I jumped off a charging horse, killed two Moblins, landed back in the saddle. I climbed a cliff for a solid five minutes only to be headbutted off the top by an unexpected goat. I conjured ice to ascend a waterfall. I flipped a puzzle upside down. I jumped from great heights and played chicken with the ground. I went snowboarding. I unleashed bees on my enemies. I regularly took a big dog for a walk. I bought a house. I built a town. I met a load of wonderful people. I smiled for hundreds of hours.

Saw some chat complaining the freedom of choice in this is an illusion and you're railroaded into a certain playstyle to progress, so I'm about to start a no-neuromods run out of spite, wish me luck x

AND WE'RE DONE

Game finished with zero neuromods, using various cheeses and physics quirks, but no cheating or glitching or owt. Here indeed is a game that you can play in any style you like, and have a good time. Can't wait to go back for NG+ with the 80-odd unused neuromods sat waiting in my office.

Imperfect, and yet also a masterpiece. Play it.

I know I played this at launch, there's a completed file in slot 1 under the name "Luigi", but I'm genuinely shocked at how much of this I'd forgotten. Big jump high-fiving myself for picking this as my Christmas playthrough instead of the usual OoT, it was like having a whole new Zelda as an extra surprise gift.

I love it when the little guy is fun to move around, and the full analog feel is so good here. Particularly liked running around in circles after chatting with each sage, mind racing with the possibilities of this style without a fixed perspective.

The whole structure, both overworld and dungeons, had me exploring and backtracking and testing my limits (especially as I foolishly went Hero Mode). Made for a much more thoughtful and intricate adventure, really ingrained the map in my head, which I'm thankful for. After your first visit, a Hyrule ought to be a place you can come back to for a holiday.

Beautiful, perfect, lovely.

I'm on my 3rd 3DS, but this one's seen two MonHuns, so the hours the slide pad has been though must be in four figures by now, and yet it still feels smooth and responsive and okay yeah maybe a little slippery on the thumb sometimes but that's mostly my fault. Bang these on a joycon someone please.

Picked this up for the boy for Xmas. Seems pretty soulless, but the golfing itself looks solid, and that's all he really cares about.

He's bafflingly obsessed with golf. NES Golf, Golf Story, Wii Sports golf, 51 Worldwide Games golf...slowly realising that one day I'll have to to explain the evil of IRL golf. Parenting is hard.

I had a go and immediately got a hole in one, so I'm retiring as ultimate champion.

Here's one of those games I saw everybody raving about but didn't really feel the punch of OH WOW THIS IS GREAT

And yet I've bought it at least twice, played through to the early ending, and then again (dropping it shortly before the end cos it kicked my ass). There's something about it that wouldn't leave me be, so I had another go just after Christmas, and there it is. Finished just now and loved every minute.

I like when a game can establish its own little world without battering you over the head with it. You press start, stuff is happening, you're already in the middle of something big, it's not even about you, just do your best to understand and help if you can.

I've immediately started it again so I can save Curly Brace x

I remember seeing screenshots of this, reading it was Japan-exclusive, grumbling for a week, then forgetting all about it. When it arrived in Europe nearly a year later, it felt like a dream. Constant state of "How is this allowed? How is it possible?" while playing, laughing the whole time.

I feel very lucky it came at just the right period for me to get an hour of 4-player every day. I never got tired of it. Thinking about Fisher carrying someone off the edge and screaming "KONG SUICIDE" in their face makes me chuckle to this day.