Still remains my favorite game of all time. I love how delightfully different it is. For a Mario game, it takes a unique approach to nearly everything. The satisfying combat, the creepy atmosphere ---- Nintendo just hasn't done something like this since & there's something about it that will forever resonate with me.

It was one of my favorite 3D Sonics when I was a kid, and after recently replaying it, I can say it still holds up well today. I love that it doesn't take itself too seriously, has cheesy cutscenes & solid gameplay all-around. Some of the slower bits in the 2D sections were a little jarring & there's some jank here & there, but I still have a soft spot for this game for sure.

Try as I may, I just can't get 2D Sonic games to click with me. The opening zone was... fine? But then I got to the first boss, which takes an obscenely long time, could barely tell what was happening due to poorly telegraphed attacks... and that was that. I gave it maybe 45 minutes before starting to play Sonic Colors instead.

Played this one co-op with my wife & we had a good time. It's definitely going for more of a puzzle platformer approach, and as such, jump angles & such take a lot of getting used to. Many times where I wasn't sure if a jump was or wasn't doable. Nevertheless, still a solid entry in a lineup of games taking inspiration from the OG Donkey Kong arcade smash hit.

From the outside looking in, it looks like just a meme game. And in a way, it is. But it's a quality meme game. It understands its source material, works with it, but doesn't coast on that alone. It also brings some decent platforming & 2D action to the mix. Come for the jokes & references, stay for the solid gameplay.

I've yet to try D&D. I hadn't played any other Baldur's Gate. But I loved BG3. The story, the combat, the narrative, the voiceacting, the world ---- I consider it a small miracle that a game with this much quality stuff in it didn't just buckle under all the pressure of what it was trying to be. The fact that a title can be this huge while delivering the awesome experience it does deserves to be celebrated. Hats off to Larian Studios for this one.

This game never stops being just dang fun to play. Running, jumping, hovering, eating, throwing ---- it all clicks so well & makes for a good time. I love that it's a game that doesn't pull punches either. It may look like a cutesy, friendly game, but even just getting through some of the levels, let alone 100%-ing them with any degree of finesse, can be quite the tricky but satisfying endeavor.

For the longest time, I used to think SMB3 was my favorite 2D Mario. But after lots of back-and-forth, I gotta give the edge to this one. I love them both dearly, but SMW just controls like a dream, has great level design, oozes with charm & has a thriving modding community that keeps breathing amazing new life into this classic even to this day. A must-play for any fan of Mario, platformers or just games in general.

The game that literally got me into video games. SMB3 is nostalgia incarnate for me, but even with nostalgia aside, it still holds up awesomely today. Levels are short & to-the-point, chiptunes are rockin' the whole way through & it took the run-'n-jump gameplay of SMB1 & fine-tuned it in a way that elevated the formula from great to excellent.

The controls feel great, the music gets in your head, the different playable characters create nice variety if that's what you're looking for ---- for a Mario game that originally wasn't even a Mario game, it still hits all the right notes & remains a Nintendo classic.

Considered a timeless classic for a reason. Future SMB games fine-tuned what was on display here, but there's no denying that SMB1 is iconic & laid the groundwork for a true masterclass series of platformers.