- Pronouns
- he/him*
thread
edit: holy jesus why did the stars get so big
edit: holy jesus why did the stars get so big
-
Hey everyone, staff have documented a list of banned content and subject matter that we feel are not consistent with site values, and don't make sense to host discussion of on Famiboards. This list (and the relevant reasoning per item) is viewable here.
StarTopic Famicritic |ST| Our own review aggregator! (Third batch up, GOTY edition!))
- Thread starter hologram
- Start date
Machine Doogs
...love games?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The Legend of Zelda : Tears of the Kingdom
A game that somehow met and surpassed my expectations after BotW. The shear size and scale of the ambition is what I will always remember about this game. How they managed to dream this big and pull if off is frankly shocking to me. I do however have quibbles with this game, centered mostly around the controls. It's probably a me thing, but I never at any point in my 125+hrs with this game felt totally comfortable with the controls. Even at the very end I was sometimes hitting the wrong buttons or struggling to get one of the sages in the right spot for what I needed. But the game was never a chore. It never failed to show me the fun. It's a true testament to everything else in this game that I still feel it would be wrong to give this anything less than
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
I love this game. I find it a little hard to view it as a standalone product when so much of what makes it special to me requires an understanding of the first two games. What Monolith Soft created here is massive and flawed and beautiful. Like TotK, the flaws do not bother me much in the face of everything that works. The cutscene direction is the best I've ever seen in any game. The story is emotional and complex, and rewards you more and more the further you dig into it. Everything isn't spelled out, and I understand that won't be popular for everyone. I'm still trying to understand everything that is layed out here (probably need a few replays, but who has the time). I dunno, maybe I'm wrong and there is no hidden depth here. Maybe it's just not written that well. But I adored the philosophical themes that really made me think about the nature of humanity. There isn't any game that I've played maybe ever that has asked as much of me in that regard, and I absolutely love it for it. No doubt it ain't for everyone, but it is for me.
Metroid Dread
Super Metroid has been one of my all time favorites ever since I first played it. Metroid Dread comes very, very close to matching it. Samus has never felt as good to control. She simultaneously feels weighty and light on her feet. In general, she just feels like a badass in this game. This is of course, exactly how she should feel. Kudos to the animators. I found the bosses to be equal parts fun and challenging, and the best in the series. I do agree with the popular opinion that the music is not great. It's not really bad per se, just had a lot to live up to. It doesn't quite hit the heights of Super for me, but it still is an experience I think everyone who loves games should have.
Super Mario 64
I first played this when it came out. I have not played it since, so this will be a heavily nostalgia based review. I do not know if I can accurately describe the profound impact this game had when it launched. Everyone talks about how it changed gaming, which it of course did. But I struggle to explain just what that felt like as someone who had been gaming for over well over a decade when it came out. It was fun in ways that at the time we could never have conceived of. Looking back at it now, I can see how it has been outdone by modern games in nearly every tangible way. The controls might not be great, the camera sucks, etc. Maybe if I replayed it now, I wouldn't be able to get through it. I think I would. A masterpiece in 1996 is still a masterpiece now.
----------------------
And so Pikmin 4. I played the original, didn't like it, and have stayed away from the series ever since. This year I played the demo for Pikmin 4 and I loved it. I will probably pick it up at some point.
Looking over these reviews, 4/4 games get 5 stars? Probably the exact reason I don't love scoring reviews. I have ill-defined barriers between great and exceptional. Or maybe you just picked absolute bangers for this opening selection. Either way, good thread idea. I'm looking forward to reading reviews from everybody.
A game that somehow met and surpassed my expectations after BotW. The shear size and scale of the ambition is what I will always remember about this game. How they managed to dream this big and pull if off is frankly shocking to me. I do however have quibbles with this game, centered mostly around the controls. It's probably a me thing, but I never at any point in my 125+hrs with this game felt totally comfortable with the controls. Even at the very end I was sometimes hitting the wrong buttons or struggling to get one of the sages in the right spot for what I needed. But the game was never a chore. It never failed to show me the fun. It's a true testament to everything else in this game that I still feel it would be wrong to give this anything less than
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
I love this game. I find it a little hard to view it as a standalone product when so much of what makes it special to me requires an understanding of the first two games. What Monolith Soft created here is massive and flawed and beautiful. Like TotK, the flaws do not bother me much in the face of everything that works. The cutscene direction is the best I've ever seen in any game. The story is emotional and complex, and rewards you more and more the further you dig into it. Everything isn't spelled out, and I understand that won't be popular for everyone. I'm still trying to understand everything that is layed out here (probably need a few replays, but who has the time). I dunno, maybe I'm wrong and there is no hidden depth here. Maybe it's just not written that well. But I adored the philosophical themes that really made me think about the nature of humanity. There isn't any game that I've played maybe ever that has asked as much of me in that regard, and I absolutely love it for it. No doubt it ain't for everyone, but it is for me.
Metroid Dread
Super Metroid has been one of my all time favorites ever since I first played it. Metroid Dread comes very, very close to matching it. Samus has never felt as good to control. She simultaneously feels weighty and light on her feet. In general, she just feels like a badass in this game. This is of course, exactly how she should feel. Kudos to the animators. I found the bosses to be equal parts fun and challenging, and the best in the series. I do agree with the popular opinion that the music is not great. It's not really bad per se, just had a lot to live up to. It doesn't quite hit the heights of Super for me, but it still is an experience I think everyone who loves games should have.
Super Mario 64
I first played this when it came out. I have not played it since, so this will be a heavily nostalgia based review. I do not know if I can accurately describe the profound impact this game had when it launched. Everyone talks about how it changed gaming, which it of course did. But I struggle to explain just what that felt like as someone who had been gaming for over well over a decade when it came out. It was fun in ways that at the time we could never have conceived of. Looking back at it now, I can see how it has been outdone by modern games in nearly every tangible way. The controls might not be great, the camera sucks, etc. Maybe if I replayed it now, I wouldn't be able to get through it. I think I would. A masterpiece in 1996 is still a masterpiece now.
----------------------
And so Pikmin 4. I played the original, didn't like it, and have stayed away from the series ever since. This year I played the demo for Pikmin 4 and I loved it. I will probably pick it up at some point.
Looking over these reviews, 4/4 games get 5 stars? Probably the exact reason I don't love scoring reviews. I have ill-defined barriers between great and exceptional. Or maybe you just picked absolute bangers for this opening selection. Either way, good thread idea. I'm looking forward to reading reviews from everybody.
D
Deleted member 2181
Guest
I want to chime in here.
I do hold up Automata to be a shining counter-example for all the narrative foibles I find in games.
Even then, I don't think the comparison is fair.
I think it's telling that the two games that I've played that are most lauded for their narrative (Automata and Disco Elysium) both have a comic tone. It may be a dark and somewhat melancholy comedy, but it's there in abundance. And thinking about the closing monologue of Automata, wherein the message is punctuated by a joke ("embarrassment" - you know what I mean), I can't help but wonder how that same monologue would land if delivered in those exact words in Xenoblade 3, only without the joke.
Sometimes cynicism and snark can be a defensive pose, right? I think this is especially true for Disco Elysium, but anyway.
Full spoilers for both Nier Automata and Xenoblade 3:
One of the most memorable and unsettling moments of Nier Automata is when Pascale asks you to make a decision. I think this moment kind of distils Automata's different approach. It's not about Pascale, or about 2B or about 9S. It's about you, the player, what you think, and how you feel. And importantly, Taro isn't going to tell you the right answer. The game consequently does not dwell on the characters response to whatever action is taken. The response that matters is yours.
I chose what I chose, and then I encountered Pascale again in the village, selling machine parts. My player character had almost no reaction to this, and nor were they meant to. The story is about me. How do I feel about my choice, did I make the right one?
Xenoblade 3 is very much not that. It's a story about these characters, about their feelings and their dilemmas. The player is just an audience. A consequence of this different philosophy is that it can't be as concise as Automata. It has to be wordy. It has to develop these relationships, have the characters have long conversations with each other about the things that are going on inside of them. So maybe that's where "it's very on-the-nose" comes from, but I really don't think it is. I don't think Xenoblade 3 is more on-the-nose than Automata, at least, since the latter is laying out its existential questions right out in front of you, in the open. It doesn't even bother to bed these deep, because, like I said, the characters don't matter as much. So as a consequence, a random shopkeeper will bring up a Ship of Thesieus-like idea not because it would make sense of that character to be saying that thing at that time, but because Yoko Taro wants the audience to think about the nature of android augmentation and upgrades and doesn't trust the audience to arrive at the right questions just from the game mechanics.
Xenoblade 3, on the other hand, features characters that are, at least at first, on a philosophical quest for answers. About why their lives are they way they are, why their world is the way it is. One of the characters is dealing with their own imminent and avoidable death. And so that sort of dialogue is more fitting here, but also, the themes are not as central, because, again, characters are primary.
I also think that while Xenoblade 3 can be heavy-handed on The Typical JRPG Theme of agency, the capitalist critique remains mostly in the subtext:
"I knew all sorts of spirited folk, but no matter who they were, the flame clock would be their reason for living"
Likewise, most of the metaphors in the game revolve around romantic love, of meeting and parting, sex and control, and yet none of this is heavy-handed. The romance exists almost independently of that and is actually really good. Here, I frankly think they could have been even wordier. I'd have loved to have seen Noah and Mio have even more conversations amongst themselves, particularly in the latter half.
This isn't to excuse the wordiness entirely, or to say that the late-game preaching isn't a bit cringe. I also think that the Xenoblade games focus entirely too much on manipulating the audience's feelings rather than just presenting things in a matter-of-fact way that Yoko Taro does, to their detriment. I think the villain critique that is often levelled at Xenoblade 3 is somewhat down to this. I've given my thoughts on Shania, and I maintain that she is, with ease, the best villain in the series. In a way, she is such a subversive counter-balance and critique against the typical idealistic "freedom will solve everything!" nonsense that you typically get in these stories. But she's done a disservice, because like all the villains in Xenoblade, Monolith want you to hate her, until she dies, and then they want you to feel sorry for her, and so everything is written to this effect. And that's why you have characters like Jin acting like petty schoolyard bullies when it makes absolutely no godamn sense for them to behave that way.
Sorry, I'm off track. I could talk shit about Xenoblade 3's story and its presentation all day. I love it. I hate it. It's amazing and moving and genuinely radical in its ideas. It's hamfisted and cheesy and cowardly. It's so well-done. It's so badly-done. If this can be my review of Xenoblade 3, I can say it's my most played game on the Switch, and the game I think about the most. It's left a mark on me that'll probably never leave, and it did it by being almost half-assed. Incredible!
I look forward to Takahashi's next big swing and a miss, because his misses punch me harder than anybody else's hits ever seem to.
I chose what I chose, and then I encountered Pascale again in the village, selling machine parts. My player character had almost no reaction to this, and nor were they meant to. The story is about me. How do I feel about my choice, did I make the right one?
Xenoblade 3 is very much not that. It's a story about these characters, about their feelings and their dilemmas. The player is just an audience. A consequence of this different philosophy is that it can't be as concise as Automata. It has to be wordy. It has to develop these relationships, have the characters have long conversations with each other about the things that are going on inside of them. So maybe that's where "it's very on-the-nose" comes from, but I really don't think it is. I don't think Xenoblade 3 is more on-the-nose than Automata, at least, since the latter is laying out its existential questions right out in front of you, in the open. It doesn't even bother to bed these deep, because, like I said, the characters don't matter as much. So as a consequence, a random shopkeeper will bring up a Ship of Thesieus-like idea not because it would make sense of that character to be saying that thing at that time, but because Yoko Taro wants the audience to think about the nature of android augmentation and upgrades and doesn't trust the audience to arrive at the right questions just from the game mechanics.
Xenoblade 3, on the other hand, features characters that are, at least at first, on a philosophical quest for answers. About why their lives are they way they are, why their world is the way it is. One of the characters is dealing with their own imminent and avoidable death. And so that sort of dialogue is more fitting here, but also, the themes are not as central, because, again, characters are primary.
I also think that while Xenoblade 3 can be heavy-handed on The Typical JRPG Theme of agency, the capitalist critique remains mostly in the subtext:
"I knew all sorts of spirited folk, but no matter who they were, the flame clock would be their reason for living"
Likewise, most of the metaphors in the game revolve around romantic love, of meeting and parting, sex and control, and yet none of this is heavy-handed. The romance exists almost independently of that and is actually really good. Here, I frankly think they could have been even wordier. I'd have loved to have seen Noah and Mio have even more conversations amongst themselves, particularly in the latter half.
This isn't to excuse the wordiness entirely, or to say that the late-game preaching isn't a bit cringe. I also think that the Xenoblade games focus entirely too much on manipulating the audience's feelings rather than just presenting things in a matter-of-fact way that Yoko Taro does, to their detriment. I think the villain critique that is often levelled at Xenoblade 3 is somewhat down to this. I've given my thoughts on Shania, and I maintain that she is, with ease, the best villain in the series. In a way, she is such a subversive counter-balance and critique against the typical idealistic "freedom will solve everything!" nonsense that you typically get in these stories. But she's done a disservice, because like all the villains in Xenoblade, Monolith want you to hate her, until she dies, and then they want you to feel sorry for her, and so everything is written to this effect. And that's why you have characters like Jin acting like petty schoolyard bullies when it makes absolutely no godamn sense for them to behave that way.
