The limitations of the Game Boy prevent Mario Land 2 from true greatness, but there's still a lot to love it for.
The worlds, thirty years later, are unlike anything we've seen in a 2D Mario game since. Instead of the usual "biomes" we see in traditional Mario titles we get the inside of a big Mario robot, a world where you're shrunken down to the size of an ant, and space! There aren't a ton of levels but each of them have a hook tied directly to those concepts, so they're all decently memorable. And you have more weird shit going on like jumping in a hippo's snot bubble to float to the goal, insane dreamlike scenarios that you'd never see in the series now. The open map exploration is cool too and gives the game a nice sense of discovery.
Wario's Castle is the most memorable level and that's because you are forced to start from the very beginning every time you die, even if you've reached the three phase boss battle at the end. It's a pretty steep increase difficulty from the rest of the game but it's a welcome challenge and fun to see yourself get the hang of it. What is unwelcome is losing all of your golden coins after dying, and needing to replay all the previous boss levels to get them back and access Wario's castle - I confess I didn't bother with this and just used a save state.
The worlds, thirty years later, are unlike anything we've seen in a 2D Mario game since. Instead of the usual "biomes" we see in traditional Mario titles we get the inside of a big Mario robot, a world where you're shrunken down to the size of an ant, and space! There aren't a ton of levels but each of them have a hook tied directly to those concepts, so they're all decently memorable. And you have more weird shit going on like jumping in a hippo's snot bubble to float to the goal, insane dreamlike scenarios that you'd never see in the series now. The open map exploration is cool too and gives the game a nice sense of discovery.
Wario's Castle is the most memorable level and that's because you are forced to start from the very beginning every time you die, even if you've reached the three phase boss battle at the end. It's a pretty steep increase difficulty from the rest of the game but it's a welcome challenge and fun to see yourself get the hang of it. What is unwelcome is losing all of your golden coins after dying, and needing to replay all the previous boss levels to get them back and access Wario's castle - I confess I didn't bother with this and just used a save state.
2021
The most fun I've had playing a game in years and somehow also the closest I'll ever get to a new Punch-Out, so that's a win-win if I've ever seen one.
1994
I think the best way I can describe my experience with Super Metroid is recounting when I tried to get a particular hidden missile capsule that I found in the wall. It was a long vertical area and I noticed that the only way I was going to get that was to use my speed boost and shinespark all the way up, but there was also a very specific window between platforms that I needed to squeeze through in order to get there. After a few tries I made it all the way up and got the missiles, feeling like an absolute king that I was able to solve that all by myself and that I had honed my shinespark abilities to such an extent.
Of course this isn't a necessary part of the game, it's a hidden secret that I could have walked by. Hell, using shinespark at all is pretty much entirely optional. But this feeling of discovery and experimentation is exactly what makes Super Metroid so captivating. The game handles progression in such a satisfying way with the introduction of new abilities and the encouragement to take risks and explore. I feel like everyone will play this game at least a little bit differently.
There are certain elements of Super Metroid that show their age - the unintuitive swapping of weapons comes to mind, as does sometimes unresponsive and (very) frustrating mechanics such as the wall jump - but it was easy for me to look beyond this since there was always just something else that would pull me right back in. And wall jump is rendered pretty much pointless by upgrades you get later on, so the sense of progression is very rewarding.
Of course this isn't a necessary part of the game, it's a hidden secret that I could have walked by. Hell, using shinespark at all is pretty much entirely optional. But this feeling of discovery and experimentation is exactly what makes Super Metroid so captivating. The game handles progression in such a satisfying way with the introduction of new abilities and the encouragement to take risks and explore. I feel like everyone will play this game at least a little bit differently.
There are certain elements of Super Metroid that show their age - the unintuitive swapping of weapons comes to mind, as does sometimes unresponsive and (very) frustrating mechanics such as the wall jump - but it was easy for me to look beyond this since there was always just something else that would pull me right back in. And wall jump is rendered pretty much pointless by upgrades you get later on, so the sense of progression is very rewarding.
2008
Mario Kart Wii isn't perfect. Certain tracks can be exploited in crazy unintended ways, the item balance is absolutely unhinged and Funky Kong exists. But what one person may call broken, I call soul. I really really love this game and all of its insanity.
Hands down, MKW has the best tracks in the entire series. Mushroom Gorge, Coconut Mall, Koopa Cape, Maple Treeway, IMO the best Rainbow Road to date... Is MK8 objectively better? Yeah, probably. But I still love Mario Kart Wii the most.
Hands down, MKW has the best tracks in the entire series. Mushroom Gorge, Coconut Mall, Koopa Cape, Maple Treeway, IMO the best Rainbow Road to date... Is MK8 objectively better? Yeah, probably. But I still love Mario Kart Wii the most.
