LuluKachoo
2024
I finally beat Dragon's Dogma 2 and I'll start off here by saying that the drama that came with this game at launch was all bullshit and none of it mattered. It has already been forgotten. Except PC performance which I totally understand.
I'll try to be honest with myself because while I do really think DD2 is a great game, it has some glaring flaws that I couldn't ignore by the time my 80+ hours were over.
First, the combat. I seriously love it. I thought all the classes were fun in different ways and I love how messy and chaotic it can be. It's so much more weighty and "realistic" than your average action RPG. I can't explain how incredible it feels to first fight a griffin, have it soar into the sky with you on it, and bring it crashing to the ground for a kill.
However, the game is pretty lacking in enemy variety I would say. While I was still having fun fighting later in the game, the fifth dragon or the twentieth ogre did get pretty old.
The game still does the limited fast travel, which by end game opens up much more. But you still spend a lot of the time being restricted from which cities you can teleport to and from. I think this leads to an interesting dilemma for the game and it's this:
Wandering around and exploring is literally 10/10
Trying to get to a certain place to finish quests or side missions is 0/10
And this all feeds together because by about half way through the game I couldn't have cared less about the story or really any of the characters in the game. This meant that when I did try to buckle down and make some progress, I was just trying to get it over with so I could go back to exploring on my own. Then on your way to do some boring side quest, the tenth cyclops you've fought shows up and it's just like... ugh. So no matter how fun the combat is, it will get tedious when you're sent off to fight another griffin so that some idiot can sketch it or whatever. Like, who cares.
I'm just rambling now sorry, but overall I do think DD2 is great. It's just a game that shines best at the beginning. The first 40 hours were absolutely incredible. But not everyone is going to have the patience to stick it through to the end.
I'll try to be honest with myself because while I do really think DD2 is a great game, it has some glaring flaws that I couldn't ignore by the time my 80+ hours were over.
First, the combat. I seriously love it. I thought all the classes were fun in different ways and I love how messy and chaotic it can be. It's so much more weighty and "realistic" than your average action RPG. I can't explain how incredible it feels to first fight a griffin, have it soar into the sky with you on it, and bring it crashing to the ground for a kill.
However, the game is pretty lacking in enemy variety I would say. While I was still having fun fighting later in the game, the fifth dragon or the twentieth ogre did get pretty old.
The game still does the limited fast travel, which by end game opens up much more. But you still spend a lot of the time being restricted from which cities you can teleport to and from. I think this leads to an interesting dilemma for the game and it's this:
Wandering around and exploring is literally 10/10
Trying to get to a certain place to finish quests or side missions is 0/10
And this all feeds together because by about half way through the game I couldn't have cared less about the story or really any of the characters in the game. This meant that when I did try to buckle down and make some progress, I was just trying to get it over with so I could go back to exploring on my own. Then on your way to do some boring side quest, the tenth cyclops you've fought shows up and it's just like... ugh. So no matter how fun the combat is, it will get tedious when you're sent off to fight another griffin so that some idiot can sketch it or whatever. Like, who cares.
I'm just rambling now sorry, but overall I do think DD2 is great. It's just a game that shines best at the beginning. The first 40 hours were absolutely incredible. But not everyone is going to have the patience to stick it through to the end.
1998
I forgot I played this so just adding it now.
The story was pretty forgettable but the atmosphere is great and the low poly ps1 graphics are on point. I love when fromsoft did weird, slow paced games.
The real thing this game taught me about fromsoft is that they knew how to make a character move fast in first person. They just chose to make you move that slow in Kings Field on purpose. I love it.
The story was pretty forgettable but the atmosphere is great and the low poly ps1 graphics are on point. I love when fromsoft did weird, slow paced games.
The real thing this game taught me about fromsoft is that they knew how to make a character move fast in first person. They just chose to make you move that slow in Kings Field on purpose. I love it.
1994
Can’t believe how much they fit into this stupid little gameboy cart. Donkey Kong 94’ is constantly throwing new ideas at you. Not all of them are super fun or anything but they sure are there. Swimming, swinging on beams, portable ladders and floors. It’s pretty impressive.
The funnest thing this game adds is honestly just the movement. Mario can do headstands and backflips. It’s kind of got his triple jump. Really fun.
I had a good time finally playing this and it’s pretty easy overall. Except for worlds 7 and 8 which have some bullshit in them. Damn Kongs.
The funnest thing this game adds is honestly just the movement. Mario can do headstands and backflips. It’s kind of got his triple jump. Really fun.
I had a good time finally playing this and it’s pretty easy overall. Except for worlds 7 and 8 which have some bullshit in them. Damn Kongs.
Recently did a Hard Mode 100% run and since I didn’t write anything about this game before I am now.
