Hajilee
2023
It's another indie love letter to gaming.
It's got the drug like 90s aesthetic and level intro cards from Rayman.
It's got platforming similar to the Wario Land series and Sonic, with a heavy emphasis on maintaining momentum.
It's got a mechanic that is just straight up the shine spark from the Metroid series.
It's got the animation of old DOS games at a high framerates, the game looks like it was drawn in MS Paint.
It's actually got quite a bit of horror in it, mostly goofy. But I find it to be scarier than most horror games because the rest of the game is so normal. That title screen jumpscare really got me good.
The controls are really finicky and precise. They are really good but not really built for casual gameplay. The goal is to go fast and look good doing it. I find myself missing inputs and things don't really work out the way I want them to 20% of the time but when it does work it's super satisfying.
The final boss section singlehandedly raises this games rating by half a star. It is incredible and the best part of the game in my opinion.
Not my favorite platformer or anything, but if you are looking for a game to play and you like speedy platformers I'd check it out. The price is a little steep though coming in at 25 CAD.
It's got the drug like 90s aesthetic and level intro cards from Rayman.
It's got platforming similar to the Wario Land series and Sonic, with a heavy emphasis on maintaining momentum.
It's got a mechanic that is just straight up the shine spark from the Metroid series.
It's got the animation of old DOS games at a high framerates, the game looks like it was drawn in MS Paint.
It's actually got quite a bit of horror in it, mostly goofy. But I find it to be scarier than most horror games because the rest of the game is so normal. That title screen jumpscare really got me good.
The controls are really finicky and precise. They are really good but not really built for casual gameplay. The goal is to go fast and look good doing it. I find myself missing inputs and things don't really work out the way I want them to 20% of the time but when it does work it's super satisfying.
The final boss section singlehandedly raises this games rating by half a star. It is incredible and the best part of the game in my opinion.
Not my favorite platformer or anything, but if you are looking for a game to play and you like speedy platformers I'd check it out. The price is a little steep though coming in at 25 CAD.
2017
It's really hard for me to say much about a Hat in Time. It's my favorite video game ever, period, right up there with Breath of the Wild. It's 3D platforming perfections.
It oozes with personality. The characters are top tier. The voice acting is full of energy and the only voice I don't like might be mustache girl. Everyone else is stellar.
The controls are phenomenal. It actually fights with Mario Odyssey for the best controlling 3D platformer in my eyes. It's simple but man does it work.
The levels are so creative. Compared to classics like Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie, Hat in Time knocks it out of the park with some of the most creative and amazing ideas I've ever seen. One chapter your trying to turn off lava facets in a town full of Mafia men, the next you are trying to solve a murder on a train full of Owls and suspicious crows. It has so many ideas, I don't want to spoil them all but they are legendary.
The visuals. Compared to how phenomenal the rest of the games aspects are the graphics are probably Hat in Times weakest aspect now that I think about it. It's not the most visually impressive game but it's cute and it gets the job done. It looks like Windwaker without cell shading and I really dig it.
Lastly the soundtrack is incredible. "Trainwreck of Electro Swing" is of one of my favorite songs ever, in all of media. "Your Contract Has Expired" is simply beautiful, one of the best boss themes I've ever heard. The Hat Ships main theme was composed by Grant Kirkhope (the legend himself) and it shows. I can keep pointing out stellar tracks but we'd be here forever.
It takes many aspects from 3D platformers of the past and combines them to be one of the best gaming experiences money can buy. I have never (and probably will never again) be smiling so much while playing a game. The whole thing was so much whimsical fun. Please, if you haven't already, buy the game and play it, if you like 3D platformers you'll probably love it.
I have gotten Hat in Time with all DLC on three separate occasions. I have it on PC, Switch, and PS4. That's how good the game is, I purchased it numerous times and 100% it every time. I don't say this lightly, a Hat in Time is the best 3D platformer I have ever played, the best game over all I have ever played. The only genuine con I can think of is that the game is too short, and I wish there was more to play.
It oozes with personality. The characters are top tier. The voice acting is full of energy and the only voice I don't like might be mustache girl. Everyone else is stellar.
The controls are phenomenal. It actually fights with Mario Odyssey for the best controlling 3D platformer in my eyes. It's simple but man does it work.
The levels are so creative. Compared to classics like Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie, Hat in Time knocks it out of the park with some of the most creative and amazing ideas I've ever seen. One chapter your trying to turn off lava facets in a town full of Mafia men, the next you are trying to solve a murder on a train full of Owls and suspicious crows. It has so many ideas, I don't want to spoil them all but they are legendary.
