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StarTopic Famicritic |ST| Our own review aggregator! (Third batch up, GOTY edition!))

Reader mode
welp, call me a nintendo fan, but i have only played alan wake 2 super mario bros. wonder - so, here goes:

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (B+) (edit: maybe would also say an A-, but i'm sticking with 4 stars)

i have always been a fan of 2D mario games, even the lowest rated NSMB (3DS) i played the heck out of. wonder, thankfully enough, puts all the NSMBs to shame in almost every aspect. to start, the art style truly is a wonder - the animations are so lively, the colors pop, the backgrounds and themes are really beautiful. this is absolutely one of the aspects of the game that i have no qualms with.

the gameplay itself also feels snappier and more fun to control than the NSMB titles. i felt like i really could control my characters in dire moments when subtlety was needed. i also very much appreciated that all the characters included (another lovely addition) played the same, so i could use each of them without feeling handicapped in some way. my only problem with that is making yoshi an "easy mode" character as i would've loved to use them without feeling like a noob.

with the levels themselves, i felt like this was another upgrade over past iterations, to some degrees. W1 was possibly one of the best W1s ever, it felt like it went on forever and there were so many different paths you could take. W2 and W3 though gave me a little worry as i felt less impressed. W2 felt like most other ice levels and was only serviceable to me, with some standouts. W2, on the other hand, i enjoyed its theming but it felt so incredibly easy it had almost no staying power to me. i also felt that it was a fun take on a world to not have a castle at the end, but this could've been done better. after these two worlds though, the game took off and never looked back. i truly loved the last half of the game - the fact that the desert world was possibly my favorite when desert worlds are almost always the worst?! absolutely magic.

out of the three new power-ups; bubble, elephant, and drill, the latter was certainly my favorite. i loved how drilling into the ground made you interact with the courses in a completely new way. i wish this was actually used more and to varying effects - i can certainly see interacting with the levels themselves as a interesting route to take in the coming games. my least favorite was bubble - loved the color combo of the power-ups on the characters but it was largely boring to use and really didn't feel helpful most of the time. elephant was certainly fun and had its uses as well.

what takes it down to only a B+ for me though, is the music and length, i.e. shortness. the music here is definitely a step up from NSMB days and i heard some genius themes, but it truly felt like they could have gone even farther and tried harder to produce something really one-of-a-kind. in the end, i ended up cranking out 20 hours with this game, definitely not short for a 2D platformer, but it seemed like the team had so many ideas that i wish they expanded even more on. i feel like we could've gotten more secret levels, more branching paths in the levels themselves, etc. it's telling, then, that my biggest qualms are simply that i just wanted more of everything!

all in all, SMBW is a magnificent return to form for the king of platformers and truly lives up to the expectations of it being a joyous romp through some drugged up mushroom kingdom. can't wait to play it again in a few months after i've forgotten 50% of it!

edit: wow, i was not expecting to write that much. oops
 
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Alan Wake 2: Sorta interested. Need to play 1 first and see how it goes
Baldur's Gate 3: Wasn't interested at first but changed when I watched streamers. Waiting for the copium Switch 2 release - I may have said on IB that I'll buy the game on Switch 2 if a port gets announced
Marvel's Spider-Man 2: no interest. 1 wasn't any good. Disappointed Insomniac released a stinker
Resident Evil 4: no interest. demo turned me off. I'll keep playing the OG version
Super Mario Bros. Wonder: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm slowly finishing it up. I have a great time whenever I pick up my Switch to play. I love the presentation and it's beautiful on my OLED console. My favorite part of levels have Wonder Flower sections. There is a lot of creativity in those. Being a slime is the best. You stick to walls and zip through levels it's so fun. Really though the variety is cool. Sometimes you're a Goomba and they have no mobility so what the devs did is add some other mechanic that isn't used for the normal characters which is hiding behind trees. I just love the gameplay switch ups and it all comes together wonderfully.
 
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Super Mario Bros. Wonder
⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐

Wonder is so full of imagination, warmth and fun, that I’ve definitely come around to its name since I’ve played it. It is about wonder, as you have no idea what wonder flowers are doing to turn the levels into. It makes the NSMB games, as much as I really like NSMBWU, seem a bit pedestrian in comparison, and reminds me more of the constant inventiveness of Galaxy, SMB3 and SMW. If anything, just that comparison makes me realise that it’s that sense of constant new ideas (along with the perfect controls) that makes me love Mario. I particularly liked that there were levels hidden on the world map itself- as in, not requiring secret exits, but a bit of simple, gentle willingness to explore the map in its few slightly open areas.

