Endwalker marks the final chapter of the Hydaelyn saga. CBU3 does a masterful work on making some of the very best work in the Final Fantasy franchise in several years. Do not overlook this because of the MMO format, this is one of the grand ones.
2009
Scibblenauts is the only game that I have ever purchased and decided to actually return it to GameStop shortly after purchase. I really really wanted to like it, but it thoroughly disappointed me with very loose controls, and not very satisfying puzzle solving. Feels far more like a proof of concept than a finished game. Very hard to recommend.
A diamond in the rough in the expansions of the agglomerated MMO, Stormblood may have a flawed narrative going on especially with Lyse's insertion as a revolutionary leader, however the subtext in the game is very underrated. It tells all the aspects of an ongoing genocide of a colony, not only taking the nation's land, resources; but past, present, and future, along all traces of culture buried under imperial assimilation.
2006
Arguably Shigesato Itoi's magnum opus.
MOTHER 3 is beyond a continuation of the story released on 1994 for Super Famicom, it is a story about an island's exponential descent to corruption after its exposure to capitalism.
The acting behind the sprite animations is severely underrated and has an emotionally powerful narrative. One for the ages.
MOTHER 3 is beyond a continuation of the story released on 1994 for Super Famicom, it is a story about an island's exponential descent to corruption after its exposure to capitalism.
The acting behind the sprite animations is severely underrated and has an emotionally powerful narrative. One for the ages.
This review contains spoilers
You are taken to a bizarre world flooded with blinding light, a golden wasteland haunted by wicked angelical creatures known as Sin Eaters.
At the very end of Stormblood, Shadowbringers starts to get in the way of your quests like a fly that won't stop annoying you while you're stressfully multitasking through a lot of the problems around Hydaelyn, until it finally interrupts you completely to pull you in a completely different setting.
The story is absolutely heart-touching and intriguing, easily a fan-favorite entry, and one of the best damn things SquareEnix released in decades.
If you have been over the fence on playing FFXIV, make this your main excuse to play it as you also witness the events of the prior expansions on the way.
At the very end of Stormblood, Shadowbringers starts to get in the way of your quests like a fly that won't stop annoying you while you're stressfully multitasking through a lot of the problems around Hydaelyn, until it finally interrupts you completely to pull you in a completely different setting.
The story is absolutely heart-touching and intriguing, easily a fan-favorite entry, and one of the best damn things SquareEnix released in decades.
If you have been over the fence on playing FFXIV, make this your main excuse to play it as you also witness the events of the prior expansions on the way.
Arguably the part FFXIV "gets good", Heavensward is the first expansion after the reboot of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
The story takes a hard turn and our warrior is led to an isolated theocratic state surrounded by an endless ocean of snow and eternally ravaged by dragon hellfire. With only a handful of allies on your side, you have to decide what to do next as Eorzea is still threatened by the looming shadow of the Garlean Empire.
The story takes a hard turn and our warrior is led to an isolated theocratic state surrounded by an endless ocean of snow and eternally ravaged by dragon hellfire. With only a handful of allies on your side, you have to decide what to do next as Eorzea is still threatened by the looming shadow of the Garlean Empire.
2002
The crossover that started a pop culture phenomenon.
What it lacks in mechanical elegance, it makes it up with its high production value and curiously enigmatic story crafted for a tween demographic.
What it lacks in mechanical elegance, it makes it up with its high production value and curiously enigmatic story crafted for a tween demographic.
2003
Jade is an underground reporter in the monitored mining planet of Hyllis. As the media outcries the dangers of the terrorist group of the Iris Network, she ventures to uncover the truths behind a vast conspiracy.
Some of Michel Ancel's most important work in his career, worth playing at least once.
Some of Michel Ancel's most important work in his career, worth playing at least once.
2011
In 2011 Sonic Team released a special nostalgic trip to commemorate their flagship mascot's 20th anniversary, and to everyone's surprise they did a really good job.
As in...
REALLY good job.
Arguably the very best 3D Sonic game ever created, giving both classic and modern aspects a spectacular display, and now these days people ache for something of this caliber.
As in...
REALLY good job.
Arguably the very best 3D Sonic game ever created, giving both classic and modern aspects a spectacular display, and now these days people ache for something of this caliber.
2005
Ashley Mizuki Robbins is a young teenager with a quest to uncover the mysteries that haunt her checkered past, and one day a mysterious invitation to Blood Edward Island seems to be the key to unveil the enigmas behind her vague early childhood memories.
A very short but very sweet point-n-click adventure with clever puzzles and a thrilling backstory to follow. Do not miss it out.
A very short but very sweet point-n-click adventure with clever puzzles and a thrilling backstory to follow. Do not miss it out.
2000
Commonly acclaimed as one of the Dreamcast's gems, Jet Grind Radio provides us a concept with a lot of undeniable style and promise, however the rough control schemes coupled with the less-than-perfect Dreamcast controller makes this a bumpy ride to go.
The soundtrack and the aesthetics are what will likely keep you wanting for more, alas underneath those elements there could be a lot of room for improvement that wouldn't be seen until its re-imagining on XBOX.
The soundtrack and the aesthetics are what will likely keep you wanting for more, alas underneath those elements there could be a lot of room for improvement that wouldn't be seen until its re-imagining on XBOX.
1999
Infamous for allegedly "killing the collectathon genre", Donkey Kong 64 is an Xtra-Large gorilla sized 3D adventure to burn lots of hours into.
