PixlBit

Another year has come and gone. 2022 was a great year for games! I was able to beat 29 games this year. Keep in mind that some of these were old games that were fairly short (such as the original Castlevania and Castlevania III for NES). There were some standout games this year. I'm going to talk about my favorite games that I beat this year (some of which didn't come out this year, but some certainly did). Then I'm going to give 3 awards: Best Game Collection, Best Soundtrack, and of course, my Game of the Year. So let's get on with it. 

Cruisin' Blast (Switch)

I got this game at the very end of last year and played it into the new year. This is a crazy arcade racer. The courses are nuts, with all kinds of goofy things to crash through, plus you go off huge jumps and can crash other vehicles. Playing multiplayer is a ton of fun. The game doesn't take itself seriously at all. As you play, you will unlock new "vehicles" such as dinosaurs, choppers, police cars, etc. What saddens me is the fact that Nintendo was willing to release a new Cruisin' game, but they still haven't put out a new F-Zero yet. C'mon, Nintendo! 

Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition (Switch)

I had been wanting to play this game, and it didn't disappoint. First of all, it's one of the most gorgeous games I've ever played. The lush backgrounds and eery atmosphere are simply incredible. The gameplay is also solid. Ori is very fast, so moving around feels great. However, this game is tough! I died a lot, especially during the escape sequences in which you have to do it in one go (and they can be long). These are tense moments, but are also rewarding when you beat them. Overall, really great game. 

Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch)

This game blew me away. I think this is the best Kirby game ever made, and that's saying something because I adore Super Star and Planet Robobot. Kirby just works better in 3D. Exploring the levels was very rewarding, and the bosses were really cool. The upgrade system for the abilities was also amazing, and I loved seeing what the next phase of an ability would be. The post-game was also a pleasant surprise, and the game is quite challenging if you want to beat the final colosseum run. Overall, this is a fantastic game, and I'm so happy to see people putting it down as one of their favorite games of the year. 

This was kinda "the year of Kirby" for me because I also beat three other Kirby games: Kirby Triple Deluxe (3DS), Kirby's Return to Dreamland (Wii), and Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii). I enjoyed all of these. Man, Kirby games are so fun. 

Paper Mario: Color Splash (Wii U)

I had wanted to play this one for a long time. It's a good game despite the fact that the battle system is a slog. Seriously, half the time the game forces you into battles because they know that you will avoid them (no experience=no incentive to battle). However, the writing here is excellent. I found myself laughing outloud many times. There's plenty of variety throughout the game, and everything looks great in HD. The characters are very charming and funny, and the OST is also excellent. So yeah, I really enjoyed this game. 

Drill Dozer (GBA--Wii U Virtual Console)

I played this back when it first came out, but I never beat it. It's a fun action platformer by Game Freak, and any time they do something original, it's always cool. Drill Dozer is very creative and enjoyable. Each level has something new so that the gameplay doesn’t get old. It’s not a long game, but it doesn’t need to be. They make great use of the drilling mechanics as you use them in different ways for different enemies and to tunnel through areas. The team of good guys (who are actually thieves) and the team of villains are both really charming too. 

Mario Strikers: Battle League (Switch)

Okay, so I'm a huge fan of the original Mario Strikers for Gamecube. It's probably my favorite Mario sports game. So I was really excited for this one. It's a solid game, but it's not as good as the original. Playing online is pretty fun, and I especially enjoy buying and equipping gear on the characters. The animations of the characters are a real standout, as Next Level is a pro in this department (just look at Luigi's Mansion 3). Now, people were mad that there were only 10 characters to start with, plus Daisy was absent. Since then, Next Level has been adding new characters, stages, and gear, but unfortunately, I have dropped off this game hard. But it's still a good game, it just seems to be missing something vital. 

TMNT: Shredder's Revenge (Switch)

This is the big one. Some of you might know that my favorite game ever is TMNT IV for SNES, and my favorite genre is beat 'em ups. So when this got announced, I lost my mind! It's easily the best Turtles game since Turtles IV. The levels, characters, and spritework are all amazing. The combat is very fun. Also, 6-player co-op? Wow! I had a ton of fun with this game. However, I don't think it's better than Turtles IV for two reasons: (1) the gameplay can get repetitive because of the super attacks, which players end up spamming, especially for bosses, and this becomes annoying. (2) The game is too long. The first time I played through I kept saying, "Is this the last level? No? Really?" I was getting tired of it. 16 levels is too many for a beat 'em up. So as far as beat 'em ups go, this is one of the best, but it's not as good as Turtles IV or the more recent Streets of Rage 4 (which is a 10/10 game for me). Also, the music by Tee Lopes is radical!

Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil [Phantasy Reverie Series] (Switch)

I played and adored the Klonoa remake on Wii, but I never played the sequel. So when this came out, I jumped at the chance to play the second game. It's really good! I was surprised at how tough some of the puzzles were. They really use the game's mechanics in very clever ways. The story is very cute and heart-warming. The characters speak in Japanese (with subtitles), which is actually pretty funny sometimes. The game was longer than I thought it would be, and the ending, of course, was gut-wrenching. Excellent game. 

