Ys I started promising with a unique combat system and excellent writing, but I eventually did need to look up a guide to proceed. The steps outlined in the guide were so convoluted and unpredictable that I just couldn't convince myself to continue. This game is clearly meant to be played with a ton of backtracking and wandering around figuring out what to do, and I really don't think that type of design has aged well. The music is absolutely fantastic, and the graphics are reasonably well done considering the source material. I'm glad I tried it for its historical significance, but I hated these types of games even when they were on the cutting edge.

Ys Origin features smooth combat which seamlessly interlocks with minimalist RPG mechanisms. While each storyline features a satisfying and engaging character arc, it is necessary to play through the game three times with three different characters in order to experience the full canonical story. Each perspective features just enough differentiation to stay engaging, but I did find the repetition a bit wearying. I wish the three storylines were unique perspectives on the same story, rather than three slightly different storylines featuring different protagonists.

The difficulty on "normal" was perfect, with legitimate challenge and just a touch of occasional grinding. Technical performance was mediocre, with a tiny UI and some major framerate drops during a handful of cutscenes and bosses. It's not game ruining by any means however, and the majority of the gameplay is fast and fluid.

Donkey Kong Land is certainly an impressive technical achievement for translating the Donkey Kong Country experience to the Gameboy. The levels vary wildly in themes, length, difficulty, and overall quality. The biggest obstacle however is the incredibly small area you can see at any given time. For this reason an extremely cautious pace and/or rote memorization is necessary, neither of which are particularly conducive to a fun platforming experience. This game is best played for its historical significance and some intriguing twists on DKC, but it is by no means a fun experience.

Golden Sun as a series does a great job capturing a sense of adventure, and the aesthetic elements are among the best on the GBA. Some of the puzzles and dungeons are on par with Zelda or Lufia II. However: as much as I love the overall feel of this game, it really doesn't respect my time. Backtracking is an integral part of both the overall plot and individual puzzles, which results in excessive, dull random battles. Although the cutscenes are often funny, they are way too long-winded, often circling the same plot point several times before moving on. The story of this sequel doesn't feel very strongly connected to the high stakes of the first game, which made these first few hours feel pretty aimless. Overall the pace is just too slow to keep me engaged. Stopped at the Gabomba Statue.

Super Metroid is a bit of a mixed bag in 2022. The elements which helped spawn a genre are still incredibly compelling. Considering the game's inherent non-linearity the pacing is truly impressive with very little downtime between self-determined goals. The visuals, music, and overall vibe are superb, creating an atmosphere that is rife with tension. Exploration and environmental puzzles are plentiful and mostly satisfying, although some of the more obscure ones have not aged as gracefully (e.g. the glass tube, the noob room). I had to consult a guide maybe 5-6 times in order to get "unstuck."

Some bosses feel more like DPS attrition than a true test of skill (especially Ridley), but the most aggravating aspect of this game by far is the movement and controls. Space jumps feel clunky and inconsistent, and water/sand is rage-inducingly tedious. Between the awkward controls and occasionally obtuse progression, Super Metroid requires a lot more patience to enjoy than its modern progeny. It is absolutely still worth playing at least once, but I can't see myself coming back to it again.

78% completion, saved the animals.

Ys: The Oath in Felghana features all of the series mainstays: exemplary music, straightforward hack 'n slash combat, difficulty spike bullet-hell bosses, some light puzzling and platforming in the dungeons, and a brief, beautiful story. Difficulty on normal is perfectly balanced for minimal (but not zero) grind while still requiring you to learn the bosses attack patterns to progress. While I enjoyed my time with this game, it still left me wanting a bit more depth - the combat is satisfying but doesn't evolve much, and the story is touching but the characters don't get a lot of opportunities to connect with the player. Still the writing is excellent, and overall the game is a delicious bite-sized action RPG.

I am very disappointed that I can't seem to get hooked by the Yo Kai Watch games. The aesthetic elements of this third installment are charming, gorgeous, and well-polished. The writing is funny and earnest, especially for the female protagonist. I think my biggest issue is that the game basically plays itself. For each item I find, Yo Kai I recruit, or minigame I unlock, I find myself asking "why bother?" Rather than a gameplay loop where each challenge feeds into another, Yo Kai Watch 3 feels more like an open ended collection of activities. There is very little strategic depth and therefore no skill development on my part. It's certainly a beautiful world to relax in (with an insane amount of content), but I need a little bit more game in my game to stay engaged.

Trite, repetitive dialogue and weeabo character art hold this title back from being really great, but the gameplay is some of the smoothest and most satisfying of the series. The updated weapon triangle and unit variety add a lot of fun strategic decisions to the formula. The level design is pretty engaging, but there are a couple major duds as well.

I've had a lot of trouble finding the ideal difficulty setting for Fates. I played Birthright on normal and got bored about 35 hours in as my characters had become unstoppable killing machines. So, when I decided to come back and try Conquest I bumped it up to hard and proceeded to restart 170 times over my 35 hour playthrough. Some of the maps do have that addicting puzzle-like quality to them, but others just feel punishing for no reason. In the end I stopped out of frustration, as it felt like there were very few "right moves" to choose from in a given scenario.

Not all of the writing is atrocious - some characters have enjoyably over-the-top dialogue. It's too bad that the overarching story is crammed full of plot armor, moustache twirling villains, and weak motivations for idiotic behavior. Overall this is still a good entry in the series, but there are some major flaws that made my experience pretty inconsistent.

Stopped at the Pride of Frankenstein.

Tried this for its historical significance, but I didn't have very much fun. Simon moves incredibly stiffly and some areas require extremely precise timing and positioning to progress. That said, the level design is very tight and perfectly tuned to the player's abilities. The graphics are evocative and make excellent use of the limited NES capabilities. By far Castlevania's best feature is the music, which ranges from creepy to intense without a single bad track.