The Unlockables: Eric's Top 10 Games of 2023
What is going on everyone, my name is Eric and I am the host of what has essentially become the number #1 Tetsuya Nomura fan podcast known as the Unlockables. Before I begin today I just want to give a huge shoutout to Dave, Dylan and Lile of the Offshore Gamecast for inviting me back for a THIRD year to write about some of my gaming experiences in 2023. I always appreciate the opportunity to flex my writing muscles, something that I definitely don’t get to do often enough. If you aren’t listening to Offshore Gamecast at this point, then I don’t know what you’re doing, go and give them a follow NOW.
2023 was a great year for people who love games. Some are even calling it one of the best years for video games ever and it’s hard to disagree with that statement. We saw the releases of tons of long-promised AAA games that delivered on the hype, as well as smaller games that became smash hits. A lot of projects that were delayed because of the pandemic finally saw the light of day, and it was worth the wait. When we look back at the year 2023 I think we’ll fully realize the wide breadth of games we got.
But, I’ll be honest, I didn’t even play enough games from 2023 to make a top ten list of games from this year. That wasn’t for lack of trying, as I managed to be pulled into several games by the hype cycle. I found myself retreading a lot of old ground this year, playing games that I had beaten before or finally clearing off some games that had long languished on my backlog. And the biggest change of all occurred half way through this year when my wife and I announced that we had a baby on the way due in March of 2024. Video games have always been more than just games, more than just mindless distraction, more than art. To me, games have always been mile markers on the memories I make, tying together memories of events that happened throughout the year. I found this especially fitting for 2023 considering my wife and I literally got the biggest news we could get. So for that reason, instead of giving you yet ANOTHER “Top 10 of 2023” list, I wanted to talk about my Top 10 Most Memorable Gaming Experiences in 2023.
10. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)
It might come as a surprise that the Zelda title on this list is NOT Tears of the Kingdom. My relationship with Zelda has been hit or miss over the years. It had always managed to tangentially intersect with my life at very specific points, but it wasn’t until Breath of the Wild that my interest in the series truly grew. Since that time, I’ve been going back to play older Zelda games, managing to knock at least one off the backlog every year for the past few years. I’d heard so many great things about so many Zelda titles but the one that always stuck out to me was The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. The Game Boy Advance is one of my favorite consoles of all time, holding a very special place in my heart. So it made sense to play The Minish Cap this year considering it was added to the Nintendo Online Game Boy Advance offering. And I’m happy to report, it more than lived up to the offering. It was an absolute joy exploring this version of Hyrule. Gathering an arsenal of tools and traipsing across the map to solve puzzles and discover hidden areas was incredibly rewarding. But what really blew me away was the mechanic unique to this Zelda game: the ability to shrink down to microscopic size and interact with the world. With this added dimension, homes became entire worlds. The layouts of towns had a different perspective. Some puzzles even required exploration of the larger world while small. The world of the Minish Cap is cleverly designed to compliment this mechanic, taking advantage of it in nearly every area. I’ve been lukewarm on 2D Zelda for a while, enjoying them while never quite giving them as high praise as everyone else. With the Minish Cap, I think I finally get it.
9. Metroid Fusion (GBA)
The Metroidvania genre is one of my favorites in gaming, and despite never having played a Castlevania game and only playing about half of what the Metroid series has to offer, I’ve still grown to love and appreciate this style of game. Metroid Fusion was my first ever experience with the Metroid series when I was a kid, and I was enamored with it from the beginning. But I have a confession to make. I never finished it. Fusion’s greatest strength is the way it uses the limited power of the GBA to create a truly unsettling atmosphere of fear and isolation. I felt genuine anxiety and trepidation with every room I entered, knowing that the dreaded SA-X Samus clone that hunted me could be around any corner ready to end my life. The years went by and I’m happy to say I’ve grown up a bit. I’d like to think I’m a little braver than I used to be as a kid. So I decided to finally revisit Fusion having completed Metroid Dread not too long ago. I had in fact grown up a bit and was able to make my way through the game. But there’s still something deeply unsettling about Metroid Fusion. As you explore the halls of the ruined space station you feel truly alone. Every aspect of Fusion’s design is meant to make you feel isolated, on edge, like you are being watched. Your computer AI companion adds to this stress, informing Samus at every turn that the odds of her survival are low and that the SA-X follows in your steps at every turn. Upon completing the I felt a sense of accomplishment from my younger self as Metroid Fusion cemented itself as my favorite Metroid game.
8. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars / Super Mario RPG Remake (SNES / Switch)
Okay I’m sort of cheating with this next entry, but there is no way I could talk about one of these games without the other. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is an immensely important game to me. It was my introduction to RPGs, far and away my favorite genre of game today, and my introduction to Yoko Shimomura, whose music has had a permanent impact on my life. So when it was announced that this game was getting a remake after all these years, I was ecstatic. This game had seemingly been left to time. The Paper Mario and Mario and Luigi series had carried on Mario RPG’s legacy, and the most relevance the game had seen in a long time was a fan push to include Geno in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. But we were getting a remake that would be out THIS YEAR. Unable to contain my excitement I knew I had to revisit the original. I was a little bit nervous, I won’t lie. Nostalgia has a way of warping our memories, making things seem better than they actually were. It had been almost 15 years since I revisited Mario RPG and had nothing but great memories. Did I really want to disturb those memories? Well I did and I had a GREAT time. Mario RPG is unique amongst Mario games. It feels, acts, and looks like a Mario game but there are so many little quirks and weird elements that make it incredibly charming and memorable. The Super Mario RPG remake enhances every single one of those elements while remaining true to the original, while adding in a few quality of life and end game additions to make the experience feel more like a modern RPG. If your only experience with Mario RPG games is Paper Mario or Mario and Luigi, then you owe it to yourself to go and check out the Super Mario RPG remake.
7. Fire Emblem Engage (Switch)
I’ve found myself in the unusual position this year of being an adamant defender of a few games that were divisive in their respective communities. Fire Emblem Engage was the first of these games. I’ve been a fan of Fire Emblem since Fire Emblem Seven first came over to the United States on the Game Boy Advance following the success of Advance Wars. I’ve gone out of my way to play nearly every title so I’ve seen the best and worst of what the series has to offer. Now as an old school Fire Emblem fan, I know and understand that a lot of new fans came to the series because of Fire Emblem Three Houses which is arguably the most successful game in the series. Engage is not Three Houses. Its narrative is a jumbled mess of JRPG tropes that make it difficult to care about the story or characters. The relationship building aspect is significantly scaled down and less of a focus than Three Houses. Plus the design of Alear the main protagonist was memed almost immediately, drawing comparisons to the company colors of Pepsi and Colgate. However, underneath that mess is an absolutely brilliant tactical RPG. Three Houses made a lot of concessions in its gameplay to cater to new audiences such as removing the weapon triangle and completely loosening class and character restrictions. A lot of these systems return in Engage making it a playground for players who love to tinker with stats, minmaxing, and optimal strategies. Thanks to the rings and Engage system, every stat of every character can be customized to an incredible degree, giving you more freedom than ever over the type of characters you’ll play and the style of army you’ll create. Engage’s narrative may be disappointing, but the moment to moment emergent gameplay more than make up for it. I’m much more invested in the narrative I create for myself in each battle. Perhaps I put a unit in a bad spot but it managed to take out a horde of enemies while barely surviving. That is a story unique to me and makes the moment to moment gameplay in Engage so….well…engaging. From a gameplay perspective, Engage is the best Fire Emblem to come out in a long time, and I’m not ashamed to say that.
