purpley_goodness
2021
If you had fun with Odyssey, do yourself a favor and play this game. This is a super fun spin on the mechanics introduced in 3D World. Giving access to any power-up at any moment allows for a lot more freedom and creativity for both the player and the designers (although I would have liked to see some challenges explore this versatility even further, and this system renders the collection of power-ups a little obsolete). While it's a little rough around the edges, I really like the idea of Bowser showing up periodically and affecting the whole map. Lastly, I would not recommend 100% completion of this. There are a number of especially frustrating and tedious shines, and the completion reward is a joke. Luckily you only need half the shines to finish the main game, so you won't have to deal with those shines normally.
2018
THE best gameplay loop I have seen. The combination of quick and frantic combat, strategizing and coming up with new builds, the simultaneous feeling of your character getting stronger alongside yourself getting better at the game, and the amazing characterization makes this a (dare I say it) masterpiece.
2012
This game IS my childhood. Criminally underrated and an absolute must-play if you still have a device that will run it.
2011
I'm not a huge fan of the higher levels of competitive Pokemon, but this offers plenty of options for whatever kind of battling you're into without you needing too much research. Being able to play it on a browser is really great. I somehow feel more of a connection with the team I put together in five minutes here than with the team I worked on improving throughout my entire Sword and Let's Go Eevee experiences.
2014
I love this thing. It nails that early 2000's feeling and reminds me of the fun little iOS games I played at the time. The slowly speeding up stands out to me as some great design: it feels great when I'm going faster and faster and then the WiFi comes back, like a propeller starting or something. I would have wanted to see some more obstacles that require you don't jump, since the few obstacles that do that are the highlights of the game and promote some strategic thinking.
2017
I stayed away from this game for a long time because of some reviews calling it boring and repetitive. Eventually I bought it anyway, went through the game as fast as possible, and now have zero motivation to get more moons. But what I played was GREAT. Love the movement mechanics. Luigi's Balloon World is super fun too.
2019
Incredible core gameplay loop and they managed to put so much humor into something the player has total control over. The ability to dick around and piss people off is perfect here. The levels are full of character and pretty underrated in my opinion. Another great game to 100%.
2017
This game is stupid pretty. The boss designs are killer. The soundtrack slaps. I kinda hated the run n' gun levels and I didn't feel encouraged to switch up my kit. The robot boss made me put the game down for months, but I came back and finished the game in a couple days. LOVE the King Dice and Devil boss fights.
I think this is pretty underrated because it's a spinoff and it's defined by what you CAN'T do. But I absolutely LOVED this game. The format of three gems and one challenge is super fun for idiots like me who want to 100% games but have zero attention span.
The whole "Shantae for Smash" thing got me interested in the series so I thought I'd give this one a look. This game is like white bread. It's fine. I played it. I liked the characters. The gameplay was okay. The final boss sucked.
2019
What a cute and heartwarming game! The movement mechanics sound weird in concept but work really nicely in practice. I love the art style and I personally really enjoyed all the dialogue and characterization. Of course it's short, but that's what you signed up for, and it packs a lot of heart into a short play time. Get this for a rainy afternoon.
2017
Not really a metroidvania. Controls don't feel too good. The design is cryptic in a lot of places. I got it because "it's only $10 so whatever" and it was somehow not even worth the $10.
2017
Probably the best game to play if you want to switch your brain off and let muscle memory do its thing. Fantastic tracks, soundtrack, and new mechanics. Battle mode is okay but could be better. Best online on the Switch.
Definitely my favorite Smash game. They've actually done a pretty good job with balancing the roster while keeping the characters fun and unique. And boy, what a roster. As for singleplayer, World of Light is only fun for the first ten minutes, and while Classic Mode is the best in the series, it still has a lot of room to grow. The controls can feel a little like you're underwater sometimes since the buffer system is lenient to a fault. Play online if you want to slam your head against a wall.
2019
Something like this could always be better, but this is worth the price for its story mode alone. The level creator could be made a LOT more intuitive and useful. Imagine how amazing Mario Maker would be if it didn't start on the Wii U!