Sorry, I'm off track. I could talk shit about Xenoblade 3's story and its presentation all day. I love it. I hate it. It's amazing and moving and genuinely radical in its ideas. It's hamfisted and cheesy and cowardly. It's so well-done. It's so badly-done. If this can be my review of Xenoblade 3, I can say it's my most played game on the Switch, and the game I think about the most. It's left a mark on me that'll probably never leave, and it did it by being almost half-assed. Incredible!
I look forward to Takahashi's next big swing and a miss, because his misses punch me harder than anybody else's hits ever seem to.
Djehuty
Koopa
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Iāll Review two currently and the rest later.
(I still need to finish dread)
Anyway starting with the more positive one.
The legend of Zelda tears of the kingdom:
As a game itās overall an improent over botw, itās unique mechanics are mroe varied and fit the open gameplay style much more, and the new story is much more engaging than the main quest of the last game. One of the highlights is seeing how much the world changed, and specifically who changed as well, however this is where my first flaw with the game comes about. The game is very inconstant with who remembers you or not, all of tarry town except Hudson forgets, hestu forgets, Bolson forgets, kass is dead probably and so on. It can be very dissapointing to talk to someone and they pretend they never saw you something that severely blemishes the continued world for me.
While the main story quest are great, and there are a lot of standout quests, over all questing is not a highlight, the best ones usually donāt last very long, and aside from around 7 the rest are very forgettable, rebuilding lurelin village also is just a disappointment after tarry town, as we all mostly explored lurelin already. Overall questing so a slight improvement but overall itās still not very strong.
The shrines are an improvement but still none really stick out to me, the best ones make use of this games new mechanics, such as low gravity, with the puzzles being designed much more dynamically.
The bosses themsleves are much more varied but kind of not fun to fight, muck to rock is easy to cheese, gohma is miserable, the mech is clunky, gibdo queen, ganondorf and colgera are fun and a great spectacle.
Iām terms of exploration it is definitely weaker, while the overworld has changed itās still very much the same one as before. And with the depths being one biome and the sky also being one biome as well as the repetitive nature of both (related islands and copy pasted trees everywhere) neither really add much to the game outside of their necessary expeditions in story mode. The depths especially end up amounting to busywork.
Overall itās a good game, that adds a lot new fun ways to interact with hyrule as well as a much better story. But due to the repetivity of what is added, as well as the inconsistent nature of the characters in this game (and outright alsmot no references to the past game) as well as the rather dissapointing sidequest, aside from the story and building overall it wasnāt as great an expereince as botw was even though it essentially replaces it, if I didnāt play botw before totk this would be a very different reveiw, but I have and thus a lot of itās weaknesses stuck out more to me.
PIKMIN 4!!!
Starting off itās
It combines the best of everything pikmin, the best control over pikmin both underground and above, a gigantic list of upgrades that increases your efficiency and so on. Itās overworld is great designed as more environmentally challenging area focusing more on exploration and collection, meanwhile the underground and a larger focus on puzzle solving and combat. With so many ways to solve challenges despite their linearity it really feels amazing to attain a perfect flow. Night missions, dandori battles and challenges also serve to spice up the gameplay with various different objectives, each making use of the pikmin in many different and versatile ways, it feels like they through everything they could think of into this, a ton of content with no sacrifices made to the quality of it. My only negative is the night missions can become very Grindy near the end, but itās very minor, everything melds together naturally to create an amazing 30-50 hour experience depending on how much you want to do. On top of that it provides very challenging areas but gives new players a to. Of options to make it easier (glow pikmin, items ect) as well as a side story with faster gameplay and a bonus challenge cave that holds no punches back, truly an incredible game and I would argue one of the best Nintendo has ever made, again:
(I still need to finish dread)
Anyway starting with the more positive one.
The legend of Zelda tears of the kingdom:
As a game itās overall an improent over botw, itās unique mechanics are mroe varied and fit the open gameplay style much more, and the new story is much more engaging than the main quest of the last game. One of the highlights is seeing how much the world changed, and specifically who changed as well, however this is where my first flaw with the game comes about. The game is very inconstant with who remembers you or not, all of tarry town except Hudson forgets, hestu forgets, Bolson forgets, kass is dead probably and so on. It can be very dissapointing to talk to someone and they pretend they never saw you something that severely blemishes the continued world for me.
While the main story quest are great, and there are a lot of standout quests, over all questing is not a highlight, the best ones usually donāt last very long, and aside from around 7 the rest are very forgettable, rebuilding lurelin village also is just a disappointment after tarry town, as we all mostly explored lurelin already. Overall questing so a slight improvement but overall itās still not very strong.
The shrines are an improvement but still none really stick out to me, the best ones make use of this games new mechanics, such as low gravity, with the puzzles being designed much more dynamically.
The bosses themsleves are much more varied but kind of not fun to fight, muck to rock is easy to cheese, gohma is miserable, the mech is clunky, gibdo queen, ganondorf and colgera are fun and a great spectacle.
Iām terms of exploration it is definitely weaker, while the overworld has changed itās still very much the same one as before. And with the depths being one biome and the sky also being one biome as well as the repetitive nature of both (related islands and copy pasted trees everywhere) neither really add much to the game outside of their necessary expeditions in story mode. The depths especially end up amounting to busywork.
Overall itās a good game, that adds a lot new fun ways to interact with hyrule as well as a much better story. But due to the repetivity of what is added, as well as the inconsistent nature of the characters in this game (and outright alsmot no references to the past game) as well as the rather dissapointing sidequest, aside from the story and building overall it wasnāt as great an expereince as botw was even though it essentially replaces it, if I didnāt play botw before totk this would be a very different reveiw, but I have and thus a lot of itās weaknesses stuck out more to me.
PIKMIN 4!!!
Starting off itās
It combines the best of everything pikmin, the best control over pikmin both underground and above, a gigantic list of upgrades that increases your efficiency and so on. Itās overworld is great designed as more environmentally challenging area focusing more on exploration and collection, meanwhile the underground and a larger focus on puzzle solving and combat. With so many ways to solve challenges despite their linearity it really feels amazing to attain a perfect flow. Night missions, dandori battles and challenges also serve to spice up the gameplay with various different objectives, each making use of the pikmin in many different and versatile ways, it feels like they through everything they could think of into this, a ton of content with no sacrifices made to the quality of it. My only negative is the night missions can become very Grindy near the end, but itās very minor, everything melds together naturally to create an amazing 30-50 hour experience depending on how much you want to do. On top of that it provides very challenging areas but gives new players a to. Of options to make it easier (glow pikmin, items ect) as well as a side story with faster gameplay and a bonus challenge cave that holds no punches back, truly an incredible game and I would argue one of the best Nintendo has ever made, again:
OP
OP
- Pronouns
- He/him
For the first batch I wanted to focus on games which I knew a large number of people here had played, and unsurpisingly that means they're well-loved games. Giving all the ones you've played 5/5 is totally valid!
Heron
Koopa
Can't believe I haven't seen this until now. What a great idea. Also the exact same review scale as I keep in my play diary, which makes this easy.
Will write up my thoughts on each of these games later, but I think I'll be giving out one 3 star, two 4 stars, and two 5 stars.
It's tough, though. I have an extremely fond memory of the characters of XC3 that leads me to have good feelings about playing that game. But looking at my play diary I really didn't like a lot of it. Those feelings have faded by now, and only the positive thoughts remain. How do you balance all that out? Emotional legacy vs actual game design critique. It's tricky.
Will write up my thoughts on each of these games later, but I think I'll be giving out one 3 star, two 4 stars, and two 5 stars.
It's tough, though. I have an extremely fond memory of the characters of XC3 that leads me to have good feelings about playing that game. But looking at my play diary I really didn't like a lot of it. Those feelings have faded by now, and only the positive thoughts remain. How do you balance all that out? Emotional legacy vs actual game design critique. It's tricky.
kvetcha
hoopy frood
- Pronouns
- he/him
I'm actually a little surprised at the mixed response here because it was far and away my favorite of the trilogy.
I think the solution is to simply validate both of those potential angles. Why did the characterization work when the game design overall seemed to not work for you? Ostensibly, one answer is that the design which focused on exploring the characterization was more convincing than other aspects.
Personally I think it's the most consistently enjoyable game in the series, in part because of its core cast, but also because the supporting cast is extremely strong which contributes to how side quest content is constructed and positively received. Cast members like Valdi, Alex, Zeon or Fiona here are interesting because they face emotionally complicated situations that they have to reason and occasionally stumble through. The time spent on that struggle was worthwhile in my view. In general with the side content, I like the bits of reactivity it is to doing certain quests or actions out of order and how party members almost always get proper chances to chime in with their thoughts before they get involved. The npcs in the world feel like they react to the world state changing or new information becoming public but not to such an extreme that it becomes exhausting in my view.
I like how quests like Lanz's ascension quest tend to end on emotionally sharp notes to tie the experience while filling out more of the character's perspective of the setting and their own emotional baggage.
But it's also that I actually like how the game is paced in tandem with how optional content opens up to thematically complement the core story while closing out minor threads like the antagonism in Colony 4 and the machine assassins.
I just like how tonally focused the game is, even in its comedic moments as well and cohesively works in symbology in the plot structure by actually having characters care emotionally about it (see how Mio and the story as a whole feels about the moon for example). I like the confident approach of the music towards fostering this melancholy.
In general, what sticks out the most about Xenoblade 3 is this cohesion and including detailing in the right spots. For me, it's a longer game than the previous games because it's more compelling for that longer run time across its myriad story threads and optional exploration points (of which there is probably the most environmental of any game in the series and probably among most modern jrpgs for that matter).
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The Legend of Zelda : Tears of the Kingdom -
The best compliment I can pay Tears of the Kingdom is that I tried to finish it four times and ended up getting distracted for tens of hours at a time trying to deliver Koroks to their friends in wild and wacky ways. Taking cues from Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts was the last thing I thought they'd do pre-release but they really did refine and almost perfect building your own vehicles or contraptions almost effortlessly. Speaking of distractions, I was also impressed with a general improvement in side-quests and missions - BOTW had Tarrey Town but that was about it, while TOTK felt like it had a lot more reasons to speak to townsfolk, or explore seemingly empty areas to find secrets.
I had no problem with the overall map of Hyrule being re-used as it allowed players to see if and how things had changed in the intervening years, but adding on an entire underworld map of the same size was such a pleasant surprise. There are things I wish it would have done but I can't really fault what I played. I'm also a person who had no qualms with the weapon durability system but I'm happy with the changes made to alleviate some of the frustrations a few people encountered.
135 hours well spent, and the best three weeks of gaming I've had for a long while.
Pikmin 4 -
It's been said a lot but this game really is to Pikmin 2 what 3 was to 1. Happily, 4 resolves a lot of my issues from Pikmin 2 - cave levels are now curated, things that fall from the ceiling will happen at the same place each time round and the treasure tracker no longer sounds like a banshee screeching in my ear. Also thanks to the overworld being much larger, I no longer felt like I was running around a glorified menu selection screen, though it would have been good to have a few more environmental puzzles.
Sure, I do still miss there being some kind of time limit in the caves - I know time is meant to pass 6x slower there but there's no real risk as the day will never end while you're spelunking. I reckon a happy medium for me could have been having it pass 3x slower with the gauge still visible and still have that little bit of resistance to encourage Dandori, especially as there's a level select when/if you do return to the cave in the future.
I have some other small nitpicks (lack of respawning enemies in the overworld, auto lock-on issues, lack of bingo battle) but otherwise Pikmin 4 is a treat. Visually stunning for a Switch game, some great Dandori challenges, a bit of fanservice and the usual tonka-truck full of charm to keep you smiling through the story. From the demo I thought Oatchi would be overpowered and trivialise the need for Pikmin themselves but that noseless pup fits in a lot better than I expected.
Super Mario 64 -
So potentially a spicy score for what was a revolutionary game at the time of release, but going back to it as part of the 35th anniversary collection a few years ago I was put off with just how slippery Mario felt, and how bland and oddly designed some of the levels are. And then there's the once top of the line camera that aged quicker than a PC in the same era - at the end of everything I felt relief from finishing the game so I didn't have to deal with it anymore.
Don't get me wrong though - when the game sings, it really belts out a tune with some top tier soundtrack moments (Dire Dire Docks is still one of my favourite video game tracks of all time) and there are few feelings like the one you get when controlling Mario for the first time outside the castle. And while I complained about levels earlier there are some great ones, like Tiny-Huge Island, Big Boo's Haunt and of course Bob-Omb Battlefield.
The best compliment I can pay Tears of the Kingdom is that I tried to finish it four times and ended up getting distracted for tens of hours at a time trying to deliver Koroks to their friends in wild and wacky ways. Taking cues from Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts was the last thing I thought they'd do pre-release but they really did refine and almost perfect building your own vehicles or contraptions almost effortlessly. Speaking of distractions, I was also impressed with a general improvement in side-quests and missions - BOTW had Tarrey Town but that was about it, while TOTK felt like it had a lot more reasons to speak to townsfolk, or explore seemingly empty areas to find secrets.
I had no problem with the overall map of Hyrule being re-used as it allowed players to see if and how things had changed in the intervening years, but adding on an entire underworld map of the same size was such a pleasant surprise. There are things I wish it would have done but I can't really fault what I played. I'm also a person who had no qualms with the weapon durability system but I'm happy with the changes made to alleviate some of the frustrations a few people encountered.
