[Editor’s Note: Authors were told to approach their game of the year lists however they wanted, including listing their favorite games they personally played this year regardless of release year.]
“Why Did It Take Me Until 2023 For This” Winner: Earthbound
Seriously, I want to shake past-me by the shoulders for taking so long to play Earthbound. It’s been on my radar for well over a decade and rose in priority when I started getting into Undertale a couple of years ago, but it wasn’t until this summer that I finally went, “I have access to it via Nintendo Switch Online, I should play it.” I had some idea of what I was getting into – the quirky humor, the wacky NPCs, the Starmen – but when I got to the end of the game…oof. I don’t remember any other game catching me off-guard in ways that left my heart as full as Earthbound, and I’m so glad I finally played it.
“Why Did It Take Me Until 2023 For This” Runner-Up: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
I do know why it took me until 2023 to buy Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – because it was only this year that I found it on Facebook Marketplace for way cheaper than the $60 it still is in stores. SSB is a tradition with my non-blood family but has always been too expensive for us to afford, so I was stoked to finally get a copy for myself. Of course, they made the decision to have Kirby be the only survivor in the beginning of story mode – as a lifelong Kirby main, it wasn’t until after I beat the story mode 100% that I even considered switching to another character. But my journey was really complete when I finally got Rufus Shinra and the Turks as supports.
“Wait, What?” Winner: Powerwash Simulator
It’s not that I’m surprised I enjoyed Powerwash Simulator after I got over my real-world experience working for a company that manufactures pressure washer pumps and stopped stressing out about not knowing if I was using an extension cord with my in-game power washer (in the real world: don’t do that). It’s the fact that it has such a great story and that it tells its story so brilliantly. I was already hanging onto every text message that popped up during jobs, and when I reached THAT job, I had to stop and set the game down for a few minutes to process what had just happened. It’s still my number one go-to game when I’m watching TV and need to do something at the same time, since I’m still working my way through the bonus jobs, but honestly, I think that even when I’m done with them, I’ll come back and redo the free DLCs. The extra lore tidbits dropped by the Final Fantasy VII characters are too tantalizing to ignore.
“No Rush” Winner: House Flipper
I’m nowhere near done with House Flipper. Definitely not because I spent a bunch of time making an Excel spreadsheet of what all of the different buyers’ preferences are to try to sell a house to each of them before I make it through all of the houses and don’t often play it without that spreadsheet in front of me. Not at all. It’s because I usually forget to play it unless if I’m burnt out on other games. But there’s something wonderful about having a garbage day, getting home, turning on my Switch, and demolishing walls. And it doesn’t have any negative offline consequences like demolishing walls in real life would. It’s a win-win.
“The Gamemakers Are Fans, Too” Winner: Sonic Frontiers
I don’t think there was a single conversation between characters in Sonic Frontiers that didn’t make me feel. Giddy because of references to the franchise’s history, nostalgic for specific moments in the characters’ pasts, bittersweet as they and I alike looked ahead to what might be coming next. And as someone who’s read and written plenty of alternate universe fanfiction for a variety of fandoms, I love to see SEGA embrace the idea of spinning off from a particular moment to tell another story. (Plus as a broke grad student, I love to see SEGA releasing all of the DLC free.)
“The Gamemakers Are Fans, Too” Runner-Up: Pokémon Legends: Arceus
On top of being a well-made, gorgeous game, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is one of those games that makes me happy as a fan no matter what happens in the story. Several Pokémon from the Johto region finally got their dues with evolutions, and every time I recognize an ancestor of a character I know from the Sinnoh region, I’m hit with a burst of nostalgia that sparks so much joy. Even more than that, I love that ancestors aren’t just clones of the characters we already know, but have their own personalities and attitudes. I’m not super far into this game yet – it took me some time to come back to it after my ex and I broke up – but I’m excited to keep playing, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a new Legends game in the next couple of years.
“Here’s One for the Lore Nerds” Winner: Pokémon Scarlet/Violet DLC
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Pokémon generation 9 games have the best storytelling of any game in the franchise, and the DLC continued that. The lore around Kitakami is excellent, and I remained invested nonstop from the release of part 1 all the way through the epilogue release. I didn’t think I would love another character in these games as much as I loved Arven, but then Kieran showed up and proved that the only thing better than one “soft boi who has the worst luck but deserves the world” is two of them. I’m also thrilled that the Blueberry Academy sections went with double battles and competitive strats, forcing me to actually think instead of just clicking super-effective moves every time to win.
2023 Release of the Year: Kirby’s Return to Dreamland: Deluxe
All in all, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland: Deluxe is the complete package for me. The mainline game content is a fairly straightforward remaster, with updated animations and a couple of new abilities but the same characters and dialogue as the 2011 Wii game Kirby’s Return to Dreamland, and as someone who wanted to play that game and never got to, I’m perfectly happy with that. The new epilogue for Magalor, The Interdimensional Traveler, not only gave a bit more of a challenge but also gave more glimpses at Magalor’s personality through his comments about various upgrades to his abilities. Even without those things, though, this game was always going to be high on my list. Kirby games just plain make me happy, and if neither their music nor the little puffball himself do the same for you, then I don’t know what could.
