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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants
4/23
Tales of Kenzera™: ZAU
4/25
Another Crab's Treasure
4/25
The Epyx Collection: Handheld
4/26
TopSpin 2K25
4/26
Stellar Blade
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I came here to chew bubble gum and play video games, and I got some bubblegum right here. You are most likely to find Smash Brothers and Mario Kart here.
This review could easily go up. If they unleash full Rock Band on this game then this will easily bump to five stars. You can see exactly where existing Harmonix engines and business relationships are moving here. The guitars going live is a huge bump. If they get drums and vocals set, they are gold. It's an interesting model using free songs to chose from during the week. While it may seem like 500 points for the purchase of a song is a lot, it's mostly comparable to what tracks were on Rock Band. I'm not sure you need to buy a lot though since they keep rotating songs. Much like a lot of Fortnite, the gameplay is clean though. Controller functionality and button mapping is...special. Still enjoyable and it's creating an itch...I need to scratch with the full Rock Band experience.
This game was like Wario Ware forgot to take its medication, and I say that lovingly for all parties involved. There is a lovely little narrative tying this together. None of the mini-games felt like a chore, and all were achievable. For the trophy hunting crowd this was a simple platinum. I will always remember the time I smoked C3 with the longest banana orange toss. If nothing else, put this game on your wish list and check it out the next time it is on sale. Low risk, high reward. S/O to @danioverhere for introducing me to the church of SCPT, they had been trying for so long to get people in.
There are days where this thing makes me want to pull out my few remaining hairs because of how ludicrous the final categories can be. At the same time it is a fun game. I should take more time for it but limit myself to about 5 minutes so I don't feel like I'm wasting my life. Worth the fun, and shake off the ridiculous categories if you fail a day.
This game was built in an engine shut down in 2018. The game is under 30 GB. It's not a phoned live service game. It's real, it's happening and people are bought in. They're winning with their real time manipulation of events. Try it if you're able to access it. It plays clean!
A surprise 2D Rogue-like shooter. Worth checking out for anyone looking to support an indie. It is VERY easy to shoot yourself so it makes it challenging to just fire shots off everywhere. A little bit of a learning curve. Fun little game.
I'm not far into the game but I'm far enough to give it five stars and say that I get it. 2023 was an all-time year for gaming. I'm astounded at the dev team being able to capture the openness of a D&D game to this degree and with this level of precision. I would almost say it's too open but that's exactly it, you can't make it too open because that's what the game is.
As I said on the Podcast this game is a great balance of difficulty without being truly punishing or painful. Success after failure makes it all the sweeter. Check out the demo and the Podcast if you haven't!
I'm not finished but I'm reaching the endgame. The story is fantastic, and as with one the voice acting is among the best I've ever heard in a video game. The complaints I hear about this game, whether narrative or political are frankly utter garbage. The only disagreements I've heard are that they aren't faithful to the comics or that people just didn't agree with it. I feel like it's all earned here. The game is beautiful and the first full PS5 game I've seen three years into this system and it makes the most of it.
I've seen enough.
I've not played multiplayer yet and I don't need to for this to be a five star game. The last leap that Nintendo took with 2D Mario was something between New Super Mario Bros. and Mario Maker. This blows those leaps out of the water. They've redesigned everything from the ground up for base gameplay. It still stings that they removed the characterization bonuses but just rip that bandage off, the badge system covers all of those anyway. The visuals and character movements are clean and I dare say flawless. I'll just get to the Wonder Flowers now: it's a monumental achievement to see how they approached these levels within a level. I'm astounded by the amount of creativity they used. They pretty much didn't limit themselves. I'm done now. If you're a Mario or Platformer aficionado, go get this game immediately.
I've still got a lot to get through here but I'm ready to give this five stars. Anyone who longs for the days of 90s Square needs to play this game. The anesthetics and soundtrack alone will reward you. The story is very good and the characters are fun. The quality of life changes over that era are nice: active combat giving increased engagement, jumping and climbing while traveling, good indicators of side quests/treasures. The fighting itself I want to expand upon though: fights are like sequencing puzzles themselves. You need to attack with the right characters and attacks in the right sequence to delay enemy attacks and get the most bang for your buck. It's a really engaging wrinkle for me. I can't see this dropping. Unless I rate wheels. Then I'll probably drop it. This game's version of Gwent is just not fun for me. But it also doesn't seem to matter one lick. Cue the absolutely adore this game gif.
I could not get into the original Paper Mario, but I had a lot of fun with this one. Looking forward to the Thousand Year Door to try what I am told is the pinacle of the series.
Miyamoto has had many successes and franchises through the years. The man gave us Mario, Zelda, so much. His baby for the last 20 years has strangely been Pikmin. I say "strangely" because up until 3 was released on the Switch I had no interest. I was in my hipster phase when the PS2 and GameCube were battling it out and thought it was ridiculous. But here was Miyamoto toiling away, proud of the capacity to have 99 little plants following you around and doing your bidding independently (rightly proud). Anyway, I jumped into the 3 release on the Switch and loved it. Played it through three times and 100%ed it. Real time strategy to the next level.
