So. Many. Games. To be fair, that’s every year. But it hits that bit more when I think back to what I’d said in the Look Ahead To 2024 article. That Nintendo’s roster of releases would likely be light as the Switch successor approaches. Oh, that absolutely was not the case. As seen with some of the games I’ll be highlighting in this look back at the year. And we still haven’t seen the Switch successor! But it shouldn’t be too long, now.
Star Wars Outlaws did release this year. Which I was happy with. Ubisoft have crafted some great worlds to explore with this one, with an accurate depiction of Mos Eisley included. A large update made some drastic changes to a core part of the game, which has been interesting to see in action. This year also saw Aspyr release the Battlefront Classic Collection. It’s been good to have them on the Switch, even if the launch state left a sour taste.
Sonic Generations is one of my favourite Sonic games. The one that really got me invested into the franchise to make it one of my cores. And so a remaster that also included an extra campaign focused on Shadow was going to be bought instantly. Sonic’s side is just as good as ever, with Shadow’s side providing some great new levels to speed through. And some nice interactions with Maria and Gerald Robotnik.
The Pokémon Presents on Pokémon Day announced Legends: Z-A. But, surprisingly, with a 2025 date. That left no main series game releasing for the first time in almost ten years. What did release was the mobile app Trading Card Game Pocket. I do love the artwork on Pokémon cards, so to be able to collect them and easily look at them was a win for me. Future updates will be bringing more cards to get. I’m hoping Umbreon and Espeon are soon to come.
There’s a Power Rangers game at last! Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind might not have been the original action-adventure game I was hoping for, but it’ll do. It’s a nice enough beat ‘em up that changes things up when the zords come into the action. And I do love that for once the zords get some focus, rather than just forming the megazord for a fight.
I’ve got a love of the Harvest Moon games. Those now known as Story of Seasons. And I also love Picross games. So when it was announced that a game would combine the two, I had to pick it up. And for all of March, I was totally invested in it. Completing every puzzle the game offered, reliving the nostalgia of the old Harvest Moon games. Which led me to very quickly invest in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, the remake of the GameCube classic. One I hadn’t played before yet one I loved.
Of the Nacon Life games released, Taxi Life has been my favourite of the lot. A 1:1 recreation of part of Barcelona to take on jobs driving people around the city. Clients will sometimes want to be picked up in a certain type of car. There are special jobs where a client will want to get somewhere fast, or require much careful driving than usual. The light management aspects, of hiring extra drivers to work shifts, is also welcomed. It’s such a great simulation.
One game that surprised me during Racing Month was that of New Star GP. A retro-styled F1 racer, its campaign takes places across many decades. Offering up the old, slower racers of the 80s all the way to the modern speed beasts of the 2020s. It controlled great, with a nice sense of wear to parts that would slowly decrease the smooth driving. It was very much a lovely alternative to the more realistic F1 racers, and one I much prefer.
In the last few months, I’ve been curious about dipping my toes into a soulslike. I’ve been eyeing up Dark Souls. But then comes the Jingle Jam, which one the games it offered being Another Crab’s Treasure. A lovely, colourful soulslike that provides plenty of challenging combat. Enemies drop a material that is used to upgrade stats. There’s a skill tree to improve combat efficiency with new moves. And bosses that can prove quite a challenge. Simply lovely.
Much like with A Wonderful Life, this next one is also a GameCube classic I was happy to experience for the first time on Switch. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is often regarded as the best of the series. So I wanted to see for myself how good it was. And the answer is very. A brilliant cast of characters that offer up a lot of fun interactions. Varied areas to wander through. And a combat system that kept me engaged throughout.
Speaking of RPGs, I’ve been a Dragon Quest fan for a long time thanks to the spin-off games. Rocket Slime being a large factor of that being a fan. I’ve given a few of the main series games a play, but never completed any. So with the announcement of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (and the first two coming next year), I saw this as an opportunity. And so play it to completion I did, enjoying every bit of it. A very fun time that had me looking forward to giving more of them a play.
And lastly for the RPGs of the year is Sand Land. As stated with the TV & Film look back, I was interested in the game from its announcement. A good mix of on-foot fighting and vehicle combat, it was a joy to play around in this world. While I felt the first story it adapted felt weaker than the series, the second story was able to be told in a much more natural way. Despite the weaker first story, it has still become my favourite game of the year. Another one I loved every minute of.
I’ve had my eye on the Mario Party games that released on the Switch, but felt I wanted to wait for the right one. Super Mario Party Jamboree felt the right one. Touted as the largest Mario Party yet, the boards that it features have been great. The various extra modes it also holds are great fun, too. I’ve spent quite a bit of time competing on the Koopathlon mode, managing to get quite close to winning a fair few times. Not yet played against friends, but I’m sure some games will be had in 2025.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is one I had been wanting to get to. And not only because it would mean a smaller install size compared to 2020. It was said that the world would be a recreated more accurately thanks to improved technology. And indeed, some has been. But most of it, especially any urban areas, are absolute hellscapes. Not the sort of places you want to be walking around, as this new game allows. At least there’s easy access to the free camera when paused for some great photos.
And lastly, Games Advent Calendar 2024. Yes, a new one was made. And… I’m mixed on it. There’s some great new games that have been added which appeal to the score chaser in me. Trying to beat that time in Bobsleigh Relay, or gaining a high score on Snowball Blast. But then it’s also difficult to overlook the optimisation issues, which include the game freezing a few seconds sometimes when the song that’s playing changes. Still, it’s been a nice time opening it up each day to play, same as last year.
There has been so many games I’ve played across this year. But what I’ve featured here have been among the best experiences I’ve had. Looking at what’s already been announced for 2025, I can say that next year will be one of the best. What with the Switch successor and the games it will bring in its first year. Especially if Nintendo have been working on a schedule of hits for its launch year, much how the Switch launched in 2017. Speculation on that can wait until the look ahead to 2025, however.
Images Taken From:
Sonic X Shadow Generations – All Movie Cutscenes | Mixeli
New Star GP | Nintendo Switch [Handheld]
Sand Land | Xbox Series S
