Super Mario Galaxy acts as a landmark title not only for platformers, not only for the Wii, but for gaming in general. A title that expresses an unparalleled level of creativity and polish. It represents Mario finally breaking the mold with the 3rd dimension, and setting another standard for 3D platformers in the gaming landscape as a whole. Granted, I was a standard Nintendo would break again 3 years later, but I digress. Playing Galaxy on the Switch in the modern era feels unbelievable. It has aged like so fantastically that it looks modern despite being built 2 generations ago. Every single galaxy feels perfected, like the devs were looking over ever detail with a magnifying glass. The score complements these levels with (at the time) the greatest score Nintendo ever put out. I remember looking at the copy of this I had on the Wii and thinking, "Someday..." Suffice to say I waited too long and I just played the Switch version. With all of that being said... Ghostly Galaxy best galaxy. GOODNIGHT.

My PC decided to off itself while I was installing a game so I decided to go through my console backlog while waiting for repairs. That being said, I had no idea what to expect from this game. I played a small bit of it on the Cube about a year and a half ago but the controls were so awful I couldn’t stand it. I will never understand why people like inverted controls. The controls on Switch still feel in between the buttery smoothness of Galaxy and the clunky garbage that is 64. The actual game itself is pretty fun overall. The visuals are fantastic on the Switch. This and Galaxy both look good enough to be modern games. Isle Delfino is a great world that seems lived in and bustling. My favorite location was probably Pianta Park. I love the amusement park aesthetic. The biggest issue with this game is that every level always has one or two missions that are total bullshit. I would give examples, but if you’ve played the game, you every single level I’m referring to. Whether it’s bad controls, bad camera, or bad design it is there and it is noticeable. The game itself is fine, but the entire experience just feels messy. Like the team turned it in 5 minutes before it was due. I feel like this might be a tri-yearly play for me while something like Odyssey is something I’m return to every year. At least it wasn’t as shit as 64. That’s probably what I’ll remember most.

A step up from the first in all the best ways. The enemy variety feels fleshed out with the introduction of the Brutes. Every different faction feels unique in their fighting style, the Covenant focus on ranged battle while still being able to pack a punch up close, the Flood being very hands on with melee attacks that hit hard and fast, and the Brutes being a mix of both. The variety in playstyle also proves to be superior here. The advent of duel-wielding brings so many new possible routes for gameplay. Mixing the different styles of gunplay leads to tons of new ways to take down enemies and it's also balanced by the loss of grenades. The Energy Sword also makes melee a viable option in combat. Everything here just feels like an EVOLVED version of everything in CE. That goes for the story too. I didn't know what was happening, and I had to read up on it later, but someone who's dedicated to the story would find tons of enjoyment in it. My biggest gripe is that the level design felt very samey throughout the whole game. Big open space or narrow corridor, that's really it. That is pretty meaningless in the grand scheme and the game remains great overall.