What else can be said about Zero Mission? It’s one of the all time great remakes. Metroid 1 is a game I love but it was really held back by its hardware. It’s weird though because Super Metroid is already kind of a remake?
The thing that makes Zero Mission stand out and probably what most people remember is the zero suit section. It’s divisive for sure but I think it’s really neat and unexpected on a first playthrough. Especially for those who had finished the original. On repeat playthroughs it is kind of just tedious. And I can safely say on hard mode it’s just kind of bullshit. You die in like 3 hits. Getting the full suit and blasting through pirates is really empowering though.
From a Hard Mode 100% perspective I had a good time. The shinespark puzzles were fun to execute. The game is still a breeze though. Only challenge was zero suit and mecha Ridley.
Overall I love this game. It’s pretty short but sometimes all I want is some bite size Metroid.
Played on Analogue Pocket
What else can be said about Zero Mission? It’s one of the all time great remakes. Metroid 1 is a game I love but it was really held back by its hardware. It’s weird though because Super Metroid is already kind of a remake?
The thing that makes Zero Mission stand out and probably what most people remember is the zero suit section. It’s divisive for sure but I think it’s really neat and unexpected on a first playthrough. Especially for those who had finished the original. On repeat playthroughs it is kind of just tedious. And I can safely say on hard mode it’s just kind of bullshit. You die in like 3 hits. Getting the full suit and blasting through pirates is really empowering though.
From a Hard Mode 100% perspective I had a good time. The shinespark puzzles were fun to execute. The game is still a breeze though. Only challenge was zero suit and mecha Ridley.
Overall I love this game. It’s pretty short but sometimes all I want is some bite size Metroid.
Played on Analogue Pocket
I have a lot of nostalgia for Gen 1 and 2 but after that I didn't play any Pokemon games basically until Sword and Shield. It was exciting to come back to a classic Pokemon and I love knowing I still have a few more just waiting for me one day. Had a really good time playing this. I love how much personality some of the towns have and Team Magma and Aqua were fun. Overall I think it was a more memorable experience than some of the newer ones.
This game has given me some new favorite towns and Pokemon as well. Breloom is one of my new favorites and Verdanturf theme is peak.
Played on Analogue Pocket
This game has given me some new favorite towns and Pokemon as well. Breloom is one of my new favorites and Verdanturf theme is peak.
Played on Analogue Pocket
2023
They updated this game with a map and other QoL features so I added a star. It owns. Go play it if you even vaguely like 3D platformers.
I’ve been holding off on adding this to my list since it came out because honestly I haven’t finished it and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’ll try to explain my main frustrations. (This is just my opinion. It’s ok if you love it)
The truth is, I think this game is bloated. The underground is like 90% emptiness. Most of the items you get down there are just callbacks to other, better games.
The sky islands are not as important as they were hyped up to be and don’t feel like they add much by just floating in the sky. Most of them are just bigger puzzles that could have produced the same feeling if they were in a shrine.
The companions literally just got in my way most of the time so much that I had goron guy and Sidon turned off. Tulin is more useful as a traversal tool than an ally and Riju’s ability is similar to Urbosa except it’s just a pain in the ass to use it. You mean instead of just charging my attack I have to run over to you and hope you’re not busy and hope I don’t hit some other contextual button? No thanks. They just suffer in comparison to the champion abilities you get in BotW. (Also the sheikah slate powers are better than the powers you use in TotK.
Lastly, the crafting or construction, whatever you want to call it. I understand it might just be a preference thing but it’s just not for me. Personally, it got old very quick. I know you can save some creations and the game gives you some blueprints, but overall I didn’t have the patience to fiddle with the clunky interface to make new things and try new things. Eventually I gave up messing with new creations because it would take longer to build something than it would to just go fight enemies head on or just climb to where I was going. Just how I ended up feeling with the creation system. I think it’s clunky and tedious to make new things.
To say something positive, I did enjoy revisiting this version of Hyrule and seeing familiar faces. I also liked the dungeons more than the divine beasts but they were still not up to classic Zelda standards. They were also pretty short and some of them barely felt like a “dungeon”.
I will always prefer BotW. I think it is a more pure and concise adventure with a clear vision. If BotW is a delicious cheeseburger, TotK is that same burger with extra buns added on top and bottom for no reason.
shrug
Maybe I’ll finish it one day.
The truth is, I think this game is bloated. The underground is like 90% emptiness. Most of the items you get down there are just callbacks to other, better games.
The sky islands are not as important as they were hyped up to be and don’t feel like they add much by just floating in the sky. Most of them are just bigger puzzles that could have produced the same feeling if they were in a shrine.
