halfway through the day) and the first ever indoor house level for the series. The treacherous final level is another standout, as it is filled with poisonous mushrooms and terrifying creatures not to mention some of the most dangerous challenges including the fantastic final boss. The Dandori challenges and caves are my favorite part of Pikmin 4. I adored the challenge modes in prior games, so the Dandori Challenges in particular that give you a limited amount of time to collect everything and kill every monster are immensely appealing and satisfying to perfect. While one of them is a dud, the ten extra hard challenges in particular represent the peak of the game for me as it becomes such a fascinating, puzzling, and skillful challenge to keep all of your Pikmin working as efficiently as possible. Caves don’t offer the same rush element, but I appreciate all of them feel like proper challenges since they are all hand crafted this time.

While the levels, challenges, and caves are the heart of the game, there’s a lot of fun elements beyond that which really make Pikmin 4 uniquely exciting and extra special. I haven’t mentioned Oatchi yet for example, who is a constant, lovable companion throughout Pikmin 4 and is essentially both an extra captain and a hero unit who can substantially change the tide of battle and very efficiently complete tasks. Ice Pikmin and Glow Pikmin are both awesome additions to the normal Pikmin types and both have distinct, useful purposes. On the opposite end there are fun, new enemies to face off against including terrifying, tall, blue, bipedal crabs and a disco ball robot spider. Finally, there are some fun new modes as well that mix up the standard gameplay in interesting ways. Night missions for example are essentially defense missions against hordes of enemies while the unlockable Olimar campaign evokes Pikmin 1 with a tight-ish time limit (it’s a bit nicer than it first appears). All of these elements and more make Pikmin 4 my favorite campaign in the series and make it an absolute blast to play. I’m looking forward to one day experiencing it all over again.

3: Super Mario Bros Wonder (Switch)

Super Mario Bros Wonder is an absolute delight from start to finish and was my favorite game last year on a gameplay level. While I adored the New Super Mario Bros. series, with my favorites New Super Wii and New Super U eclipsing even the revered classics, I was ready for a new take on 2D Mario. While Wonder resembles the new Super games at a core level, in other ways it is a fresh take on the series with new power ups (Elephant Mario and Bubble Mario are my favorites), new enemies, a lovely new graphical art style, and plenty of new mechanics. The structure of each normal level is a radical rethinking of 2D Mario games as roughly halfway through the focus shifts dramatically when you grab a Wonder Seed. Suddenly an onrush of new enemies may appear, Mario might transform into wacky new forms, the stage might turn into an auto scroller or shift to advancing vertically upward, and even sometimes the enemies break out into song. Reacting on the fly to the new challenges and unexpected surprises the Wonder Seeds present is great fun and I both appreciate and am astounded by how while you can roughly boil it down like I just did, ideas aren’t really reused much at all in the main campaign across so many levels. Zooming out a bit, I appreciate the flow of challenges in Wonder as there is an extra hard level tucked inside each world and there are short mini challenges, called Break Time levels, to break up the normal levels. Overall, Mario Wonder feels like the 3D Mario team made a 2D game with all of the constant creativity present, which as a much bigger fan of the 3D games, I couldn’t be more pleased. One tradition of the 3D Mario games in particular I was very happy to see finally represented here is that Mario Wonder ends on an extra, super difficult final challenge if you manage to complete everything else. This final challenge is an incredible send off and I’m still thinking about just how cool it, and the game as a whole is, months later. I hope we won’t have to wait too long for a follow up to Wonder, because I’m so excited to see what the 2D Mario team will make next.

2: Alan Wake II (PS5, also on Xbox Series SX and PC)