2014
You get what you came for - this game is definitely Puyo Puyo and it's definitely Tetris. Individually the two styles are as fun as ever, and when combined through Fusion mode makes for an interesting novelty at least.
I'm used to Puyo campaigns being fairly short, but Puyo Tetris has 7 Acts worth of main story and 3 additional postgame Acts (Act 9 is the best one, it's just classic Puyo goofiness). So Puyo Tetris is at no lack of content and the characters are funny as always. It feels like a satisfying evolution of the more arcade-y style of the original games while not abandoning it altogether.
Although one of my only real complaints is how it can be a little tedious to 100%. Going for three stars on certain levels had me stretching out a match far longer than I needed to just to rack up the necessary amount of points... so I'd have to actively try not to win, which just felt a bit odd sometimes.
But of course, a very small complaint in the grand scheme of things. I definitely recommend you check Puyo Tetris out, whether you're new to the series or a veteran. It goes on sale literally all the time too, you have no excuse.
I'm used to Puyo campaigns being fairly short, but Puyo Tetris has 7 Acts worth of main story and 3 additional postgame Acts (Act 9 is the best one, it's just classic Puyo goofiness). So Puyo Tetris is at no lack of content and the characters are funny as always. It feels like a satisfying evolution of the more arcade-y style of the original games while not abandoning it altogether.
Although one of my only real complaints is how it can be a little tedious to 100%. Going for three stars on certain levels had me stretching out a match far longer than I needed to just to rack up the necessary amount of points... so I'd have to actively try not to win, which just felt a bit odd sometimes.
But of course, a very small complaint in the grand scheme of things. I definitely recommend you check Puyo Tetris out, whether you're new to the series or a veteran. It goes on sale literally all the time too, you have no excuse.
Smash for Wii U is a fine game that brought me tons of great memories and introduced some of my favorite characters to the series (Little Mac!), but stands as the only Smash game that I have no reason to ever revisit.
Keep in mind I'm rating in retrospect, but I've put hundreds of hours into this game and loved it. This may be an unfair metric to rate with, since Ultimate was just a blip on the radar at the time, but time hasn't been too kind to Smash 4 since Smash Ultimate improves on everything established by this game tenfold. The single player options are not exceptionally good and the game doesn't have a particularly distinct game feel or atmosphere either - draining Smash of some of its unique identity that was so great in the games prior, but I digress. The replay value is nonexistent.
The moveset design shows its age a bit too. Smash 4 relied very heavily on creating gimmicky characters to keep the roster fresh, but in the process created some occasionally clunky or outright broken characters (...Little Mac). The best designs were probably the third party characters, Mega Man and Pac-Man are exceptional and it's hard to imagine Smash without them. Definitely an experimental period for character design that would eventually lead to Ultimate's more polished approach that has created some of the most fun characters in the series.
So in short, I guess Smash 4 is kind of just a stepping stone that leads us from Brawl to Ultimate. It doesn't do much to distinguish itself beyond that, but it was a fun game at the time and the improvements from Brawl to Smash 4 have been valuable ones. And I mean... it's Smash Bros.
Keep in mind I'm rating in retrospect, but I've put hundreds of hours into this game and loved it. This may be an unfair metric to rate with, since Ultimate was just a blip on the radar at the time, but time hasn't been too kind to Smash 4 since Smash Ultimate improves on everything established by this game tenfold. The single player options are not exceptionally good and the game doesn't have a particularly distinct game feel or atmosphere either - draining Smash of some of its unique identity that was so great in the games prior, but I digress. The replay value is nonexistent.
The moveset design shows its age a bit too. Smash 4 relied very heavily on creating gimmicky characters to keep the roster fresh, but in the process created some occasionally clunky or outright broken characters (...Little Mac). The best designs were probably the third party characters, Mega Man and Pac-Man are exceptional and it's hard to imagine Smash without them. Definitely an experimental period for character design that would eventually lead to Ultimate's more polished approach that has created some of the most fun characters in the series.
So in short, I guess Smash 4 is kind of just a stepping stone that leads us from Brawl to Ultimate. It doesn't do much to distinguish itself beyond that, but it was a fun game at the time and the improvements from Brawl to Smash 4 have been valuable ones. And I mean... it's Smash Bros.
1997
It's not quite a breakthrough title like Puyo Puyo Tsu, but it's the game that made me fall in love with Puyo Puyo. Puyo Sun takes what works about the formula and enhances it with a hilarious narrative - Satan makes the sun big to get a sexy tan and win the affection of women, that's the plot - carried by immediately lovable characters getting on each other's last nerve. Often when I don't know what to play, I'll fall back on this game and play through Arle's campaign.