If I were to pick things that could have been better, there could have been more boss fights throughout the game and they could have differed more?

Still, I came away from it thoroughly impressed once more with Mario, 35+ years after I first controlled the plumber, and this time with my kid in tow as we explored together. That Nintendo knows what it’s doing in making games families of all skill levels can play together, while allowing veteran players to ignore all that if they want to and dig around for some some real challenges if they explore off the beaten path, is no surprise at this point, but like flagpoles at the end of levels, it still deserves recognition every step of the way.

Haven’t played the others but I really hope Baldurs Gate 3 gets a Switch 2 port.
 
Hey folks, just bumping this thread and reminding y'all to get your reviews in. There's still over a week but I know it's easy to forget.
 
Super Mario Bros. Wonder: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

For sure the most fun I have had with a 2D Mario in ages. It is inventive and surprises. I enjoyed playing through it a lot.
It is too easy though and many concepts are introduced but not really fleshed out. This has so much more potential and I hope Nintendo will build on it.
Music was just okay and most bossfights were forgetable.




I haven't played any of the other games though. Just too recent.
I tend to be a couple of years behind the Zeitgeist with most of the games I play.
 
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Super Mario Bros. Wonder: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The best 2D Mario since Mario World, this game is a blast on the first playthrough with every level having a wonderful little surprise. A lack of difficulty makes this game less interesting on repeat playthroughs, but the final special world levels are challenging enough for several great replays

Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wow. I wasn’t the biggest fan of BOTW, in part because of the open world format. That game probably bore some of the brunt of criticism I would have reserved for this game if it was first, so I cannot be completely objective, but I still think this game improves upon BOTW in nearly every respect

There are more dungeons, more interesting and more varied bosses, more areas to explore, both above and below you. But where this game really excels is in the introduction of the brand new skills Link has at his disposal. Instead of tediously climbing up a mountain, you can now find points underground and ascend to the top. The recall feature gives brand new shrine challenges that sometimes can be serious brain exercises, and the ultrahand ability allows you to play the part of an engineer. Just an all around great game with an insane amount of stuff to do
 
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Unfortunately, I have a lot going on recently, so I'm trying to be as concise as possible this round, especially since I fully played all the nominees.

Alan Wake 2
Reminds me of the Return which is a really good thing. I got into Alan Wake before I dipped into Twin Peaks so getting this after The Return feels like a full circle thing for me. Where the Return is a metanarrative on the nature of reboots and nostalgia, Alan Wake 2 is a little more straightforward with it's story, although this is to its strength. Saga's half of the game is, ironically, more of the sequel fans would want including a return to Bright Falls 13 years after the events of the first game with some nice additions from Remedy's connected universe. Combat has been intensified from the first, taking more damage per hit, but lowering the enemies encountered throughout the game, making exploration more tense. It has the RE4 "problem" where eventually you have too many resources for combat to be a threat anymore although obviously for some, this is less a problem and more a reward. Alan's half of the game is where the inspiration from the Return lives, a strange exploration of a superfictional place in an already fictional story. Alan has different weapons and problem-solving compared to Saga allowing some variety in gameplay. It feels like they had two or more ideas for a sequel and instead of deciding on one, they crammed them all together and made it work. I think I would recommend this to anyone who hasn't played the first or Control and is interested, but still. Probably should.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Baldur's Gate 3
Hoo boy. This is a massive, massive game. I discovered this in the first 10 hours after talking to my friends and realizing just how different our runs were. I don't mean we just made different choices. They all saw entire plot threads play out that I couldn't even imagine happening. Or maybe I could and assumed the game wouldn't let it happen. It's so freeing, being able to genuinely do things in the order you want, with the methods you want. The story is quite simple, but I found it really satisfying, mostly because the moment to moment writing is incredibly strong. Some of the best writing I've ever read in a video game with some of the highest quality acting powering it. There are hundreds of voiced characters, and while a majority only have a few lines, there is not a single bit of awkwardly written dialogue (in a game with branching dialogue!) nor is there a phoned in performance. Graphically, the artstyle and fidelity aren't special, but the game is colorful and everything important pops out quite well. It's pleasant to looks at. If you've ever played DnD, this game will feel right at home. It isn't 1 to 1 with the TTRPG, but obviously the DNA is there and having played DND before enhances the game. I spent 80 hours on my first character's file. While playing that, I started a co-op game with my girlfriend with a completely different character (and let her take the reins) and I saw so much different content that the game still felt fresh. Once both were done, I immediately started a third character that I played all the way through, seeing new content all the while. Even if you don't have the desire to make your own character, you can start the game with one of the companions becoming the main character and doing so is actually worth it! They each add their own twist on the story with some bonuses based on their backstories. As a side note, if you get the game, I highly recommend playing as the Dark Urge. It's a customizable character option, however your backstory is decided and greatly adds a ton of depth to the story. If you even have a passing interest in turn-based strategy games, this is a game for you. The combat is harsh at first, but once you learn the various systems, it's a joy to play. If any of this sounds interesting, snatch this game up. It's worth it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Marvel's Spider-Man 2
I really like Insomniac's take on and world of Spider-Man. It's got the right mixture of references to previous media, the source material, and their own unique spin on things. And the gameplay itself is fun too, although this being the third one with no major shakeup on the same, albeit extended, map is really starting to wear thin. The length of the game and the quantity of the side content being shorter than the first game is much appreciated, although it feels like I'm happy to get it over with rather than I'm glad to be able to chew through it quickly. The story itself disappointed me in a few major aspects, such as the implementation of Kraven and the lopsided focus on Peter over Miles (I would've liked to see a little more balance), but when it hits, it hits. This is my favorite depiction of the Peter-Harry friendship in a long, long time, in any media.
⭐⭐⭐


