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I finished Metroid Samus Returns for 3DS. It’s solid, an 8/10 for me. It’s fun but not as fun as the original. It was a good addition to the 3DS library.
I did not like the parry mechanic and I just got sick of how the major bosses required very specific set pieces that were not intuitive and require lots of trial and error. The trial and error was just a time sink as they weren’t hard once you figured out what the game wants you to do. I dislike bosses like that.
The levels and exploration was lots of fun.
I’d recommend this game if you can find it for close to its original price. It is not worth paying over its original price on eBay.
One last hurrah before TOTK consumes our lives. I mentioned a little bit about this game in the weekend whatcha playin' thread. Bayonetta 3 is my first Bayonetta rodeo so I got no idea what are the conventions and norms of a Bayonetta game. Other than it is supposed to be stylish and pure platinum. At least, that's what I gleamed from the podcasts I listened to.
Bayonetta is cool. Bayonetta is empowering. She knows what needs to be done and gets shit done. Watching some of the gameplay videos, damn, that's some very stylo action. She kicks a lot of faceless arses.
That's not MY Bayonetta. As a testament of my poor finger reflexes and understanding of the combos, my Bayonetta (especially Viola) is more likely to be limping across the finishing line, bruised, beaten BUT not defeated. Her arse gets kicked but maybe... maybe.... with the help of some healing and cheesing tactics, my Bayonetta kicked a bit more arse than what she received. Silver is just good enough to satisfy me.
I think as a whole, I enjoyed the game. Glad to have tried my hands on the Action Game of the Year 2022 even if it's not exactly the genre of game for me. I was getting better at the game's mechanics as I progressed but... the ending came. And with that, I was satisfied enough to switch the game off.
That is one shit posting smile
Talking about the ending... that was really abrupt. So... Luka and Cereza gets dragged into hell? And Viola takes over as the Bayonetta of that world? I'm confused. Without prior knowledge of Bayonetta 1 and 2... I guess it works for me? Kinda? Is having a dance number as part of the credits the norm? I probably should just watch some Youtube videos to catch up on Bayonetta lore. I'm curious enough to want to try my hands on Bayonetta Origins!
Had a lot of fun with this, and it was a nice shorter playthrough before Zelda's presumably massive one. I don't want to get too much into it so as to avoid spoilers, but I'm eager to see where the series/Monolith Soft goes from here.
Well guys, I finally did it. Baba Is You is done and dusted, my 20th game finished for the year. It’s a fiendishly clever block pushing puzzler about literally rewriting the rules of the levels. Make walls passable, turn inanimate objects into Baba, become the level itself! Possibly the best and most accessible of the programming-language subgenre.
Now, well shit, there’s still 48 hours to go before TotK.
1) Guardians of the Galaxy - Cloud Version (NSW)
2) Rise of the Third Power (NSW)
3) Haiku, the Robot (NSW)
4) Fire Emblem Engage (NSW)
5) The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA NSO)*
6) WareWare Inc. (GBA NSO)*
7) Panzer Dragoon Remake (NSW)*
8) Final Fantasy IX (NSW)*
9) UnMetal (NSW)
10) Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (NSW)
11) Octopath Traveler 2 (NSW)
12) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (NSW)
13) Citizen Sleeper : Purge (NSW)
14) Metroid Fusion (GBA NSO)*
15) The Red Strings Club (NSW)
16) Earthbound Beginnings (NES NSO)
17) Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed (NSW)
Considering that Xenoblade in general is one of my favorite series of all time, this DLC didn't really need to do much to convince me it's great. The few changes made to the gameplay systems work really well. Very fun to play for if you like the style, but this is designed for those who have played all of the series and enjoy the lore.
It's been a while since I've updated this list so there's a fair amount. I'm gonna spoiler tag a bunch of it to keep the post size down but most of these are spoiler light in terms of story stuff.
1. Pikmin 3 Deluxe [Switch]
2. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney [Switch]
3. The Last Campfire [Switch]
4. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope [Switch]
5. Blanc [Switch]
6. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line [Switch] 7. Kingdom Hearts Final Mix [PS4]
8. Button City [Switch]
9. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker [Switch]
10. Hoa [Switch]
11. Meg's Monster [Switch]
12. Mozart Requiem [Steam]
This is my first time playing a Kingdom Hearts game so I decided to start with the first one since everyone talks about some sort of convoluted timeline. Honestly I quite liked it. I enjoy fairy tales and such so in general a lot of Disney stuff appeals to me. It had some jokes that made me laugh out loud (like at the beginning Donald walks through some very large doors and instead of the whole door opening, a smaller seamless section that makes sense for his size opens).
I'm not super familiar with a lot of Final Fantasy story but I do recognize the majority of the characters in this one.
It mostly just seemed like it was having a lot of fun meshing two worlds together with some OCs and I was very there for it. I would have preferred if some of the story beats weren't just trying to redo what gets done in the movies but I didn't think it hampered it overall.
I enjoyed the combat most of the time. At least the run around random encounters I liked mostly. Some of the boss fight stuff I did find frustrating. Especially near the end... with having to restart from the very beginning each time. From what I understand at least with playing the updated version I was able to skip cut scenes that in the original weren't skippable.. so hurrah for improvements of some kind!
This is a cute shorter game. Everyone is an animal. You play a fox that's just moved to town and goes to check out the arcade. Fox friend joins up with some other kids who are competing in a four player vs four player game that... I guess is like league in some ways (not really sure as I haven't played that game). It involves collecting berries and trying to throw them into a blender while fighting off the other players.
Anyway narrative starts out with kids basically fighting other kids in a video game tournament but then the bigger problem of the arcade might be sold to a very rich dude who wants to tear it down ensues and so your new group of gaming buds try to devise ways to stop this terrible person from taking away your beloved arcade.
In terms of the game itself. I enjoyed the goofiness of the story. It's cute and charming. I did expect it to be a lot more linear than it ended up being. There are some side quests that pop up but after doing one that involved mostly walking back and forth between two characters in the same room because they didn't want to interact directly.. I kind of found it a little annoying to do. Though I suppose that suits the narrative but it made me not super interested in pursuing any other side quest stories.
There's also a few mini games inside the arcade and other people who will play some of those games with you if you talk to them and challenge them to do so. I'm not really sure if these games are difficult or just take some getting used to to play. There's a racing game that eventually I got the hang of, and a rhythm dance game that I had a bit of a hard time trying to remember what the shapes converted to in terms of buttons on the joy cons... but I mostly didn't feel overly engaged to interact with those too much either. I mostly preferred just sticking to the main story and playing this out in a more visual novel sense then trying to interact with extras too much. I still had a fun time doing that.
Finally got around to playing this one. I liked the majority of it. I've finished into the bonus stages but I found that I'm a little stuck on this one with a mummy chasing me through several levels of coin mazes.
I enjoyed the main parts of the game. I like the little cube level designs. It was fun to hit up the Mario Odyssey bonus levels as well. Seeing something familiar being pulled down into a tiny cube was interesting.
There were a couple things I didn't care much for personally. Mine cart levels were not my favourite thing to do. As a puzzle game I liked being able to move around slowly and try to figure things out and mine cart levels were auto scrolling style and to me that's a bit against the point of a game like this. Some of the boss fights I felt a little similar about but most of those you could kind of take your time with so it didn't bother me as much.
And I know the bonus level stuff is generally where a game like this wants to get more challenging but that's also kind of where I found myself the most frustrated in terms of some mechanics. There's a section of stuff that's about finding all the toad brigade members and getting them to the end of the level. Which depending on the level really changed the frustration level. If one of them gets hit you lose. And.. frankly many of them were not smart enough to not fall into the lava on one level.
Overall I enjoyed the majority of the game and found it was more fun if I played about an hour at a time.
If you want a short chill game I would recommend this one. It's got a painterly art style that's very pretty and a really nice soundtrack.
You're playing a fairy that looks like a big triangular hat with legs and going around and collecting things to wake up different creatures to progress the story. It's not difficult and it took me about two hours. I found it a really nice relaxing experience (well until roughly the end when some other stuff occurs but it still maintains mostly being chill in at least the gameplay part of it).
In this game you play a monster who ends up looking after a little girl. Meg is maybe five years old and she loves her monster friend. If he gets hurt she starts to cry and if she cries the world will end.
There's a lot more to this story than that and it has twists I didn't think it would pull. I don't want to state any of them because I really do think this game is a lot more fun if you go in not knowing about them.
Gameplay wise this is pretty short. I streamed it with a friend so it took us closer to ten hours but I'd say its probably a lot shorter than that if you're not goofing around or reading everything out loud like we were. There's fights that are styled a bit after Pokemon battles in the way the design looks and that you only have a few options you can use. You can get a game over in these if you aren't careful but as long as your healing and playing cautiously I don't think it's likely. It's also not random encounters.
The fights are a bit different though. Monster friend will have a health bar and Meg will be behind him with an emotional level bar. The monster character generally doesn't take a lot of damage and is strong, however Meg doesn't like to see him get hurt so she will start to get sad when he takes a hit. So there are toys to play with her to help cheer her up. During a lot of the fights though sometimes things will change and options will change to suit the narrative of what is happening.
The game is linear but there are side quest portions you can skip. I would recommend doing those as they pop up. The game will warn you if you have any that you'll miss if you try to skip them but they do add a lot to the narrative and I know for sure there were ones that if I had skipped then we wouldn't have gotten explanations about why some characters were acting in ways they were.
Overall I really liked this game. I thought it did a lot of really neat things and I liked the story they did a lot.
I streamed this game with a friend as well. Because of that and a help of a walkthrough I think was the only reason we made it all the way through.
It's a truly frustrating game to play. It's a point and click adventure. You play Mozart who is going through and doing things until at some point he gets accused of murder and he needs to solve it in order to clear his name.
I think if this game had just had the point and click logic that many of those games seem to have had that I would have had a fun time with the weirdness this game had going for it. There was plenty of janky things that would happen that were just funny. A character models chest clipping through his shirt as he moved for example.
The major frustrations of this game are in the mini games it tries to employ. I don't recall a single one of them giving any instruction. It just stuck you in a puzzle and you had to fiddle with it to try and figure out what it wanted. This wasn't so bad on ones that were about moving things around and seeing if stuff could happen but there were others that were in particular pretty rough to deal with.
Probably the roughest puzzles were these ones where you had to correct sheet music. A bunch of music notes would be highlighted and you needed to swap them around into the right places. If you got it right the highlighting would disappear. However you only have so many guesses and if you guess incorrectly too many times it kicks you out and you have to start again.
There were also a couple of times in the game where you had to win a game of 31. No instructions on how to play or even what the buttons did so we spent a few rounds just trying to determine how we were making points.. and even had to guess how many points we had to make to actually win the game. But you absolutely have to win the game in order to move on. If you lose you have to just try again and often if felt like the rng of it was against us.
Another sticking point was the game often played music pieces if you interacted with a piano (which you have to) that went on for a very long time, weren't skippable and sometimes we weren't sure if it was suppose to do that or if it would get stuck there.
The opening of this game does this too. There's no game menu when you start playing it. If you are continuing from a save you have to start the game, watch it go through an unskippable cut scene and then once it lets you start playing you can bring up the menu and load your save file.
Fun facts I learned later were that this game is actually a rerelease of an older game under a different title. Apparently there's 30 hours of gameplay if you don't cheat it with a walkthrough (we did it in around 9 hours). Which honestly ballooning your gameplay time by making things hard and frustrating for a player to figure out isn't exactly what I would consider a fun idea.
The walkthrough we used was actually meant for trophy hunting and apparently you don't need to finish the game to get them all so the walkthrough just stopped before the last chapter. But we did manage to get through the rest of it... I mean for the most part we did make a go at doing things without the walkthrough but we did end up pulling it out frequently cause of how often we got stuck.
I definitely wouldn't recommend anyone actually play this game. I don't think the frustration level is worth it.
January
1. The Legend of Zelda:Skyward Sword HD [NSW]
2. Captaid Toad: Treasure Tracker: Special Episode (DLC) [NSW]
3. Final Fantasy VII [NSW]
4. The Last Campfire [NSW]
5. Call of Juarez: Gunslinger [NSW]
6. Sudoku #1 [NSW]
7. Bayonetta 3 [NSW]
8. Professor Layton and the Lost Future [NDS]
February:
9. Mario Kart: Super Circuit [NSW-GBA]
10. Kuru Kuru Kururin [NSW-GBA]
11. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Champion's Ballad [NSW]
12. Immortals: Fenyx Rising [NSW]
13. Shadow of the Ninja [NSW-NES]
14. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Master Trials [NSW]
March:
15. Metroid Prime Remastered [NSW]
April:
16. Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon [NSW]
precisely 24 hours before TotK releases I beat OT2 - Fantastic game, I will return to it for some post game content and side quests I did not complete once I am done with TotK or need a little bit of break.
