My 2023 in Video Games

2023 is over. That means it’s time to take a look at the games I played in that year and tell you about the good ones.

Best First Plays of 2023

The following games are the best single-player games I played for the first time in 2023 regardless of their original release year.

They are not ordered.

The Making of Karateka (2023, Multiplatform)

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For the second year in a row, I’d like to talk about another great effort by Digital Eclipse. After spending years releasing standard-raising classic game compilations like Atari 50 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, Digital Eclipse moved into new territory with The Making of Karateka, which as its name suggests is instead a deep dive on a single landmark title in video game history. As loving and information-rich as, say, Atari 50 was with its subject matter, The Making of Karateka is perhaps even more overflowing with interviews, design documents, and other development materials that present a classic game in an unprecedented level of detail.

Of course, it’s not just a piece of documentary software. You can play old prototypes, just about every home computer version ever released, and a new remaster by Digital Eclipse as well. If that’s not enough, they also included an entire documentary chapter on Deathbounce, the game Karateka creator Jordan Mechner designed and ultimately abandoned immediately before starting Karateka. Naturally, they included the original versions of that game, too, and a new twin-stick remaster for good measure.

It’s a work that needs to be played to be fully appreciated, and I guarantee you’ll learn something if you give it a try. Best of all, it’s the first entry in Digital Eclipse’s “Gold Master Series”, which means we get to enjoy more of the company’s excellent retro game stewardship in the future. As a matter of fact, they’ve already announced a game about Jeff Minter that I absolutely cannot wait for.

Pentiment (2022, Xbox/PC)

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Pentiment isn’t a perfect game, but it’s special in enough ways to make it well worth your time. It takes place in Bavaria as Europe is exiting the medieval period and follows the exploits of Andreas Maler, an artist trying to find his way in life. While its striking visuals created to match art from the period make a positive first impression, it’s the little Bavarian town and its vignettes you’ll experience over the course of decades that make the game. The meticulous research done by the team at Obsidian is evident in nearly every scene and depiction of life in the game. It’s a delight to behold, and the themes of life dissatisfaction and uncertainty explored through Maler’s experiences are wonderfully relatable to 21st century players.

As another game that is mostly about walking around and talking to people to solve mysteries, I highly recommend this to any enjoyers of Disco Elysium, but do know you’re getting into something rather different. It’s not as brilliantly written as Disco Elysium, but it’s a lovely period piece in a medium that doesn’t offer a ton of those and in a way only this medium can. Give it a look.

Diabolical Pitch (2012, 360 Kinect)

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One of the stupider games I’ve ever loved, Diabolical Pitch is a baseball-themed shooting gallery Kinect game from the mind of Suda51. You play as Nigel McAllister, a star pitcher whose chance to play in the championship series appears to have gone up in flames after his injury in the qualifying series. In a depressed stupor, McAllister finds himself in a horrible car accident only to awaken at a cursed carnival with a new prosthetic arm. He’s told that if he can survive the horrors of the carnival, the powers that be will grant him one wish. Seeing this as an opportunity to solve his little injury problem, McAllister agrees and takes on the hordes of evil animatronic animals before him with the only logical weapon: thrown baseballs.

I’m gonna be honest, the gameplay found herein is pretty limited by nature of the Kinect and is fairly mid, but I love the whole stupid concept. As you may imagine, you kill bad guys by miming throwing balls at them. Occasionally you’ll earn the titular Diabolical Pitch, which is just a super move you choose from a list of several. To perform these, you must assume a certain pitching or batting stance, and I found the activation of these remarkably easy and reliable. There may be little more to this game than waving your arms around a bunch, but it’s the kind of weird kusoge I live for.

Do remember that the Xbox 360 store closes later this year, so be sure to buy this game before then if you are interested.

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (2008, DS [1992, SFC])

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As I continue my slow march through the Dragon Quest series in release order, I’m pleased to report that Dragon Quest V absolutely rules. It’s got all the usual Dragon Quest trappings and charm, but it also introduces monster recruitment, giving it some Pokémon or SMT elements of fun. It’s also got probably my favorite Dragon Quest story so far and one that follows the protagonist’s life from boyhood to adulthood, allowing for some fun multigenerational, passage of time stuff. It probably didn’t hurt that it dealt with themes of the legacy of one’s dead father, but y’know, sometimes it’s nice to play something personally affecting.

Most importantly of all, Dragon Quest V challenged the excellent Dragon Quest III for the title of my favorite Dragon Quest, which I was convinced would never happen. It’s still a tough call, so all I can suggest is that you play both and decide for yourself.

Hi-Fi Rush (2023, Xbox/PC)

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Hi-Fi Rush is one of the actual video games released by a major publisher in 2023. Please interpret what I mean by that statement as annoyingly as possible because that’s probably how I mean it. It’s a beautiful character action rhythm game, and just the statement of that particular genre hybrid should hopefully be enough to excite you. Play this instead of the bloated, photoreal, mechanically overwrought games everybody keeps putting out today. You’ll be glad you did.

Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball (2013, 3DS)

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Oops, here’s another little weird baseball game. If that screenshot above isn’t enough to convince you to play this, I don’t know what will. But anyway, the 3DS eShop is closed, so I don’t know how you’ll manage even if you want to.

