Pepper grinder offers the correct dose of premium schmovement thrughout it's gameplay, the core mechanic of digging is EXCELENT like in it's inspiration (Ori 2) ,it fells ever so satysfing, but it's also much more thant that, different enviroments, twists and even [REDACTED] that caught you off guard makes for a great time.
Truly it does what the best movement games should do, it's easy to play this game, however, to master it? to chain getting out of a digging into another one with full momentum? to just past right through a little gap to continue on faster? so good.
For instance, water, water is slow right? as a begginer you might think that, BUT you can hydroplane, yes, comming back to the first water level and zooming trough it's path just shows you how well this was made.
An excelente game, i must play for movement fans, it leaves you wanting more, and you know what? i'd much rather have that than most games nowadays that don't know when to end.

What hasn't been already said about balatro? Is such a clever idea to take the core mechanics of a solid game (poker), strip it's worse features (gambling) and adding it your own twists, step by step, one more crazy than the other.
I's just so satisfying to get a run going, get a good "deck" and yes the post game is cruel but i think that's the point, short runs with diferrent "decks" that let's you always wanting for more.
The nature of this shorter runs is made even better on handheld devices like the switch wich excels at that.
Balatro is a ton of fun, will i stop playing it? Hell no, it just felt like the right time to log it here haha

It's funny to say it because this game can be defined as it's primary mechanic works, the Yo-Yo. Because, as the Yo-Yo does, this game works like a pendulum.

So on one end of the swing, you have a amazing set of movement options that when chained together make for one of the best experiences in schomoving arround that there are, seriously when the momentum get's going and you combo some doblue jumps, vaults, dashs and even rolls, it's just amazing. In this end we have also the correct vibes, narrative, visuals and music, the music in this game is so cheerfull, it's great.

However, innevitably the swing will go to the other end, and here we have a lot of problems like non precise platforms, movements that aren't reliable, doing the same action twice doesn't result in the same outcome, the fact that there is a walljump but it is so buggy that you end up just ignoring it, the fact that it expects you know all from the getgo and doesn't teach it's language and so on.

So in a way, it's all momentum based, somedays you'll just blast trough levels like it's the best game out there, others you'll be stuck in the same checkpoint for a long time just because something failed you along the way.

Do i reccomend it? of course i had a blast, BUT only for experienced 3d platformer players that are willing to endure these problems for the moments where the game shines. In the end, could have been a lot better with more time to polish up the game, nonetheless a delightfull experience overral to me.

The Lost Crown is a game that can be defined in one word : "Options".
From the getgo you are presented with a choice, do you wanna have a "guided" aproach to the map, with markers to help you not get lost, or activate sicko mode and just go with the wind? Also, do you want to play a combat focused game or more of exploryng experince? well, it's your choice, and because of that everyone can cherish this amazing game.

In my case, in the guided mode i trived, i love knowing where i'm going, not for just finishing the game right away, no no i got like 90% here, by knowing the way i can explore everything arround it first making it a sweet spot on the exploration part.
Speaking of which, damn the print on the map thing is revolutionary, this game takes a lot from the best of the genre (Ori, Hk, Metroid Samus returns and others) and still manages to create a new staple on the genre by itself.

And what else? the exploration fells rewarding, because of my own merits i got to just go god mode on the latter bosses with fully upgraded health Bar and daggers. The characters and narrative are great tying to the bosses being good thing, the map itself is so intresting and nice to explore everytime making you wonder "is this game ever gonna end??"
But , me being me, the best thing here is deffinetelly the platforming, even with basic moves you can make some interesting tech from the getgo and EVERY.SINGLE.ONE of the new powers make that even better, it was so satisfying to explore this world, after you get THAT ONE (you know which) everything just falls into place even more, and to round it all up they add some new and some Ori ask stuff, it's so so good.

So yea Ubisoft made a great game again, it's been like 10 years since Rayman, maybe we'll have another one by 2034.

Jusant was designed by the devs to be a relaxing game, and it is focused in one thing and one thing only : Climbing. Because of that, the controls are diferrent here, they are focused on player actions and after a while even tough you have to do the right input, they fell like second nature.
So with the controls mastered my time with jusant was a pleasant and relaxing journey, with a interesting thematic arround the "mountain people", the adding of new climbing verbs troughout the game and a cute companion, i had a blast.
The last climb using everything you learned and finishing with a great narrative payoff made for one of the best games of this year, and for sure my don't nod favorite. Can't wait to see what they do now that they're off Square's stupid goals.