135 hours well spent, and the best three weeks of gaming I've had for a long while.
Pikmin 4 -
It's been said a lot but this game really is to Pikmin 2 what 3 was to 1. Happily, 4 resolves a lot of my issues from Pikmin 2 - cave levels are now curated, things that fall from the ceiling will happen at the same place each time round and the treasure tracker no longer sounds like a banshee screeching in my ear. Also thanks to the overworld being much larger, I no longer felt like I was running around a glorified menu selection screen, though it would have been good to have a few more environmental puzzles.
Sure, I do still miss there being some kind of time limit in the caves - I know time is meant to pass 6x slower there but there's no real risk as the day will never end while you're spelunking. I reckon a happy medium for me could have been having it pass 3x slower with the gauge still visible and still have that little bit of resistance to encourage Dandori, especially as there's a level select when/if you do return to the cave in the future.
I have some other small nitpicks (lack of respawning enemies in the overworld, auto lock-on issues, lack of bingo battle) but otherwise Pikmin 4 is a treat. Visually stunning for a Switch game, some great Dandori challenges, a bit of fanservice and the usual tonka-truck full of charm to keep you smiling through the story. From the demo I thought Oatchi would be overpowered and trivialise the need for Pikmin themselves but that noseless pup fits in a lot better than I expected.
Super Mario 64 -
So potentially a spicy score for what was a revolutionary game at the time of release, but going back to it as part of the 35th anniversary collection a few years ago I was put off with just how slippery Mario felt, and how bland and oddly designed some of the levels are. And then there's the once top of the line camera that aged quicker than a PC in the same era - at the end of everything I felt relief from finishing the game so I didn't have to deal with it anymore.
Don't get me wrong though - when the game sings, it really belts out a tune with some top tier soundtrack moments (Dire Dire Docks is still one of my favourite video game tracks of all time) and there are few feelings like the one you get when controlling Mario for the first time outside the castle. And while I complained about levels earlier there are some great ones, like Tiny-Huge Island, Big Boo's Haunt and of course Bob-Omb Battlefield.
DenkeyKong
banana
Tears of the Kingdom:
There is no shortage of content in this game, that's for sure. And the crafting and fusing systems work amazing and offer a sea of possibilities to explore, making it difficult to get bored in this game. The overworld is filled with content and npcs and caves and secrets, even then if you do get bored, there is a whole dark world to explore. Not only does that change the way of exploration, but it also has cool parallels with the overworld to guide you to potential interesting places. And when you're done there as well, you can try and build a shitty airplane to fly to some distant sky island. This loop of exploration offers so many different sights and gameplay approaches, add to that the burstling and alive overworld and you've got yourself a true masterpiece.
Obviously there are some minor nitpicks: The story is not very fleshed out and somehwat poorly executed, because of which we don't get to know the characters well enough. There is but one real problem I have with this game, and it's a bit of a weird one. You need a certain mindset to enjoy the game. The game is most fun when you're building some kind of wacky vehicle or construction or approaching an objective from a weird angle. But you need to come up with that yourself first... When you are following everything step by step and simply want to follow a prompt and unwind a bit, then the game is not that fun.
That said, I'd like to touch upon one more thing, which is the game's identity. I have not seen another game were you can build this freely and everything still works and interacts normally with each other. On top of that, the building is very intuitive and supported by a lot of ingame elements and mechanics. I feel like most first party switch games are good or great, but all fall just short of being truly amazing. Whether that is because of the need to cater to a wider audience, or a big reinvention of the wheel. But this game truly feels unique and has its own weird niche.
Easy
There is no shortage of content in this game, that's for sure. And the crafting and fusing systems work amazing and offer a sea of possibilities to explore, making it difficult to get bored in this game. The overworld is filled with content and npcs and caves and secrets, even then if you do get bored, there is a whole dark world to explore. Not only does that change the way of exploration, but it also has cool parallels with the overworld to guide you to potential interesting places. And when you're done there as well, you can try and build a shitty airplane to fly to some distant sky island. This loop of exploration offers so many different sights and gameplay approaches, add to that the burstling and alive overworld and you've got yourself a true masterpiece.
Obviously there are some minor nitpicks: The story is not very fleshed out and somehwat poorly executed, because of which we don't get to know the characters well enough. There is but one real problem I have with this game, and it's a bit of a weird one. You need a certain mindset to enjoy the game. The game is most fun when you're building some kind of wacky vehicle or construction or approaching an objective from a weird angle. But you need to come up with that yourself first... When you are following everything step by step and simply want to follow a prompt and unwind a bit, then the game is not that fun.
That said, I'd like to touch upon one more thing, which is the game's identity. I have not seen another game were you can build this freely and everything still works and interacts normally with each other. On top of that, the building is very intuitive and supported by a lot of ingame elements and mechanics. I feel like most first party switch games are good or great, but all fall just short of being truly amazing. Whether that is because of the need to cater to a wider audience, or a big reinvention of the wheel. But this game truly feels unique and has its own weird niche.
Easy
PixelKnight
Observing the process
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Review post
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom
My first strong impressions of TotK werenāt the tools you are given, as much as I loved to play with them. The tutorial section I found just that, a fairly long introduction to a lot of relatively complex mechanics, but one I still felt was necessary as I just donāt play that many huge 3D action games. As such, I welcomed the sedate start, it felt competently done even if I didnāt find it gripping. No, the first strong impression it made on me wasnāt even Hyrule itself, all present and correct with lakes, deserts and mountains as we descend into it. It was the new character of the Hylians that was my first big impression that gripped me. The sense that these are explorers, scientists, researchers, soldiers and adventurers, all upbeat and well-led, determined to strike out and understand their homeland thatās been a post-apocalypse mess for three generations. These arenāt Hylians hiding in caves, handing out items to young swordsmen. This is a civilisation that cheers on their heroes and then gets back to work being heroes themselves. And wow, did that strike a chord with me.
The mechanics of combat and cooking and crafting and mapping, all are done well. I liked them as much as Breath of the Wild. Ultrahand is an improvement over magnetism to the nth degree in how much you can play with it. Boss fights are more varied. All of this is competent sequel territory.
The main things I didnāt like were that the depths felt empty and formulaic compared to the surface, although I liked the ācanāt restore heartsā element, that was clever. It was also sold on the idea of the sky when a lot of the puzzles up there were repetitive (and the same goes for korok puzzles, and the less said about having to wait ten minutes between getting drops from dragons when you need multiples the better).
All in all, I thought it was a great game, with so much to find and do. But once you start finding the same stuff repeating, a little of the magic fades. What magic though. Hyruleās greatest treasure, as seen in ToTK, is its people, all of whom Iād take over every rpg where NPCs have begged for help while not lifting a finger. For that characterisation alone, I canāt wait to return one day.
Score: (Great)
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom
My first strong impressions of TotK werenāt the tools you are given, as much as I loved to play with them. The tutorial section I found just that, a fairly long introduction to a lot of relatively complex mechanics, but one I still felt was necessary as I just donāt play that many huge 3D action games. As such, I welcomed the sedate start, it felt competently done even if I didnāt find it gripping. No, the first strong impression it made on me wasnāt even Hyrule itself, all present and correct with lakes, deserts and mountains as we descend into it. It was the new character of the Hylians that was my first big impression that gripped me. The sense that these are explorers, scientists, researchers, soldiers and adventurers, all upbeat and well-led, determined to strike out and understand their homeland thatās been a post-apocalypse mess for three generations. These arenāt Hylians hiding in caves, handing out items to young swordsmen. This is a civilisation that cheers on their heroes and then gets back to work being heroes themselves. And wow, did that strike a chord with me.
The mechanics of combat and cooking and crafting and mapping, all are done well. I liked them as much as Breath of the Wild. Ultrahand is an improvement over magnetism to the nth degree in how much you can play with it. Boss fights are more varied. All of this is competent sequel territory.
The main things I didnāt like were that the depths felt empty and formulaic compared to the surface, although I liked the ācanāt restore heartsā element, that was clever. It was also sold on the idea of the sky when a lot of the puzzles up there were repetitive (and the same goes for korok puzzles, and the less said about having to wait ten minutes between getting drops from dragons when you need multiples the better).
All in all, I thought it was a great game, with so much to find and do. But once you start finding the same stuff repeating, a little of the magic fades. What magic though. Hyruleās greatest treasure, as seen in ToTK, is its people, all of whom Iād take over every rpg where NPCs have begged for help while not lifting a finger. For that characterisation alone, I canāt wait to return one day.
Score:
(Great)
Thunder84
Gerudo
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Had a couple long writeups for Zelda and Pikmin, and was intending on doing the same for the remaining three. But life got in the way, and when I came back to it I had lost the draft. Damn.
Oh well, I'll still get my ratings in. The grade next to the stars is where it falls on my personal grading scale, which falls between an S+ and an F.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: (A+)
A fantastic followup to Breath of the Wild that ultimately doesn't quite stick the landing, at least not as well as its predecessor. Breath of the Wild struck a fantastic balance between its overworld design, gameplay systems, and meaningful content. Tears of the Kingdom disrupted that balance, with the scale of the overworld and the complexity of its systems greatly outpacing the content spread throughout, and as a result said content is stretched thin and doesn't take full advantage of what the game had to offer. It's a technical marvel, but an unfortunate instance of more being less. Add in an underwhelming narrative, and the end result is a downgrade from the lightning in a bottle that Nintendo captured on their first attempt. Tears of the Kingdom had a ton of promise and moments where its simply untouchable compared to its peers, but the consistency leaves something to be desired.
Pikmin 4: (A)
The long awaited sequel certainly didn't disappoint. Pikmin 4 is the evolution you'd expect after a 10 year hiatus, taking the established formula and expanding it in very smart ways. More dynamic level design, smart restrictions, a wealth of content, it's everything you could hope for out of a sequel. However, game flow is imperative in a game like Pikmin, and Pikmin 4 doesn't quite nail it like Pikmin 3 did. The integration of caves is messy, grinding the levels to a halt in favor of a focused challenge. The ability to come and go as you please, while also getting to draw as many Pikmin as you like, nerfs any difficulty there was and trivializes the importance of your resource management. Dandori Battles are terrible, I actively dreaded them every time they popped up. More control options would've gone a long way too. Pikmin 4 was a step in the right direction, but there's plenty of room for improvement still.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3: (S-)
My feelings on Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are pretty complicated. There's so much about this game I absolutely adore. The cast is not only the best Xenoblade cast by a landslide, it's one of if not my favorite JRPG cast of all time. The combat is active and engaging, a big step up from the previous games, and the new class system pushes the combat to even further heights with how many different builds you can make. The world is massive and spectacular, and the OST is my favorite of all time. The story is a beautiful slow burn, leading up to a bombastic Chapter 5 that justifies the lengthy buildup. The side content is fantastic, another major step up from previous games and is some of the best side content in any Nintendo game. And yet, despite everything clicking for most of the game, the quality drops off a cliff as the game approaches its conclusion. For as great as the combat was in the early game, it peaks very early on and lacks the endgame growth that made XC2's combat so good. The story rushes to a haphazard conclusion, dropping the characterization and themes from the early game to close the game out as quickly as it possibly can. The main antagonist is incredibly weak, paling in comparision to the antagonists that preceded them. It's an incredibly disappointing finish to an otherwise excellent game, but despite my qualms, it's still one of my favorites. Sometimes, the journey means more than the destination.
Metroid Dread: (A)
My favorite Metroid game, at least of the ones I've played. Controls like a dream, and the level design backs it up perfectly. Boss fights are intense and exciting, the new abilities are a ton of fun and you're discovering new ones consistently. Everything looks fantastic, with each area standing out from the others (except for Dairon, that one's a snoozer). The main drawback here is undoubtedly the EMMIs though. They're not particularly well designed, with some in particular essentially being scripted to harrass you constantly. EMMI zones are some of the most sterile level designs I've seen in any Nintendo game, I have no idea what the motivation was behind having them all look and play pretty much identically. The soundtrack is also incredibly disappointing, I can maybe remember two unique songs from this game. Still, there's a lot to love here, and I'm very excited to see how Metroid 6 iterates on what Dread brought to the table.
Super Mario 64: (A)
For what it's worth, my praise of Super Mario 64 is skewed a bit by my experience with the ROM hacking community. I've played a fair share of fan games that require some pretty precise platforming, so I've got a lot more experience with the physics and movement than most. I absolutely love how 64 controls, but I know that opinion won't be shared by most. Most of my complaints lie with the level design, which ranges from fairly bland to unforgiving and punishing, There isn't much of a middle ground, which is understandable given the context of it being the first true 3D platformer ever created. That context waives away most of my complaints, really. Poor camera, short OST, some wonky boss fights, cryptic missions, etc. Still, I really do love the controls, and I have a lot of nostalgia for 64, so it gets a slight but significant bump up in my grades because of that.
