My gaming experience of 2023

I've finally got time to play the 3rd game in the Dream Land subseries of the Kirby franchise and it was a fun experience. I would definitively put it as one of the hardest games in the mainline series, as I never really struggle to not be hit in a Kirby game before that one. The artstyle and music is pleasant. The true final boss is one in the half of the best ones, morbid and not for children (unlike the artwork might suggest). Play once is enought thought.

I already talked about this game in 2019 and 2021. But now I've finally been able to complete it. Like the Shadow Dragon DS remake last year, this game is on the difficult side. It's even considered one of the hardest. But unlike Shadow Dragon, you can save at any turn, thought you better use a second save file. Like the original Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii, I've used the Classic Pro Controller instead of the Wiimote, and it felts amazing! The story is probably the best in all the franchise, even more than Three Houses. The voice acting is, however... very awful. It's only in major cutscenes, but it's unfortunate japanese voices weren't an option or even having the same english voice quality as for Awakening. But anyway, it doesn't spoils the deeps story that cover dark themes like slavery, politic and racism. The characters are excellent and their devellopement throught the story is great. The plot twist are quite goods as well and made me wish Path of Radiance wasn't 300$CAD, so I've could I've play the prequel. But the game did a great job at providing you with huge information about the prequel, so I wasn't lost. Despite the difficulty, the level design was amazing. The laguz mechanic was good as well. It's basicaly races of half-human half-animals that transform over time and/or receiving damages. They are super strong for some turns, but have a specific weakness against magic. For example, bird laguz are weak against wind magic, but they can move freely like pegasus knights. It would be cool to see those classes back in future games. Despite its difficulty and many chapters (divided into 4 great parts with each a final boss), I highly recommend it, as it has one of the best Fire Emblem story in the franchise that could inspire Intelligent Systems for the future of the series. And if you want to know more about the protagonist, Micaiah, this is the game to play!

My first Tetris game was Tetris 99, so this make this one my second game in the series. I mostly play this game handheld, in the dark and with (wired) headphones. It really boost the experience, as the game as immersive music and a colorful world that made you forget about every problem there is in the world.

After almost 4 years without a mainline Fire Emblem, Engage feels like a breath of fresh air for Nintendo's first party lineup. I mentionned last year my change of opinion about Three Houses and thankfully, Engage is not like that. On the contrary, there's no time limit, the weapon triangle is back and better than ever and Somniel is easy to navigate. The story may not be as huge as Three House or Radiant Dawn, but it was the cozy(?) and cliché story I've wanted for so long. The chara-design is probably the best in the series after Hidari's one and the characters are memorable. The side content also remind me of Fire Emblem Fates, which is great! The achievement gave more meat to the game, and come with in-game currency reward. There's so much to do and I plan to finish all support convos. Ho yeah, the music is amazing as well! Definitively in my top 10 favorite games of all-time!

With the release of GBA app on Switch Online, I was able to finally experience the first WarioWare game, which is my first experience as well! There's a lot of minigames, funny, weird, but good. I may buy other titles that released on Switch, if they ever goes on sales! In any case, that was a fun short game!

With the arrival of the NSO GBA games, I had the opportunity toplay this quite unique game. The protagonist have to travel throught world, to save his sisters and brothers. The engine he is is a bar turning in circle. You have to travel throught level while it turn, but it musn't touch the walls. The levels are crafted around that mechanic and it's awesome! The music is quite cozy and it's a game you can put aside and come back later pretty easily. A must play for NSO Expansion Pass users!

As my 2nd favorite Kirby after Planet Robobot, Return to Dream Land Deluxe was as fun as I remembered the original. The levels are slendid, and even more than the already good original, thanks to the new HD textures that wasn't necessary to make this game better. The music is the same, but it's not a problem since it's a soundtrack of certified Kirby's bangers. And there's the new content. Wow! New powers-up, minigames from across the series remade and a brand new epilogue. They made a wonderful platformer even better! And playing Wii games handhled with the Switch is my guilty pleasure, since Super Mario Galaxy (Super Mario 3D All-Stars), so it again pass the test!

