I FIGHT TO YOUR HAPPINESS
Absolutely mindblowing game. A passion project made exclusively for a $6000 PC that would have never been possible on contemporary consoles. This really is the ultimate shmup. So many homage bosses for the genre. The sheer variety of music perfectly embodies every emotion under the sun from intense grief to a feeling of nostalgia to pure frustration. The cryptic soundtrack titles only help the ambiguous situation in the story too; I'm still thinking about the updated X68K Mini port's ending. The updated edition is actually available on the author's website and features additions like the new ending and proper backgrounds for each level. I can't rec this enough, very definitively my game of the year and a super challenging but fair shmup in every regard. Took roughly 15-20 hours to 1cc.

I never actually played all the way through this version of Ys I & II, so I had no idea it was actually much more manageable difficulty wise. I have to say this is by far the best way to experience the first 2 games due to factors such as the fully voice acted anime cutscenes, the somewhat more relaxed difficulty, and of course the seamless transition between titles in terms of elements like the player's level. Very shocked at how many high profile voice actors are here too; Michael Bell's Dark Fact voice is 10/10 NGL. Reading the entire page on Behind the Voice Actor was a trip and a half, to say the least. Oh, and it has my favourite soundtrack of ANY video game. Palace of Destruction my beloved!

When I first started 1ccing shmups, this was THE game to elude me. After years of improving my routing skills, I am happy to report I finally 1cc'd this impossible beast. This game is a tour de force for its system. Rendering the explosions in 30 FPS while the rest of the game was 60 FPS to help with fluidity was genius. I am a sucker for any shmup with a strong homing weapon.

Some of the hardest I ever cried at a video game. This is perhaps the most amateurish RPG Maker game I have ever played which is saying something. However, the sheer passion on display for such an early RPGM game is remarkable and really makes any player feel like ANYONE could make a video game. Best OST ever?!

Funny as fuck. Never pay $20 for a video game though.

I actually don't know if I ever finished arcade mode before this year even though I've played it for years. There's not much to say that hasn't been said before. Treasure did an amazing job being faithful to the sauce material. All the VAs from the show are there and even the show's theme song is recreated with that sexy Genesis soundchip. The 2 VS 2 format is amazingly unique and can lead to some funny ass infinites. Best fighting game on the Sega Genesis.

Roll is playable and has Zero's triple slash. It's peak. The treatment Wily Wars 1-3 deserved.

Pretty much an easier Parodius, but still a great game. Love the story emphasis, wacky pixel art, and unique weapons.

One of the best SNES shmups for sure. Almost every weapon in the game is useful to varying degrees, I never felt like grabbing the wrong powerup fucked me over. The use of mode 7 is some of the best on the system as well, really makes one feel like an astronaut embarking into a strange otherworldly dimension. Be sure to play the Japanese version.

The fact this game hides the player's UI for immersion in a fucking 80s game is unhinged. Gradius 2 is one of the most improved sequels ever and probably my favourite Gradius game. We went from having like 1.5 bosses in Gradius 1 to having a huge boss gauntlet of intimidating ass bosses that make full use of the VRV4 chip to cover the whole screen in cosmic monstrosities. Beautiful stuff.

I could def see this getting higher after replays. One of the last Treasure games I hadn't played yet, and definitely one of their most charming. I love cheerful post-apocalypse settings like this, YKK, or Mega Man Legends so it was refreshing to experience. Stopping the game's pacing to beat the shit out of every enemy in a 100 kilometer sight is hilarious. Be sure to play the Saturn version with the fan patch.

One of the most epic stories in a video game. Lezard is a total bamf who just exists to be a dick and he's always an entertaining presence. The combat system is really fun and the sprite work and music are very memorable too. Only JRPG of its era to have Guts as a party member, so that has to count for something.

Honestly I liked it even more than the original in just about every way. Much more difficult, way scarier, a redeemed version of Separate Ways, more in-depth depictions of characters like Luis and Krauser... it's peak.

Hey the movelist is pretty deep for a beat em up, I dig it! Great Kamen Rider inspired arcadey game. Pretty quick and fun clear.

You can throw your allies' heads into concrete. GOATed.

How can a black & white game made up solely of simple shapes have such a unique and inspired artstyle? To say nothing of how badass it is the player can load their own music into the game to generate levels.

One of the best PCE games. It gets a bad rap due to how shitty the SNES and Genesis ports are, but this game is really memorable. Amazing music, hilarious bad voice acting, actually solid physics and collisions. Def give this a chance even if you disliked the other versions.

Best Gundam game ever?! Watching the whole final sequence unfold while Asteroid Run plays is simply unforgettable.
"We fight because we are soldiers. So long as we live, we shall fight! That's what it means to be a soldier!"
Also the Napalm Shot is badass.

What a disturbing ass game. The sheer amount of blood, unworldly nature of the monsters, and actions the player can commit like eating the corpses of fallen demons really creates a sense of unease throughout the whole game. The physics are really nice too!

The Mega Man X beat em up I never got.

A damn shame this never got localized, probably the best Kunio game hands down. The 2 VS 2 format makes for a really fun fighting game story mode with a fren.

This is basically a precursor to all those RPG Maker walking sims, I'm really impressed with the tone, pixel art, and final sequence!

One of the most important games ever made. Mechner is a genius for the Shadow Man fight alone.

Right up there with Corpse Party as one of the early names in RPG Maker horror. Love that PC-98 aesthetic.

Yu-Gi-Oh on steroids LMAO.