RisenWaffle
2019
Finally got around to playing this, was not disappointed. Luigi is back with another entry in his unique franchise of kid friendly scares and humor.
The game is arguably the most gorgeous game on the switch and somehow ran smooth the entire time until before the final boss fight. The music is good, the gameplay is fun, and the atmosphere is incredible what more could you want.
Actually I can answer that, because the game suffers with its characters, level design, and controls. Compared to the first game the bosses in this game are completely forgettable outside of the cat, director, and hotel manager, the controls are frustrating at times with how the plunger and flashlight features just doesn't hit their target, the level design is really hit or miss with fixed cameras making some sections rage inducing, and for me Luigi's voice sounds extremely off but as I haven't played many Mario games since the GameCube era this could just be his new voice and I'm not aware of it so I won't hold it against them.
I still think this is a really fun game and highly recommend it if you want a fun time, and it has coop making it a fun adventure to play with your family or friends!
I didn't touch the multiplayer portion of this game so I'm not counting that in my score.
The game is arguably the most gorgeous game on the switch and somehow ran smooth the entire time until before the final boss fight. The music is good, the gameplay is fun, and the atmosphere is incredible what more could you want.
Actually I can answer that, because the game suffers with its characters, level design, and controls. Compared to the first game the bosses in this game are completely forgettable outside of the cat, director, and hotel manager, the controls are frustrating at times with how the plunger and flashlight features just doesn't hit their target, the level design is really hit or miss with fixed cameras making some sections rage inducing, and for me Luigi's voice sounds extremely off but as I haven't played many Mario games since the GameCube era this could just be his new voice and I'm not aware of it so I won't hold it against them.
I still think this is a really fun game and highly recommend it if you want a fun time, and it has coop making it a fun adventure to play with your family or friends!
I didn't touch the multiplayer portion of this game so I'm not counting that in my score.
2017
Honestly the most fun I've had with a 3D Mario game (though I need to replay galaxy to see my feelings on that) with fluid controls, epic music, fun visuals, and some pretty cool ideas. The fault with this game is being so forgiving and easy that it requires you to take breaks to deal with the sluggish boss fights that are usually the exact fight you did three levels ago, and while I'm all for easy games this is TOO easy, along with the issue of the more open maps checkpoints being a bit too spread out forcing you to run all the way back to where you were if you somehow manage to die to a floor hazard.
However the ability to take control of iconic enemies and use their abilities to traverse a level or solve puzzles is really fun and that's a massive reason I don't hate this game, add in the funny costumes and it's a good time.
However the ability to take control of iconic enemies and use their abilities to traverse a level or solve puzzles is really fun and that's a massive reason I don't hate this game, add in the funny costumes and it's a good time.
This is a really boring game made to sell the gimmick device known as the Wii Zapper, development stories for this game make me so upset seeing as how the team wanted to make this game an extra story for Twilight Princess, but instead was forced to make a bare bones arcade shooter. Basically Link has a crossbow that shoots like a modern firearm... That's it.
Its not a fun game at all, there is no incentive to play the game past the first level as there is no actual boss battles, worthwhile upgrades, cosmetics, or anything to show progression other than "get big numbers."
I will say they have some variety having on rail sections, small movement sections, and "bosses" that just require you to shoot smarter, but that's about it. Hell even the music choices is off-putting, why is the Goron theme playing in Orden?
Whatever, at least links crossbow looks cool I guess and yes I did unfortunately play this with a Wii Zapper.
Its not a fun game at all, there is no incentive to play the game past the first level as there is no actual boss battles, worthwhile upgrades, cosmetics, or anything to show progression other than "get big numbers."
I will say they have some variety having on rail sections, small movement sections, and "bosses" that just require you to shoot smarter, but that's about it. Hell even the music choices is off-putting, why is the Goron theme playing in Orden?
Whatever, at least links crossbow looks cool I guess and yes I did unfortunately play this with a Wii Zapper.
This review contains spoilers
This is The Legend of Zelda formula perfected.
Twilight Princess is a game that fans can't agree if they love or hate it, but if you love Ocarina of Time I see no reason why you would say this game is bad, though I could understand saying this game is just ok. TP is OOT and MM blended together beautifully, it takes the monumental formula made in OOT and the dark creepy tones of MM and combined them.
From the cozy start to the heart breaking ending this game is a joy to play. While it has its lows with the water temple like all Zelda's do, it has its highs with some of the most memorable characters.