Oh well, I'll still get my ratings in. The grade next to the stars is where it falls on my personal grading scale, which falls between an S+ and an F.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom:
(A+)A fantastic followup to Breath of the Wild that ultimately doesn't quite stick the landing, at least not as well as its predecessor. Breath of the Wild struck a fantastic balance between its overworld design, gameplay systems, and meaningful content. Tears of the Kingdom disrupted that balance, with the scale of the overworld and the complexity of its systems greatly outpacing the content spread throughout, and as a result said content is stretched thin and doesn't take full advantage of what the game had to offer. It's a technical marvel, but an unfortunate instance of more being less. Add in an underwhelming narrative, and the end result is a downgrade from the lightning in a bottle that Nintendo captured on their first attempt. Tears of the Kingdom had a ton of promise and moments where its simply untouchable compared to its peers, but the consistency leaves something to be desired.
Pikmin 4:
(A)The long awaited sequel certainly didn't disappoint. Pikmin 4 is the evolution you'd expect after a 10 year hiatus, taking the established formula and expanding it in very smart ways. More dynamic level design, smart restrictions, a wealth of content, it's everything you could hope for out of a sequel. However, game flow is imperative in a game like Pikmin, and Pikmin 4 doesn't quite nail it like Pikmin 3 did. The integration of caves is messy, grinding the levels to a halt in favor of a focused challenge. The ability to come and go as you please, while also getting to draw as many Pikmin as you like, nerfs any difficulty there was and trivializes the importance of your resource management. Dandori Battles are terrible, I actively dreaded them every time they popped up. More control options would've gone a long way too. Pikmin 4 was a step in the right direction, but there's plenty of room for improvement still.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3:
(S-)My feelings on Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are pretty complicated. There's so much about this game I absolutely adore. The cast is not only the best Xenoblade cast by a landslide, it's one of if not my favorite JRPG cast of all time. The combat is active and engaging, a big step up from the previous games, and the new class system pushes the combat to even further heights with how many different builds you can make. The world is massive and spectacular, and the OST is my favorite of all time. The story is a beautiful slow burn, leading up to a bombastic Chapter 5 that justifies the lengthy buildup. The side content is fantastic, another major step up from previous games and is some of the best side content in any Nintendo game. And yet, despite everything clicking for most of the game, the quality drops off a cliff as the game approaches its conclusion. For as great as the combat was in the early game, it peaks very early on and lacks the endgame growth that made XC2's combat so good. The story rushes to a haphazard conclusion, dropping the characterization and themes from the early game to close the game out as quickly as it possibly can. The main antagonist is incredibly weak, paling in comparision to the antagonists that preceded them. It's an incredibly disappointing finish to an otherwise excellent game, but despite my qualms, it's still one of my favorites. Sometimes, the journey means more than the destination.
Metroid Dread:
(A)My favorite Metroid game, at least of the ones I've played. Controls like a dream, and the level design backs it up perfectly. Boss fights are intense and exciting, the new abilities are a ton of fun and you're discovering new ones consistently. Everything looks fantastic, with each area standing out from the others (except for Dairon, that one's a snoozer). The main drawback here is undoubtedly the EMMIs though. They're not particularly well designed, with some in particular essentially being scripted to harrass you constantly. EMMI zones are some of the most sterile level designs I've seen in any Nintendo game, I have no idea what the motivation was behind having them all look and play pretty much identically. The soundtrack is also incredibly disappointing, I can maybe remember two unique songs from this game. Still, there's a lot to love here, and I'm very excited to see how Metroid 6 iterates on what Dread brought to the table.
Super Mario 64:
(A)For what it's worth, my praise of Super Mario 64 is skewed a bit by my experience with the ROM hacking community. I've played a fair share of fan games that require some pretty precise platforming, so I've got a lot more experience with the physics and movement than most. I absolutely love how 64 controls, but I know that opinion won't be shared by most. Most of my complaints lie with the level design, which ranges from fairly bland to unforgiving and punishing, There isn't much of a middle ground, which is understandable given the context of it being the first true 3D platformer ever created. That context waives away most of my complaints, really. Poor camera, short OST, some wonky boss fights, cryptic missions, etc. Still, I really do love the controls, and I have a lot of nostalgia for 64, so it gets a slight but significant bump up in my grades because of that.
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- he/him*
Apparently I'm the Paula Abdul of Famiboards because I loved everything. To be fair we started with some of my favorite games of all time! I didn't rate Super Mario 64 since it's been too long since I've played it but it very well could have gotten a 5/5 as well.
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The sequel to arguably the best launch title of all time. Breath of the Wild was an amazing game with so much to see and do but there were some things that felt lacking - themed dungeons, boss variety, and the gameplay loop eventually got a bit stale for me. Donāt get me wrong, I loved the game, but I also didnāt put as much time into it as a lot of folks who were more enamored with it. Tears of the Kingdom, however, may actually be my favorite game of all time. It took everything I loved from Breath of the Wild and meaningfully improved all of the complaints I had about it while adding more than I could have hoped for. Adding in the sky and the Depths made it so that moment-to-moment gameplay felt fresh. Sick of wandering around getting Korok seeds and traversing the overworld? Drop down to the Depths as the horns blast and you fight for your life as each hit you take from an enemy not only hurts you but also caps your max hearts. Sick of the darkness of the Depths? Shoot into the sky and traverse what is essentially a mini-dungeon of floating islands.
The story here is actually really good for a Zelda game, too. While it still is impacted by the issues that come with a non-linear narrative, they really learned from what did not work in Breath of the Wildās story and found a way to tailor the story to the experience you were having. The Master Sword cutscene. The final tear. Especially in my last couple hours of the game, I laughed, I screamed, I cried. I would love to gush more but donāt want to go into spoilers for those that havenāt been able to experience it for themselves yet.
There is also the new abilities and how drastically they shift your perspective and experience going through what is on the surface (literally) the same overworld a second time. Itās incredible how different your context is navigating a puzzle in Hyrule this time, knowing that you can simply lift something up, or build a flying motorcycle, or just ascend through the ground. As someone who isnāt usually super into building stuff in games and felt that I would be put off by the system, they managed to implement it in such a way that it just feels so good to build an ugly little boat to cross a river or create a full on tank to try to get through a particularly hard area. The puzzles here really require you to think creatively and one experience the game is really great at giving you is the feeling that when you solve a puzzle it feels like you are literally the first person to have solved it in the way you did. It makes you feel like a genius and a mad scientist but at the same time without it feeling cheap or like you cheated. Unlike Breath of the Wild, I did every single shrine because I was so addicted to the experience of solving the puzzles.
Tears of the Kingdom had an incredibly high bar to meet and not only did it do that, it surpassed it. The Zelda team is clearly full of tons of fun, innovative ideas and Tears of the Kingdom will be sticking with me for a long time. Excited to see what they do next!
Pikmin 4
Pikmin 4 is an absolute joy and delight to play. After waiting a decade for a new mainline entry in the series, I was stoked to jump in and get to play with Pikmin again. Part of me was nervous going in - I loved Pikmin 3 but there was such an emphasis on multitasking with the three characters that I often felt overwhelmed. Doing three tasks at once and splitting my party up never felt good to me and how my brain works, so I often just single-tracked as much as I could and slowly made my way through the game. Pikmin 4 in the lead up to launch had an emphasis on āDandori,ā a term they use for maximizing efficiency, which intensified my fears. With an emphasis on multitasking and making efficient use of your time, I worried that I would be out of my depth and would not be able to play Pikmin the way I wanted to. Fortunately, my fears were assuaged very quickly as I started playing and I felt the game really click and it would end up being my second favorite game this year, only behind Tears of the Kingdom.
Outside of the tutorial section which felt like a bit of a slog, Pikmin 4ās pacing feels great. There are a ton of areas in the game (and new ones in the post-game, too!), with a variety of tasks to complete on the overworld. If you feel like you need a change of pace, you can enter a cave - a place where the real-world timer stops and you get to complete an objective. One of these objectives is similar to Pikmin 2ās caves, consisting of one or more levels of puzzles and tasks to overcome with a finite amount of Pikmin, where you can find items or rescue a castaway. Another is the Dandori challenge, where you race against the clock to collect all the items on the map and get the best time possible while you work on your multitasking skills. Whatever the challenge, Pikmin 4 just feels good to play.
We have to talk about Oatchi. Oatchi is your companion, a dog with a silly nose (or lack of nose? I think the jury is still out) and the ability to help you with your Pikmin and multitasking. Gone are the multiple playable characters like Louis or Brittany from past Pikmin titles - this time you have one āfull-fledgedā playable character, Olimar, and then Oatchi who serves not only as a mode of transportation but also as an assist for most tasks you can think of. Oatchi can help in several ways based on your commands ā he can go pick up a large item, or round up Pikmin, and in caves he can even head through little pipes that only he can fit through. This style of multitasking clicked much more with me and how I think and really streamlined how a Pikmin game feels to me.
Pikmin 4 was a big surprise to me and is easily my favorite game in the series. Even after rolling credits I jumped back in and did everything in the post-game, 100%d all of the maps, Oatchi upgrades, and found all castaways, and even got Platinums in all of the Dandori challenges. I love this game so much and glad Pikmin got a chance to shine this year!
Metroid Dread
My first Metroid game was Metroid Fusion back in 2017. I had never really given the series a chance before and did not really understand what a Metroidvania even was. When the gameplay loop started to set in I really found myself surprised by how much fun it was. Cut to June 15th, 2021, and Metroid Dread was announced. I had heard the rumors about the name āDreadā for years, back when I had never played a Metroid game, but here it was, and it was coming out the same year! I decided some time in late September that year that I would make it a point to complete as many of the 2D Metroids that I could before Dread would release in October. I started with Super Metroid, a title that many consider one of the best games of all time and at the very least is the fan favorite of the series. I was enamored, could not stop playing, and flew through the game in a week. At this point I only had 4 days left until Dreadās launch to try and complete Zero Mission, which I wrapped up the day before Dread and also loved from start to finish. Surprisingly, at this point I was not burned out at all and instead could not wait to launch Dread the next day and see what it had in store.
The main gameplay loop of a Metroidvania feels so addicting. Traverse the environment, solve some puzzles, find some cool optional secrets, find a new ability, unlock new areas with the new ability, repeat. This loop has to be finely balanced around how frequently you find new things and Metroid Dread does a great job of doing that. Every couple of hours I would unlock a new ability and think āwait, another one?ā and it would propel me immediately into finding the next one, to where I would often find myself forcing myself to go to bed even when I wanted to keep going.
Metroid Dread might be the most perfect a Metroidvania has ever felt to play for me. The fluidity of movement, the range of abilities, the counter - it all just feels precise. This culminates in some genuinely tough boss battles, ones that will probably take you a few tries. But something that this game does in a way that no other game has for me before, it really makes you feel like you earned it when you finally beat a boss. It forces you to learn the patterns and make quick split-second decisions on how to counter or dodge things. I am not going to lie, the final boss kicked my ass at least 30 times but every single time I got my ass kicked my thought wasnāt āI fucked it up!ā but instead was āOK, that was my bad, next time I need to do X.ā I felt myself learning and growing from each mistake.
Not going to go too in depth about the story because itās, well, a Metroid game. What I will say is that it takes a wild turn and culminates in what I think is the coolest moment in any 2D Metroid with the big reveal that just so happened to answer a nagging question I had going into the game and one that sets a path for the future.
I loved Metroid Dread from start to finish and am so glad that MercurySteam proved their ability to handle this franchise so that we may be lucky enough to keep getting titles in this series in the future.
PS: BTW, can we talk about the gravity suit? Top tier design.
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The sequel to arguably the best launch title of all time. Breath of the Wild was an amazing game with so much to see and do but there were some things that felt lacking - themed dungeons, boss variety, and the gameplay loop eventually got a bit stale for me. Donāt get me wrong, I loved the game, but I also didnāt put as much time into it as a lot of folks who were more enamored with it. Tears of the Kingdom, however, may actually be my favorite game of all time. It took everything I loved from Breath of the Wild and meaningfully improved all of the complaints I had about it while adding more than I could have hoped for. Adding in the sky and the Depths made it so that moment-to-moment gameplay felt fresh. Sick of wandering around getting Korok seeds and traversing the overworld? Drop down to the Depths as the horns blast and you fight for your life as each hit you take from an enemy not only hurts you but also caps your max hearts. Sick of the darkness of the Depths? Shoot into the sky and traverse what is essentially a mini-dungeon of floating islands.
The story here is actually really good for a Zelda game, too. While it still is impacted by the issues that come with a non-linear narrative, they really learned from what did not work in Breath of the Wildās story and found a way to tailor the story to the experience you were having. The Master Sword cutscene. The final tear. Especially in my last couple hours of the game, I laughed, I screamed, I cried. I would love to gush more but donāt want to go into spoilers for those that havenāt been able to experience it for themselves yet.
There is also the new abilities and how drastically they shift your perspective and experience going through what is on the surface (literally) the same overworld a second time. Itās incredible how different your context is navigating a puzzle in Hyrule this time, knowing that you can simply lift something up, or build a flying motorcycle, or just ascend through the ground. As someone who isnāt usually super into building stuff in games and felt that I would be put off by the system, they managed to implement it in such a way that it just feels so good to build an ugly little boat to cross a river or create a full on tank to try to get through a particularly hard area. The puzzles here really require you to think creatively and one experience the game is really great at giving you is the feeling that when you solve a puzzle it feels like you are literally the first person to have solved it in the way you did. It makes you feel like a genius and a mad scientist but at the same time without it feeling cheap or like you cheated. Unlike Breath of the Wild, I did every single shrine because I was so addicted to the experience of solving the puzzles.
