Strive was the first guilty gear I've ever played, and some of the most fun with a fighting game I've had given my recent history with them. I started it a few years ago, but it was right before Aba was introduced that I came back and got really into it. OST is phenomenal, arcsys animations are incredible as always, and the characters are a major highlight given their histories. I mained Ramlethal, and had a blast grinding the rank tower, getting better and better. A very introductory-friendly fighting game, deserves to be played by veterans and new fans alike.

Never in my life would I have imagined Persona 3 would get such a faithful remake of this scale. I have so much more of an appreciation for it now being older and way more in tune with the game's themes. I platinumed and did everything. It's so faithful to the original and improved tenfold with the quality of life changes. I have some minor nitpicks about some aspects of the ost, but it VERY minor with the overall game as a whole. It even overthrew 5 in my favorite personas list. Support this game. I never would've expected such a niche franchise I grew up with would get this much love and attention, and it makes me so happy. Burn your dread.

The first game in the series, Another Code: Two Memories was a nice little mystery adventure detective game with visual novel elements. Having never played the original on DS, I was looking forward to it. It kind of ends right when the story is getting interesting, and the gameplay is pretty basic. Ashley and D are fun characters that work off each other well. Some camera issues here and there, and puzzles are sometimes handed to you, but overall, I still had a fun time. I look forward to playing the final game which never came west.

Prince of Persia the lost crown stands toe to toe with both the best games ubisoft has ever put out, and some of the best metroidvanias in history. I played it on hard on switch, combat and the necklace system is pretty inspired by the likes of hollow knight, and the map is pretty massive. You could tell some of the animations were made by anime fans, they were very enthralling even with limitations. It was kind of obvious where the story would be headed in the beginning, but I enjoyed how it played out. Music could've been a tad more memorable, I couldn't remember much of it. Some technical issues and glitches were pretty prevalent. Quests not completing, music going in and out, game shutting down once and some weird animations here and there. Hopefully those get patched soon. Overall, it was a delightful experience, and a banger way to start off games of 2024.

Hollow knight is still my favorite game of all time. Countless hours were spent over the years playing, lore gathering, listening to the ost, and more. It is a pinnacle of the search action/metroidvania genre, getting lost in the world, and it will forever stand the test of time. This game has personally helped and lifted me in many instances of my life, and I'll always treasure it for that. It doesn't matter to me when team cherry decides to release silksong, as they already knocked it out of the park with their very first game. That said, I imagine the sequel is going to be just as good as the original and I can't wait to dive back in.

Starting off 2024 strong with my first game, Undertale Yellow! This is one of the most impressive fangames ever created, and it's prequel to Undertale. To get what few nitpicks I have out of the way first, I did feel one of the middle segments dragged a bit and some of the blue and orange attacks were a bit much. Aside from that, you'd think the dialogue was written by Toby. Hilarious, full of heart and even made me shed a tear or two. The music was phenomenal but there's mainly I'd say 75% standout tracks I'll remember from it compared to the entirety of undertale. The gameplay is undertale to a T with a few unique mechanics thrown in. All in all, kudos to the team for finishing this phenomenal fangame after years of development, and best of luck to their future endeavors.

Super Mario RPG. I never believed we'd ever see a remake of Mario's first RPG outing come to fruition. Barring one or two slight nitpicks like text box sound effects, and maybe some speaking for the new cutscenes, this is the perfect remake and the definitive version of the game. They went all out with additions and QOL features, something all remakes should strive to include. Yoko Shimomura's return to the soundtrack alone is one of the best soundtracks from her I've ever heard! Mallow and Geno are so fun, and I hope they see a return someday. The original wasn't my first Mario RPG, but you can see it's DNA in every subsequent RPG like Mario and Luigi/Paper Mario. To top it off, Mario RPGs in their highest form are finally back. If you haven't experienced this game, do yourself a favor and play it. Let Nintendo know we need more Mario RPGs like this.

This is the best Warioware since smooth moves. It doesn't top smooth moves for me for a couple of reasons. I had some issues with the joy-con being too sensitive for some of the microgames, and it might be misremembering, but I do feel there was a little less to do in this game compared to its predecessor. However, while only a handful of microgames might be my biggest issue, everything else from the return of full voice acting from Gold, to the whole aesthetic is such a treat. Not to mention some of the references that came out of nowhere and I squealed at! This is gonna be an amazingly fun party game for groups of people, and the format I hope the series sticks with and refines for the future. I had some good laughs with it, and I recommend it!

It's not an understatement to say I was glued to Little Goody Two Shoes, that I beat it in two sittings with a 15 hr playtime. Yet I only got 2 of the 10 endings! Combining a 90's anime aesthetic, RPG Maker Horror, and dating sim mechanics (and it's all yuri, I went with Freya), they honestly probably made some individual's dream game. The story was enthralling, kept me on my toes for what was happening next. Gameplay held a lot of social sim elements, managing your health, sanity and funds all while trying to avoid suspicion of the townspeople. If I had a few nitpicks, the game drops frames sometimes on switch, some saves could be more forgiving for backtracking and sometimes I felt the overall speed of the game could have been a tad faster. Overall, this game feels like a passion project with many years of development, and deserves your attention if you like RPG Maker horror, 90's anime and great stories.

(Master collection)
Finally playing through metal gear solid after all these years was quite the experience. The story, music, voice acting and stealth elements were fantastic. While the game itself might be a bit dated, it still holds up in many aspects. Bosses were probably the lowest point for me because while they were interesting in their own right, fighting them was probably the biggest slog. I hope that's one issue addressed in future installments. Overall, I can see the love that stems from this franchise now, and I'm looking forward to playing future installments.

I'm not a huge superhero fan in general, but insomniac and Spider-man is still a great combo. For the good, the performances knock it out of the park, it looks like one of the prettiest games to date, and the qol improvements from the first game are very nice. It felt very heartfelt and tried to tell a personal story. I do think towards the latter half, it does tend to fall off a bit. Side content was quick, but some did tend to get repetitious at points. There was also a bit of jank in some of the gameplay sections I went through, and some stuff not responding properly. I'd still say it's one of the best superhero games to date, and I don't think insomniac has ever done me wrong since Spyro. It's a go-to title if you're a ps5 owner.

Super Mario Wonder is genuinely, most likely my favorite 2D Mario now, standing right next to Yoshi's island. So many little details are stuffed into the game, that you could tell it was made by longtime Mario fans. The animation; stellar, the platforming; smooth as butter, and the uniqueness and variety of the worlds, enemies and more is the most fresh 2D Mario has been in over 20 years. Gone are the days of Mario playing it safe and "vanilla," with new voice actors at the helm, they all deliver great new representations of the beloved characters. I 100% it and I immediately want to do it again. Anyone who's a fan of Mario, or platformers in general owes it to themselves to play this masterpiece of a game. The future of Mario is immeasurably exciting, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Lies of P is the first souls-like I beat that has Fromsoft-esque gameplay, almost to a T. The story is a very unique take on Pinocchio, and the lore/developments kept me hooked throughout the entirety of my 40 hrs with it. The way it's told makes me more invested compared to the souls series games, in general. Much replayability with the weapon variety, allowing you to tailor your experience to your preferences. The OST was a huge highlight, too. If this type of game is your jam, I can't recommend it enough. I can't wait for whatever the studio brings next.