2__underscores
2012
I love when games have a clear cut goal but give you a lot of freedom in how you can clear it. You could be stealth or go out guns a blazin and either method is doable if you're good enough at the game. Ridiculously satisfying the whole way through while also being wrapped up in an awesome art style/thought provoking narrative
2004
Hasn't left my mind for a day since I finished it. Despite being a small freeware game made by a single person, this is one of the best depictions of dreaming that I've ever experienced in a game. Its loose structure that pretty much forces you to walk around aimlessly and just take in all of the art/music creates this disorienting feeling that's beautifully complimented by the game's presentation. Sure a lot of the areas have the same pieces of art sprawled over and over and most of the songs are just 2-5 second loops, but those qualities help build the game's atmosphere and suspense perfectly.
It's also such a creative way to build the narrative of a character. We can learn so much about our protagonist despite not a single word of dialogue being spoken throughout the game. It's truly one of a kind and has never been recreated despite the plethora of fan games/games heavily inspired by it.
It's also such a creative way to build the narrative of a character. We can learn so much about our protagonist despite not a single word of dialogue being spoken throughout the game. It's truly one of a kind and has never been recreated despite the plethora of fan games/games heavily inspired by it.
I'm not a big shmup guy but this is one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. The music and visuals make me feel like I'm playing through a visual album and I get completely immersed in it every time I play it.
It's like the werehog levels in sonic unleashed but even clunkier to control. Audio mixing sounds terrible and the whole rewinding time gimmick is just there as a replacement for lives. Colors look washed out and muddy and I get it's from the early 2000s but there are so many other games that came out this year and before that look so much better.
The peak of the series. Has a pokedex that's almost possible to fill out in its entirety and gives you 2 regions to explore. Building up your team and nicknaming/forming relationships with all of your Pokemon really separates this series from other RPGs even if the battles system is really simple and the writing/story isn't that in depth. Also that pokewalker went real hard back in the day.
1998
What a legendary clusterfuck of a game. Broken controls, textures that look unfinished, cursed music. Feels like the video game equivalent of "weirdly familiar" liminal images and I kind of love playing it as a result. There's a lot of genuinely great ideas here like all of the characters racing on foot with multiple branching paths (like how 2D sonic levels are designed). It was way too rushed to be executed well but I'd say what we got was a happy accident.
Good luck getting anyone to play multiplayer though lol
Good luck getting anyone to play multiplayer though lol
Pretty tough to go back to nowadays (it's a LOT slower than I remember) but will always hold a special place in my heart. All of the extra love/detail put into this beyond the core gameplay is incredible. As a kid I spent hours reading trophy bios, listening to music, and learning about the history of Nintendo through this game and I love that I could do that. Not to mention The Subspace Emissary has some of the best cutscenes of all time. There's also some banger mods that make it fun to this day.
Revisiting this made me realize how much I dislike the mainline Kirby series. It's a one button beat em up where most of the enemies die in one hit with some of the most simple platforming you'll ever come across in a game. Kirby's way too overpowered for there to be any challenge and it just feels mind numbing. The cutesy art style's kind of charming but at that point I'd rather just play Yoshi's Island or Klonoa something like that. Still love Epic Yarn though
Really disappointing when compared to the first one. There are so many sections where your weaponry is confined, which completely changes the entire point of the game. It's no longer a matter of scoping out the area and figuring out the most effective way to kill everyone, its "how do I kill everyone while conserving my ammo?" which is way more video game tropey and unfun. All of the different masks in the first game had different buffs that were helpful, but didn't fundamentally rewire how you played the game. Here the different characters only being able to use certain weapons changes everything. The core gameplay is still fun (especially during sections where you can actually steal weapons/play normally) but overall it's very flawed.
That ending went hard though.
That ending went hard though.
2002
One of the best console exclusive FPS's ever made. How I feel about this game is the way 90s kids felt about Goldeneye. So many great memories in multiplayer and the single player is really solid/satisfying to play through.
2014
A very tasteful reboot of an old property. World's tightly designed and it controls beautifully. It's a little predictable as far as metroidvanias go and the presentation's kinda generic, but I had a really great time playing it.
1996
Collecting all 120 stars in this is a life experience everyone should have. Obviously feels kinda dated but it has that liminal quality that gives it an unsettling charm to this day. Still has some of the best level design in the genre also.
Despite being unrealistic/video gamey, Tony Hawk 3 embodies the spirit of skating beautifully. It makes you view the world around you as a big skate park, takes time to practice, but once you get good and are able to traverse smoothly through the world while raking up millions of points it's the most satisfying thing ever. Iconic soundtrack too
2010
2D platforming perfection. Perfectly borders the line of being challenging without being frustrating because of how it’s structured (I’d argue this game did a lot to make “lives” an outdated game mechanic). Can easily be played in short bursts or for hours at a time. I’ve 100%ed it twice and that’s one of my biggest life accomplishments.
1994
Still the best metroidvania to this day. Adapting to the slightly broken controls/wall jump opens the game up on a level deeper than just finding an item and using it to progress. You become one with the world by the end of the game and it's infinitely replayable as a result.