Tyler Readd

The game awards are closing in and it seems like only two contenders currently have a shot at game of the year this year. With Fire Emblem Engage disqualified and Story of Seasons not living even close to the expectations of Tears of the Kingdom or Octopath Traveler 2 it seems these two juggernauts might be the only two clashing it out! And where is Fantasy Life A Girl who steals time? Is it not appearing this year? It surely would be another big one willing to clash with these two juggernauts.

Game: Harvest Moon The Winds of Anthos
Recommendation: ***

Honestly I haven't played One World but Winds of Anthos is a step up from Harvest Moon Light of Hope! I wish there was ore character customization like in the Story of Seasons games but I digress. My biggest complaint with this game is the quest system. I like taking on quests to help grow each of the towns but this is just too much! The endless quests you get from the starting town after you get past it? And then there's the dashing around drains your hearts! Reserve hearts for tasks like farming and animal taming! use a stamina wheel or bar like many games before have! I actually like a lot about this game I like the characters but I'm literally through three of the seasons in my first year and I still feel like I haven't accomplished anything! If you want a chill and cozy game, this isn't it! Honestly I feel more relaxed battling monsters and enemies in other games. I was really tempted to give this game two stars and not three but this game offers us something. Honestly this game isn't really worth getting unless your a workaholic. So sort of like My Time at Portia. Liked the characters, liked how the game had an expansive world to explore. Didn't like the stamina limitations and the endless pit of quests. I'll admit character interactions and events could have been better too. But I stand by what I said. Better than Light of Hope at least.

With Alola now at peace I revisit the land of Hoenn and find that two organizations known as Team Aqua and Team Magma. Last time I was in Hoenn I was there testing my mettle against the Hoenn Gym Leaders. It was then when Team Magma awoken Groudon the Legendary Pokémon of the land. I myself, along with Steven and May worked to stop Groudon and succeeded in doing so. After Groudon's drought Archie thought that it would be a good idea to use Kyogre the Legendary Pokémon of the Sea to undo the damage Groudon had caused. This plan backfired as it caused a torrent that flooded most of Hoenn. Luckily causualties were kept to a minimum thanks to the work of Steven, Wallace, May, and a new Trainer who recently moved to Hoenn, Brendan. They were able to keep Kyogre from flooding Hoenn any further but they were unable to best it. I returned to see Hoenn in complete chaos and both Archie and Maxie were delighted to see me. I knew what I had to do. With Groudon's Poke Ball in hand I sent out Groudon to combat Kyogre and it's Torrent. However I knew that Kyogre had the type advantage and would soon overtake Groudon. A girl known as Zinnia then walked over to me telling me to help her summon the third Legendary Pokémon of Hoenn, Rayquaza. I was skeptical, but I knew that Groudon couldn't keep Kyogre at bay forever. I went with Zinnia to a tower and once at the top she summoned Rayquaza. After that we made our way back to where Groudon and Kyogre were fighting. Kyogre had come out victorious over Groudon. I called Groudon back to it's Poke Ball and Rayquaza and I begin battling against Kyogre. With my experience and Rayquaza's power we were able to best Kyogre and I was able to capture it. I then as one of my final acts in Hoenn called Kyogre and Groudon to restore the land and sea to their original states. Hoenn would have to rebuild some of it's towns and cities but the casualties among the people were kept to a minimum. After fixing the land and sea of Hoenn I placed special seals on Kyogre and Groudon's Poke Balls so that none with an evil or wicked heart could ever touch them. After that I returned them to the chambers were they once laid dormant. With that my journey in Hoenn was complete. Hoenn began spreading the praises of Team Revolution and both Archie and Maxie began wondering how to work to better improve themselves and the region they live in.

With tension in Alola with the looming danger of the Ultra Beasts and the unrest with Team Skull. I Tyler decided to begin Team Revolution's quest for peace in Alola. Alola the region where I founded Team Revolution after exploring various other regions The likes of Hoenn, Sinnoh, Kalos, Kanto, Galar, and before returning to Alola, Paldea. I decided to begin by fixing Alola's issues. Those issues being Team Skull and their thievery, The Aether Foundation and their dark deeds regarding the Ultra Beasts, As well as keeping the Ultra Beasts from tearing apart Alola. Many wonder about Team Revolution but the people of Alola recognize that The Commander of Team Revolution is a man of morality, a man against needless violence. With Alola now at peace Team Revolution moves onward to the next region it will purify. With even the Tapu's of Alola content with all he and Team Revolution have achieved in Alola.