Enough yapping. Iterate and improve. That's what they did with every aspect of this game. The levels look gorgeous, forget the Switch 2, they're not done here yet. The variety of environments. The Dandori challenges are a fantastic addition and I look forward to dueling people here on C3. Dandori is life. Dandori is everything. If you haven't played a Pikmin before this is a great jumping point.
I have a LONG way to go with this game and reserve my right to update this:
They've iterated on Breath of the Wild fantastically. The thing I keep thinking is that they both have and have not thought of everything. The possibilities feel limitless in the game for how to solve puzzles, approach battles, even just basic travel. I've also said that the thing I am most impressed with is that they're absolutely crushing addressing both BotW and new players. My 8 YO daughter hasn't played Breath and the game is catering perfectly to her learning. I can skip what I don't need for tutorials. If you didn't vibe with Breath though, this won't be for you, though I feel the mainline story is a bit more straightforward so far. Truly exemplary game though.
Follow up upon "completion":
I'm truly amazed and staggered by the scope of this game. I completed the narrative but there is so much else to do. I got MAYBE half of the Depths open. So much on the surface dangling out there. Amazing. Truly mind blowing. The final battle music and visuals were truly stunning.
Early review having played a few games since the early access last week. It delivers as this thing has for me every iteration I've played since 2009. I WISH the graphics had a slight upgrade, I feel like they haven't unlocked the generation's full potential. It plays perfectly though, they have the Phillies' new scoreboard up already, and they added Rhys Hoskins's bat spike (RIP his 2023).
I'm giving it one less star than the Tomb Raider one. It probably deserves the second but I'm docking it because TR beat it to market. This doesn't do it for me and feels empty. Even more empty than TR felt though the flourish kill was kind of cool.
I couldn't even get through the demo this is so pointless. The gameplay is among the worst of mobile games, you maybe click the screen periodically. I will spare all of you the torture of making this a daily quest.
It performs well and is clean. There are mobile games that feel like a good game was made, and there are mobile games that feel like they were made purely with the intent of raking you over the coals for money. This is the latter.
I'm going to borrow @laughatbrian review and agree that a total lunatic designed this. It's kind of fun but also doesn't hook me. Better than 3 stars because it absolutely does what it sets out to do.
I don't care what your thoughts on Atari or these games are. This is the best curated collection I have ever seen. It is truly curated, not just slapped together with some menu graphics. This is a beautifully assembled collection of the history of video games and Atari over the last 50 years. Add it to your wish lists, this is a must have for any true gamer.
For my 20,000 Level 20 review...I shall do it.
I'm not good at it. I enjoy watching it more than playing it. I got it for free on PS+ when it first dropped and thought it was going to be some gimmick game disappearing overnight. My respect to RL and its passionate, talented community.
Update: And Smurf culture has me dropping this a star...
The recommendations didn't let me down. Everyone has been right. The animations on this are also beautiful, the soundtrack hits right, and there is considerable emotionality built in.
This game is free with PlayStation Plus Essentials. I have to tell you this game is clean. I love the detail they put into it and it is just fun to race. As a loving Switch owner I can't imagine the detail of the toys, tracks, and surroundings translates but it looks amazing on the PS5.
I'll jack the score up on this one. I spent the $10 on the full game and it was a great stupid little mobile game. Unique for Mario with the auto-run but a lot more of it worked. Solid little bit of fun.
The capture mechanic made this a perfect entryway for my kids to get into Pokémon. They've since moved onto the battle capture system but this was much easier for them to understand.
This game is underrated. I picked this one up on sale during the time when there were fewer Switch games and found it to be really fun with a surprisingly solid online mode especially. Fun bonuses/power moves and very solid tennis play. Clean.
I had to go find a copy of this one. No doubt this is sentimental for me anyway since this was the last year of NHL with my dad (and the first/only one we got on PS1) but Lindros was on the cover. I do have the Giroux one on this shelf also.
I'll say it, it isn't for me, I'm here for some no build fun with friends. But this thing deserves any accolades it gets. The crossovers and whatnot make for a unique experience.
@badintel suggested this one during a Switch sale and it was worth it. Beautiful with more than a touch of melancholy and sadness. Fun mechanics to the game for either one player or two.
Ahh the era when JRPGs weren't guaranteed to show up in the U.S. I guess I was irrationally nerdy with playing JRPGs in the 90s and 00s compared to the general population.
I loved everything about this game. The gameplay, strategy, soundtrack, humor. We need accessibility to this one, I need to see if it's on any subscription service.
But like... what if there really is cake?? Fantastic puzzles and story for what's kind of a throw in of a game? My son just took a run at it on Switch also and loved it.
@seth may have written the most important fact: Morgan Freeman is a boss battle; no notes.
He will also likely wipe the floor with you AT LEAST once.
That said the play style is different from Stick. They didn't just re-run the play. The classes are great. The bonuses, play style, jokes, etc. Again it really feels like they enjoyed the game experience.
