MONTHLY FAVES: MARCH 2023

Check out our Gaming Top Picks that we've been playing this month.

MAR 26, 2023

We are excited to share with you our March 2023 top picks for games. We often have games we play together alongside the games we play separately, so it’s only fitting that we dive into what game from each category we have found ourselves coming back to again and again this month. Let's get started and dive right in with our Co-Op Game of the Month.

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CO-OP TOP PICK

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY: TROPICAL FREEZE (SWITCH)

Growing up, we both had the opportunity to play Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest on the Super Nintendo, and it’s a retro game that I still love returning to. Fast forward to around 2020-2021, we got our hands on Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on the Nintendo Switch.

The Snowmads have invaded the world of Donkey Kong and frozen over the islands! In this platforming game, it is up to you to traverse the islands in order to free them from this tropical freeze. Play as Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, or Cranky Kong in the Original Mode, or switch to Funky Mode to play as Funky Kong. Each character has their own special abilities that will help you overcome the challenges in this platforming game.

I love being able to return to the world of Donkey Kong. I have fond memories of having the opportunity to play Donkey Kong Country 2 as a kid and again, later with you. It’s challenging for me since I didn’t have a Nintendo system growing up, but I still love it nonetheless. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is no exception. I enjoy getting to play this game with you. In my opinion, the Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is a game that nails the couch co-op gaming experience. I love that in Tropical Freeze I can move around freely as Dixie Kong and assist your character, which is different from how Donkey Kong Country 2 plays. We both get to work together to complete a level. My only complaint is that the play window is zoomed in, and if one of us gets even minimally farther ahead than the other, it moves the player further behind forward. This makes it slightly frustrating when one player is trying to collect specific items and the other player is trying to be proactive and move forward to defeat an enemy, or while jumping from platform to platform, one of you falls, you aren’t able to see ledges below and may end up dying if you are not lucky enough to land on an unseen platform. All in all, this game is an enjoyable experience for us to play together.

ZACH'S TOP PICK

STAR WARS: JEDI FALLEN ORDER (PS5)

Jedi Fallen Order is an action/adventure style game with a third person perspective from the main character, Cal Kestis. I began playing this game on Playstation 4 and thoroughly enjoyed it for some time before putting it down for a while. This being a classic example of the business of life getting in the way of game time, I never picked the game up again on the Playstation 4.

After realizing I had access to the game to download on the Playstation 5, I wasted no time in jumping back in to give it another shot. Instead of going with the story driven difficulty or normal difficulty, I chose the “Jedi Master” setting to challenge myself throughout the game. Increasing the difficulty is often my favorite way of playing a game because it forces me to adapt and learn in order to progress through the game.

Have you ever really wanted a smooth gameplay experience as a Jedi? I have played other Star Wars games in the past, and Jedi Fallen Order is among my favorites so far to nail the gameplay. Lightsaber combat has never felt better in a game, and the use of the force is exactly what I expected so far- mostly slowing down objects in motion. I am only in the beginning section of the game, and so far the setting of the different planets or moons is constantly blowing me away with the gorgeous views and spectacular environment.

I love the game so far, I will continue to play through and complete the game, and give my final thoughts on Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order in the near future.

VICTORIA'S TOP PICK

HOGWARTS LEGACY (PS5)

This month’s top pick for me has been Hogwarts Legacy, which is an immersive, open-world RPG set in the wizarding world first introduced to us through the Harry Potter book series. The game is set in the 1800s, before the time of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them and Harry Potter. Your character is an untypical student, starting their first year at Hogwarts as a 5th year.

Why a 5th year? Why did their abilities manifest so late? Without spoiling too much of the game, your created character plays a significant role in stopping the threat that faces the wizarding world.

This was a game that both Zach and I were both excited about. We were fascinated by the setting of the game as there are many characters not from the books. While it is set in a world that is already known and loved by so many, you aren’t just simply playing a storyline you already know. It’s all brand new - no threads tying it down to an already determined plot. You get to explore new areas of the castle that are not shown in the movies such as each house’s common room. You get to immerse yourself into the world of something familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time. It feels almost nostalgic, but also exciting to see an imaginative approach to an existing magical world.

From the game graphics to the storytelling, this game is outrageously gorgeous. I love the mystery of not knowing what will happen next. The main quest and the side quests never feel like they interrupt one another, so I never feel hassled or distracted when playing. However, I found that I focused a little too much on side quests, resulting in feeling a little too strong when jumping back into the main quest. This is not always a bad thing though, as leveling up in side quests can help with any difficulty I have with the main quest.

Again, I don’t want to spoil too much, but I recently unlocked a feature in the Room of Requirements, and it was…magical. (Get it? Magical.) I tried showing Zach, but he did not want to spoil the experience (being a big stickler for not spoiling content). . He opted for hearing me comment on how fun and exciting it was.

