Surprisingly immersive for its age and does a fantastic job with the atmosphere throughout the adventure. From key aspects like themed dungeons to Zelda essentials like Cuccos, I really respect how influential this entry is to the rest of the series. I do still prefer the 3D games since the combat here can feel "spammy" and some mandatory sections are too reliant on secrets. Regardless, it's worth commemorating as the oldest Zelda that I still enjoy playing today.

Also, this is not the fault of the game in any way, but I unfortunately associate the art style too much with Graal, a Zelda clone for iPod Touch that I would sink many hours into during middle school.

Pikmin 2 is easily one of my favorite video game sequels. When it comes to improvements from the original, I love the new puzzle and gameplay opportunities from managing multiple captains, the charming and creative Piklopedia, and the endlessly replayable Challenge Mode. However, the most important aspect here is that Pikmin 2 maintains that protective bond between the player and the Pikmin. There's such a strong connection created from the point when you see the birth of each Pikmin in the party to taking responsibility for every action with them. There are very few characters in video games that I care for as much as these Pikmin. Every fatality that occurred was (at least mostly) my fault, and led me to be even more careful when leading the team. It's a game that can make even the most financially successful day feel bittersweet when a single teammate perishes.

R.I.P. to the 202 Pikmin I lost along the way

First thing that's clear about Wario Land: Shake It! is the beautifully drawn and animated style, with some creative worlds and layouts as a solid template. The unique and smooth look game of the pairs very well with the cartoony gameplay. It's one of my personal favorite translations of the "Collect-A-Thon" genre to 2D, really requiring you to familiarize yourself with the levels to get the full experience. On of top the hidden treasures, there's a great variety of missions for each level to make each stage as difficult as you want. Although the standard controls work well for the platforming, the tilting and shaking just isn't precise enough for most of the sections where is comes into play. However, it does feel pretty good to thrash around the remote to empty out moneybags and whip enemies around. If this stays as the final Wario Land game, it's a satisfying entry to end on.

Aside from Nintendo Land and possibly Super Mario Maker, Star Fox Guard is the first Wii U game I’ve played that actually feels designed for the gamepad. I'm not usually a fan of the 'Tower Defense' genre but the second screen creates a level of engagement and tension to it here beyond just setting up turrets. With how quick and bulky the enemies can be, both strategy and reflexes come in to play with placing and switching the cameras. The unusual control scheme makes it nearly impossible to port to other systems but hopefully it gets recognition some day as a unique take on the RTS format.

What impressed me most about Resident Evil 4 was how there's such a consistent sense of tension, both from a horror and an action perspective. I love the mounting pressure everytime you miss a critical shot as an enemy dashes straight towards your character, contrasted with the more ominous moments where just the possibilities of what's around the corner keep you on edge. There's some aspects that mess with the immersion, like unnecessary Quick Time Events and having to readjust the brightness just to navigate several areas, but most of the game does a great job of balancing unsettling atmosphere with entertaining gameplay.

As with any Castlevania game, the music and gothic horror design here is purely incredible. Despite all the 16-bit limitations, there’s a great amount of immersion of every section in the castle. What really sets this game apart from the rest in the series is the smooth eight-directional whipping. It’s such a beautiful upgrade that I wished other Castlevania games utilized, and it allows for fights against fast and aerial foes to feel much more fair. However, the main trade off to keep difficulty high is that your character keeps a significant amount of knock back from hits, along with stairs still being stiff to navigate. It’s safe to say that at least 80% of my deaths in Super Castlevania IV came from being bumped into a pit or missing jumps involving stairs. All things considered, nothing was ever too frustrating for me to want to quit. Any cheap bits in the game would be surrounded by a dozen fantastic platforming and combat moments, from the atmospheric beginning to awe-inspiring end.

I was preparing for Metroid Dread to offer immersive exploration and intense combat, and all my expectations were still blown away. This is the first 2D Metroid where everything feels consistently responsive and precise, and it's all in service of the perfect moveset that just gets better as the game progresses. Like I had hoped after playing Samus Returns, parrying now has momentum behind it and opens up so many options for both fighting and navigating the game. If all the beautiful regions weren't enough reason to traverse Dread's world, just moving around in general feels fluid and satisfying. This is the kind of game that is does a phenomenal job of integrating its story into the control scheme as well, turning the EMMI segments into a true test of how capable you are of controlling Samus under immense pressure. I'll be returning to Metroid Dread many times, as I can tell it's the type of game that's dedicating to offering that perfect fulfilling experience.

One of my new favorites in the real-time strategy / puzzle / sports genre, with a good balance of utilizing both your planning and your instincts to win a fight. The difficulty is very gentle for the initial fighters, but it quickly gets to a level where every victory only comes from truly understanding the opponent you're facing. It's all the more satisfying when you finally land that "oomph" of a punch that's definitely keeping them down. Some of the only significant issues are control-based, with the 1 & 2 buttons feeling just slightly too small, and the motion options lacking the necessary timing and precision. Plus, the button mashing is really forced in for any time you or your opponent gets knocked down. I'd love to play a version of this game that utilizes the classic controller or the GameCube controller, as those huge shoulder buttons would be perfect for really feeling the impact of the hits. Regardless, the Wii entry is a great addition to the Punch-Out!! series, and I can only hope we haven't seen the last of these games.

Absolutely incredible game that builds on Deltarune: Chapter 1 in every aspect. Characters that I thought I'd hate quickly became some of my favorite of any Toby Fox game, and ones that I hope to see so much more of in the future. The combat system has also been refined to the ideal level of complexity. Even the easiest battles kept me focused with positioning myself perfectly for extra charge. The soundtrack is one of the best I've heard in recent memory, and is so good that I would spend as long as possible exploring each part of the world just to listen to as much of it as possible. On top of that, there's so many creative details and unexpected funny moments throughout that I was motivated to experience everything the game had to offer. Although it might not have the complete story that Undertale has, Chapter 2 of Deltarune is a phenomenal sign for things to come.