Both of these games get 5 stars for me. I've fallen off of South Park, and had fallen off at that point but this game actually brought me back. It really felt like they put effort into the writing behind it all. I loved the whole thing and cracked up the whole time.
Played the whole thing through. Really enjoyed the gimmicks of it. The game looks fantastic. Also perfect for kids of any age as the easy mode makes it very easy for a kiddo to tag along.
Great execution of animation in the 16 bit generation. Fun for all ages. I remember my siblings and I playing and our dad also having a blast with this one!
Very open to figure it out on your own. The only miss is that it's sometimes frustrating when you think you got one and you keep not hitting it. Silly enough to offset it.
Not as dynamic as that which it was trying to take from. I only played it because it was free on PS+, played a few rounds and moved it. It wasn't offensive or broken, just wasn't the thing.
I respect a lot about this game and what it was, but even then I thought it was awful to play. Camera was rough, enemies were frustrating, I kept running into what felt like glitches. Second star for what it did for gaming.
This was the Star Wars v. Star Trek of the early 90s. And much like that fight I'm here for both sides. Everything changed when this hit, not only in Gaming but even culturally. Funny thing my dad got this for me for my birthday and clearly regretted it (or at least my mom did for him) and magically if disappeared but my Uncle ended up with an identical copy for his Genesis hahaha
A fantastic mix of RPG and Star Wars. Played it on the brother's Xbox but have it on the Switch now. Holds up for gameplay and generationally appropriate graphics.
I thought this looked stupid back when it came out. I thought that stupidity was indicative of the whole GameCube generation. I'm here to apologize to Miyamoto for doubting him.
In the Tucker home, the Rock Band series gets 10 stars. We have a library of hundreds of songs and went so far as to take my whole Rock Band 3 set up to a catering hall and set up as a Karaoke as part of our Mom's 50th birthday.
I didn't play much on the Xbox but this was one I played on @tucknuts console. Clean, solid, fun. One of many games at the time on Xbox that felt like they had an obsession with a morality measure, but it definitely worked here (and Knights of the Old Republic).
This is the Arcade 1 Up machine that I got a hold of because of my stupid love for this game. Wanton destruction for no reason. Anyone who loved this game probably needs a therapist.
Forgot about this one but spent quite a few hours on this one. The mechanics were golf-like and smooth. As I recall, there was a cool and accurate dynamic where the lane oil would adapt over the course of the session. Until Wii bowling, this was THE bowling game for me.
My memory of this one is entirely in our dentist office where you could borrow a Gameboy while you waited. Great game, but also a unique item that was cool to see pop into Mario Maker 2 as well. Happy birthday, Super Mario Land!
It's almost difficult for me not to rate a tactical RPG 5 stars. I only got to play this once it was localized for the Switch but I appreciate all that it brought to the table and I'm so annoyed that it wasn't available in my youth.
A great series of games. This was probably the weakest of the bunch but still a great experience, especially at the time. The thing that sticks out to me the most is the final Death Star run (of course).
This was up there with Oregon Trail as one of my favorite games in school. Though, this was the far nerdier one. Also, the show on PBS was one of those ones I always wanted to be on.
Even the stupid tank battles can't make me take this to four stars, though I really, really thought about it. Like really thought about it. Also I get they had a bigger roles but the swap in of Jonathan Banks as Gordon and John Noble as Scarecrow were kind of jarring and out of place to me? Still enjoyed it and put a lot of hours into it and probably got 9/10ths of the Riddler trophies. I only had a few left when I got too annoyed to bother. I like what they did with the story that they did though. Balance of both original and working with the larger canon.
The first time you hang from a Gargoyle and yank a thug up and hang him from the Gargoyle, you can't help but whisper to yourself in that voice, "I'm Batman." Then...I giggled like a complete psychopath when another thug stood beneath his cohort hanging by his ankle with the blood rushing to his head and I threw a Batarang and cut the second thug down on top of his buddy and everyone starts freaking out. The level of detail is impressive in the way you can take thugs out. The rhythmic fighting was magnificent.
Then...whoever had the idea needs to be given all the raises...but they got Conroy and Hamil to reprise their animated series roles. I had no idea when I booted the game up that they were going to grab my childhood by the haunches and yank me up.
Finally, the things they did to give the Super-Villains/bosses distinct fights/conflicts was great. It wasn't just a beat 'em up. The Killer Croc interaction, Bane, of course Scarecrow, etc.
Perfect experience...that will only be eclipsed when City comes out.
As a ten year old who had zero knowledge of the Alien franchise, I enjoyed this game on both Genesis and Game Gear. A fun movie tie-in for a movie I had no clue about.
Before Marvel's Spider-Man on the PS4 this was the most Spider-Man you could have been. Or at least the most groundbreaking for me. There are of course more between the two that do the open world thing, that do the web swinging, but this was huge. Also the fact that this was a movie tie-in is still unfathomable considering the long, awful history of those games. Great stealth mechanics with the shadows also. Anyway, good times.
