Infinite Mythic grind

Basically, my other life, so it's perfect. Right?

Probably the best game on GBA. I mean, it has a full drum kit?!

A pretty brilliant game—especially for its time. Unfortunately, the main gameplay loops of puzzles and fighting monsters isn't fun to repeat as the game goes on.

This game is 90% vibes, 6% scanning things, and 4% gameplay. The gameplay is basically fine, and while not in itself captivating, it's really there to facilitate the navigating of the incredible—and atmospheric—world that Retro Studios has crafted. One of the highest rated games of all time for good reason. But for those who REALLY want the nail-biting action of a fast-paced shooter, and don't care much about aesthetics... sure, maybe this one is not for you.

At this point in the series, the Mega Man formula is tried and true—for better or for worse. While the leap to 16bit made Mega Man X feel like a breakthrough, X2 is just more of the same. So, if you want more Mega Man X, here you are.

Primitive by modern gaming standards, but this game had enough aesthetic charm to push it into classic status. Short and relatively easy until the final boss. The final boss is extremely overpowered and oppressive, however, like many older games, is easy once you figure out how to exploit the AI. This old-school design means playing through the entire game over and over until you get enough practice with the boss to beat it.

In the context of my 11-year-old self's world view, this game was a revelation. It has the non-linear exploration and roleplaying elements of The Legend of Zelda, but with so much more graphic fidelity and personality. The text parser also introduced me to whole new way of play. Truly a classic of the genre.

Tight gameplay and truly great atmosphere and music. Design that is challenging at first, but rewards you for your pattern recognition and problem solving. Satisfying to master. The one thing that spoils the gameplay a bit is the randomized elements, which can be thrilling, but are often frustrating. Controls are a bit too stiff to let you react to sudden changes in enemy behavior. Though, even seemingly random enemies (Medusa Heads) do have a pattern to discern.

Rygar was almost revolutionary at the time of its release. By modern standards, Rygar almost seems like a simple toy or diversion, albeit a pretty fun one.

Cute and quirky JRPG. Charming and unique, but held back by drab visuals and music, uninteresting combat, and clunky design choices. Worth checking out if you're a fan of the genre.

Over a decade of Final Fantasy history gave this release a weird set of expectations. While technically better than the beloved Final Fantasy VII, in almost every way, it was a far departure from the series originals, and I think that gave it a somewhat marred reception. In retrospect, I've enjoyed it far more without that baggage, and save for some late 90's jank, it's ultimately a fun and memorable experience with great production values—for the time, anyway.

Clunky, awkward, and definitely corny. Resident Evil is essentially a PC adventure game with bad shooting and creepy atmosphere. In 1996, console gamers had not experienced anything like it. But Shinji Mikami's seminal work is legendary not only because of its novelty for the time, but because it's downright fun. The formula of B quality horror, puzzle solving, and shooting zombies just works.

A very likeable and fun game that is marred by a now dated way of designing systems. Any game designed this way would be absolutely panned today, but given that, there's still a lot to like. Kind of a historical novelty at this point, but considering how long it is, may not be worth the time for everyone.

This is essentially an "anime power fantasy" game. And in that regard, it delivers. It can be challenging, but bottom line, it's just really fun to utterly obliterate foes as you increasingly get stronger. And customizing your moves adds an interestingly layer to that. In the end, the power you accumulate pays off in a pretty epic final boss fight. And on top of all that, it's just beaming with humor and personality. I love it!