20 YEARS OF GAMING PART 7 BUT I JUMPED BACK AND SHIT

A pretty solid time! Ghibli's influence definitely adds a lot to it both in terms of visuals and music, but the game isn't too much of a slouch outside of that. The story is actually pretty strong and the combat is pretty fun! If it was a bit faster it would honestly be the perfect companion piece to Pokemon's combat for me. If there's anything holding this game back for me, it's the game's overall sluggish pacing. It's one of those RPGs. The ones where the main quest feels less like a main quest and more like a bunch of sidequests stuck together leading you from place to place very slowly. I also really don't like any of the voice acting but it's an old game so I'll give it a pass there. There are also just a lot of little features throughout the game that aren't as smooth as they could be and it could lead to some frustrations (looking it up it seems like these were a sticking point even at the time)

But even if it is kind of rough and not everything gameplay-wise lands, I still had a good time with it and definitely recommend it. I heard there's a sequel, but I heard people liked it less so I don't know when (or if) I'll get to that one. If only Level-5 continued to make video games..........................

This feels like punching down because I've been following a good amount of people who worked on this for years AND because this is Geese's first game. But... this is not it.

I will give it that Rambley is a great character so far. He is really cute and funny and well-animated. The voice actor also did a really good job. Apart from that.. textures are blurry and the lighting is either blindingly bright or too dark to even see anything, the frame rate, even on my 3050 TI, is appallingly bad, the gameplay consists of you walking and pressing the interact button on whatever braindead easy puzzle there is, and the chase scene at the end is literally the exact same as the one at the end of Poppy Playtime. This game has some promise narratively, and the music is actually quite good, but yeah this just kinda seems like a generic, poorly optimized indie horror novelty that's occasionally brought up by Rambley and the music and... not much else.

It's clear that there was a lot of passion behind this game and I won't deny that it could get better, but considering the listed inspirations for this game, I'm not gonna hold my breath.

"Why does the Final Boss look like Fadel Gamescage."

holy FUCK THIS GAME IS SO PEAK. This is a QuagFire-Core game if I've ever seen one. Not only is this, like Metroid Dread, an incredibly polished and fun metroidvania, but, unlike dread, it also manages to push the genre forward in incredible ways!

First, the two issues I have with the game, because they're minor enough to not hurt it at all, but it still is worth bringing up as it kept it from the perfect score it was so close to getting. First, it's fairly buggy, but that's to be expected for a Ubisoft game. And even then, FOR a Ubisoft game it's actually pretty tame. The only ones I noticed were audio bugs, some delayed events, and a character using a TTS voice. Not great, but it's fairly minor. The Enemy Design is also a little suspect because sometimes the wind-ups for unblockable moves don't appear until right before the attack go through, and sometimes it can be a little bullshit.

And that's it. The entire rest of the game is AMAZING. The story starts out slow, but picks up pretty early on and then throughout the rest of the story I'm hooked, with each turn genuinely surprising me, and leading to a very satisfying ending. This is supported by the amazingly polished visuals and the GOD-TIER soundtrack by Mr Ori composer Gareth Coker.

And on top of all of that, this game also has possibly the best combat in... any 2D game ever?? Like the amount of options you have and the speed you can pull this off makes me feel like fucking GOKU. The platforming mechanics and level design also feel super smooth and challenging. Speaking of challenging, the bosses were exhilarating and the stakes get upped each time leading to a bombastic and amazing ass ending.

But exploration is the Metroidvania's core, and not only are there plenty of secrets to find in this game, but it also introduces one of the best mechanics in any MetroidVanias ever. Memory Shards are a reusable tool. It's like map markers, but there is a screenshot attached to them so you can remember why you left that marker later on. This is an absolute GAME CHANGER and something every metroidvania needs from now on. Throw in some smart platforming puzzles and a suite of nice accessibility options and you got yourself one of the most special 2D Side-Scrollers in a fat fucking minute.

I can't believe people hated this game on reveal. What is wrong with yall.

I feel like this is a potentially good game. The main things holding it back are its weird control scheme, input system, and soundtrack.

The art, "story", and charm of this demo is super cool. I really like the vibe this game uses. The issue comes when you actually play it. I played it on keyboard and you have to use both the Q,W,E,A,S, and D keys with your left hands, but your arrow keys with your right hands. This control scheme is not intuitive at all and, at the time of writing this, there is no way to change it.

Not that it would help all that much anyway because the game's input system is just completely incorrect, inputting hits later than they should. This combined with the lag and the control scheme makes playing this a genuine nightmare.

The other main issue is that the music is.... not great. Nami.wav is good, and Stir & Mix is okay, but the idea of using tts and utau banks for a parappa style game just does not work when implemented like that. I think if they were at least tuned, it would be better, but the way it is executed, especially in Grease Poppin' sounds like shit.

Lastly, and this has nothing to do with the game itself, but I personally hate how the online reception to this game is to basically Nickelodeon All Star Brawl it to make people hate fnf, when they are two completely different games. It is a genuinely stupid thing to do and you stupid for doing it.

There are some smaller issues like the UI being confusing or the overworld being basic and hard to navigate, but I know these are being changed in the future. And that's the kicker. Since this is a SAGE demo, this could very much improve in the future. And I hope it does, because the stuff that work, really really work.

I pray for this game's success.

"The Coke-Addicted Baby of Mario World and Tropical Freeze"

Super Mario Bros. Wonder should not be a real game. It's absolutely incredible just how much time, effort, and passion went into each frame of this game. It successfully did the hardest uphill battle Mainline Mario has ever had to deal with, which was to redeem 2D Mario in the good graces of the public.