The phenomenal artstyle being ugly and gorgeous at the same time is a perfect choice from the team to match the theme of the light world vs the twilight world, The music being some of the best blending the epic orchestra and synthesized sounds to show the difference between worlds,
Having one of the best supporting characters in Zelda history with Midna's amazing character development and fantastic character design, Even the wolf segments, while get old towards the end, force you to play the game slightly more strategically than just spamming B over and over with an arrow thrown in, make this game a phenomenal experience that I wish I could experience again for the first time like I did in 2006.
The story is a good change of uniqueness while keeping that normal hero story there, with the twists and stakes being so high the story never loses steam once it gets going.
Zant being such a creepy and disturbing villain only to be a massive dork, Ganon showing up and just destroying a guy is cool as hell, and the ending of Midna destroying the mirror was one of the first times I cried at a game like I did.
I wish Nintendo made another Zelda even remotely close to this feeling but unfortunately it seems that will never happen.
Twilight Princess is a game that fans can't agree if they love or hate it, but if you love Ocarina of Time I see no reason why you would say this game is bad, though I could understand saying this game is just ok. TP is OOT and MM blended together beautifully, it takes the monumental formula made in OOT and the dark creepy tones of MM and combined them.
From the cozy start to the heart breaking ending this game is a joy to play. While it has its lows with the water temple like all Zelda's do, it has its highs with some of the most memorable characters.
The phenomenal artstyle being ugly and gorgeous at the same time is a perfect choice from the team to match the theme of the light world vs the twilight world, The music being some of the best blending the epic orchestra and synthesized sounds to show the difference between worlds,
Having one of the best supporting characters in Zelda history with Midna's amazing character development and fantastic character design, Even the wolf segments, while get old towards the end, force you to play the game slightly more strategically than just spamming B over and over with an arrow thrown in, make this game a phenomenal experience that I wish I could experience again for the first time like I did in 2006.
The story is a good change of uniqueness while keeping that normal hero story there, with the twists and stakes being so high the story never loses steam once it gets going.
Zant being such a creepy and disturbing villain only to be a massive dork, Ganon showing up and just destroying a guy is cool as hell, and the ending of Midna destroying the mirror was one of the first times I cried at a game like I did.
I wish Nintendo made another Zelda even remotely close to this feeling but unfortunately it seems that will never happen.
2000
Whoever convinced the higher ups at Nintendo to make Mario into paper and then also doubled down on the most ridiculous writing is an actual genius and I thank them everyday.
Paper Mario is a fantastic RPG that really holds it's own in Nintendo's library, if you removed the Mario element from the game it would still be great. The combat is turn based but forces you to be engaged at all times with small different quick time events which helps with the slow battles. The story is good fun and while not mind blowing, it's intriguing and a good time and the writing of side characters are amazing, genuinely every side character was memorable and good God the artstyle is so gorgeous.
The problem this game faces is the way they shove so many party members in your face so fast that you never have a chance to actually learn about them, nor do you use them all much outside of when the game forces you to use them so that you can beat an enemy that's on fire or made of stone and also the balance of enemies towards late game seem to just do loads of damage with attacks so fast you have a hard time defending with the action command.
This is just a great game, it's one of the few Mario games I really enjoy because it's different and unique from the 2D platformer he's known for.
Paper Mario is a fantastic RPG that really holds it's own in Nintendo's library, if you removed the Mario element from the game it would still be great. The combat is turn based but forces you to be engaged at all times with small different quick time events which helps with the slow battles. The story is good fun and while not mind blowing, it's intriguing and a good time and the writing of side characters are amazing, genuinely every side character was memorable and good God the artstyle is so gorgeous.
The problem this game faces is the way they shove so many party members in your face so fast that you never have a chance to actually learn about them, nor do you use them all much outside of when the game forces you to use them so that you can beat an enemy that's on fire or made of stone and also the balance of enemies towards late game seem to just do loads of damage with attacks so fast you have a hard time defending with the action command.
This is just a great game, it's one of the few Mario games I really enjoy because it's different and unique from the 2D platformer he's known for.
Being the follow up to OOT is a terrible burden, but Majora's Mask is successful in making another memorable game that will never be forgotten. However what also won't be forgotten is the horrible Goron controls, confusing requirements to progress, constant backtracking, and the confusing dungeon layouts. I enjoy this game I really do, but it has major faults in its design that make this less enjoyable than OOT. I played the majority of this replay without a guide, but a few times I was forced to look at one after spending an hour or two on certain sections that baffled me, Fierce Deity Link is goated regardless.