The companions literally just got in my way most of the time so much that I had goron guy and Sidon turned off. Tulin is more useful as a traversal tool than an ally and Riju’s ability is similar to Urbosa except it’s just a pain in the ass to use it. You mean instead of just charging my attack I have to run over to you and hope you’re not busy and hope I don’t hit some other contextual button? No thanks. They just suffer in comparison to the champion abilities you get in BotW. (Also the sheikah slate powers are better than the powers you use in TotK.
Lastly, the crafting or construction, whatever you want to call it. I understand it might just be a preference thing but it’s just not for me. Personally, it got old very quick. I know you can save some creations and the game gives you some blueprints, but overall I didn’t have the patience to fiddle with the clunky interface to make new things and try new things. Eventually I gave up messing with new creations because it would take longer to build something than it would to just go fight enemies head on or just climb to where I was going. Just how I ended up feeling with the creation system. I think it’s clunky and tedious to make new things.
To say something positive, I did enjoy revisiting this version of Hyrule and seeing familiar faces. I also liked the dungeons more than the divine beasts but they were still not up to classic Zelda standards. They were also pretty short and some of them barely felt like a “dungeon”.
I will always prefer BotW. I think it is a more pure and concise adventure with a clear vision. If BotW is a delicious cheeseburger, TotK is that same burger with extra buns added on top and bottom for no reason.
shrug
Maybe I’ll finish it one day.
Finally got around to playing a Phantasy Star and I really enjoyed it. This Sega Ages version has a lot of modern conveniences that help save the grind and mapping.
My main complaints with Sega’s first rpg outing are that you can’t prioritize enemies, so any fight against multiples becomes necessarily tougher. And some of the event triggers and story requirements can be pretty obtuse.
I loved basically everything else. The pseudo - 3D dungeon crawling is fun and impressive for 1987. It’s cool that the main character is a girl and you get a cat party member. Such an ambitious game for its time. Can’t wait to play the sequels.
My main complaints with Sega’s first rpg outing are that you can’t prioritize enemies, so any fight against multiples becomes necessarily tougher. And some of the event triggers and story requirements can be pretty obtuse.
I loved basically everything else. The pseudo - 3D dungeon crawling is fun and impressive for 1987. It’s cool that the main character is a girl and you get a cat party member. Such an ambitious game for its time. Can’t wait to play the sequels.
2005
I played about 20 hours and it was a good time. It’s a unique block falling puzzle game where matching blocks rockets them off screen. Each level is a new “planet” with different ideas, gimmicks, and even gravities so it’s always throwing new things at you to keep it exciting.
While I enjoyed the game I kind of feel like neither control system is really perfect. Maybe I’m just bad and there is really high level play out there. However, it felt to me like the dpad was too slow to keep up with the chaos on screen and using the stylus was too inaccurate. shrugs
It doesn’t matter because the real joy of this game is vibes. Each level has unique art and music that blend together well with the game mechanics. You can feel Mizuguchi’s influence every time you clear blocks and the blast joins harmoniously with the music. And you can see Sakurai’s influence with the clean menus and fun sprites and animations. Just a fun game to play when you have some downtime because you can fit a few rounds in.
While I enjoyed the game I kind of feel like neither control system is really perfect. Maybe I’m just bad and there is really high level play out there. However, it felt to me like the dpad was too slow to keep up with the chaos on screen and using the stylus was too inaccurate. shrugs
It doesn’t matter because the real joy of this game is vibes. Each level has unique art and music that blend together well with the game mechanics. You can feel Mizuguchi’s influence every time you clear blocks and the blast joins harmoniously with the music. And you can see Sakurai’s influence with the clean menus and fun sprites and animations. Just a fun game to play when you have some downtime because you can fit a few rounds in.
2023
As the progenitor of both Paper Mario and the Mario & Luigi series, it’s hard not to love this game. It’s got a great art style for the remake, the combat is engaging and satisfying with the new combo attacks spicing it up. The characters are fun , the writing is fun, and the game doesn’t over stay it’s welcome. Never played the original but I’m glad I got a chance to play this fresh.
I didn’t know this game was kind of part of a series when I played it years ago. I thought it was cute and quirky. Since then I’ve watched Tim Rogers’ review of Boku no natsuyasumi and I think I can safely say this game is no Boku no natsuyasumi.
I don’t know why it took me so long to play 3. It’s really good. The controls can be a little clunky but the pacing is perfect. I love the more open jungle areas way more than shadow Moses or big shell. And the updated camera and items make much more sense for what the series always wanted to be. Big boss also has more personality than solid snake. Overall just a great experience. Might be my top 1 or 2 MGS games.
Finally replayed this after like 12 years. It’s terrible and feels like it’s from a different series. But it’s also bonkers as shit and is pretty fun with a friend. I’m so glad capcom corrected course after 6.
2022
Good throwback horror game. The vibes are impeccable.
2020
Guys this game is still good calm down.