I've been meaning to play Final Fantasy VI for a long time, so when I saw the pixel remaster's announcement I knew that it would be how I'd play the game, and I'm glad it was. The music is fantastic (despite not knowing all of the songs from the original) and the pixel art is some of the best I've seen in the game, with some effects looking insanely detailed and realistic.

As for the game itself, I absolutely love it. I previously heard that the story wasn't as crazy as the later final fantasy game, but I still found myself becoming engrossed in the world and characters. I liked Terra and Locke, but Celes in particular stood out to me, which went against my expectations.

As for the gameplay, I found that very enjoyable as well. There's lots of variety in gameplay mechanics spread throughout the many areas, making each area feel unique. Most characters also have their own gimmick, further adding to the gameplay variety. However, some aspects of combat got frustrating, particularly status effects like frozen. It was annoying when everyone became frozen and there was nothing I could do about it besides wait a few minutes.

All in all, I really enjoyed Final Fantasy 6. It's a fantastic experience that RPG fans will be sure to enjoy. I was surprised by how much Square was able to put into an SNES game, and I'd love to see a full-on remake or HD-2D-style game in the future.

A solid experience that surpassed my expectations on many fronts. I am surprised that they were able to pull this off on the NES, as it contains a large variety of features that are absent in other NES games. However, this does come at the cost of very consistent slowdown that becomes rather annoying. I was also amazed at the level design, as there are some great levels here. Sadly, this isn't the case for the whole game since the level design is extremely inconsistent. Luckily there's nothing horrible that made me lose interest, and it was a rather enjoyable experience overall.

King of Cards is easily the most different than the other Shovel Knight games for various reasons. This was a nice breath of fresh air, especially when it comes to having completely different level layouts. It's insane how many different level mechanics are in this game, as it reworks old ones to fit King Knight's moveset while still introducing a plethora of new objects and mechanics. The card game wasn't much of a highlight for me, but luckily it's not required unless you're going for 100% completion. This game is yet another great 2D platformer that fans of the original game, as well as fans of similar series such as Wario Land, should check out.

I love the Pikmin series for how fun and satisfying it is to create a giant squad of pikmin to collect items with, and this game is no different. I have played the original Pikmin 3 before, and it's still as good as I remember it being.

The game is gorgeous, but it's a shame that it is still in 720p at 30FPS. While the motion controls are rather finicky and requires a lot of recentering, I am glad that it is an option in this version though, as I cannot get the hang of stick controls.

The main draw of this version for me was the new content that involves playing as Olimar and Louie, but I was rather disappointed to find out it was just more of the challenge mode rather than being like the story mode. This isn't too big of an issue however, as I still find the challenge mode enjoyable and will likely keep coming back to complete them all. I also really enjoy the bingo battle competitive mode, but it's a shame that there is no online mode for it. I would've loved to be able to play that with my friends anywhere.

Overall, I'd say you're not missing out if you played the Wii U version and not this, but it is nice to have this on the Switch with at least a little new content. I'm still waiting for Pikmin 4, though...

Having your expectations blown away is a rare occurrence, but when it does happen, it is marvelous. This is exactly what happened to me with NieR Replicant. I went in expecting an enjoyable experience, just nothing too amazing, as I had heard the game felt outdated in its design. While this is definitely the case at points, it never bothered me too much because I became engrossed in nearly every other part of the game.

From the thought-provoking story to the speedy combat to every music track being a gorgeous masterpiece... it's all so beautifully crafted. It's not often that I actively want to keep learning about a game's world, but there's so much intriguing backstory about everything and everyone at play that I couldn't help but constantly desire more information. This is only enhanced by the amazing characters. While it is true that nearly all of them have distinct negative traits, this causes them to feel more realistic and makes them some of my favorite characters I've ever met.

I do believe that certain elements of the game could be improved (such as including a chapter select to reduce replays), but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want it to end. I enjoyed the game so much that I ended up doing every side quest and getting every trophy, despite the grind that resulted from doing so. I was deeply saddened when I finally ran out of things to do, but I was also glad that I was able to experience something so extraordinary.