It does use a lot of the bells and whistles that could only be offered with the 8MB RAM upgrade such as more advanced lighting effects among other rendering gimmicks, if you see it with the historical context, this was an obnoxiously ambitious project to push the N64 into new frontiers.
Nevertheless, plenty of features get old quickly over time, admittedly plenty of the cartoony SFX could go chill out more often for the sake of our ears.
Now if you're looking for something beyond Super Mario 64 or the two Banjo games to sink a lot of your time into, this one will be what the doctor ordered.
It does use a lot of the bells and whistles that could only be offered with the 8MB RAM upgrade such as more advanced lighting effects among other rendering gimmicks, if you see it with the historical context, this was an obnoxiously ambitious project to push the N64 into new frontiers.
Nevertheless, plenty of features get old quickly over time, admittedly plenty of the cartoony SFX could go chill out more often for the sake of our ears.
Now if you're looking for something beyond Super Mario 64 or the two Banjo games to sink a lot of your time into, this one will be what the doctor ordered.
2003
In an extremely rare opportunity -- and an absolutely unheard one at the time -- Nintendo and SEGA joined hands to conceive a monstrous speed demon of a racing game.
Developed by Amusement Vision and utilizing the engine that powers their Super Monkey Ball games, F-ZERO GX is an obscenely FAST racing game that will constantly punish clumsy maneuvering, and it will feel good as it happens.
Maneuvering is everything in this game, and the design around the GameCube controller makes it so your delicate touch on the shoulder buttons will easily make the difference between you taking home the gold, or becoming a sticker on a wall.
The graphics are nothing to scoff at with a striking visual presentation while maintaining a virtually constant 60fps, and the soundtrack goes from electronic to a fusion with heavy metal, it is a joy for both eyes and ears.
If you are building a GameCube collection, this entry is a must on your library. Do not miss this one out.
Developed by Amusement Vision and utilizing the engine that powers their Super Monkey Ball games, F-ZERO GX is an obscenely FAST racing game that will constantly punish clumsy maneuvering, and it will feel good as it happens.
Maneuvering is everything in this game, and the design around the GameCube controller makes it so your delicate touch on the shoulder buttons will easily make the difference between you taking home the gold, or becoming a sticker on a wall.
The graphics are nothing to scoff at with a striking visual presentation while maintaining a virtually constant 60fps, and the soundtrack goes from electronic to a fusion with heavy metal, it is a joy for both eyes and ears.
If you are building a GameCube collection, this entry is a must on your library. Do not miss this one out.
1999
At the end of the century, Pokémania invaded every schoolyard with lo-fi ultra-compressed roars from the children's GameBoys. Naturally, every enthusiast had been waiting for the inevitable console release that is on many pipe dreams. While we got Pokémon Snap first, we still wanted something that would get us to feel the excitement of the battles. Pokémon Stadium delivers exactly that. The problem is, it is JUST exactly that.
Pokémon Stadium is not a bad game by all means, it merely worked primarily more of a companion accessory for the GameBoy releases to bring your team from the compact unlit pixelated display to the big 4:3 screen, spiced up with voice acting that would be announcing the events of the fight like a major sports event. All this is good and well, but then again this does not make it a full Pokémon experience, including the lack of wild creature catching and a fully written story.
All this said and done it does not mean Pokémon Stadium is not worth your time, it is a fancy experience with an embedded campaign mode and even 4-player mini games that actually make a hell of a fun party experience.
It may not have been exactly what we were all waiting for back then, but it is still a one-hit-KO.
Pokémon Stadium is not a bad game by all means, it merely worked primarily more of a companion accessory for the GameBoy releases to bring your team from the compact unlit pixelated display to the big 4:3 screen, spiced up with voice acting that would be announcing the events of the fight like a major sports event. All this is good and well, but then again this does not make it a full Pokémon experience, including the lack of wild creature catching and a fully written story.
All this said and done it does not mean Pokémon Stadium is not worth your time, it is a fancy experience with an embedded campaign mode and even 4-player mini games that actually make a hell of a fun party experience.
It may not have been exactly what we were all waiting for back then, but it is still a one-hit-KO.
It had been considered a bit of a tradition that every time a Kirby game would get a console release it would be at the final lap of its life cycle showing off some of the most ambitious hardware wizardry available; Kirby 64 is not an exception to the rule.
It may not require an Expansion Pak to run, but it has some of the absolute best artistic direction on the console along an electrifying soundtrack; and I haven't even started on the feature gimmick of ability combos, always making it fun to experiment the possibilities.
Along the single player mode, it is also loaded with side features including a card collecting album that you can slowly fill if you get a card at the end of each level, and 4-player party mini-games that do make an amusing amount of chaos with friends.
This game lives to its reputation, some fans still believe the caliber of this entry has not been fully matched despite how 3D Kirby games are no longer a rare occurrence. Do not be mislead by the cuddly cover art of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, you WILL want it on your collection.
It may not require an Expansion Pak to run, but it has some of the absolute best artistic direction on the console along an electrifying soundtrack; and I haven't even started on the feature gimmick of ability combos, always making it fun to experiment the possibilities.
Along the single player mode, it is also loaded with side features including a card collecting album that you can slowly fill if you get a card at the end of each level, and 4-player party mini-games that do make an amusing amount of chaos with friends.
This game lives to its reputation, some fans still believe the caliber of this entry has not been fully matched despite how 3D Kirby games are no longer a rare occurrence. Do not be mislead by the cuddly cover art of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, you WILL want it on your collection.