While not as tight or iconic as DuckTales, I dug how this was basically just a loosey-goosey remake of Super Mario Bros 2… but possibly better?! The level variety and co-op are super impressive for the time, even if it's not my personal favorite.

Is it a hot take to say this is one of the best NES games? Everything about it, from the linear levels full of nonlinear paths, to the endlessly fun pogo stick mechanic, to that iconic soundtrack, feels just as good today as it did in 1989. It's genuinely timeless.

An awesomely unique take on the genre that is only sometimes held back by its seizure/headache-inducing visuals. Otherwise, this is easily one of my new favorite rhythm games overall. Ulala put her whole pussy into it and I will forever be thankful.

I've never seen a game act so confident in its most hackneyed, shock valuing decisions while sidelining all of its actually interesting ideas. Abby and Lev's story? Excellent. It and the gameplay improvements are the only things carrying this game to a 7/10. Ellie's story? MISERABLE. It almost felt like a parody of the first game with how obvious and indulgent the writing became. (and I don't care if that's the point! I can think it's a dumb point!)

It's fine. I've always had a soft spot for classic beat 'em ups, but I feel like I didn't get the full experience playing this alone. Obviously these games are inherently better in co-op, but the difficulty spike at the end really tanked my solo enjoyment.

I've honestly never vibed with any of the 2D Sonic games before Mania, but I still had a pretty fun time blowing through this in one sitting. I'm not about to speedrun collecting the Chaos Emeralds or anything, but I totally get why some folks love it.

I love this game. It genuinely stands toe-to-toe with the original, I can't decide which I like more. The story is certainly easier to pick apart—I'm pretty mixed on the ending stinger, myself—but the ensemble and combat EASILY trump the first for me.

A lovely sequel to the mobile game that expands upon the combat, exploration, and story in pretty much every way. It has some pacing issues and bugs, but the beautiful visuals and versatile combat make this a must-play for fans of the show.

An underrated lil' mobile game that mixes the world of Steven Universe with the combat of Paper Mario. It's not a particularly deep or difficult experience, but as a quick throwback to the early days of both IPs, it works surprisingly well.

2022

An ambitious deviation from industry norms, Stray contrasts a silent protagonist who embodies the perseverance of life with a robotic world where living is secondary to survival… which is to say, it's Wall-E but with a cat. Hey, no shade! That's a solid combination!

This was the biggest surprise of the year for me. 2 was far too safe and iterative for my tastes, so I fully expected 3 to follow suit, but… no! The sped-up gameplay, foundational QoL changes, and killer campaign have arguably resulted in the best Splatoon yet!

I've been in a 32-bit mood lately, so after hearing some recent praise for this game, I decided to try it out on PS5. I'm glad to report that, aside from the 5th generation jank, it was a very pleasant and well-made collect-a-thon!

For some reason, I decided to replay this! …although, my thoughts on it haven't changed much. The presentation is stellar, but the gameplay is underwhelming, and GF deserves better.

HOLY SHIT. I had my worries about this game going in, but not only was it a great first attempt at a 3D Kirby—it was a great 3D platformer period. HAL knocked it out of the park, and the future of Kirby has never looked brighter.