11. Resident Evil 4 (S|X) - I remember first hearing about the Resident Evil 4 remake and thinking it was a terrible idea. Most modern games can be traced back to Resident Evil 4; why remake something that already fits in pretty well with the industry at large? It turns out I was more wrong than usual!
In my opinion, this remake completely supplants the original. Obviously there is some historical context that will always make the classic worthwhile, but purely from the perspective of being an interactive piece of software I find this to be wholly superior.
The graphics are obviously upgraded, and with those improvements comes a much improved atmosphere (it kind of feels like a horror game now, actually). The action makes you feel more capable without killing all of the tension created by the visual landscape. The writing? I mean, it's Resident Evil. There are some one liners I miss but in there place are some charming deliveries that largely justify the revisions.
I really fell in love with Resident Evil 4 (again). I barely have time in my life for these types of experiences, and I always finish these thinking they may be my last. If that's really true this time, then it's a hell of a note to go out on.
Replay #5: The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA - NSO)
This was the game I played for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Launch Party. Minish Cap is the only Zelda game that I have fully played through multiple times without the game being remade (first on original hardware in around 2008/9, then as a 3DS Ambassador title in 2013, and now on NSO), so it was a no brainer pick for me. And it still holds up quite well!
As a GBA game, the main quest is kept pretty short, with six main dungeons and one mini dungeon within a pretty small and linear Hyrule. But you get a lot of mileage out of this Hyrule. Areas are dense, with lots of puzzles to solve and secrets to find. Being able to shrink in certain spots adds a new layer of exploration into small areas with their own set of challenges, showcased beautifully with the game's wonderful pixel art. Each item pulls its weight too, as I was constantly using my inventory in combat and in exploration. The game's Kinstone fusion sidequest is the bow that wraps it all together, letting players add to the world with extra goodies or further sidequests. While there are some mandatory fusions, a lot of them are up to the player, letting them engage as little or as much as they want, perfect for a portable adventure. There are definitely shades of what would become Skyward Sword here, fitting as they share the same director. And I mean that positively, as the denseness of the overworld and the overall utility of my inventory were also things I enjoyed there. Speaking of enjoyment, I love the music in this one, a mixture of classic tunes and new tracks handled with some fantastic GBA instrumentation.
I do have some small complaints. The game's pacing can sometimes be a little stop and go. Ezlo, our companion for the game, can interrupt you a little too much at points where you do not ask him to in order to explain area specific mechanics. Certain stretches of the game focus on giving you lots to do before you can access a fully new area/dungeon, and that can feel a bit like busywork. And the hunt for the last Kinstone fusions can take forever if you don't know where to look. I could have absolutely handled that (and gathering some of the collectibles) in a better order to make for a shorter playthrough. But I would be lying if I said that I wasn't going out of my way to explore of my own volition because I was enjoying myself and my stay in Hyrule so much. This one's a really great time if you want a small but dense game that can be as long or as short as you want it to be.
A cute horror game from twitter user Yames that combines point and click with a sort-of-a-Tamagotchi-thing about growing your grandpa. Quite funny, pretty short. The presentation is sublime!
I guess this might need a CW. If you're not happy with descriptions of violence and mentions of sex, steer clear of this message and this game in general.
I've only gotten one ending and I will continue playing, but I feel like this deserves a spot because considering how hardcore this game is, there is a chance I'll never see any others depending on how deep this hole goes.
It's a horror survival RPG that has probably the darkest unvierse of all the games I've played. It's unrelentingly cruel, but that's what makes it fun. A lot of creatures you encounter will bash your head in, but they also rarely repeat. Every enemy is its own challenge, combining many enemies in one due to limb mechanic. It's kinda like SMT system where enemies can get 8 turns per turn, only here you get why - a dude has two arms with weapons and might have a weird looking, ahem, "stinger" between his legs.
I like a game where death is a reward. It's interesting to see what can screw me over, because it never feels like the traps and encounters repeat. It's both funny and terrifying, but I've been loving exploring every nook and cranny of it. Sure, my 3 hour playthrough consisted of saving every 15 minutes and then going on an adventure where I'll fall into a toilet and die, or get my arms chopped off, or summon a demon from the blood corridor...
Frankly, is it even an RPG? There's no exp system, it's all equipment and items you pick up. More like a survival game.
I'm also quite happy to see the game that isn't afraid of portraying genitals. Never really got that taboo. Chop off every limb of an enemy in a game? Sure thing buddy. Doubly so if he's a non-descript monster. A PEEPEE? WELL THAT'S SCANDALOUS! Quite funny that the game also combines the two and every time you see a naked creature, you're able to chop off its genitals. Why not? It's not even porn. None of it feels erotic in the slightest. There's sex, but it's quite terrifying even excluding sexual assault scenes (which I've not come across) and all the creatures are... Well, someone might get turned on by them, and frankly, more power to you, you crazy bastard.
I loved the DS original; it was fun, vibrant and really used the DS’s features. So I had it sitting in my backlog after playing it for a few hours, but I got into it and couldn’t put it down anymore.
The new cast is fun and I like the fact that returning faces have grown. Well except for that one Zeptogram, but whatever. New combat system takes some getting used too, but when you find the right pin combo’s it’s a good time when wrecking through the noise.
One of the few things I did not enjoy is that some boss fights are a bit too stretched out, especially during the final week of the game. Still, it’s a good game and I enjoyed my return to the reapers game.
6. Project Zero/Fatal Frame Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
It took more than a decade, but hey, I finally played the fourth installment of Project Zero. After playing the wonderful Crimson Butterfly on Wii, the okay-ish Maiden of Black Water, I can say that I appreciate MotLE and had fun, but I can not deny that I have some issues with the game.
There is a lot to enjoy; if you played videogames, in particular horror games during the PlayStation/PlayStation 2/Gamecube/Xbox era, MotLE feels like coming home. How the fudge can a horror game be considered as a sort of of homecoming, well, you know, there is something very enticing on how horror games like these were built during those days. The gameplay is tanky, the camera slightly janky during quick turns, but overall the atmosphere is phenomenal. That constant oppressing feeling, like someone watching you, makes for a tense walk around the facility you visit Ruka.
I think it's the best part about this fourth installment; the tension, the creepy sound effects and some ghostly appearances including creepy imagery of a ritual, the series knows how to creep you out. The location is spooky, there are some great ghost designs and fighting off the ghosts with the camera obscura still remains fun. I mean story wise it's fairly flat, with the two leading ladies having lost their memories and the cool detective guy doing his thing.
What kind of disappointed me, was how unsurprising the ghost encounters are. I mean, there are a few funny jump scares, but I feel that many of the encounters felt pretty controlled and predictable. With the tension being great, it was just waiting on the next encounter. Especially in the later chapters, they even became annoying due to how cramped certain rooms were and you couldn't really fight off the spirits. I also did not care for a certain sequence in the final battle.
Again, I like the game. But while I like the whole PS2 like horror era vibe this game has going, I can not deny that in it's current form and after five game within the same format, I believe that if Tecmo-Koei will release a new Project Zero game, they will need to reinvent itself; other horror games have done it, even the smaller ones. Conceptually Project Zero is a great horror game, but it need a shot in the arm if it has any hopes to turn it in a series with more frequent releases.
Didn't want to start on anything more substantial than a short 'n' sweeties before Tears of the Kingdom demands attention. And what's good for a few hours and a fun time? Solving crime.
Special Episode "Turnabout Reclaimed" reminded me of every reason why I love Ace Attorney games. Instantly appealing character designs, joyful animations, and whacky twists as sometimes you stay ahead of the reveals and sometimes you're as much bluffing your way to finding out where this is all going as Phoenix Wright is. It also had two supremely dumb evidence presenting moments, which I don't love and which actually got me Guilty verdicts. To make up for it, this case had a unique bad ending in store as a little surprise. Most importantly it delivered on the promise of getting an orca to take the witness stand, so I was not let down.
And with that I can now say I have finished Dual Destinies. Nearly ten years after its release. TAKE THAT!
Turnabout Reclaimed features a brilliant use of that famous phrase, by the way. Well worth the 4,99€.
Beat Pokemon Scarlet, but the final stretch left me in too much bliss to pass judgement on the whole game right now, so instead here's two little sweeties, both by way of the Cowabunga Collection and both in their Arcade version:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has so much in common with Turtles in Time that I questioned myself repeatedly whether the foggy childhood memory I have of playing a TMNT beat 'em up on Super Nintendo wasn't in fact me playing on a friend's NES. Only unlimited credits made playing this tolerable. Given those, however, it was surprising how despite the hard-to-intuit controls, frustrating hit boxes, putrid boss patterns and "super armor on attacks for me but not for thee" enemy design there was a fun, fast, unforgettable romp underneath that'd be satisfying to get good at, warts and eccentricities and all.
Turtles in Time, again, reminded me more of the original than I was prepared for. The resemblance was close enough some levels could pass for remasters rather than sequels. Unexpectedly, for such a lauded classic, the similarities included the bad parts mentioned above. Although I feel like I would be ready to forgive those instantly if I ever figured out how to get the dive kick out consistently. Is it height of the jump? Is it directional input? There were strings of half a dozen dive kicks in a row where I thought I had nailed it down and was on the way to cheesing an encounter and then, suddenly, half a dozen limp floaty kicks ruin the streak of being untouchable.
I beat Metroid Fusion as part of Fami's Metroid Prime and Fusion 20th Anniversary Event and I'll keep most of my thoughts to the dedicated thread. Suffice to say I loved it. And part of the joy was discovering, in retrospect, Fusion's DNA all over Dread. The linear level layout that yet still sometimes tricks you into feeling like you walked in an unsuspected direction and discovered a secret passage beyond the intentions of the designers, bosses that are a bigger focus than previously in the series as well as normal enemies that have to be taken seriously for a change, and the big blue screen you return to in regular intervals to get talked at by a robotic voice. The smartest small change Dread made was eliminate Samus' inner monolgue during elevator sequences as if it was Harrison Ford's narration during the original cut of Blade Runner. That alone makes Samus a compelling character because players are allowed to read into her. And it's a much easier adjustment than "write better sentences".
Continuing the sampling of the Cowabunga Collection, I can now confidently state that Fall of the Foot Clan is the Turtles game I owned as a kid. And only because I recognized one level and boss. The game doesn't stick to memory. It's very short and very easy. I don't remember if I beat it as kid nor guess at if I was disappointed if I did. To its credit, part of why it is easy is how snappy the controls are. You can pretty much hit enemies behind you and in front of you in the same frame. Every hit I took was because I fell asleep at the wheel or because the camera wasn't centered where it should have been.
Sticking with the sequel on Game Boy, Back from the Sewers cranked up graphics and difficulty. I didn't try Hard since Medium had enough unfair moments. I definitely would not have beaten this as a kid. Even with save states helping me through the bullshit, I entered the final boss room with two health left. Thankfully Krang was a pushover as always. I'm less likely to play this again than Fall of the Foot Clan, as the latter works as a sub-one-hour palatte cleanser between new playthroughs.
Resident Evil: Revelations is the most unremarkable game I remember playing. Back when it came out on 3DS, it stood out as a full-fledged Resident Evil on handheld and as return to the classic style of the series, sandwiched between the excesses of Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6. Eleven years removed from that context, there's nothing to Revelations. If anything, what's revelatory now is how the game still feels the need to be fifty percent action sequences and how this supposedly more traditional formula includes little in the way of puzzles or item managment. The Horror half of the Survival Horror theme is reflected in the atmospheric ghost ship setting and the deep-sea creatures inspired monster design, but the Survival part boils down to the campaign handing out barely enough ammo for the amount of bullet sponge enemies it throws at you. I almost gave up on an early boss and if I had quit right there and then, I wouldn't have missed anything. But I also don't regret sticking with the game and finishing it. That sums up how very much not special Revelations is, in either direction. Whatever flavor of Resident Evil you prefer, in whatever mix of action and horror, you could pick two or three better games to play before Revelations just from its own series alone.
However, had I played Revelations closer to release, and potentially gotten big-time into the Raid Mode, I think I would have been impressed. On the other hand, 2012 me wouldn't have rolled their eyes as hard at Jessica as I did today and those outfit choices deserve all the eye-rolling in the world.
Where Resident Evil Revelations was entirely unremarkable, ZombiU is noteworthy in many ways.
I write this in the saltiest of moods. Five minutes ago I failed to get the good ending because, with plenty Assault Rifle ammo, three med-kits, and the world-saving vaccine in my pockets and only two Zombies seperating me from the evacuation helicopter, I walked into my own grenade, which I forgot was there. The delay between throwing those and them exploding is too damn long.
I'd reload my last save and try again, but the game considers that file completed and won't let me. And I'm not down for 8 hours retreating the same campaign.
And here's the problem with Zombi U, beyond any fleeting saltiness. Its core concept screams for a non-linear approach. Instead it's stuck with a distinctly level-based structure. The one time Ubisoft makes a game that screams for an Ubisoft open world and doesn't make it an Ubisoft open world...