Best Multiplayer Experiences of 2023

This year may have been my slowest year for multiplayer stuff yet, but at least one of my absolute favorite franchises returned in a format I would never have guessed.

F-Zero 99 (2023, Switch)

The release of this game was really something else on a personal level. I received something like six texts from various friends essentially congratulating me on the end of F-Zero’s long, long, long 18ish-year release drought. I wrote up my initial thoughts here, most of which still stand, but I would also add that I’ve been very pleased with the stuff they’ve added since launch. In addition to the obvious additional GPs, they’ve also launched new modes and are currently running a winter seasonal event. As much as I’m not a live service guy, it does feel kind of special to be playing a living, breathing F-Zero game after years of series dormancy. These kinds of little updates keep the player base alive, and I need it to stay that way so I can finally snag those elusive King and Queen GP wins. Here’s to lots more racing in 2024. F-Zero lives.

WBSC eBaseball: Power Pros (2023, Multiplatform)

Not unlike F-Zero, Konami’s Power Pros series hasn’t had a US release in quite some time. It does well in Japan, but I suppose its chibi art style doesn’t have broad appeal in the States. Unlike F-Zero, though, I only became aware of it mere months before this game shadow-dropped after a Nintendo Direct earlier this year. Listed for just $0.99, the game is threadbare, with online multiplayer and local exhibition play being the only offerings, but it’s a blast to play. Pitching and batting both feel nice and (mostly) balanced, and hitting homers really fuckin’ rules. It’s not a game that will win over any non-baseball fans, but I hope it did well enough in the US to hopefully encourage Konami (lol) to localize another main-series entry. I somehow amassed 60+ hours in this little dollar game, so I’d love to play the full-featured product. While I wait, maybe I’ll get around to playing the Wii MLB Power Pros game. Maybe it’ll be in next year’s wrap up?

Games I Made in 2023

I made a couple little Atari 2600 in games in 2023! King Bee I think is particularly cute. Both are of course free to play on the 2600 emulator or flash cart of your choosing. While I wrote these in bAtari Basic, I hope to write my first game 100% in assembly this year before (probably) moving on from developing for the hardware.

Keeper

Keeper is a little ballgame. There’s very little to it, but I wrote all about it here.

King Bee

King Bee is a little shooting game about a bee who has to reclaim his hive. I wrote about it here. This is one that I actually think is a tiny bit fun, and I would be so pleased if anyone played it.

Final Thoughts

There are too many god damn games, and I have too many interests outside of them too. Someone please help me tolerate this world full of wonder and enrichment.

All Games Beaten in 2023

Beaten:
01/21 - Tempest 4000 (Xbone)
01/25 - Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (PS4)
01/31 - Dadish 3 (Xbone)
02/01 - Pentiment (XSX)
02/03 - GoldenEye 007 (XSX [N64])
02/10 - Diabolical Pitch (XBLA Kinect)
02/19 - Metroid Fusion (3DS [GBA])
02/28 - Akka Arrh (XSX)
03/04 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (PS5 [Arcade])
03/08 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (PS5 [GB])
03/11 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers (PS5 [GB])
03/17 - Like a Dragon: Ishin! (PS5 [PS4])
03/24 - Harold’s Walk (New 3DS)
03/24 - Cannon Spike (Arcade)
03/28 - Harold Reborn (New 3DS)
04/03 - Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch [GC])
04/07 - Gargoyle’s Quest II: The Demon Darkness (3DS [NES])
04/20 - Art Style: PiCTOBiTS (DSiWare)
05/05 - Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (DS [SFC])
05/09 - The Dark Queen (PC)
05/11 - Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe (Switch [Wii])
05/28 - Sonic the Fighters (XBLA [Arcade])
06/18 - Bowser’s Fury (Switch)
07/15 - Mysteries Under Lake Ophelia (Switch)
07/23 - Gunblade NY (Arcade)
07/23 - Quick & Crash (Arcade)
07/29 - Phoenix (2600)
08/05 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)
08/14 - Kirby’s Dream Land 3 (Switch [SNES])
09/04 - PowerSlave Exhumed (PS4 [Saturn/PS1])
09/05 - Karateka Remastered (PS5 [Apple II])
09/13 - BoxBoy! (3DS)
09/26 - Mortal Kombat 1 (PS5)
10/31 - Splatterhouse (Switch [Arcade])
11/20 - Hi-Fi Rush (XSX)
12/19 - Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball (3DS)
12/28 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (PS5 [Arcade])
12/28 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (PS5 [Genesis])

Completed:
02/07 - GoldenEye 007 (XSX [N64])
03/08 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (PS5 [GB])
03/24 - Harold’s Walk (New 3DS)
04/07 - Gargoyle’s Quest II: The Demon Darkness (3DS [NES])
05/09 - The Dark Queen (PC)
07/23 - Quick & Crash (Arcade)

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Progress - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018 - 2019 - 2020 - 2021 - 2022 - 2023
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Finished - 0024 - 0041 - 0034 - 0022 - 0025 - 0014 - 0019 - 0025 - 0038 - 0060 - 0042 - 0038
Complete - 0000 - 0004 - 0005 - 0001 - 0002 - 0001 - 0002 - 0002 - 0006 - 0006 - 0005 - 0006
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