I remember my friend recommending I try this game out a while ago, always seeing him hop on to see if he could improve his times and beat the game in under an hour. Admittedly I would do the same thing but with Pizza Tower instead, so I could see the appeal. But then I actually played the game and damn is it fun. The story provides a really cool setting, but I could see the conversations being a little too...over the top for some people in terms of the writing. Either way, I had a hell of a fun time blazing my way through the levels as well as coming back for the collectibles and I recommend this one for sure.

I started this game around December of 2022, giving it a shot thanks to the game undergoing a large surge of popularity thanks to the many memes of it that existed around that time, in a similar vein to Metal Gear Rising. It was a blast in every regard: the story, the gameplay, the characters, the sidequests...and yet only now did I buckle down to try and complete the main story. Regrettably, I forsook the rest of those elements in favor of completing the main story simply because I wanted to say I had beaten it. This game was one of many I tried to beat within a year, all inspired by a pair of excellent videos from Daryl Talks Games talking about the gaming backlog. That initial video inspired me to take to many places and ask both friends and various Discord servers about games I needed to play and to see if I could beat them in a years time (July 2023 to July 2024). Needless to say, I am definitely not accomplishing that goal with the many RPGs I have included taking well between 60-100 hours. Yakuza 0 was one of those games, and I sporadically hopped in every now and then in between both games I wanted to try out and the many multiplayer games that have cycled through my friend group. This experience of going from taking my time and enjoying myself to racing to the finish line just to check another box in my spreadsheet shows me the issue of trying to beat games under a deadline. Daryl experienced a similar situation and found the same conclusion, and he offered the viewer to experiment with their backlog in the same way. Now in late May as of writing this, there are many games I've had to leave behind for this challenge. And yet, Yakuza 0, the game that took me almost one and a half years to beat, is probably one of the best I've experienced in my time. This was my introduction to the franchise and funny enough is a prequel game to a long running series that just recently got two huge entries. What a hell of a first impression. I loved the combat structure, switching between styles and wiping the floor with goons never got tiring or less enjoyable. The bosses were admittedly frustrating but maybe that's because I preferred to rush in headfirst and mash a variety of X, Y and B like I was back in seventh grade typing class. Still great. The story and the writing is tight in that it can incorporate moments of humor and cheese as well as the heartfelt and admittedly tearjerking without feeling out of place or like tonal whiplash. The tension, the drama, the fun, the sadness, all blend together to create a unique and flavorful experience that rivals even the tastiest of beef bowls. Like I said, I regret taking it fast towards the end because Yakuza gives me the impression that you should take it as a marathon and not a sprint. There are SO many sidequests and minigames to enjoy on the side that is just as polished as the main core gameplay and it's insane. There's fully functional RC racing, fishing, darts, pool, disco and karoke minigames, and that's not even all of them! There's well over 80, maybe even 100 hours of content just for you to explore and enjoy. I guess the main lesson that I learned from this game is that sometimes it's about the journey and not the destination, even if it is excellent in itself. I will come back to this game one day and see everything that it has to offer.

DMC1: It's a decent start that admittedly I didn't really like at first. The controls felt really limited for an action game and you can really feel the Resident Evil DNA that stuck after the game switched gears. However, I got my hands on more weapons as I gave it more time and this ended up becoming a solid game that while the rest of the series probably does better (haven't played them as of writing this) I think might still worth going back to. 8/10.

DMC2: What an absolute downgrade from the original. It somehow makes the flaws even worse from the original and takes away the good elements at the same time. The story is absolutely boring, Dante became a cardboard box, and I don't care about Lucia or how she plays into the narrative. The gameplay is repetitive and boring, with empty and dull missions to play through. This is one of the only games that I have put down because I actively wasn't having fun. Do not waste your time, play DMC1 and skip right to 3. 3/10.

DMC3: An excellent return to form that introduces a few fan-favorite characters (Vergil is fucking awesome). The combat loop has returned from monotony to engaging and fun, especially with the weapon variety this time around. You really think about your loadout and how to spend Red Souls upgrading them, as well as your health and Devil Trigger guage. The story this time around was fun as well, getting to meet new characters like Lady and Vergil make the story really fun and Dante is back to his loveable goofy self after losing his way in DMC2. Just an absolute banger all around. 9/10.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

First time playing a Tekken, did not disappoint. I mainly played through the story mode but I've got a little bit of local matches under my belt as well. The combat is so fun and satisfying (like look at those hit VFX and SFX, those are crunchy as hell), the character roster is fun and varied, insane lore, crazy amounts of customization that actively impress me with how creative people get, and there's a lot of fun modes to try out besides the main gameplay loop. Definitely a good first impression.

My introduction to the Metroid series was admittedly tough to get into. I had played this on and off before restarting an hour of progress in order to actually remember where I was and pay attention to the stuff I'm getting. Then it clicked with me. All of a sudden I started making rapid progress. I collected new items and powers quicker, and I then made my way back through the various locales to grab some stuff locked behind future options. Samus evolving into a freight train of mass destruction feels really good once you start annhilating everything you see, and I look forward to similar experiences in the next Metroidvania I dedicate time to.

Wow, I'm glad this $25 Funky Kong DLC came with a few extra characters and 48 tracks! In all seriousness though, the BCP is kind of a mixed bag for me. Is it worth the price of admission? Oh yes, absolutely. You get to double the amount of tracks in the game with some extra characters thrown in as a bonus! However, the tracks aren't all visually up to snuff with the base game. Some come really close, but a lot of them really show their Tour roots and stick out like a sore thumb. I'm glad we got more content for a great entry in the Mario Kart series, but it comes with some unfortunate drawbacks that ultimately may not matter to you. Pick it up if you can.

A solid platform fighter that takes the barebones elements and fuses it into an intricate chess game where I still don't know what I can do with all of the pieces, and that's just for one character. It's really fun trying to come up with a gameplan a few frames at a time. When it reaches the conclusion, the replay is an excellent payoff for the time dedicated to the match you played because it can lead to some really cool battles to look back on and it helps you think of how to improve for next time. Cowboy main for life.

What can I say about this gem that hasn't been said before? I came back to it a few years after I first beat it, and I can say with full confidence that it still holds up amazingly well. The visuals being a love letter to the 1930s rubberhose style and going all the way shows the passion and determination of the developers to commit to their vision with no compromises. The gameplay is nail-biting and tense, but fair enough to want to keep going (which makes all the better when you finally conquer the level that's been beating you down for the last two hours). The score is fantastic and I eat it up because I love ragtime, swing and jazz. All-in-all a complete package with a cherry on top.