Zombi U already has the hooks for a open ended or more Metroidvania-like approach, too. It has seven letters to collect from walking corpses strewn throughout London, manhole covers to unscrew to gain access to quick travel points, unlockable shortcuts between areas, and scanning surveilance cameras for map data and to gather intel for supply runs.
When the quest for the letters popped up, I figured this is where the game cuts loose, but nah. More one way trips from A to B to C to D followed. The letter collecting for the most part happened coincidentally on the side while sticking to the crit path.
Rogue-lite elements like key items and stashed ressources carrying over between survivors don't fit right in the adventure's narrow scope. For example, each fresh incarnation of the player character builds up skills depending on the weapons they use, but what's the point of training a shotgun specialist or an expert sniper suited to explore either close quarters or wide terrain when you're not in control of where to go next but progress along a predetermined path? Other than that, survivors start as clean slates and end as clean slates. There's no reason to mourn their loss, beyond the value of what they carried on their backs. Nothing to get attached to. They're disposable, in line with how the Prepper views them, rather than the Prepper's heroic counterpart, who the player character ultimately sides with and who considers every indidual worth saving.
The gamepad integration sold the game in trailers. After sampling the full experience, I don't remember a moment when glancing nervously at the television screen between fiddling with inventory on the gamepad alerted me to a Zombi sneaking up behind my character's back while they're vulnerable. Sound was the clearest, earliest indicator of a threat looming closeby. The motion detecting radar doesn't always play fair and leads to an overreliance on alarms summoning sudden hordes. The encounter design doesn't have many tricks in its bag. Same could be said for the player character. But what is there is used well. The lockpicking mini-game is very smart, as it relies on the rumble and so allows you to keep a watchful eye on any movement in the shadows surrounding your character. The flashlight's battery is so generous this gimmick rarely comes into play. All in all, the gamepad mechanics are another case of strong ideas follow through with conviction. Zombi U's great pitch, like its world, remains underexplored.
For all my disappointment about putting trust in set-pieces rather than in players to drive their own narrative, Zombi U is worth playing, and a sequel, or spiritual succesor, given proper care and learning the right lessons, would be an all-time great of the genre.
Gotta get in the one I just finished before TotK starts.
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D [3DS]
I haven't played this game in years. First time for the 3DS version. I liked the updates I noticed. Felt like they did some altering to the Water Temple to make it a little easier to navigate. Though I've definitely become a better gamer since the last time I played.
I remember the first time I went through Ocarina of Time. It was my first Zelda game and the ghosts scared the heck out of me at the time. And now everything seems just charming all over again. Even the poes. Though not the redeads. The design of them doesn't bother me but that scream noise is still heck of creepy.
1. Pikmin 3 Deluxe [Switch]
2. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney [Switch]
3. The Last Campfire [Switch]
4. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope [Switch]
5. Blanc [Switch]
6. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line [Switch]
7. Kingdom Hearts Final Mix [PS4]
8. Button City [Switch]
9. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker [Switch]
10. Hoa [Switch]
11. Meg's Monster [Switch]
12. Mozart Requiem [Steam] 13. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D [3DS]
1. Desperados III [ PC ] - 9
2. Ace Attorney Investigations: Prosecutor's Path ( Replay ) [ DS*] - 10
3. Resident Evil Deadly Silence [ DS*] - 8.5
4. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney ( Replay ) [ 3DS ] - 8.5
5. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box [ DS ] - 7
6. Professor Layton and the Unwound Future [ DS ] - 7
7. Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies ( Replay ) [ 3DS ] - 9
8. Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony [ NS ] - 7
9. Gargoyle's Quest [ GB ] - 7.5
10. Ace Attorney Investigations ( Replay ) [ DS ] - 9
Capcom Arcade Stadium 1 & 2 [ NS ]
11. Cyberbots: Fullmetal Madness - 7.5
13. Giga Wing - 7
14. Progear - 8
15. Eco Fighters - 8.5
16. Darkstalkers The Night Warriors - 5
12. Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride [ DS*] - 10
17. Signalis [ NS ] - 10 - 2 playthroughs
18. Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice ( Replay ) [ 3DS ] - 6 - Replay but first time on the 3DS
19. Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice ( Replay ) [ 3DS ] - 10
20. Ace Attorney ( Replay ) [ DS ] - 10 - This is probably my 6th or 7th playthrough overall
21. Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon [ NS ] - 9
22. Final Fight 2 [ SNES* ] - 7
23. Final Fight 3 [ SNES* ] - 8
24. Metroid Prime ( Replay ) [ NS ] - 10 - First Switch playthrough
25. Resident Evil 4 ( Replay ) [ Wii ] - 9
26. Viewtiful Joe ( Replay ) [ GC ] - 10
27. Viewtiful Joe 2 ( Replay ) [ GC ] - 10
28. Advance Wars [ NS ] - 9 29. Doom (1993) [ NS ] - 8 - Forgot to put this on the list, really good, makes me have even more issues with 2016 tho.
30. Hi-Fi Rush [ PC ] - 6
31. Strider 2 [ PS1 ] - Is ok, I really like the art direction and for the most part how Strider controls, but there isn't much to the game unless you want to go for high ranks.
32. Kirby's Return to Dreamland [ NS ] - 10
Ngl pretty happy how the re-release of the best Metroid game and the best Kirby game turned out.
Nobody loves Kirby more than HAL, and no one is probably a bigger Kirby fan than Shinya Kumazaki, he also has the best taste having Air Ride as his favorite spin-off.
In retrospective, Return to Dreamland lacked in areas which its successors, even Star Allies after the updates got right with the extra modes, I don't particularly care about talking lenght in games, rather talk about meaningful content, RtD besides the mainstays of a campaign, challenges and arenas, only had 2 pretty simple minigames with 3 difficulties and a Hard Mode, the hard mode is pretty cool I think, but is not as novel as the remixed campaigns from the later games and even the stuff introduced earlier in Super Star Ultra.
This Deluxe release essentially turns RtD into the modern Super Star. A main campaign pretty much untouched from the Wii release, the only addition is putting to use the little nook and crannies that had stars and healing items and adding on top of that tickets for Magolorland for extra items, getting more out of the levels without needing to change the original. Still retains the Hard Mode and the arenas; a remixed campaign that has a bit more to it than the previous games with Magolor Epilogue, and Magolor Land itself, a collection of the greatest minigames in the series (like 64's) and some new ones, not only with its various difficulty options, but also a substantial set of missions to gain extra rewards like the cute masks. Is pretty much the bigger amount of meaningful content put into a Kirby game.
RtD itself is still fantastic, the Kumazaki games pushed Kirby into more of an action game territory, Kirb is much more agile, the movesets for the abilities are more expanded, both for cool attacks and helping Kirby with mobility. I think they pretty much know they lean into action considering that Magolor Epilogue even has a combo system to reward you with more ability points if you keep the numbers high. Level design is pretty solid, limiting Kirby's jump when possible for some form of platforming challenge, and the rest is a really good action sidescroller. The game looks really nice, the extra shading added on top really helps it pop more, it still very much the Wii game under there, but I wouldn't want a full remake of it as I think it looks nice still, so the way they did it was good to maintain the aesthetic of the original with just the necessary amount of those extra bits to make it look modern. Nutty Noon still looks beautiful, and the great backgrounds of every area is even more defined now. I saw a handful of times critique towards RtD for being very NSMB, and while yes it has a lot of standard biomes, it gives it a lot more charm and detail than the NSMB games, they all get that fantasy touch to the environments that makes them stand out, Dangerous Dinner is not just a lava level, it has this weird beehive esque cealings in the background, bizarre looking volcanoes and the deeper part of it cores of lava not to dissimilar from something out of Mario Galaxy, it pushes those levels tropes to something that it can call its own. Revisiting the soundtrack while I always really liked it, I have an even bigger appreciation for the whole thing, there are some truly beautifully atmospheric tracks, some even remind me of something out of Mother 3, and Sakai didn't even work on this game.
Magolor Epilogue is a great addition, honestly it goes a little too hard for the lore that it wants to explain, but I'm not going to complain about that. Unlike series like Xenoblade and Zelda, I really like the continuity that Kirby sets up, it has a connective tissue but is not entirely linear to have a greater deal of versatility, it discloses lore through visuals and gameplay, and with little text as possible to be non intrusive and not drown out hours of cutscenes and set ups to explain something that I probably don't care about that much being explained, it doesn't feel like is going to hit a creative block, given its always creating new antagonists and characters to fill out its universe, and on top of that I get really cool gameplay sequences out of it, nothing is more kino than doing an entire epilogue just to make you fight against a tree out of a horror game with the backdrop of the destruction of Halcandra to explain why microtransactions exist in the free to play Kirby games. Gameplay wise you basically start out pretty weak, and through obtaining EXP in the levels and gaining extra for your performance and combos, you start gaining more abilities and becoming stronger and stronger until you get as close to being as broken as Magolor is in Star Allies, is a really cool journey, wouldn't mind getting that structure as a full campaign in the future.
Think this is easily one of my favorite remakesters, they took my favorite entry and just made it better on all aspects, every addition was worthwhile, didn't scratch my head at anything in any moment, just a great effort.
Ok so, i renewed my Game Pass Ultimate when i discovered that i had this, with the sole purpose of playing it, and i finally completed it: All the tracks, all the races, Goliath, it's done. I'm done.
I honestly wasn't sure of what i was going to find. So far, i have played both FH4 expansions as well as FH5's Hot Wheels expansion, and out of those three, i found both Lego and Hot Wheels incredibly underwhelming.
This is not the case, of course.
I admit i was expecting an entirely different thing based on the title, a Rally Adventure sounded enticing and different, but instead what you get is a temathic mini-Horizon. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad at all, but once you're past the point of being able to choose any of the three teams, the window dressing falls apart and you're left with three different types of races, and each track has a Time Attack and Race mode, and it ends up being kind of samey.
But it's not bad.
No, really, it isn't! In the past, in this very community, i have defined Rally Adventure as the Sega Rally game Sega never developed, and i'll die on that hill! Sierra Nueva is an exciting location to put the game on, roads are twisty, jumpy and technical, the environment is colorful and varied, you drive through deserts, forests, cliffs. For such a small location, it can get very crazy.
The focus on rally also makes things more interesting and changes your view of the race. Suddendly, going off-road isn't a detriment, but an actual advantage since if you're smart you can actually cut without speed penalty (unless you throw yourself agaisnt something heavy enough to slow down your car), also tuning your car can make even more of a difference than in the normal game.
And now it's time to uninstall and get a breather from the series. Seriously, since 5 years ago i've been playing this non stop starting from Forza Horizon 3. Rally Adventure feels like a decent, proper send off and i feel completely satisfied with it. I don't need it anymore, and it's taking the time i should be putting into other games of my backlog.
As far as arcade open world racing games, this expansion may be the absolute peak for me. FH5 was feeling stale for me - i think it's franchise burnout - but this appealed to my tastes enough to actually wanting to finish it.
1) Guardians of the Galaxy - Cloud Version (NSW)
2) Rise of the Third Power (NSW)
3) Haiku, the Robot (NSW)
4) Fire Emblem Engage (NSW)
5) The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA NSO)*
6) WareWare Inc. (GBA NSO)*
7) Panzer Dragoon Remake (NSW)*
8) Final Fantasy IX (NSW)*
9) UnMetal (NSW)
10) Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (NSW)
11) Octopath Traveler 2 (NSW)
12) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (NSW)
13) Citizen Sleeper : Purge (NSW)
14) Metroid Fusion (GBA NSO)*
15) The Red Strings Club (NSW)
16) Earthbound Beginnings (NES NSO)
17) Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
18) Dungeon Encounters
This is the type of game that I play and wonder what the intentions of the developers actually was. This is a turn based RPGs that goes with a very minimalist approach to its world and characters, almost comically so. It feels like the combat system is meant to be the star here, and it does indeed shine. The gameplay is always enjoyable for folks who enjoy turn based combat, and filling in the simple grid based maps released plenty of dopamine for me. Are the developers making a point about how all the flash and pomp from modern RPGs are not at all necessary for a fun game? Maybe, maybe not. Sadly for me, while I did enjoy my time with it, it never fully clicked with me. Glad I got to play something that I consider to be unique, and while I enjoy the gameplay I think I need more of a story to say I enjoyed the experience as a whole.
21. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch) [10/10]
When BOTW first came out, I did 100% of the shrines, had a great time, and never wanted to play it again even once the DLC released. For the two open world games I've played since, Eldin Ring and now Tears of the Kingdom, I've made an effort to just get to the end as fast as I want without worrying about seeing everything so I don't get burned out. I did what I assume is about 70% of the main story content and finished things up, with very few shrines and exploring of optional areas. Even though I rushed through I had an amazing time and finishing the final sequence underpowered was very satisfying.
