turnaboutlies
i'm so wonderpilled. so wondercore. truly i've wondermaxxed this video game to become a wonderchad. thank you mario wonder
Super Mario Bros Wonder is a 2d mario platformer game I wanted for so long that feels like a breath of fresh air after the stagnation that was the 3DS and Wii U games. Improved animations, more enemies, better levels--most importantly creative levels as well as the classic special stage levels that aren't afraid to be challenging, cooler-looking worlds, and a fun wonder flower gimmick.
Every level is really fun to play through and made me want to see more what enemies and wonder flower gimmicks it would pull even if some get reused but shake things up a little. I'm glad Mario Maker inspired to team the try to make something that at least felt different to push the classic mario games instead of making another New Super Mario game with the same models and called it a day.
Which brings me to another topic about the animations. The animations greatly improves the quality of the game and makes everything feel alive and expressive. They really put a lot of effort into the expressions of enemies, playable characters, bosses, and everything; It really makes me appreciate this game much more.
However, I do have problems with two things in this game: the short levels and the talking flowers. I know some levels gets a slight extension when using a wonder flower (and trust me I've gotten almost every wonder seed I could find while playing the game), but levels just feel WAY too quick and get me wanting more out of the enemies and gimmicks they provided. However, some levels do achieve that balance between not too long but not too short. It feels like a personal complaint coming from me (which it kinda is tbh) but I like this a lot and wanted more out of the levels if that makes sense. Second, the talking flowers are just really annoying and makes me want to turn off their voices or switch to another language (which I did at one point) because the screaming and the "Well, that was something..." or other quips makes it little unbearable than it should to me. Still, it's fine overall.
After the New Super Mario Bros games for DS and Wii and playing the 3ds one it felt so boring and same-y but this game has topped off the others for me and maybe even Super Mario World for how creative it can be and bearing that sheer confidence with the gimmicks.
Every level is really fun to play through and made me want to see more what enemies and wonder flower gimmicks it would pull even if some get reused but shake things up a little. I'm glad Mario Maker inspired to team the try to make something that at least felt different to push the classic mario games instead of making another New Super Mario game with the same models and called it a day.
Which brings me to another topic about the animations. The animations greatly improves the quality of the game and makes everything feel alive and expressive. They really put a lot of effort into the expressions of enemies, playable characters, bosses, and everything; It really makes me appreciate this game much more.
However, I do have problems with two things in this game: the short levels and the talking flowers. I know some levels gets a slight extension when using a wonder flower (and trust me I've gotten almost every wonder seed I could find while playing the game), but levels just feel WAY too quick and get me wanting more out of the enemies and gimmicks they provided. However, some levels do achieve that balance between not too long but not too short. It feels like a personal complaint coming from me (which it kinda is tbh) but I like this a lot and wanted more out of the levels if that makes sense. Second, the talking flowers are just really annoying and makes me want to turn off their voices or switch to another language (which I did at one point) because the screaming and the "Well, that was something..." or other quips makes it little unbearable than it should to me. Still, it's fine overall.
After the New Super Mario Bros games for DS and Wii and playing the 3ds one it felt so boring and same-y but this game has topped off the others for me and maybe even Super Mario World for how creative it can be and bearing that sheer confidence with the gimmicks.
a great dlc that adds more monsters, more superbosses, and more content to make your monster hunter addiction stronger and when you defeat the last main story super boss of the game you feel super content with just only anomaly hunts to do to get stronger. turns out if you remove the bad tower defense segments that slowed your game down as well you get a better game overall.
2013
a great game that shows video game can be an art form. a lucas pope game that is a classic. loved every second of it with the gameplay and aesthetic.
2021
i was gifted this game as a joke from a friend and after finishing a game i immediately picked this up because it was sitting in my library and on my backlog and i was like "hey i watched youtubers played this. it's a short game, so what could be so bad about it?" so, as a bit, i started this game up. the first 5 minutes of gameplay were questionable. i beat the first world. replayed the 2nd act of the first then unlocked the next one. after half progression in the first level of the next world i realized something: why am i wasting hours of my time playing this? humans have limited time on earth, and those 14 hours of the main game you could be spending your life on some better game. some people need stimulation from video games. this game isn't stimulating to play alone--it is torture. with no one to joke about this game constantly those first 5 minutes of gameplay make you want to kill yourself because you can be playing the best game of your life instead of Yuji Naka's last legacy. well, at least playing this game for 1 hour made him happy in his cell i guess. hope that insider trading shit was worth it.
