Glen-i Posted December 24, 2024 Posted December 24, 2024 (edited) Aw yeah! With Christmas right around the corner, it's time to bust out this thing again. A thing that's totally my idea, and definitely nothing to do with @Jonnas, NOTHING! What were your favourite games released in 2024? What yearly GOTY discussions usually talk about, what were the best 2024 games for you? What were your favourite games played in 2024? Once you include older games you played this year for the first time, what are your favourites? Do they surpass this year's releases? Feel free to include replays and such, it's your opinion. Any 2024 release that you wish you had played? I mean, surely we didn't buy every new game, right? Any game(s) you feel like you missed out on? Answer all of them, or one of them, or none of them and just waste valuable internet space adding nothing of note to the topic! Guess I should go first. Glen's Best 2024 Games 9. Balatro A game that will make you addicted to Poker, according to PEGI, at least. Well, I can't wait to use my newly acquired Poker knowledge to win big with 5 holographic King of Spades! Beautifully simple to learn, yet surprisingly complex to master. Sign of any good game really. Just don't spend too long on the toilet. 8. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes I'm still thinking about this game, you know? It's made quite an impact on me. If I had to describe it, it would be "Resident Evil, but with almost none of the survival horror" (Shout out to @Julius, for no particular reason) Just a ridiculous avalanche of puzzles set in a hotel that has far too many locked doors to be sensible. It's brilliant! Be warned, though, it is a demanding game. Get that notepad and pen ready, you'll need it. 7. Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island A game that actively hates you! Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, but there's something satisfying about overcoming such ridiculous odds. It definitely scratches that itch that Pokémon Mystery Dungeon has left behind. For real, though, Spike Chunsoft, release a PMD entry in the first 2 years of Switch 2, and you'll sell a bajillion copies! 6. Super Mario Party Jamboree Quite possibly, one of the finest entries in Mario Party history, and there's still 2 boards I haven't played yet. And you know that's possible because Boo is there, attached to skis... somehow. That's the true essence of Mario Party! My only criticism would be that the pace is a tad slower then the other Switch entries, but it's worth it when we've got very cool boards, and by far, the best side modes ever. Koopathalon and Bowser Kaboom Squad are loads of fun, and it runs like a dream online! I can't believe the 20 player minigames run so well! So you know, if any of you have this, do hit me up. Always up for a game. 5. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake OK Japan, I get it. I get why this game was such a huge deal in the late 80's. This game is so influential, even Zelda ripped it off! It's definitely simplistic these days, even by Dragon Quest standards. But well, it's Dragon Quest! Simple is the whole point of it! Sometimes you just need a good, straightforward, traditional RPG. And sometimes that good, straightforward, traditional RPG needs to be given a gorgeous HD-2D makeover. Take notes, Final Fantasy, this is how you do a Pixel Remaster. 4. Mario & Luigi: Brothership Lunging in the other direction as far as visual styles go, the new Mario & Luigi (Which is surreal to be typing in 2024) foregoes pixel art, for full 3D models, and it nails the landing impeccably. Right up there with Wonder Boy and PMD as one of the best looking games on Switch. I'd write more, but I'm waiting for my N-E review to go up. 3. Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore Sometimes you can tell when a game is a major passion project. Arzette proves that, yes, the Zelda CD-i games could've been great! It fixes the jank and frustrating level design of the Unholy Triforce, and makes a tight, enjoyable 2D romp. All while preserving the... "style" that the CD-i games are well known for. It's a game that manages to laugh with, and not at, it's source material. Highly recommended, it's better then Echoes of Wisdom. And I'm not even joking! 2. 1000XResist Criminally overlooked. That's the best way to describe this game. OK, the gameplay is admittedly light, but if you're looking for excellent narratives in your video game, then you owe it to yourself to give this a go. Games can be art, and 1000XResist is excellent proof of that. 1. