DrSweetnutsJr
My history of Zelda is a complicated one. I would always rent them from Blockbuster, get the same distance into the game than give up when it got hard. When I got older I'd buy the strategy guides and still find myself getting stuck and putting the game down. Every generation I'd buy the games and play maybe 3 hours and drop them and I don't know why.
I'm 25 and finally think I think I know why.
This year I tried playing Zelda 1. The original Zelda is way too archaic to have fun playing and I don't have fun just staring at a walkthrough so I don't think I'll ever play it but I'm always told that A Link To The Past is the one where the magic started and I can see it but it still feels rough.
Every time I thought it was a masterpiece it would spit in my face and make me hate it and then my mind would be blown and then back to wanting to never play it again.
I'll start with the good
This game has so much fucking charm, from the world to the enemies to the town, it's not anything super special but I just loved looking at it, the pixel art has aged perfectly and I wanted to explore just to see it all.
Every single dungeon, aside from one, I thought was expertly designed much like most great puzzle games made you think there is no way you can figure out what to do and then feel like a genius when you figure it out. Exploring the dungeons was always interesting and everyone truly felt different.
The boss fights were the real show-stealer, there was magic to each one and they were always exciting how to tackle each one and even on a 2d plane they were epic in scale.
Now that's the bulk of the game which is why I think it's great but then there are the parts I hate.
Traversing the overworld is a chore, not because of poor map design because of how janky it all feels, after loving every dungeon I DREADED going to the next one because I knew I would lose half my health because I would move to the next screen clip into a bird get stuck in a rock and die. Multiple times I'd just kill link to get reset to a central position because I couldn't be bothered walking across the world. And you also don't receive the flute until halfway through if not later.
Another issue is the exploration, too much stuff in this game is like old point and click adventure bullshit, like why do certain events trigger after clearing certain dungeons, WHO KNOWS?, it just is how it is and you would have to visit every house after every dungeon to know but it just feels like a waste of time because of how much of a chore traveling through the world is.
Also, I stated how I loved the puzzle mechanics but it actively punishes you for experimenting in dungeons. The worst example is when they set rules out for how a mechanic in the game works then it just doesn't work for example the breaks in the walls means to place a bomb and it blows up simple enough. Okay well this dungeon has 4 cracks and the bombs only work on one of them and even then if the bomb is a little off the correct spot it doesn't work, so now I wasted my bombs because the logic behind the game is thrown out the window. Sam goes with the magic meter so I always felt discouraged to use it because of how limited it is for most of the game.
I would've put the music in my positives section, I think the Zelda overworld song on the SNES sound chip is great a lot of the boss music and dungeon music is enjoyable not my favorite SNES soundtracks but still very good. BUT THAT FUCKING BEEPING IS INDEFENSIBLE and it literally ruined my enjoyment of the music in the GA me causing me to have to mute it if I knew I'd be at low health for a period of time. The most obnoxious fucking noise repeated every 2 seconds not even if you have 1 or half a heart, just less than 3. This is so fucking terrible and I would pay for this dumbass feature to be removed because honestly, it's torture.
So overall I get why I always bounce off Zelda games but I get why I was wrong to not tough it out because the Great is really great the bad is really bad, I'm excited to see how they refine the formula playing through Ocarina and Wind Waker and BOTW.
I'm 25 and finally think I think I know why.
This year I tried playing Zelda 1. The original Zelda is way too archaic to have fun playing and I don't have fun just staring at a walkthrough so I don't think I'll ever play it but I'm always told that A Link To The Past is the one where the magic started and I can see it but it still feels rough.
Every time I thought it was a masterpiece it would spit in my face and make me hate it and then my mind would be blown and then back to wanting to never play it again.
I'll start with the good
This game has so much fucking charm, from the world to the enemies to the town, it's not anything super special but I just loved looking at it, the pixel art has aged perfectly and I wanted to explore just to see it all.
Every single dungeon, aside from one, I thought was expertly designed much like most great puzzle games made you think there is no way you can figure out what to do and then feel like a genius when you figure it out. Exploring the dungeons was always interesting and everyone truly felt different.
The boss fights were the real show-stealer, there was magic to each one and they were always exciting how to tackle each one and even on a 2d plane they were epic in scale.