Resident Evil 4
I was one of those that did not believe this remake needed to happen. Still don't. But those geniuses at Capcom really did it. They gave me what I didn't think was possible. They let me play Resident Evil 4 for the first time a second time. I genuinely cherished every moment I played of this game on my multiple playthroughs. I don't have a lot to say on this really, except that if you're at all interested in either game, you can't go wrong. It feels wrong for me to say, but I enjoyed this game nearly as much as the original. The gameplay is very similar, just with some modernization that may matter to some. The story, however, is so vastly improved in this version. The remake's stories have so far been hit (2) and miss (3) but this is definitely a hit. All the characters are further fleshed out in ways that make them more real. I love the original's story as a campy romp in Spain, but the character growth Leon and Ashley go through in this game was stellar. Special shoutout to Luis for being the real man character and Krauser, a character I hated from the original for being a tacked on loser, for actually making sense and being included in the story in a much more meaningful way.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Dollars to donuts, if you asked me what my favorite series is, I would've never said Mario. But then I thought about it and realized I've gotten every major Mario release for the past decade and loved each one to bits. This is no different, despite never being a huge 2D Mario guy. I'm not sure what clicked in my brain on this one, maybe it's the fact that it is easier overall, but I can see the vision now. The DNA of past games, older and newer, 2D and 3D, shines through in this entry, like a culmination of everything they've ever done. Reading interviews where the developers state they had no time crunch and had a very "toss-it-in" approach to level design made me happy to see, and for me, the game it produced shows that crunch does not make well-made games, it makes tired developers. Obviously not every company has the resources for that, but that's a topic for another post. My point is, their philosophy for this game paid off and I hope it was as much a joy to make as it is to play.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
 
Alan Wake 2
Feels like one of the best games made in years while also being fairly disappointing at the same time. Which should be a compliment - Alan Wake 2 has so much creativity in it, and the story of the game is just amazing. Like the first game the characters are great, and most of the original music is very good (except the episode end theme, which is weirdly bad). Sadly I think the gameplay is just too flawed. The combination of survival horror and action horror in the combat is extremely awkward, and a lot of the puzzles are fairly annoying. I also think the pacing for most of the game is good until the end, which is overly long and makes some questionable choices. Overall it's a good game, but I've seen a lot of "bad gameplay great game" takes and I wonder if some of the shine will wear off over time. I certainly hope they get the gameplay right next time because the story and presentation here is very good.
⭐⭐⭐