This swangsong of the Ryza trilogy was inevitable, but it happen. The world is bigger than ever, and beautiful, but I've grown tired of the Ryza subseries, and I mean a lot. The music is good, the story is correct, and the battle system as improved once again, but this feel more a traditionnal RPG than an Atelier RPG. This shouldn't be a problem in itself, but as someone who play many RPGs, what attract me to the series is what make Atelier distinct from the other franchises out there. Coziness, slice of life story, charming characters, cute artstyle, you name it! But fortunately, the next subseries should arrive soon enought, giving redemption to the series. But as I will mention later in this article, an interesting Atelier game released in 2023 as well...

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OMG!!!!!!!

Ahem. The game-DLC of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 serve as a prologue to the main game as well as a conclusion to the Klaus trilogy. WHAT A GAME! WHAT A GAME! WHAT A GAME! I won't go into spoiler territory, but you have to play Xenoblade Chronicles 1, 2 and even 3 before playing this one, because it all connect together. Also it do something a proper Nintendo franchise never did: it connect the series with a non-Nintendo franchise (thought it's not mandatory to play them to enjoy these to enjoy this one, but I would like of them to see a remaster now). The core Xenoblade Chronicles 3 gameplay is here, with new and familiar friend. All of this game world is in one huge map. It's not as big as Xenoblade Chronicles 3, but it's still bigger than your average RPG. Unlike the main game, the encyclopedia return, as well as a brand new monsterpedia. This with other new elements made it excellent for a very long 100% run. There's not much new music, but each of the new track are a masterpiece. It's a flawless 200% videogame, as you would expect from Monolith Soft. This may be the end of a huge story, but not the end of the franchise. See this like Atelier franchise who got a trilogy, then create a new one in a brand new universe. I'm planning to finish the things I didn't completed once my backlog reduce greatly! A must-play to anyone who play the main games first!

With the closure of the Wii U eShop and the price of the physical DS game being quite high, I decided to buy this game at a low price on the Wii U Virtual Console. It use the DS (Gamepad) touchscreen as the main gimmick and you have to guide Kirby by tracing a rainbow line. This was a fun Kirby game, but lacking content and too short for me. The music was good, but din't stand-out. However, its sequel was a huge redemption...

This is the first time I've purshased a physical Wii U game since the first year I've own a Wii U, in 2017. Same as the above, the closure of the eShop was a sign the price of this game would go up, so I didn't waited! It use the same gimmick as Canva Curse, but is a totally different game. Short story, you guide Kirby throught level by tracing a rainbow line again, but everything else is different than the DS game. The artstyle is made with clay, which was made manually by real artisan, and the level content a lot of things to do and collectibles to collect. The music is probably one of the best in the series, espiecially the final boss music, which the fight was too short to hear completely unfortunately. One of the game we may never see on Switch, but I recommend you to play if you own a Wii U!

This is got a huge sales due to the closure of the 3DS and Wii U eShop. Then I've noticed it was also on Switch and on sales, so I saw the 3$ price, use all my golden coins and got it for free. So this platformer is quite unique as the backround change colors. If the backround is the same as a platform, it disapear until the backround change color. I never played it with other people, but the solo experience was interesting, sometimes frustrating, sometimes rewarding. If you like 2D platformers, it is definitively worth your time!

SAO is quite the controversial franchise, but despite its flaw, I enjoy its fantasy and romance aspect. Then the Alicization series came out and it was leagues above the previous seasons. The universe, characters and story were amazing and it's one of my favorite animes ever. It's with that mindset I was excited when this game released 2 years after the other version. Did it was as good as my impressions were with Fatal Bullet (see my 2019 year review here to know more)? Well... Going around the underworld was a dream come true and seeing the story diverge from the original Alicization was quite the interesting move! Unfortunately, it's executed clumsily. It was a good game, but not impressive. Comapred to the Switch port of Fatal Bullet, this port had not great performance (which usually I don't care about that aspect). It's not unplayable like the 4Kholic would preach, but it's noting to be proud of. Story segments are sometimes very long, which is not a problem with visual novels, but here you have no options to save between 30 minutes and 1 hours sometimes, which would be fatal if you can't charge your Switch for a long time. Many boss are unfairly very difficult, which almost made me drop the game. Fortunately, it didn't happen and I finished it in May. On the brighter side, the world was beautiful, and side quests with Asuna were super cute, romantic and amazing. Also Anima (Fire Emblem Awakening, Fates and Engage) is back with the beautiful cutscenes once again. The verdict: buy it only if you really love SAO. I don't know yet if I'll buy the DLCs. Are they worth it?