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Hey look, another criminally overloooked game. Funny that. Almost like you shouldn't take some awards seriously. It was a long time coming, and it was certainly a bumpy road travelled. But the wait was so worth it! This nails pretty much everything I consider a good RPG. It looks gorgeous, the characters are varied and fun, the music is excellent, and the battle system is expertly crafted! There's no such thing as a perfect RPG for me, but this game comes damn near close! Also, you can recreate Romeo and Juliet with a horce racing commentator, a feral dragon, and a Kangaroo with a thick Aussie accent (And he's the best actor!). If that doesn't convince you, nothing will! Honourable Mentions: Some games that I thought were good, but not good enough to be highlighted above are The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, a Zelda game that managed to not put me to sleep, and Princess Peach: Showtime, a decent, if breezy game with a lot of cool ideas. Gonna have to leave it there for now, but I will be back with the games from previous years that I only got around to playing in 2024. Edited December 24, 2024 by Glen-i 2 2
Cube Posted December 24, 2024 Posted December 24, 2024 The 2024 games that I've played: er.... nothing yet. New to me games that I've loved: Getter Love: Panda Love Unit, Hey You Pikachu, Beetle Adventure Racing, Quake II 64, Shadow Man, Destruction Derby 64, Glover 2, Rayman 2, NBA Courtside 2, Rocket: Robot on Wheels, Custom Robo, Virtual Pro Wrestling 2, Excitebike 64, ISS 2000, Mario Artist Polygon Studio, Pokémon Puzzle League, Custom Robo V2, Mega Man 64, Dinosaur Planet, Bomberman 64 (Japan), Luigi's Mansion, NHL Hitz 2002, Pro Skater 3, SSX Tricky, Dark Summit, Lost Kingdoms and Ty the Tasmanian Tiger. 2024 games that are highest on my list of what I want to play are Echoes of Wisdom, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Dragon Age Veilguard and Sonic X Shadow Generations. 1
Jonnas Posted December 31, 2024 Posted December 31, 2024 So, this was an enriching year when it comes to videogames. I feel like I delved into my backlog like never before. I explored the NSO like never before, I got around to clearing a bunch of unfinished games from my backlog (more than half), managed to get back into RPGs, discovered the Shmup genre, somehow included a bunch of unexpected Arcade games, and managed to make a 10-game pledge really fun to plan for. In a nutshell, each choice here represented something I wanted to do this year. BDII and Three Hopes were unfinished physical games on my Switch (whoopsie), Bloodstained was a Halloween game that was also a physical cart (a silent reminder that those other two games should be finished by then. Whoopsie again), Final Fantasy II was a promise to drop Fire Emblem Heroes (success), Phantasy Star was a short RPG that felt accessible (excellent choice), Baba is You represented my desire to get into programming (as of yet, an ongoing success), and the remaining four were key NSO picks: Kid Icarus as a reminder to keep my mind open, Starfox for the shmup journey, Comix Zone to stop being so lazy about games I wanted to play anyway, and Banjo-Kazooie to remind me that this is also about classics that passed me by. In the end, some of these choices ended up being joined with several other titles. I played 4 other games in preparation for Three Hopes. Kid Icarus is the reason I also reexplored other NES classics. Comix Zone lead me to the other Beat'em ups I played this year. And so on. I didn't complete the pledge, but it was never about that. The mere fact that I was able to pick myself up and finish Worms Armageddon (unfinished for the past 20 years or so!) was a feat, and it somehow all ties back to me putting together that simple image above. Somehow, all of these vague goals really turned into an unpredictable adventure. So, thank you very much, @Julius, for introducing me to this idea in the first place. It really spiced up what was already a very transformative year for me. What were your favourite games released in 2024? The Switch version of Freedom Planet 2! It was the only 2024 release I played this year, and it was a damn good one. What were your favourite games played in 2024? I'll answer this one down below. Any 2024 release that you wish you had played? So many! Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Marvel vs Capcom Collection, Little Big Adventure remake, Dragon Quest 3 HD... This was a year that I simply didn't dedicate to new releases. As for the games I actually played in 2024, here's my Top 10, from 10th best to bestest: 10 - Coffee Talk: A relaxing time, and a lovely game to sleep to. It's nice, finding out specific niches for games, and I'm really lucky to have found one for this title; 9 - Enemy Mind: Revisiting unfinished games can sometimes face you with a surprise. Who knew this was actually the best shmup ever? What a true hidden gem; 8 - Kirby's Adventure: It's a good thing I'm keeping an open mind about the games I play on NSO, because I was ready to write this one off as just "neat". Instead, I managed to truly enjoy this game for what it is, and appreciate it immensely; 7 - Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master: In the same vein, it's nice to experience games that wouldn't be my cup of tea as a kid, but really make me giddy as an adult. Such a cool game, top to bottom; 6 - Starfox 64: Speaking of games that I didn't use to like, here's one that finally managed to win me over. What a delightfully simple, but well designed, game; 5 - Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night: Return of the king, this brought everything an Igavania needed to succeed. There were bumps in the landing, but it's incredible that it flew as far as it did; 4 - Solomon's Key 2 (Fire 'n Ice) : The biggest hidden gem of the NSO so far. Delightful puzzle game for all ages, not as common as you think; 3 - Baba is You: This one is more of a big boy puzzle game. It gets complex, it gets genuinely mind-bending, and I am thoroughly impressed; 2 - Phantasy Star: The one RPG I finished this year was a heck of a good one. It felt genuinely fresh despite aping Star Wars a lot, and I really delved into it. Super happy to have played it; 1 - Freedom Planet 2: I should've put this one somewhere on the pledge. Incredible game, I still think about it often. Deserves so much more recognition than it gets. So there you have it! 2 1
Dcubed Posted Wednesday at 06:03 PM Posted Wednesday at 06:03 PM (edited) Well it's now 2025, so it's too late for me to add anything more to this list (sorry Mouthwashing). Quote What were your favourite games released in 2024? What yearly GOTY discussions usually talk about, what were the best 2024 games for you? 8. Penny's Big Breakaway While I haven't finished the game, I have certainly enjoyed my time with it so far (playing the Steam PC version). The control mechanics are great, with a really nice sense of momentum, and the gameplay is really quite novel. 3D platformers in general are a rarity, let alone a good one, and this certainly is a good one. I do have to say though, that the game is let down by its rather samey looking and feeling environments; and its levels do tend to drag on for too long. So this is a game that I enjoy more in short bursts, as it can get rather repetitive after a while. Still, an excellent first effort from Evening Star and well worth playing; just don't try ploughing through it in one go, or else you may end up feeling burnt out. 7. Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore This was a delightful little gem that came as if from nowhere. A love letter to the Unholy Triforce that turned out far better a game than it had any right to be. While it won't knock your socks off with incredibly novel or amazing unique gameplay mechanics, it's simple a solid little sidescrolling action platformer that takes a very rough set of games and manages to pull something good out of them. While it's not the utter miracle that Haunted Castle Revisited was, Arzette was a joy to play as someone who always saw potential in the CDI Zelda games, and you can feel the love poured into the game from every corner. It also helps to satiate the hunger for Shantae Advance quite nicely, being a similar style of game. Solid game, made with a lot of love. What's not to like? 6. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown I haven't finished this one either (do need to get back to it at some point), but this is a rather delightful metroidvania take on the classic 2D sidescrolling PoP gameplay from what I've played so far. The obvious point of inspiration here is Metroid Dread. It's very very obvious that the team at Ubisoft Montpellier were massive fans of Metroid Dread in particular... I mean... I can't really blame them really, because Metroid Dread is incredibly fucking good; as the inspiration shows in every aspect of the game's presentation, movement mechanics, bosses and overall game design. I've really enjoyed the time I've spent with it so far, despite not really caring a lick for the story or characters at all (though the option for Farsi dialogue is pretty cool, I have to admit). They did a great job of making Sargon just feel good to move around, this is a game with very good game feel. While I gather that the game goes on for a bit longer than it really should, this is a really solid tribute to both classic 2D Prince of Persia, as well as Metroid Dread. It also looks pretty swanky in stereoscopic 3D to boot! Well worth a play, and certainly one of the most criminally overlooked games of 2024. 