This review contains spoilers
THAT 100% WAS SO WORTH IT!!! I LOVE GRINDING AND SUFFERING!!! THAT SELFIE WITH LUCIFER WAS RAW!!!
I am starting post game as I speak but words cannot describe how much I love this game for how faithful and beautiful it is to the classic SMT style. Really, it's just so balanced and fun to play that many parts of the game become enjoyable.
ADiA, as I just said, is inspired by the classic SMT style and plays almost plays like it. You have your first person dungeon crawling, "sleepers" which are the demons of the game, weaknesses, fusion, and all that stuff that is the bread and butter of SMT. The fusion part of the game really disappointed me because it's not essential part of the gameplay flow. In fact, you can just carry on through the game with your favorite touhou characters even if you acquired them from the beginning of the game. Really, it's a double-edged sword because the dev understands people wants to use their favs throughout the whole game in that I respect it, but it hurts that integral part of what makes the SMT gameplay loop so strong. Still, it is a nice consideration and I've used this to bring my favs from below/above the halfway point to the post game. Asides from the fusion, no press turn system means that weaknesses are not as bad and you can bounce back easily from damage. What I like about this game in particular is that it presents the many essential tools like Dekaja/Dekunda early game and you can start messing around to build The Team. The most brutal part of the game is losing levels when you die which may sound like an issue but it is fine because xp is synced; it's just a reality check that this can be a difficult game when it wants to be with a real penalty when you die.
On the other hand, the dungeons in this game are small, simple, and nothing too extreme (may eat these words in the post game). You got your slide puzzles, poison tiles, warp mazes, FOEs, etc. Dungeons aren't that bad but that made me wanting more from the main game and, not to sound insane, but a little longer. It's still pretty good dungeons with not too difficult maps like the teleporter maze; they're actually reasonable to deal with.
The story is something I can't comment on much because I haven't caught up with many of the touhou games, but I understand most of the general characters and the plots of mainline game along with some manga. I wish there were more involvement in some areas like the youkai tanuki forest or TORIFUNE, but I have to say the last fight was pretty cool. In general I like how straightforward the plot and dialogue is; touhou has always interested me as world.
The game is balanced I would say, and you have almost entire freedom to go to whatever area you see fit (and capture any sleeper even if it exceeds your level) when reaching below the halfway point. Sure, it has its flaws but I love this so damn much for how close it gets to replicating the classic SMT formula that I want to pick up an emulator and play SMT 1/2/ and IF. It's literally just a classic SMT game but with QoL and it's great. Highly recommend trying it even if you know nothing about touhou.
ADiA, as I just said, is inspired by the classic SMT style and plays almost plays like it. You have your first person dungeon crawling, "sleepers" which are the demons of the game, weaknesses, fusion, and all that stuff that is the bread and butter of SMT. The fusion part of the game really disappointed me because it's not essential part of the gameplay flow. In fact, you can just carry on through the game with your favorite touhou characters even if you acquired them from the beginning of the game. Really, it's a double-edged sword because the dev understands people wants to use their favs throughout the whole game in that I respect it, but it hurts that integral part of what makes the SMT gameplay loop so strong. Still, it is a nice consideration and I've used this to bring my favs from below/above the halfway point to the post game. Asides from the fusion, no press turn system means that weaknesses are not as bad and you can bounce back easily from damage. What I like about this game in particular is that it presents the many essential tools like Dekaja/Dekunda early game and you can start messing around to build The Team. The most brutal part of the game is losing levels when you die which may sound like an issue but it is fine because xp is synced; it's just a reality check that this can be a difficult game when it wants to be with a real penalty when you die.
