Ten Most Anticipated Games of 2013

Oh look, it’s the start of a new year. Looking back, 2012 was a rather dull year for me in terms of video games. It felt like there were a whole slew of games, both high profile and independent, released this year, and yet the only games I was really excited for before their launch were Rhythm Heaven Fever, Xenoblade Chronicles, Lollipop Chainsaw, and Kirby’s Dream Collection (I also bought The Last Story out of obligation). This year, however, is already looking much different when it comes to games I’m interested in. that’s why to start off 2013, I decided to create a list of the ten video games I’m most interested in this year.

This is a list of games that are currently scheduled to be released in the United States this year that I am most excited for. They are listed in alphabetical order so don’t look at this list expecting some kind of ranking of my anticipation for each game. In addition, prepare to learn just how bad I am at finishing video games. That’s a habit I should fix.

NYCC 2012: The Wonderful 101 Impressions

During Nintendo’s E3 presentation this past year, I found myself disappointed with Nintendo’s showcase of Wii U games. I was certainly excited for Pikmin 3, but nothing else really got me excited for the Wii U as a system at the time. It also didn’t help that Pikmin 3 was the first game shown; resulting in the rest of the show feeling like a letdown. The day after Nintendo’s presentation, I watched a trailer for a Wii U game tentatively titled Project P-100. It was a game developed by Platinum Studios and published by Nintendo. After watching the trailer, my immediate reaction was, “Why wasn’t this shown at the presentation?!” I thought the game looked great. I knew I had to try it because the game looked like a potential system seller.

Let’s fast-forward to this year’s New York Comic Con. The game has already been renamed to The Wonderful 101 and is available to try and Nintendo’s booth. As you are probably aware of by now, I just had to try it out. Turns out it’s just as awesome to play as it looks.

NYCC 2012: Wii U and Nintendo Land Impressions

This past weekend, I went to New York Comic Con at the Javits Center in New York City. One of the many things I was looking forward to during the show was finally getting my hands on the Wii U at Nintendo’s booth. Appropriately enough, the first game I tried was Nintendo’s pack in title for the deluxe version of the Wii U, Nintendo Land. Of Nintendo Land’s 12 mini-games, I got to try out Metroid Blast, Luigi’s Ghost Mansion, and The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest. This was also my first time experiencing the Wii U console itself. As a first impression of the console, I have to say I was very impressed.

NYCC 2012: PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Impressions

Let’s be honest here; PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale exists because Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros series is a huge seller. To be fair, the idea of a PlayStation version of Smash Bros has been a game PlayStation fans have been wanting for a while now. It only makes sense for Sony to give the fans what they want. With that in mind, I decided to try the game out at New York Comic Con with an open mind. After playing the game, I can say that PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is not a Smash Bros clone. Unfortunately, I can’t say it’s as good as Smash Bros, either.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012) Episode One Impressions

When Nickelodeon showed an early sneak peek of their new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series in early 2011, I was genuinely concerned with the direction they were taking the show. No, I wasn’t concerned that this show would be “ruining my childhood” for some stupid reason. The first teaser video featured both Donatello and Michelangelo with new weapons. The concern came from the fear that the series would try changing things in the Turtles mythos simply for the sake of change. That said, I still managed to keep an open mind and give the series premiere a fair chance this past Saturday.

Once the episode was done, any concern I had went away.