I did not think when I first played Alan Wake back in 2010 it would take 13 years for the sequel to release, but I am super happy this is the one we actually got because Alan Wake II is a triumphant sequel that captivated me from start to finish and completely blew me away. The story for Alan Wake II is split between two characters. The first is Saga Anderson, an FBI agent called in to investigate disturbing murders in Bright Falls, (the setting of the first game) and the second of course is Alan Wake who remains trapped in the mysterious and ever shifting Dark Place. A significant amount of time has passed between when Alan first arrived in Bright Falls and Alan Wake II which is great because many of the original characters are still around, like the rockstars of The Old Gods of Asgard and the radio host Pat Maine, and plenty of quirky new characters have come into prominence like the Koskela Brothers who run a coffee themed amusement park named Coffee World. Like Remedy’s prior game, Control, Alan Wake II leans ever harder into mixing gameplay, music, and live action cutscenes. I don’t want to go into details, but the section of the game where The Old Gods of Asgard’s song Herald of Darkness plays is awesome, lovably goofy, and incredibly creative. It is my favorite sequence in games this year by far. While Herald of Darkness is the absolute standout sequence, there are so many fun things to discover in Alan Wake II whether that is the goofy live action Koskela ads, fun crossovers in Remedy’s shared universe, and amusing encounters with NPCs. Circling back to the music, the vocal songs in Alan Wake II are tremendous and add so much to the experience, whether they are driving gameplay sequences, capping off chapters and speaking to the greater themes in play, or are simply wonderful surprises to find hidden in the world.

While the story and presentation elements really steal the show for Alan Wake II, the gameplay is great fun as well as it shifts the genre from action (which I do still prefer) to survival horror. While you can definitely accumulate a great horde of resources, especially as you become better at the game and you upgrade your inventory space, ammo can still become quite tight and since health doesn’t regenerate fully by itself there’s a degree of tension as you move between the safe areas bathed in light. Knowing when to engage in combat and when to run away and regroup becomes crucial to stay one step ahead of the groups of Taken that can harass you. While the dodge roll feels too tough to execute for how limited it feels, the actual gunplay feels very satisfying with your weapons having an extra satisfying pop and blowback to them. While I didn’t play these games myself growing up, I watched my brother play a handful of old PS1 era survival horror games and I really like how Alan Wake II sort of taps into the energy of those classics. This is most apparent in my favorite area of the game, Coffee World, which has narrow passage ways and puzzles to solve that involve carrying key items and information back and forth and just has great spooky vibes throughout. I hadn’t mentioned it yet, but some of these levels are just so menacingly brought to life with the stellar graphics that make you feel uncomfortable even if you are carrying a lot of powerful tools, healing items, and weapons. I do want to mention too, Alan’s gameplay in the Dark Place operates quite a bit differently than Saga’s as you’ll often shift the world around to solve puzzles and open new paths. It’s fairly simple in execution and yet it feels so cool and satisfying to play through.

I’m again really glad we got such a fantastic sequel with Alan Wake II. I’m looking forward to seeing what the DLC will bring and even if it takes a while for Alan Wake III, I’m glad Remedy is moving fully ahead bringing more amazing and truly distinct games to life. Alan Wake II is a very special game that I’ll treasure for years to come.

1: The Legend of Heroes Trails Into Reverie (PS5 and Switch, also on PS4 and PC)

Trails Into Reverie is the 10th game in the long running series and serves as a final farewell to three different sets of characters from the past three arcs and serves to set up and tease the future of the series as it looks Eastward towards the country of Calvard. Trails of Cold Steel IV promised something similar by bringing characters across arcs together, but was undermined by a plot that didn’t play to the series strengths as too many things were explained with “the magical curse did that” versus more grounded explanations. In Trails Into Reverie, despite the even larger cast thanks to even more returning characters and a fun set of new ones, it manages somehow to send off everyone properly and give them each their chance to shine thanks to sharper and more thoughtful writing across the board. In so many scenes, the writing cuts to the emotional heart of the matter and shows how much the characters have grown because of their journeys which is just so satisfying to experience. I also appreciate you do not just get the three main campaigns here, but also a good number of short stories called Daydreams. These Daydreams work on many levels as they serve to give specific characters the spotlight, have a varied range of genres, tone, and plots, and often fill in fun backstory the main story just doesn’t have the time for. All of this of course matters because I generally love the main playable characters at the heart of Trails (Estelle, Joshua, Lloyd, Rean, Altina, etc.) down to some of the most obscure NPCs some of which I was both surprised and thrilled to see return. While the characters are what I fondly think about most from Reverie, the actual plot was great fun and kept me guessing for a while about the big developments and how it would all come together. I also felt it was very successful in getting me excited for the future of the series in Calvard especially with the final Daydreams that occurred mostly as a sparse visual novel.