On the other hand, the dungeons in this game are small, simple, and nothing too extreme (may eat these words in the post game). You got your slide puzzles, poison tiles, warp mazes, FOEs, etc. Dungeons aren't that bad but that made me wanting more from the main game and, not to sound insane, but a little longer. It's still pretty good dungeons with not too difficult maps like the teleporter maze; they're actually reasonable to deal with.
The story is something I can't comment on much because I haven't caught up with many of the touhou games, but I understand most of the general characters and the plots of mainline game along with some manga. I wish there were more involvement in some areas like the youkai tanuki forest or TORIFUNE, but I have to say the last fight was pretty cool. In general I like how straightforward the plot and dialogue is; touhou has always interested me as world.
The game is balanced I would say, and you have almost entire freedom to go to whatever area you see fit (and capture any sleeper even if it exceeds your level) when reaching below the halfway point. Sure, it has its flaws but I love this so damn much for how close it gets to replicating the classic SMT formula that I want to pick up an emulator and play SMT 1/2/ and IF. It's literally just a classic SMT game but with QoL and it's great. Highly recommend trying it even if you know nothing about touhou.
2021
redoing this review because for some reason after hunting the first magnamalo in the base game I just stopped playing, said I completed it, and called it a day after seeing the credits in 2021??? anyways for it being my first monster hunter game I loved it the movement options are pretty fun and the monsters are pretty cool to fight. the biggest issue is that rampages are BAD. they are glorified tower defense segments combined with the usual monster hunting but i just think they dont fit in a game like this. in addition they're so slow. im glad i hear that sunbreak removes what is considered the worst part of rise and I'm glad i am soon going to experience it after completing the base game. it's pretty addicting to play with friends as well.
This review contains spoilers
One thing I really like about Scarlet and Violet is how better the story is compared to Sword and Shield. I like the potential of Kieran and Carmen as a character. I haven't bought the DLC of SwSh so I cannot comment on its quality, but I can say this dlc is pretty good for players both new and old as it offers more additions such as increase Exp. points and more camera options. Ogre Oustin' rewards are nice as well if you want more EV increasing items. It's just a nice dlc that I can enjoy to catch all the pokemon again as I did in the base game, that's pretty much it.
To add to the usual complaint the game still runs like shit, what a surprise. Sometimes I think it runs even worse than before compared to base game.
Edit: After completing the pokedex of Kitakami, I've seen many people point out how barebones the world in Paldea is and they're right. There's not much to do in that area except catch pokemon and fight trainers--the 'open world' factor just feels like buzzword slapped on the cover. There's just slightly more to do in kitakami once you beat part 1 of the dlc with good rewards like the Glitterati questline, Ogre Oustin', and the Perrin questline. However, there is one particular quest award that is garbage being the Loyal Three shrine charity quest where you must offer a MILLION money to an npc to restore the destroyed shrine in which your reward is... a piece of clothing. I think it deserves a decrease in rating just because it is better then what Paldea had to offer, but it has its own problems that can bring down the experience.
To add to the usual complaint the game still runs like shit, what a surprise. Sometimes I think it runs even worse than before compared to base game.
Edit: After completing the pokedex of Kitakami, I've seen many people point out how barebones the world in Paldea is and they're right. There's not much to do in that area except catch pokemon and fight trainers--the 'open world' factor just feels like buzzword slapped on the cover. There's just slightly more to do in kitakami once you beat part 1 of the dlc with good rewards like the Glitterati questline, Ogre Oustin', and the Perrin questline. However, there is one particular quest award that is garbage being the Loyal Three shrine charity quest where you must offer a MILLION money to an npc to restore the destroyed shrine in which your reward is... a piece of clothing. I think it deserves a decrease in rating just because it is better then what Paldea had to offer, but it has its own problems that can bring down the experience.
This review contains spoilers
621... I see you found a friend.
Armored Core 6 is one of the video games that I was skeptical playing at first. After finishing the first boss I wasn't really sure if I would like the the game or not in the From Software library that would pull in me. Eventually, after the first run of the game it would be prove to me that there is something I would love about Armored Core 6--its story.