The new Sun Puyo is ultimately harmless if not a bit arbitrary, cluttering the perfection that is Puyo Tsu's gameplay design a little bit, but that's the only complaint I have and it's honestly not that big a deal.
The new Sun Puyo is ultimately harmless if not a bit arbitrary, cluttering the perfection that is Puyo Tsu's gameplay design a little bit, but that's the only complaint I have and it's honestly not that big a deal.
1997
A flawed Kirby game that I still love unconditionally. The gorgeous art style and soundtrack are enough for me to tolerate the admittedly sluggish pace. The biggest crime this game committed was coming after Kirby Super Star, which just gave it impossible shoes to fill.
2003
goated
1993
The complaints about the random-feeling level design are valid and the Robotnik pinball battle is one of the worst boss fights of all time but god dammit this game is the coolest Sonic has ever been. I still love it.
2021
Miitopia isn't very deep, or very difficult (at least until postgame), but it's a lot of fun. Speaking as someone with original characters of my own, being able to assign them roles and see them interact in funny ways was more than enough to hold my interest. In my opinion this is a great game to wind down with at the end of a day.
A good chunk of my time was spent in the extensive Mii creator, which is arguably worth the price of admission in itself if you're willing to experiment and push it to its limit like I was.
Not sure if the new additions would be enough to convince someone who bought it on 3DS to pick it up again, but the very nature of the game means no two playthroughs will be quite the same anyway. I'd definitely recommend giving it a shot if you want something lighthearted and fun.
A good chunk of my time was spent in the extensive Mii creator, which is arguably worth the price of admission in itself if you're willing to experiment and push it to its limit like I was.
Not sure if the new additions would be enough to convince someone who bought it on 3DS to pick it up again, but the very nature of the game means no two playthroughs will be quite the same anyway. I'd definitely recommend giving it a shot if you want something lighthearted and fun.
You had to be there.
2006
It's the most beautiful game I've ever played, not sure what else to say that hasn't already been said. My life is better for having this game in it.
2008
Rhythm games were created specifically to eventually birth Rhythm Heaven. This series is the masterpiece of its genre.
There really isn't any other series that truly is about the music in the same way RH is, not relying on any sort of charting or arbitrary memorization but rather the simplest possible controls - in this case, tapping and swiping - to react to the beat of catchy songs and sound queues. You can (and sometimes probably should) play RH with your eyes closed which is a true testament to its intuitive design and dedication to its concept. Listening to the soundtrack outside of context is impossible without subconsciously filling in the sound effects.
Everything about this game is wonderful. Fun fact, I found RH in a Toys R Us bargain bin for $5, and to this day it remains the most valuable $5 I've ever spent.
There really isn't any other series that truly is about the music in the same way RH is, not relying on any sort of charting or arbitrary memorization but rather the simplest possible controls - in this case, tapping and swiping - to react to the beat of catchy songs and sound queues. You can (and sometimes probably should) play RH with your eyes closed which is a true testament to its intuitive design and dedication to its concept. Listening to the soundtrack outside of context is impossible without subconsciously filling in the sound effects.
Everything about this game is wonderful. Fun fact, I found RH in a Toys R Us bargain bin for $5, and to this day it remains the most valuable $5 I've ever spent.
I like Animal Crossing a lot, but that's why I find myself pretty disappointed in New Horizons in the longterm. Basic elements of the series for over twenty years now are still absent from the game a year and a half after release, and despite the near god-level customization options it feels fairly barebones compared to the charm of its predecessors.
That isn't to say New Horizons isn't a good game, but I feel like for every step forward it took another step back. It's a reflection of Nintendo's apparent dumbing down of several of its major franchises throughout the Switch era, ridding Animal Crossing of so much of that charm and flavor that it had when I first played it over a decade ago. Still, I've sunk a fair bit of time into this game and enjoyed it at its peak so I still believe my purchase was worthwhile. I just think it could have been so much more. It says a lot if it feels like Animal Crossing on GC, which succeeds at truly making that world feel alive with or without you in it, has more replayability than Animal Crossing on Switch.
That isn't to say New Horizons isn't a good game, but I feel like for every step forward it took another step back. It's a reflection of Nintendo's apparent dumbing down of several of its major franchises throughout the Switch era, ridding Animal Crossing of so much of that charm and flavor that it had when I first played it over a decade ago. Still, I've sunk a fair bit of time into this game and enjoyed it at its peak so I still believe my purchase was worthwhile. I just think it could have been so much more. It says a lot if it feels like Animal Crossing on GC, which succeeds at truly making that world feel alive with or without you in it, has more replayability than Animal Crossing on Switch.