Team Revolution is a Team founded in Alola. After traveling across many different regions, I Tyler, have found that the world of Pokémon is corrupt and it needs cleansing. And so it's my mission to cleanse the world from power hungry people like Team Galactic and Team Rocket. Shine the light on Team Aqua and Team Magma. Tear down the monstrous Team Flare who threaten the worlds existence. But before any of that I need to solve Alola's unrest. Alola is peaceful but Team Skull is causing unrest, and dark rumors about the Aether Paradise are spreading. I'll focus on fixing the unrest in Alola first.

Ok that's a blind I'm the bad guy sign right there.

Ok the demon dragon fight was easy as but come on! A battle against demon dragon Ganondorf? And Divine Dragon Zelda helps you out during the battle? We haven't seen something like this since the Windwaker or Spirit Tracks!

When you'd give everything to eradicate the things that attempt to ruin yor life. Just some Ganondorf out of context.

Wait a second? We have a Skwovet in our house, does that mean we possibly moved from Galar to Paldea? Hidden lore, maybe?

Just from that Flabebe phone case you can tell that Arven is a good guy under his rough demeanor.

Working with Bolson to restore Lurlin Village

Ok I'm just going to say it. I did NOT expect this guy to return. I thought he was finished after his first battle with us. So yeah this was surprising.

We all thought Sidon got rid of Mipha's Statue. Turns out he just made the whole of Ploymous Mountain in Mipha's Court. My bro Sidon gave his sister an upgrade in my opinion!

I actually went and did all 120 shrines in Breath of the Wild in both Normal and Master mode. Now all that's left is a few memories in Master Mode and Armor upgrading. No, I'm not going Korok hunting.

Did this idiot really just reveal themselves as the villain?

Imitation?! Lamani or whatever your name is, not everyone can afford a show at a fancy theater. Octopath Traveler really does a good job at making you hate the boss characters.

Octopath Traveler really does a good job at showing the bad sides of society. Though it does have its good moments too.

Ok the Yiga have definitely improved their disguise skills since Breath of the Wild.

OK WHO DESIGNED THAT GANONDORF SMILE?!?! That's some cursed stuff right there!

Buh Bye again Master Kohga. Please for your sake stay gone this time. It always ends badly for you when we battle.

THIS THING WAS A FLIPPING PAIN!

So if you talk to Yiga Clan members while wearing your Yiga garb they won't engage battle with you. Very cool.

IT SPOTTED ME FROM THAT FAR AWAY!!!!!!

Dude imagine actually having to fight these guys a second time before Ganondorf that'd be insane!

What is it with Modern Zelda and puzzles and terminals. Come on! This isn't puzzle simulator!

So this is my current thoughts on Pokémon games. Pokémon Game Tier List 2023.

Pokémon X and Y Gym Leaders and how strong they are.

It wasn't worth it.

Game: Story of Seasons A Wonderful Life
Recommendation: ****

I have yet to complete the storyline but I have enough experince with the gameplay that I think I can make a fair rating. Four stars, Story of Seasons A Wonderful Life is by far the best Story of Seasons game on Nintendo Switch. I still say that Story of Seasons and Story of Seasons Trio of Towns on 3DS are superior to this remake. Though this remake has a lot of good things about it! More so than Friend of Mineral Town and Pioneers of Olive Town. Character interactions are far more fleshed out. The world you can explore is probably my favorite thing about this game. Don't get me wrong I don't mind the top down view but I like the way you move around and see the world of A Wonderful Life. Top down view games do get kind of old after a while. I do hope they use the same camera style in the next Story of Seasons game. At first I felt the ranching with the animals was too complicated. But in reality it was sort of like my experience with Octopath Traveler. When I first played Octopath Traveler and was battling the crazy bosses in that game I had trouble finding my footing at first but once I found it what I had to do became second nature. The same can be said for taking care of the animals in this game. I love how you get to see how your kid actually grows up in this game also but there are a few things that keep this game from the five star rating. First off the storyline. Don't get me wrong I WANT to see more Story of Seasons where you can customize your character to look older. However, the ending of the storyline is sad and honestly, I don't like it. Like maybe in the next new Story of Seasons game include a more detailed character creator. A character creator where you can add facial hair and other aspects if you want. I mean it's our character we're creating right? But back to the point of the storyline. I feel like the character you play as dying in the end is kind of counterproductive. I mean sure if your kid stays to take over the farm it doesn't feel that way but still. I feel like the storyline itself could have been better written. Or at least the ending could have been better written. But that's just me. Aside from the storyline the game itself is a really fun time. I just feel like the storyline as a whole kind of adds a level of tension, especially in the first year where you have to choose a partner. And in the ending where your character dies I feel like that adds needless drama to a game that otherwise would have been a heartwarming experience. I mean growing old while watching your kid grow up would be a heartwarming experience and seeing what path they choose. But killing off your character in the end is kind of excessive in my opinion, very unnecessary. But overall, aside from that one issue the way your kid has different paths and having a chosen profession would be something I'd like to see in future Story of Seasons games. I feel like XSeed and Marvelous were onto something when they made this game, they just couldn't really land it. But maybe they will take the best aspects of this game and apply them to future titles. Who knows? Story of Seasons gets a 4 Star Rating from me. And as of posting this, to me, is the best Story of Seasons game on Nintendo Switch!