Andro Dunos II (3DS)

You probably don't know this, but this game actually came out this year (2022). This has got to be the LAST 3DS game to ever be released. not only that, but there was a small limited quantity made, so I was lucky to be able to get a copy. Anyways, this is a 16-bit shmup and it's pretty good. There are only seven levels, but what's cool is that if you die, the game let's you choose any of the levels you've beaten to start on. The last level is really hard as it's very long and the final boss has a bunch of phases, but I powered through like an ace pilot. 

Live A Live (Switch)

This was a surprise. It's a remake of an old Super Famicom game that never left Japan. There are seven characters, each with their own story. Some of the stories weren't my favorite (such as the Shinobi one and the Caveman one), but most of them are really good. The voice acting is solid, and the HD-2D artstyle has never looked better. The ending is especially great as the game masterfully ties everything together. I actually got the bad ending first, and then I did what I needed to do to get the best ending because this game hooked me. The music is awesome as well. This is one of the best remakes on the Switch. 

Splatoon 3 (Switch)

I love Splatoon, but I completely stopped playing Splatoon 2 a while ago, so I was excited to get back into it with the third game. Well, this is the best game in the series! They keep reiterating on the formula, and it keeps getting better. Turf battles are just as fun as ever, and I really enjoyed the single player story mode too. I actually finished it, and the ending was really cool. There's a lot of extra things in this game too, such as lockers and the new card game (which I really like). As usual, the artstyle and atmosphere of the game is incredible. I'm hoping to keep up with this one into the new year. 

Nier: Automata: The End of Yorha Edition (Switch)

I was excited to get this game because everyone seems to praise it to no end. It's very good. The story and the atmosphere are both solid. The combat is good, although it can get repetitive. I really liked the differences between 2B and 9S, and how playing as each is unique. Their relationship is the backbone of the story, and it's very good. I was able to beat the main story twice, but not the third time because the game gets very hard, and asks some hard things of the player. It's unfortunate, but what I played I really enjoyed. I especially liked the amusement park area, as it was creepy and unsettling, but very fascinating too. 

Pokemon Scarlet (Switch)

You might be surprised to know that earlier in the year I beat Pokemon Moon, which was the very first Pokemon game I ever played! I really enjoyed it, so I got the new game. I enjoyed Scarlet even more than Moon. All the bugs and glitches didn't bother me, I just laughed at them sometimes. Exploring the world was fun, and there was always something to do. Battling the gym leaders was really fun, the Team Star storyline was cool, and catching Pokemon was as addicting as ever. Also, the ending was really cool and kinda dark (I think Pokemon games like having a twist at the end). My main was the little fire guy, who I named Flamer, and he eventually evolved into Skeledirge; his flamethrower attack was very OP and killed just about anyone, even the pokemon of the elite four. The music here was also really good. 

Pocky & Rocky Reshrined (Switch) 

I finally got around to playing this one. I'm not sure if this is a remake or just a new game, but it's really good! It's unique as it's a shmup but you can move your character around in any direction. The power-ups are cool and the spritework is excellent. The levels are really good, especially the airship level. The story is also suprisingly good and has some cool twists. But the game is also really hard. I died a lot! Thankfully, there are checkpoints, so I was able to finish the story mode. It's cool that you get to play as different characters throughout the story, and the characters are all very charming. There's also a two player mode (which I didn't get to try) you can unlock after beating the story mode. 

 

And now, the awards!

BEST GAME COLLECTION 

TMNT: Cowabunga Collection (Switch)

Funny story: shortly before this was announced, I remember thinking, "It would be so cool if Konami would make a TMNT collection with all the old games," but then I realized that would never happen. Then the collection got announced, and my wildest dreams came true! I LOVE the old TMNT games, first because of nostaliga, but also because TMNT IV is my favorite game ever. I was actually able to get the limited edition of this, and it didn't disappoint. Digital Eclipse went above and beyond with this collection. Playing all the games is great, but the extras are amazing: artwork, comic book covers, music, and images from the cartoons! I loved looking through it all. I was also able to beat the two arcade games (I had never played the Turtles in Time arcade game before), as well as The Hyperstone Heist, Radical Rescue, and Tournament Fighters (SNES). These are great games! It was a good year for Turtles fans. 

BEST SOUNDTRACK

Live A Live (Switch)

The original soundtrack was by Yoko Shimomura (a legend), and here the music has been redone with real instruments, and it sounds incredible. The boss theme "Megalomania" alone is awesome, but the rest of the OST is killer too. What's great about this OST is the variety due to all the different time periods and settings. There's something here for everyone, and it all culminates with a very epic final boss theme. If you enjoy RPG music (and who doesn't?) then you should seriously check out this OST. Also, just play this game, because it's really good. 

GAME OF THE YEAR

TMNT: Shredder's Revenge (Switch)

This is probably not a surprise. This game is the true follow-up to Turtles in Time, which is my favorite game ever (still is btw). The amount of love and attention put into this game is evident. They focused specifically on the 80s cartoon, which means adults in their 40s will probably get the most out of the game, but kids will love it too. It's exciting to think that we could be entering a new golden age for the Turtles in video games, but also a golden age for beat 'em ups. This excites me because I loved beat 'em ups! In the last few years, we've gotten Streets of Rage 4, River City Girls (its sequel just came out too), and now this. Wow. Anyways, this game deserves every bit of praise that it gets. I sure hope they make another one. 

Thank you for reading! What was your favorite game of this year? Looking forward to another great year in 2023. Don't be a stranger!