6. Sea of Stars (Switch)
Sea of Stars was highly anticipated but I don’t think I heard about it until a month before it came out. But I’m glad I did. This is by far my favorite turn based RPG that has come out this year. The pixel and sprite based art style is absolutely incredible, creating a vibrant world that is enchanting to explore. It incorporates so many mechanics from other RPGs and seamlessly makes them feel like a natural part of the game such as the timing based combat of Super Mario RPG and the timeline battle system featured in Final Fantasy X. It features an amazing cast of characters that are varied, genuine and lovable. It also features Zelda-esque dungeon sections that emphasize puzzle solving using different abilities. A lot of RPGs play it safe, too afraid to kill off characters or introduce plot twists that might be too jarring or sudden. But while playing Sea of Stars there were moments that truly connected with me emotionally, and the stakes set up by the world and story felt genuinely overwhelming at times. You could really feel the threat not only to the world but the universe at large as you approached the game’s conclusion. Sea of Stars wears its heart on its sleeve, and I know this will be a game that I come back to revisit many more times to come. Oh did I mention that one of the primary methods of travel is being thrown from one island to the next in a sphere by a giant rock Titan.
5. Ori and the Blind Forest (Steam Deck)
Ori had been on my backlog for a long time. Ever since Moon Studios released it in 2015, I had always meant to go back and play it because it looked so incredible. But I always found reasons to push it off. Finally, in 2023, I decided enough was enough. It was time to play Ori and the Blind Forest. And let me tell you, every expectation and preconceived notion I had going in could not have prepared me for how incredible the gameplay was and how hard the game punched me right in my emotions. I had tears in my eyes from the opening moments of the game and that’s when I knew I was playing something truly special. At its core, Ori is a Metroidvania and a platformer but I would argue that it has more platformer DNA. Sure you slowly acquire new powers and abilities that help you explore previously unreachable areas of the map but the movement is what really stands out. I’ve always enjoyed exploration in Metroidvanias and the feeling you get when you get a new ability that can help you explore a brand new area is second to none, but Ori takes it to another level. By the end of the game you’ll be climbing, wall jumping, and zooming across huge gaps as you grapple with the sheer scope and size of the forest you’re exploring. It was a game in which I truly felt small. But more than that, it is a game about love, loss, protecting the balance of nature, parenthood, and misunderstood rage. My favorite games of all time are able to connect with me on an emotional level, and I now count Ori as one of them.
4. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (Switch)
This one was probably obvious because I mentioned it back when talking about Fire Emblem Engage. Advance Wars 1 and 2 for the GBA are some of my favorite games ever. Easily top 10. I was introduced to them by my best friend and we spent many late nights at sleepovers playing Advance Wars. These are some of my core memories. I keep an emulator installed on my laptop just to play Advance Wars 2 and I’m willing to bet I’ve played it every year for at least the last decade. It is a game I know forwards and backwards, inside and out, up, down, and every direction in between. So naturally when Advance Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp FINALLY released this year after two lengthy delays, I could not wait to get my hands on it. As with Super Mario RPG I was skeptical. You have to understand that I hold these games in such high regard. For some of their weird quirks and balancing issues, those games are perfect. Anything less than that would be unacceptable. Let me tell you something. WayForward NAILED this remake. I could write pages upon pages about how Advance Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp is the perfect remake. It is the remake that all others should be judged against. The essence of the original games on the GBA are perfectly captured with a new look that really evokes the “playing with toy soldiers in a sandbox” feel the games present to you. Every single thing I loved about the originals is recreated with minor quality of life tweaks that make the game even better to play. And the music. THE MUSIC. The original tracks on the GBA are still constantly stuck in my head to this day. It is the music of my childhood, and they somehow managed to make it even BETTER. I’m being pretty irrational for this entry but I don’t care. This is the best remake on the market and it isn’t even close. Go buy this game.
3. Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch)
I’m just going to make this joke early and get it out of the way. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a wonder. Plain and simple. Super Mario World was the first video game I ever played as a kid, so 2D Mario has been with me practically my entire life. Personally, I’ve been a little disappointed with the state of 2D Mario lately. The New Super Mario Bros. line of games were incredibly successful. But to me they just felt so…lifeless and stale compared to other 2D Mario games. Like they were perfected and efficient Mario formulas pumped out onto the Wii. I’m happy to say this is not the case with Wonder. The lifeblood of any Mario is how it can continually be creative around its core verbs of run and jump. This is accomplished by use of the Wonder Flower, which is a collectible in each level that drastically changes the way the game is played to almost psychedelic effect. You might think that these are copied and pasted across the levels but that is not true. Each one is unique to each level which only adds to the replayability. Mario so thoroughly and completely connects me to my childhood and Wonder is no different. Any year that a Mario game comes out, it is arguably the most well made game of that year, and Wonder is no different.
2. Final Fantasy XVI (PS5)
Another game that caused division amongst the fanbase but that shouldn’t be surprising. Final Fantasy is many things but one of its most defining traits is that half of the fans will love it and half of the fans will blame it for ruining Final Fantasy forever. Final Fantasy and Square Enix as a whole hold a very special place in my heart so I was anxiously awaiting the latest installment in the long running RPG series. And my patience was rewarded. Despite the negative feelings that people have about this game, I loved it. No experience in 2023 comes close to topping the time I spent with Final Fantasy XVI. It is a game of tremendous peaks and crushing valleys. One moment you’ll be engaged in a titanic Eikon fight that shakes the very foundations of the world and the next you’ll be taking on mundane fetch quests to decompress. The story of Clive, the world he inhabits and what transpires is captivating. While it takes a predictable turn into Final Fantasy craziness half way through the game, that is what I live for. Despite how convoluted and messy it might get, no one tells a story like Square Enix. This game stands on hype, and the gigantic moments are an absolute spectacle, pushing just a bit further beyond when you think things have finally peaked. I mean you can fight Bahamut in outer space. OUTER. SPACE. I appreciate a more down to earth story as much as the next person, but that is the reason I play video games. I can experience things grounded in reality in the real world. But fighting Bahamut in space? That truly is the realm of video games. Final Fantasy continues to fulfill my wildest fantasy imaginations, and is a step in the right direction after the struggles encountered by 13 and 15.
1. Kingdom Heart 2 (PS4 Collection)
For those of you who know me, this is probably obvious. Kingdom Hearts 2 is my favorite game of all time. It is a game that has been there for me through thick and thin, a comfort that I can retreat to if I feel overwhelmed. I’ve played it during some of the best and worst times of my life. And I got to play it again this year for my Guiding Keys series on my podcast for the first time since I began my relationship with my wife four years ago. Perhaps it was meant to be that I played Kingdom Hearts 2 this year and my wife and I made the exciting announcement that we were expecting our first child. Another memory added to the long list of them that I associate with Kingdom Hearts 2. On the outside, people don’t understand this series. They mock it for nonsensical storytelling, confusing plot threads, and so much more. But at its core, Kingdom Hearts is the most unique video game experience you can possibly have. Just think about it. Not many games would maintain continuity across 20 years and several different platforms while telling a story that, at its core, is about the importance of the bonds you share with people you care about. You might think that its a pain to have to play all of the games to understand what is going on. I would counter that by saying its an experience unlike any you’ll find in the rest of video games as you journey across 20 years of storytelling and discover that the pieces that Tetsuya Nomura lays out for you actually do fit together in an amazing way as you play through the series. There will be no game that ever dethrones Kingdom Hearts 2 as my favorite simply because it is a perfect story of identity, discovery, and being true to those you love. I try to incorporate those lessons into my life on a daily basis. I look forward to the day my son is old enough to play games. And when that day comes, I’ll add one more memory to the personal legacy I have built for Kingdom Hearts 2.