Much like every From Software game since Dark Souls 1, the story is there but it is something you must dig up. Sometimes you will miss lovable side characters or not talk to important characters much throughout almost the entire game. Armored Core, however, has characters you will constantly meet and see in the story that you will become attached to which is what I love about the game. It has a small cast, but it works with it wonderfully.
In a dystopian future setting of another planet where corporations are drying out Rubicon's resources for profit and going in wars with each other it is clear that it's gonna deliver that From Software feeling of a grim atmosphere specialty. Arquebus is your usual comically evil corporation that only cares about profits and no one else while Balam is your military-style corporation.
The characters are easily what I also love about this game. Handler Walter is based breaking away from the corporations for his own agenda with Cinder Carla. While his heart is good, he does it for something else entirely. Ayre is amazing to stand against the corporations colonizing Rubicon and to make You see the potential of the coexistence of coral in all endings. ALLMIND being an AI that oversees all mercenaries, and who has been tracking you since the beginning during the Grid 135 Cleanup mission; it only show themselves more and more in NG+ and NG++. Rusty is one of the good ones, being the only person who defects from Arquebus to protect Rubicon. Iguazu who Just Wants That Damn Freelancer Dead and turns out ALLMIND has been coercing him to listen to the voices in his head. literally. All fit the story well once you reach NG++ with both endings done and realize there is real shit happening behind the scenes.
The gameplay is complimentary as well being a great game that encourages the use of trying out different playstyles or replaying completed stages if some newer stages wall you. The builds it offers is a variety of what kind of mech you want. Want to hover for a long time? Pick quad legs. Want to jump higher? Pick reverse joints. Want to be an absolute fucking bulky threat? Pick gun tank. Do whatever you want to overcome the obstacles and I like it. My only complaint with gameplay is that sometimes visual effects can get overwhelming when multiple enemies are attacking you and it becomes hard to keep track (had this biggest issue during the ALLMIND boss fight). Regardless, it's very fast-paced and so much fun going through the game with my bipedal shotgun/piledriver build that focuses on as much stagger damage as possible for quick ACS overload. This game grew a lot on me once I got past through the first ending and unlocked all the OS upgrades.
AC6's story pushes the potential of From Software storytelling to new heights and it becomes one of the best stories that the team has to offer, passing through Sekiro. I can't wait for what Armored Core 7 has to offer if they can make a story this good.
tldr: Fuck Colonialism.
Armored Core 6 is one of the video games that I was skeptical playing at first. After finishing the first boss I wasn't really sure if I would like the the game or not in the From Software library that would pull in me. Eventually, after the first run of the game it would be prove to me that there is something I would love about Armored Core 6--its story.
Much like every From Software game since Dark Souls 1, the story is there but it is something you must dig up. Sometimes you will miss lovable side characters or not talk to important characters much throughout almost the entire game. Armored Core, however, has characters you will constantly meet and see in the story that you will become attached to which is what I love about the game. It has a small cast, but it works with it wonderfully.
In a dystopian future setting of another planet where corporations are drying out Rubicon's resources for profit and going in wars with each other it is clear that it's gonna deliver that From Software feeling of a grim atmosphere specialty. Arquebus is your usual comically evil corporation that only cares about profits and no one else while Balam is your military-style corporation.
The characters are easily what I also love about this game. Handler Walter is based breaking away from the corporations for his own agenda with Cinder Carla. While his heart is good, he does it for something else entirely. Ayre is amazing to stand against the corporations colonizing Rubicon and to make You see the potential of the coexistence of coral in all endings. ALLMIND being an AI that oversees all mercenaries, and who has been tracking you since the beginning during the Grid 135 Cleanup mission; it only show themselves more and more in NG+ and NG++. Rusty is one of the good ones, being the only person who defects from Arquebus to protect Rubicon. Iguazu who Just Wants That Damn Freelancer Dead and turns out ALLMIND has been coercing him to listen to the voices in his head. literally. All fit the story well once you reach NG++ with both endings done and realize there is real shit happening behind the scenes.