Tears of the Kingdom had an incredibly high bar to meet and not only did it do that, it surpassed it. The Zelda team is clearly full of tons of fun, innovative ideas and Tears of the Kingdom will be sticking with me for a long time. Excited to see what they do next!
Pikmin 4
Pikmin 4 is an absolute joy and delight to play. After waiting a decade for a new mainline entry in the series, I was stoked to jump in and get to play with Pikmin again. Part of me was nervous going in - I loved Pikmin 3 but there was such an emphasis on multitasking with the three characters that I often felt overwhelmed. Doing three tasks at once and splitting my party up never felt good to me and how my brain works, so I often just single-tracked as much as I could and slowly made my way through the game. Pikmin 4 in the lead up to launch had an emphasis on āDandori,ā a term they use for maximizing efficiency, which intensified my fears. With an emphasis on multitasking and making efficient use of your time, I worried that I would be out of my depth and would not be able to play Pikmin the way I wanted to. Fortunately, my fears were assuaged very quickly as I started playing and I felt the game really click and it would end up being my second favorite game this year, only behind Tears of the Kingdom.
Outside of the tutorial section which felt like a bit of a slog, Pikmin 4ās pacing feels great. There are a ton of areas in the game (and new ones in the post-game, too!), with a variety of tasks to complete on the overworld. If you feel like you need a change of pace, you can enter a cave - a place where the real-world timer stops and you get to complete an objective. One of these objectives is similar to Pikmin 2ās caves, consisting of one or more levels of puzzles and tasks to overcome with a finite amount of Pikmin, where you can find items or rescue a castaway. Another is the Dandori challenge, where you race against the clock to collect all the items on the map and get the best time possible while you work on your multitasking skills. Whatever the challenge, Pikmin 4 just feels good to play.
We have to talk about Oatchi. Oatchi is your companion, a dog with a silly nose (or lack of nose? I think the jury is still out) and the ability to help you with your Pikmin and multitasking. Gone are the multiple playable characters like Louis or Brittany from past Pikmin titles - this time you have one āfull-fledgedā playable character, Olimar, and then Oatchi who serves not only as a mode of transportation but also as an assist for most tasks you can think of. Oatchi can help in several ways based on your commands ā he can go pick up a large item, or round up Pikmin, and in caves he can even head through little pipes that only he can fit through. This style of multitasking clicked much more with me and how I think and really streamlined how a Pikmin game feels to me.
Pikmin 4 was a big surprise to me and is easily my favorite game in the series. Even after rolling credits I jumped back in and did everything in the post-game, 100%d all of the maps, Oatchi upgrades, and found all castaways, and even got Platinums in all of the Dandori challenges. I love this game so much and glad Pikmin got a chance to shine this year!
Metroid Dread
My first Metroid game was Metroid Fusion back in 2017. I had never really given the series a chance before and did not really understand what a Metroidvania even was. When the gameplay loop started to set in I really found myself surprised by how much fun it was. Cut to June 15th, 2021, and Metroid Dread was announced. I had heard the rumors about the name āDreadā for years, back when I had never played a Metroid game, but here it was, and it was coming out the same year! I decided some time in late September that year that I would make it a point to complete as many of the 2D Metroids that I could before Dread would release in October. I started with Super Metroid, a title that many consider one of the best games of all time and at the very least is the fan favorite of the series. I was enamored, could not stop playing, and flew through the game in a week. At this point I only had 4 days left until Dreadās launch to try and complete Zero Mission, which I wrapped up the day before Dread and also loved from start to finish. Surprisingly, at this point I was not burned out at all and instead could not wait to launch Dread the next day and see what it had in store.
The main gameplay loop of a Metroidvania feels so addicting. Traverse the environment, solve some puzzles, find some cool optional secrets, find a new ability, unlock new areas with the new ability, repeat. This loop has to be finely balanced around how frequently you find new things and Metroid Dread does a great job of doing that. Every couple of hours I would unlock a new ability and think āwait, another one?ā and it would propel me immediately into finding the next one, to where I would often find myself forcing myself to go to bed even when I wanted to keep going.
Metroid Dread might be the most perfect a Metroidvania has ever felt to play for me. The fluidity of movement, the range of abilities, the counter - it all just feels precise. This culminates in some genuinely tough boss battles, ones that will probably take you a few tries. But something that this game does in a way that no other game has for me before, it really makes you feel like you earned it when you finally beat a boss. It forces you to learn the patterns and make quick split-second decisions on how to counter or dodge things. I am not going to lie, the final boss kicked my ass at least 30 times but every single time I got my ass kicked my thought wasnāt āI fucked it up!ā but instead was āOK, that was my bad, next time I need to do X.ā I felt myself learning and growing from each mistake.
Not going to go too in depth about the story because itās, well, a Metroid game. What I will say is that it takes a wild turn and culminates in what I think is the coolest moment in any 2D Metroid with the big reveal that just so happened to answer a nagging question I had going into the game and one that sets a path for the future.
I loved Metroid Dread from start to finish and am so glad that MercurySteam proved their ability to handle this franchise so that we may be lucky enough to keep getting titles in this series in the future.
PS: BTW, can we talk about the gravity suit? Top tier design.
Neverx
Like Like
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: (Great, 4/5)
I have so many mixed feelings about this game, ever since it was revealed I never thought a direct sequel was necessary. The game itself is better than TOTK with the additions of the depths and sky areas as well as awesome new abilities but I still prefer BOTW over it's sequel due to some complaints. Using the champions is annoying compared to the champion abilities in BOTW, the story kinda sucks, and the depths and sky areas are just okay with little interesting to see or do. The only areas I like more than BOTW are the new abilities, the temples, and Ganondorf + final fight. TOTK is a great game and I enjoyed my 115 hours but after playing Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess for the first time earlier this year I think I enjoyed those experiences more. I think had the game not taken 6 years and drawn out over many directs I would've been a little less sour on it, I think BOTW overall is just the better experience and I hope the next Zelda game continues on the formula with a whole new world + artstyle (as I expect it to).
Pikmin 4:(Fantastic, 4.5/5)
Excellent culmination of the series. Game looks stunning on the Switch and plays great. Was concerned about Oatchi and the new camera view but was pleasantly surprised at how seamless it was to the Pikmin formula. new Pikmin types are cool but wish we got another new one. The treasures are back and as awesome and fun to collect and it was great to see a majority of the enemies from the series make a return. Not much else to say except I wish it was a bit harder after playing Pikmin 2 for the first time last year. If you don't like this game then that's just a Dandori issue.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3: (Masterpiece, 5/5)
I'll keep it short but after Xenoblade 2 and playing 1 I thought nothing could top those games, absolutely didn't expect to fall in love with a series I'd never heard of when buying a Switch in 2017. After playing through the game 3 times to completion with 600 hours I consider this my favorite game of all time next to Mario Galaxy and with Future Redeemed it's an amazing end to one of gaming's best Trilogies. The cast of characters is the best gaming party I've seen, the story is phenomenal and emotional, the gameplay is super customizable with the job system and the world is a joy to explore even after hundreds of hours. The music alone is astounding and what I consider Mitsuda's magnus opus, with amazing motifs that ripple throughout the soundtrack.
I could honestly talk about this game all day but I don't want to ramble more than I already have. All three Xenoblade games on Switch are amazing 5/5 games and peaks of the RPG genre but I've just really resonated with 3 and it's themes, it's been stuck in my mind pretty much everyday over the past year and I can't wait to see what Monolith do next.
Metroid Dread: (Fantastic, 4.5/5)
Tied as my favorite 2D Metroid game with Super, really amazing game. Samus Returns was a nice surprise in 2017 and Mercury Steam refined that gameplay into something truly exceptional in this game. Boss fights were awesome especially Raven Beak and the gameplay was just super tight and a joy to play. Story was great as well and the ending was amazing, I also adore Samus's suits in this one, tied as some of my favorite suits with Fusion. Only complaint I have is I don't like the music as much as prior entries but it's still a great game. Really hope we don't have to wait long for Metroid 6 as I cannot wait to see how they build on this fantastic entry.
Super Mario 64: (Great, 4/5)
All time classic, Super Mario 64 has aged very well with it's fluid gameplay and movement. The nostalgia and vibes from this game are still great to this day and I love revisiting it every few years. Only giving it 4 stars because I feel Galaxy 1 & 2 and Odyssey are just the better 3D Mario games.
(Great, 4/5)I have so many mixed feelings about this game, ever since it was revealed I never thought a direct sequel was necessary. The game itself is better than TOTK with the additions of the depths and sky areas as well as awesome new abilities but I still prefer BOTW over it's sequel due to some complaints. Using the champions is annoying compared to the champion abilities in BOTW, the story kinda sucks, and the depths and sky areas are just okay with little interesting to see or do. The only areas I like more than BOTW are the new abilities, the temples, and Ganondorf + final fight. TOTK is a great game and I enjoyed my 115 hours but after playing Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess for the first time earlier this year I think I enjoyed those experiences more. I think had the game not taken 6 years and drawn out over many directs I would've been a little less sour on it, I think BOTW overall is just the better experience and I hope the next Zelda game continues on the formula with a whole new world + artstyle (as I expect it to).
Pikmin 4:
(Fantastic, 4.5/5)Excellent culmination of the series. Game looks stunning on the Switch and plays great. Was concerned about Oatchi and the new camera view but was pleasantly surprised at how seamless it was to the Pikmin formula. new Pikmin types are cool but wish we got another new one. The treasures are back and as awesome and fun to collect and it was great to see a majority of the enemies from the series make a return. Not much else to say except I wish it was a bit harder after playing Pikmin 2 for the first time last year. If you don't like this game then that's just a Dandori issue.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3:
(Masterpiece, 5/5)I'll keep it short but after Xenoblade 2 and playing 1 I thought nothing could top those games, absolutely didn't expect to fall in love with a series I'd never heard of when buying a Switch in 2017. After playing through the game 3 times to completion with 600 hours I consider this my favorite game of all time next to Mario Galaxy and with Future Redeemed it's an amazing end to one of gaming's best Trilogies. The cast of characters is the best gaming party I've seen, the story is phenomenal and emotional, the gameplay is super customizable with the job system and the world is a joy to explore even after hundreds of hours. The music alone is astounding and what I consider Mitsuda's magnus opus, with amazing motifs that ripple throughout the soundtrack.
I could honestly talk about this game all day but I don't want to ramble more than I already have. All three Xenoblade games on Switch are amazing 5/5 games and peaks of the RPG genre but I've just really resonated with 3 and it's themes, it's been stuck in my mind pretty much everyday over the past year and I can't wait to see what Monolith do next.
Metroid Dread:
(Fantastic, 4.5/5)Tied as my favorite 2D Metroid game with Super, really amazing game. Samus Returns was a nice surprise in 2017 and Mercury Steam refined that gameplay into something truly exceptional in this game. Boss fights were awesome especially Raven Beak and the gameplay was just super tight and a joy to play. Story was great as well and the ending was amazing, I also adore Samus's suits in this one, tied as some of my favorite suits with Fusion. Only complaint I have is I don't like the music as much as prior entries but it's still a great game. Really hope we don't have to wait long for Metroid 6 as I cannot wait to see how they build on this fantastic entry.
Super Mario 64:
(Great, 4/5)All time classic, Super Mario 64 has aged very well with it's fluid gameplay and movement. The nostalgia and vibes from this game are still great to this day and I love revisiting it every few years. Only giving it 4 stars because I feel Galaxy 1 & 2 and Odyssey are just the better 3D Mario games.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Unfortunately I kept putting this off due to personal circumstances and I've been feeling unwell for several days. That hasn't changed this morning so I won't be providing any reviews. Know that I intended to write some generally positive thoughts on Tears of the Kingdom while not providing a score (I've only played about ten hours and haven't done any of the game's dungeons), complain about Pikmin 4 for many paragraphs while ultimately giving it a high rating, and beg everyone to believe me that Super Mario 64 is a masterpiece that holds up today.
PixelKnight
Observing the process
- Pronouns
- He/Him
- Pronouns
- šššš / ššš
shit i kept typing out my last set of reviews but they always got too long and didnāt save
uh
Pikmin 4
ļøļøļøļøļø
nice water
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
ļøļøļø
maximalism defangs plein-air
uh
Pikmin 4
ļøļøļøļøļønice water
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
ļøļøļømaximalism defangs plein-air
- Pronouns
- šššš / ššš
Metroid Dread
ļøļøļø
EMMI sections pace weird and world could stand to be more organic and connected. that said, I loved it and there was plenty of to be thrilled about.
Super Mario 64
ļøļøļø
foundational bizarreness slaps. I prefer Sunshine.
ļøļøļøEMMI sections pace weird and world could stand to be more organic and connected. that said, I loved it and there was plenty of to be thrilled about.
Super Mario 64
ļøļøļøfoundational bizarreness slaps. I prefer Sunshine.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
A denser, more content-rich version of Breath of the Wild in some respects, but wildly different in others. The real selling point is Ultra Hand and it completely changes how you interact with the world. The biggest drag on the game is that it doesn't feel as fresh, despite all the new additions, and that is in large part to a re-used map. This is a bit allayed by the sky islands (too few of them) and the underground (somewhat too sparse and generic once you realize what it is.)