Although I have yet to finish this game, it has captivated me. I love how easy it is to jump back in where I left off. I am a huge fan of being able to take the main story and side quests at my own desired pace. In my opinion, the game mechanics are easy to learn. Unlike Zach, I struggle to hop between games because I will often confuse the controls of the games I am playing, and it takes me a moment to re-adjust. Usually, when we get new games, I let Zach play through them completely first…I underestimated the power of this game to hook me into playing-progressing way beyond Zach’s initial play. I am so invested in this game that he has decided to give me time to complete it and then revisit it later while he catches up on a backlog of other games. If you’ve been hesitant to give this game a try, I highly recommend giving it a shot. I am looking forward to completing this game and being able to provide you with my final thoughts.

RETRO GAME TOP PICK

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: MINISH CAP (SWITCH)

The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap is my favorite retro title of the month. Why would this be retro? When I was growing up through the 90s, my consoles of choice were the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color. When the Game Boy Advance was released in North America, June 11, 2001- I was ecstatic! Not long after the release of the GBA, this gem of a game was introduced to the handheld console.

Another game in a similar style to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was a dream come true. A Link to the Past was and still is one of my favorite Legend of Zelda titles, and when Minish Cap was released, I played for hours and hours in this new world with new mechanics. Minish Cap has all the charm and style you can ask for- a top down 2 dimensional view with beautiful settings, stages, and character sprites that nail that retro feel in a game.

The unique mechanic of this game is Link’s ability to shrink to nearly microscopic size with the power of the Minish Cap- a living cap in the image of a bird. You meet the bird cap early on when searching for this mystic race of beings- the Minish (officially the Picori). The Picori live in the world amongst the humans and go completely unnoticed due to their minute size. Good portions of the game are accessible only through shrinking Link to the size of the Picori with the help of the Minish Cap- giving the player a view into the tiny world of the Picori within the world of Hyrule.

The game is very well balanced between the small world and the large world in comparison. There are moments and puzzles within that require a microscopic stature; and others that work best with normal human size Link. The player learns very quickly that the big wide world of Hyrule is at times difficult for the Picori to access, while at other times it is only possible to squeeze into tiny areas “Picori” sized.

It blends the style of enemies from several other Legend of Zelda games while giving a fresh feel to the art and design of Minish Cap. Balance in the name of the game here, and there a few examples of how this plays out- such as fairies in bottles not healing your health completely upon revival and your sword gradually evolving into the powerful Picori Blade- bringing the pain to enemies in the game that once only flinched at the starting blade.

There is an exquisite blend of puzzles and boss battles, even infusing the two for a highly unique experience that encourages problem solving and creative thinking to defeat your enemy. Speaking of infusing, there is even a collecting element in the game with items called Kinstones- which you find in your travels and match to opposite fitting pieces from the other characters in the game, this eventually becomes essential to progress in a later area, so definitely spend time hunting down those Kinstones and finding a character with a match!

Not to get too carried away here, this game is very high on my Game Boy Advance favorite games list. Anyone who enjoys Legend of Zelda that did not have a chance to play this on the original release…now is the time to take advantage of the Switch Online Expansion to play The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap!

TABLETOP GAME TOP PICK

AZUL

Azul is a beautiful, 2-4 player abstract strategy game. Each player is working to build their wall with mosaic tiles on their board. Choose your strategy: rack up more points by completing tile sets or complete a row of tile placements to end the game before other players have a chance to build points. More strategies exist, but the ultimate dilemma boils down to sabotage or a focus on your own point building.

Azul wasn’t originally on our radar until we received the game as a gift from our family. Having the first play-through of the game with family, we were not quite hooked with the game until we brought it home and played more together. After this, it quickly became one of our favorites to play not only together but also with friends and family.

The game may look complicated with its many tiles, but it is fairly easy to pick up on. We love that this game is easy to set up and typically takes less than an hour for us to play. This makes it easy for us to squeeze this game in even on a workday. While the game is a strategy game, it’s not one that is mentally draining.

We can easily have a conversation while playing without anyone getting too distracted. Zach and I are big on having games we can play together, just the two of us, that also translate well into playing with more people. I do wish the game could play up to 6 or 8 people to accommodate our larger game nights with friends or family get togethers, but this is still a great game nonetheless.

Azul is one of our games that we often gravitate towards simply due to its easy set up, play time, and the game always feeling a little different based on the tiles pulled and the strategy you fancy for that game session. If you are looking for a game that you can play together with your partner or a small group of friends, consider adding this one to your list.

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So there you have it - the games we have been busy playing this month. How many of these games have you played? What game(s) have been your go-to games this month? Let us know in the comments.