This game succeeds in all the ways BOTW did, but differently. I really commend the team for taking the old over world and making it seem new and exciting, which is probably more difficult than making something new in the first place. The things I liked the most were the things that BOTW did poorly, namely the dungeons and the bosses. Maybe it's just because my expectations were so low, but these were all very impressive and some of the best in the series in my opinion. The ending sequence was badass and overall Link is a lot more badass in this game, which suits the higher difficulty.
I gotta put this game to rest for now so I can get back to my life, but I look forward to going through again in the future with still tons of stuff to explore. Its crazy how much value they packed into this, it feels like a game you could play forever. A+
One thing that is still really bad though is the VA. Outside one or two exceptions it's outright horrible to the point where you dislike characters because their voice is so goofy. I would have preferred text to these performances.
15)Kirby and the forgotten land(Forgo islands)
Most of the remaining challenges are out of my skill level so I guess I’m done? Was a wild ride tho, a cool new take on the Kirby format. Was mostly me wrapping up that area for the actual ending
16)XBC3: Future Redeemed
(Playtime at 28:38)Just an awesome ride and an excellent wrap up for this narrative hexology. Gonna miss these guys, but it was fun to get a little peek into the future of our previous 2 protags, even if we don’t know everything. And yes adult rex is cool. Tho I am annoyed We never got confirmation on Mythra’s kid. Either we didn’t see them or it’s Alexandra. Could definitely buy it being Alexandra also even I caught the X Easter egg. Also loved how they snuck the rex and Shulk boss battle into the main game Nopon archsage trials. Well I should be winding down… but I’m starting ToTK instead! Oh and here’s my affinity chart for those who care. Basically just skipped the super bosses
Previous games:
1)Yoku’s island express
2)Live a Live
3)Arcade Paradise
4)The Great Ace Attorney Adventures
5)Immortal Fenyx rising
6) SD Gundam Battle Alliance
7)Nier Automata
8)Crimson Skies High road to revenge
9)Stacking
10)Conker Live and reloaded
11)Legend of Zelda the minish Cap
12)Ducktales remastered
13)Vostok Inc
14) Star Wars Battlefront(OG)
17) Sonic Adventure(Xbox)
Finished with 62 medals, just started it this week. Love to revisit this one from time to time. Had a blast, didn’t linger too long, had a blast and it’s rough but it’s still pretty cool at its core even if you do go flying all over the place. Big was a nice pacebreaker too
Previous games:
1)Yoku’s island express
2)Live a Live
3)Arcade Paradise
4)The Great Ace Attorney Adventures
5)Immortal Fenyx rising
6) SD Gundam Battle Alliance
7)Nier Automata
8)Crimson Skies High road to revenge
9)Stacking
10)Conker Live and reloaded
11)Legend of Zelda the minish Cap
12)Ducktales remastered
13)Vostok Inc
14) Star Wars Battlefront(OG)
15)Kirby and the forgotten land
16) Xenoblade chronicles 3 Future Redeemed
18)Rhapsody a Musical Adventure
Copying my thoughts from elsewhere
Finished Rhapsody a musical adventure last night. Fun charming game that doesn’t overstay its welcome! Hype were finally getting the sequel and spinoff in a couple months. Ending got a couple tears out of me. Made you take responsibility for the bad choices and foolish actions you made along the way, but not as much as you feel trash like some games. Majorly was a highlight especially by the end. Took about 11 hrs.
The dungeons were similar looking mazes but generally not big enough to be annoying. Combat while it had positioning was straight forward and didn’t take much grinding.
Previous games:
1)Yoku’s island express
2)Live a Live
3)Arcade Paradise
4)The Great Ace Attorney Adventures
5)Immortal Fenyx rising
6) SD Gundam Battle Alliance
7)Nier Automata
8)Crimson Skies High road to revenge
9)Stacking
10)Conker Live and reloaded
11)Legend of Zelda the minish Cap
12)Ducktales remastered
13)Vostok Inc
14) Star Wars Battlefront(OG)
15)Kirby and the forgotten land
16) Xenoblade chronicles 3 Future Redeemed
17) Sonic Adventure(Xbox)
6. May 19th - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (11/10)
Speechless.
Absolutely speechless.
This one goes to eleven.
2023 Games Completed
1. January 4th - Missed Messages (9/10)
2. January 4th - Florence (9/10)
3. January 5th - Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk and milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk (9/10)
4. February 16th - Metroid Prime Remastered (10/10)
5. March 5th - Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo (8/10)
6. May 19th - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (11/10)
1. Desperados III [ PC ] - 9
2. Ace Attorney Investigations: Prosecutor's Path ( Replay ) [ DS*] - 10
3. Resident Evil Deadly Silence [ DS*] - 8.5
4. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney ( Replay ) [ 3DS ] - 8.5
5. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box [ DS ] - 7
6. Professor Layton and the Unwound Future [ DS ] - 7
7. Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies ( Replay ) [ 3DS ] - 9
8. Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony [ NS ] - 7
9. Gargoyle's Quest [ GB ] - 7.5
10. Ace Attorney Investigations ( Replay ) [ DS ] - 9
Capcom Arcade Stadium 1 & 2 [ NS ]
11. Cyberbots: Fullmetal Madness - 7.5
13. Giga Wing - 7
14. Progear - 8
15. Eco Fighters - 8.5
16. Darkstalkers The Night Warriors - 5
12. Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride [ DS*] - 10
17. Signalis [ NS ] - 10 - 2 playthroughs
18. Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice ( Replay ) [ 3DS ] - 6 - Replay but first time on the 3DS
19. Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice ( Replay ) [ 3DS ] - 10
20. Ace Attorney ( Replay ) [ DS ] - 10 - This is probably my 6th or 7th playthrough overall
21. Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon [ NS ] - 9
22. Final Fight 2 [ SNES* ] - 7
23. Final Fight 3 [ SNES* ] - 8
24. Metroid Prime ( Replay ) [ NS ] - 10 - First Switch playthrough
25. Resident Evil 4 ( Replay ) [ Wii ] - 9
26. Viewtiful Joe ( Replay ) [ GC ] - 10
27. Viewtiful Joe 2 ( Replay ) [ GC ] - 10
28. Advance Wars [ NS ] - 9 29. Doom (1993) [ NS ] - 8 - Forgot to put this on the list, really good, makes me have even more issues with 2016 tho.
30. Hi-Fi Rush [ PC ] - 6
31. Strider 2 [ PS1 ] - Is ok, I really like the art direction and for the most part how Strider controls, but there isn't much to the game unless you want to go for high ranks.
32. Kirby's Return to Dreamland [ NS ] - 10
Ngl pretty happy how the re-release of the best Metroid game and the best Kirby game turned out.
Nobody loves Kirby more than HAL, and no one is probably a bigger Kirby fan than Shinya Kumazaki, he also has the best taste having Air Ride as his favorite spin-off.
In retrospective, Return to Dreamland lacked in areas which its successors, even Star Allies after the updates got right with the extra modes, I don't particularly care about talking lenght in games, rather talk about meaningful content, RtD besides the mainstays of a campaign, challenges and arenas, only had 2 pretty simple minigames with 3 difficulties and a Hard Mode, the hard mode is pretty cool I think, but is not as novel as the remixed campaigns from the later games and even the stuff introduced earlier in Super Star Ultra.
This Deluxe release essentially turns RtD into the modern Super Star. A main campaign pretty much untouched from the Wii release, the only addition is putting to use the little nook and crannies that had stars and healing items and adding on top of that tickets for Magolorland for extra items, getting more out of the levels without needing to change the original. Still retains the Hard Mode and the arenas; a remixed campaign that has a bit more to it than the previous games with Magolor Epilogue, and Magolor Land itself, a collection of the greatest minigames in the series (like 64's) and some new ones, not only with its various difficulty options, but also a substantial set of missions to gain extra rewards like the cute masks. Is pretty much the bigger amount of meaningful content put into a Kirby game.
RtD itself is still fantastic, the Kumazaki games pushed Kirby into more of an action game territory, Kirb is much more agile, the movesets for the abilities are more expanded, both for cool attacks and helping Kirby with mobility. I think they pretty much know they lean into action considering that Magolor Epilogue even has a combo system to reward you with more ability points if you keep the numbers high. Level design is pretty solid, limiting Kirby's jump when possible for some form of platforming challenge, and the rest is a really good action sidescroller. The game looks really nice, the extra shading added on top really helps it pop more, it still very much the Wii game under there, but I wouldn't want a full remake of it as I think it looks nice still, so the way they did it was good to maintain the aesthetic of the original with just the necessary amount of those extra bits to make it look modern. Nutty Noon still looks beautiful, and the great backgrounds of every area is even more defined now. I saw a handful of times critique towards RtD for being very NSMB, and while yes it has a lot of standard biomes, it gives it a lot more charm and detail than the NSMB games, they all get that fantasy touch to the environments that makes them stand out, Dangerous Dinner is not just a lava level, it has this weird beehive esque cealings in the background, bizarre looking volcanoes and the deeper part of it cores of lava not to dissimilar from something out of Mario Galaxy, it pushes those levels tropes to something that it can call its own. Revisiting the soundtrack while I always really liked it, I have an even bigger appreciation for the whole thing, there are some truly beautifully atmospheric tracks, some even remind me of something out of Mother 3, and Sakai didn't even work on this game.
Magolor Epilogue is a great addition, honestly it goes a little too hard for the lore that it wants to explain, but I'm not going to complain about that. Unlike series like Xenoblade and Zelda, I really like the continuity that Kirby sets up, it has a connective tissue but is not entirely linear to have a greater deal of versatility, it discloses lore through visuals and gameplay, and with little text as possible to be non intrusive and not drown out hours of cutscenes and set ups to explain something that I probably don't care about that much being explained, it doesn't feel like is going to hit a creative block, given its always creating new antagonists and characters to fill out its universe, and on top of that I get really cool gameplay sequences out of it, nothing is more kino than doing an entire epilogue just to make you fight against a tree out of a horror game with the backdrop of the destruction of Halcandra to explain why microtransactions exist in the free to play Kirby games. Gameplay wise you basically start out pretty weak, and through obtaining EXP in the levels and gaining extra for your performance and combos, you start gaining more abilities and becoming stronger and stronger until you get as close to being as broken as Magolor is in Star Allies, is a really cool journey, wouldn't mind getting that structure as a full campaign in the future.
Think this is easily one of my favorite remakesters, they took my favorite entry and just made it better on all aspects, every addition was worthwhile, didn't scratch my head at anything in any moment, just a great effort.
3) Marvel Snap 4/5
I can't really conceive how to review this, but my addiction to this gameplay loop was high and needed to delete it off my devices to remain a productive member of society. The best compliment I can give.
7) King of Fighters : Mark of the Wolves 4/5
I decided to do the story stuff with like with all the characters. This is just so fun, I don't have the skill to really read the movements, but damn Kushnood is my GUY.
22. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS) [9.5/10]
This is my first time replaying the game since it released a decade ago, and it holds up really well. It's really fun to play in short bursts and the art style works really well. The soundtrack and 3D effect are amazing. It does an amazing job at feeling like a modern Zelda game in a world where we never got Ocarina of Time which is nice.
The game follows the "money is the most important" approach that Nintendo was on for a bit, and it really helps the game feel unique. Despite a bad boss or two the dungeons are very strong and unique without wearing out their welcome. Navigating Lorule is exciting and uses the new painting mechanic well. Between the 3D and the painting traversal you really have to open up your mind to what's possible, and I was really enjoying myself after I stopped trying to Ascend through everything.
The biggest problem with the game in my opinion is the story. Aounuma was on his "goofy clown villain" kick when this game came out and we're stuck with the wretched Yuga. I would have enjoyed the game a whole lot more if Ganon just killed him after being summoned and was the main villain for the second half of the game. The other biggest problem is it's stuck on a tiny screen, but at least it uses the 3D effect well.
All in all this is much, much, much better than ALttP and a nice preview for what was to come for the series.