Pikmin 4
A wonderful return to the series. The refined mechanics might at times be a little too refined and make the game a bit too easy. The game could use a patch for a more challenging difficulty mode, alternate controls schemes, and probably could have ditched the automatic Pikmin allocation mechanic when you enter levels and caves. Aside from that, the big additions are Dandori matches (competitive and score-based) and they are they are excellently crafted challenges. If any DLC is planned, I hope it focuses on this aspect the most. Night mode is a refreshing breather from the main mode and plays more as a tense tower defense and doesn't at all overstay it's welcome.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Mostly a miss for me after the superb Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Everything here is mostly a step down: less engaging combat that focuses too much on chains, somewhat forgettable main cast, extremely long cutscenes and plot dumps, and somewhat bland map areas. I had fun in the end game eventually and generally still had a good time, but it just doesn't have the highs that its predecessor did, and I'd venture a guess it won't stand as well in the test of time. The DLC was a nice touch and I'm still looking forward to exploring its impact on the overall story when we get a Xenoblade Chronicles 4.
Metroid Dread
Astounding boss fights and controls. Moving around the world feels incredibly tight. Making mistakes generally always felt like they were my fault. As a return to the series though, mostly reused items felt a bit stale and would have liked to see a bit more variety and new stuff. The tailored world that tended to point you in the right direction didn't bother me, as that has been a staple of the series in general if not quite that blunt in design. Story was excellent and I'm excited to see a Metroid 6 that takes a little more risk in its fundamental design.
Super Mario 64
The gold standard of 3D platforming. Super Mario 64 perfected 3D platforming on its first try and many games coming out even today fail to match its pinpoint control. Some things have improved over time (camera control), but the core movement remains a staple in any acclaimed platformer released in the last 30 years. Level design was at its peak for the open-area Mario style and hasn't been matched in follow ups like Sunshine or Odyssey. it's fun, charming, the perfect length, and has a balanced difficulty level that provides appropriate challenge for all kinds of players. I revisit it nearly once and year and will continue to into the future.
A denser, more content-rich version of Breath of the Wild in some respects, but wildly different in others. The real selling point is Ultra Hand and it completely changes how you interact with the world. The biggest drag on the game is that it doesn't feel as fresh, despite all the new additions, and that is in large part to a re-used map. This is a bit allayed by the sky islands (too few of them) and the underground (somewhat too sparse and generic once you realize what it is.)
Pikmin 4
A wonderful return to the series. The refined mechanics might at times be a little too refined and make the game a bit too easy. The game could use a patch for a more challenging difficulty mode, alternate controls schemes, and probably could have ditched the automatic Pikmin allocation mechanic when you enter levels and caves. Aside from that, the big additions are Dandori matches (competitive and score-based) and they are they are excellently crafted challenges. If any DLC is planned, I hope it focuses on this aspect the most. Night mode is a refreshing breather from the main mode and plays more as a tense tower defense and doesn't at all overstay it's welcome.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Mostly a miss for me after the superb Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Everything here is mostly a step down: less engaging combat that focuses too much on chains, somewhat forgettable main cast, extremely long cutscenes and plot dumps, and somewhat bland map areas. I had fun in the end game eventually and generally still had a good time, but it just doesn't have the highs that its predecessor did, and I'd venture a guess it won't stand as well in the test of time. The DLC was a nice touch and I'm still looking forward to exploring its impact on the overall story when we get a Xenoblade Chronicles 4.
Metroid Dread
Astounding boss fights and controls. Moving around the world feels incredibly tight. Making mistakes generally always felt like they were my fault. As a return to the series though, mostly reused items felt a bit stale and would have liked to see a bit more variety and new stuff. The tailored world that tended to point you in the right direction didn't bother me, as that has been a staple of the series in general if not quite that blunt in design. Story was excellent and I'm excited to see a Metroid 6 that takes a little more risk in its fundamental design.
Super Mario 64
The gold standard of 3D platforming. Super Mario 64 perfected 3D platforming on its first try and many games coming out even today fail to match its pinpoint control. Some things have improved over time (camera control), but the core movement remains a staple in any acclaimed platformer released in the last 30 years. Level design was at its peak for the open-area Mario style and hasn't been matched in follow ups like Sunshine or Odyssey. it's fun, charming, the perfect length, and has a balanced difficulty level that provides appropriate challenge for all kinds of players. I revisit it nearly once and year and will continue to into the future.
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- He
I didn't realize the cutoff was so early today. Shit. Here's my lazy reviews from in bed.
Pikmin 4:
If this was called Pikmin 3 it would be amazing. Sadly it is not. Still pretty good, and there's a distinct Mario Galaxy-ness to a lot of its creativity. It's better than that game for sure, but it has too much of that modern EPD bloat for my taste.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom:
Overall this was really good. I didn't like the beginning, nor did I like most of the story content. And also the naked shrines were ass. But this game had a lot going for it. The sky islands were great and it still has that fantastic open air (puke) gameplay. I think it needed to be a bit more polished around the edges and the concept of building vehicles id ditch for the next one. But it's still a lot of fun. Also they basically ripped off Monster Hunt-
Wow I got to use 4/5 of the star raring variants already! I'm glad!
Pikmin 4:
If this was called Pikmin 3 it would be amazing. Sadly it is not. Still pretty good, and there's a distinct Mario Galaxy-ness to a lot of its creativity. It's better than that game for sure, but it has too much of that modern EPD bloat for my taste.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom:
Overall this was really good. I didn't like the beginning, nor did I like most of the story content. And also the naked shrines were ass. But this game had a lot going for it. The sky islands were great and it still has that fantastic open air (puke) gameplay. I think it needed to be a bit more polished around the edges and the concept of building vehicles id ditch for the next one. But it's still a lot of fun. Also they basically ripped off Monster Hunt-
Wow I got to use 4/5 of the star raring variants already! I'm glad!
- Pronouns
- šššš / ššš
iāll write longer reviews if thatās what I have to do for my scores to count, but iāve been trying those since we started and if I do more than a sentence or two I get carried away and just fuckinā canāt recover
uhhhhhh
EDIT: FIIIIINE I'LL MAKE THEM COMBINED
Pikmin 4
ļøļøļøļøļø
nice water
Pikmin 4 is the all-time goat because everythingās so organic and lively, the stylization is perfect and disturbing, Oatchi rules, the Pikmin are just creepy / cute enough, and things feel like they fucking matter.
Super Mario 64
ļøļøļø
foundational bizarreness slaps. I prefer Sunshine.
Mario 64 rules in a lot of ways but damn. itās old. still good and still enjoy but āgoodā is a true rating today.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
ļøļøļø
maximalism defangs plein-air
Tears of the Kingdom undercuts so many of its technical achievements by a lack of purpose or need. exciting new things all get Depths effect ā fascinating at first, shallow in creation, once the gag is clear it loses a great deal of edge. Stuck in āit does actually need moreā and āit really needs lessā limbo. maybe if it were in a new Hyrule Iād be less frustrated.
Metroid Dread
ļøļøļø
EMMI sections pace weird and world could stand to be more organic and connected. that said ā thrilling.
Metroid Dread ā the fights are so good, lots of the secrets and world pockets rule, but a lot of the EMMI shit ultimately feels like interruption, even though great lengths were taken to avoid that. Mixes things up enough. Final boss rules. X parasites legitimately scary. New fight mechanics are great. New skills are intriguing.
uhhhhhh
EDIT: FIIIIINE I'LL MAKE THEM COMBINED
Pikmin 4
ļøļøļøļøļø nice water
Pikmin 4 is the all-time goat because everythingās so organic and lively, the stylization is perfect and disturbing, Oatchi rules, the Pikmin are just creepy / cute enough, and things feel like they fucking matter.
Super Mario 64
ļøļøļøfoundational bizarreness slaps. I prefer Sunshine.
Mario 64 rules in a lot of ways but damn. itās old. still good and still enjoy but āgoodā is a true rating today.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
ļøļøļømaximalism defangs plein-air
Tears of the Kingdom undercuts so many of its technical achievements by a lack of purpose or need. exciting new things all get Depths effect ā fascinating at first, shallow in creation, once the gag is clear it loses a great deal of edge. Stuck in āit does actually need moreā and āit really needs lessā limbo. maybe if it were in a new Hyrule Iād be less frustrated.
Metroid Dread
ļøļøļøEMMI sections pace weird and world could stand to be more organic and connected. that said ā thrilling.
Metroid Dread ā the fights are so good, lots of the secrets and world pockets rule, but a lot of the EMMI shit ultimately feels like interruption, even though great lengths were taken to avoid that. Mixes things up enough. Final boss rules. X parasites legitimately scary. New fight mechanics are great. New skills are intriguing.
Last edited:
Metroid
Enemy of the Process Believe in Progress #BiP
- Pronouns
- He/him
Life got severely in the way of me writing these with any real depth so I'm just gonna cobble together something simple.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Didn't think they could pull off doing a direct sequel in the same world. They did and then some. It's always astounding to see a sequel come out and make the previous, really well put together and complete game look like a tech demo. This is one of the most discussed games of the year so I don't have much new to add. Ultrahand is a game unto itself and I still like seeing new crazy inventions people come up with.
Pikmin 4
Weird series where every game is a homerun in its own way and has a niche for a specific audience. 4 is no exception. I thought removing the time limit would take strategy away. Instead, it makes 4 more a glorious sequencing, rube goldberg machine. Instead of planning every step you take quickly and efficiently, you can take your time and prep for one magnificently productive day. Or you can just play like there is a time limit anyway and it still works.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
I do this fun thing every Xenoblade where I play through the first third and then drop it for quite some time, then bulldoze through the rest of the game and any additional content in like a week. Still waiting on that week to happen, sadly. (...for X too, but the less said about that game, the better.)
Metroid Dread
Watching that reveal trailer made me almost scream and cry in at my old job's break room. Playing the game did the same thing for the entire run as long as I wasn't paying attention to the music which was very easy!
Super Mario 64
Come on. I'm not reviewing or scoring this cause... come on. It's the 3D platformer of all time. I still love it.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Didn't think they could pull off doing a direct sequel in the same world. They did and then some. It's always astounding to see a sequel come out and make the previous, really well put together and complete game look like a tech demo. This is one of the most discussed games of the year so I don't have much new to add. Ultrahand is a game unto itself and I still like seeing new crazy inventions people come up with.
Pikmin 4
Weird series where every game is a homerun in its own way and has a niche for a specific audience. 4 is no exception. I thought removing the time limit would take strategy away. Instead, it makes 4 more a glorious sequencing, rube goldberg machine. Instead of planning every step you take quickly and efficiently, you can take your time and prep for one magnificently productive day. Or you can just play like there is a time limit anyway and it still works.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
I do this fun thing every Xenoblade where I play through the first third and then drop it for quite some time, then bulldoze through the rest of the game and any additional content in like a week. Still waiting on that week to happen, sadly. (...for X too, but the less said about that game, the better.)
Metroid Dread
Watching that reveal trailer made me almost scream and cry in at my old job's break room. Playing the game did the same thing for the entire run as long as I wasn't paying attention to the music which was very easy!
Super Mario 64
Come on. I'm not reviewing or scoring this cause... come on. It's the 3D platformer of all time. I still love it.
OP
OP
- Pronouns
- He/him
shit i kept typing out my last set of reviews but they always got too long and didnāt save
uh
Pikmin 4
nice water
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
maximalism defangs plein-air
Sorry Sus I can't count these. If you wanna rework your other post and include the scores there, I can count them!Metroid Dread
EMMI sections pace weird and world could stand to be more organic and connected. that said, I loved it and there was plenty of to be thrilled about.
Super Mario 64
foundational bizarreness slaps. I prefer Sunshine.
- Pronouns
- he/him
DERACHIāS REVIEWS FOR WEEK 1 OF FAMICRITIC
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom -
When attempting to follow-up on one of the most historically significant video games of all time, you could have done a lot worse. I think the game is marred a bit by some sloppy re-use; going to a still-named landmark such as Gut Check Rock only to find nothing of note there gives the game an at-times unfinished feeling. Certain landmarks from the first game linger, while offering nothing but a reminder of BOTW to those who played it, and confusion to the new-to-Zelda player. The Ultrahand mechanics feel like theyāre from a decade in the future, while also being a love letter to Rareās 2008 masterpiece, Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts. To be honest, as a huge fan of the oft-dismissed Nuts & Bolts since its release, I feel vindicated. Iāll try to not let me āI told you soā attitude towards the genius of the vehicle-building mechanics colour my impressions.
The Dungeons felt slightly underbaked compared to pre-BOTW games, but a marked improvement over BOTW. I found their quality ranging from āokayā to āgood.ā The highlight of each dungeon was the final boss fight, with each one being a well-tuned combat puzzle. Thankfully the game lets you revisit these boss fights as often as youād like in the Depths. Speaking of the Depths, the gameās map has multiplied in size from BOTW. The main Hyrule Surface area stays the same, but with that doubled in the form of the Depths, a Futurama āOld New Yorkā-style area below the ground where everything is dark, purple, and looks the same. I found the Depths to be an incredibly lacking area to explore. It felt like an afterthought shoved in last minute, and a complete slog to get through. The other map addition were the Sky Islands, small Wind Waker-esque islands dotting the skies above Hyrule. These I enjoyed way more, despite some being exact copies of one another, and most not having anything of significance on them.