It's so weird looking back on how many snowboarding games there were at the end of the 90s. That said this was all around solid. Nothing fancy but got the job done.
Much button mash, much grind. There's zero point in having so many characters when you need to level one main set. I only gave it three stars because my son enjoys it until the leveling system gets him stuck.
Anyone who is a fan of classic Sonic games needs to pick this up. Kind of a remix of classic Sonic levels the team behind this absolutely crushes the Genesis era Sonic games. Five stars, no notes.
Played this one on Game Gear and more than one part of this thing was a glitchy mess that literally could not be completed. I wanted to enjoy it, but physically could not.
I played this in 1995 on a Mac in a program I was in. There were no instructions, and I had not yet know this would be based on what is one of my top three books of all time. No instructions, no clue what to do, just odd text.
"Geese are A-holes"
This was the tenant upon which the game was built.
Short, but fun. Definitely the only game in which I've ever played a goose.
Both of my kids had a blast...because geese are A-holes.
It does take a minute to figure out what to do as far as the tasks go, but not sticking it in your face is fun also.
So I picked this up for Game Gear again recently and still love it. We need a port to the switch or something. The stupid mobile thing they have now is no good and we need the OG back. There's a level of sadism to the fun, but the puzzles are truly intriguing to figure out on your own.
Liam Neeson is your father. Five stars.
It was jarring to hear him the first playthrough all kidding aside.
The first Fallout game I played and still my favorite (don't @ me @falloutnewvegas stans)
So much to do, so open. Great game. It's whatever you make if it.
I'm rating this as the 6 or 7 or whatever year old played this and hasn't gone back. It worked well but zero clue what was going on here. Even the cover art is still intriguing.
I want to go back, make it happen video game gods.
It's just repetitive enough to keep it from being a 5 star. I really appreciate what it is doing and my 9 YO enjoys the testing of it also. I kind of want to give it the 5th star because I remembered it's only $30 regular price....maybe I'll adjust. Good mental games.
I wish you could skip the tutorials...
Kids didn't have much interest in this one.
I think this just came and went and no one bit.
It is fun to tailor these games once you get through the tutorials.
When people ask "what game should I get for my kid?" this is always atop the list. My kids have been ranging from "playing" this to playing this since they were two years old. As of 2022 they still continue to play this, whether replaying levels and missions or making up their own in game stories or narratives. It was pretty cool that the voice actors from all of the Marvel/Disney shows at the time participated in this one. My son even recognizes Clark Gregg as Coulson in this. This was the first Lego game in our home and has proven to be the most lasting and popular. As with other Lego games they are nigh impossible to lose in. This may be the simplest set of puzzles in levels also, though still not overly so as the kids still feel accomplished. Not as many characters as the sequel but the quality is higher in this game. As mentioned I always recommend this one for families looking for a game.
Senior Week was comprised of Perfect Dark, South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, and the Cash Money Millionaires cinematic masterpiece Baller Blockin. Everything about Goldeneye was escalated with a SciFi twist. Even better multiplayer mode. Really a fun game that I had no idea where it was going. Maybe Rare will dust this one off too.
So, you take 3, make some upgrades to the gameplay, blow the soundtrack out, throw Scarface into a tumbler with Ray Liotta and Miami Vice and pour this out? Hell yes.
Truly revolutionary. The fun part of this story is that I think @tucknuts was 15 when I picked this up for him. Whoops. It was also the first and I think only time I was ever carded for a game (I was 18, I should have taken that as a hint).
That aside the leap from 2 to 3 is bonkers. They made leaps and bounds after this but it was a cultural phenomenon.
I'm a Rock Band apologist to begin with. That said, the artistic direction they took with thulis really separated it from the series and made it its own experience. Of course all time songs as well. I loved how it progressed through time and their careers.
If you're intrigued by this knowing that there's a Twisted Metal movie coming and want to take a crack at the series, this is the game to do it with. Clean controls, a nice swath of characters. A lot of hours on this one back in the day. Series peak here.
The fifth star is for me being a flat out mark. I never got into The Force Unleashed. From the opening of this game it feels like being in Star Wars more than any other game before it has. The music, the ambience, the scenery, all makes you feel like you're in it. I ignored side quests more than I normally do in games, but that's just because of time constraints. Excited for the sequel.
Look I'm just going to say it...hard for the sake of being hard isn't good. Nigh impossible without a Game Genie. The water level is notorious for not only setting the bar for water levels being annoying and difficult but for being the benchmark of laughably impossible gaming levels with or without water (give me the Battletoads bikes any day). The rest of the game is fun but you'd never know it. Generational trauma for people.
Peak of the series. It will never cease to amaze me the talent they ripped from the Animated Series of my youth for these. A truly shocking ending. A perfect game. Excellent boss fights, fun exploration, great mechanics. Much as Spider-Man does after this, you ARE Batman. Also the Riddler trophies are slightly less infuriating than they become by Knight.
Like the NES generation they perfected the art in 2. The only difference is that 3 doesn't miss a beat. The opening train action and escape was mind blowing to me how interactive and truly cinematic this thing was. Ripping the proverbial bull whip out of Indy's hand in the Crystal Skull Era.