1. Desperados III [ PC ] - 9
2. Ace Attorney Investigations: Prosecutor's Path ( Replay ) [ DS*] - 10
3. Resident Evil Deadly Silence [ DS*] - 8.5
4. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney ( Replay ) [ 3DS ] - 8.5
5. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box [ DS ] - 7
6. Professor Layton and the Unwound Future [ DS ] - 7
7. Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies ( Replay ) [ 3DS ] - 9
8. Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony [ NS ] - 7
9. Gargoyle's Quest [ GB ] - 7.5
10. Ace Attorney Investigations ( Replay ) [ DS ] - 9
Capcom Arcade Stadium 1 & 2 [ NS ]
11. Cyberbots: Fullmetal Madness - 7.5
13. Giga Wing - 7
14. Progear - 8
15. Eco Fighters - 8.5
16. Darkstalkers The Night Warriors - 5
12. Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride [ DS*] - 10
17. Signalis [ NS ] - 10 - 2 playthroughs
18. Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice ( Replay ) [ 3DS ] - 6 - Replay but first time on the 3DS
19. Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice ( Replay ) [ 3DS ] - 10
20. Ace Attorney ( Replay ) [ DS ] - 10 - This is probably my 6th or 7th playthrough overall
21. Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon [ NS ] - 9
22. Final Fight 2 [ SNES* ] - 7
23. Final Fight 3 [ SNES* ] - 8
24. Metroid Prime ( Replay ) [ NS ] - 10 - First Switch playthrough
25. Resident Evil 4 ( Replay ) [ Wii ] - 9
26. Viewtiful Joe ( Replay ) [ GC ] - 10
27. Viewtiful Joe 2 ( Replay ) [ GC ] - 10
28. Advance Wars [ NS ] - 9
29. Doom (1993) [ NS ] - 8
30. Hi-Fi Rush [ PC ] - 6
31. Strider 2 [ PS1 ] - 6
32. Kirby's Return to Dreamland ( Replay ) [ NS ] - 10 - First Switch playthrough
33. Demon Souls [ PS3 ] - "You have a heart of gold, don't let them take it from you."
Demon Souls (I never acknowledge the ‘s when saying the name out loud), a very interesting experience, very memorable, and something that feels like ranges from a 7 to a 9, and 10/10 moments back and forth, think it makes sense given how experimental it is, successes, failures, but always memorable in some shape or form.
The world of Boletaria is pretty coo with all the ways that it pulls you into that world, the level layouts, how each area has its own type of natural shortcut, minimalist sound design, great art direction, the enemies and items you can find in each of them, gives each area a great sense of identity.
Something I really liked about the level design comes from the structure of the game, from the Nexus you can go to any of the 5 main areas, and while they are interconnected and could be done in a single run (besides the Arch demon gate to enter Boletaria-3), every boss fight acts as a checkpoint that you can warp to, so is kind of like a level separation within the connected world; this means that every “level” can be pretty different and throw at you different set pieces and the like, it makes each portion within the world of Demon Souls feel pretty unique, which brings its hits and misses, but it adds to that level of memorability and janky-ness that really ties Demon Souls together.
Boletaria-1 is pretty big and circles back to its start for the boss fight, 2 is a straight line to the boss, 3 is back to a bigger level with a shortcut, and 4 is basically a spiral upwards to its Arch Demon fight, just to exemplify the changes in design within a single main area.
The not winner part of the world of Demon Souls is Stonefang Tunnel, I can live without it, the atmosphere can be pretty boring, the boss fights are not really good (Armor Spider is pretty spammy and ends up feeling like something you have to brute force, Flamelurker is fine in theory but I found his speed and patterns don't really mesh well with the combat of Demon Souls, and the Arch Demon could have been more interesting, could have done more with the idea), and Stonefang-2 in particular is pretty bad both going the normal way and using the shortcut for the boss fight.
The opposite ends are Latria and Shrine of Storms, kino af areas in atmosphere and design, can put both in top areas in gaming.
Boss fight are on the whole pretty interesting, very few are essentialy the at this point design meme of dodges and hits that indies and the more recent From Soft games seem to push, most of them are essentially some form of puzzle, they make for a memorable experience, in terms of challenge ranging from easy, a relatively mild challenge and rather difficult, I appreciate them considering I'm not really fond of the combat in the game, I'm more into it for the exploration and adventure feel. The Arch Demons more than anything being the great example of unique bosses, and despite my issues with the combat, Boletaria's Arch Demon is a really, really good fight well paced around the combat of DS.
The game can be quite difficult in its actual levels tho, but almost never unfair, and the format of choosing which level to do past the tutorial is a way for the game to help you as long as you pay attention and are willing to explore, very often you'll find useful NPCs across the starting levels of each area, and equipment that will make your life much easier for other areas, is a nicely designed balance of maximizing that sense of adventure and exploration.
In part I feel is pretty unnecessary for me to say more, it is a pretty well known game at this point, and other people have gone into much more detail and with better writing skills about the game and all its components, I don't really have much to add but I at least wanted to mention the stuff that stood out for me after finally experiencing this game, I'm glad I played it, that I finally went through with it till the end, because it gave me something very flawed, yet pretty special. Also I can finally see how much they messed up in the remake, they fucked you up so bad Demon Souls.
34. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom [ NS ] - 7
I'll spoiler mark main story related things past the tutorial and main premise, and mechanics that derive post said main story sequences, the rest I'll talk more openly about, just as a little warning if anyone actually cares to read this. I'll also be comparing the game a lot to Breath of the Wild since it basically asks for it, so yea, some BotW's spoilers as well.
The start
Is weird, basically a walk and talk segment with pretty basic lore and Zelda talking about how cameras work, followed by the semi-linear Great Sky Islands, there isn't a problem with linearity per say but is worth noting, you are also restricted to not choose between a heart container or a stamina wheel upon completing the 4 shrines at the start, once you land back in Hyrule you can choose to go wherever you please, but also don't because you'll miss the paraglider and some extra abilities that can be helpful in your journey, compared to BotW where the tutorial served as a taste of the freedom of the game, and didn't let you go off to Hyrule proper without all the necessary tools, I don't think in this case either approach is wrong, but I think TotK needed to stick with either being more linear or more freeform rather than the awkward middle ground that it is.
The story
I'll be pretty direct with this, I don't like most of the main story of TotK, its saving grace being the 4 region stories for the most part; is not interesting beyond one moment which my appreciation is lost in terms of what is accomplished by it, the constant hammering over that moment itself which treats the player more like an idiot in contrast to the gameplay, and that the narrative structure can ruin the impact how and when you get the revelation of that particular moment.
First I need to talk about BotW's story, any streght or weakness of that story comes from the commitment and executing the core of the game, freedom. Every single element of the game is in service of that idea, before you are left to wander around Hyrule proper it establishes all the main players, why the world is in this state, and your ultimate goal "Defeat Ganon" as the missions puts it, you have your motivation and goal, and everything else is up to the player to uncover and approached non linearly, the divine beasts are separated across the different regions, each with their own problem to overcome and champions to meet, finishing the dungeons will give you one last chat with the champions of old with a bittersweet tone to it, all with their own things to say; memories could be obtained in any order and with that design in mind all of them give you glimpses of characters and mostly Zelda, fleshing out her character in different facets of the events leading up to the Calamity, the memories designed in a way that events don't really tell you something about another memory or feels like something you shouldn't have seen at that moment.
TotK's structure doesn't feel as considerate to the freedom of the game, personally I wouldn't have minded a more linear story, it clearly wants to go for that, but it also didn't want to leave whatever acclaim from BotW behind in favor of building its own story or identity, and the result is quite messy. Memories are what I consider their worst element, they are here and can be seen out of order just like BotW, but they aren't designed like that game, they are pretty sequential, it actually feels jarring to see out of order, like you missed a lot of context, and seeing some of those actively ruin an already very heavily telegraphed moment I mentioned, they should have made it so no matter which memory you find, you'll get it told sequentially at the very least, it doesn't improve some aspects but it wouldn't be as jarring. Beating the dungeons in any order is possible, but there is a more clear difficulty curve than in BotW, and only serve as some self imposed challenge to not at least go for the Rito region first, there is also a post dungeon clear cutscene like in BotW! but this time is the exact same cutscene with a different voice actor telling you its contents everytime. It is also possible to go for Ganondorf after the tutorial, but you have less context of anything for doing so, plus you don't know where exactly you can find him, making it also feel pointless to do so.
Another issue with TotK's story is the premise, the narrative pretty much undercuts itself from the get go, when Zelda gets to have a direct sequel in terms of its world, the story understandably goes for a different angle, that is set as far back as The Adventure of Link, and it always delivered in some form after that with more surreal entries, Link’s Awakening, Majora’s Mask, Phantom Hourglass, they differentiate themselves by transporting Link to another world, bringing in new villains and atmosphere to that world, TotK pretty much says you know that ending from BotW? it doesn’t matter, Ganondorf is back, there are problems in each main area thanks to the malice again, we have to hunt memories again, Zelda is gone again, etc. I don’t really like that at its core is basically just a remake of BotW, it ends up feeling way less inspired and a pseudo response to complaints about the story of the previous game rather than something they wanted to make if that makes sense, so this missed opportunity of doing something different bothers me a lot, and retreading ground bothers me even more, also Ganondorf himself doesn't have much more character than Calamity Ganon, (and tbh the concept of Calamity Ganon is something I find more interesting at least for one game) been years since his last appereance and no real effort has been made to write more for him, and my bitterness against Skyward Sword giving him an origin that cripples any creativity that could be made with his character rears his head yet again in this incarnation.
Like I said earlier tho, the main region questlines are really good(to various degrees), the big highlight being the Rito one in terms of the build up and its boss fight,
Wind Waker continues to carry this franchise 20 years after its release, seriously tho, peak boss fight and the ascend through the flying ships and use of the sky islands was great; the highlight of the Zora being the low gravity ascend, the sky islands are the best part of the game, so their big usage here pays off really well. The Gerudo questline features what is now my favorite incarnation of the Gibdos in concept and design. And the Goron stuff exists, is not peak comedy like Twilight Princess or peak fiction like the Majora's Mask storyline, so it falls rather flat, corporate Yunobo would have been more interesting or entertaining without the evil mask.
Atmosphere and World
I think TotK struggles to juggle what it wants to be versus being BotW hurt the feel of the world, the heavy environmental sounds, fleeting piano music and the like gave the world of BotW a very lonely, melancholic tone to it, a world that saw better days in the past; I don't think that meshes quite well with this far more populated Hyrule, and more effort should have been put to match this new feel for the world instead of just lifting sound design and music from BotW without thinking if it really fits to reuse all this as it was before in this story.
Voice Acting stuff (I play with the latin american spanish dub)
Voice performance wise is weird, the sound mixing is off with some characters, at times they sound fine, other times too loud or too low on the mix, dunno if it happens with other languages; sometimes the performances come off a bit weird, like mixing in anime noises instead of localizing it to sound more natural to the language, it bothers me and puzzles me because the dub in BotW was wonderful, also I preferred Jessica Angeles' perfomance as Zelda in BotW when she used her more natural voice instead of the higher pitch tone she used in Age of Calamity and this game, wonder if it was something Nintendo wanted changed. I was also bummed out by how little other characters get to have a voiced cutscene this time around,
and how much was kind of wasted voicing one cutscene 4 times.
I'll say that Ganondorf's voice is fantastic tho, Jaime Collepardo nailed it, he sounds exactly like my brain has always imagined him to sound like, his laugh is fucking beautiful, big props to him, I'm glad that in the same year both Bowser and Ganondorf got an amazing voice for these big Nintendo projects.
Gameplay
I won't be talking much about exploring the world itself because honestly, and this is a big thing when it came to my enjoyment of the game, is that I don't really care about exploring this same Hyrule again in a sequel, I regardless felt like I gave the exploration a fair shot and I wasn't particularly engaged thanks to some issues I have with the gameplay mechanics. I'll also mention that I don't care about building stuff, and I don't think there is any convincing argument out there in terms of telling me that one could just play this like BotW, TotK wants you to continuously engage with its new mechanics, and trying to play it otherwise is pretty punishing. I didn't like the physics and all the global systems in BotW because of how much it could be pushed or anything like the crazy twitter videos, I liked those systems because they help ground the world and made it feel more real, for immersion with the occassional emergent gameplay situation that comes from those systems, but nothing too crazy beyond that.
The allies system is a really good idea that is pretty cumbersome in execution, the fact that you have to search for your ally and press A to activate the power makes them not very reliable, like with Riju, she is already on a cooldown, but she also has to charge up her AoE, during the Thunder Temple fight, between the mobs, aiming for the boss and the spawn points, is such a bother to have to also look for where she is to start the charge, this gets worse when you get everyone else, you'll activate stuff when you don't want to because everyone start cluttering togehter, the only reliable skill is Tureli's in the air, because he will always get behind you to activate the gale, another reason as to why he gets the best boss fight honestly, it always worked as intented, never feeling like you got a cheap shot from the boss because your ally failed to be near you for the ability usage. Bad time getting to Sidon for his skill in order to clean the mud in the Mario Sunshine fight.
It just feels very janky compared to BotW, and I can sum up a lot of TotK like that, a lot of more interesting ideas that the game doesn't feel like letting me have fun with them. The champion abilities in BotW were all tied to your natural movement and reliable in their usage, Revali tied to jumps, Urbosa to the charge attack, Daruk to shielding, and Mipha to your health.
