Afrojr
Using the Wiimote to aim and shoot turns a great game into an even greater masterpiece. Aiming in this way feels so much more smoother and I consider this version of the game to be the definitive edition. Love the pacing of this game, going from a hostile village to a creepy castle and ending up in an industrial, militarized island. Fucking LOVE the minecart section of this game. Great game throughout.
2016
Super underrated Metroidvania game. The movement mechanics of the game and the exploration were the highlights for me. It was so cool stumbling upon each hidden tech and using it to reach areas super early. Best of all, there's even more sequence-breaking that can be done. The story and character aesthetics were definite lowpoints. Characters yak on too much, the ending gets all overly melodramatic, and some of the character portraits (esp. Ribbon and Miru) are FBI-inducing.
If you can get past that though (I can't blame you if you can't), this is a must play if you're a fan of Metroidvanias or bullet hells.
If you can get past that though (I can't blame you if you can't), this is a must play if you're a fan of Metroidvanias or bullet hells.
Solid platforming venture that does a much better job of diversifying its levels than its predecessor. The soundtrack is a major step up as well, providing new tracks to enjoy rather than relying on remix after remix. The Tucks' and their associated animal underlings are much more lively and charismatic enemies than the Tikis. Swimming in this game, however, is imprecise at times, in a very precision-demanding platformer. The bonus levels still suck.
2007
Loved the looting and level design of finding goodies, using Plasmids to overcome obstacles and discovering hidden pathways and storage locations. Absolutely hated the overall combat. I spoiled myself on the plot previously, so the twist had no affect on me unfortunately. I will say though that the character recordings left throughout the world were not all that interesting, save for a few, and felt samey as the game progressed.
1998
Childhood game, but still something I get urges to play to this day. This stands right along Super Mario 64 to me as a top-notch 3D platformer. What it lacks in Mario's movement options, it makes up for it in the vibrant worlds and colorful characters you encounter. Game Over Grunty especially.
Still can't believe after all the years of playing this game over and over that those two eggs and the ice key were obtainable without having to wait for Banjo-Tooie.
Still can't believe after all the years of playing this game over and over that those two eggs and the ice key were obtainable without having to wait for Banjo-Tooie.
Pretty good Star Wars game that actually lets you be a Jedi and run wild. You gotta get to that good part though, as the first-person shooting is very generic and uninteresting. What's also uninteresting are the first few worlds you go to, minus the Jedi Trials, as they're little more than industrial grays and cookie-cutter browns to look at. Even after getting the lightsaber, it takes a while to unlock the force powers that actually make things interesting.
1999
Too many fond memories and fun had with DK64 to rate it any lower, even now knowing how buggy and flawed it was. Loved unlocking all the Kongs and upgrading them as the game went on, and I couldn't get enough of collecting stuff. Outside of Gloomy Galleon(water world go figure), there wasn't any other world that I hated going through. The final segment in K. Rool's Keep and the final fight were highlights as well.
2010
Great JRPG but some things hold it back for me. Story started strong, but got worse as it went on. Without going into spoilers, lots of plot points that had me scratching my head. Way too many unfun, generic sidequests too.
This game was pretty meh overall. Nowhere near as absurd and wacky as Superstar Saga, and the babies didn't offer as sharp of a gameplay shift as Bowser does in Bowser's Inside Story. Not very challenging either, the game stays pretty straightforward from start to finish. It is still M&L at the end of the day but the one plus I will give it is the twist revealed at the end.
2013
This was a pleasant surprise in how good it was. What bumps it up from other Metroidvanias for me is the last two upgrades you get and how far they push those mechanics in the optional challenge rooms. The powerups you get start out pretty basic, but I was kinda impressed when I got Goat Climb and Goat Fly. And then I was super impressed when I reached Tree Tops and realized what the devs expected of you to reach the top. On top of that, the combat stayed fun the whole way through and the game had a good sense of humor to it.
1992
Complete step up from Sonic 1 and a solid platformer overall. Much better zones this time around, though I feel the fun zones are more stacked towards the 1st half of the game. The Special Zone minigame is better than Sonic 1's, but its no Blue Spheres. Playing as Tails actually adds nothing to the game, as he's identical to Sonic gameplay-wise. Sonic 2's length is ideal for any given Sonic game, and Sky Chase was a cool breakaway from the gameplay loop. The final zone was sick and the final boss kicked my ass as a kid.
Not my favorite 2D Sonic but its easy to see why its other's favorite.
Not my favorite 2D Sonic but its easy to see why its other's favorite.
Feel exactly the same as the majority regarding this game. Platforming levels are fun. Vehicle levels suck. And god are they fucking miserable, with the motorcycle and plane levels especially. Like really ND, it wasn't enough to make the motorcycle handle like a tank? Now we gotta do it in the dark w/ fat UFOs blocking the road and chasms sucking you in for barely clipping their edges? Y'all crying about Abby in 2020, ND been trash since '98 for this nonsense. AND the fact that the secret world (26-30) only consisted of VEHICLE levels (not counting the two secret paths for already-existing levels)? Was so disappointed when I came to that realization, this just might be my least favorite of the trilogy.
1991
Very middling handheld game, though its functional at the very least. Bridge Zone's music is lit.
Don't think I ever found all the Chaos Emeralds in this one.
Don't think I ever found all the Chaos Emeralds in this one.
2008
Game is so hilariously corny and cheap, but I got a soft spot for time travel. But god, those goofy ass portraits and scenarios had me cracking up. Overall though, game's basic as hell with the only gameplay being 'click on stuff' and 'draw a circle'. Characters are bland and one-note, music's generic, art is typical anime style, and it gets long and drawn out to boot. Just an unremarkable VN overall, but it gave me some laughs.
Played this so much as a kid, but its not something I have much interesting in revisiting. Game was 'fine' for the most part, but I remember so many boring levels. Specifically, the levels that slowed your movement or the water levels. I guess Space and Macro Zones were OK.