I thought I had my expectations in check but wow this was disappointing, such a downgrade from RE2 on every level. I knew going in that fans of the original disliked a lot of the changes here, and I can confirm that this game doesn’t care much about being faithful to the original. I’m fine with that, but the content that got replaced is so much better than what’s here. There were multiple moments here that were obnoxious bc of what felt like huge design oversights. The game looks and sounds great for sure, but it runs out of steam so fast. It’s even shorter than the original RE3 on a first playthrough which is insane, and there were still parts I wish were cut. Level design is my biggest issue here bc they clearly didn’t know when to calm tf down with enemy placement, it’s impossible to avoid so many of these guys so you end up just shooting everyone you run into and it’s so much less engaging than before. There’s also a few level specific mechanics that just do not feel well thought out at all. Boss fights are a notable sour point here, there aren’t many but they’re just damage sponges and are more irritating than challenging. Nemesis is not threatening whatsoever and his chase scenes are really lame even when compared to the original. This game fails as a follow-up to the RE2 remake and it’s even worse as a remake of the original game.

Played this to prep myself for the upcoming RE4 remake, really enjoyed it! They nailed the recreation of the game’s main areas, atmosphere here is fantastic and the game is definitely a lot scarier than the original. I still like the fixed camera style a lot, and I won’t lie there are some things I miss about the original (how colorful it was, the far superior soundtrack, the A to B progression system etc), so I wouldn’t call this a replacement of the original like the RE1 remake is, but if you have to just play one version of RE2 this is definitely it. My biggest problem with the game is still the way you essentially have to play it twice, I think it’s handled better here but it’s still a lot of the same thing just repeated and especially with the removal of the progression system here it kills any drive I have to fully re-experience the game. Mr X was made truly terrifying here and is definitely one of the best improvements, though there’s one notable point in both playthroughs where he’s more obnoxious than scary. The story is expanded on here a decent amount and is given a few new scenes that are great. I’ve been talking mostly about how this game serves as a remake, but the thing is RE2 1998 is still a great game for the time, and this faithfully takes the same core and transforms it for a modern audience. Almost all of its strengths and weaknesses were retained.

I’ve always loved this game since I was a kid but playing it again years later with a more refined perspective has made me appreciate it in an entirely new light, this is hands down one of the best video games ever made and in my opinion as close to flawless as anything can realistically get. It takes the already amazing foundation of the original game and cracks it open even further leading to some truly beautifully constructed puzzles. It’s outrageously funny from top to bottom and that’s etched into every aspect of the games identity, so of course that means the dialogue which is incredible one again but it covers other areas from the level design to even the loading screens, there is legitimately never a dull second here. It’s so fast-paced too, with amazing moment after amazing moment from beginning to end. And it’s all topped off with this incredible ending, I could not stop smiling while watching it play out. Not a single thing I would change about this game, absolute masterpiece.

Despite being from Harmonix themselves, this first Rock Band installment can’t help but come off as a bit of a diet Guitar Hero. The whole thing feels incredibly low budget in a way that the same year’s Guitar Hero 3 just doesn’t, there’s a distinct lack of the crazy events that make GH careers so memorable, the solo tour mode is incredibly lame and underwhelming in comparison. Some of the hit detection feels pretty off too, and that’s not helped by the noticeably more low quality instruments.

Yet despite that, it’s so obvious that they were onto something special with this game. The Guitar Hero games at this point had dabbled in multiplayer, but Rock Band takes the full dive into making it a core part of the experience. Guitar was already pretty well established, nothing much to change there (though the solo markers are fun), and vocals were a decently obvious addition considering some of the semi-popular PS2 karaoke game.

Drums are the area where they really nailed it here… the intense focus on tight timing made drums a very natural addition to a rhythm game, and I think the translation to a plastic kit was handled pretty well. The sensitivity on the original kits isn’t where it should be to reliably pull off some of those fast sixteenth note run (Run to the Hills is far and away the most difficult song in the game bc of this), but calibration settings are strong enough to get reliably good timing the majority of the time.

The setlist overall is very solid, albeit with a few oddball picks, but it’s really lacking those standout challenging songs. Nothing here should give you too much trouble on any instrument, the guitar stuff feels especially tame given what GH3 asks of you at points. Although maybe that’s a blessing in disguise thanks to RB1’s noticeably strict hit engine.