Caves? Great idea, but I don't understand why they got rid of the bomb rune in a game where one would use it the most, I get that the idea is now fusing a weapon to a rock, but I think it clashes with the fact that all weapons are rusty, feel like they break much faster, I don't feel like wasting my resources blowing up mineral rocks that might not give me anything, and start to run out of things when most caves have branching paths within them with a lot of rocks to break as well, all with various degrees of how much they take to break. Bomb flowers don't seem like a very abundant resource, and it seems the only vendor of them is through Poe trading, is not like the Bomb rune was a very high damage item, it was very useful to break boxes and the like without the need to burn its contents or waste weapon durability. Think the most efficient solution is to not explore anything until after beating the Goron questline.
I don't have much to complain about Ultrahand, feels like a straight upgrade from Magnesis, allowing to handle a lot more items, spinning them more efficiently, and sticking stuff together is works well, again I don't care about building, but is for the most part painless, for the most part.
Fuse as a concept is great, in execution I have some issues. Menu usage, UI and fusing in the overworld can feel pretty clumsy, prepping items beforehand is fine, just don't expect me to fuse stuff in the middle of combat or anything like that. When pausing with the quick menu to swap between fused weapons, they have a bit of extra lag waiting for it to go back to gameplay, and that starts to get annoying since it was pretty instantaneous in BotW. Fusing arrows is a chore, you have to open the quick menu everytime you want to use a fused arrow, I think they could have at least let me equip and unequip materials at will so that I only have to open the menu again to stop using a material or change to another, it wouldn't be the most ideal thing ever just taking in account the amount of stuff you can fuse, but at least if I want to hit enemies with a bunch of Gibdo materials that are pretty strong in succession, I don't have to bring up the quick menu every single shot.
Recall feels way more situational than Stasis, because you have to rely on something already having momentum or a path to work instead of creating momentum yourself, it feels useful for puzzle solving but is one less skill that felt useful in combat.
Ascend is a really good idea, I warmed up to it a little bit later, but I did have a bad run with it for a lot of moments, when I actually wanted to use it and the game wouldn't let me, it tends to be finicky as to what you can actually go through or not besides puzzles.
I'm not a fan of Shrines coming back alongside the Koroks, to be clear, Breath of the Wild suffered in some ways with its content and visual repetition, not going to deny that, but I also let slide some of that because they clearly had to build a ton from the ground up, not just even the game itself but rethinking foundations of the series and how to move it forward, one can always ask for more, but BotW as it is, think is good enough for that first attempt. So I won't give TotK as much of a pass now, shrines have a new background and music, but is still just one background and music track, and I don't get why bring them back, now with sky island and the depths, they could have contextualized puzzles into the great world of Hyrule, instead of being separated from it, also would make the rewards more umpredictable, like maybe I'll find a puzzle that gives me a stamina boost in this cave or something, or a heart in this sky island, without the need of loading times, going in and then back out just for a treasure chest + orb combo in some shrines, shrine treasure chests being far worse now since it seems all the armor sets are spread in the overworld, meaning that for the most part nothing cool will come from them in shrines. Korok seeds are back with mostly the same puzzles plus a particularly annoying one of reuniting 2 friends, some are pretty tricky and for only 2 seeds where the pouch upgrade requirements keep increasing, it doesn't really feel worth the effort, compared to the more painless mini puzzles, with a far more populated Hyrule and more places to explore, they could have tied pouch upgrades as rewards from quests or just finding them in the world, again something a bit more organic in terms of exploration and discovery and not make more stuff feel like just a rehash of BotW. Also the shrine quality is a bit more over the place, there are some shrines that basically act as tutorials, and I'm not talking about the actual tutorial shrines, like in the Gerudo area there will be one for a sand vehicle and the light and mirrors classic puzzle, and idk, think these are pretty intuitive to really require a shrine just for that, respect player intelligence but then have all this to kind of beat you over the head with feels counterintuitive. This also extends to the fusing, a lot of locations where you would need to combine stuff already have something done as a guide instead of letting the player figure it out, more so with optional stuff, like in th thunder temple where is not required to create a mirror shield to do the puzzles, but it would make someone feel smarter to come up with that to solve puzzles faster, but the dungeon hands you one already made from the enemies, kind of takes away from the core mechanic.
The best part of the game are the sky islands, it is quite a shame there aren't that many, the more elaborated ones have really well made gameplay set pieces, almost have a Mario esque quality to them, feel like how Skyward Sword should have handled them, also some are tied to the main story which partly reduces the amount of cool surprises but still, these were really good.
The depths I like the idea of the challenge, the malice floors and walls mean a more careful approach especially with the gloom effect reducing your max hearts until getting out of them, the menu clutter does mean opening up the menu a lot to throw the light seeds, they are admitedly way too big for their own good, and the lack of new weapons, new armor sets and items in general makes it less compelling for me to risk exploring them for the same rewards as the previous game. And while I like the gloom effect, I can't say the same for the Gloom Hands, a scary find the first time, fucking obnoxious right after, the stun lock and reach these things have is ridiculous and being rewarded by a mini boss fight right after when they pop up is the opposite of fun, a mini boss fight that generally rewards you with weapons that hurt you, and honestly I'm not that big of a fan of this Phantom Ganon , doesn't feel worth the effort.
Definitely would have traded a good chunk for the depths in exchange for more sky island scenarios.
Melee combat itself has had 0 tweaks or improvements, runes with less combat options lower the quality of it, the desire to make bigger mobs scenarios this time around are hampered by the worse melee compared to other 3D Zelda games, let alone other action games, plus the lock on and camera can't keep up with all that. It also doesn't help that Link feels even more like a glass cannon this time around.
Dungeons are a thing, the Divine Beasts' more disappointing aspects are the short lenght and not enough variety visually, but at least they had something unique going for them in terms of handling the space of the dungeon and having to manipulate them in various ways to get around. The TotK dungeons follow the idea of various locks to activate in any order, but are shaped more like the dungeons we know from previous games, it leaves them in a sort of awkward middle ground, some good puzzles but lacking the feel of progression and build up of those older dungeons, in this case is not about the complexity but the pacing, that said I did really liked the Thunder Temple, the structure of the Fire Temple and the ambiance of the Ark, me feeling more awkward solving puzzles with the tools in this game definitely impacted my enjoyment at times, sometimes I didn't felt good with the way I solved some of them. Some defenses that come up for the dungeons is that the build up to them should be counted as part of it, but then we have to count the build up of dungeons in most other Zelda games, like what is the Lost Woods + maze before the Forest Temple in OoT, climbing up the Deku Tree and gliding towards the Forbidden Woods in WW, the entirety of peak that is Ikana Valley before Stone Tower in MM, or the assault of the Divine Beasts before their dungeons in BotW. For "traditional" 3D Zelda games is pretty much a thing to have a build up and they are followed by pretty good dungeons if that is to be counted in TotK.
Music
This is another aspect where Tears struggles to create its own identity at times, like idk if its a good idea that the clear main quest cutscene ends with a triumphant jingle of the main theme from Breath of the Wild instead of, you know, making a jingle with the main theme of Tears of the Kingdom. Dungeon themes suffer from this as well, I love the themes of the champions from BotW, but it thematically doesn't make sense to have that complete the dungeon medley, would have been more appropiate to actually let the themes from your companions shine through this time around. Town themes get a different arrangement at the start of the main quests, but after the clear is just the BotW theme again, is just bizarre, like is not bad music, its really good tbf, but it doesn't really help its case in being different from its predecessor. And I'll mention this boss for the third time, Colgera, mastahpeece of a theme, Molgera + Dragon Roost, beautiful.
Now about the stuff after the main region quests, so all spoilers till the credits.
I actually sequence broke the Master Sword, seems they wanted me to get it after the Mineru temple. So I'll talk first about the Deku Tree, given my complaints about the gloom hands, yea that was a pretty miserable experience, I miss the Phantom Ganon tennis matches.
Hyrule Castle is not that interested, is just following the trail of Zelda with no puzzles or an interesting approach to freedom in the game, so I don't have much to say about it, what I get at the end, 5 Phantom Ganons, honestly I'm glad I got the Master Sword before the game wanted me to.
The portion after is good, the Sky Island has a good ambiance that reminds me of the Thunderhead of Skyward Sword, the Golems factory was something I didn't enjoy, this is the heaviest use of creating vehicles and shit in the game, and some I had to cheese because I just didn't really get what they wanted me to do, btw cheesing feels a lot worse in this game, feels like I'm doing way too janky stuff to outsmart the game and just makes me feel bad, and in a lot of shrines is less about wit and more so "this is one of those where I can just attach a rocket to my shield and skip right to the end", Golem Mineru was actually a cute moment and the boss fight was fun, felt like a weird Platinum Games moment, charming jankiness included.
After that is straight to the depths for Ganondorf, I have to say yet again, strictly melee combat isn't the greatest asset of the BotW duology, and making essentially a guantlet (that you can skip past with enough finesse thankfully) instead of something more true to the spirit of exploration of the game like the Castle in the previous game felt like a huge misstep, camera and lock on problems pop up again in the boss fight against guantlet of enemies before the final battle proper, and every enemy hits with gloom so better cook a ton of stuff otherwise you'll just be at the mercy of getting blindsided by enemies that limit the amount of health you have, the moment itself is neat with all the sages helping out, just wish the gameplay for it was better.
And now Ganondorf, the final bosses in this duology don't quite get the strenght of their gameplay when it comes to making a final boss, Calamity Ganon's issue is not so much the difficulty for me, is the fact that it doesn't capitalize on what makes BotW good, besides one use of Magnesis to hit Ganon with a thundershock and at the very least asking the player to have mastered shield parry to some capacity which actually requires proper skill and reaction unlike the flurry rush timing, is otherwise lacking in using stuff like bombs, stasis or crionis for interesting scenarios across the fight, hitting him with the master sword is cool and should be there but it has to be mixed with something else, something akin to the platforming final bosses in some 3D Mario games.
If the idea was to bring back Ganondorf, they definitely should have at least polish up the melee combat, think with the design they went with everyone expects this to be a sword fight like some of the older 3D games, and it is, but besides the pretty crunchy Master Sword hit effect, the rest doesn't feel particularly good, is kind of neat that the final phase has some Demon Souls style attacks to it where it "de-levels" your character by permanently lowering your max hearts for the duration of the fight, but I don't think the combat is built to make Old King Allant Zelda edition. I do love the health bar bit in the second phase.
Liked the demon dragon battle, and it brings the battle back into the overworld for the finale which is good and a nice spectacle.
Zeldragon gets a cop out transformation back to hylian form, honestly I wasn't expecting her to stay a dragon but then don't say you have to give up everything to become one.
So in conclusion, I think Tears of the Kingdom has a lot of good ideas, some really impressive in terms of a technical achievement, sadly I don't care for those particular ideas, the re use of the overworld hampered my enjoyment, and I think the time skip should have been much bigger between games to make a much more meaningful change if they never were going to make a new world for this entry, and the story is something I only ocassionally liked. Is a good game but one I was feeling pretty apathetic for the most part beyond those bursts of brilliance in the region quests. And it definitely should have rethinked some elements from BotW, I adore that game but its foundation wasn't without flaws, and I don't think that gets addressed much in this game.
Kinda disappointed with this one. I had read almost everywhere that the sequel was better on every point than the first game but I just don't agree. And after finishing the game I had the opportunity to talk about it with a few friends and people online that have played the game and who think the same so I feel a bit better at not liking the game very much.
HOT TAKE:
Would be really hard for me to explain everything I didn't like about the game since english isn't my native language but basically: it felt like the anti-Castlevania. First game was a huge homage to the NES era Castlevanias, especially the third, and I felt CotM 2 was indeed more original but failed to deliver what I was searching for. And I'm okay with trying other things, especially since I really like what they tried with the new characters in the first place. But in the end, it almost felt like it was a mixture of specifications of all modern games that want to be "retro", but with the level design and physics of a Castlevania game, and with the new characters controlling like ass.
To understand better what I want to say: I played a lot of the old Castlevania, and yeah those games can be frustrating, but there were almost never totally unfair except for some specific moments. CotM 2 on the other hand felt unfair for like half of the game, and the other half was okay, maybe fun sometimes but nothing more.
I've beaten it twice (Episode 1 and 2), was about to do it a third time to get the true ending (Final Episode), but I ultimately gave up because I couldn't handle it more. It wasn't fun, and that's not a completely failed game (which is the reason I can't give it less than a 6/10), but I'm done with it.
ANYWAY. Next game... Yeah, I bought a digital copy of Lost Odyssey on my Series S. I swear I played this game throughout the entirety of my teenage years but never finished it. And at first I didn't want to do a long game after LaD: Ishin but I'm feeling this is the best moment to do it before I can't for like years. Hopefully I will progress quickly despite work... Maybe I'll start it tonight.