After playing the original Skyward Sword nearly five years ago, I figured I should give the game a shot again, and this remaster was a good way to do it.

While I wish an HD remaster had more changes (such as doing more with the artstyle and cleaning up models/textures), 60 FPS is very welcome change. I also found the button-only controls to work surprisingly well and made the combat more fun in my eyes. The only controls I found to be annoying were the camera controls.

As for the game itself, I'm rather mixed. I loved the game the first time, but like many others, I found it to be less enjoyable the second time around. It has some great parts, such as some of my favorite dungeons and events in the series. The music is great too, and I love that it was orchestrated this time around. However, there is a lot of filler and annoying tasks that make some segments of the game rather tedious and lowered my overall thoughts on the game. The sky only adds to the tedium, as it is too empty. It is much less interesting to explore than Windwaker's ocean, and I dread having to go through it when I want to get somewhere. All this tedium resulted in me dropping the game multiple times for months on end, only going back to make a little progress every once in a while.

I still enjoyed my time with the game, but sadly this has become my least favorite 3D Zelda game due to the many dull and uninteresting tasks in the story.

Like many others, I strayed away from souls games for a long time out of fear of their brutal difficulty I've heard so much about. However, I decided to put that aside and finally give the genre a shot by playing Bloodborne.

I'll start by saying that the atmosphere in this game is amazing. It is truly unnerving and makes you constantly feel on edge, and all the disturbing creature designs and various area themes still fit the theme of the game. I love exploring these areas, and finding a new lamp or shortcut is always so satisfying. It's insane how interconnected the world is and it's easy to tell how much thought was put into it.

The combat in this game is a blast, especially with the rally mechanic that rewards you for playing offensively. As expected from these games, the bosses are a highlight due to how intense the fights are, but it's incredibly gratifying when you finally manage to defeat them. I enjoyed all the different mechanics in play, even when just choosing your gear setup. Being able to upgrade your weapons is great addition, but the items for doing so extremely limited. This prevented me from trying out new weapons, as they were often much weaker than the upgraded weapons I was using at the time.

Despite my thoughts on the genre before going into it, I enjoyed this game a ton, much more than I expected to. This has made me extremely interested in playing other souls games in the future. I'm very glad I ended up giving this game a shot.

I’ve only been a Metroid fan for a little over four years now, but it quickly grew to become my favorite video game series. Despite not being a fan as long as others, it still feels unreal to finally get a brand new 2D game after so long. Better yet, it is said to have been designed after Super Metroid, which I considered to be my favorite game. I was extremely excited for Dread to release, but I was also worried that it would fail to live up to my expectations. After playing the game three times and unlocking all the gallery images, I am luckily able to say that it instead surpassed my expectations in nearly every way.

The game has many interesting environments with extremely detailed backgrounds that make the world feel alive. Players can spend a ton of time just observing the background elements in each room. Gameplay-wise, these areas are all expertly designed, as it always subtly pushes the player in the right direction and provides many hints on where to go next. I also love seeing the sequence breaks or other tricks that were intentionally included in the game, as they add new and interesting ways to play an already amazing experience. The need for backtracking in speedruns is reduced to a minimum, as the developers ingeniously created the world in a way that, if you know what you’re doing, makes it clear which path will lead directly to the next objective. The map contributes to this since it is immensely detailed, to the point where it shows each individual tile and marks special blocks (such as beam blocks or bomb blocks). The world in Dread is gigantic, so having a map as intricate as this is greatly appreciated, especially when going back to collect items that could not be obtained before.

The size of the world can be overwhelming at points, but the movement in the game is so fast and fluid that getting around never becomes an issue. Samus is extremely agile, but yet the controls still allow for precise actions. Every time I made an error it felt like it was entirely my fault rather than some flaw in the controls. I already considered Dread to have my favorite movement in any 2D platformer while I was early on, but it is further enhanced by upgrades unlocked throughout the game. Speed Booster/Shinespark puzzles are extraordinarily satisfying to pull off, and the new Flash Shift ability is very fun to use.

