Basically the first game if it had, you know, good gameplay. NEO isn't perfect, since there are questionable writing choices at times, particularly with the under or misuse of certain characters later on, some of the nostalgia pandering is a bit much (why did Joshua need to be here, again?), and despite it being FAR more fun in terms of gameplay, it can still feel quite repetitive at points. Nevertheless, NEO is a great game in its own right and a more than worthy sequel to the DS original. The new characters are charming and (mostly) well-developed, and they don't feel upstaged by any of the old characters. I got really invested in some of their struggles, ESPECIALLY those of Shoka. [I wish the best for her and Rindo going forward... :)] More importantly, THE GAMEPLAY IS ACTUALLY GOOD NOW! Tying the pins and their respective psychs to specific buttons and party members feels so much more intuitive and fun than whatever the hell they tried with two screens back on the DS. Experimenting with different psychs, stringing combos together to lay down stronger beats upon the enemies... it's all so much fun. Plus, as expected from TWEWY, the presentation is as hip as ever, despite missing much of the late-2000s charm of the original game, and the soundtrack is an absolute bop. While I had a few issues with it, I was overall very satisfied with NEO: The World Ends With You, and it makes me feel even more guilty for not enjoying the original. I will never forgive Square Enix for throwing this game out in the open with no fanfare.

Amazing game, why didn't I play it sooner? Eight-year-old me would have been HEAD OVER HEELS for this, I can tell.

Anyway, have any of y'all ever fantasized about video games that don't, and likely never will exist? Between 2014-2015, I constantly daydreamed about a traditional sidescrolling Kirby game for the Wii U titled "Kirby's Return to Dream Land 2". Real creative title, I know. Since I had only played Return to Dream Land on Wii at the time (as well as Rainbow Curse when that came out), and saw a few gameplay videos of past games, mainly Epic Yarn, I took a rehashed, dumbed down version of this game's synopsis and slapped Return to Dream Land's gameplay style on there for this hypothetical Wii U outing, complete with the Super Abilities. Instead of Yin Yarn sending Kirby to Patch Land and turning Dream Land into fabric, Kirby, Bandana Dee, Meta Knight and Dedede get banished to a faraway solar system reminiscent of Patch Land (minus the patches and yarn and all that jazz) by... evil doppelgangers of themselves. (I was, like, 9, okay?) I think I might have just straight-up depicted it as Patch Land at one point, but changed my mind about that later. Those six planets would each have their own themes that were similar to the pieces of Patch Land. The first world was, surprise surprise, a grass world where you swing an Ultra Sword and fight Whispy Woods. The bosses in this "game" would actually have entire levels leading up to them, something Star Allies ended up doing later. The first world even had an adjacent hubworld akin to Quilty Square, where you could play minigames, test copy abilities, and make your own space. Anyway, the second planet was a desert, similar to Hot Land if Pyramid Sands were its only level, and the boss would be Hooplagoon from Rainbow Curse. The third planet was candy-themed, like Treat Land, and Kracko was its boss. (Why wasn't he in the original RTDL, anyway?) The fourth planet was an ocean, much like Water Land, where you fight Acro from the Dark Matter trilogy. The fifth is, you guessed it, an ice planet akin to Snow Land! It also featured the only original idea I had for a boss in this "game", that being an Ice Golem. Cherish it. The sixth planet, instead of being themed around future-tech and space like Space Land, would have just been a generic sky world--basically Nutty Noon again. I don't exactly remember who I pictured as the boss of that world. I think it was either Dyna Blade or Landia. Anyway, the team has now made it back to Planet Popstar, which has been turned into a fiery hellscape, much like what happened to Peach's Castle in NSMBU. The first level would be a volcanic region where you fight Magman from Kirby 64... for some reason. (I wanted a fifth playable character in the form of the companion from Super Star, so I made Magman be their doppelganger, okay?) The second would be a forest-turned factory where you fight a mech piloted by Shadow Bandana Dee. The third would be the Halberd where you fight Dark Meta Knight, the fourth Castle Dedede where you fight Shadow Dedede, and finally, in the very last level, you would hop between Another Dimension and the skies above Dream Land on your way to bring Shadow Kirby down.

Sounds lame, right? I know. This theoretical mainline Wii U title obviously never came out, which honestly might be for the best. Besides, when I finally played Kirby's Epic Yarn for the first time, it hit me; my theorized Kirby's Return to Dream Land 2 was this very game all along! It has the same scenario, same structure, mostly same level themes... but it's also infinitely more charming, creative and fun than younger me could have ever dreamed of! Man, I REALLY wish I got to play this game while I was still a child. I should also probably stop daydreaming about games that don't and won't exist.

So anyway, where's that Kairi-focused Kingdom Hearts game with Nintendo characters and worlds at?

Absolutely incredible. Matches Ocarina of Time while still standing very strong on its own merits.

Despite its heavy reuse of assets, Majora’s Mask is a vastly different experience from its predecessor. You are constantly on a three day time limit, and you need to plan out everything to do each cycle and do it all in time. Should you run out of time, the moon will fall and destroy the world. This mechanic truly puts you in Link’s shoes, and helps you get the hang of time management.

