When a friend of mine recommended this to me, I was only expecting a half decent time, so it was incredibly surprising that this ended up being one of my favourite overall platformers.

Starting with the first thing that impressed me about this game; its overall structure. It's a semi-collectathon platformer where you access levels through a hub world and get the required collectables to progress through the rest of the game, with some additional ones that unlock more content, and this structure which would usually be for 3D platformers is translated wonderfully into 2D. The way it works is that you play the first level of a world, get a new character ability, and then once you complete that level, use that very ability to reach an area that gives you access to the remaining 3 levels in any order you like, on top of allowing other areas of the hub world to be reached. The way this incentivizes exploring every inch of the hub world is amazing, and it's done wonderfully through simple platforming challenges.

And this brings me to the second thing that impressed me about this game; the different character abilities. Throughout the main game, you start off with SpongeBob and Danny Phantom, but then you get Timmy and Patrick later in the game, and all of them offer 1 or 2 insanely fun abilities. From Danny's ghost switching that allows him to phase through specific platforms and walls while giving him access to others, to Timmy being able to sling off of any ring hook in any direction an trajectory, to SpongeBob's drilling power which lets him traverse soft terrain (aka. the Yellow Drill before Sonic Colours was ever a thing), to Patrick being able to float down using his pants as a parachute after being shot from cannons. Putting aside how they're utilized in the levels (which I will get to), each and every ability available is an absolute joy to use, all being incredibly effective with their functions and made even better by the fact that you can switch between all four characters on the fly. It helps that each character controls really well, having enough precision to account for harder platforming, but also enough weight to ensure that the physics didn't feel static.

And now for the third, and debatably biggest, element of this game that impressed me; the level design. This game is not only a semi-collectahon, it's also a puzzle platformer, and it absolutely excels on that front. I was expecting simple, but relatively fun platforming challenges and puzzles, but man, did this game blow me the fuck away with what it actually offered. There's a surprising amount of depth and challenge present within the platforming and especially the puzzles, both being built wonderfully around the character abilities as it really makes you think about how to properly make use of them to overcome said challenges.

And there are two more elements that make each level more fun than they have any right to be. The first of which of is the addition of the golden hearts. Now, what makes them different from the normal hearts you get from checkpoints, you may ask? Well, these ones actually unlock bonus levels once you have enough of them, with the drawback being that if you take damage, you'll lose that heart for good until you replay the stage. Having a collectable also serve as an extra bit of health surprised me in the best of ways as I've never seen any other platformer do something like this, but it also does an amazing job at incentivizing replayability, as many of these hearts are placed in difficult spots, and you need to hold on to all 5 of them until the very end of the level to get the best rank, on top of getting the bonuses I just mentioned. And the second element is how the game handles backtracking. I did catch on to moments where you had to go back through parts of levels you already did, but the reason why it's not at all bothersome is that it had you going through unique platforming challenges and puzzles on the way back, and the entire reason you had to go back in the first place is to access a new area you previously couldn't to continue with the rest of the level.

All of this high quality is elevated a fair amount by the game's presentation. The level environments and spritework look incredibly appealing, with the cave of World 3 being a particular standout of the former, enhanced by a sense of cartooniness that makes the Nicktoons that are represented incredibly charming, and while the music isn't some of the best I've ever heard, every track is still catchy in someway and fit the tones of each world brilliantly.

Now, with all this surprising amount of effort for a game like this, WHY IN THE HELL DOES THIS GAME NOT HAVE ANY BOSSES?! I swear, with how amazing everything about this game is, I'm absolutely certain that if bosses were here, they'd be on the same level of quality. Although, I am a bit more baffled regarding the final level. Don't get me wrong, it was pretty fun, but I was personally expecting it to be a lot harder, especially with the challenge that the puzzles in the prior worlds offered. But I don't think I'd list these as legitimate flaws.

So, overall, Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island GBA is a surprisingly fantastic semi-collectahon puzzle platformer with brilliant gameplay, really solid structure, phenomenally crafted level design with incredibly creative challenges and puzzles at every turn, and a significant amount of replayability achieved in really unique ways. I do not see a lot of logs for this game, which is a shame because I think this is 100% worth checking out if you're looking for a fun and fairly difficult platformer with Nicktoons characters.