After playing all off dishonored and deathloop i was gladly surprised that the first one has all of what make the sequels great even in 2013.
Dishonored 1 still has great stealth, great narrative and characters, and rewards you for your play style and all of the rest, its baffling that from the getgo Arkane had already strike gold.
It was a blast playing through the levels, doing all in stealth and in some even got away without beeing ever seen, while also enjoyng the story beats and getting to know better these characters i already liked.

It's funny now to look back at the 2d Marios and see for how long they have stagnated, so long that when Wonder was introduced my expectations were low, the years of newsup that aren't a bad series, but sure as hell aren't innovative or creative either made at least me think that was it for 2d Marios, and boy am i glad to be proven wrong.

Wonder is a delightful surprise, it's what happens when you give your best developers time and creative liberty, it's what 2d Mario games should have been for years, and to me it's the faded "Super Mario Bros. 5"

Enter the traditional Nintendo level design philosophy, amazing animations and music score and your expected smooth controls, that combination by itself would be a great game, but wonder is all that AND more.
The powerups are greatly selected, being able to make your own platforms with the bubbles is such a great idea, and the elephant power speaks for itself. The badge system provides a neat and necessary sense of variety during the journey as well.

But the main stars are they, the Wonder Seeds, they are incredible, you never know what will hit you upon entering a level, i could play entire games revolved around one of this effects for most of them, let alone having ALL of this in this game, there are so many incredible ideas here that is hard to even talk about them.

So yea, Wonder is, as the name says, Wonderful. It's what 2d Marios should be and i'm so glad they did that. Also, BLOB MARIO IS BEST MARIO.

While Sparks of Hope still retains the fun and the some of the qualitys of the first one, everything on it seems more generic, the gameplay that lost it's uniqueness on the space by space battles, the worlds that each became more like "the sea world, the dark world, the plant world..." and the characters, everything fells like leaning more towards the Ubisoftization of games, in the process losing the novelty of the firs entry.


In the end it's still great fun, i hope to come back and finish some day, but i'm left wondering, if they had continued on the Mushroom side of things, how much better and unique it could have been. But, at least for this entry, Ubisoftization was the path they have choosen, or in other words, to make the game more generic and bland.

In puzzle games there's a distinction between games that give you all the tools needed and let you figure it out the answer, and games that hide things from you and make your brain go nuts for hours and hours, i like to compare that to "jigsaw puzzles", the first one, and "brainteasers" the second one. I myself am much more a fan of the first one, and Cocoon is for sure one of the best of this kind out there.

Cocoon is never too much, it's never too little, it always tell the players all the clues it needs while never letting too many things overload your brain by closing the finished paths behind you.

It teach's its verbs one by one, and use each one of the them to the maximum, and that goes to your basic puzzle piece to this game amazing world structure (not getting into it because spoilers). Every puzzle ahead is a matter of "what verbs do i have and what possibilities there are". To summarize this, the very last puzzle it's a lecture on this mentality, i had only one verb and from that i was able to logically codify the other ones in one go.

It's safe to say that Cocoon it's a must for puzzle fans, and i couldn't have had a better time with it

Solar ash is a weird one to describe, it's a bunch of genres into one, but for the most part it provides you with a the felling of freedom while jumping around it's gorgeous worlds, for me it's like you picking up a 3d platformer, merging it with a game like the pathless or journey and finish it up with some shadow of the colossus and then you have this game.

As a fan of 3d platformers this game is a blast, just skating around, dashing, waving , grappling hooking into points to defeat enemy's is a lot of fun, sure the game isn't precise, but that's alright because the game isn't punishing either, quite the opposite really it respects the player with a clever checkpoint and retry system that incentivises you to go as fast as you can and to not be afraid to fail.

Overall a great experience, even though the narrative bits went a little over my head, those were just a little counterpoint to the mechanical prowess that Solar Ash provides.

Viewfinder is the perfect example of having a coll mechanic idea and turning it into a game, exploring it's full potential without overstaying it's welcome and building interesting elements around it.

You'll explore it's world trough this mechanic, taking pictures to get to the final of the level, simple enough right? and it is, viewfinder always introduces ALL of it's mechanics to the players, allowing them to first learn and them use that knowledge to both solve puzzles the intended way but also their own way and never trying to get the better of the player at any point.
With that solid base the game iterate upon it throughout it's five worlds, each reflecting a different style, mechanic and the person who made it. Then add layers of a captivating narrative, some mind bending puzzle solves, gorgeous looking environments and spray some amazing Easter eggs and especial styles and pictures over it and you'll have your game.

In the end viewfinder gives the players all the tools needed to have the best of times with it, culminating everything you'll learn into a great ending level and a bittersweet but hopeful ending, and don't forget about the best companion, your feline friend Cait!