Now that's the bulk of the game which is why I think it's great but then there are the parts I hate.
Traversing the overworld is a chore, not because of poor map design because of how janky it all feels, after loving every dungeon I DREADED going to the next one because I knew I would lose half my health because I would move to the next screen clip into a bird get stuck in a rock and die. Multiple times I'd just kill link to get reset to a central position because I couldn't be bothered walking across the world. And you also don't receive the flute until halfway through if not later.
Another issue is the exploration, too much stuff in this game is like old point and click adventure bullshit, like why do certain events trigger after clearing certain dungeons, WHO KNOWS?, it just is how it is and you would have to visit every house after every dungeon to know but it just feels like a waste of time because of how much of a chore traveling through the world is.
Also, I stated how I loved the puzzle mechanics but it actively punishes you for experimenting in dungeons. The worst example is when they set rules out for how a mechanic in the game works then it just doesn't work for example the breaks in the walls means to place a bomb and it blows up simple enough. Okay well this dungeon has 4 cracks and the bombs only work on one of them and even then if the bomb is a little off the correct spot it doesn't work, so now I wasted my bombs because the logic behind the game is thrown out the window. Sam goes with the magic meter so I always felt discouraged to use it because of how limited it is for most of the game.
I would've put the music in my positives section, I think the Zelda overworld song on the SNES sound chip is great a lot of the boss music and dungeon music is enjoyable not my favorite SNES soundtracks but still very good. BUT THAT FUCKING BEEPING IS INDEFENSIBLE and it literally ruined my enjoyment of the music in the GA me causing me to have to mute it if I knew I'd be at low health for a period of time. The most obnoxious fucking noise repeated every 2 seconds not even if you have 1 or half a heart, just less than 3. This is so fucking terrible and I would pay for this dumbass feature to be removed because honestly, it's torture.
So overall I get why I always bounce off Zelda games but I get why I was wrong to not tough it out because the Great is really great the bad is really bad, I'm excited to see how they refine the formula playing through Ocarina and Wind Waker and BOTW.
1989
It’s a barebones tennis game but it really have a great feel to the tennis. Also I love this and baseballs graphics like rounded fluid pixel art
1987
I fucking love this game; I have willingly played a season of tecmo bowl over several years of madden, a game with so much more than there is on the surface, one of the best football games of all time.
1990
Growing up I played Super Mario World more than any other SNES game. I just thought the movement in it was perfect and the cape and Yoshi made exploring the levels so much fun, the variation between the worlds which felt huge, ghost houses and castle were all so different. But little did I know how much of this game I was missing.
I never saw a single key, a single switch, I thought you just played straight through and there was no end, but wow this game is so fucking WEIRD, for a Mario game that is. I can put it off as me being a dumb kid who didn't want to read but making these levels have so much reliability trying too find the hidden areas really add depth to them and hunting for the hidden exits and keys make some of these levels seriously nonlinear at points.
Considering I also played through Super Mario 3 this year it is only right that my brain made comparisons. I feel like the level variety in 3 was so much greater than what there is here, too many Levels In World feel the same with not much variation. Even finding 90% of the secrets this felt like a much shorter game, which isn't bad I just wish there was more here. Super Mario 3 is so fucking hard while this there were very few moments including the final Bowser fight that felt like a cakewalk.
This is still such a great game but you really see where Nintendo was going with the Mario series and while it's a weird followup to Super Mario 3 I think it's the perfect prequel to Super Mario 64.
I never saw a single key, a single switch, I thought you just played straight through and there was no end, but wow this game is so fucking WEIRD, for a Mario game that is. I can put it off as me being a dumb kid who didn't want to read but making these levels have so much reliability trying too find the hidden areas really add depth to them and hunting for the hidden exits and keys make some of these levels seriously nonlinear at points.
Considering I also played through Super Mario 3 this year it is only right that my brain made comparisons. I feel like the level variety in 3 was so much greater than what there is here, too many Levels In World feel the same with not much variation. Even finding 90% of the secrets this felt like a much shorter game, which isn't bad I just wish there was more here. Super Mario 3 is so fucking hard while this there were very few moments including the final Bowser fight that felt like a cakewalk.
