5-Star Rating System: The Best and Worst of Each Star
Heavily inspired by Detchibe's list, I'm gonna do my best to talk about what I feel to be my highest and lowest of every star category.
I went over my general rule-of-thumb for how I rate games in my review of Majin and Sacrificial Girl, but for the sake of making things easier I'll reiterate it here as well:
★★★★★ = This just hits different. Play these. Favorite video games of all time ever. I try my hardest to be as "objective" as I can with these ones, but you can't objectify personal experience and taste.
★★★★ = Very good video games. Easy recommendation. They hold out as strong examples as to why I love the medium so much.
★★★ = Good video games and experiences worth merit. I hesitate to blanket-recommend these for some reason or another, but just like with Majin, a 3-star generally means that it has clear flaws or problems that will probably knock it down a star, but I truly enjoy it for what it is.
★★ = Mid and I don't like it, or there's just something holding it back from being actually good.
★ = Trash. Either flat-out does not work, or morally reprehensible. Possibly both.
I went over my general rule-of-thumb for how I rate games in my review of Majin and Sacrificial Girl, but for the sake of making things easier I'll reiterate it here as well:
★★★★★ = This just hits different. Play these. Favorite video games of all time ever. I try my hardest to be as "objective" as I can with these ones, but you can't objectify personal experience and taste.
★★★★ = Very good video games. Easy recommendation. They hold out as strong examples as to why I love the medium so much.
★★★ = Good video games and experiences worth merit. I hesitate to blanket-recommend these for some reason or another, but just like with Majin, a 3-star generally means that it has clear flaws or problems that will probably knock it down a star, but I truly enjoy it for what it is.
★★ = Mid and I don't like it, or there's just something holding it back from being actually good.
★ = Trash. Either flat-out does not work, or morally reprehensible. Possibly both.
10 Games
★★★★★
Downwell is the standard to which I hold other video games.
I'm surprised that this game doesn't have a higher average rating on here, but I think this one is likely just a case of it checking off all of the boxes of what I personally enjoy about video games. It's intuitive, challenging, rewarding to learn, rewarding to finish, and offers enough variety in each play session for me to occasionally go back to it, even though I've beaten it a ton of times and unlocked everything a long time ago.
Downwell is the standard to which I hold other video games.
I'm surprised that this game doesn't have a higher average rating on here, but I think this one is likely just a case of it checking off all of the boxes of what I personally enjoy about video games. It's intuitive, challenging, rewarding to learn, rewarding to finish, and offers enough variety in each play session for me to occasionally go back to it, even though I've beaten it a ton of times and unlocked everything a long time ago.
★★★★
Peak obscure flashy arcade-era sports-fighting game. Fuck yeah, Windjammers.
Peak obscure flashy arcade-era sports-fighting game. Fuck yeah, Windjammers.
★★★★
Waiting for a 3-hour long video essay on how Donkey Kong Jr. Math is secretly an excellent fighting game.
Waiting for a 3-hour long video essay on how Donkey Kong Jr. Math is secretly an excellent fighting game.
★★★
It's not my favorite rhythm game, but Elite Beat Agents oozes style and charm. The difficulty is a little all over the place, but it's worth it for the guy with the sunglasses to give me a thumbs-up and exclaim "YEAAAAAAH." when I complete a level.
It's not my favorite rhythm game, but Elite Beat Agents oozes style and charm. The difficulty is a little all over the place, but it's worth it for the guy with the sunglasses to give me a thumbs-up and exclaim "YEAAAAAAH." when I complete a level.
★★★
Nostalgia-goggles are glued to my face. Glover sucks, but I like it too much to call it bad, so this is effectively my worst three-star. I don't really believe in the concept of "guilty pleasures" but I think this is probably the closest it gets.
Nostalgia-goggles are glued to my face. Glover sucks, but I like it too much to call it bad, so this is effectively my worst three-star. I don't really believe in the concept of "guilty pleasures" but I think this is probably the closest it gets.
★★
Easily the best game I have marked as a 2-star. I hate the voice acting and the controls are a little off, but there's an honest-to-goodness lovable game in there. I just don't love it myself. It's anime-cheese in a way that I really do not enjoy.
Easily the best game I have marked as a 2-star. I hate the voice acting and the controls are a little off, but there's an honest-to-goodness lovable game in there. I just don't love it myself. It's anime-cheese in a way that I really do not enjoy.
★★
It functions, but it represents a huge creative leap in the wrong direction. Stinky. Do not do this.
It functions, but it represents a huge creative leap in the wrong direction. Stinky. Do not do this.
★
I had a conversation with one of my best friends about the concept of "as long as you're having fun it's good" and that "games are designed to be fun time-wasters" and I am going to kick his ass.
I had a conversation with one of my best friends about the concept of "as long as you're having fun it's good" and that "games are designed to be fun time-wasters" and I am going to kick his ass.
★
The same friend bought me Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel for my birthday one year, so I am going to double kick his ass.
The same friend bought me Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel for my birthday one year, so I am going to double kick his ass.