The N64 Online app gets a lot of shit, but it's been one of the biggest draws to the Switch for me in this year. I've never had a great time with third-party emulators, no other controller really does the job of playing N64 games well, and I'm not a big enough fan of the console to invest in the mods and cables required to make using the original hardware's video output anything sharper than a squinty smear. N64 used to be shockingly expensive too, and only a handful of good titles have dropped to impulse purchase status. There's a lot of good games on the console that I haven't really given the time. Banjo-Kazooie was the big example of that, this year. I'd bought the N64 cart a few years ago, and bounced off it as soon as I entered Clanker's Cavern. I didn't have time for all the deaths and flubbed jumps, or the cryptic layout of the hub world. Put it on a handheld and give me save states, and I'm laughing. Banjo-Kazooie holds up. It's Rare's best qualities all working in unison to take Super Mario 64 down a peg or two. The sheer scale of some of the levels on every axis is really quite an achievement for an N64 game. Especially one that plays this slickly, with such expressive animation running all over the screen. They're big playgrounds to poke about and find stuff in. I don't think most Rare stuff holds up nearly as well as YouTube Americans like to make out, but now it's accessible enough to be worth sticking on, I can see what they were getting at. I played through this in too few, too long sessions. Worth firing up.

I'm kind of torn on the decision to further inflate Mario Kart 8 with old content as opposed to giving the Switch its own exciting new entry. On one hand, it's a game that's never fallen too far from my active rotation since 2014, and it's never been quite as thrilling as it was in its first week. On the other, it is one of the best games ever made, it's been great to see how massively the audience has expanded. Anyone under 13 has likely never played another Mario Kart game. It's hard to remember the local Wii U multiplayer days, when most of the group would be playing with Wii Remotes. The new DLC tracks don't match the quality of the original set, or the first two Wii U DLC packs, but we've still got a year left, and the ambition has steadily ramped up with each new drop. As an ardent Double Dash fan, it was crushing when the original game launched with that game's two worst tracks. When the Wii U DLC gave us Yoshi Circuit and Baby Park, the game became exponentially better. I'm feeling pretty good about the chance of Dino Dino Jungle and Daisy Cruiser doing the same in 2023.

When the Steam Deck was announced, I saw the scepticism. The bulky design, a d-pad from the makers of the Steam Controller, an gaming platform from the makers of Steam Machines. There were a ton of reasons to be wary of it. I saw a Nintendo Switch that could play Yakuza and got a pre-order in that day. I've been an outspoken and passionate fan of the Yakuza series, deeply invested in welcoming new players to a series that I've seen carried through shaky grounds, but I've never been totally comfortable with the experience of playing it on PlayStation consoles. They're games that thrive in easy access. Casually playing a wee bit and doing something else when you lose interest. The stories are exciting and eventful enough for Big Living Room TV Gaming, but the real estate minigame? I originally played about 60% of Yakuza 0 at bedtime via a convoluted Remote Play arrangement. I was never going to play it on PS4 again, but coming back every so often on the Steam Deck has been a delight. It's been a great supplement to my games diet. Started in April and I still haven't finished this playthrough. I'm quite comforted by the thought of how I'll always have a wee Yakuza on the side when I need it.

The Steam Deck isn't a console, though. It's decades of IBM PC compatible software in a wide-ranging, nebulous form. I can play Command & Conquer with a fucking neGcon if I want. Playing handheld Half-Life 2, with the gyro on, felt like the most audacious disregard for format boundaries I could conjure. And it's still a vital, invigorating game. Its willingness to devote itself to one exciting idea at a time and explore that in huge, thrilling environments is still exciting. In terms of pace and structure, it stands proudly alongside Resi 4 at the top of the hill. I still love how physics-heavy its gameplay is, giving a loose sense of physicality to the world, but also tapping into the era of ridiculous early-2000s PC stacking and balancing puzzles that I remain fond of. I might call Half-Life 2 the best American game ever made, and I don't feel too nervous about awarding it that honour.

Another positive aspect of the Steam Deck is its redemptive properties. Vanquish has always been an admirable game, but one that never felt quite right on the PS3 or 360. From a traditional perspective, Splatoon has broken fast-moving shooters for me, but I might argue that they were always a bit fucked, and they were begging for more direct, instinctive controls. PC players may find themselves entirely satisfied with the mouse, but I gotta have my gyro. Swooping across a chaotic battlefield and leaning over your shoulder, taking shots at distant snipers and incoming missiles. I can't go back. Platinum asked me to when they put the PS4 remaster on sale without a gyro option, and I ought to expect more rightheaded decisions from the developers of Star Fox Zero. Nobody has to agree with me on the Steam Deck. I can make games the things I think they ought to be.

