Faye
1998
A great ride from start to finish. It's like playing an action movie. Much of the OST makes for great ambience. There's an distinct nostalgia to the writing likely linked back to the original Metal Gear games which I've never played. Snake is a charming protagonist and so, too, is his "guy in the chair." There's a bit of sexism in how Meryl is written (it is the Kojima Way) but I wouldn't say it prevents her from being a strong character on her own. As for the gameplay, I found it rather engaging if a bit clunky. The boss fights are great! This is a classic to the end and well-worth playing.
I don't like to compare games across franchises in my revfiews, but it's hard to review games in this fledgling genre without some comparison. I don't know where the "Bullet Heaven" style games got their true start, but it's inarguable that Vampire Survivors is what popularized them. From there, HoloCure refines the formula into something truly spectacular. Each character has a unique weapon, skills, and special/ultimate ability: this makes choice of character much more impactful than in Vampire Survivors, which often feels more like an aesthetic choice after a certain point. And with so many characters to choose from, HoloCure is a great place for experimentation. Also, the level one stage theme is way too catchy! Admittedly I don't know much about Hololive but this game is worth playing for the gameplay alone.
This was actually my first Pokemon game, and I think it holds up rather well even today. Double battles being treated as the standard is a rather underrated format, and I'd love to see a return to that in a future entry.
2013
Though it had its flaws, I remember this generation much more fondly than those before it. I like the region design a lot, and many of Gen VI's Pokemon felt very inspired, but of greater import to me is how this game handled connectivity. The PSS was the best player-connectivity feature any Pokemon game has ever had. As a teenager I met someone very important to me through this game, whom I still know and hang out with to this day, and for that I can't thank it enough. Also, the battle themes in XY are some of the best the series has to offer in my opinion.
2004
A game a grew up with, and one that has left its mark on my subconscious decades later. The semi-random nature of its caves was novel then, and still captivating now. The sense of adventure and discovery throughout this game is unmatched. I'm in love with every creature design, and as a child I spent many hours admiring them through the Piklopedia. I suspect that this may be the culprit for my finding monstrous creatures adorable in other media properties! My favourite is the Man-at-Legs.
This was my first "conventional" Pokemon game, and it was pretty fun. I don't have the heart to replay anything from so far back, though, given how many quality of life features are missing.
2012
Another horror classic. The gameplay is simple but engaging enough with its puzzles, the music is haunting and quite beautiful, and the ambiance is excellent. What really captured me is its plot; it contains such compelling themes centered around evil, mortality, witchcraft, friendship and betrayal... it really sticks with me to this day, serving as an inspiration for my own art.
A great entry in the series, but with the way these games tend to go, you're better off playing New Leaf.
There are better Mario Karts from a party game perspective, but Double Dash is the one I think of when I think of "the best Mario Kart." Part of it is, no doubt, childhood nostalgia peeking from behind the curtain. Still, I find the physics of this Mario Kart the most bombastic and fun to play. Additionally the fact that you get to choose your power-ups and that they're tied to character (and as such, a vehicle for characterization) is such a cool system; I'm a bit disappointed it never makes a return in some way.
Arguably the best implementation of the formula. I would argue there's reasons to go back, and obviously there's reasons to go forward... But if you want a comfy starting point, New Leaf is what I'd recommend.
Not crazy about the time mechanic, but it's a classic for a reason.
2003
Blessed Kirby Air Ride; how on Earth did you get made? One of the more unique and interesting titles in a franchise full of unique and interesting titles. I grew up playing this, and one may even argue it was my first roleplaying-within-a-video-game experience via City Trial's Free Run. Young me walked so modern me could collaboratively write JRPGs inside of MMOs.
2017
One of the idle games ever. It's cute but that's about all I can say.
1991
My first Castlevania (sorta) and I had a great time with it. The whip mechanics are surprisingly complex. There's some cheeky sections but I do think it's worth playing if you want to give the platformer-style Castlevanias a shot.
2014
The best incremental game ever made. There's layers upon layers upon layers of mechanics, but it never bombards you with them. In some ways this resembles a strategy game, but it does also represent its idle roots when it needs to. I've played both the mobile and desktop versions - they are equally good in my opinion.