This is still such a great game but you really see where Nintendo was going with the Mario series and while it's a weird followup to Super Mario 3 I think it's the perfect prequel to Super Mario 64.
1988
I used to play Super Mario Bros. 3 as a kid and all I would ever do is crouch on the white block on 1-1 run behind the scenery and then once I beat the level I turned it off. That's true because I was a really dumb child, but now I'm a really dumb adult and wanted to go back and beat it.
Going into it I had the preconceived notion of "its a simple 2d platformer not really going to be surprised by anything" but wow is this game fucking incredible. Seriously this game is constantly throwing new challenges, puzzles and really difficult platforming at you and I was hooked until the end. People forget how fucking hard worlds 6-8 are but also some of the most fun I've had playing a game this year.
Going into it I had the preconceived notion of "its a simple 2d platformer not really going to be surprised by anything" but wow is this game fucking incredible. Seriously this game is constantly throwing new challenges, puzzles and really difficult platforming at you and I was hooked until the end. People forget how fucking hard worlds 6-8 are but also some of the most fun I've had playing a game this year.
1985
This is the weakest Of the Nintendo made sports games it doesn’t have the feel of soccer and just has almost no redeeming qualities.
2001
I knew nothing of the survival horror genre until I played Silent Hill 1 a few days ago. It reminded me of the things I loved about PC adventure games mixed with what I loved of horror movies. It was short and sweet and I loved it but I needed to know why it's squeal is widely touted as one of if not the greatest game of all time.
Now gameplay is identical to the first, run from place to place finding clues to go to the next place, with the occasional kill a monster in between. That's not a knock against it, I seriously loved going room to room exploring. Finding new buildings running around the town and enjoying the amazing atmosphere of everywhere it brought you, which going from PS1 to PS2 lets you have a much better soundtrack, (The best audio presentation bar none) terrifying visuals; a near perfect presentation.
But what did this do that pole vaults it over the first.
The Story.
James is such a fascinating person and his motives for finding his dead wife is easily the most interesting story in a game. EVER. I was glued to the TV for my full 9 hour play through and then watching every possible ending. Waking up across my 3 day playthough and couldn't wait to finish it and once I did wanting to chase that feeling of discovery. I came in with the biggest possible expectations and it not only knocked it clear out the park it set a new standard for what I look for in a game.
Now gameplay is identical to the first, run from place to place finding clues to go to the next place, with the occasional kill a monster in between. That's not a knock against it, I seriously loved going room to room exploring. Finding new buildings running around the town and enjoying the amazing atmosphere of everywhere it brought you, which going from PS1 to PS2 lets you have a much better soundtrack, (The best audio presentation bar none) terrifying visuals; a near perfect presentation.
But what did this do that pole vaults it over the first.
The Story.
James is such a fascinating person and his motives for finding his dead wife is easily the most interesting story in a game. EVER. I was glued to the TV for my full 9 hour play through and then watching every possible ending. Waking up across my 3 day playthough and couldn't wait to finish it and once I did wanting to chase that feeling of discovery. I came in with the biggest possible expectations and it not only knocked it clear out the park it set a new standard for what I look for in a game.
1999
My original review was rused garbage and I didn't get to explain what I loved about his game and after playing Silent Hill 2 it's important to make the distinction.
This is the definition of a charmingly terrifying game.
The acting is terrible but it adds some comedy to an already interesting story of Harry searching for his daughter. It's simple but enough to keep you going and every little nugget of information you learn about the town makes you so much more interested to keep going because you don't know what could happen to her. I stand by the fact that both the Hospital and School are the greatest locations in any game, they are so well designed and the puzzles in both area's are truely perfect. The sewers are a mess but everything around it makes up for it.
There's so much to love about this game.
This is the definition of a charmingly terrifying game.
The acting is terrible but it adds some comedy to an already interesting story of Harry searching for his daughter. It's simple but enough to keep you going and every little nugget of information you learn about the town makes you so much more interested to keep going because you don't know what could happen to her. I stand by the fact that both the Hospital and School are the greatest locations in any game, they are so well designed and the puzzles in both area's are truely perfect. The sewers are a mess but everything around it makes up for it.
There's so much to love about this game.
I fucking hated this game when I started it, I thought I had it all figured out from the beginning and almost disliked it for that reason.