It’s definitely easier going back to this than the original Guitar Hero despite the cheapness of it all, and shifting the focus to multiplayer was absolutely the right call… that’s where Rock Band shines most. Drums were a genius addition that expanded the longevity of the game so much, and utilizing multiple instruments to complete the sound of a song while synchronizing overdrive points is a multiplayer high that almost no other game can touch for me.

I still really enjoy playing the original Rock Band, although it is unfortunately a pretty tough recommendation at this point. The plastic instruments required to play this have gotten obnoxiously expensive, which has made the game pretty inaccessible. But more important than that… it’s hard to justify spending too much time on this one when its successors are much better in every way.

Unquestionably my favorite 2D platformer of all time and the gold standard I will hold the genre to forever. Each time I play this is better than the last, but now that I have a much better understanding of game design and mechanics it’s even crazier to appreciate.

The controls of this game, just like its predecessor, are perfect. It’s so easy to get into a flow state and feels so good to seamlessly weave between different speeds depending on the situation. The invasion levels and devilishly addicting Challenges mode only further encourage you to master controlling your momentum in this game, and so you do, and the entire playthrough experience turns into this incredible wave of motion that’s impossible to put down. It’s enrapturing.

The level design is the best I’ve ever seen from the genre and I don’t say that lightly. It’s been years since I last played and I still remembered every single one of these vividly. They start simple enough but still provide you with fantastic opportunities to get a good flow going, while also tempting your curiosity in a very natural way with very well placed Teensies. But as the game evolves, the levels become more and more involved, stages become so chaotic here with the amount of stuff happening on screen, and clearly the designers knew how fun it is to go fast in this game because there are so many sections where you’re made to gun it through an obstacle course at top speed, it’s always exhilarating.

The evolution of level themes is also pretty outstanding, it’s a far cry from the more generic level themes of most platformers. It starts with relatively simple yet still unique feeling medieval forests and fantastical swamps before catapulting you into a wildly over the top celebration of Mexican culture, an underwater high-tech spy operation, and a trip through Olympus that eventually takes you into the depths of hell. It’s fascinating to let the game take you on a ride, and that’s ignoring how memorable all of the individual levels are!

Enough people have gushed about how incredible The Mysterious Floating Island is, but that same level design philosophy of guiding you through the world in an interesting and wordless way is present from the first level all the way through the final world. It is mildly annoying that the devs opted for a Mario 64-esque painting level select screen as opposed to a more connected world map, but it’s hard to care too much when the level design itself connects each area better than a dotted line on a map ever could.

All of this without even mentioning the music levels, the fact that a large chunk of stages from Origins are unlockable in game, and the genuinely absurd final optional world that has some of the craziest levels in the history of games as a medium… yeah it’s peak

Wrote an extremely reactionary response to this right after I finished it where I felt sick for having played it at all because I genuinely believed the game was a suicide note. I’ve looked into it a lot more since then and confirmed that the author is still alive, which made me feel a lot better. Now I’d like to actually talk about the game.

This is a very interesting experience because I don’t think I’ve ever played a game that encourages you to get so hopelessly lost as this one. It’s a walking sim but you’re constantly discovering new environments and events, and there’s always an easy way to reset. The atmosphere is fantastic and it can be a very immersive experience.

This part might just be me but honestly I find this game much more unsettling than most horror games I’ve played. It gets under my skin very easily even though you’re never really in danger, there’s just something about the implied subject matter combined with the atmosphere that really reaches me. The ending is also very haunting to me, although I know lots of people have more positive interpretations of it.

The story is very vague and up to interpretation but honestly I really like that about it, the game has the potential to say so much with so little and I really appreciate that the creator has stayed so quiet on it all. It’s very easy to revisit because of how aimless it can all be (intentionally!!), but it’s also easy to blast through with a guide and just soak in the vibes.

Very strange game but I’ve continued thinking about it a lot, definitely left its mark on me so I’m glad I experienced it

Totally forgot to log this one

This is a simple but very fun rhythm game, style is off the charts and I got lots of genuine laughs while playing. Reminds me a lot of WarioWare in the best way. Song selection is definitely strange but I find it weirdly charming hearing songs like The Anthem crushed down to DS quality. My one big gripe with the game is the scoring system, for some of the later stages on higher difficulties it makes it nearly impossible to even clear songs without getting a practically perfect rank (looking at Jumping Jack Flash specifically here). And it’s just annoying bc I find the harder charts so much more engaging but I want to play them without constantly being on the brink of failing for the most minor mistake. Other than that, super fun time, definitely gonna check out one of the Japan only games some time