when i was a kid, i had a grand idea for a game i always wanted to play. it was a top-down 2d rpg that takes place in a huge fantasy world with hundreds of hidden secrets to find and lots of different items and enemies. a link to the past is that game.

even though the world isn't huge, it's absolutely littered with so many things to do, monsters to fight and secrets to find that it feels so much bigger than it really is. it perfectly divides your time between overworld exploration and dungeon spelunking so you never get bored of either and always have something new and fresh to experience. despite the clunky controls and combat that somewhat date the game, it incorporates mechanics that feel so far ahead of its time, i was constantly surprised whenever i encountered something new.

sure, i often had to resort to guides to figure out how to progress, but that's all a part of the fun. i actually quite enjoyed seeking out 14 year old dungeon maps and discovering entire hidden areas or items i never expected to find. it's like, even outside of the game, i was still discovering new secrets in the guides that others have made over the years. the secrets never end! thanks to my poor memory, i'm sure i'll eventually forget where all of those hidden pathways or fairy fountains are, so when i inevitably play through a link to the past again (and i'm sure i will), it'll feel as magical as the first time i played it.

a strong contender for worst game i have ever played. there are two things that i despise most in a video game: long, slow, boring moving platforms, and having to redo the same thing over and over again. shadow the hedgehog commits both of these sins, and then takes them to the extreme. words cannot express my utter contempt for this game, or just how angry and exhausted it made me feel. i came into it looking for answers to shadow's backstory. instead, i was left with even more questions.

who am i? why am i doing this? why do i enjoy torturing myself? why does this boss have so much health? why do i have to collect 400 (four hundred) rings to progress? are the people who enjoy this game even worthy of the title "people"? the existential crisis i felt as i jankily trudged through shadow the hedgehog's abysmal level design was unlike anything i had experienced before. perhaps, that was the intention. what better way to convey shadow's angst than through a game so bad the player has no choice but to feel the same way?

the game seeks to answer the burning question "who is 'shadow the hedgehog'"? is he a hero or a villain? parallels can be drawn between the protagonist and the game itself. is it a fast paced platformer or a methodical third person shooter? it turns out, neither. it's just fucking dogshit. it has zero redeemable qualities. having played almost every mainline sonic game to date, i can say with confidence that this is the worst of them all and nothing comes close. i hated every second of it, and god only knows how i made it through the whole thing. there is no joy to be found within shadow the hedgehog.