I found TOTK to be a fun revisit to the world of BOTW. They managed to take the bones of BOTW and add on to them in ways that made Tears of the Kingdom feel wholly unique and exciting, in ways I didnāt expect a sequel to a game I played to death to be. It wonāt hold the same ālandmarkā status of BOTW, nothing ever can or will. But itās still a worth successor, and worth the heavier price-tag Nintendo is asking for.
Pikmin 4 -
The first Pikmin is a masterpiece of a video game. A tight, meticulously crafted survival horror RTS about the brutality of nature, the benefits of co-operative diversity, and most importantly: the importance of planning ahead. Thereās a Japanese word for planning ahead: Dandori. Thatāll come up later. Pikmin 2 was good, but I didnāt like it nearly as much. Pikmin 3 was really close, especially with the added co-op mode of the Switch re-release.
And then along came Pikmin 4.
Pikmin 4 feels like it was to Pikmin 2 what Pikmin 3 was to Pikmin 1. When I first saw they were bringing Caves back, I was worried. When I heard there wasnāt really a strict time limit, I was more worried. Let it be known: my worries were all entirely misplaced. Pikmin 4 is yet another masterpiece, surpassing Pikmin 1 to become not only my favourite Pikmin game, but in my eyes, the greatest video game Nintendo has ever made. The caves are back, but instead of being randomly generated, are all designed and crafted to be unique bespoke puzzleboxes that never once got old or tired. The time limit is gone, but the game gives you so much to do in an in-game day that the pressure comes from managing the day-to-day plans, not the overall schedule. You simply must Dandori. The game leans heavily into Dandori. They want you to plan ahead. They give you a time-pausing drone to scope out an area so you can plan ahead. They give you a time-rewind button to go back a minute if you need to re-execute a plan, instead of having to load a save from the beginning of the day. One of the best changes was that they give you ample remote command of Pikmin. An upgrade you can get is a whistle that calls all idle Pikmin to the player, or sends them back to base. They give you a dog. At first I though Oatchi was going to be gimmicky and boring, but in the end I found Oatchi to smoothly add a layer of strategic depth to the game I didnāt expect.
The game feels great, looks incredible, the music is fantastic, and after completing the game 100% I felt it had the exact right amount of content to leave me satisfied, not one collectible less and not one side-mission more. The only thing I wanted but did not get out of the game was a more full-fledged co-op mode. The game allows a second player to shoot pebbles at enemies but it feels like a ālittle siblingā mode, a la Super Mario Galaxy, more than anything else. I wish my partner, who I 100%ād Pikmin 3 Deluxeās immaculate co-op with a few years ago, could have controlled Oatchi or something.
But that aside: Pikmin 4 is a modern masterpiece. You simply must get it. You must Dandori.
METROID DREAD -
Metroid Dread is great. Iāll get that out of the way up front and Iām gonna TRY to make these reviews a little shorter and more off-the-cuff, especially because Iām running out of time.
Metroid Dread is one of the most ākineticā feeling 2D games I ever played. Iāve never had a 2D action platformer feel this physically good to play. I think my only complaints is that it does get a bit linear-feeling at times. It doesnāt challenge my ability to remember the space, because it often gives you an upgrade and dumps you directly in front of a locked path that needs it. But even then, it feels so good to move around that space that going off the critical path to find secrets just feels good to do.
Genuinely cannot wait to see what MercurySteam does with the franchise next, especially if they actually credit everyone who works on the game next time.
SUPER MARIO 64 -
Iāll just quote my original review of Super Mario 3D All-Stars from my defence of Super Mario Sunshine:
I stand by this 100%. Itās an important video game, but itās old. Itās clunky. Do I recommend it in 2023? Sure, if youāre taking a video game history college course. Otherwise, play any other 3D Mario game (yes, including the oft-misaligned Sunshine) and youāll have a better, or at least more interesting time.
this is the definitive Super Mario 64 review and I won't hear otherwiseSuper Mario 64
foundational bizarreness slaps. I prefer Sunshine.
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom -
Easiest score to put. While I lost interest at around 90-100 hours with the game and fell short of beating the final boss, that was not the point of this game for me.
I did relive the unique feeling I had when Breath of the Wild clicked with me. That massive feeling of exploration, everything being possible and a grounded epicness of me vs the world.
The shrines in this game have been phenomenal, making you use your brain in the most creative ways as well as teach you game mechanics till the very late game. The sidequests are polished and have soul. The Wind Temple is probably one of the most epic lead ups to a temple in Zelda history.
I'll admit the game isn't perfect but if I don't give this 5/5 I will give no game ever. It's the top videogame of all time in terms of sandbox complexity and the physics + worldbuilding are unique - literally can't find something that compares in any other game.
Pikmin 4 -
Pikmin 4 was a super pleasant experience throughout, it was not overwhelmingly large to overstay its welcome. I was really charmed by the worlds, the pikmin and the exceptional gameplay - it felt really intuitive to move around the world with an army of Pikmin and do all these chores together and fight the fights, against other creatures that are also trying to survive... in a way this charm vs melancholy in Pikmin creates a great atmosphere and Pikmin 4 gave me all the tools to revisit it.
METROID DREAD -
Metroid Dread was a very good game for me. I'm not the biggest metroidvania fan but I was definitely able to admire the visuals and the gameplay. Samus' powers blend in with the world perfectly and moving around as her has never been more fun.
For some reason, it hasn't been too memorable for me. I think it's a combination of not too memorable environments at times + some annoyances while traversing the world.
Super Mario 64 -ļøļøļøļøļø
Goddamnit this game. Nostalgia is impossible not to blind my review but I will judge this game as a masterpiece in terms of: disrupting the gaming industry and introducing openworld-ish sandbox. The gameplay possibilities, Mario's movement and the sense of magic and charm still wake memories in me, I still watch speedrunners find new ways to play this more than 25year old game!
Easiest score to put. While I lost interest at around 90-100 hours with the game and fell short of beating the final boss, that was not the point of this game for me.
I did relive the unique feeling I had when Breath of the Wild clicked with me. That massive feeling of exploration, everything being possible and a grounded epicness of me vs the world.
The shrines in this game have been phenomenal, making you use your brain in the most creative ways as well as teach you game mechanics till the very late game. The sidequests are polished and have soul. The Wind Temple is probably one of the most epic lead ups to a temple in Zelda history.
I'll admit the game isn't perfect but if I don't give this 5/5 I will give no game ever. It's the top videogame of all time in terms of sandbox complexity and the physics + worldbuilding are unique - literally can't find something that compares in any other game.
Pikmin 4 -
Pikmin 4 was a super pleasant experience throughout, it was not overwhelmingly large to overstay its welcome. I was really charmed by the worlds, the pikmin and the exceptional gameplay - it felt really intuitive to move around the world with an army of Pikmin and do all these chores together and fight the fights, against other creatures that are also trying to survive... in a way this charm vs melancholy in Pikmin creates a great atmosphere and Pikmin 4 gave me all the tools to revisit it.
METROID DREAD -
Metroid Dread was a very good game for me. I'm not the biggest metroidvania fan but I was definitely able to admire the visuals and the gameplay. Samus' powers blend in with the world perfectly and moving around as her has never been more fun.
For some reason, it hasn't been too memorable for me. I think it's a combination of not too memorable environments at times + some annoyances while traversing the world.
Super Mario 64 -
ļøļøļøļøļøGoddamnit this game. Nostalgia is impossible not to blind my review but I will judge this game as a masterpiece in terms of: disrupting the gaming industry and introducing openworld-ish sandbox. The gameplay possibilities, Mario's movement and the sense of magic and charm still wake memories in me, I still watch speedrunners find new ways to play this more than 25year old game!
- Pronouns
- šššš / ššš
>:(
- Pronouns
- he/him
Ahh, I meant to do some extensive write ups for this, but we're at the deadline now, guess I'll go more spur of the moment short thoughts on each.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
I can't definitively say this is the best video game ever made, but I also can't definitively say that it's NOT the best game ever made. Tears of the Kingdom manages to refresh BotW's Hyrule by injecting some of the more classic Zelda elements in addition to its own unique innovations, creating a true must play experience. This game is a playground for your imagination, an epic adventure in a world of incredible scope. It works incredibly hard to look like it is effortlessly pulling off so much. Does it have some weaknesses? Yeah, what game doesn't? But If this game ain't a 5 out of 5, I don't know what is.
Pikmin 4
I was not part of the original generation of Pikmin fans of the GameCube era, so Pikmin was always something of a curiosity to me rather than what I think of as a core Nintendo franchise. However, back when Mario Kart 8 came out on the Wii U and offered a free digital bonus game, I gave Pikmin 3 a shot, and ended up finding it delightful. Pikmin 4 is, to my understanding, a modernization of what was introduced in Pikmin 2, the prior fan favorite, and, well, I love everything about what this game does. I'm actually surprised how much I did love playing through the game, completing the Dandori Challenges, and getting every last treasure. It's just so satisfying. On top of that, the game is monstrously generous. I ended up putting 40 hours into my run, and that's not even with attempting to platinum the various challenges. Great Game.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
The previous game in the series, Xenoblade 2, was such a surprise to me, a game that immediately ascended to one of my all time favorites, so expectations were high for this game coming in. And there is a lot to really like here! The game has wonderful presentation and has cleaned up some of the messier elements of prior games. The core cast is very likeable, the exploration is fun, and the combat is fun. Yet... I just didn't enjoy this game as much as I was really hoping to have. As likeable as the cast is, I never felt hooked to the main story they were in. Honestly, these characters deserved a better story, one with better villains, and with a better thought out scenario. And there are several great individual story moments and scenes, some even approaching the peak of the series! But the overall narrative is just... frustratingly unengaging. And to be fair, I haven't yet played through the DLC campaign, which I hear is excellent. But as is, this is just a good game that doesn't reach the highs of what came before.
Metroid Dread
I am something of a casual Metroid fan, and have had a rather unconventional journey through the series. The first game I played was Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, which I dearly, dearly loved and still consider it my favorite in the series. I'd later go back to play Prime 1, which I also quite like. But for the 2D games, I never really bothered playing them until Samus Returns came out on the 3DS. At some point, I also took on Super Metroid, and then I played Dread. And Dread was good! I agree with some of the criticism that it does lead you around by the nose a bit as opposed to the more free form approach of Super, but I see that more as a stylistic choice than a flaw, and what this game sets out to do, it does very well. They've definitely rebalanced the overall difficulty of the game to be less demanding on the puzzle solving and exploration side, but far more demanding on the combat side, though thankfully with generous checkpoints. Dread is just a really good time from start to finish.
Super Mario 64
Stone Cold Classic. Holds up to this day as one of the best playing video games ever made. No game in the series, not even Odyssey in my opinion, replicates the sheer joy of just controlling Mario in Super Mario 64. It's just hard to overstate how much this game got right, and on the first real attempt at 3D Mario as well. Kind of like Ocarina of Time, it's been the template for everything that came after it. And even though the game has a structure very obviously born of technical limitations, they do an amazing job of turning that into an imaginative scenario that sticks with me to this day. The castle is so expansive and mysterious, the painting worlds such fun sandboxes that are large enough to feel like significant locations, yet limited enough to not overwhelm your search for the power stars. Not everything has aged especially well, such as the last two worlds feeling a bit tacked on and without unique music, but I'm not one to think that the towering greatness a game can achieve is negated by its flaws. Super Mario 64 is... well it's Super Mario 64. I can't give it much higher praise than that.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
I can't definitively say this is the best video game ever made, but I also can't definitively say that it's NOT the best game ever made. Tears of the Kingdom manages to refresh BotW's Hyrule by injecting some of the more classic Zelda elements in addition to its own unique innovations, creating a true must play experience. This game is a playground for your imagination, an epic adventure in a world of incredible scope. It works incredibly hard to look like it is effortlessly pulling off so much. Does it have some weaknesses? Yeah, what game doesn't? But If this game ain't a 5 out of 5, I don't know what is.
Pikmin 4
I was not part of the original generation of Pikmin fans of the GameCube era, so Pikmin was always something of a curiosity to me rather than what I think of as a core Nintendo franchise. However, back when Mario Kart 8 came out on the Wii U and offered a free digital bonus game, I gave Pikmin 3 a shot, and ended up finding it delightful. Pikmin 4 is, to my understanding, a modernization of what was introduced in Pikmin 2, the prior fan favorite, and, well, I love everything about what this game does. I'm actually surprised how much I did love playing through the game, completing the Dandori Challenges, and getting every last treasure. It's just so satisfying. On top of that, the game is monstrously generous. I ended up putting 40 hours into my run, and that's not even with attempting to platinum the various challenges. Great Game.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
The previous game in the series, Xenoblade 2, was such a surprise to me, a game that immediately ascended to one of my all time favorites, so expectations were high for this game coming in. And there is a lot to really like here! The game has wonderful presentation and has cleaned up some of the messier elements of prior games. The core cast is very likeable, the exploration is fun, and the combat is fun. Yet... I just didn't enjoy this game as much as I was really hoping to have. As likeable as the cast is, I never felt hooked to the main story they were in. Honestly, these characters deserved a better story, one with better villains, and with a better thought out scenario. And there are several great individual story moments and scenes, some even approaching the peak of the series! But the overall narrative is just... frustratingly unengaging. And to be fair, I haven't yet played through the DLC campaign, which I hear is excellent. But as is, this is just a good game that doesn't reach the highs of what came before.
