I'm not going to bother trying to list the stuff I've completed this year, but I've written my backlog down so this thread is now relevant to my interests!
I'll list the three most recent I've completed in the last couple of weeks:
Super Mario RPG Remake - 7/10
I'm glad I played this, at long last. The game has charm bursting out of its seams - where else would you see Mario using mime to act out the events of the story? The game is delightfully weird, throwing bizarre locales, scenarios and characters at a breakneck pace - there's no filler here!
And the soundtrack? Magnificent.
...that being said, I can definitely tell that this was the first attempt at a Mario RPG. It's the foundation from which Paper Mario and the Mario & Luigi games was built from. The humor, the battle system, the original party members, the whacky scenarios - it's all here and it's all solid.
That's something to be applauded, but I also think that those games have all improved on what this SMRPG bought to the table.
The characters in this game aren't really as memorable as they could be. The pacing means that any character moments aren't really given the time they need to breathe and leave their mark. Geno and Mallow are likeable party members with some fantastic character designs, but that's kind of it. TTYD showed what could be done with party members, and SMRPG doesn't really reach those heights.
The villains are pretty one-note as well, and tend to be cast aside as quickly as they're introduced. Booster is great, but he barely counts as a villain. Smithy and his gang don't really leave as much of an impact as Cackletta/Fawful, or Count Bleck and his menagerie. They're just sort of there.
The game is also very easy. I don't look for difficulty in Mario RPGs, but once you have unlocked Peach and have her decked out in the right gear, you'd have to actively try to lose a battle in the regular campaign. Even disregarding Peach, the game is a cakewalk, to the point where I felt I was going on autopilot towards the end.
I feel like I have been negative about this, but I do want to stress that SMRPG is very solid. It has to be, considering it served as the fundamental basis for the RPGs that came after. This game was likely incredible to experience when it originally released, but unfortunately it didn't wow me as a first time player.
I still recommend it though! Especially if you're a fan of the classic styled Mario RPGs.
Sonic Superstars - 5/10
I don't want to flog the dead horse too much, but the bosses in this game truly are horrid. The long periods of waiting for attack animations to complete, the cheap insta-kill tactics that are employed towards the end, the droning music - it all adds to nearly every level having a miserable denouement.
I'm bringing up the bosses first as the final boss of the main campaign was the last straw. I beat it, but the thought of going through a second run with harder bosses has led me to cross this one off the list. Going off of YouTube, it doesn't seem I'm missing out on much.
It's a real shame, because the actual levels are mostly pretty good, particularly through the first few zones. Not all the concepts hit, but there's enough there to make me believe that Oshima/Arzest have enough of an idea on what makes a classic Sonic level click. The physics are also spot-on, so kudos to them for making the effort on getting that right.
Unfortunately even the regular gameplay has its drawbacks. Some of the concepts and level design towards the back half of the game just tend to cause more frustration than engagement. Running into obstacles you can't see coming is a rite of passage for any classic Sonic game, but it seemed a bit more egregious here.
The Emerald Powers also didn't do much for me. They're a neat concept but ultimately they're too context sensitive to really be of much use. The wheel to choose the Powers seemed to be weirdly buggy on PS5 as well.
Aesthetically the game isn't much to shout about either. I played on PS5, but I'd still say the game pales in comparison to Super Mario Bros Wonder in terms of graphics and animations. That might be harsh given that Wonder obviously had more time and money placed into it, but the contrast is still stark. The game looks and animates fine, but doesn't seem to strive for anything greater.
The music is also bizarrely forgettable, which is a big miss for a Sonic game. The Sonic 4 inspired tracks do not help, and I am baffled as to their inclusion here - if nothing else it makes the soundtrack feel very disjointed.
Unfortunately Sonic Superstars treads the same path that Sonic game projects have walked since Origins last year: there are some solid fundamentals undermined by a number of caveats. Superstars will likely get an update like Origins and Frontiers did next year, but it's frustrating that Sega seem to be incapable of releasing a game that is complete and solid on its own merits at launch. Sonic Mania got an update as well, but I don't think anyone can accuse that game of being undercooked at release.
So, yeah. Superstars is a disappointment in its current state. I wouldn't say I regret playing it, but I have no desire to play it again without some major amendments being made.
Trip is cute though. I hope she comes back!
Splatoon 3: Story Mode - 8.5/10
Splatoon has never really held me to the same extent as the first one - to the extent I've sorta wondered if I made the wrong choice in buying Splatoon 3. I'm confused as to why given that I still really enjoyed my time with Splatoon 2 and the Octo Expansion.
Ultimately though, I haven't really given Splatoon 3 much in terms of time. I think the oft-mentioned criticisms regarding how overly familiar it feels are correct, though I don't think that's inherently an issue. There's a part of me that doesn't blame the Splatoon team for being reluctant to push the boat out when they managed to nail it so much in the first game.
Not all sequels need to innovate, but I do think Splatoon is maybe a bit too comfortable in its current form - to the point where some of the issues dating back to the first game haven't been fixed.
That being said, I wanted to give the game a fairer shake. As I know there are other multi-player games thay will take up my time, I felt it was best to focus my efforts on the single player campaign.
...and it's fantastic! You get around 70 levels, each that explore a concept with escalating difficulty before moving on to the next one. One level can see you rail grinding on a ink stream while hitting targets, the next will see you jumping between enemy aircraft to climb through the level.
No two levels feel exactly the same, though naturally some concepts are revisited. Almost every weapon is used, every enemy type exploited and every mechanic explored as thoroughly as possible.
The level design has a vibe not dissimilar to Super Mario Galaxy, which is very high praise coming from me. The bosses are of a similar ilk, in that they all have a central gimmick you need to overcome three times in order to succeed. Not the most difficult or memorable, but they're solid.
Another Galaxy similarity is how some of the levels are set in an abstract locales that don't have a massive sense of place. This isn't a criticism, but it did make the final gauntlet before the final boss stand out for being a continuous journey through the space center. I wouldn't be against future Splatoon titles having more scenarios like this, presuming that they can keep the free-flowing level design intact.
Oh yeah, the music is a banger too. Hopefully they can come up with something other than Calamari Inkantation for the last boss next time though.
As it stands though, the single player campaign is an excellent little romp that doesn't wear out its welcome. There are some drawbacks - a couple of the level ideas are a bit rubbish, with the art copying one springing to mind. I didn't really care for the progression and skill tree aspects either, they felt more tacked on. Callie and Marie are still super charming but I also wish they'd stop nagging me about Smallfry finding stuff in the hub.
It's still great though. I'll definitely jump into Side Order if it's near the same quality, which is not something I'd have said a couple of weeks ago.