From the moment it started I didn't care at all about the main character or his mission to bring his companion back to life. The only thing I cared about was the horse. So I didn't feel the drive to go hunt these creatures, but I did. Then I hated it more when I had to kill these huge majestic creatures. I loved them, maybe I'm a pussy or maybe I just watched too much iron giant as a kid but every single colossus I felt fucking terrible when the colossus was trying to shake me off or when they were in pain. I felt it and I resented the main character for that reason. And I would beat 2 maybe 3 colossi a day and need to put it down because I felt bad. I thought it was that I didn't like the game but it wasn't that, I felt bad.
For a short game it took me about a week to finish due to this but I think I made the right decision by taking my time because it kept calling to me every day to just take down a couple more. And I would but that pain never went away, I felt like a hitman doing a dirty job. While I loved the puzzle that was put in front of me and the satisfaction of completing it, it was immediately followed by guilt, I knew what I was doing was wrong.
I didn't like traversing the world I felt like it was a waste of time and that it wasn't special until I caught myself taking longer routes just to take in the beauty of the world, I would just stand in a new area and be blown away, which is why I said this needs to be played on PS4 and even more so in HDR on a pro. Holy shit, this is the only game I've truly felt immersed in the world, I felt like I was there physically and that I felt like I was on this journey.
By around the 10th colossus, I caught the bug and needed to see where the story was taking me. I knew that I needed to see it through so I plowed through the last 6 in one sitting.
I don't want to discuss the ending because not only do I think me talking about it won't add anything to it, I think it needs to be experienced by everyone.
The emotions that I felt in that last hour are something a video game has never made me felt.
I could nitpick that there are times that I felt I was fighting the controls it all real and it felt right.
I went from wanting to trash this game to telling everyone I know they had to experience it. This is a masterwork from top to bottom and a true piece of art.
From the moment it started I didn't care at all about the main character or his mission to bring his companion back to life. The only thing I cared about was the horse. So I didn't feel the drive to go hunt these creatures, but I did. Then I hated it more when I had to kill these huge majestic creatures. I loved them, maybe I'm a pussy or maybe I just watched too much iron giant as a kid but every single colossus I felt fucking terrible when the colossus was trying to shake me off or when they were in pain. I felt it and I resented the main character for that reason. And I would beat 2 maybe 3 colossi a day and need to put it down because I felt bad. I thought it was that I didn't like the game but it wasn't that, I felt bad.
For a short game it took me about a week to finish due to this but I think I made the right decision by taking my time because it kept calling to me every day to just take down a couple more. And I would but that pain never went away, I felt like a hitman doing a dirty job. While I loved the puzzle that was put in front of me and the satisfaction of completing it, it was immediately followed by guilt, I knew what I was doing was wrong.
I didn't like traversing the world I felt like it was a waste of time and that it wasn't special until I caught myself taking longer routes just to take in the beauty of the world, I would just stand in a new area and be blown away, which is why I said this needs to be played on PS4 and even more so in HDR on a pro. Holy shit, this is the only game I've truly felt immersed in the world, I felt like I was there physically and that I felt like I was on this journey.
By around the 10th colossus, I caught the bug and needed to see where the story was taking me. I knew that I needed to see it through so I plowed through the last 6 in one sitting.
I don't want to discuss the ending because not only do I think me talking about it won't add anything to it, I think it needs to be experienced by everyone.
The emotions that I felt in that last hour are something a video game has never made me felt.
I could nitpick that there are times that I felt I was fighting the controls it all real and it felt right.
I went from wanting to trash this game to telling everyone I know they had to experience it. This is a masterwork from top to bottom and a true piece of art.
Fuck this game... in the absolute best way possible.
While many see Sekiro as a huge departure from the souls series it almost feels like the next logical interaction from it.
When I recently completed Dark Souls 3 I didn't think that a Souls game could be more polished and it's like they took that as a challenge and made it feel and look better in every possible way.
Maybe it's because all my favorite bosses in every souls game were the one on one duels that this game feels so tailor-made for me, but every boss and mini-boss felt like a challenge that constantly made me a better player.
This has the same trappings of a puzzle or rhythm game where timing is everything and there really is no way to cheese an enemy and it isn't until you understand their pattern that you learn the exact moments you can attack.