5. Haunted Castle: Revisited Probably the single most impressive game of 2024, purely for how they managed to create something out of nothing. It cannot be overstated how incredibly awful the original Haunted Castle is, so to get a brand new Castlevania game that somehow manages to weave gold from pure shit is nothing but the finest of alchemy. Bravo M2! 4. Emio: The Smiling Man This is one of only two 1st party Nintendo titles from 2024 that I actually played this year (I mean... it's hard to make a fully 2D point n' click adventure run badly really), but I made a damn good choice to pick this one; because it's a cracker of a case. It's certainly not for everyone, as it requires a bit of patience for some intentionally obtuse progression and a rather slow start to the story, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. The ending is every bit as hype inducing as Sakamoto was playing it up to be, and also every bit as controversial. A genuine bit of Nintendo history made right before your eyes with this one. 3. 1000XResist The single best narrative in video gaming throughout 2024. Easily. (not even Mouthwashing comes close, and I like Mouthwashing!) 2. Super Mario Party Jamboree Returning to the traditional formula, Jamboree is just simply a top-shelf Mario Party title through and through. While I haven't had as much time to play it as I have wanted to, I've loved every moment I've spent with this game. Excellent board designs with plenty of interesting gimmicks and options for strategic plays, a well balanced and nuanced set of items, and just an excellent set of minigames and side modes. It's simply just a full and complete package. You won't be pining for DLC here, it is so utterly packed with brilliant stuff that you'll be playing it with your friends for years. The online support is also top-shelf, as is the presentation (honestly, it puts basically every other game released on Switch this year to absolute shame. And it does so at a full 1080p/60FPS without needing new hardware, it's simply just one of the best looking and running games on the platform). The Buddy system is also kind of brilliant, allowing for some utterly ridiculous plays; such as potentially buying 2-4 stars in one turn! The only real complaint I have to make is that the Jamboree Buddy minigames can make matches go on for quite a while, with even 15 turn matches often clocking in at almost 2 hours; it's a bit of a time committment to make for group sessions, even by series standards. It's just so much fun that the time will just fly by, but it does mean that longer matches are usually out of the question; which is a bit of a shame, as some board events and items don't really come into play unless you play longer turn games, so you will miss out on some of the intended strategic gameplay unless your group can really commit to longer play sessions. Still, that's really it. Outside of that one issue, the game is everything a Mario Party fan could really ask for. It's a brilliant continuation of a superb multiplayer series, and a very worth sequel to Mario Party Superstars/Super Mario Party. There's just a whole lot to love here, and as a long-time fan of the series? I'm massively pleased with what Nintendo Cube have pulled off here. Finally, I just want to give a special shoutout to one minigame in particular... and that is Slappy Go Round, which might well be the single greatest Duel Minigame in the series' entire 25 year history. It's so simple and so utterly brilliant! A pure social mindgame nightmare! This single minigame is worth the price of entry alone 1. Balatro Kings go brrr... Kings go brrr Overall? A year very much dominated by narrative-driven games and some surprise out-of-nowhere hits. Not many new good multiplayer games this year to choose from, but we did get some fantastic NSO re-releases with newly added online play (especially Perfect Dark and Four Swords); so combined with Jamboree? Not a terrible year overall for multiplayer fun. Quote What were your favourite games played in 2024? Once you include older games you played this year for the first time, what are your favourites? Do they surpass this year's releases? Feel free to include replays and such, it's your opinion. I'm not gonna include replays, but I will include games that I played that either came out in English in 2024 for the first time; or ones that I played for the first time this year... 8. Lunar: The Silver Star I haven't finished this game yet, but I did start playing it this year. It's a game that is surprisingly ahead of its time in many ways, from its surprisingly good voice acting and (mostly) quality localisation, to the way in which sprites show visible equipment changes and the way in which NPC can give multiple lines of dialogue when spoken to multiple times. The music is nice and the battles are quick & snappy. While I wouldn't say that there's anything really revolutionary for the time with its gameplay, it's just a well made RPG with likable characters and a good-enough story. Certainly one of the better RPGs of its era, though it's not really a patch on the best that the SNES had to offer. 