One of the greatest achievements of the Steam Deck is that it's made me fall back in love with the PlayStation 2. Years of blurry video output, increasingly unreliable controllers and memory card headaches had soured my impression of the thing. Now those issues are avoidable options. And the PS2 deserves better than how the world has run away from it. You will never get another SSX Tricky. A joyous balance of gut-wrenching dangerous racing, bombastic, celebratory trick opportunities and a flagrant disregard for good taste. A Mix Master Mike soundtrack, and a cast of unbearable cartoon characters. It's the very definition of noisy. It's fantastic. The risk/reward dynamic of the boost system working with how many big Tricky moves you can squeeze out of each course, in the goal of unlimited boosts. It's a unique satisfaction when you play well, and infuriating when things go wrong. I have played through it multiple times within the same week, this year. You can't scratch that itch with anything else.

And with the PS2 available, you've got to go to the daddy. Now's not the time for my big piece about just how phenomenal a game God Hand is, but it's worth touching upon. Resident Evil 4 was a game Shinji Mikami made for a mass audience, with all kinds of considerations to make it as marketable and widely exciting as possible. God Hand was a game he made immediately afterwards, entirely for himself. Stripping out all consideration for the market, and diving headfirst into something personally satisfying. This is a game that doesn't even render walls half the time, because who gives a fuck. This is about punching fuck out of everyone, and it feels so solid. The customisable combo system assures that by the second level, you're going to be playing this in a way that's completely unique to you, and it's really great finding moves that you can incorporate well into your personal style. The scaling difficulty system always makes sure the game's always pushing you just that little bit further outside of your comfort zone, and even on your fifth playthrough, there's going to be surprises waiting behind that next difficulty jump. God Hand's a game I always want to have access to, and now I do, and it's as good a feeling as I always dreamed it would be.

Why worry about Mario Kart 8's DLC when you can go straight to the source? Double Dash can be a bit jarring to jump back to from 8, but once you're accustomed to its quirks, it still stands tall on its own. Double Dash feels really fast and powerful in its handling, as you bite and claw your way into the head of the pack. It also has some of the best track design in the series, not held back by the limitations of the handheld games, and holding back on a lot of Wii's gimmickery. There's also a bit of that old GameCube lumpiness in the alternate routes that always take longer, and the lack of balancing. I like that stuff. I think there's a weird charm to it, and it contributes to heightened emotions in multiplayer. There's a grunt to Double Dash that's been mellowed out in its sequels. I'm not saying that makes it better, but there's still a unique value to it. Being able to access this as easily as a Switch download has made me more appreciative of it.

With all the divisions of console formats rendered irrelevant, all advantages levelled, all prejudice and persuasion cast aside, a great truth emerges. Always known, but never felt more than now. Kirby's Pinball Land is one of the greatest forces of good in this world. Every piece of art from the great minds of all of human history, lay before you as potential icons on a Steam Deck desktop. The Sistine Chapel, Abbey Road, Die Hard in Arabic. Yet again, we push the button and enter Pin Ball Land.

(Note for Backloggd readers: This is supposed to represent the Egret II Mini in general, but this add-on pack was the closest thing I could get the IGDB to accept as a game)

It's a good thing that I don't publish GOTY stuff until the year's over, now. My Egret II Mini arrived in the last three days of 2022, and I couldn't do this list without giving it a nod. I'm just about as big a Taito fan as they get, and I'm a real stickler for correct aspect ratios and appropriate arcade stick gates. There's always something I'm excited to play on the Egret. From reliable favourites like The NewZealand Story and Elevator Action, to fond Taito Legends trash like Violence Fight and Growl, and tentpole releases that the hardware gives me new appreciation for. I've even had a pretty good time with Space Invaders, when I lock the stick gate. Horizontal movement just feels more definite and satisfying with a 4-way stick. I can play tate Qix, and though I'm not as good at it with a stick as with a pad, there's a value in the authenticity. I only played a Bubble Bobble cabinet for the first time last year, and it feels great to have such a genuine replication of that without having to take a two hour train to get there. The Egret is the Taito home console we were robbed of when the WOWOW was cancelled. It's the world as it rightfully should be.

Fuck I love lightgun games. They're like the next level of gyro aiming. Pointing a physical gun and shooting it at baddies you want to die. I don't think lightgun games get nearly the respect they deserve. Self-appointed hardcore gamers won't shut up about your Ikarugas and Mushihimesamas, but lightgun games are just the same - Rigid sequences of enemies to kill quickly and bullets to avoid. It's a genre with great diversity and potential. From old school shooting galleries like Operation Wolf and Duck Hunt to high-concept experimentation in games like Silent Scope and Lucky & Wild. Time Crisis II is one of the most well-known, and it's a stand-out title. This is about high-flying action, with frantic chase sequences and elaborate setpieces, without leaning too far into spectacle like the further sequels did. It's a thrill ride, and one of the best gateways into the genre, made more inviting by its hardbaked incorporation of two-player. It's an adventure for a duo, weaving through the action and helping each other out with supporting fire. The PS2 version comes with some nice extras to help flesh it out as the go-to lightgun game in your collection. It's one of the cheapest too, and if you have the ability to play these games, this likely ought to be your starting point.