I think at the time this was a 5 star but the rest of the series has pushed this so much farther it's only four in hindsight. Everything about it gets escalated, the cinematic nature, the combat, etc. Fun, worth it. Play it.
@tucknuts and I had a dream, a dream where video games would cross franchises to battle it out. Then we learned that such a game would be coming. And it was glorious. Secret characters were a thing but the four they had were great. Cue Happy Together. Many a great nights in college playing this one on the 64 also.
An all timer. Yes, as you can see i have a lot of all timers but this is among the ones I have played through the most times. The gameplay is clean, the lore is fun, the story beautiful. A perfect game.
As the sun was setting on the Sega Genesis they snuck this little guy in. Quality racing game that was mind-blowing at the time. Ultimately limited but still fun.
Totally a me rating for this. The gameplay was a bit clunky. Also this was a real kick in the controller when PS1 got FF7 and we got this for Nintendo. It was fun enough to not stop though.
I'm truly shocked that Nintendo has never taken another crack at this. It's been put on every virtual console. In an age where New Super Mario Brothers and the like exist you'd think they'd make an update. It doesn't need to be Kirby's 3D upgrade. Anyway a fun little game with gameplay on its own.
Loved this game as a kid. So crazy how far the sport has come from here to The Show 2022.
Obscure observation: this game came out in Japan on my wife's first birthday in 1983 and in the US on my second birthday in 1985. Odd.
I hadn't even remembered Wonder Boy until I played this one. Full Metroidvania. Very good appearance to the game and very clean gameplay. Strongly recommended.
Proof that not every game needed a 3D upgrade on the 64. Made all the worse by facing off against Symphony of the Night, an all time game. Forgettable and a reason there was no continuation of this.
As with so many SNES upgrades to NES series, a leap and bound above and great use of the SNES features, not the least of which was a killer soundtrack. Killer gameplay. If there was going to be one SNES entry this should be it.
The peak of the NES experience for Castlevania and the reason the "vania" part of "Metroidvania" exists. As with so many sequels on the NES they perfected the controls, the gameplay is cleaner. Holds up still.
Nothing can ever live up to 2 for me. I really enjoyed it, I get it. The plot lines tying up for one and two are great, but the ending itself still leaves me flabbergasted, especially with a follow up game that I couldn't get more than an hour into. In retrospect this game is hurt by its bookends, and I probably shouldn't hold that against a well written game that has a lot of branches through the main game.
Hey guess what?? I loved it then and I love it now. I'm all for the twist that happened in this game and looking back over the series after this it makes even more sense. Kojima is slightly deranged and we are all the better for it.
Favorite memory of this one is heading back to my college dorm where my roommate had apparently skipped classes all day, blocked out the light from our window and even under the door so he could play this game in total darkness.
There was some ado about what game #100 should be...and @Joel decreed this shall be it.
I originally did not have an SNES I didn't get that until towards the end of the generation, we were a Sega Genesis household for that generation until we bought the SNES.
That said, many an hour was burned at my buddy's house playing this one. Not to mention the quarters burned at the arcade cabinet at the corner store getting cheap candies like warheads and whatnot. Back then I had no way of learning the combos so I was absolutely a masher. Still a blast though I know my excuse for a technique could be a problem.
Shockingly sentimental as I considered rating this one.
Great game spawning great memories. Congrats #100.
I almost only gave it 4 stars because X2 is just so much better, but then I remind myself this was a great way for the Blue Bomber to break onto the SNES. Everything about it takes a good next step into the 16 bit generation.
Sony first party games are truly peerless. Maximizing the capabilities of the generation. A "fun" world to game in with a really creative hybrid setup. Recommended for anyone who can get their hands on it.
Now THIS is a battle royale game for me. Addictive fun for me. Worth playing for anyone who is a fan of Tetris to add a layer while still being the traditional game.
I'm biased by the fact that this was an early Switch essential, but this was an Indie blast. A great mix of OLD SCHOOL 8-bit golf and a ridiculous RPG. Ghost stories, Frisbee golf, all sorts of silliness. Put it on your wishlist and get it when it is on sale next!!
I recommend this for every Switch owner of every age. There are about 100 pre-built levels of varying degrees of difficulty, then the game is truly limitless. My 9 YO still makes insane [yet playable] levels with puzzles and challenges and my 7 YO makes very casual romps through a variety of scenes in the Mushroom Kingdom. Yep, Nintendo just gave up and got us to make our own game but it is worth it.
As with so many series this is the peak. The controls are mastered, it runs clean. This was a big one in our home in our youth. Timing out stealing the weapon from the person attacking you felt so good. We could have died laughing at some of the crashes.
This HAS to be five stars on the basis alone that an entire genre is 50% named for this game. I love explaining to my kids that this game was mind blowing alone for the fact that you have to go left not right to really start it.
That aside the exploration was so cool.
Also, this game is the reason that I write my zeroes with lines through them now. I lost my game because I had written down a password with too many interchangeable ones and zeroes. Woof.