7. Pang! 3 A great game with an awkward title. I've been playing this one quite a bit at the Heart of Gaming arcade, and while I had played some of the Pang! games before? I hadn't played this one. This is a great little action puzzle title that expands on the formula of popping bubbles with your gun/lasso thingy. Featuring a strange mexican/fine arts mashup theme and some high energy music and sound effects/voices, this is some of the best arcade action puzzle gameplay you're gonna find. 6. Virtua Cop 3 An excellent 2003 follow-up to SEGA's seminal light gun shooter series. Its new bullet-time mechanics would actually go on to directly inspire 2006's Afterburner Climax. Otherwise? It's a stoic game that focuses on the simple joy of shooting baddies as a copper from the future. If all cops are bastards? Then this is a bastard of a good game. Hopefully it gets a decent home port one day. 5. Tetris Battle Gaiden What if Tetris and Puyo Puyo had a baby... no, not that one, or that one either, but rather this 1995 Japanese-only SNES game. Released here in the west for the first time as part of the Tetris Forever collection, Tetris Battle Gaiden is a falling block puzzle game of the VS variety. Unlike your usual Tetris game, this one is focused squarely on VS gameplay against either the CPU or another player. While very clearly inspired by the massive success of Puyo Puyo and its sequel (fair's fair right?), what makes this game unique is the cast of characters with unique powers that can be used to hinder your opponent. Of course, Halloween is the best character, and not just because he flips the bird at his opponents, but because his level 4 power can be used to double the power of your attacks, and that's stupid awesome! Great game, damn shame it took so long to come out over here though. BTW, while I don't include collections in game rankings as a general rule, I just wanted to take the opportunity to point out how great Tetris Forever is as a package. The interviews are really great, and the supplementary material is just fantastic. Even if you already own every game in the collection, it's well worth checking out for the excellent non-game material! Anyway, if Single player puzzlers give you Zs, and you love giving your opponents an L? Tetris Battle Gaiden will fit your tastes to a T. I wholeheartedly recommend it. Fuck you Shaman! 4. F-Zero Climax This 2004 Japanese exclusive GBA game was the last game in the series up until F-Zero 99 came out last year. Like its GBA predecessor, GP Legend, this game was developed by Suzak and is based on the F-Zero anime series. While I have my issues with GP Legend (in particular, its tracks feel like they were designed by a five year old, and the physics feel floaty and off), Climax is a surprisingly big improvement in just about every area. While it looks very similar on the surface, mechanically it actually plays quite differently, with a much greater sense of speed and a number of new control and boost mechanics. The most notably one is perhaps the Boost Fire move, which seeks to combine the boost mechanics of both 2D and 3D F-zero into something ridiculous. BOOST FIRE!!!!!!!!!!! The track design has also been significantly improved from its predecessor, now featuring sensible layouts! But they do also include plenty of opportunities for crazy and risky shortcuts. I really like the tracks on offer here, but if that's not enough? You even have a track editor, so you can make the five-year-old designed monstrosities of your best nightmares! While I need to spend more time playing it still, I'm really impressed with Climax so far. It's much better than GP Legend, and it's a shame that we never got it originally. 3. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles As I previously mentioned in my Gaming Diary writeup for The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve, it isn't really a sequel, but rather the second part of one big game. As such, I am grouping the two releases together as one title; same as with Golden Sun/TLA and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. And while I do have some issues with the game as a whole, most notably with the game's pacing (the first half honestly feeling like a bit of a slog, until the second half starts popping off), I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this game as a whole. Just be prepared to sink some serious hours into it in order to see the story through to its conclusion (took me about 75 hours in all, which is about as long as the first four Ace Attorney games combined with some yen and shillings left over). 