Game: Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town
Recommendation: ***

There's not really much I can say on this game considering it's pretty much the bare bones farming game in the Story of Seasons franchise. Don't get me wrong, I only started playing the franchise when I played Story of Seasons on the 3DS. And like I said in my Olive Town Recommendation this game is as basic and as bare bones as it gets. My biggest gripes are these three things. First off energy depletes incredibly fast. Probably the fastest I've lost energy in a Story of Seasons game! My second gripe is the fact that events and festivals are pretty bare. I mean even Story of Seasons on 3DS didn't have the best events but they had more competitive events or festivals to even them out with the more social events. Also I'm so bust raising my friendship with others or tending the farm that events in Mineral Town I mostly ignore. And now for the worst issue of them all. The fast day/night cycle. Each day feels like only a few minutes. I mean at first it's fine but as your farm expands it becomes a hassle. Tending all those crops and animals takes up almost if not the entire day! And thats not all the first issue the stamina meter can easily diminish to nothing before you finish. Well, unless you jog over the the hot spring or eat some food. Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town is pretty good. If it fixed the stamina issues and the day/night cycle I'd give this game a four star rating. Unfortunately there are too many notable issues for me to rate it any higher. Aside from those issues great game and a fun time!

Game: Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town
Recommendation: **

Pioneers of Olive Town what can I say about this game? Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town had some serious potential but it ended up falling short. I will say the farming and animal tending was pretty basic which I like. However there are so many problems with this game. The Batchlors and Batchlorettes were bland and uninteresting. Well, except for maybe Linah. But that's besides the point. I do like how they paced the timer for each day in this game though not too fast not to slow. And while it was underwhelming, riding a motorcycle around the map was pretty cool. The map as a whole the interactions with the characters were all pretty bland. Events and festivals were pretty bare bones too. I'd still say it's a leg up from the Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town remake though. This game had potential, but, in the end it got the minimal effort mobile game treatment. I mean it got mor effort than your average mobile game but still, it's pretty underwhelming. The event where you have a child isn't even an event! the sprites just up and find one. I mean a unique change but even so there aren't many events with your kid anyway. You get more memorable moments in Story of Seasons on 3ds! And this is a game on the NINTENDO SWITCH! A console more powerful than the 3ds! I mean Ican cut Mineral Town some slack for being bare bones basic in it's events but this was a new installment in the series. XSeed and Marvelous pulled a Gamefreak and made the Pokémon Sword and Shield of the Story of Seasons franchise. Olive Town had it's moments, but it's just not worth a buy. I mean if you are a hardcore farming fanatic maybe it'll be worth it, but unless you love farming games with a passion I'd skip this one over.

Blind fools they have no clue they are cogs on a machine.

This is why you don't assosiate with money hungry people. My advice, break up!

OMG really lady? I know it's rude to say this but. Your cooking is horrible. I could see black smoke from the sky! Please stop polluting the air and ask Link for some cooking advice. Or at least look up some tutorials online.

NO NINTENDO NO! NO NOT POLITICS! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!! *Begins running far away from Hatenno village*

Yeah I kinda already took care of the monster horde here. You were kinda late pal.