It was really creative, fun gameplay. That said I'd give it a 5th star if I was compelled to take another crack at it. I do recommend trying it for anyone who's in the Nintendo Switch camp.
My first Pikmin game, and for clarity I'm rating based on the Switch re-release. When this came out for GameCube I was at my cousin's house and thought it looked stupid. Never tried it. I regret it not as I had a blast. The three character controls and splitting of up to 99 Pikmin on the field was a blast. I easily played 20 hours on my first play thorough. Less on the second just due to increased efficiency.
This is as much for my 9 YO son as anyone. He is currently on his 10th playthrough if I'm doing the math right.
This was my first FE game (I played the OG after this when Nintendo released it on the Switch). I LOVE strategy games and I love the permadeath element even more. Though after playing the original now I feel like the time reverse function makes the game a bit too easy. BUT too easy aside I had fun with the whole thing. It took a bit to get used to the time routines on the calendar but it ultimately did not take away from my enjoyment. This is a game that probably could have used an old school manual. Still 5 stars for me.
My favorite game of the PS4 generation, and the PS5 upgrade is truly perfect. The Arkham games nailed BEING Batman. The same is true here for Spider-Man. I have countless images coming out of the photo mode. The game balances perfectly existing canon with its own path being forged. The exclusivity of this for Playstation is absolutely a selling point for these systems.
Additionally my 9 YO has played through this three times now. The two easier settings have worked well for him. My daughter just loves the swinging.
The greatest video game museum ever assembled. I've been playing since the beginning of this one. It is so deep and encompassing even beyond being a fun platform fighter (THE? platform fighter) there is so much packed into this game and it is done with true love of the medium.
O.G. Mario, Mario 3, Super Mario World, Mario 64. I can't rank them. This is right there with them. It seemed so weird when the first trailer dropped that the mechanic was going to be taking over villains but it was truly a perfect game.
My son was 6 when he tore through the game multiple times as well.
Proverbial gun to the head, this is still my #1 LOZ. Much like Mario it is near impossible to rank the series as a whole, but this is the one I say is my favorite. Just edges out the original, Ocarina, Twilight, and BotW. I have easily played through this one the most times. A truly prefect game.
I had cracked this one again when the SNES classic dropped. I remember the graphics blowing my mind as a kid seeing everything happening. The controls can be imperfect but this game accomplished what it set out to do bringing airports into gaming to this degree in one game.
This one still holds up. Unique especially compared to games at the time. It simultaneously feels fast yet not out of control. Challenging but not to the point of being unfun. I saw some clickbait article about why Nintendo won't bring this series back but I don't get it, this is ripe for a 2020s update. Feels faster but manageable compared to other games in this generation.
Don't you DARE be the person who holds the gun right up at the screen. Jokes aside I have no idea how many hours I put in on this thing as a kid, especially at my grandparents' house. The dog laughing at me will forever haunt me. As I write this I'm hard pressed to think of the at home light gun experience really being topped by this (okay Time Crisis was solid at home but still...)
Mario 64 is a perfect port and transition. Everything about that perfect game is right here. This set loses points with Sunshine which I still just cannot get into the FLUDD water gimmick of the game. The port/update of galaxy works better than i expected as they did really have to make some updates for the switch to work well. A really seamless transition including the handheld experience and touch screen as well as the Joy-Con use. As the great Meat Loaf said, two out of three ain't bad.
A high that Nintendo has been chasing ever since (and maybe Squaresoft -- sorry Square Enix) have been chasing ever since. This game was not only prefect upon release but still holds up to this day. I have not had the best of times with the Paper Mario series (though I admittedly haven't played what I am told is the high watermark in 1,000 Year Door) but the RPG turn based elements are perfectly executed here with a great character set both old and new. To this day people still long for Geno and our Pinocchio-adjacent friend has done nothing else but be a Smash Bros. skin. That is cultural impact. This was also a ground breaker for what became a franchise gimmick of making Bowser empathetic or sharing insight into the megalomaniac dino-ish guy. A truly prefect game.
I'll say it and don't @ me. It's perfect. They didn't just run the play back. No one was deceived. There was growth, there are morals and life lessons. The game is beautifully rendered and much like its predecessor a generational masterpiece. This isn't to tell you that you can't have your own opinions, but do have your own opinions. This game is worth it.
2 will always be the high watermark for this series for me. This one felt a bit clunkier and I didn't like the character builds as much but my bias for 2 may be a personal issue here. Still fun.
Yes this is not the Legend of Zelda your parents grew up with (nor me). If you can get over that this is a whole new experience but still worhy of the upper echelons of the franchise (along with the original, Link to the Past, Ocarina, and Twilight). The weapons system can be frustrating at time but not burdensome. The open world nature I jokingly say can be confusing for Zelda players but is ultimately fulfilling.
This soundtrack is at the tops of all video games. My son literally listens to the soundtrack on repeat every night while he sleeps. On a side note I think he has played this game through six times since he was seven (he is nine now).