2. Sonic Superstars I played the Steam version and had a fantastic time with this rather lovely return to form for the blue blur. Spot on physics combined with good level design and some fun new gimmicks make for a pretty great little modern take on the classic MD Sonic gameplay formula. Just don't bother with the rather crappy online multiplayer battle mode. 1. Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Gambit This would probably be tied for GOTY alongside Balatro if they were in the same list, I can't really decide between the two. Funnily enough, this is also how I probably would've felt if the game actually got released back in 2011 like it was originally supposed to (as it would've been tied with Skyward Sword for my GOTY in 2011). I've already waxed enough poetic about this game elsewhere, but long story short? This is the best game in the entire Ace Attorney series, and every bit worth the 13 year wait it took to get localised. Quote Any 2024 release that you wish you had played? I mean, surely we didn't buy every new game, right? Any game(s) you feel like you missed out on? I missed out on almost every Nintendo first party release this year, since I'm now waiting to play them in better form on Switch 2. I'd love to play the remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door for instance, but with that game running at only half the framerate of the GCN original? (30FPS vs the original GCN game's 60FPS), I really can't justify the purchase right now. I'm really hoping that TTYD gets its 60FPS back when played on Switch 2, as the gameplay really suffers from the worse performance (particularily with the Superguard mechanic). Same goes for the likes of TLOZ: Echoes of Wisdom. As excited as I am to play a brand new 2D Zelda game that actually appears to be a real Zelda game, and not open world rubbish fake Zelda? I can't bring myself to play it right now when it runs so badly on the current Switch model; especially when I know that Switch 2 is only just around the corner. Even though most of Nintendo's output this year were remakes and remasters? I'd still like to play them, but there's not much point in doing so right now when they're all probably gonna play quite a bit better in a few more months. So that leaves this rather large list of 1st party 2024 titles below... Quote Another Code: Recollection Mario vs. Donkey Kong Princess Peach: Showtime! Endless Ocean Luminous Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Luigi's Mansion 2 HD Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Mario & Luigi: Brothership Outside of Nintendo's first party releases? I wish I had a chance to play Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, it looks right up my alley; but I just haven't been able to dedicate the time due to competing priorities. Same goes for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake (hopefully in decent form on Switch 2, because it runs like shit on the current Switch and I'd like to play it on a Nintendo system) and Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island. I also want to play UFO 50, Antonblast, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (hey! That's coming out on PC this month!) and Astro Bot (PC port plz). I also still need to get the Jackbox Naughty Pack and Jackbox Survey Scramble, as well as Peglin, Visions of Mana, Unicorn Overlord and The Plucky Squire. So there's plenty of 2024 games that remain in my backlog (Not Mouthwashing though, I've played that one now). Edited Wednesday at 09:34 PM by Dcubed 1
Ashley Posted Wednesday at 07:36 PM Posted Wednesday at 07:36 PM 1 hour ago, Dcubed said: Well it's now 2025, so it's too late for me to add anything more to this list (sorry Mouthwashing). What were your favourite games released in 2024? What yearly GOTY discussions usually talk about, what were the best 2024 games for you? What were your favourite games played in 2024? Once you include older games you played this year for the first time, what are your favourites? Do they surpass this year's releases? Feel free to include replays and such, it's your opinion. Any 2024 release that you wish you had played? I mean, surely we didn't buy every new game, right? Any game(s) you feel like you missed out on? I know you and @Glen-i are related but I didn't realise you were twins 2
Dcubed Posted Wednesday at 07:37 PM Posted Wednesday at 07:37 PM Just now, Ashley said: I know you and @Glen-i are related but I didn't realise you were twins Patience! The whole post isn't done yet... I just accidentally hit the submit button a bit too early