1. Bayonetta 3 - 7.5/10 ❤
2. The Wonderful 101 Remastered - 6/10
3. Hi-Fi Rush - 8.5/10 ❤
4. Metroid Prime Remastered * - 9/10 ❤
5. Metroid Dread * - 10/10 ❤
6. Pullblox - 7/10
7. Bloostained: Curse of the Moon - 7.5/10
8. Like A Dragon: Ishin - 9/10 ❤
9. Give Me Toilet Paper - 7/10 ❤
10. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 - 6/10
Just a quick update on everything I completed for the last 3 months. Won't talk about each game in detail because there is too much and I don't want to spend 2 hours on this but you can get my impressions on everything I completed on my > notion page < if you want to (be aware, this is written in french so you'll have to translate the page).
Side notes:
Every game I play is in the "Normal" difficulty if I don't say otherwise
Every game listed as "❤" is a game I had a "Crush" on it, like "Wow that game really has something more" (I don't know how I could explain it better so I hope you'll understand lmao)
Every game with an "*" is a game I already finished in the past (i.e. can be in original version for remastered game)
11. Lost Odyssey - 7/10 ❤
12. OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood - 7/10
13. Resident Evil 4 (Remake) - 9.5/10 ❤ // Side note: already completed the original game but since it's kinda different I didn't put the "*"
14. Beton Brutal - 8.5/10 ❤
15. Save Room - Organization Puzzle - 7/10
16. It Comes In Waves - 6.5/10
17. Alisa - 8/10 ❤
18. Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions - 7.5/10 // Side note: Just did the original campaign, not Bowser's Minions
19. Professor Layton and the Last Specter * - 7/10
20. Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracles * - 7/10 ❤
21. Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy * - 7/10
22. Resident Evil 5 - 7/10 ❤ // Side note: Also did "Lost in Nightmares" and "Desperate Escape" DLCs
23. Resident Evil 3 (Remake) * - 7.5/10 ❤
24. Layton Brothers: Mystery Room - 7/10
25. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - 10/10 ❤
26. Batman: Arkham Asylum - 8/10 ❤
27. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D * - 8.5/10 ❤
Many great games, and a pretty solid 2023 so far on my side. From all these new games I completed since my last time here, I guess the ones I would recommend the most are: - Beton Brutal, a GREAT take on those Minecraft parkour map/tiktok videos ; - Resident Evil 4 (Remake), an insane remake that achieve to capture some of the essence of the original game while managing to modernize without denaturize it, creating a whole new experience that's really worth to play ;
- and, of course: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Do I really need to say anything about this one?
1. Bayonetta 3 - 7.5/10 ❤
2. The Wonderful 101 Remastered - 6/10
3. Hi-Fi Rush - 8.5/10 ❤
4. Metroid Prime Remastered * - 9/10 ❤
5. Metroid Dread * - 10/10 ❤
6. Pullblox - 7/10
7. Bloostained: Curse of the Moon - 7.5/10
8. Like A Dragon: Ishin - 9/10 ❤
9. Give Me Toilet Paper - 7/10 ❤
10. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 - 6/10
11. Lost Odyssey - 7/10 ❤
12. OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood - 7/10
13. Resident Evil 4 (Remake) - 9.5/10 ❤
14. Beton Brutal - 8.5/10 ❤
15. Save Room - Organization Puzzle - 7/10
16. It Comes In Waves - 6.5/10
17. Alisa - 8/10 ❤
18. Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions - 7.5/10
19. Professor Layton and the Last Specter * - 7/10
20. Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracles * - 7/10 ❤
21. Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy * - 7/10
22. Resident Evil 5 - 7/10 ❤
23. Resident Evil 3 (Remake) * - 7.5/10 ❤
24. Layton Brothers: Mystery Room - 7/10
25. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - 10/10 ❤
26. Batman: Arkham Asylum - 8/10 ❤
27. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D * - 8.5/10 ❤
Too many games are coming out i can't. I still need to get through system shock, Katamari, Slayers X, show my husband Hypnospace Outlaw and I'm sure in the meantime something else will come out aaaaaaaaaaa
My first three games this year were, Cult of the Lamb, Modern Warfare Remastered and Outrides.
4. Platinumed Battlefield V
5. Finished Tiny Tinas Wonderlands
6. Platinumed Job Simulator
7. 100% Garden of the Sea
8. Finished Splinter Cell Blacklist
9. Platinumed World at War
10. 100% Battlefield 1943
11. Platinumed Ark
12. Platinumed Jak II
13. Platinumed Bad Company
14. 100% Bad Company 2
15. Finished Dead Space (2023)
16. Finished Celeste
17. Finished The Quarry
Phew. That's a huge list.
Keep things short I had fun completing almost every Battlefield game on the list, though BC burnt me out of going for Platinums, and now I don't think I'll ever trophy hunt again.
Tiny Tinas, I mean it's better than 3 but it's still pretty bad. Gunplay is fun at least.
Blacklist is the most fun I've had with a game this year so far. What a blast, and it's a shame Ubi refuses to do anything new with the series.
The Quarry was super lackluster and kinda lame. I was hoping for Until Dawn 2.
Dead Space was amazing, just took me a bit to finish.
World at War is still my favourite CoD, even though some of that platinum sucked. I've never seen so much grenade spam in my life.
And regarding the VR titles, Job Sim wasn't really fun, but Garden of the Sea was great.
1) Guardians of the Galaxy - Cloud Version (NSW)
2) Rise of the Third Power (NSW)
3) Haiku, the Robot (NSW)
4) Fire Emblem Engage (NSW)
5) The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA NSO)*
6) WareWare Inc. (GBA NSO)*
7) Panzer Dragoon Remake (NSW)*
8) Final Fantasy IX (NSW)*
9) UnMetal (NSW)
10) Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (NSW)
11) Octopath Traveler 2 (NSW)
12) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (NSW)
13) Citizen Sleeper : Purge (NSW)
14) Metroid Fusion (GBA NSO)*
15) The Red Strings Club (NSW)
16) Earthbound Beginnings (NES NSO)
17) Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed (NSW)
18) Dungeon Encounters (NSW)
19) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (NSW)
Well, I'm stuffed. An incredible experience that to me is the purest expression yet of what Zelda is meant to be. The game is not perfect and I could spend time pointing out the things I disliked (mostly the controls and lack of options), but I feel complaining about the imperfections amounts to dancing around all of the other things this games does not only well, but better than almost everything else in the industry. The care and attention given to the player experience in nearly every aspect of the game design is stunning. The fact that it does this all on 6yo mobile hardware is almost unbelievable. In totality, this game is as close to gaming nirvana as anything I have ever played. It won't end up as my favorite game of all time, maybe not even for the year, but there is no doubt in my mind that this is the best overall game I've played on the switch. An absolute masterpiece.
7. June 5th - I Was A Teenage Exocolonist (8/10)
While great in idea and concept, I Was A Teenage Exocolonist is quite confusing, and remains so until the very end, unfortunately. It is partly down to me not quite being able to wrap my head around deckbuilding stuff, but the whole "memories becomes cards for challenge checks/skill checks" (whatever it is) thing ended up with just me skipping past it and let my checks be completely random. The"kudos concept wasn't clearly explained, "rebellion meter" felt vague as a concept, the exploration aspects are very undercooked, and none of this gets better as the game goes on. I ended up just grinding stats for the most part, something that at times could be monotonous and grating.
A shame, because what is otherwise here is nothing short of stellar. Teenage Exocolonist sports fantastic writing, great characters and heartfelt dialogue that breathes genuine life into its peculiar world. The game takes place during the protagonist's teens (duh) and you get to know the people who lives with you in your little colony, adults and fellow kids alike, as the game goes on through events, conversations and moments that can be both adorable and downright heartbreaking. This game gave me a warm, sort of nostalgic feeling of hanging out with the kids my age around the block, following each other through the years in thick and thin, and emerge as best friends (and in one case, lovers) when years catches on. That vibe and emotion is excellently executed upon here - I truly felt like I was growing up wiyth these characters, from snotty children, to angsty tweens to young adults having to shoulder premature burdens. Anemone became my childhood best buddy until we grew apart, Dys is quiet but cool, but it's especially Tang that has left a lasting impression on me, with her slow-burn transformation from passionate geek to overworked scientist being the kind of character journey that truly resonates with me.
I kept thinking to myself, playing Teenage Exocolonist, that these kind of warm, genuine games aren't a dime a dozen, and I always appreciate and love the feeling of stumbling upon something that feels really special.
2023 Games Completed
1. January 4th - Missed Messages (9/10)
2. January 4th - Florence (9/10)
3. January 5th - Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk and milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk (9/10)
4. February 16th - Metroid Prime Remastered (10/10)
5. March 5th - Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo (8/10)
6. May 19th - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (11/10)
7. June 5th - I Was A Teenage Exocolonist (8/10)
Honkai Impact 3rd (
Part 1 of the story ended recently, so I'm counting it. A fantastic journey with some amazing characters. Story was great and made me cry at multiple points, but it does get super complicated (and wordy) towards the end, with the need to read other works to get some more context. I love the characters and Kiana Kaslana might have become one of my top 3 female characters in gaming. Animated cutscenes were beautiful, each and every one of them. And the music accompanying them were also great I've been listening to them on repeat for the past few weeks. The combination of the two made me cry multiple times and some still bring some tears to my eyes.
As for combat it was great, even if a little bit simplistic (it's a mobile game after all). Haven't done any of the other modes as they simply didn't interest me much. Also it has alot of recycled content and I mean alot. Levels were the biggest offenders since most repeated over and over. Music outside the cutscenes wasn't as memorable, but I still need to listen to them properly
It's a game you mostly play for the story and characters. But those are fantastic anyway so it's ok. Highly reccomend it
Omori
Started this in 2022 but finished it this year. all I can say is that it was short and sweet. Combat was ok, but it reached a point where I didn't want to engage with it. Story and atmosphere are the highlight here, with the last strech being amazing. liked it alot, but I don't think I'll return to it.
Metroid Prime Remastered
still as good as I remember, but the phazon mines are such a lowpoint that it doesn't make me want to replay it again just because of them. truly an awful area all-around. Other than that, Music and gameplay are still great.
Took me this long to update my list because I've only been playing gacha games while doing other stuff, but anyway
#4 The legend of Zelda: Teears of the kingdom
I left my full impressions in the spoiler thread, but basically Iliked it but I was left somewhat dissapointed. I do think it's better than BOTW and one of the best Switch games, but It's not my favourite on Switch or among the ones I played this year (tho it's definitely the best one I played that came out this year). If BOTW was a 8 after six years for me, TOTK is a 8.5-9
1) Guardians of the Galaxy - Cloud Version (NSW)
2) Rise of the Third Power (NSW)
3) Haiku, the Robot (NSW)
4) Fire Emblem Engage (NSW)
5) The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA NSO)*
6) WareWare Inc. (GBA NSO)*
7) Panzer Dragoon Remake (NSW)*
8) Final Fantasy IX (NSW)*
9) UnMetal (NSW)
10) Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (NSW)
11) Octopath Traveler 2 (NSW)
12) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (NSW)
13) Citizen Sleeper : Purge (NSW)
14) Metroid Fusion (GBA NSO)*
15) The Red Strings Club (NSW)
16) Earthbound Beginnings (NES NSO)
17) Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed (NSW)
18) Dungeon Encounters (NSW)
19) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (NSW)
20) Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance (NSW)
This game is precisely what the title would lead you to believe. I haven't played a ton of dating sims/visual novels, but the writing is pretty good. I did not end up dating the raptor, but it's good enough and short enough that I might give it a replay some day.
17 — Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
So many people are out there saying so many things about TotK that I find it extremely difficult to write about without feeling redundant. But, like, yeah. It's pretty much that good. This game is jam-packed with big and memorable moments, and the creativity-enabling tools at your disposal to triumph in those moments are honestly a little bit staggering. I grew to especially love building a little army of battery-powered robots with homing weapons, then rolling into an enemy camp to watch the chaos (and FIRE) very quickly ratchet up to 10. It was really satisfying to learn the ins and outs of the Ultrahand. When you can have a crazy idea one minute and have it up and running how you envisioned it the next, it's an all-time video game feeling. (Use those stabilizers!) The quiet moments are equally exceptional. Surveying the silhouettes of faraway sky islands at dusk; watching the mushroom-obsessed townsfolk of Hateno Village milling around; taking some time out from the adventure for a half an hour of nature photography around Hebra. The contrasts between high and low action are profound. This game has the nicest colour palette ever, maybe. Holy hell, I didn't even talk about Fuse or Ascend...!
[VERDICT — Pretty Crazy This Never Crashed Out of Ten]
It sure feels like the whole game follows dream logic. Either that, or two writers fighting each other over what the game's about, except one can't write anything but shitty sex jokes.
I'm so tired of characters who are just awful perverts. Not the fun kind, but the kind of shut-in weirdos this game is teeming with.
If the game didn't try to be "funny" all the time, it could be as good as 999, but alas poor Yorick we need to do a porn magazine joke for the 6th time. Surely this time it'll be funny.
