CottonSwab
1986
2017
2017
2006
2021
2011
2011
2021
I don't know what it is but everything about this game just does it for me. Incredibly smooth, fluid, and satisfying gameplay. This game is at its best when you're just running through everything, killing enemies with pinpoint precision and doing all these cool things. Except actually, this game is at its best during the boss fights. The final boss is probably my favorite ever in a video game. It's incredibly challenging with tons of crazy mechanics and an amazing theme and narratively, a really cool way to cap off the end of this arc for the series. The soundtrack isn't something you'd really want to listen to on its own, but it sets the tone super well and adds to the atmosphere. Speaking of, it should be a given for Metroid but the atmosphere is incredible. The visuals are insanely impressive on this game with these gorgeous backgrounds that seem to go on forever and these insanely detailed environments. Some of them feel kinda samey but then they mix things up when the area gets frozen over or you enter Donkey Kong's Jungle. I could probably play this game over and over and never get tired of how fun it is. Genuinely one of the best gaming experiences of my life and I'm so glad that this game not only came out, but that more 2D Metroid is probably coming on the horizon. And after this? I can't wait to see what comes next for this series. 10/10.
2007
Every hundred years, a comet appears in the skies above the Mushroom Kingdom...
And it's only every few years a game this good can be found.
The fact that this game exists at all is a miracle. The gravity mechanics were thought to be impossible, and still boggle the mind today. Like, how did they do that? It's incredible.
Mario's movement isn't as fun or fancy as 64 or Sunshine, but it works incredibly well in this context. There are fewer ways to complete missions, but that allows the developers to guide players into these intricate, masterfully designed stages and follow the paths given. Every level is fun, every level is well-designed, without any exceptions.
And we need to talk about the atmosphere. This is, without a doubt, the greatest soundtrack put into a Mario game. From the exciting and thrilling Good Egg and Melty Molten galaxies, to the more subdued and serene Space Junk and Gateway Galaxy, to the cheery and lighthearted Honeyhive and Beach Bowl galaxies, to even downright eerie and off-putting like Drip Drop and Deep Dark galaxies. Every track sets the tone for the level and draws you further in, immersing yourself fully in the beauty of space. And man, this game is beautiful. When I was a kid, I would sit and stare at the skyboxes and just wonder. I would look at all the planets and stardust trails and see if I could spot one of the galaxies out there. I would wonder what else there could be in this massive, amazing game. This video game is the reason I have a fascination with outer space today.
I don't really know what else to say. I don't think there's any other game that is as special as this one for me. Every time I replay it, I rediscover a little bit of that magic, that whimsical curiosity of myself as a child. This game probably won't be as special to you if you play it now. But for me? This will always be the most beautiful, magical, and comforting game for me.
And it's only every few years a game this good can be found.
The fact that this game exists at all is a miracle. The gravity mechanics were thought to be impossible, and still boggle the mind today. Like, how did they do that? It's incredible.
Mario's movement isn't as fun or fancy as 64 or Sunshine, but it works incredibly well in this context. There are fewer ways to complete missions, but that allows the developers to guide players into these intricate, masterfully designed stages and follow the paths given. Every level is fun, every level is well-designed, without any exceptions.
And we need to talk about the atmosphere. This is, without a doubt, the greatest soundtrack put into a Mario game. From the exciting and thrilling Good Egg and Melty Molten galaxies, to the more subdued and serene Space Junk and Gateway Galaxy, to the cheery and lighthearted Honeyhive and Beach Bowl galaxies, to even downright eerie and off-putting like Drip Drop and Deep Dark galaxies. Every track sets the tone for the level and draws you further in, immersing yourself fully in the beauty of space. And man, this game is beautiful. When I was a kid, I would sit and stare at the skyboxes and just wonder. I would look at all the planets and stardust trails and see if I could spot one of the galaxies out there. I would wonder what else there could be in this massive, amazing game. This video game is the reason I have a fascination with outer space today.
I don't really know what else to say. I don't think there's any other game that is as special as this one for me. Every time I replay it, I rediscover a little bit of that magic, that whimsical curiosity of myself as a child. This game probably won't be as special to you if you play it now. But for me? This will always be the most beautiful, magical, and comforting game for me.
2017
2016
2014