I didn't finished the game, but I advanced (Get it? Hahaha...) it more than where I was in the Wii U virtual console version. It's a beautiful pixelated game that show how the tactical RPG genre was ahead of its time. The story is not my favorite, but still very good. The colors are bright and well contrasted. Serra and Florina (this one would run away from me, and most of you all as well) are the best girls and Lyn critical hits are crazy! I plan to finish it soon, as it's one of the best GBA games ever!

The very first Atelier game of the franchise got remade this year! I've been able to advance it quite well and enjoy what I played so far! Like the original and like Pokémon Diamond/Pearl remakes, it still have the chibi style. It's quite the short game and less ambitious, but the remake give it a a golden overhaul. And for the first game of a wonderful series, it's not bad at all and gives people outside Japan to finally give it a try!

You have to option to play the original Atelier Marie, if you buy the DLCs in the Remake version. There's not much difference, except visually and the UI. The fact they made the effort to even translate the original is amazing for playing purpose and game preservation!

Back on 3DS, I would have like to see this game come to the console, since it has motion control. Better later than never, thanks to the Switch! It's a game you need to be precise (no, I didn't used rewind, what are you talking about?), but it's nice to tilt your console in handheld mode. Using a controller on TV was good as well, but controlling the pink ball between your hand is the best way to play this game. Using motion control in a GameBoy game was ahead of the Wii era and a precursor to motion control on handheld (3DS and Switch), so it's a nice game, despite showing its age. It's short, so it's worth trying on NSO!

I shared my experience with Final Fantasy 7 last year and wasn't sure if I wouldcontinue with the series. But when the remaster of the first 6 games were announced for Switch, I've decided to give the series one last chance. And I heard Tetsuya Takahashi, the creator of the Xenoblade series, was involved with these games, espiecially this one. So when I finally started Final Fantasy 6, it clicked and fast!  The story is impressive, especially for a SNES game, with unique twists and dark themes. The characters are all important to the plot as well, my favorites being Terra and Celes. The world itself is quite interesting, as well as when something very spoilerish happen to it. And the music, ho the music! The overall soundtrack is top notch, but the icing on cake is without a doubt Dancing Mad, which is one of the best final boss song ever and probably the longest videogame battle track to this day, lasting 17 minutes!!! If you don't want to invest yourself in all Final Fantasy games, at least give this one a try! And there's many multipliers (exp, gold and more), which made the game much easier!

After finishing Final Fantasy 6, I've decided to go with the game that started it all. Unlike the SNES games I played the NES entries, like this one, with the new music. It's a game changer, considering NES music have, unlike SNES music, aged very very poorly. It has a Bravely Default vibes, but without Revo touch and guitar. It's a basic RPG, but executed perfectly. It show how it prepare the path for the future of the whole RPG genre. The story is cliché (thought the post final boss cutscene surprised me a little bit), but not bad at all. If you want to experience the game that started it all, it's the way to go!

After finishing the first game, I went with this one. Like Fire Emblem Gaiden (2), it's the black sheep of the series. Both have a unique battle system. For FF is it slowly upgrade your stats depending of your actions in battle: you defend yourself against ennemies, your defense goes up, you go all-out with weapons, your attack goes up, you use magic and it goes up.  It's strange at first, but it's quite a good battle system that age well. The story is about a resistance group against the empire (*hum, hum* Delivrance *hum,hum*). The remade music was also enjoyable. If you want to play older FF games, you might consider to give this one a try!

My next game in my Final Fantasy journey was the 4th game. While not being as big as Final Fantasy 6, it was still in the best I had with the series. It follows the black knight Cecil, his regrets, his resolves to change and the journey with his friends. It also introduce the progress bar that indicate when you can act during the fight. The music? *Chef kiss*. It's amongst the best of what the SNES/Super Famicom can offer. If you enjoyed FF6, you will probably enjoy that one as well!

