Rayjay2

Rayjay2

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First to complete Jet Set Radio!

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Rayjay2

Latest Blog Post

Dec31
My Top 10 Games of 2023
Hello and welcome to another round of the top ten games I've played this year. Hard to believe but this is my 17th year of writing this list. Unlike previous years I left a few games unfinished but everything here stuck with me in some way. Before moving on, I'd like to remind that these are my favorite games that I played this year and not necessarily games that came out this year. Let's begin.

10. Antstream Arcade

Preservation in video games has always been a tricky thing. Unlike books or movies, games can much easier get left behind as hardware becomes obsolete. The classics get ported throughout the ages but many others don't. If you weren't there at the time, chances are you aren't playing it. Antstream Arcade is a streaming service that attempts to bring back many of these forgotten games, some of which are questionable by today's standards, but it's still fun to look back at the variety and creativity of it all. Even if a game is bad it can be fun to try and figure out what they were thinking (or smoking) when they made it. I was skeptical at first at the streaming gameplay but it works fine for checking things out in short bursts.

9. Hi-Fi Rush

This game was one of the biggest surprises of the year. It came out of nowhere and was released immediately after it was announced. Hi-Fi Rush reminds me of a long lost Dreamcast game. It certainly has that feel of a smaller action game that used to be common back in the 2000s. It's a rhythm-based beat-em-up with a sense of style. Attacks can be timed to the beat the the background music for greater attacks and combos. And the game certainly likes to stand out in both it's graphics and gameplay. I didn't play much of it but it certainly stuck with me and I plan on returning to it at some point.

8. Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors is fresh idea that I haven't really seen before, a game that plays itself. The only controls are the analog stick to move and attacking is done automatically. This means you can use your other hand for various purposes like holding a soda or a burrito. Despite the simple controls the game is not boring. There are powerups that made you absurdly overpowered, which you'll need because the game throws an absurd amount of enemies at you. It's short and simple addictive gameplay that hooks you in and challenges you to another go.

7. Rollerdrome
This is another game that crosses over two gameplay elements in a unique way, third person shooting mixed with skating. It plays like Jet Set Radio with guns. It's got a retro 70s aesthetic which gives the game a unique vibe. The game encourages using tricks as much as possible as it's the only way to reload, and to score big you'll have to kill the enemies quickly as that's the only way to gain multiplier. Like any good skating game the more you play the more fluent you'll become and when you're able to combo an entire level from beginning to end it's an incredibly satisfying feeling.

6. R-Type

I played a lot of retro 2D shooters at the beginning of the year and chose one game in particular to focus on, R-Type. What drew me to this game was the unique gameplay. Unlike other 2D shooters this game has a unique and versatile powerup that I haven't seen used anywhere else. The game calls it the Force, but it's really more like a giant steel pinball that you can place around the screen defensively or offensively. By using the Force the it almost feels like you're controlling two ships at once. Every time you die you are sent back to a checkpoint instead of continuing on, which sort of makes it like a puzzle game as you figure out the best strategy to get through. I had a lot of fun with this one.

5. Goldeneye 007

After many years Goldeneye 007 was finally re-released. It had been years since I last played it and I was eager to see how the game held up. Quite well, as I found out. What impressed me the most was how each level is sort of a mini open world sandbox. Much like Halo or the old GTA games, you can proceed how you like, plan out your attack, go in stealthily or not, and generally just play around. Back in the early days of 3D gaming it was fun to just simply move around and discover what's possible in the game. Goldeneye has a lot of that. The shooting feels satisfying, enemies react to where they've been shot and are generally more clever than you'd expect them to be, and the music somehow doesn't get old despite being variations of the James Bond theme.

4. Metroid Dread
I love the Metroid series, especially the 2D ones so I had to check out this new one. I went in this game thinking I wouldn't get lost. I was wrong. I also thought the game would be easy. It wasn't. This game has some of the most challenging bosses in the Metroid series and were a lot of fun to take down. And the game gives the player a unique sense of dread during the unique EMMI Zones where you are chased by an invincible robot that can take you down in one hit. You'll often have to backtrack through these Zones so you'll go back and forth between feeling overpowered and underpowered, a unique feeling.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

This is the biggest game I've ever played. I'm sure there's an ending but I haven't seen it. Close to 200 hours in and I've only done one of the main dungeons so far. Mind blowing moments were common, especially when I discovered the depths and realized the game had a third explorable overworld. And with the new fusing mechanic you can glue objects together and they will behave like they would in the real world due to the game's impressive physics system. It's a lot of fun exploring using the new techniques the game offers, which feels more and more like cheating as you level up and discover what's possible.

2. Super Mario Bros. Wonder

This game brings fresh new ideas to 2D Mario and a great new artstyle that is reminiscent of the original Mario 3 artwork. The characters are much more expressive and animated compared to the previous games and it really adds a lot. The biggest addition is the Wonder Flower, which is a powerup for the entire stage. Something unique happens each time you get one, and every time you think you know what to expect the game throws something different at you. There was truly a sense of wonder with this game. While experimenting with the new Drill powerup I was reminded me of how I felt when I played Mario 3 for the first time, which was something I never thought I would experience again.

1. F-Zero 99

Finally, a new F-Zero game! This was another release that came out of nowhere. At first glance it looks like an HD remake of the SNES game but it also adds mechanics from F-Zero X like the boosting system that trades your vehicle's health for a burst of speed. It's also playable online with 98 other players. Like the SNES original you'll have to be in a certain position each lap or else you'll be eliminated. Combined with a ranking system and you have fiercely competitive online F-Zero and a game I couldn't stop playing. This game should come with a warning - the most addictive game ever made.
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