Never played the original, but this game was an absolute splendid time, with the character designs specifically being up my alley lol
Undertale Yellow
Awesome fan game that feels exactly like Undertale
Celeste
Peak 2D platforming, level design peaked here.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Amazing 2D platformer that cranks up Marios charm even further.
Final Fantasy IX
Starting off my year with one of my new favourite games. How it tackles the idea of living life, especially with the parallels of Vivi and Kuja, the combat (although probably not the best, holds up well enough), and the pace of battles doesnt really bother me!