"Mom, can we get Fall Guys?"

"No, we have Fall Guys at home."

Fall Guys at home:

Decided to return to the first video game I ever played in commemoration of the DS's 19th anniversary, as that's my all time favourite video game console. And I gotta say, this game is quite the interesting one to return to after 13 years. Given that I've also played Rayman 2 on the Nintendo 64 when I got that system in 2018, I was kinda expecting my return to this port to be far from joyful, given that you're now forced to use an 8 directional Control Pad to move around, but to my surprise, it was not much of a detriment at all. It still felt fun to control to some degree even without analog movement. I cannot say the same for the camera controls, though. To move the camera, you have to hold down the Y button and then move the Control Pad, forcing you to stay at a standstill during the process, which gets really annoying really quickly, and even more so when you sometimes get a worse view in more cramped sections when attempting to move the camera. It's the sole reason why I wouldn't recommend this over any other version of Rayman 2.

That said, every other element of this is still Rayman 2 at its very core, from its really tight gameplay, to the improved frame rate that add to the visuals which fit quite nicely for the DS, and insanely creative level design with each and every one you traverse through. This will probably be the last time I ever return to this version of the game now that I have better options, but for what it's worth, it's decent enough if it's the only way you can play it, and on a personal level, it was a really nice trip down memory lane.

Sonic Colours for the Wii, a game that saved Sonic's reputation for a brief period of time after a multitude of failures, introduced many new staples that would spread across future games, and is considered by some to be one of the best games in the series. I mean, it got a remaster in 2021 for a reason. The downside is I'm still trying to find what that reason is, because I really don't see the appeal to this game at all. I personally feel like everything that Colours Wii goes against what made Sonic unique and appealing to me.

And no, I'm not just saying this due to the game's story, because to be completely honest, I kind of have a soft spot for it. It's definitely not perfect with some of its jokes falling horrifically flat and some things not making sense like how Eggman's amusement park is impossible to miss, yet Sonic and Tails are the only ones to even think of arriving there, but there were a few bits of comedy and dialogue within the story that I felt were at the very least amusing, the character dynamic between Sonic and Tails is entertaining, the turning Wisps into mind control energy plot sets really solid stakes for the plot, and the general characterization for Sonic, Tails and Eggman are really good. Some might be put off by the more lighthearted tone compared to the games that came before it, but I think it works well enough here.

My problem with this game is literally everything else, starting with the level design. It has glimpses of potential fun with the few amount of levels that I actually enjoyed, offering a decent sense of speed combined with solid platforming and good Wisp utilisation. And it does keep a consistent rhythm with this for the first few levels and some standouts in the later worlds. Complimenting this is the controls, which aren't amazing, but for the type of game this is, they're pretty good. Movement feels a bit more loose than in Unleashed, all the fundamental moves that made that game good to control are present here, and the double jump is honestly amazing for helping with more difficult platforming. Having said that, the levels take a huge nosedive after Sweet Mountain Act 1. The main issue with the level design is that it never really takes advantage of the themes. When you have amazing concepts like a planet made out of desserts, a carnival in space, an alien planet that's also part mechanical due to being under construction, and rollercoasters among asteroids, it's really disappointing how the game just decides to go with basic platforming that has no creativity or inspiration in the least. It makes the levels feel barebones and lacking, and how the core elements of both the series as a whole and the game itself are used make them even worse.

A major example being how the game is more focused on platforming, which doesn't sound bad conceptually since Sonic games weren't all about just going fast, but speed was still a fundamental part of the franchise that made it stand out, and it opened up opportunities for satisfaction in regards to using said speed to get through platforming more effectively with your own skill. That's not present at all in Colours Wii, since it focuses on platforming so much that it renders boosting almost pointless, and the fact that there's barely any sense of speed in most of the platforming challenges without any way to get through them faster makes the game feel less like a Sonic game and more of a generic platformer that would fit in well with all the shovelware platformers on the system at the time. Some people have said that the levels are Mario-esque, but even the New Super Mario Bros games had more creativity in their levels. Not to say that there's no sense of speed in this game at all, but most of it is limited to the automated Quick Step sections, which are mostly big and empty with the only obstacles being, Moto Bugs? Fucking really? And if all this wasn't bad enough, I haven't even gotten to the level specific gimmicks. Whether it be those yellow springs across an automated path, Sprinklers that shoot out spikes and Rings, those fucking spheres that shoot out orbs, lasers and elevators activated by switches or those yellow cubes that disappear if an enemy shoots it, these attempts to make the levels feel fresh and creative just make the game even more tedious., because many of them slow the game down to a fucking crawl or even to a complete stop. And pray for your soul if you come across a level that's consistently stop and go.

