Homie
this game feels like a platform fighter stuck in a traditional fighter's body
2002
Mario Sunshine is a speedrunning gateway drug
2023
Pizza Towe finally asserts that speed as an integral game mechanic can work, and it works to spectacular effect in this game. This is the best platformer I have ever played.
2016
This review contains spoilers
This game caused me severe brain rot. The novelty of this game, being an RPG starring anyone you want, wears off after you leave the first town. Then the game repeats that town. Like 8 times. Not to mention the fact that you dont even play the game; there isnt any point to. Once you have a full party you might as well just turn on auto battle and hold fast forward. Speaking of, the game doesn't even let you know that there IS a fast forward button, so I learned of this fact after 30 hours of playing the game. Playing this game made me reevaluate my life choices in even playing video games at all. It's that bad.
1996
3D Blast, though not providing nearly the same gameplay style as the other Genesis Sonic games, is a pretty nice break from the formula. The game is short, and decently easy, but charming all the way through.
1993
Though packed with nonsensical level design decions, this games saving graces is that in order to get the good ending, you don't have to get all of the time stones, instead you can just ensure a good future in all zones. But good luck finding every robot generator without a guide.
2017
Essentially Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (or 5, or 6, if include S&K and CD). Sonic Mania takes what was great about Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and leaves behind most of the unsavory things from the classic sonic era. It is also a loving tribute to everything classic Sonic and is very rewarding to play after diving into the games in which mania references, as I did.
S3&K offers a much, MUCH more refined gameplay style from the previous 3 games (including CD), while keeping up the classic Sonic traditions of great music and art. While this game is far from perfect, it was an overall decently enjoyable time, and one of the best Sonic games I have played.
Smash Ultimate has a lot of things going for it. Ultimate boasts the most impressive roster of any Smash game, adding more new characters than any other, including long time fan requests like Ridley, King K Rool, Banjo & Kazooie, Hero, Joker, Sora, Steve, and Sephiroth. It has several singleplayer modes including Classic, Home Run Contest, Multi-Man Smash, and an entire campaign with animated cutscenes, World of Light. Smash Ultimate is a massive game.
Though, as you play the game for longer amounts of time, it's underlying issues become more and more noticable. Such as delay based netcode, a really poor and buggy buffering system that also decreases the amount of damage done with aerial attacks. Then you may begin to notice flaws in the game's design itself. In a game with about 90 playable characters, each one needs something unique to stick out. This philosophy leads to nearly every character feelling extremely one-note. For example, all Mario does is combo up air into up special. All Mr. Game and Watch does is up special if you touch his shield.
This game works at two levels of play: low skill levels and high skill levels, but the reality is that for most people playing this game, you fall somewhere in the middle, and that makes the game miserable.
Though, as you play the game for longer amounts of time, it's underlying issues become more and more noticable. Such as delay based netcode, a really poor and buggy buffering system that also decreases the amount of damage done with aerial attacks. Then you may begin to notice flaws in the game's design itself. In a game with about 90 playable characters, each one needs something unique to stick out. This philosophy leads to nearly every character feelling extremely one-note. For example, all Mario does is combo up air into up special. All Mr. Game and Watch does is up special if you touch his shield.
This game works at two levels of play: low skill levels and high skill levels, but the reality is that for most people playing this game, you fall somewhere in the middle, and that makes the game miserable.
2003
This review contains spoilers
Sonic heroes has a lot of ambitious ideas and only executes about half of them well. The inclusion of characters from Knuckles' Chaotix, a game basically nobody has played, was a treat to see. The levels are really long, unless playing team rose (by far the most fun team to play as). The entire game is very buggy, and in frequently found myself clipping through walls, falling out of automatic sectiona, or even watching team blasts take up to 3 minutes to complete.
The true ending is very cinematic, and the design for Neo Metal Sonic is really cool, though as with most iterations of Super Sonic, (or just true endings in Sonic Games in general) the correct metod of defeating the boss is not explained to you and the controls are not good.
Overall, Sonic Heroes has a gameplay formula that definitely could work, but falls flat due to a number of baffling gameplay decisions.
The true ending is very cinematic, and the design for Neo Metal Sonic is really cool, though as with most iterations of Super Sonic, (or just true endings in Sonic Games in general) the correct metod of defeating the boss is not explained to you and the controls are not good.
Overall, Sonic Heroes has a gameplay formula that definitely could work, but falls flat due to a number of baffling gameplay decisions.
1992
Though Sonic 2 does a lot to improve on the formula set up by the first game, it somehow manages to be bogged down by Sonic 1's problems even more.
The main difference is in collecting the chaos emeralds. Where in Sonic 1 you have one chance to collect a chaos emerald if you make it to the end of a level with 50 rings, in Sonic 2, you must pass a checkpoint with 50 rings.
In a way, this is an improvement, because you can collect 3 chaos emeralds per stage, but due to Sonic 2's more speed-focused level design and denser checkpoint placement, this causes you to have to comb through a level looking for as many rings as you can.
Not to mention the fact that Sonic 2's bonus stages are much worse than in Sonic 1. If you're going to play this game, save yourself the time and don't collect the chaos emeralds.
The main difference is in collecting the chaos emeralds. Where in Sonic 1 you have one chance to collect a chaos emerald if you make it to the end of a level with 50 rings, in Sonic 2, you must pass a checkpoint with 50 rings.
In a way, this is an improvement, because you can collect 3 chaos emeralds per stage, but due to Sonic 2's more speed-focused level design and denser checkpoint placement, this causes you to have to comb through a level looking for as many rings as you can.
Not to mention the fact that Sonic 2's bonus stages are much worse than in Sonic 1. If you're going to play this game, save yourself the time and don't collect the chaos emeralds.
2011
Minecraft is a fantastic tool to express your creativity, and thats about it. The underlying "game" is very substanceless.
If Ithink for too long about what my goal is, I just lose interest in playing.
That being said, however, Minecraft's creative mode is a revolutionary tool that has allowed people to create all new experiences within the game (including the type of thing that Minecraft lacks to begin with).
If Ithink for too long about what my goal is, I just lose interest in playing.
That being said, however, Minecraft's creative mode is a revolutionary tool that has allowed people to create all new experiences within the game (including the type of thing that Minecraft lacks to begin with).
2018
Celeste is platforming at its finest. The game steadily builds game mechanics, introducing them one at a time, then combining them and building new creative combinations. The music is also very good.
Birth by sleep lives in the shadow of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II. Its combat never manages to feel quite as satisfying as either entry, and I often found myself overleveling because the intended damage output just seemed too low.
1994
This review contains spoilers
Earthbound is one of those rare JRPGs that held my attention throughout the entire game. You never really know where you'll end up next, whether it be fighting a sentient tent, a pile of barf, or the many appearences of pokey.
Earthbound also boasts one of the best soundtracks to any game I've played.
Earthbound also boasts one of the best soundtracks to any game I've played.