The gameplay is complimentary as well being a great game that encourages the use of trying out different playstyles or replaying completed stages if some newer stages wall you. The builds it offers is a variety of what kind of mech you want. Want to hover for a long time? Pick quad legs. Want to jump higher? Pick reverse joints. Want to be an absolute fucking bulky threat? Pick gun tank. Do whatever you want to overcome the obstacles and I like it. My only complaint with gameplay is that sometimes visual effects can get overwhelming when multiple enemies are attacking you and it becomes hard to keep track (had this biggest issue during the ALLMIND boss fight). Regardless, it's very fast-paced and so much fun going through the game with my bipedal shotgun/piledriver build that focuses on as much stagger damage as possible for quick ACS overload. This game grew a lot on me once I got past through the first ending and unlocked all the OS upgrades.
AC6's story pushes the potential of From Software storytelling to new heights and it becomes one of the best stories that the team has to offer, passing through Sekiro. I can't wait for what Armored Core 7 has to offer if they can make a story this good.
tldr: Fuck Colonialism.
my 2nd pokemon mystery dungeon game i've played ever with explorers of sky being my 1st introduction to the spinoff series as a kid and I am very happy to say it still is just as deceptively challenging as ever. it looks like it would easier, but even with all the new qol stuff and mechanics from other pmd games added it is still a good, challenging game as ever. while the story didn't impress me as much as sky did i LOVE the gameplay as ever with the pmd spinoff series so I can overlook the plot. by the time im writing this review i'll definitely be doing the post game cause I missed out on sky's postgame as a kid. overall pmd still got it and i hope the success of this game gets us a pmd 2 remake and a new game (copium)
Dragon Quest 11 is an old school style rpg in the form of modern video game presentation/look and i love it. i think it's perhaps proof that no matter how much people hate rpgs or say that "it's a dying genre" it's proof that games like these sell very well and still manage to pull people in. its story is very high fantasy much like the other main games and yet the story is just so good; act ii is definitely the best part of dq11. the gameplay is as i mentioned very old school but it still holds up with the panel system and being able to upgrade your party's various skills and weapon mastery. blasting through bosses with dual wield daggers erik is the biggest highlight of this and how the game becomes fun of bringing out each character's potential with the panel system. there is plenty to also do in the world like the tickington altars, horse racing, and crafting with a nice side of optional bosses/superbosses.
Personally, I love the story. I love all the acts, but my only issue is with act 3 because of how good act 2 is I didn't want it to change, but the ending with 3 is alright to me. Because of this I wouldn't say its perfect and just gets a 4.5/5 rating out of me.
Its an amazing game for beginners and just in general for people to get into the dragon quest series (this is my first dq game) and it appeals to my love for rpgs with its timeless gameplay and ways of telling a story.
Personally, I love the story. I love all the acts, but my only issue is with act 3 because of how good act 2 is I didn't want it to change, but the ending with 3 is alright to me. Because of this I wouldn't say its perfect and just gets a 4.5/5 rating out of me.
Its an amazing game for beginners and just in general for people to get into the dragon quest series (this is my first dq game) and it appeals to my love for rpgs with its timeless gameplay and ways of telling a story.
2019
a short, charming mystery game with a colorful cast of characters and a good story with a mystery that is enticing due to the well-paced structure of said story. I had my fun, laughs, and enjoyment out of it. pretty much all i have to say about it is that i like it.
2023
this was so much fun to 100% it's literally just pikmin 2 the sequel and I couldn't ask for more. a new pikmin, dandori battles and time trials, more enemies, more treasures, night expeditions, and more. it's so much and i love every single bit of it. I enjoyed pikmin 2's cave system and im glad to see it still got some bit of challenge in it with pretty good bosses in it as well. i would say it's my favorite right next to 2 as my for being the best pikmin game in the franchise.
2020
Pretty much the same I have to say about this game like I did with Pikmin 1. Feels a little too easy (for reference I started out the game on hard mode), but has great QoL in addition with good pikmin AI. Flying and Rock pikmin are solid new pikmins that still present different qualities that changes up the game. Though I would say the biggest benefit is that the bosses are quite good! They actually put up a fight and the final boss I would say one is of the best in the series. A great pikmin game just like the rest with much more content.