But how's the exploration in this game? Well, it's fucking disgraceful. Let me boil down 90% of the game's exploration. Use a Wisp to find a hidden area, and then collect the fuck ton of Rings in the small crevice you find, or the occasional Red Ring. That's it. They barely ever have branching pathways or openings to different areas that would make exploration even the least bit worthwhile. Not helping is that some levels are so stupidly short that you have no choice but to mindlessly explore them for stuff that doesn't really mean anything unless you want to get the highest rank or you really want Super Sonic, but you'll have little incentive to explore thanks to all of it being unrewarding and unsatisfactory. And worse yet, there are sometimes pathways that seem like it’ll give you something rewarding, only to send you back to the beginning of the level, and in those instances, it feels like the game is flat out punishing you for exploring. Speaking of getting the highest rank, the ranking system is terrible too. Instead of having you master the level inside and out in order to get the fastest time and best score, it just wants you to give into the mindless exploration while abusing the bonus points you get from using the Wisps, which just leads to taking time grinding out points in order to get that shiny S rank on every level, but why would I want to do this instead of making use of the game's mechanics and assets to beat the level as fast as possible? This doesn't enhance the game or encourage replayability, it just makes it more of a slog than it already is.

As for the Wisps, while it is fun to mess around with all the unique abilities they give you, especially when certain stage assets require you to traverse the levels in new ways, they sadly aren't implemented into the stages that well. They don't really have enough mandatory uses to feel like they're worth using, with their optional placements just making you spend even more time in the levels barely doing anything. On top of this, there are several levels where the Wisps should have been mandatory, but because you don't unlock them until the later levels, they're not, and it just ends up leading to more tedious platforming on your first playthrough. And then you have the Blue Cube that takes forever to activate, and has horrible puzzles built around the cube and ring switching stuff. It's not fun to use, whether optional or mandatory, as it only adds more tedious platforming to the mix.

But hey, how about those boss fights? They suck balls too. Without the Wisps, they're either pathetically easy or an insane slog, and with them, they can be taken out so quickly that it makes you wonder what's even the point of them. And they get rehashed for the second half of the game, so they're lacking in originality too. I did enjoy two of the bosses, those being the Starlight Carnival and Asteroid Coaster ones. They gave a decent challenge without going on for too long. But then you have the final boss, the Nega Wisp Armour, which is fun on its own, but as the supposed climactic finale to the game, it's probably the most pathetic one in the series. Its attacks are easy to avoid, there's no sense of skill involved in attacking it, and the final blow is immensely unsatisfying.

After all of this, you might be wondering. Is the 100% completion reward of a playable Super Sonic worth it? Well, no. It's cool that he's even in a 3D Sonic game for the first time, but it's clear as day that his unlimited boost and higher speeds were not built for the levels, which already lack any semblance of speed to begin with, but then you have to factor in that you can't use the Wisps while you have him, so some levels had to be altered for them to be even completable with Super Sonic, which should have been a sign that he SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN INCLUDED!

So, yeah,Overall, Sonic Colours Wii does have a few moments of solid level design alongside nice controls and Wisps that are fun to fuck around with, but it's outweighed by the mostly uncreative and uninspired platforming, barely any sense of speed, awful ginmicks that make the game a tedious slog, exploration that's insanely unsatisfactory at best or flat out punishing at worst, poor Wisp utilisation, and pathetic bosses. It was an absolutely miserable experience for me that went against everything the series stood for from a gameplay perspective, and how this is considered one of the series' best games to any degree by anyone will most likely always be beyond me.