Drainus from Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth developer Team Ladybug is an essential shoot 'em up with its superb gameplay, excellent visuals, and replay value. It is accessible to newcomers and truly shines on Steam Deck. Hopefully online leaderboards get added in a future update because this is one of the best games of the year so far.

Persona 4 Golden is a masterpiece and one of the best JRPGs ever. If you've waited for a competent version of Persona 4 Golden on PS4, your wait has been worth it, but Atlus should've done more for those playing on PS5 and PS4 Pro.

NeverAwake is a game that feels perfect for short sessions on Switch. The visuals are a bit blurry on Nintendo’s hybrid console, but the cutbacks are all justified thanks to the gameplay being responsive across the board. While I didn’t care for some parts of certain levels, NeverAwake is an essential if you like twin-stick shooters, and a game I see myself coming back to very often.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is the perfect JRPG for Monster Hunter fans and those looking to dive into a memorable adventure with gorgeous visuals on Nintendo Switch.

Despite some difficulty spikes, Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is one of the best metroidvanias I've played in years, with gorgeous visuals, remarkable atmosphere, and amazing soundtrack.

It has always been hard to get people to play Corpse Party with the definitive version being only on Nintendo 3DS. Thankfully, that isn't a problem anymore and Xseed Games has made it easier than ever to play one of the best horror experiences of all time through this Corpse Party (2021) release which is an essential for fans of the genre on Nintendo Switch.

The wait for The King of Fighters 98 Ultimate Match Final Edition on PS4 was long, but it has been worth it. Having experienced it on Steam already since the rollback update hit, KOF 98 Ultimate Match Final Edition is an essential for those looking to get into a classic KOF online on PS4. It is unfortunate that SNK did not include the arranged soundtrack and 3D background options to make this the most complete version though.

Sumire is a short but brilliant emotional adventure about getting the most out of limited time by experiencing love, friendship, growth, loss, and more.

Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection sees Atlus' most consistently great franchise return after a long absence. While the asking price is definitely high, you are getting three quality DRPGs with quality of life improvements and accessibility options making them great even for longtime fans.

Triangle Strategy on Nintendo Switch was one of the best tactical RPGs in years. On PC, it scales up well and plays great even on Steam Deck barring one issue. If you skipped the Switch release for a potential PC port, your wait has been worth it. Triangle Strategy has gorgeous art, amazing music, and memorable characters that come together for an unforgettable experience that is an essential for fans of the genre.

After spending most of the last year on Sunbreak which I loved across platforms, Omega Force and EA's Wild Hearts is a perfect complement for Monster Hunter fans looking to play another great game in the genre. While it is unfortunately held back by technical issues, Wild Hearts does a lot that takes the genre forward, and I can't wait to keep playing the postgame through the coming months while we hopefully get more updates.

If you enjoy JRPGs, you owe it to yourself to play Live A Live. Despite being a remake of a decades old game, Live A Live feels fresh and will surprise you with its interesting combat, gorgeous visuals, unique structure, and superlative soundtrack. It is a strong contender for the best JRPG in years.

As a newcomer (mostly) to the series, Pikmin 4 has been fantastic to experience. It oozes charm, and I love how it eased me into the action throughout the campaign. While Pikmin 3 Deluxe didn't click with me, I'm glad I got into the series with Pikmin 4, and will be playing Pikmin 1 and 2 in the near future on Switch. This is a gem, and another essential from Nintendo in 2023.

AI: The Somnium Files nirvanA Initiative is a fantastic adventure game that builds on the original with improvements in just about every way. While it suffers from a few technical issues on Nintendo Switch even with the day one patch, it is an improved Switch conversion compared to the first game. AI: The Somnium Files nirvanA Initiative is easily one the best Switch games of 2022.

We Love Katamari Reroll + Royale Reverie feels like a massive step up above Katamari Damacy Reroll in just about every way. While it has a few technical issues in its current state, it is a much better port overall and pure joy to play.

Pocky and Rocky Reshrined for Nintendo Switch is an absolutely brilliant run and gun shooter that is one of the best Nintendo Switch releases of the year. It feels great to play and looks excellent on the Nintendo Switch OLED screen, but I am disappointed that co-op is not unlocked from the start.

Soul Hackers 2 is a traditional Atlus JRPG with a super-stylish coat of paint and some welcome quality of life improvements. It has catchy music, great characters, an amazing protagonist, and a fun core loop. If you enjoyed Tokyo Mirage Sessions' gameplay, this is an essential JRPG and one of the best this year.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon from PlatinumGames is a game I almost skipped thanks to the demo. Thankfully, I gave it another shot and ended up loving almost everything it has to offer from sublime music, gorgeous art, excellent voice acting, and the interesting gameplay. Everything comes together brilliantly in a storybook-inspired action adventure that is yet another win for the Nintendo Switch and a contender for the best game of 2023.

Judgment is one of Sega's best games in years, and it has finally arrived on PC with many modern PC features and it also plays great on Steam Deck out of the box. If you skipped the recent PS5 or Xbox Series X remaster, this is an essential.

Lost Judgment on PC brings one of Sega's best games in recent years to Steam in an excellent conversion that plays great even on Steam Deck. While it should've included all DLC from the get go with its asking price, this is an essential if you skipped the console version or if you want to experience it again on the go.

Live A Live was an essential on Nintendo Switch last year, and it sees an amazing glow up on PS5 with its boost to resolution, frame rate, and improved load times. While there isn't anything here that justifies a purchase if you played it before, newcomers will find a sublime JRPG in Live A Live on PS5, and I still hope it gets a physical release in the future.

Atelier Ryza 3 is Gust's most ambitious game, and a fitting finale for Ryza. Gust and Koei Tecmo have delivered better visuals and performance over the console versions on PC, but Ryza 3 unfortunately has some issues on Steam Deck at launch.

Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Volume 1 is a great value proposition for those looking to play these games because the individual games available are priced at $7.99 each while the collection with 10 games is priced at $39.99. Those who already bought a few or all of the games will not be too pleased about having to buy a collection for four games but those games would likely be priced at $7.99 on their own so this is like buying five individual games to get all 10. As a retro collection, Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Volume 1 is easily one of the best of the lot on Nintendo Switch right now.

Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society is one of NIS' best games ever. If you've wanted a dungeon RPG with an excellent story and tons of depth, this is it. I was surprised at how well it built on the base laid by the first game, and it continued to surprise me the more I played. On the PC side, it also looks and plays great even on Steam Deck out of the box.

The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match is essential for any fighting game fan who owns a PS4 and more than worth the asking price. Having already played a ton of The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match through the Xbox Live Arcade release via backward compatibility on Xbox One, The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match with rollback netcode (also on Steam) is an absolute joy. I hope SNK considers bringing spectating and more online features to The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match on PS4 and Steam in the future because Code Mystics absolutely nailed it with this new PS4 release.

Persona 5 Strikers goes above and beyond what I expected from a Persona 5 spin-off with its superlative music, stylish action, great story, and it is a must play for any Persona 5 fan.

Triangle Strategy is one of the best tactical RPGs, and an absolute essential for every Nintendo Switch owner. It has gorgeous art, amazing music, and memorable characters that come together for an unforgettable experience told through multiple endings.

Nioh 2 Complete Edition on PC includes everything from the PS4 version and some exclusive features making it a brilliant package overall and it is absolutely essential on PC for those who were waiting.