Resident Evil 4
Before this came out I was fairly skeptical, none of the trailers looked very good and RE4 felt like a game that didn't necessarily need a remake even if there were some flaws. Now, it's probably my 2nd favorite game of all time, just behind the first REmake. The way they've touched up the original is extremely thoughtful and clever, and crucially they've spruced up a lot of the flaws the original had. No longer is the best strategy just constantly one tap headshots, rather you have to make use of your arsenal much more cleverly this time. The subversive aspect of Shinji Mikami's enemy designs with stuff like the Crimson Heads or the Parasitic Ganados has always been a great aspect of his horror games, but unfortunately I don't think the original RE4 went quite as far as it should have in this regard. The answer to having a Ganado's head blow up and reveal a parasite was to ... keep shooting at the head, which often didn't take that much longer anyways. The answer to overusing an enemy weak point was to just keep shooting at that weak point. REmake 4 fixes this by introducing headless variants, as well as bull enemies that are incredibly strong and aren't weak that weak to headshots. There's also a ton of other amazing changes, and even some of the elements of REmake 2 that felt overbearing like the enemies having different health amounts was way better in REmake 4 thanks to the tactical nature of the combat. Combining survival horror mechanics with an action horror game never worked so well, and finally I think the Metal Gear Solid 3-esque nature of RE4's tool set has been fully realized.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Super Mario Bros. Wonder
It's flaws and positives are fairly well known about by now, but they bear repeating. Mario Wonder is extremely creative, has extremely tight controls, and is very fun. The Wonder gimmick might occasionally get old, but the gimmicks always keep the pacing going. And that is a very big strength of Mario Wonder, all of its gameplay mechanics keep the pacing going. The tight controls keep the momentum up and the new revive system is incredibly fun, gamifying even the death system of platforming games. Unfortunately the game can get repetitive at times, and it is something that is more fun in short bursts. I do think the difficulty could be a tad higher, but for the most part I think it's impressive how high the quality of the level design is despite not being traditionally challenging whatsoever. Great game, and one that surprised me with how fun it was.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
 
Mario wonder: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Holy moly this game is good. Wonder fixes every single issue the NSMB games had, and adds to the 2D Mario formula in ways I didn’t even know I wanted them to. The talking flowers add much needed life to the game, and really surprised me how actually funny they were. Pared with the incredible animations every character has, and the game has a sense of liveliness far beyond every other 2D Mario. The badge system was also great, bringing in alternate gameplay styles that help make the moment to moment gameplay more varied. The level design is amazing even without the wonder effects, far exceeding its fellow 2D games (take a drink every time I said that). Really the most surprising thing about the game to me was just how good the online was. Seeing the community band together to help each other and making bonds with randoms online was really nice. All in all, banger game that will hopefully pave the way for more incredible games like it
The legend of zelda, tears of the kingdom: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Already reviewed TOTK on the completed games this year thread, so go check that out if you wanna see my in depth thoughts
 
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Alan Wake 2
It's hard not to just copy the giant thoughts post from Backloggd/2023 Completed games thread, so I'll keep this short: AW2 is great. It's one of the most atmospheric games I've ever played, and its only downfall is that it reall tries to scare you using jumpscares that feel like they came from a 2010 indie game. The combat is punchy, even if samey, but exploration and story are a blast. The game effectively combines Silent Hill-like locales with Alan's chapters and RE-like openness and Metroidy nature with Saga which keeps it interesting.
While it's hard to say that I "understood" the story (hell, I haven't even played AW1), especially considering the game had some characters who had 3-4 personas in various contexts, the feelings this game gave me are so unique that I'll cherish them forever. It's an insanely memorable and incredbily funny experience.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Resident Evil 4

I take it we're talking about the remake? If so, here's a gamer confession: I don't much care for OG RE4. It's fine, but I've been spoiled by games that came out afterwards so much like if you were to first play Mario 64 20 years after its release, its revolutionary nature doesn't mean anything to you. I can play it for that "numbers go up" satisfaction of upgrading my weapons, but not for much else.

