It’s that magical time of year again. May 2023 has come round rather fast and while we eagerly await the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, May is special to us for another reason as well. Having founded Miketendo64 in May 2015, this year marks our humble little site’s eighth anniversary and as you might expect, we’re feeling rather nostalgic.
So nostalgic, in fact, that the original Miketendo64 bros. and founders of our outlet, have reflected on their three most favourite Nintendo published games of each year the site has been running. Sure, 2023 isn’t even halfway through yet, but three stand-out titles have already shown themselves to us and these are our three best Nintendo games of 2023:
M64 Retrospective | Our 3 Best Nintendo Games of 2023:
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo Switch)
Jack: We do not need to play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to know this game is going to be one of our most beloved games of this year. We’ve already spent six years being mesmerized by Breath of the Wild. The story could be an absolute dumpster dive, but Ganondorf is back, looking like an absolute BOSS and let’s be honest, we’ve all seen the trailers.
The level of creativity we have seen already makes us salivate over the thought of the many other things we can attempt to manufacture. Maybe it’s a good thing the Master Sword winds up the way it does because now we have a game that will force us to master our imaginations, forging a unique adventure for all of us who play it.
Mike: Miketendo64 has essentially come full circle with the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Zelda U was where we began and now, we have the highly anticipated sequel for one of the best Zelda games we have ever played. To think that this game is going to take everything that made BOTW so great and crank it up to 11 is simply mind blowing.
Players were really creative with what they could do in BOTW and now the “Nuts and Bolts” themed mechanics that were well ahead for their time, will have players reaching newer heights of creativity (pun fully well intended as Tears of the Kingdom will have players explore islands in the sky as well as the land of Hyrule below), and we are all for it.
Metroid Prime Remastered (Nintendo Switch)
Jack: The wait for Metroid Prime 4 is never-ending, but at least Metroid fans finally have something to sink their teeth into with Metroid Prime Remastered. It has been long rumoured that such a game would come to the Nintendo Switch and now it finally has and it’s easily cemented itself as being one of the best games released this year. Samus Aran is an amazing character, with an amazing history and after the brilliant Metroid Dread, it’s great to be able to play something Metroid related again.
The thing that really gets me when I think about Metroid Prime Remastered and how good of a game that it is, is when you consider the fact that the original Metroid Prime was released on the Nintendo GameCube back in 2002. The game is just over twenty years old and with updated graphics, it completely holds up as one of the greatest first-person shooter games ever developed.
Mike: The long wait for Metroid Prime 4 has been agonizing for many fans and with the hype built up around it, I am eager to play the game myself. Even more now that I have played Metroid Prime Remastered on Switch.
I am quite a fan of first-person shooter games and whilst Metroid Prime Remastered labels itself more as a “first-person Adventure” game, it was still a game that was right up my alley. I love DOOM and DOOM Eternal but even I can get tired of unending violence and gore at times. The fast-paced action of those games left little space for casual exploration as well.
In MPR however, there was still plenty of shooty shooty bang bang fun time to be had but exploration was highly encouraged with many secret areas hiding very useful power-ups to make tackling the game’s bosses that little bit easier. That isn’t all though as 100% completion would treat players to some amazing artwork and soundtracks to listen to as well!
Fire Emblem Engage (Nintendo Switch)
Jack: In a lot of ways, Fire Emblem Engage is the game the first Fire Emblem Warriors should have been. It was something that offered players a new experience with new characters, taking inspiration from the likes of Awakening and Fates and packaged together in such a way that it is hard to deny how good a game Fire Emblem Engage is.
I really enjoyed Fire Emblem: Three Houses and everything it has to offer, but Fire Emblem Engage ties together classic features and new ideas, together in such a way that even when crafting the game’s story, the developers were able to bring back beloved heroes from the series’ many instalments and made them an integral part of the game’s story.
It might feel easier to some in terms of gameplay and difficulty, but honestly, that just makes it all the more accessible to those new to the SRPG genre and in a lot of ways, Engage acts as the perfect starting point for anyone who has yet to play a Fire Emblem game.
Mike: I wouldn’t call myself a huge fan of the Fire Emblem series but I do respect and admire anyone who is. Fire Emblem Engage is the latest instalment in the series in the time of writing this feature and wow! What a great game it is. It has all the hallmarks of a typical Fire Emblem game with its turn-based strategic combat, the weapon triangle, and likeable characters.
The game’s story is probably its weakest point but the inclusion of Fire Emblem’s iconic heroes from previous entries in the series makes Fire Emblem Engage all the more special and is a celebration of the series as a whole.
As much as I enjoyed Fire Emblem Three Houses, I can easily admit that I enjoyed Fire Emblem Engage that much more. I find it a fine example as an entry point to the series that will introduce you to some of the many memorable characters in the Fire Emblem universe.
We would like to take this moment to thank all of you who have shared in our journey for the last eight years. It’s been a hell of a ride and if you’d like to know what other games made our best of list, we hope you’ll check out our other instalments of this mini-series.
Until next time, keep on gaming.