In terms of the atmosphere, unique mechanics, and the overall theme this game shines as a phenomenal experience.
In terms of the atmosphere, unique mechanics, and the overall theme this game shines as a phenomenal experience.
Ocarina of Time is without a doubt one of the greatest games ever made, it was a huge step in showing how creative and ambitious you can be with video games. Replaying this 2 and a half decades later is still a magical journey of fun, humor, and frustration.
The music and atmosphere is brilliant, the characters are fun and memorable, and the writing is interesting enough you'll be happy to read every bit of knowledge you can get your hands on.
The problems I have with the game are mostly due to how awful the N64 controller is to aim with, that and the combo of the water temple and shadow temple back to back with the use of the boots is exhausting to the point I had to set the game down half way through the shadow temple and wait a day or two before I felt like playing again.
There is so much to talk about why many others and I love this game that this review could turn into the first three entries of a Young Adult Novel franchise, so I'm not gonna do that.
The music and atmosphere is brilliant, the characters are fun and memorable, and the writing is interesting enough you'll be happy to read every bit of knowledge you can get your hands on.
The problems I have with the game are mostly due to how awful the N64 controller is to aim with, that and the combo of the water temple and shadow temple back to back with the use of the boots is exhausting to the point I had to set the game down half way through the shadow temple and wait a day or two before I felt like playing again.
There is so much to talk about why many others and I love this game that this review could turn into the first three entries of a Young Adult Novel franchise, so I'm not gonna do that.
2001
This being the first GameCube game I played I wanted to see if it held up 2 decades later and it did!
A unique and fun title starring Luigi which mixes comedy and humor into a weirdly well made spooky setting. The gameplay is fun, the music slaps, and its just short enough it doesn't outstay its welcome. Unfortunately the GameCube controller make some of boss battles awful, I'm not sure if it's my controllers or not but having to press the L button with just enough pressure where you actually spray water/fire/ice but not enough pressure where you instead shoot elemental balls was very annoying for the last few bosses.
Very Fun overall, highly recommend it as a must play Nintendo Title!
A unique and fun title starring Luigi which mixes comedy and humor into a weirdly well made spooky setting. The gameplay is fun, the music slaps, and its just short enough it doesn't outstay its welcome. Unfortunately the GameCube controller make some of boss battles awful, I'm not sure if it's my controllers or not but having to press the L button with just enough pressure where you actually spray water/fire/ice but not enough pressure where you instead shoot elemental balls was very annoying for the last few bosses.
Very Fun overall, highly recommend it as a must play Nintendo Title!
A massive improvement over Witcher 1. The combat is way more engaging, the writing is even better, the voice acting is improved, and the music is fantastic.
The Witcher 2 is definitely my favorite out of the three, it has its flaws sure. The backtracking is still there but its more bearable than 1, The combat while more engaging has massive difficulty spikes across all the difficulties (I finished it on normal, but tested it on easy, hard, and dark because I was baffled by how much damage I was taking), and graphically the game has a weird yellow filter that makes me nauseous at times.
I highly recommend this one over Witcher 1 and 3, but if you are starting the franchise for the first time skipping both and going to Three will be the best experience!
The Witcher 2 is definitely my favorite out of the three, it has its flaws sure. The backtracking is still there but its more bearable than 1, The combat while more engaging has massive difficulty spikes across all the difficulties (I finished it on normal, but tested it on easy, hard, and dark because I was baffled by how much damage I was taking), and graphically the game has a weird yellow filter that makes me nauseous at times.
I highly recommend this one over Witcher 1 and 3, but if you are starting the franchise for the first time skipping both and going to Three will be the best experience!
Everyone has to start somewhere, and for CDPR's critically acclaimed RPG franchise it's here.
I'll be quick and blunt, this game sucks. I do not recommend it to anyone who wants good gameplay or a smooth experience.
It has redeeming qualities like the writing and music, the humor of the main cast is there in full view with Gearlt's reactions to the dumbest things being priceless. The story itself is intriguing and kept me very interested in an otherwise dull game full of backtracking
across three or four major set pieces (set in the same city) where they took away teleporting for some reason after giving me it and boring combat. Me replaying this years later has only reconfirmed my original feelings of the game.
I'll be quick and blunt, this game sucks. I do not recommend it to anyone who wants good gameplay or a smooth experience.