Resident Evil remakes are some of the only ones in the industry I actually enjoy because they don't try to recreate the same game, but provide a new experience for players familiar with the originals. RE4 is effectively a "Lost Levels" treatment of the original game, and I find it fascinating.
I find that a new coat of paint was enough for me to enjoy it more, as the gameplay is now speedier and more parry-oriented. Hell, the second I finished the game I just booted it up again.
It's hard not to sing praises to RE's in-game rewards. For whatever reason it's one of the few series that understood that players like unlockables, so you'll have plenty to choose from after completing in-game achievements.
While the story is not as cheesy as the original, I've enjoyed the new characters more due to stellar performances (even if I can agree with most, Ada is quite dry).
I think the game still loses some of its steam towards the end (it wouldn't be RE if it didn't have wonderful beginning and worse ending) with its incredibly combat-heavy penultimate chapter that goes on for far too long, it doesn't really matter considering the rest of the game is just THAT good.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
 
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oo I almost missed this one! glad I caught it just in time.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Absolutely charming from start to finish. I think it basically peaked for me at the first Piranha plant parade, bc it's just so wholesome and cute and fun (I've been humming la daaa de oiya oiya constantly 😁). It's really just one of those games where I had a smile on my face 99% of the time. It's also the first 2D Mario game that I went for 100% completion for, which was pretty fun!

I am so pleased they put out such a fresh and quirky Mario game that leans into absurdity at every corner. The elephant power up is just delightful, and all the character animations are so expressive and fun. Plus, the flower dudes!!! They're my buds (pun intended). Tons of laughs throughout the whole game because of them.

The one thing that keeps SMB Wonder from being a 5 star experience for me is that I really would have liked to see more in the way of ramping up the challenge, or combining all the various gimmicks and making you switch between them mid-section. The closest the game gets to this are the challenge stages on Star Road, but even those tend to compartmentalize the gimmicks to their own sections, and while some of them can be a little tough, they were never really the sort of challenge I was waiting for the game to have.

So while it may not have had everything I would have loved, I think it's a damn good game. I'll happily give it--
⭐⭐⭐⭐



Spider-Man 2

I think this series is phenomenal, and this new entry expands on everything I love about these games. More great character arcs, more moves, more places to jump and sling and fly around, and to top it all off-- it's a shining example of how wonderful games can look and feel and play when utilizing the power of modern hardware. The hybrid performance/graphics mode was kind of a mind-blowing experience for me, since I'd always prioritized frame rate before. The way it makes use of modern TVs to basically make everything fire on all cylinders made for just one of the most stunning games I'd ever played.

It's also the first in the Spider-Man series to make me go for the platinum, which I sincerely enjoyed doing. I pretty much have nothing bad to say about it! I hope they continue making these!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
 
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Baldur's Gate 3
It truly is staggering how much choice you have in this game. At every stage, you can truly make this experience your own, and I truly believe this level of choice really encourages you to actually roleplay, rather than try to minmax. Of course there will be some amount of minmaxing, but since there's so many paths, it's rare that doing the wrong thing will simply lead to a game over, which makes it very easy to go with what you think your character would actually do in that situation, rather than the "right" choice.

I haven't really experienced any game-breaking bugs. Minor bugs, sure. But the closest thing to game-breaking was a camera issue in Act 3 which was easily resolved with some online guide (and may even have been fixed in a patch by now). A truly incredible achievement which will rightly be looked at as an inspiration in the game dev space for years to come.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Marvel's Spider-Man 2
I loved the first Spider-Man game and really enjoyed Miles Morales. I'll admit, at first I was a bit disappointed by this one. It's just... more Spider-Man, which is great, but the story starts out very slowly and (extreme nitpick which 99% of people won't care about) their version of Brooklyn is just so bad lol. But once the story gets going, it's a lot of fun. Venom's not my favorite character, I've always found him pretty goofy, but the story does a good job of making him feel like a real threat, and Kraven is there too.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this game. It's extremely well-made comfort food. I'd be interested to see Insomniac try something new now, though. Looking forward to their Wolverine.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Super Mario Bros Wonder
I really couldn't imagine being excited for a new 2D Mario game. I knew people here would be, and I knew I would play it, but I was so burned after how dull NSMBU was (and how Mario Maker made the style seem even more played out, both because there were way too many New Supe levels and also because it's by far the least interesting graphically of the 5 styles). But the first trailer piqued my interest, and subsequent ones continued to excite me. I was still cautious -- there's been so many games I've bought into the hype of here, and then ended up bouncing off after a few hours -- but was getting more optimistic.