After 17 years with the new Super Mario bros series everyone either bounced off of 2D Mario or was desperately waiting for a new innovative title in the style of Mario 3 or World, and here is me slapping in the face to tell you that THIS is that game.

Mario Wonder is one of the best-looking games on the entire system. From the lighting to the textures, to the new art style, to all of the creative new animations and backgrounds it looks like a fucking painting. The Music is also really great as usual, with some standout tracks and good use of adaptive music throughout.

But the absolute best thing about this game is just how much game there is here. If there was ever any doubt that a 2D Mario is worth selling at $60, take the absolutely monstrous amount of main levels, with a bunch of different side missions like Badge Challenges, KO Arenas, Wiggler Races, and Search Rooms that are all fun in their unique way, with 12 playable characters and unique wonder effects that almost always surprise and impress you, it's crazy how much design variety there is here.

Each level feels completely distinct even if they share level themes or wonder effects, and for every one level that isn't incredible there's like 4 more that are right afterward. It's one of the most creative platformers I've ever seen. And the connective tissue and structure of this game is also what sells it. Between the different worlds and the unique challenges they face, to all of the fun dialogue, to some worlds not even ending with bosses, it makes this game feel like a Paper Mario game at times. It feels like a true action/adventure game.

And speaking of dialogue, I love those fucking flowers so much. They're consistently entertaining and funny, and even if you don't like them, you can turn off the voices and text separately, so you're good! The voice acting for all of the characters is also way more in-depth and entertaining than usual with the new voices of Mario, Luigi, Daisy, and Yoshi all doing a great job!

So is there any.. problems with the game? On a nitpicky scale, yeah. The online, from what I've heard, isn't the absolute smoothest. It mostly just works but does stutter occasionally. It's the switch and it's not enough to ruin the multiplayer. But for me personally, the only real issue I have is just a disappointment. I wish there were more bosses in this game than JUST Bowser and Bowser Jr. I'm fine with the Koopalings being gone, but if this game had unique bosses then it would probably be the best 2D Platformer... ever, I think?

But for now, it's still probably my favorite Mario game 2D or otherwise, and one of the best PLATFORMERS ever made. Not just 2D. Just platformers in general.

"The Most Realistic Depiction of New York in any Video Game."

Holy SHIT. And I thought CONTROL was weird. I truly don't think there's any game that tells its story and its characters and its sequences quite like Alan Wake II. It's filled with weird offshoot sequences, live-action cutscenes, callbacks to previous games, 4th wall-shattering meta-narratives, and some of the craziest plot turns in any game I've ever played.

That feel, that atmosphere, and all the stuff that is truly the focus of Alan Wake II is its best aspects. There are so many genres of film and game being thrown here at once all in a uniquely meta and twisted package that to spoil ANY of it would be a massive disservice to you. It all looks, sounds, and is acted to near perfection. And since I'm playing on PS5 I can confirm that the fact that some of this shit runs as well as it does is some of the most mindblowing technical shit that any game has ever done to me.

So. What's the problem? For me, the one thing that holds Alan Wake II back is the stuff related to its immersion. It's nothing too crazy but after an hour of two of being in the zone in this weird horror arthouse picture, getting thrown into pretty okay combat and contending with a weird, unbalanced weapon upgrading system that feels straight out of fucking Destiny doesn't really mesh well with the tone and vibe this game is trying to set up. There are long stretches and moments where I feel truly and entirely invested in this amazing game, but when that immersion breaks it's all the more confusing and disorienting compared to a more action-focused survival horror game like RE4R.

But make no mistake, some simple tweaks could really throw this game into straight masterpiece territory. But what I'm more proud of is that, even as someone who's only played control and only seen the story of Alan Wake through a Fortnite map, it's truly evident how much remedy has been building up here. This game feels like a studio that's always been really close to realizing their potential finally reaching it and now I am incredibly excited for whatever they do next.

"Who did this word with FOUR APOSTROPHES in it? That is some fantasy bullshit right there."

[ACTUAL SERIOUS REVIEW TIME WOOOOOOOO]
I'm personally a lot more Impressed by this game than I enjoyed it. I'm certainly glad it exists, but between the late-game bugs, the disappointing ending, the stiff character animations, and some weird structural issues, I felt REALLY burnt by this game near the end. Still incredibly impressed by its art direction, soundtrack, great writing and roster of characters, and really engaging combat, but yeah... this one is kinda burnt for me personally. If this wins Game of the Year, I won't hate that, but I will be a bit disappointed.

A really cute co-op game that I really really liked! The visual style is some of the best in any game I've ever played, the music is amazing, and the story is incredibly emotional and heartwarming! I almost cried at points, it's genuinely really cool.

Granted, the puzzles in this game aren't incredible. They're fine and fun enough for two people, but something like It Takes Two takes it's co-op concepts a little further. And I think the reason why is because of the main issue I have with this game. It's incredibly short. It released today and I'm already 100%ed it after about 3 hours. Now, granted the experience with playing with a friend of mine over discord was super fun and nice, and I think the replayability of that aspect will definitely help the game going forward, but I definitely wanted more out of this game.

But despite it's fault, this is probably the definition of a comfort game. It's cute, it's gorgeous, it's fun, and it's short enough to breeze through with a buddy in one sitting. I, ironically, just feel super warm when playing this game.