Initially, I fucking hated the posture system I thought it went against everything I've learned from previous games in the series but by a few hours in there was nothing more satisfying than knowing how to break an enemy posture and finishing him off.
Also, this may be the nest boss design in any of the fromsoft games. They really know how to get you addicted to trying to beat a boss and using no real setpieces just ingenious design.
There is not a moment where you are not in complete control and you always feel that when you fuck up, you didn't deserve to beat the boss more so than any other souls game nothing feels cheap, no clipping through walls, incredibly tight hitboxes.
After finishing souls and it felt like a book closing, this felt like a new book opening and I couldn't be more excited about what they are going to do with Elden Ring..
While many see Sekiro as a huge departure from the souls series it almost feels like the next logical interaction from it.
When I recently completed Dark Souls 3 I didn't think that a Souls game could be more polished and it's like they took that as a challenge and made it feel and look better in every possible way.
Maybe it's because all my favorite bosses in every souls game were the one on one duels that this game feels so tailor-made for me, but every boss and mini-boss felt like a challenge that constantly made me a better player.
This has the same trappings of a puzzle or rhythm game where timing is everything and there really is no way to cheese an enemy and it isn't until you understand their pattern that you learn the exact moments you can attack.
Initially, I fucking hated the posture system I thought it went against everything I've learned from previous games in the series but by a few hours in there was nothing more satisfying than knowing how to break an enemy posture and finishing him off.
Also, this may be the nest boss design in any of the fromsoft games. They really know how to get you addicted to trying to beat a boss and using no real setpieces just ingenious design.
There is not a moment where you are not in complete control and you always feel that when you fuck up, you didn't deserve to beat the boss more so than any other souls game nothing feels cheap, no clipping through walls, incredibly tight hitboxes.
After finishing souls and it felt like a book closing, this felt like a new book opening and I couldn't be more excited about what they are going to do with Elden Ring..
2011
Remember portal?
Okay Imagine that but instead of a cool mechanic you just push blocks out of the floor and there's no humor and the atmosphere is the same as portal but worse.
BUT, the puzzle mechanic is interesting and it kept me going until the end and didn't overstay its welcome so its an Okay puzzle game.
Okay Imagine that but instead of a cool mechanic you just push blocks out of the floor and there's no humor and the atmosphere is the same as portal but worse.
BUT, the puzzle mechanic is interesting and it kept me going until the end and didn't overstay its welcome so its an Okay puzzle game.
I had no idea what I was getting into when I booted up this game. I didn't even see that it was a remaster of a 1991 dos game, but what I experienced blew me away.
This is one of the best adventure games I ever played despite all the nonsense they put you through, but I think that's why it's so incredible.
This won't be everyones cup of tea but the brutal difficulty of some of these puzzles and sequences had me almost cracking my dualshock in half. This game is so unforgiving that a barley 30 minute long game took me almost 2 full days to complete.
They tell a incredible story using no words just actions, the gameplay is so simple and so frustrating but the amount they push the jumping and shooting and force you to try so many different combinations, I just have every screen ingrained into my brain.
I really love this game.
This is one of the best adventure games I ever played despite all the nonsense they put you through, but I think that's why it's so incredible.
This won't be everyones cup of tea but the brutal difficulty of some of these puzzles and sequences had me almost cracking my dualshock in half. This game is so unforgiving that a barley 30 minute long game took me almost 2 full days to complete.
They tell a incredible story using no words just actions, the gameplay is so simple and so frustrating but the amount they push the jumping and shooting and force you to try so many different combinations, I just have every screen ingrained into my brain.
I really love this game.
I tried playing Metroid on the NES at least 55 times growing up, I bought it digitally at least 4 times and never got too far. So I never touched another Metroid game, I missed out. I understand people think that this is an incredibly casualized remake of the original but it's 2020 I'm not busting out graph paper to beat a video game. I feel that all the changes make this a much more enjoyable game overall.
As someone who never actually beat Metroid, the most underwhelming part is the boss fights but exploring the world and unlocking new abilities made the experience. The biggest problem is the pixel hunting when it comes to certain areas where there are no broken bricks so having to spend a few minutes laying bombs hoping to find where to go breaks the flow of gameplay.