Then, the game came out. I assumed it would be something I'd play during quiet moments while working from home, or while in bed -- the TV was going to be reserved for Spider-Man right? Wrong. I loved this game, and it quickly took over all my couch gaming time, and actually I mostly avoided playing it handheld because I wanted to see all of the bright colors and beautiful animations and just gorgeous creativity on the biggest screen I had. Every level has something surprising, I just wanted to keep playing! I'm honestly astonished at how much I loved this game.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
 
Reminder that you have just about 5 and a half hours left to get reviews in.
 
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Review: Super Mario Bros. Wonder

What else I can say but "Wowie zowie!" This was a fantastic time from start to finish.

The fundamentals remain mostly unchanged from prior 2D Mario entries: traverse a wide variety of courses filled with platforms, enemies, and other obstacles in order to get to the goal. The controls and move set have seen only a few tweaks since New Super Mario Bros. U - no more triple jump, but you can crawl now, and turning has been adjusted to be faster. Most of the improvement comes from a refreshed presentation that evokes the precision of classic sprites while still taking advantage of the smoothness of 3D animation. Every action, from the common to the obscure, is communicated clearly and with boatloads of charm, a beautiful marriage of style and substance that always delighted, one that extends to other aspects from the excellent enemy designs to the always amusing Talking Flower.

The Flower Kingdom presents a lush new environment for Mario and pals to play around in. While many of the usual tropes return, they are remixed in ways that create interesting world progression. This is shown as early as World 1, where grassy plains quickly give way to rocky savanahs, autumn forests, and even a hidden swamp. Other worlds maintain this level of evolution, from an ice world that gives way to a tall mountain peak to a dark forest that gives way to ancient ruins. Helping in this is the tweaks to how you finish a world - similar to Super Mario Odyssey, you will need to collect a certain amount of Wonder Seeds in each world to move further. This is paired with more open world maps allowing for a wide array of opportunities for progression as well as bonus stages complementing the core platforming. These changes give worlds a stronger sense of place than in prior entries.

Only the form from the original Super Mario Bros. return for this entry, so three new forms get to take the center stage. The Elephant form plays with size and strength with its quick trunk attack, ability to plow through blocks and traverse larger gaps, and added enviromental interaction with water. The Bubble form evolves the Bubble Baby Yoshi concept from NSMBU with an interesting parallel to the Fire Flower, adding both a different kind of offensive move and letting you make your own platforms. The Drill form (possibly my favorite) enhances the attacking abilities of juming and ground pounds while also letting you dive underground or into ceilings. Each of these brings something interesting to both traversal and dealing with enemies, making for one of the most well-rounded set of forms in 2D Mario history.

But the most notable Power-Up in this title isn't one that affects merely the player. The Wonder Flower takes whatever a course throws at the player and remixes them. Pipes come to life, enemies break out into song or flood the screen, new gimmicks and course segments are introduced, and new course-based forms tweak the play mechanics for unique challenges. This brings both fun set pieces and the return of timer-based challenges, and with each main course having some Wonder Effect, there are constantly fresh ideas and remixes of existing ideas. Of course, this freshness doesn't just exist within the context of the Wonder Flower. New enemies and new mechanics are introduced frequently - indeed, more new enemies are here than returning ones. I hope many of these folks become series staples!

What sets this one over the top for me is the multiplayer - something I never expected, since I didn't like 2D Mario co-op before! The removal of the timer makes for a more relaxed experience with friends, as does the removal of bumping into your friends. This reduction of chaos may be seen as a downgrade compared to the NSMB games, but they make for an experience I actually want to play with friends. Meanwhile, the asynchronous online multiplayer helps the single player experience feel more lively.

While the game does have a lesser focus on raw challenge and a weak set of bosses, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the breath of fresh air that this franchise sorely needed. I hope future 2D Mario games keep up this raw sense of creativity, joy, and fun.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
 
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Oh, I totally forgot to officially cut this off lol. Well, it's over! I'll tally these up soon.

Lots of reviews for Wonder, but I think less than 5 for every other game. If I do another round, I'll need to think carefully about the candidates.
 
Alright, I finally got around to collating the scores for the third batch!

Alan Wake 2: 80 (3 reviews)
Baldur's Gate 3: 100 (2 reviews)
Marvel's Spider-Man 2: 80 (4 reviews)
Resident Evil 4: 95 (4 reviews)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder: 89 (13 reviews)
 
A little skewed there I think

Good to see Baldur's Gate 3 got the score it deserves!
 
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