Metroid Dread
I am something of a casual Metroid fan, and have had a rather unconventional journey through the series. The first game I played was Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, which I dearly, dearly loved and still consider it my favorite in the series. I'd later go back to play Prime 1, which I also quite like. But for the 2D games, I never really bothered playing them until Samus Returns came out on the 3DS. At some point, I also took on Super Metroid, and then I played Dread. And Dread was good! I agree with some of the criticism that it does lead you around by the nose a bit as opposed to the more free form approach of Super, but I see that more as a stylistic choice than a flaw, and what this game sets out to do, it does very well. They've definitely rebalanced the overall difficulty of the game to be less demanding on the puzzle solving and exploration side, but far more demanding on the combat side, though thankfully with generous checkpoints. Dread is just a really good time from start to finish.
Super Mario 64
Stone Cold Classic. Holds up to this day as one of the best playing video games ever made. No game in the series, not even Odyssey in my opinion, replicates the sheer joy of just controlling Mario in Super Mario 64. It's just hard to overstate how much this game got right, and on the first real attempt at 3D Mario as well. Kind of like Ocarina of Time, it's been the template for everything that came after it. And even though the game has a structure very obviously born of technical limitations, they do an amazing job of turning that into an imaginative scenario that sticks with me to this day. The castle is so expansive and mysterious, the painting worlds such fun sandboxes that are large enough to feel like significant locations, yet limited enough to not overwhelm your search for the power stars. Not everything has aged especially well, such as the last two worlds feeling a bit tacked on and without unique music, but I'm not one to think that the towering greatness a game can achieve is negated by its flaws. Super Mario 64 is... well it's Super Mario 64. I can't give it much higher praise than that.
- Pronouns
- šššš / ššš
iāll write longer reviews if thatās what I have to do for my scores to count, but iāve been trying those since we started and if I do more than a sentence or two I get carried away and just fuckinā canāt recover
uhhhhhh
EDIT: FIIIIINE I'LL MAKE THEM COMBINED
Pikmin 4
nice water
Pikmin 4 is the all-time goat because everythingās so organic and lively, the stylization is perfect and disturbing, Oatchi rules, the Pikmin are just creepy / cute enough, and things feel like they fucking matter.
Super Mario 64
foundational bizarreness slaps. I prefer Sunshine.
Mario 64 rules in a lot of ways but damn. itās old. still good and still enjoy but āgoodā is a true rating today.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
maximalism defangs plein-air
Tears of the Kingdom undercuts so many of its technical achievements by a lack of purpose or need. exciting new things all get Depths effect ā fascinating at first, shallow in creation, once the gag is clear it loses a great deal of edge. Stuck in āit does actually need moreā and āit really needs lessā limbo. maybe if it were in a new Hyrule Iād be less frustrated.
Metroid Dread
EMMI sections pace weird and world could stand to be more organic and connected. that said ā thrilling.
Metroid Dread ā the fights are so good, lots of the secrets and world pockets rule, but a lot of the EMMI shit ultimately feels like interruption, even though great lengths were taken to avoid that. Mixes things up enough. Final boss rules. X parasites legitimately scary. New fight mechanics are great. New skills are intriguing.
ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, FATHER?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
it's been fascinating to watch this divide unfold on the site
team "Mario 64 controls better than any subsequent 3D Mario" grows in numbers every day
we are many, we are strong
I'd go even farther to say that Mario 64 is the only 3D Mario that has truly demonstrated the open level concept successfully.
D
Deleted member 2258
Guest
Super Mario 64
(Good)
I only like five Nintendo 64 games, and Mario 64 is one of them. The other ones are Blast Corps, Wave Race, F-Zero X, and WWF No Mercy. I would imagine I'm not the only one who has memories of experiencing Mario in a 3D space for the first time and just being blown away. And that element of fun and goofing around is still front and center in Mario's movements as you run, hop, climb trees, jump into a wall, you name it. There's some timeless physical humor here. And messing with Mario's face in the menu should have been a feature in every future game! The character and enemy designs across the board are very endearing. Bowser is extremely cute by the way. Modern Mario games go for character designs that appeal to kids, but they miss the mark compared to what we have here. Like those creepy rabbit bosses in Mario Odyssey... yuck. My favorite enemy is the floating eyeball in the lava level. Otherwise, it's pretty good but I don't think I would have any strong desire to do a complete playthrough in 2023. I was glad to revisit it though.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
(Exceptional)
I am going to make a real effort to finish it in November. I'm about halfway through and have been taking an extended break.
Pros:
The opening is awesome.
Link can put a banana on a stick and beat up Ganon with it.
The depths are beautiful.
Cons:
I find that it's hard to relax while playing this game because you're almost always right around the corner from Content.
Building stuff is wonky.
This game has too many cutscenes.
(Good)I only like five Nintendo 64 games, and Mario 64 is one of them. The other ones are Blast Corps, Wave Race, F-Zero X, and WWF No Mercy. I would imagine I'm not the only one who has memories of experiencing Mario in a 3D space for the first time and just being blown away. And that element of fun and goofing around is still front and center in Mario's movements as you run, hop, climb trees, jump into a wall, you name it. There's some timeless physical humor here. And messing with Mario's face in the menu should have been a feature in every future game! The character and enemy designs across the board are very endearing. Bowser is extremely cute by the way. Modern Mario games go for character designs that appeal to kids, but they miss the mark compared to what we have here. Like those creepy rabbit bosses in Mario Odyssey... yuck. My favorite enemy is the floating eyeball in the lava level. Otherwise, it's pretty good but I don't think I would have any strong desire to do a complete playthrough in 2023. I was glad to revisit it though.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
(Exceptional)I am going to make a real effort to finish it in November. I'm about halfway through and have been taking an extended break.
Pros:
The opening is awesome.
Link can put a banana on a stick and beat up Ganon with it.
The depths are beautiful.
Cons:
I find that it's hard to relax while playing this game because you're almost always right around the corner from Content.
Building stuff is wonky.
This game has too many cutscenes.
I understand my avatar is from a Nintendo 64 game so I'm biased, but Mario 64 not only remains great to play to this day, but it uses "3d" as a concept better than 99% of other video games.
The mirror showing a painting that isn't there, the hallway with the giant painting and the small painting, looking up at the ceiling to access a new level; they constantly asked "what can 3d do that 2d can't?" and ran with that. It's like those old cartoons (Looney Tunes, old Disney, etc) that ask "what can we do with animation that is not possible in live action" and go wild.
Mario 64: 5 stars.
The mirror showing a painting that isn't there, the hallway with the giant painting and the small painting, looking up at the ceiling to access a new level; they constantly asked "what can 3d do that 2d can't?" and ran with that. It's like those old cartoons (Looney Tunes, old Disney, etc) that ask "what can we do with animation that is not possible in live action" and go wild.
Mario 64: 5 stars.
y'all are a bunch of momentum-loving weirdos, though as someone who thinks Sunshine controls the best I'm not sure I really have any room to be talking
that said I'm convinced anyone who thinks 64 controls the best must also think SMB1 is the best-controlling 2D Mario
edit: this looks harsh on a re-read. the first statement is in jest, if the half after the comma didn't make that clear enough
Last edited:
D
Deleted member 2258
Guest
They are both very kinetic. And it's fun to zip through stuff in both games in a way that isn't always as present in other games in the series.
jirou
Joy Boy
- Pronouns
- he/him
"mario 64 is the goat" is the most vanilla boomer take wdym
the only reason I "hate" 64 is rebellion
Last edited:
I actually do understand the appeal of weightier momentum, it's just a preference thing. I personally feel Sunshine has a great balance of being snappy while having moves/states that lock you in to your trajectory more (spin jumps, dives, wet slides). SMB3 and SMW's run/flight systems similarly encourage riskier, high momentum moves while still allowing for very snappy control when you'd rather go slow.
OP
OP
- Pronouns
- He/him
Submissions for the first batch of games are now closed!
I will collate the reviews and post the results later today. In the meantime, please feel free to suggest other games to review and discuss how you think this first round went. Specific questions you might want to ponder:
I will collate the reviews and post the results later today. In the meantime, please feel free to suggest other games to review and discuss how you think this first round went. Specific questions you might want to ponder:
- What did you think of the scale? What did you think of people's adherence to the scale?
- What did you think of the timeframe (2 weeks)? Was it too long, too short?
- What did you think of the game selection?
DenkeyKong
banana
To all those that wrote reviews, it was fun to read them. I think I read the bulk of them, like 80%.
Looking forward to seeing the aggregate scores and the next batch!
Looking forward to seeing the aggregate scores and the next batch!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Scale - I'm very happy with a 5 star system with no half stars and it looked like mostly everyone who write a review stuck to that which is a positive.
Timeframes - I personally think 2 weeks is a good length of time to gather thoughts and write something out but it will be different for everyone. Only suggestion I'd add here is having the deadline be later in the day. That way latecomers still have time to add reviews with considered thoughts if they see it on the final day
Game selection - I think the first batch being all Nintendo games from the last 12 months plus Mario 64 made sense, but I would definitely like a little more variety next time round, whether that's in terms of platforms or styles of games - I'd love an indie rep next time round, though I guess it'd have to be something very popular to get a decent number of reviews written (something like a Stardew Valley). Maybe anniversaries can be used to help pick some games. Just as an example but next month Mario Kart Double Dash is 20 years old so that could be an option for then.
Overall though, I like this a lot. Nice to read people's thoughts in a more longform and semi-formal way. Looking forward to seeing the results and how they're presented.
- Pronouns
- He
I really, really like this selection of games. Maybe a bit too RPG heavy but otherwise it's great. I especially like 3/5 of the games being third party, though maybe that wouldn't drive enough attention. Regardless, I support this selection!
You know I uh ... actually don't get the connection here, to be honest. Any of Mario 64's control issues are from focusing too much on momentum, whereas Mario 1 focuses on momentum less than Mario 3 or Super Mario World. In fact, probably less than almost any future mainline 2D Mario (with some obvious exceptions). Mario 64 is much more comparable to Mario 3's controls with its slippery, fast, agile, bad momentum based movement. I guesssss there is a connection in that Mario 64 and Mario Bros both lock you in a direction more when you're running, but for my money it feels about as snappy switching directions in Mario 1 as it does 3, and this isn't really a problem in the 2D games anyways.
PixelKnight
Observing the process
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Maybe swap out Dragon Quest for Astral Chain or Splatoon 3?
- Pronouns
- they/them
I think I generally like the scale, my only concern with it (that wasn't very applicable for this first batch) is how to interpret the "would you recommend this" part of the descriptions. For mass-appeal games it totally makes sense, but for more niche games, it might be good to specify whether you had it in mind as say, for 5 stars, "even people who aren't familiar with this niche should try it" or more "you would recommend it to fans of the niche".
As for adherence, there's a couple reviews that had me a little confused because the text of the review struck me as matching a different spot in the scale as the rating they then chose, but I'm not sure what the reaction to that should be. Maybe double-checking with them if you feel like that's the case?
I agree with the people saying the end time should try to aim for around "end of the day" for as many people as possible. General timeframe seems fine to me though.
I think it made sense for a first batch! But also that it would be good to decide on a slightly more structured way to pick in the future, whether that be through having a set spread each time (ex. always having 1 retro game and 1 indie, or spreading across genres, etc) or by having themes (ex. this biweekly theme is "games with boats").
- Pronouns
- He/Him
having missed a bunch of games I wanted to talk about I don't think I'll ever write a review for this thread
I'm very much looking forward to reading people's thoughts, however. candidly I also look forward to talking about Pikmin 4 without adhering to a five point scale
I'm very much looking forward to reading people's thoughts, however. candidly I also look forward to talking about Pikmin 4 without adhering to a five point scale
- Pronouns
- He
For what it's worth, I was really looking forward to hearing Raccoon's thoughts on Pikmin 4
- Pronouns
- He/Him
someday... I'm too sick this week
- Pronouns
- He
Get better soon!
OP
OP
- Pronouns
- He/him
The first batch of review Famiscores are in!
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: 86 (26 reviews)
Metroid Dread: 85 (23 reviews)
Pikmin 4: 89 (16 reviews)
Super Mario 64: 80 (15 reviews)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3: 71 (14 reviews)
Full details can be found in the review index.
Collating these took a lot longer than I realized*. I'll have some follow-up thoughts tomorrow and will post the second batch of games in the coming days.
*To add to that, when I was 75% done editing the review index post, I hit CTRL+R (why?!), reloaded the page, and lost everything. However, I realized the Google Sheet I had all the info in was laid out in such a way that formatting the post within the sheet itself was actually super easy. I think I ended up redoing the whole thing faster than finishing that 25% would have taken!
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: 86 (26 reviews)
Metroid Dread: 85 (23 reviews)
Pikmin 4: 89 (16 reviews)
Super Mario 64: 80 (15 reviews)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3: 71 (14 reviews)
Full details can be found in the review index.
Collating these took a lot longer than I realized*. I'll have some follow-up thoughts tomorrow and will post the second batch of games in the coming days.
*To add to that, when I was 75% done editing the review index post, I hit CTRL+R (why?!), reloaded the page, and lost everything. However, I realized the Google Sheet I had all the info in was laid out in such a way that formatting the post within the sheet itself was actually super easy. I think I ended up redoing the whole thing faster than finishing that 25% would have taken!