The visuals. Compared to how phenomenal the rest of the games aspects are the graphics are probably Hat in Times weakest aspect now that I think about it. It's not the most visually impressive game but it's cute and it gets the job done. It looks like Windwaker without cell shading and I really dig it.
Lastly the soundtrack is incredible. "Trainwreck of Electro Swing" is of one of my favorite songs ever, in all of media. "Your Contract Has Expired" is simply beautiful, one of the best boss themes I've ever heard. The Hat Ships main theme was composed by Grant Kirkhope (the legend himself) and it shows. I can keep pointing out stellar tracks but we'd be here forever.
It takes many aspects from 3D platformers of the past and combines them to be one of the best gaming experiences money can buy. I have never (and probably will never again) be smiling so much while playing a game. The whole thing was so much whimsical fun. Please, if you haven't already, buy the game and play it, if you like 3D platformers you'll probably love it.
I have gotten Hat in Time with all DLC on three separate occasions. I have it on PC, Switch, and PS4. That's how good the game is, I purchased it numerous times and 100% it every time. I don't say this lightly, a Hat in Time is the best 3D platformer I have ever played, the best game over all I have ever played. The only genuine con I can think of is that the game is too short, and I wish there was more to play.
I'm really not a fan of this DLC. Almost every mission is annoying in some way, and the Death Wish part of the DLC is too frustrating to be fun. And this is coming from someone who has beaten Getting Over It over 50 times. Difficulty is good, frustrating difficulty isn't. I know there is a fine line and it is different for everyone. But for me Death Wish doesn't feel fair and when it does it is still really aggravating to play. I typically stay away from this DLC when replaying the game.
Definitely the better DLC out of the two. The Nyakuza Metro level is extremely fun, especially with two people. Plus is ads tons of cosmetic items you can buy. Super fun and worth the price.
1988
The game really could use a save feature. It's too big to be a "play in one sitting" deal. The gameplay is fairly good but the tanuki tale controls badly. Because of the warp whistles I end up skipping 90% of the game and go straight to the final levels which are not fun to say the least. Practically every 2D Mario game has this issue but It's really apparent in Mario Bros 3 because you are almost forced into it due to the game being so massive without a save feature. The secrets are a little too vague and ambiguous, half of them you have to hear about from someone else, but in a way that is really cool hearing obscure secrets through word of mouth. Almost feels like a trade secret when you know how to get warp whistles. Certainly an amazing Mario game, but I personally have no idea how some people think this is the best one.
I have no idea why people hate on this game. It's Mario Kart 64 in your pocket and I love it. I have so much nostalgia for it so that could be why I like it, but I still like the way it controls and looks. The music is amazing and it's battle mode is still the best portable Mario Kart battle mode in my opinion. The music is also banging, just a really good game overall. People probably don't like it now because you can play Mario Kart 8 anywhere but I still think it holds a special place.
If it wasn't for the zoomed in aspect ratio it would be the best way to play the original Mario Bros. The features it adds are amazing and I wish we got a modern port of Mario Bros with those features included. the red coins ad so much replayability to the game. And the ghost chase is both extremely fun and annoying.
One of the best deals in all of gaming, right next to Valves Orange Box. Nintendo actually tried with this collection (crazy I know, 3D All Star kids' minds are blown right now). The graphics for every Mario before World have been upgraded. The style has been a little tainted because of all the Flash games I played as a kid. Still the graphics are tasteful redone and they look really good. The controls are however complete shit. Mario Bros 1, 2, and 3 feel crappy. Specifically breaking blocks is janky as hell. Still, with Super Mario World included it is naturally going to be rated highly.
1994
By far the best Mario game ever made. Simply a masterpiece on cutscenes alone. A must play, also check out the movie Morbious it's just as good.
1995
It's a cute little reimagining of the original Mario Bros arcade game. The controls are a little fecked but it could be worse. The best part is when the score flies towards your face in 3D.
1988
Oh man this game is so good. I spent the better part of... Hours playing the Original Mario Bros Arcade game. I thoroughly enjoyed stomping on... Koopas. The only thing that's missing from this game is the King... BOWsEr.
Think about it, people that bought the DLC in 2022 STILL don't have all the content they paid for. Nintendo should have made a new Mario Kart, it's been a damn decade since the last one. Instead they opted to do the classic money grabbing finish it later DLC. It doesn't help the content of the package looks like trash.
2011
Fuck you Peta. Get mad about something that actually matters in life.
Definitely the best collection of two good games and World Class Track Meet I've ever played.
2009
Now I can do math AND get no maidens at the same time!