While the characters and story are undoubtedly the main attraction, Trails Into Reverie is also a fantastic JRPG to play due to the classic turn based combat system even more frequently operating at its peak and due to a generous array of great minigames. Trails Into Reverie has a different approach from the rest of the Trails games by having three main characters whose stories and parties you bounce between as well as a randomly generated dungeon called the True Reverie Corridor that also houses the Daydreams and minigames. While the main game operates like a more focused Trails experience as side quests don’t really exist (there are still missables), it’s in the True Reverie Corridor in particular that Reverie’s combat system really shines. Every time you enter the True Reverie Corridor and reset it, you’ll get a fresh array of challenges to tackle that often encourage you to mix up your party members since meaningful rewards are tied to completing them. Having to mix up your party pairs well with the high concentration of bosses and elite monsters in the True Reverie Corridor because the combat system shines best when you are forced to put it to the test and have to regularly come up with new ways to come out on top. Having fresh parties and frequent tough challenges thus only further encourages that. I was impressed with the general difficulty curve here as well as somehow another new battle mechanic is introduced called United Fronts which give you access to very powerful attacks and healing and somehow the game’s difficulty holds up well with yet another powerful tool in your arsenal. All in all, I’ve always enjoyed Trails combat all the way back to the original Sky FC and while the appeal of the series’ combat has shifted in different ways since, Trails Into Reverie I’d consider one of the strongest entries as it kept me engaged virtually the whole way through the adventure. As for the minigames, there really is an impressive amount on offer here including a new magical girl themed rail shooter complete with story scenes attached, the return of the card game Vantage Masters which absolutely rules, the return of the Puyo Puyo inspired Pom Pom Party, and so much more. All of these minigames offered great, fun diversions from the main game and helped contribute to Trails Into Reverie feeling extra substantial.

In totality, what Trails Into Reverie ultimately does is very special. It somehow meaningfully builds off the prior 900-1,000 some hours of directly connected JRPG storytelling and gameplay proceeding it to create something that wonderfully pays tribute to everything that came prior, it successfully and excitingly establishes where the series is going, and it also operates in the moment as a fantastic JRPG that is so satisfying and enjoyable to play through. Trails Into Reverie is both an incredible achievement then and an awesome game. It is my 2023 Game of the Year.

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Thank you for reading my latest blog! I hope you enjoyed it! I’m always curious what you think so be sure to reach out to me and let me know. I’m curious what your favorite games this year were too! You can find me mostly on Blue Sky these days @justinmikos.bsky.social , but I am still on Twitter as well @JustinMikos. 

This is the end of the main portion of my blog, but as in prior years just below I will share the list of the games I finished last year divided into 2023 games and older games. Octopath Traveler II I finished in 2024 so it is unlisted below. Until next time!

2023 Games I Beat (30)

Forspoken (Platinum)
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
Metroid Prime Remastered (100%)
Kirby’s Return To Dreamland Deluxe
Magolor Epilogue (100%)
Trails To Azure Switch
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
Like A Dragon: Ishin!
Advance Wars (Reboot Camp)
Xenoblade 3 Future Redeemed
Advance Wars 2 (Replay via Reboot Camp)
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
We Love Katamari Reroll
Final Fantasy XVI
Trails Into Reverie
Pikmin 4 (100%)
This Way Madness Lies
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails
Super Mario Bros Wonder (100%)
Spider-Man 2 (Platinum)
Alan Wake II (Platinum)
WarioWare Move It!
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Waves 4-6
Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (Platinum)
Yohane the Parhelion: Blaze In The Deepblue
Super Mario RPG Switch
F-Zero 99
Pokemon Violet The Teal Mask
Tevi

Old Games I Beat In 2023 (30)

Mario Super Picross (100%)
Samurai Maiden
Breath of Fire
Breath of Fire II
Earthbound Beginnings
Earthbound
Donkey Kong NES + Arcade
Fire Emblem GBA
Fire Emblem The Sacred Stones
Katamari Damacy Reroll
Golden Sun
Golden Sun The Lost Age
F-Zero GP Legend
Zero Wing
Earth Defense Force 5
Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga (Replay)
Mario Golf
The Mysterious Murasame Castle
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (Replay)
Motor Raid (Replay)
Fighting Vipers 2
Donkey Kong 64 (101%)
Wario World (100% Replay)
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II (Replay)
Mario Golf Toadstool Tour (Replay)
F-Zero GX (Replay)
Kirby’s Air Ride (Replay)
The Legend of Zelda Four Swords Adventures (Replay)
Ducktales Remastered
Tales of Symphonia (GameCube Replay)