This game comes up as a nexus point in Nintendo's history and I love reading an hearing about its development. Not so simple to create this [for Nintendo] unheard of 3D experience. Out of all of that a perfect game that opened and defined a console generation for the company. Still a blast, still holds up.
My now 9 YO has played through this one twice as well.
I wish I could truly capture what I both like and don't like about this game. The collegiate sociologist in me is utterly fascinated seeing humanity in full swing here with everything from trolling to psycho and sociopaths running unchecked. The strategist gamer in me (admittedly also a touch sociopathic and a touch psychopathic) is utterly frustrated playing this with people. The extra star is for the former part. The latter part may only give this 1.5 stars.
This was a pandemic staple for me me when it came out. I just can't get back into it. I lost interest when my inventory maxed before caps were expanded and just moved on. It was a blast and kind of chill even though now I just think of it as a chore. Weird to explain.
My 7 YO daughter still plays it almost daily to this day and just has a blast redecorating.
My 9 YO son still plays it periodically but nowhere near as much as my daughter and he just kind of hangs.
I still love this game. I love turn based RPGs and this is a high watermark. The story never drags for me, I love the characters, and the soundtrack still warms my heart.
When someone asks, this is my favorite game of all time. The hybrid RPG sci-fi shooter is perfect.
Full disclosure I got this for my PS3 so I never played one, I just did the motion comic at the beginning to make the decisions that gameplay from one would have produced. Sure, three did t quite live up the the hype but I promise you two does, and even though this isn't a review of three, my actions in two had clear impacts on the three with that story.
Great acting, great graphics, great gameplay, truly a perfect game and even 12 years later this still stands atop the list to the point that no other ME game has been able to match the joy that I still get from this. The skill sets you can develop, the story turns, the side quests, all yours to decide on your own. Try it. Enjoy!
Unfortunately i feel like this one gets overlooked. It's been a great game for family co-op also. Even one player I've had a blast. We need another full Mario game this generation of the Switch.
BOY
I enjoyed the originals well enough but this is transcendent. My mind is still blown how they cheated load screens last generation. Top tier for the PS4 generation.
My 9 YO has enjoyed the soccer
I mainly play the sword fighting
There are some redundancies in here
I know they are adding golf but I really want boxing and more to be added
The online actually runs pretty cleanly
Not bad but feels like it's missing something
Still fun to this day. There's something silly about the play style that takes it up a notch for me. Yes, I still have literal nightmares about....that....
I've always liked but never loved this one. Fun but also kind of infuriating. I could never quite figure it out but never didn't enjoy it (intentional double negative).
My kids have enjoyed this one way more than me. I really did not enjoy the motion controls but even when I got it set for sticks only I still mainly just enjoyed the 1P mode, though I know many are big on multi-player. I just always got bad partners or never got it...or a bit of both.
An all time Mario game. Holds up still. A perfect jump into the 16 bit generation. How many Yoshis were sacrificed in the course of history? Also a great soundtrack.
As a kid I spent an ENTIRE day going through this game when I was maybe 7 when a babysitter was at our house. My mother was less than thrilled. I can still burn a day straight playing this bad boy but I'm better at it now. 1, 3, 64, and Odyssey are interchangeable at the top tier for me.
My 9 YO has been cracking this and it's his favorite 2D Mario.
I get it, but I also don't get it. This is the take that will get me booed off of this site. I tried three times to get into it, just doesn't work for me.
I spent a lot of hours on it in spite of my issues. I liked the game, it loses points for Preston Garvey and his well earned memes alone. I liked and did not like settlement construction at the same time. I've gone back and played 3 a few times but have never been compelled to crack this thing again. Still had my share of fun with it.
This is a weird one for me as this is one of the last ones I remember playing with my dad back in the day The jump scares were so good. My favorite of the series still.
So this was my first Zelda game as a kid. My death at the hands of the Black Knight and Game over screen were literal nightmare fuel.
I took cracks at it when older also so we are clear. Still a second tier Zelda for me. I kind of want them to go back and do some sort of remaster for this because their vision was just too much for the NES to handle and I want to see what happens.
The RPG elements are a nice change of pace. Sets the tone for letting people know that every Zelda game won't be the same. Take that BOTW haters.
The game that launched 1,000 ships. My mind is always blown by people who did the originals. Not content just creating Mario, Miyamoto took inspiration from childhood cave exploration to create this. The legacy of this game will be like modern myths. The model still holds up and I remember making hand drawn maps.
I can't play an instrument IRL and I have no rhythm but this game got me to 5 star gold pro drummer. These games have been a staple in my home since PS3.
My wife was the singer, my brother on bass, sister on guitar, and I was on drums. We were called Mother Tucker and played two contests at a casino outside of Philly and got some sweet prize money. So many great tracks and DLC. Love this series to this day.
I missed this at the end of the Wii Era. The seeds of BotW are definitely here. I played the Switch version and the sword control was bordering on flawless. I enjoyed the air dynamics as well.
Perfect jump into the Wii generation. There is always something to make a Zelda game unique and the wolf was definitely one I was not ready for. Fantastic story.