Majora’s Mask is also much darker than the rest of the series. On the first day, the land of Termina is very lively, with only the slightest hint of uneasiness. As the cycle goes on, more and more people panic as the moon comes closer and closer to crushing the earth. The fear peaks with the night of the final day, when few remain calm beneath the large moon blood red sky. The final night prompts you to reset the cycle, living in the same nightmare until it’s all over. The cycle and the mood it ensues are enough to cement this game’s place as a story that can only be told in one medium.

In spite of all this despair, there is one boy who, despite losing everything he held dear in his last adventure, is willing to risk his life to save another world, giving its inhabitants hope. This game is the Yin and Yang of hope and despair. This is a perfect extension from the themes present in Ocarina of Time, as that game demonstrates how growing up makes you realize how dark the world really is. Majora’s Mask demonstrates that no matter how dark everything may seem, there is always a ray of hope.

On top of all the depression, Majora’s Mask remains a fun time throughout. Exploring, fighting, and solving people’s problems remains as fun as ever. The only things holding this game back from topping Ocarina of Time, at least for me, are the dungeons being fewer in number and, with one exception, not being quite as good, and the fact that I feel like I had to look up a guide a lot more in this game. Aside from that, Majora’s Mask is still a timeless masterpiece that lives up to its predecessor and remains its own rich experience.

04/30/2022 EDIT: Fuck it, this is my favorite game of all time now

Tetsuya Takahashi has become a strong contender for the title of my favorite video game director. I was enthralled by the gripping story and captivating world of Xenoblade 1. I was on the edge of my seat fighting the complex battles in Xenoblade 2. And here we are in the third game, bringing forth the best of both worlds. The six main characters are all incredibly endearing in their own ways. The world is massive and an utter delight to explore. The combat is by far the best in the series, merging speed and strategy into one. The story is a philosophical powerhouse, doubling as an emotional tour de force. I may still SLIGHTLY prefer the first game, but Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is still one of the best RPGs I have ever played. It's pretty much a given that Elden Ring will win game of the year at the Game Awards, but to me, this is still the game of the year in my heart. I cannot wait to see what Monolith Soft does next.

Spark you, Takahashi. But, at the same time, thank you.

At the age of twelve, I knew little of The Legend of Zelda. It was the hype surrounding Breath of the Wild that sparked my interest in the franchise. At a friend’s birthday party, I borrowed his 3DS since I didn’t have one of my own at the time. It was this very game that I played on it, and it convinced me to purchase the game for myself on my Wii U.

So there I was, playing my first ever Zelda game. I even made a let’s play out of my first playthrough. The let’s play, in all honesty, was pretty terrible, but I had to give the most critically acclaimed game of all time some respect. I was awestruck by the vast world, the masterfully crafted dungeons, the engaging combat and the beautiful soundtrack. By the time it was all over, I was hooked. It became one of my favourite games of all time, and I could not wait to see what the rest of this legendary franchise had to offer.

Inexplicably, Ocarina of Time remains just as magical of an experience every time I replay it. The world of Hyrule is incredible. It is full of character, and every location fits well in terms of design (although, Hyrule Field is a little too big with little going on. That’s my only big gripe with the game).

The dungeons are fantastic. Nintendo’s philosophy of “introduce a mechanic and gradually improve on it” is cranked up to the max, and it leads to some of the best dungeons in not only the Zelda franchise, but the medium of gaming as a whole. The combat is tight. Instead of rushing in, sword drawn, banner flying, you must wait for the enemy to make a mistake so you can land a blow. Forgive me for this cliched point of praise, but it really makes you feel like you’re in a sword fight.

This is the game that proved video games are not just games; they are art. Video games don’t just have to be about getting high scores, or getting from Point A to Point B. They can be used to tell stories. Engaging, impactful (and in some cases, vomit-inducing) stories.

Ocarina of Time more than delivers in the story department. It may seem formulaic on the surface, but if you dig a little deeper, you will notice a subtle, well-crafted narrative. At the beginning of the game, Link is an innocent child living in a seemingly perfect world. The only thing that really hurt him up to this point is the Deku Tree’s death. Throughout his journey, the world he travels seems to be at peace. But after he acquires the Master Sword and left Ganondorf open to invading Hyrule for seven years, reality strikes. Now an adult, Link realizes that the world is far from a perfect place. It is constantly on the verge of destruction thanks to evil beings such as Ganondorf. He wasn’t going on an adventure around the world; he was stalling its inevitable demise. Even after Zelda sends him back to live out his lost childhood, he hasn’t regained what he lost when he lifted the sword. He grew up and realized the harsh truth of the world, and no amount of time travel could fix that. He goes through a dramatic, relatable character arc, all without saying a word. This game subtly tells its story better than most games that tell stories in explicit ways.

Simply put, Ocarina of Time is everything a video game should be. It has the top tier world design. It has the spectacular soundtrack. It has the story that can only be told in the form of a video game. While I still personally prefer Terraria and Xenoblade Chronicles, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is, without a doubt, nothing less than the greatest video game ever made. I truly don’t believe there will ever be another quite like it.

Yukari...
Junpei...
Akihiko...
Mitsuru...
Fuuka...
Ken...
Koromaru...

Shinjiro...

Aigis...

Thank you... for everything...