But HOLY SHIT that Zero suit mission is incredible. Never did I think that a GBA game would make me that anxious, it really made this game something special. A stealth mission out of nowhere, where there is a really tense situation made it a really amazing 30 minutes In an overall great experience. But in terms of a prequel, this made me so excited to play one of the many versions of Metroid 2 and hopefully Super Metroid. This remake made me a fan of the series already.
As someone who never actually beat Metroid, the most underwhelming part is the boss fights but exploring the world and unlocking new abilities made the experience. The biggest problem is the pixel hunting when it comes to certain areas where there are no broken bricks so having to spend a few minutes laying bombs hoping to find where to go breaks the flow of gameplay.
But HOLY SHIT that Zero suit mission is incredible. Never did I think that a GBA game would make me that anxious, it really made this game something special. A stealth mission out of nowhere, where there is a really tense situation made it a really amazing 30 minutes In an overall great experience. But in terms of a prequel, this made me so excited to play one of the many versions of Metroid 2 and hopefully Super Metroid. This remake made me a fan of the series already.
Call me crazy but this is a perfect game...
Now I know this is going to be a weird review but hear me out. When the pandemic first happened I decided I wanted to play through the entire Metroid franchise, so I started with Metroid Zero Mission and thought it was an excellent game and was really excited to get into Samus Returns as it's a remake of Metroid 2 and I fucking hated it. I thought the parrying mechanic sucked that the shooting felt worse basically a huge downgrade. I put it down after 2ish hours and didn't think about it until I found my 3DS while moving and decided to give it another shot and I don't get how my mind changed in every respect.
I won't drone on about it but the Parrying mechanic MAKES this game. While yes the map is incredibly well designed and exploring all 8? areas was fun and never felt stale the reason that was is that the fighting was constantly engaging I always was on my feet and made even the most inconsequential enemy fun to fight. And thats before I even bring up the boss (metroid) fights. Theres around 50 of them and the pattern recognition and the constant ramping up of the difficulkty made me constantly anticipate the next fight. Even by the end I was hoping for more and the final fight took everything that you learned and made you earn your completion. I ended up 100%ing the game (which I have rarely ever do) because I was obsessed with finding everything and not once did I feel like it was a slog and honestly it ended exactly where I wanted it to.
I know that AM2R gets all the love but Nintendo seriously outdid themselfs with this, it's truely an incredible sequel to zero missions and completely takes over as the definitive way to experience the second chapter of the Metroid series.
Now I know this is going to be a weird review but hear me out. When the pandemic first happened I decided I wanted to play through the entire Metroid franchise, so I started with Metroid Zero Mission and thought it was an excellent game and was really excited to get into Samus Returns as it's a remake of Metroid 2 and I fucking hated it. I thought the parrying mechanic sucked that the shooting felt worse basically a huge downgrade. I put it down after 2ish hours and didn't think about it until I found my 3DS while moving and decided to give it another shot and I don't get how my mind changed in every respect.
I won't drone on about it but the Parrying mechanic MAKES this game. While yes the map is incredibly well designed and exploring all 8? areas was fun and never felt stale the reason that was is that the fighting was constantly engaging I always was on my feet and made even the most inconsequential enemy fun to fight. And thats before I even bring up the boss (metroid) fights. Theres around 50 of them and the pattern recognition and the constant ramping up of the difficulkty made me constantly anticipate the next fight. Even by the end I was hoping for more and the final fight took everything that you learned and made you earn your completion. I ended up 100%ing the game (which I have rarely ever do) because I was obsessed with finding everything and not once did I feel like it was a slog and honestly it ended exactly where I wanted it to.
I know that AM2R gets all the love but Nintendo seriously outdid themselfs with this, it's truely an incredible sequel to zero missions and completely takes over as the definitive way to experience the second chapter of the Metroid series.
1998
I've tried beating Metal Gear Solid since I was 9, I would play the first hour or so of this game non stop as a kid until I got to Revolver Ocelot and then I would quit and start a new game and just play the beginning. Now I'm 24 and I finally decided its time to beat it and I did and holy shit is it just as amazing now as it ever was. I love every single aspect of this game, the characters are all so interesting and they mesh PERFECTLY with the intricate government conspiracy plot. It's just the most fun spy epic out there with an amazing variety of boss fights that all play out differently.