I was playing Hollow Knight for a few months in the summer, but because work was getting busy I had a few hiatuses between playthroughs. Eventually, I had to battle Hornet for the third time and I spent four hours trying to defeat her. I never did because I decided to abandon it. Don't worry, I'll pick it up again down the road.

Therefore, I starting playing this game which had already been on my mind since I borrowed it from my friend. I adore this game. Collect-a-thons have easily become some of my favourite platforming games. Banjo Kazooie's reputation as a touchstone for 3D platformers is deserved. The variety of collectibles in each world is fantastic. Obviously, the jiggies have the main obstacles (puzzles, challenges, bosses, etc.) but I would always be keen on finding honeycombs because they're so well concealed.

Favourite world is Freezeezy Peak and it's a such a great world to visit during the holidays. Fun flying mechanics and the Christmas tree jiggie is cute. Treasure Trove Cove has a fantastic "treasure hunt" jiggie and I love the sandcastle (and how it gets used throughout the game). The gimmick in Click Clock Wood is inventive but going up the tree during summer and autumn gets tedious and its easily the worst level for collecting all the musical notes. Bubblegloop Swamp has a great aesthetic. I'm probably in the minority here, but Clanker's Cavern is pretty awesome in my books. Love exploring Clanker's insides and finding the honeycombs was tougher than pretty much the rest of the game. I personally think the first 2/3 of the game are stronger than the last 1/3. I despise Rusty Bucket Bay. The murky, industrial atmosphere, the awful oscillating fans and gears platforming, the stupid box battle, the oxygen lowering twice as fast.

The trivia game is a nice twist that I wasn't expecting. It made me wish I'd played the game with a friend or two. Would've made the trivia "boss" battle more fun I think. Instead, I just died countlessly until I could remember all the Grunty facts (clearly, I didn't pay attention to Brentilda [does anyone?]). The timed space is abysmal, especially if it's the bees or the box battle.

Overall, I would definitely replay this game and I can't wait to play Banjo-Tooie.

Buckle up because I have a lot to say about this game.

First Gex game I've ever played and I'm fully aware that this version is far inferior to the PS1 version. I can't recommend this game, but I found it quite enjoyable despite it being a pretty bad game.

The camera is so clunky I swear it is the REAL antagonist in the game. Even on manual, it manages to take control and make it it's mission to give you the worst angle you can possibly have to complete a level. In an area with precision platforming that needs an extreme wide? Well you get a macro shot of Gex's left eye instead. I also hate about your input on the joystick/D-pad changes depending on the camera angle. Many times has the camera moved in the middle of an input, causing me to fall off cliffs because forward suddenly makes Gex go left or something stupid like that. So yeah, camera is abysmal. Play on "manual" and remember to do this every time you load the game because it doesn't save your settings.

The lag in this game is atrocious. Some parts feel like it goes the speed of a PowerPoint presentation. It really ruins the momentum and a number of timed jumps. Very frustrating.

The game looks pretty ugly in general. Production design looks like a knock-off, bootleg Mario 64. All the toon town stuff and much of the haunted house levels looks nasty. Level design is mostly lackluster but there are some interesting ideas explored, especially with the climbing mechanic. I really like how they deal with the need for oxygen in the space levels. Kung-fu themed levels are interesting but super culturally insensitive. The bonus stages are "meh" - I didn't really care for them but I still completed them. The spy-themed bonus stage is really frustrating because the first part where you jump on the conveyor belts has a horrible camera angle that you can't change and there's barely enough time to finish level. Some of the bonus stages where you collect on the items, but then you have to find the remote, are cruel. Just give me a the remote, I've already gotten on the items! The circuit city levels and the Jurassic caves are pretty forgettable. I wish they wouldn't repeat level themes. Made the game feel smaller than it really is.

I just want to say that the hub world gets harder to navigate because it has a "sameness" to it's presentation and some areas took me a lot of time to find (Sea Span and Lizard in a China Shop namely). By the way, those two levels are great. I really like the boat tour aesthetic of Lizard in a China Shop and Sea Span is a nice change of gameplay. I don't mind water levels and this one is pretty fun in my opinion. I especially like climbing the Titanic.

Bosses are pretty dumb and have uninteresting attack patterns. The Godzilla one is probably the best. Final level before the boss is easily the best level. Final boss has an annoying elevator part in the beginning where you have to jump onto a narrow platform and walk to a teleporter. Should've just been a simple entrance leading to the boss.

Despite these criticisms, I found myself curious to explore more of the game and see it's pop cultural references. I have a soft-spot for platformers, so I decided to grind through this one. I enjoyed mastering this game, but I will likely never play it again.

Best Parts:
• No Weddings and a Funeral
• Titanic level
• Lizard in a China Shop

Replay It? - Probably not

Wow, this is a HUGE step-up from the first DK Country. I really enjoy the first game and it's a pleasant surprise that it's sequel not only improves existing mechanics from the first game, but builds upon those core mechanics. The contrasting abilities between Diddy and Dixie made me switch between the two characters more often (rather than sticking to one). Dixie's parasol ability has good game feel; I love parasol controls in games (Rayman, Conker, etc.). Level designs are fresh and thrilling. It made me want to binge levels. The animals this time around have more involvement than just simply being assistants—they actually design levels catered to the animal's abilities. Love the introduction of the snake. Bonus areas are more manageable to find this time around and give you coins that are used to access the Lost World. I like how the bonus rooms are all unique obstacle courses rather than some mini-game. Klobbers are really annoying, especially the ones that take bananas and LIVES! Not a fan of having to collect coins to pay to save your game. I'd sometimes stress getting these coins because I was afraid of finishing a difficult level, but not having enough coins to save. Then, I discovered you can get items and leave the stage by pausing and then pressing "select," but I didn't know this until the last world. Highly recommend this game and I can't wait to finish the SNES DK Country trilogy.

Best Parts:
• Honeycomb levels
• Roller coasters
• The stage where the seals cool down the hot water (lava?)
• Pretty much all the levels with the bird (the level with all the animals in the Lost World is horrible with the bird)
• Hot air balloon

Replay It? - Definitely