Specifically the Switch Port: the best part of this update of a standard Zelda play style (not a bad thing) is the shiny toy appearance that they gave to the game. This is a great way for Nintendo especially to give an update to an older game. I never really got into the dungeon building but points for trying.
This took me some time to get to. Originally I was a two star but I really had come around to the time mechanic which upon release was downright annoying. There is so much in here when you zoom out and embrace it. Still not a top tier for me, but I've come to appreciate it more.
Much like Mario 64 this was a perfect transition into the 3D/N64 era. Even with points off for Navi and the communication repeats in the game it is still five stars.
I love this series and this year is no disappointment. I'm down a Diamond Dynasty rabbit hole. The level of detail is astounding and the many options for skill level, difficulty, and engagement are mind-blowing. My unhealthy love of baseball is grateful that this exists.
Okay so I say that Mass Effect 2 is my personal #1 of all time. I have to ammend that. Chrono Trigger is my GOAT. ME2 is my favorite modern game but this one is everything.
The peak of the original series. 1 just feels like the controls are off and after this some of the villains feel repetitive or forced. The perfect balance of getting the gameplay function right with great levels, bosses, and skills before it starts to feel like a chore.
Also it seems crazy to me that the artwork on the sequel is still this. Legendary.
A great transition into 3D for the pink puffball. Fun, though not overly challenging. I do wish Nintendo had a trophy system to make 100%ing the game worthwhile though. Might change to 5 star someday. Gut reaction is 4 stars. MY 9 YO loved it also, bumping to 5.
They absolutely crushed the fine line between copying what James Gunn put together in the MCU and making their own thing. Enough to separate it but hits the right notes on what Gunn made work. Smart move to learn from Avengers and only focus on one character for controls and do it right. Killer soundtrack, great team dynamics and how it impacts play. Very fun.
Not only is the game well made but it inspired a whole storyline. Well executed, solid voice acting. The loot box mechanic is easily ignored. Cool QuickTime events and a nice touch with some story branches.
Not a single beat is missed from Uncharted 2 and the set piece of the plane escalates the train set piece. What a great series. Someday I'll get 4 off of my backlog shelf.
If this weren't Mario I'd probably rate this two stars. I just could not get into it, but I appreciate it for those who enjoyed it. The mechanics don't work for me. Easily my lowest rated Mario.
One of my favorites of the PS3 generation. The choices mattered in this, particularly when it comes to the power set developing as a hero or villain. Definitely recommending this one to anyone who asks.
I played about 10 minutes of this on Gameboy (though I did play the Let's Go Remake with my son). It doesn't matter what I think, it deserves 5 stars for the legacy it created. Bravo.
So many hours spent in various mediums on this one. Mac at a school program, SNES, etc. A lot of fun building from scratch and also working on one Mega-opolis that would be my magnum opus. I want this on the SNES on Switch ASAP.
Much like the OG time was spent 50/50. Half building one, cheat free perfect city. Half spent building and wrecking. A nice update from the original. We need a new Sim City.
This was so visually cool. The highlight of the series that only went downhill from here. It doesn't hold a spot in the fighter Hall of Fame but it at least deserves a footnote. It would be crazy expensive to do but this is ripe for a next generation Remake now.
This game was slightly better than not working but not by far. The reason the series is pretty much wiped from existence. The controls and animation were way off.
Thanks Microsoft and Rare for ensuring that we never see an update to this one. Unlike every other Kart ripoff this works because of the different race styles.
I had originally missed the melee generation. This was my welcome back post 64. The animations and characters were great. A nice expansion. Nothing really Wii specific but it didn't need to have anything like that.
You can't not rate this 5 stars on cultural impact alone. Every generation was in on this one. I moved the switch to the main floor of the house and the kids have been tearing this game up. Perfect lineup of games inside also.
I want a next generation update of this specific game. I loved the book and loved the planning aspect of the game but the N64 just really felt like it couldn't keep up.
A fun new idea to update the platformer. The times running toward the screen were outright infuriating. I STILL love the ads of Crash harassing Nintendo (I also think they're the reason we'll never see him in Smash Bros.).
The voice acting is legendary rough but this game was so good they had to make their first true sequel. The fight style was great with the order, different yet in the traditional turn based realm.
Much clunkier than 1 with the controls. The voice acting is rough (apparently recorded during the actor strike). It does get to three stars for scope. Kids tend to stick with 1 overall more, but do crack this one for the variety of levels and characters.
This is only five stars for a combination of respect for its staying power and quality time for and with my son. Frankly I'll never quite "get it" but that's the Boomer in me.
This game is way more fun than I expected. I totally wrote it off but a sale in a slow time got me to check it out. I love me a good turn based strategy game.
It would easily be less but I got a few sets on clearance for pennies on the dollar when Toys R Us went under. This game isn't much, bare bones without the extra sets. If you can get a hold of them it's kind of fun. The mechanics of swapping character positions on the pad as a part of a boss fight is pretty annoying. Knocking another star off.