It has redeeming qualities like the writing and music, the humor of the main cast is there in full view with Gearlt's reactions to the dumbest things being priceless. The story itself is intriguing and kept me very interested in an otherwise dull game full of backtracking
across three or four major set pieces (set in the same city) where they took away teleporting for some reason after giving me it and boring combat. Me replaying this years later has only reconfirmed my original feelings of the game.
An improvement over P3Ds remixes but not by much. Gameplay is still great, remixes are still extremely hit or miss.
Gameplay is great, the music remixes are either really good or god awful with no in between.
2020
This review will mostly cover the added content without trying to spoil it!
This version of Persona 4 fixed all my issues I had with the original, with additional content including new animated cutscenes, new social links, a new story line, new music, a new dungeon, and a great effort of rebalancing the game, This is the definitive way to experience one of the best JRPGs ever released.
Touching upon the new content itself, the new social links are the best and worst thing added. Giving the player time with one of my favorite characters and introducing a new character that is one of my least favorite, regardless of my thoughts on their social links themselves, both add to the story extremely well overall, alongside the added month this works great together.
The new dungeon is horrendous if you don't figure out the trick to understand it which is why I can't give this game a perfect score.
This is definitely still after all this time my favorite game, with nothing coming close to giving me that feeling I get while playing this game.
This version of Persona 4 fixed all my issues I had with the original, with additional content including new animated cutscenes, new social links, a new story line, new music, a new dungeon, and a great effort of rebalancing the game, This is the definitive way to experience one of the best JRPGs ever released.
Touching upon the new content itself, the new social links are the best and worst thing added. Giving the player time with one of my favorite characters and introducing a new character that is one of my least favorite, regardless of my thoughts on their social links themselves, both add to the story extremely well overall, alongside the added month this works great together.
The new dungeon is horrendous if you don't figure out the trick to understand it which is why I can't give this game a perfect score.
This is definitely still after all this time my favorite game, with nothing coming close to giving me that feeling I get while playing this game.
Quite possibly the most important JRPG title to be released by ATLUS, it played a huge part in their identity standing out in the western market which lead to the major successes of SMT:Persona 3 and the following ATLUS games.
It's extremely difficult combat and luck based outcomes make this game unplayable by many, but learning how to make the perfect Demi-Fiend and team is extremely fun to me and I'm not a huge fan of overly difficult games.
The atmosphere, art style, and music is largely unmatched by anything other than it's sequels, it is an artist's paradise to pick through it all. It's small but great story is also fantastic, every ending was a blast to go through even 20 years later.
It's extremely difficult combat and luck based outcomes make this game unplayable by many, but learning how to make the perfect Demi-Fiend and team is extremely fun to me and I'm not a huge fan of overly difficult games.
The atmosphere, art style, and music is largely unmatched by anything other than it's sequels, it is an artist's paradise to pick through it all. It's small but great story is also fantastic, every ending was a blast to go through even 20 years later.
Quite possibly the closest thing to a "perfect" game you can get.
A complete experience with vastly improved combat, a thrilling story, an amazing cast, and fantastic music.
Note how I said it's the closest thing and not it is the perfect game, the game suffers from overwhelming the player with different content that's huge and it throws off otherwise great pacing. For example the resort and Kiryus personality stuff, while fantastic things, throw the pacing off and it takes a bit for it to get back on track alongside having dual parties with different levels that you have to constantly catch up to each other.
Pleasantly surprised by the more balanced approach to grinding for levels and equipment though, I was able to grind for both in under an hour any time I felt under leveled.
This is the greatest Turn Based JRPG to come out in a long while and I'm happy they stuck to it, I see no way to make a Kasuga focused Ryu Ga Gotoku game any better than what they have done here.
A complete experience with vastly improved combat, a thrilling story, an amazing cast, and fantastic music.
Note how I said it's the closest thing and not it is the perfect game, the game suffers from overwhelming the player with different content that's huge and it throws off otherwise great pacing. For example the resort and Kiryus personality stuff, while fantastic things, throw the pacing off and it takes a bit for it to get back on track alongside having dual parties with different levels that you have to constantly catch up to each other.
Pleasantly surprised by the more balanced approach to grinding for levels and equipment though, I was able to grind for both in under an hour any time I felt under leveled.
This is the greatest Turn Based JRPG to come out in a long while and I'm happy they stuck to it, I see no way to make a Kasuga focused Ryu Ga Gotoku game any better than what they have done here.