Digging into that aforementioned diversity, Police 24/7 is a game that, on its face, ought to be very similar to Time Crisis, but feels completely different. This is a supposedly gritty recreation of police stings on violent gangs, but through the lens of Konami arcade shooter. I didn't really appreciate how definite a vibe that was going in, but there's real hints of Lethal Enforcers and Silent Scope here. In arcades, this is a Kinect-style body tracking game, where you physically move to avoid incoming fire and line up your shots, and while that experience can be recreated in the PS2 game, I lack the specific webcam to do it. Regardless, it's still a punchy and appealing cover shooter with a lot of charm. Kind of the game I'd hoped Virtua Cop would be, really. Definitely worth a go, if you're getting into these.

I feel qualified to say this now - I don't think you're missing out on much if you have to play lightgun games on a Wii. If you want to experience what's great about these games, there's a great disc you can buy for about a tenner and not worry about what kind of television you play it on. Some people may convince you to get the cheaper Ghost Squad or more widely-appreciated House of the Dead: Overkill instead, and I'd strongly discourage you from taking those routes. Because House of the Dead 2 is one of the best lightgun games ever made. Alternate routes, secret items to watch out for, varied - yet instantly distinctive - enemies, breakneck pace and a deeply endearing tone. You sometimes hear about people criticising a game for having bad voice acting. The criteria that a videogame has to be convincing to be worthwhile. What planet are they on? Every stupid wee scene of detectives talking to the undead is a delight. Don't try to kid me on that you're above enjoying Goldman. House of the Dead 2 is a fucking riot, and demands to be owned by all lightgun-curious Wii owners. I have a Dreamcast copy, but I'm still more likely to come back to the Wii version. It's quite nice to play one of these games reclined, and comfortably aiming the Wii Remote from the arm of your chair, instead of hunched towards a CRT. You can even use the nunchuck's Z button as a second trigger, to fire more rapidly. You're not going to win cred from the Gamer crowd, but we're adults, and can admit it's nice to play House of the Dead 2 in comfort. House of the Dead 3 is here too. That's a cool bonus.

Maybe I alienated some of you there. The PS2/G-con/CRT part of my audience who don't necessarily have access to a Wii. Well, don't worry. You can enjoy a House of the Dead 2-style experience as well. Vampire Night is a game of similar vintage from the same team, and ported to the PS2 via Namco. You can enjoy a very similar game with all the advantages of full G-Con 2 and G-Con 45 support, including using a second controller as a Time Crisis-style pedal, which doesn't make as much sense in a game without ducking, but widens your options for reloading. The quick bulletpoints I made for why House of the Dead 2 is great can all be applied to Vampire Night too. It's just the goofy arcade representation of western horror fantasy is a bit more gothic here. Vampire Night is cheap, underrated, and it totally rules. There's likely established House of the Dead fans who are unaware of this too, and they ought to be falling over themselves to a get a chance to play this. It's everything they love, and I feel confident in that assertion. About three quid in CeX. Don't leave the shop without it.

Widening my horizons, and trying every lightgun game I could get my hands on, I was a little anxious over how Time Crisis 1 would hold up. It didn't seem to get the same respect as 2, and the general public seemed to have little preference for it over the dogshit PS1 follow-up, Project Titan. Now I have returned from the darkness of HD-only gaming, I can confidently stand by Time Crisis and call it my favourite lightgun game. Whatever it is with this scenario really seems to be The Thing That I'm Into. One man on a desperate mission in an elaborate, remote location, saving a target of grave political importance, held captive by a cabal of wild, destructive madmen. That's Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 4 and Super Mario World. It's Star Wars and Castle of Cagliostro. There's likely some deep seeded part of my psyche that determines why that story set-up grips me so reliably, but denying it would be denying who I am. Time Crisis is what I want a game to be. Tense, dynamic, incredibly confident and distinctive. Many lightgun games flail the camera around wildly to create a sense of action. Time Crisis 1 sets up beautiful little scenarios, gives you a point of cover and taunts you with a ticking clock as you attempt to dispatch each enemy. There's physicality to the game, as you duck from moving hazards and one good shot sends enemies flying. Each new setpiece feels like a carefully constructed moment. Each new action spot deliberated over like a professional photographer lining up the perfect angle. And it's mid-nineties Namco. I can't think of an artist whose work resonates with me more than that.

The tone and big daft bosses are so My Shit. Emperor Palpatine in a Cyborg Ninja suit. "She must be dead by now..." Fuckin' cracking stuff, man. Time Crisis feels like a vital part of me, now. Consider me part of the movement that revives the appreciation of lightgun games. They deserve the same respect as the top arcade genres, but they've been weighed down by flashy nonsense. Folk playing House of the Dead 4 over 2, because it has the bigger gun. Get it straight. There's good and bad in this genre, and House of the Dead: Overkill is a fucking disgrace. Folk on YouTube saying they like Gunfighter as much as Point Blank - Take a good look in the mirror and ask yourself if you really have values. NQ64 in Glasgow - stop telling me you've got a Time Crisis machine - You've got a Rime Crisis 3 machine - That's not the same! There ought to be passionate groundswell of appreciation for the classics. There shouldn't be folk making TVs that don't support the Zapper. Look, we got Yakuza back. We can get lightguns back. Let's do it. THIS IS A CRISIS.