1. Persona 5 Royal
2. Metroid Prime Remastered
3. WarioWare (GBA NSO)
4. Fire Emblem Engage
5. Metroid Fusion (NSO)
6. Paranormasight
7. Trails to Azure
8. Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception 9. Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth
I think this was a solid conclusion to the series. Not sure I agree with how they handled certain characters, but nothing outrageous happened. I would recommend the three games in this series if you like VN-style games and are willing to go through a slow burn. There's very good world building in these games.
10. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
It's just one of those experiences that doesn't come by very often in gaming. I stretched out my playthrough more than I did with BOTW, so I'm glad I got a good month out of it. Surprisingly, the thing I enjoyed most was completing shrines. It really brought out my creativity, especially when I wasn't picking up on the intended solution.
11. Donkey Kong Country (NSO)
Thanks for the rewind button, Nintendo! I would have stopped after my first game over, say "this is stupid", and never touch this game again if the option wasn't there. Man, this game irritated me. It felt like enemies would suddenly come out of nowhere right after I escaped something else. There just wasn't much time to react to anything. I guess I can only enjoy the newer DK games (DKC Returns and Tropical Freeze). Those games were hard at times, but they never felt cheap. It sucks that I had these issues with DKC SNES, because it has a lot of things going for it. Great character designs, great music, lots of personality. I finished this one, but I highly doubt I'll ever want to play DKC 2 and 3 at this point.
Side note: my constant use of the rewind button in DKC reminded me of that meme from a while back that said "you cheated not only the game, but yourself" lol
Tears of the Kingdom obviously consumed me for most of May. I've shared a lot of my thoughts on the game in other threads, most of them positive, some more critical. The short version is basically that I don't really remember when a game tickled my curiosity and imagination the way this one did so I can forgive a lot of the stuff that I wasn't initially on board with (map reuse) and for being less cohesive and messier than BotW. Too early for me to rank it but it easily feels like one of my favourite games of all time.
The Room and The Room Two were replays since I found them in my friend's Steam library that he put up for family sharing lol. Not much to say about them. Simplistic but extremely atmospheric puzzlers with a little bit of Lovecraft in there. I did miss the tactile feel interacting with these devices on a touch screen but the PC ports are otherwise good.
Also played Spider-Man: Miles Morales which I somehow finished before some other games that I started after TotK. Insomniac have become the masters of releasing these titles at a pace and with a level of polish that puts the rest of the industry to shame. They nailed the traversal in the first Spider-Man (as simplistic as it is) and now they basically only have to continue giving people good combat and decently written stories. The ~8ish hours I played also felt just right for this type of game.
Dark Souls III
Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA)
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
Donkey Kong Country
Metroid Prime Remastered
Metroid Fusion
Kirby's Dream Land
WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgames!
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Nintendo Switch Sports
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (Linked Game)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (Project Restoration)
12. Final Fantasy 1 PR: Had to played it since I rarely replayed it. Very fast game but even without boost an easy one (IIRC they balanced with the GBA stats which are easy mode)
13. Final Fantasy 5 PR: Still a very good classic, and now with boost AP mode you can do or try some combinations without grinding. It does make the game easier at the end as you will have all classes mastered by that point making the freelancer a beast, but still fun.
14. Zelda Tears of the Kingdom: Not much to say here, I'm putting it because I finished the story but I'm returning to it untill Atelier Marie Remake arrives
15. Bat boy: Very nice platformer with tight controls and once you have the complete moveset you can do some crazy movements. Not too long but I still have to find some seeds
1. SAMURAI MAIDEN
2. Legend of Zelda
3. Mighty Gunvolt Burst
4. Funky Kong Country Tropical Freeze
5. Bloodstained Curse of the Moon: Nightmare mode.
6. Astalon
7. Fire Emblem Engage
8. Metroid Prime Remastered
9. Grim Guardians Demon Purge
10. Octopath Traveler 2
11. Atelier Ryza 3
Totally forgot about the thread, but I finished Tears of the Kingdom's story last weekend. Still playing it though. I've been really loving my time with it. It's crazy how many nights I've played this and felt like I've done nothing at all lol.
19)Legend Of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
Amazing game, too much for me to properly break down without spoilers XD
Previous games:
1)Yoku’s island express
2)Live a Live
3)Arcade Paradise
4)The Great Ace Attorney Adventures
5)Immortal Fenyx rising
6) SD Gundam Battle Alliance
7)Nier Automata
8)Crimson Skies High road to revenge
9)Stacking
10)Conker Live and reloaded
11)Legend of Zelda the minish Cap
12)Ducktales remastered
13)Vostok Inc
14) Star Wars Battlefront(OG)
15)Kirby and the forgotten land
16) Xenoblade chronicles 3 Future Redeemed
17) Sonic Adventure(Xbox)
18)Rhapsody a Musical Adventure
Total by system:
PS3 - 4
PS5 - 5
NS - 3
NSO - 2 (counting separately because they're not strictly Switch games)
Lost Judgement (PS5) - 135 hours - 10/10
Fire Emblem: Engage (NS) - 44 hours - 5/10
Ryu Ga Gotoku: Kenzan! (PS3) - 70 hours - 10/10
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (NSO) - 2 hours - 9.5/10
Like a Dragon: Ishin! Kiwami (PS5) - 165 hours - 11/10
Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga (NSO) - 20 hours - 9/10
Yakuza: Dead Souls (PS3) - 30 hours - 8.5/10
The Kaito Files (PS5) - 15 hours - 11/10
Yakuza 1 HD (PS3) - 15 hours - 7/10
Yakuza 2 HD (PS3) - 15 hours - 8/10
Yakuza 3 Remastered (PS5) - 80 hours - 10/10
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (NS) - 20 hours - 7/10
Octopath Traveller 2 (PS5) - 70 hours - 9/10
I liked this a lot actually, the soundtrack in particular was fantastic, as the first was. I only really clicked with Throne and Partitio's stories in this one so wasn't as interested in most characters as I was in the first, but I did like how they felt more connected this time. The conclusion was really satisfying this time too.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (NS) - 75 hours - 8/10
It absolutely feels grand, but I'm not sure it stands up to BOTW for me. Many of the new mechanics are cool, but I found slapping random stuff together tiring after the 50th time doing it (and I found the skill that just remembers what you've built previously 55 hours into my 60 with the game...), especially when there didn't seem to be decent rewards for exploring in many parts (I climbed this big ass mountain and found my way into this tiny cavern for... a large brightbloom seed? Really?) The temples didn't really click with me (other than the wind one, that was cool) and the main story started to really drag in the end. I'm sitting at the boss of the fifth temple and I've just put the game down for now. I'll come back to it eventually but I just needed a break.
Next in line:
Metroid Prime Remastered (NS)
Super Mario 3D World (NS)
Pikmin 4 (NS)
Diablo IV (PS5)
AFL 23 (PS5)
Street Fighter 6 (PS5)
Ratchet and Clank (PS5)
What a game. My comments all here.
I just want to share one of my favorite screenshots. No spoilers. Just my stupid solution for some korok who needs to climb a mountain to meet a friend.
Not really sure what to play post-Zelda. This game is going to be living rent-free in my head for a long while.
Maybe 13 Sentinels or Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
Knowing the somewhat cynical history behind the game's development I wasn't ready for it to blow the first one out of the water. It's insane how good this game is.
What a game. I've never been so engrossed by a game as I was with Tears of The Kingdom. I'm not the biggest open world gamer because my adhd hurts me from finishing objectives. I get distracted by the smallest of things. Like BOTW, I proceeded to get lost in the world that Nintendo has created. However, unlike ToTK there was more of a structure all the while there being so many more things to do everywhere you look. There was so much to do and I wanted to do it all but not once did I feel like I was lost. In BOTW I felt a little lost at times. The one thing I liked was that you got such a massive map to work with but unlike most open world games you get to choose how littered that map is with objectives. I had a set system in place of where I knew where lightroot and shrines were. You can also choose what objective you want to do and the map will pinpoint it. At one point I had maybe 150 icons on the map but they all served a purpose. I wasn't confused and felt overwhelmed with what I should do.
The breadth of content is truly insane. I'm used to playing over 150 hours in a game if it is multiplayer, a life sim(stardew), or some heavily modded game like rimworld or Cities Skylines. But this is none of those things. This is solely a single player game meant to take you on one singular epic adventure. That adventure was the most exciting adventure I've played. There was a lot of questioning about what took Nintendo 6 years to make this game. While playing it I never once had to ask myself. The game showed me with each and every single minute. 160 hours in I was still being surprised by what was in the game.
I really don't think I'm doing this game a justice with these words. It's 1AM (I'm cooked)and I just rolled credits after a very enjoyable ending. The thing is, I'm NOT left wondering if out of the hundreds of games I've played was this the best one. I'm left wondering if a game will ever top Tears of the Kingdom. I'm really not sure. I don't really think a lot of games are 10s, maybe like 5 give or take, but Tears of the Kingdom is undeniably a 10 for me. It has set the new standard for what makes a game truly a 10 out of 10. [10/10]
Finished my 20th game this year, Dredge. Despite its simplicity I found it really engrossing and fun to explore this little open world with its lovecraftian trappings. Probably my only criticism is that it's extremely easy to max out your steam boat equipment. Looking forward to the upcoming DLC.
Dark Souls III
Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA)
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
Donkey Kong Country
Metroid Prime Remastered
Metroid Fusion
Kirby's Dream Land
WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgames!
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Nintendo Switch Sports
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (Linked Game)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (Project Restoration)
1) Super Metroid (NSO) 2) Metroid Fusion (Wii U) 3) Metroid Dread (NSW) 4) Sonic Frontiers (PS5) 5) MX vs ATV Legends (XSS) 6) Kuru Kuru Kuruin (NSO) 7) Metroid Prime Remastered (NSW) 8) HiFi Rush (XSS) 9) Final Fantasy Crisis Core Reunion (NSW) 10) Spider-Man Miles Morales (PS5) 11) Sonic Spinball (NSO) 12) Sonic 3d Blast (XSS) 13) Sonic the Hedgehog (XSS) 14) Sonic CD (XSS)
It's been a while since I updated this list! Only three games to add, though.
14) Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS5)
I adored this game. I loved everything about it. If I had the time, I would absolutely go for the plat. Can’t wait for Rebirth!
15) Donald Duck Advance (GBA)
This is a surprisingly fun little 2D platformer. Donald’s walking speed is a bit slow, but there’s a run button, and it’s a toggle, which makes for some fun and frantic moments. I liked the chase levels the best. The final boss is a pain, but otherwise the game is fairly easy.
16) Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (PS2)
I haven’t played THPS3 in probably fifteen years. It was one of the first games I got for PS2, and it was my whole life for a while. Playing it now, it’s amazing how modern it feels. Aside from a few gameplay tweaks here and there (spine transfers and altering grinds, etc), this feels like a modern-day THPS. It’s just as fun as it ever was. And it’s got maybe the best soundtrack in the entire series.
Bit late to the party but thought I'd add my completions here for this year as well just for posterity - some replays but mostly first time playthroughs.
1) Hi-Fi Rush (XS) - 9/10
2) Vampire Survivors (XS) - 5/10
3) A Monster's Expedition (PS5) - 10/10
4) Titanfall 2 (XS) - 8/10
5) The Last of Us Part 1 Remake (PS5) - 10/10
6) Understand (PC) - 7/10
7) GNOG (PS5) - 5/10
8) Pokemon Shining Pearl (Switch) - 4/10
9) A Space for the Unbound (Switch) - 8/10
10) WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! (Switch) - 7/10
11) Pokemon Stadium (Switch) - 6/10
12) Pokemon Crystal (3DS) - 7/10
13) Golden Idol Mysteries: The Spider of Lanka (PC) - 8/10
14) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch) - 10/10
15) Planet of Lana (XS) - 8/10
Most recent completions came in the last few days: 16) Humanity (PS5) - 10/10
Absolutely loved the vibe of the game since seeing it in one of the various State of Plays and it didn't disappoint. Helps that I'm a big puzzle game fan but was pleasantly surprised by its foray into something a touch more action-y as the campaign went on. Also can't not love a game that let's people create their own levels using all of the mechanics you've learnt about in the story
17) Dordogne (XS) - 6/10
Was hoping for a lot more than I got. Absolutely beautiful art style with a nice story but everything is just so slow (I knew this wouldn't exactly be fast-paced going in but all movements and actions felt super sluggish). Also while the narrative played out in the past is quite interesting, the modern day stuff feels super shallow, almost like the devs didn't know how to link up a lot of the scenes, so cobbled together a framing device which didn't do anything for me.
Finally got around to Storyteller. It's a silly little game, maybe a little too short for its price but some of the scenarios you have to arrange gave me some good chuckles. Not sure I'd recommend it unless it's like 50% off.
Dark Souls III
Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA)
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
Donkey Kong Country
Metroid Prime Remastered
Metroid Fusion
Kirby's Dream Land
WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgames!
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Nintendo Switch Sports
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (Linked Game)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (Project Restoration)
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