Game: The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
Recommendation: *****

All I can say is bravo Nintendo. You took my every doubt and shoved them back at me. Well, not every doubt but the majority of them. I currently have 155 hours in Tears of the Kingdom and it is as of now my third most played game in my games list sorted by play time. And honestly something tells me it could even make it to the very top spot! I do have some reservations about the game but only a few. First off the shrines. The shrines have been improved upon but they are also far more annoying than in Breath of the Wild. You can easily find a shrine but they you could have to find a cave to get to said shrine and after you do that it's possible you have an actual trial to do after all that searching. I honestly found that really exhausting to be honest. Also there are the temples. Now the temples themselves are rather interesting case. The temples follow the same activate five terminal like things like in Breath of the Wild's divine beasts. But unlike the Divine Beasts rather than battling some Blight Ganon we battle actual bosses that give you that Zelda feel! The boss of the Water Temple Mucktorok was the most underwhelming Temple Boss. It had a cool concept but it just didn't give off that threatening intensity that a Zelda boss normally should. But with all that said lets get into the absolute best parts of the game. The paraglider has so much more customizability. You can also get access to all the amiibo armor as well as he amiibo weapons too! But that's just the beginning! We now have the sky and the Depths to explore. We also have new bosses to battle too! the Flux constructs, the Frox enemies, and the Battle Talus's too! Also, sidequests are far more engaging this time around. The world of Tears of the Kingdom is filled with so much to do in comparison to Breath of the Wild. Tears of the Kingdom despite it's few shortcomings can rival even the best of Zelda games. I'm Talking Windwaker, Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, and dare I say it, even Majoras Mask! While the shrines are annoying they are less repetitive and while the temples aren't the temples/dungeons I enjoyed from older titles. The bosses were able to fill in the void that the temples themselves left behind. Tears of the Kingdom gets a 5 star rating from me. If Tears of the Kingdom doesn't break Breath of the Wilds sales record I don't know what will.

We've got two solid picks for my Game of the Year 2023! Zelda Tears of the Kingdom takes a bold new approach but is it too bold? Does Octopath Traveler 2 cling too much to the basic RPG elements and not explore new roads? Guess you'll have to find out when I do my own personal Game of the Year! But dare I say it is neck and neck between these two!

So guys for the very first Game of the Year award I gave it to Sonic Frontiers. Now granted I didn't play all of Nintendo's games in 2022. However this isn't some massive game awards thing. I mainly choose amongst the games I've played that came out in 2022. The candidates for this year where Sonic Frontiers, Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes, Triangle Strategy, Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, and Pokémon Legends Arceus. Unfortunately I haven't gotten around to Xenoblade Chronicles 3 so it didn't make the cut. Out of all of these here is the standings.

1st Place GoTY: Sonic Frontiers

2nd Place: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

3rd Place: Pokémon Legends Arceus

4rth Place: Triangle Strategy

5th Place: Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes

All of these games brought something to the table. Sonic Frontiers brought back the epic combination of platforming and boss fights plus the new concept of exploration. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet created two amazing storylines and an amazing cast of characters excluding one character in particular. Pokémon Legends Arceus, though it was an experiment I'd say it was a massive success. And honestly, it's story wasn't half bad, but the gameplay is what really makes Legends Arceus shine. Though I'd be fooling myself if Legends Arceus didn't have a cool cast of characters! Triangle Strategy does what no Fire Emblem game could. Triangle Strategy actualy accounts for the players imput and choices and the route changes up depending on your choices. Unlike Fire Emblem which just gives you empty and pointless choices (most of the time) in Triangle Strategy almost every choice counts. It pays to explore the maps during the discussion time. While I despise the concept of people arguing amongst themselves getting your allies to follow your lead after proving a valid argument is quite satisfying. To me it's like bringing everyone together. Also Triangle Strategy has a true ending where everyone survives and can push forward. And honestly reaching that after playing through the three incomplete routes feels really good. And now Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes. Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes well I can say this, it's endings, well most of them are better than those of Three Houses. Also Three Hopes does sort of expand the story and lore that Three Houses left out. There was no Nemesis this time which made more sense. Also seeing the end of Golden Wildfire where Claude interprets that Dimitri had left Rhea and the church to them. That honestly gave Dimitri some well needed points. Also Azure Gleam was actually an improvement from Azure Moon. Why? Well, Edelgard lives and is most likely freed from Thales's curse after he dies. Also, Dimitri doesn't turn into a complete killing machine like in three houses. There are a lot of things that Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes does better than Three Houses. Mainly it's storytelling. Seeing the scene where Edelgard tells Dimitri who really caused the duscur tragedy. Boy I loved that! I loved every second of that! Well minus Edelgard's possession and all. Though it's a good game it still didn't get that satisfying ending I craved. Though I suppose I can live with Edelgard and Dimitri not killing each other.

With all that said congratulations to Sega and Sonic Frontiers for winning Game of the Year. Or at least my personal Game of the Year.

P.S. This is an edited version for an improved image.

I think we all know this reference. Guardian Tales the game filled to the brim with references!