WHy the frick was there interesting ideas here for events that bareky get used. Other things this game does special is the main menu kinda simple and scenic even more so than its full release. It Especially loads faster and has some nice unique menus of its own. Otherwise a pretty substantial demo. Neat bonus for being able to carry progreess over to main game. Reccomended if youre just curious about old gt media. I should note i played with its updates to spec 3. And holy crap there is post game unlocks lmao how neat

Positives first. It is a technical wonder and the new web wings help make the traversal have some much needed depth if not by a lot. Animations are smoother and holy crap do you swing heaaaaps faster. A parry. Cool uses of the ps5 controller .There are more moves even if they are activated via a similar way like gow and are all on cool down. Side stuff is thankfully changed up and with a few actively enjoying it's unique context. Also feel less like busy work. Story doesn't take anywhere near as long to have it's villians show up. There are more set pieces too. Ok soooooo I can't say I was dissapointed but nor am I blown away. Like there are little things here that help it's fun. But it now does outdate the other games. I feel it's becoming way too automated for my own taste. A lot more lows then there is highs. More sequences of restricted control or slow down than there is the game showing off its speed with the loading or flash. Kinda hampering my urge to replay at all tbh. Story is safe and predictable but a standout to Yuri lowenthal absolutely going hard in this game. I wish I was a kid playing these cause this would be a mind blowing good time but the changes here made to it's demographic make me the odd one out. A quality time if a bit basic safe and uninspired

I could play you forever and be happy. It's rough. It's slippery. It has some hard ass tracks. But it is the epitome of simple yet effective for me. This rating is probably 10000% nostalgia bias as it is my earliest memory on earth but I really do think a lot of this game holds up. So much of the bones are laid back here of the Mario kart template and yet this title does still have its unique execution on a lot of it, down to the unique limitations of the hardware. The game has no 3d karts but that allows the environments to look the part and have a decent render distance but it's the colours and shapes that absolutely do it for me. The aesthetic of this Mario kart is like no other. So easy on the eyes and the music are all absolutely bangers. Challenge is truely unfair but fun nonetheless and the introduction (some may say still one of the best to this day) of the battle mode makes the N64 truly standout as the multiplayer console. I just finished this game finally. After all these years on being alive and throughout every retry, failure and win. Every minute in this game made me smile. That's absolutely what gaming is to me. ✨ Magical ✨

Skabma - Snowfall is a platformer/exploration game with some light puzzling, collectables to collect, and a wonderful atmosphere that gives a great portrayal of Sámi culture. You play as Áilu, a young Sami reindeer herder on the journey to understand and prevent what's going wrong with nature. The game is beautiful, relaxing, and with a comfortable soundscape. The gameplay is relatively simple but also frustrating at times due to some platforming and control jank.

Graphics: 5/5
The graphics are beautiful. The game plays with its lighting well, switching between the soft ambience of aurora borealis, intense sunshine through the treetops, and gloomy caves adorned in glowing runes. The nature starts out beautiful and serene, and constantly shifts as the game progresses even when revisiting old areas of the game. The character outfits and environmental setpieces are also authentic and well designed!

Gameplay: 3/5
The gameplay is relatively simple but also the games weak point. A mix of walking simulator and platforming. Sadly, the platforming alternates between simple and annoying. Sometimes it's unclear if you're supposed to be able to make jumps. I also experienced a fair amount of frustration from the shared buttons for using abilities on yourself and environment objects. Sometimes you try dashing across a bit only for the skill to get auto-targeted on a random nearby object, causing you to fall to your own untimely death...

However, the game comes with some super welcome QoL features, like indications for new dialog, a beautiful map with points of interest marked down, and a super comprehensive replay system for going back and grabbing missed collectables!

Story: 4/5
The story is straightforward and relatively simple, but it fits the game well. Sámi stories are integrated but also revised to make for a compelling game rather than a historical document. The game also hides a fair amount of intriguing side stories behind some of the optional collectables, providing more content for one so inclined!

Characters: 5/5
The characters are great! Faces are surprisingly expressive and coupled with awesome voice acting, making cutscenes and dialogue feel impactful and emotional. The little chitchat dialogue the game provides is great too. This is the kind of game where I enjoy just walking around hearing what the characters babble about. Heck, even the trees are worth talking to!

Sound and music: 4/5
The music is awesome. Traditional Sámi music and joik is integrated well. The sound effects are also great. Oh and did I mention the whole game is voiced in Northern Sámi? Yes please!