2023 was a year of great games, seeing plenty of gaming platforms find their audience. These alternate off-the-ramp avenues were my sanctuary, as I picked up 2023 releases for the Atari 2600 and enjoyed the schedule of cartridge releases for the Evercade. Maybe in 2024, I can talk Azario into having Atari 2600 reviews on Noisy Pixel.
5. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince
I think this game will see better days once the major patch takes effect, but despite current performance issues, I felt this was a much better Pokémon game than most Pokémon games released in the last five years or so. Dragon Quest Monsters has a relaxing gameplay loop and has been a fun game to have with me on the go during the holiday season.
4. Wanted: Dead
I enjoyed the offbeat presentation of Wanted: Dead, a flawed action-adventure game that will steadily build a cult following over the years. More than the absolute bonkers combat, the downtime segments are where the experience shines the most. Arcade games, karaoke, ramen, and great music make it good to slow down and have a little fun.
3. Sonic Superstars
I don’t think an open-world Sonic is a future I’ll be sticking around for, so classic homages like Sonic Superstars satisfy my needs just fine. It’s not an amazing game by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s simple, wholesome 2D Sonic gameplay. If only they put a little more thought into the stage and boss design.
2. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Mario does what Sonic simply cannot. Wonder quite literally reintroduced 2D Mario with the same awe and wonder as it was in the 1980s. From the powerups to the charming attention to detail, Mario has never felt more familiar, and yet totally new, at the same time.
1. Street Fighter 6
It’s clear that Street Fighter 6 will carry the franchise and the fighting genre throughout this generation, allowing games like Guilty Gear and Mortal Kombat to ride on its coattails. It also sets the stage for the much-anticipated release of Tekken 8, so the next generation of fighters is looking to thrive and succeed.