Hero-of-Time Posted Wednesday at 08:09 PM Posted Wednesday at 08:09 PM On 12/24/2024 at 11:53 AM, Glen-i said: Answer all of them, or one of them, or none of them and just waste valuable internet space adding nothing of note to the topic! I just assumed @Dcubedwas going with this option. 4
Julius Posted Wednesday at 08:18 PM Posted Wednesday at 08:18 PM 8 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: I just assumed @Dcubedwas going with this option. Bit late for a Christmas roast H-o-T, damn... 1
Glen-i Posted 3 hours ago Author Posted 3 hours ago A bit later then I would've liked, but time to carry on with my lists. Glen's Best Non-2024 Games of 2024 8. Spyro the Dragon (Reignited version) Every year, I like to point out a game that outright surprised me with how good it was. Spyro the Dragon surprised me with how not awful it was. A Playstation era 3D platform game that seems to at least understand what makes a 3D platformer work. Admittedly, the work done on the Reignited version is exemplary, and it's hard for me to determine how much Toys for Bob are carrying it. But it's working, I'm looking forward to playing the sequels this year. 7. Densetsu no Stafy 3 I played all three GBA Legend of Starfy games this year, but the third game is the one that stands out to me. A very interesting take on 2D platformers where being underwater is far more preferable. It's also just really solid. No Japanese knowledge required for this one. I highly recommend it. Even if it does get surprisingly tough as nails if you go for 100%. 6. Shantae and the Seven Sirens It's Shantae, always a good time. Nope, that's it. That's all I'm saying. 5. Sonic Superstars It's a Sonic game where Sonic is the worst character to play as by far, so you know it's on the right track. It's weird though, it's a good Sonic game, and Vector the Crocodile isn't in it... I'm gonna assume he doesn't want to go anywhere near 2D platformers, which is fair given his track record there. What was I talking about? Oh right! Games! Sonic Superstars seems to show that the right lessons have been learned from Sonic Mania. This game just feels right, you know? Super Mario Bros. Wonder may have been the technically better platformer from last year, but I had more fun with this. And that's what matters most, as far as I'm concerned. 4. Star Ocean: Second Story R Lately, we've been getting more and more old pixel games getting a lovely HD-2D style makeover. This is totally fine by me, because it's thanks to that that I discovered this little gem of a game. It's one of those RPG's where a bit of experimentation can utterly destroy the difficulty, and it doesn't even attempt to dissuade you from exploiting this. It's why Bravely Default is so much fun! 3. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Aria of Sorrow may have been my first proper foray into Castlevania, but the sequel is a lot more polished, and the better game for it. A man with impeccable jogging posture goes into an evil castle and proceeds to murder everything inside. Fun times for all! Looking back, I've been on a bit of an older game binge, but my top 2 games in this list aren't old, relatively speaking. I'm also really struggling with what to put on top. So I'm afraid I'm gonna have to cop out here. Joint 1st. Chained Echoes When I think about it, it's kinda weird that I rate this game so highly, I've played better RPG's, even this year. But there's something, I dunno, earnest about this game? Once I learned that the majority of it was made by one person, it's shortcomings seemed more reasonable. Lovely little game. Absolutely recommend it to anyone who likes turn-based RPG's, and not just because it has a playable lizard in it. Although that always helps. Speaking of great turn-based RPG's... Joint 1st. Sea of Stars Sea of Stars is a different kind of indie RPG, a lot more polished then Chained Echoes, but with a heavy inspiration from quite a few 90's classics. That's what makes me struggle with where to put this. I wouldn't go so far as to say derivative, because it has it's own ideas in there. And it is really good. Also absolutely recommend this game. Funnily enough, both of these games are getting some significant DLC in 2025, so I'll likely be returning to them this year. Any 2024 release that you wish you had played? Hmmmm... Not really. At least not as much as last year. Baldur's Gate 3 is naturally still there until it gets a Switch 2 port. However, Astro Bot is the one game that springs to mind, I hope that gets a PC port eventually, I guess it depends on how integral the PS5 controller is. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has kinda fallen off of my "Must-play" list due to it being more open-worldy then Remake, but with that getting a PC port soon, I'll no doubt try it. 1 2
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