scryingshame
At almost 300k words, it's a demanding read, but those who invest their time will be rewarded. It's rare to find a visual novel where the writing, art, music, and even coding all come together to be more than the sum of their parts.
It has some pacing issues, especially towards the end, and the repetitive episodic nature of its story beats can leave you weary, but this doesn't fault what it does well — and it does it very well.
It has some pacing issues, especially towards the end, and the repetitive episodic nature of its story beats can leave you weary, but this doesn't fault what it does well — and it does it very well.
1982
When your romhack is so good, the owners decide to license it.
Putting aside whatever your feelings about Ms. Pac-Man as a character may be, this is without a doubt the definitive Pac-Man experience.
Putting aside whatever your feelings about Ms. Pac-Man as a character may be, this is without a doubt the definitive Pac-Man experience.
1995
Very scary and confusing.
On paper, this should've been the best 2D Mario game... but it was held back by being a Mario game.
This game is so innovative in its mechanics and ideas, and these are all fantastic. Naturally, some will be stronger than others, and for me, the worst ones were the core Mario ideas that have been around since forever. This game could've done better if it parted from its source and spread its own wings.
I was also disappointed by the variety of wonders and badges: specifically because there were too many and they're used too briefly. When you introduce a mechanic, there needs to be a learning curve and a chance to master it. But they're gone so quickly that they aren't mechanics anymore, just gimmicks.
It's a fun game in short arcadey bursts but not all of its ingredients meld well together. However, you can't call it stale, and I hope Nintendo continues to innovate like this... just rein it in a little next time.
This game is so innovative in its mechanics and ideas, and these are all fantastic. Naturally, some will be stronger than others, and for me, the worst ones were the core Mario ideas that have been around since forever. This game could've done better if it parted from its source and spread its own wings.
I was also disappointed by the variety of wonders and badges: specifically because there were too many and they're used too briefly. When you introduce a mechanic, there needs to be a learning curve and a chance to master it. But they're gone so quickly that they aren't mechanics anymore, just gimmicks.
It's a fun game in short arcadey bursts but not all of its ingredients meld well together. However, you can't call it stale, and I hope Nintendo continues to innovate like this... just rein it in a little next time.
1995
The closest gaming has ever gotten to imitating a giallo movie. Sorry, Remothered.
You're so awful, I love you.
1990
After SMB3, even the staff didn't know what to do next. On close inspection, SMW looks pretty rough and I wouldn't be surprised if most of its ideas were purely experimental... and yet, it works. Heck, it works very well.
After seeing NSMB's clean sheen, it made me appreciate SMW so much more. Its full of personality; not to mention the responsive controls, terrific level design and abundance of secrets.
Only the most bitter person could hate this game. It's happiness in cartridge form.
After seeing NSMB's clean sheen, it made me appreciate SMW so much more. Its full of personality; not to mention the responsive controls, terrific level design and abundance of secrets.
Only the most bitter person could hate this game. It's happiness in cartridge form.
1985
Thank you for kicking my ass :prayge:
1995
This game kicks my ass and I love it.
1997
Oh boy. Yes, the story is amazing. Yeah, the characters are unforgettable. The soundtrack is pretty spiffy too...
... but it doesn't excuse the piss poor visuals and sound. Nor the lack of variety in its characters, who all amount to their limit breaks and materia. It also drops off in quality significantly after the first disc.
It's still worth playing but the pedestal people hold this on is ridiculous. Do yourself a favour: enjoy it for what it is and avoid the fandom.
... but it doesn't excuse the piss poor visuals and sound. Nor the lack of variety in its characters, who all amount to their limit breaks and materia. It also drops off in quality significantly after the first disc.
It's still worth playing but the pedestal people hold this on is ridiculous. Do yourself a favour: enjoy it for what it is and avoid the fandom.
Too few platforming stages.
2023
At its strongest when pitting you against enemies with unpredictable behaviours... less so when visiting the same five planets on boomerang fetch quests.
2019
Too short.
Great idea, bad execution. You can pigeonhole yourself into making some puzzles unsolvable and while the lack of lucidity is great for the narrative, it hurts the gameplay.
Still interesting and worth playing, but bring a walkthrough.
Still interesting and worth playing, but bring a walkthrough.
1986
The FDS or 3D Classics version is great. NES is an absolute stinker.