Pokémon finally going open-world? While I enjoy the Pearl remake more than the average people (since I never played the original), it was just fun and not wow. But I don't regret it, since it allowed me to enjoy this game lorewise and areawise. The visual shows it was rushed, but the areas remain gorgeous and the artsyle is unique and beautiful. The story is not mindbreaking, but quite interesting and having RPG sidequests in a Pokémon game feels surreal and give more meat to the gameplay. I recommend throwing Pokéballs with motion control, to have precise aiming. The battles feels classic and new at the same time with the differents techniques. And walking throught the area gives serenity and fun. If you would have to play only one Pokémon game in your life, give this one a try! 

After playing some of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games, I hear about this spinoff and decide to buy it after playing the demo. You have to play the note that appear one screen but pressing button, holding them or choosing a direction with the circles pads. But the cherry of the sunday is the music. There's many tracks from across the series. I had until now Final Fantasy 1 throught 8, but reliving those track gave me nostalgia of the moments I spend in the repective games. Music from FF games I don't own, such as FF13 or FF7 Remake made me want to give these games a try one day. If you like many styles of game music, this is the spinoff you need!

After enjoying Rune Factory 4 Special, trying this remake of the DS game was the logical follow-up in my mind. It's 300$ the original, so paying 60$ for the remake was totally the best option. And the original didn't have japanese voices. Anyway, it's still a good and cozy farming RPG, where your romance can bloom. It is more faithful to the original gameplaywise, so it's unfortunate to not be able to have some mechanics from the latter games. But the music is still great, the characters enjoyable (Daria ftw!) and the 2D backrounds gorgeous! If you crave for farming RPGs, give up un the fairies from the farm and play a real RPG from the genre!

It's been 4 years since we had a console Fate game, and Koei Tecmo didn't dissapointed. Set in the Edo period of Japan, it gives more a medieval vibes contary to the other games in the series. The story is quite strong,  with amazing twists here and there. Gameplaywise, it is a musou like battle system. And the music follow the same style of the game settings. If you like japanese themed games, this is a must! And the new servants are quite great as well!

11 years after the last 2D Mario game, we finally have something fresh from the Nintendo's oven! 2D Mario were my first type of games when I started gaming. I grew up and put them on the sidelines. I would come back from times to times on rare occassions. But this new one is full of creativity, fun and nice gimmicks! The techniques give new challenges and nostalgia, like the high jump from Super Mario Bros. 2! The fact the removed the timer is a blessing. The backrounds are gorgeous, the music is nice and playing as Daisy in a mainline Mario game is a blessing! It's on the short side of time to finish, but replayability is quite high with GOOD online play, challenge you can self-impose and more! One of the best Nintendo's platformers ever, alongside DKC Tropical Freeze, so please give this one a try if you didn't already!

Considered one of the best PS2 games by many, I first gave this game a try on the 3DS, exactly one decade before the Switch release. It was an amazing port and the 3D was well done. But I didn't advance too far. So I finally decided to give this game a second chance. Why the big cutscenes, it's nice to finally play on the TV. Whatever people whining about the framerate, it's better than the 3DS version. Sure, it's lazy they didn't target 60fps, but it's not unplayable too. The jungle is fun to explore and finding new object to help in your quest are rewarding. Let's hope I'll finish the game this time!

2023 was a special year for Love Live fans. The 2022 april fool of a Love Live Sunshine spinoff turn true during summer. Not only that, but just after the first episode airing, this game was announced. Aquours (the music group of this Love Live subseries) is on a roll! I never played games develloped by Inti Creates, but I know they are ancients of the Megaman team and develloped a lot a 2D plateformers during the 3DS era. And it didn't disapointed! It's a metroidvania where you control Yohane, and you can summon other members of Aquours for special attacks. The music is good and the pixel art backrounds gorgeous, with the sea thematic. If you want a short 2D game, you might want to give this one a try, even if you're not familiar with the Love Live franchise.

I played every entry of the Mario & Luigi series, from the GBA throught the 3DS, but I never had the opportunity to give their spiritual ancestor, Super Mario RPG, a try. And the timing was perfect: I finished Final Fantasy 7 in 2022, and other games in the franchise like I mentionned previously. So playing a Mario RPG made originally by Square made you appreciate the influence it had on its successors. It has the same kind of humor, but have more party members, various kind of weapons, dreamy areas and majestic music by the incredible Mrs. Yoko Shimomura. It's not a mindblowing RPG, but it's a well made one that is fun to play between bigger ones. A classic that deserve its place in the Switch top catalogue!