The Flash Shift also improves combat, as it provides a quick way to dodge incoming attacks. This, as well as the free aim and counter, easily makes the combat the best it’s ever been in a Metroid game. Combat has never been a strength of Metroid games before this, but they often include excellent boss fights that are tough but with patterns that can be learned, and this is still the case here. Every boss is expertly crafted so they’re challenging at first but can be taken down quickly once you know what you’re doing. The final boss is a perfect example of this, and it quickly grew to become one of my favorite boss fights. Successfully countering a boss even allows players to do massive damage during a strikingly cool animation. While EMMIs aren’t necessarily bosses, they’re still an excellent addition. Being chased by one always had me on the edge of my seat, and I liked how you can still prevent yourself from being killed by them if you’re skilled enough at knowing when to counter.

Sadly, Dread isn’t without its flaws. Metroid games have always had some of my favorite soundtracks for games, as their music has great melodies while creating a strong sense of atmosphere. Super Metroid in particular does a great job of this, but Dread disappointingly isn’t the same. I can’t think of a single track that I genuinely liked. I don’t hate the music, but I’d say I just tolerate it. I also didn’t like how many rooms there were. In Super, each room feels like it has a specific purpose, but the same can’t be said for Dread. However, each room still has a unique layout and, as mentioned earlier, is enjoyable to go through thanks to the exceptional movement, so it is hardly an issue.

I had high hopes for Metroid Dread, and I am lucky to say that it went above and beyond my expectations. After it came out, I was addicted to the game and played through it three times in the span of a little over a week. Super Metroid is one of the only other games that made me want to replay immediately after beating it. I adored my time with the game, whether it was taking my time to find everything the first playthrough or to rush through to try and get a low time. I definitely plan to play this game on many more occasions. At the moment, I am undecided on which game I prefer, but Metroid Dread currently rivals Super Metroid as my favorite game of all time.

This is a neat metroidvania that is surprisingly only made by one person. I found the exploration to be fun, but I wish the movement was a little faster as it can feel like a slog to get around sometimes. There were also a few points where it got rather confusing what was a platform and what was just decoration, but it didn't hinder my experience that much. I enjoyed the enemy variety and how unique they were, even if a few were annoying to fight. The big assortment of guns is also cool, but I would've greatly preferred more unique upgrades instead. Speaking of guns, they (along with some optional upgrades) were usually hidden in great spots, but there is a good amount of them that I feel were really cryptic, which can be frustrating for a metroidvania. Despite the many flaws, I did enjoy most of my time with this game, and I'm interesting in trying the recently released sequel down the line, which I'm hoping solves some of my problems with this game.

A perfect example of a fun and addictive first-person shooter. With more story and characters and well as an even more interactable environment, this improves on the first Half-Life in nearly any way. I do miss some of the more unique guns from the first game, but the gravity gun more than makes up for it. It's extremely fun to use and adds a whole new layer to the experience. I also adore how the levels feel like realistic locations that could actually exist in the setting of the game, all while still offering an environment that allows for fun gunplay. All of this culminates into what is probably my favorite FPS yet.

Yet another amazing game in the Metroid series. The combat changes are a welcome addition as they are extremely satisfying to use, and item upgrades are often obtained through fun and short puzzles. The main bosses are unique and fun to fight, but having to do all the metroid fights can get a little tedious. The backgrounds have a surprising amount of detail for a 3DS game, which really helps the world feel more alive. However, I do wish the music was more like Super Metroid's and had more of a melody instead of just being atmospheric. I also wish it wasn't quite as linear, but Mercury Steam did a great job of making the player want to return to old areas to get upgrades, especially with the addition of fast travel. I can't wait to see where the 2D Metroid series will go from here.