Doublejump180
Melee is the greatest competitive video game ever made, and it was by mistake. This game is so good, if casuals did not know the competitive scene existed, they would never complain about it. Melee gets hate for being popular and liked, which I've never understood.
If you break it down at a game level, it x2's everything smash 64 had to offer. Larger Cast, Stage list, Item list, Single Player and Multiplayer offerings... trophies even. The list just goes on and on for improvements made between 64 and Melee.
Melee is so fascinating to me because its hard for me to find individual flaws in a game so deep. Sure you can complain about balance... which maybe affects 1% of people who've actually touched melee since release.
People point to Brawl being the best casual Smash game and I do have to agree, but Brawl only got there because it was able to build off melee, same way Melee built off of 64. Brawls subspace, does not exist without the success of Melee's adventure mode.
Melee now has some of the best online play any fighting game currently has. The rollback netcode from Slippi truly elevates melee even further into the GOAT status.
In my opinion, Melee is the GOAT of fighting games, and perhaps even games in general.
If you break it down at a game level, it x2's everything smash 64 had to offer. Larger Cast, Stage list, Item list, Single Player and Multiplayer offerings... trophies even. The list just goes on and on for improvements made between 64 and Melee.
Melee is so fascinating to me because its hard for me to find individual flaws in a game so deep. Sure you can complain about balance... which maybe affects 1% of people who've actually touched melee since release.
People point to Brawl being the best casual Smash game and I do have to agree, but Brawl only got there because it was able to build off melee, same way Melee built off of 64. Brawls subspace, does not exist without the success of Melee's adventure mode.
Melee now has some of the best online play any fighting game currently has. The rollback netcode from Slippi truly elevates melee even further into the GOAT status.
In my opinion, Melee is the GOAT of fighting games, and perhaps even games in general.
2008
4.5/5
Gameplay in L4D is fantastic, it takes a few rounds to learn all the Special Infected quirks, and the layout of the maps, but everything feels intuitive and natural. The only flaw I can truly find with the Gameplay is VS mode being kinda boring and an untapped gold mine of gameplay. I just feel like not enough was put into that side of things, and its disappointing that also didnt improve much in L4D2. Theres a variety of gamemodes provided to shake up the experience and keep everything fresh. You can easily loose 100-200 hours playing L4D over the years with friends for short bursts.
L4D never leaves the mind, always sits in the back of your brain as a unique and fun experience that you would not mind revisiting with a couple of friends. Every few years I revisit L4D and remind myself of the Magic of the time period it so lovingly encapsulates. In many ways, L4D will make you feel like a kid again when your playing with a group of 4, as you remind yourself of the friends you originally tackled the campaigns with.
For that alone, this game stands on a very special pedestal for me. One I know I can always revisit, and one I know I will always enjoy.
Gameplay in L4D is fantastic, it takes a few rounds to learn all the Special Infected quirks, and the layout of the maps, but everything feels intuitive and natural. The only flaw I can truly find with the Gameplay is VS mode being kinda boring and an untapped gold mine of gameplay. I just feel like not enough was put into that side of things, and its disappointing that also didnt improve much in L4D2. Theres a variety of gamemodes provided to shake up the experience and keep everything fresh. You can easily loose 100-200 hours playing L4D over the years with friends for short bursts.
L4D never leaves the mind, always sits in the back of your brain as a unique and fun experience that you would not mind revisiting with a couple of friends. Every few years I revisit L4D and remind myself of the Magic of the time period it so lovingly encapsulates. In many ways, L4D will make you feel like a kid again when your playing with a group of 4, as you remind yourself of the friends you originally tackled the campaigns with.
For that alone, this game stands on a very special pedestal for me. One I know I can always revisit, and one I know I will always enjoy.
For what its worth, Sm4sh on 3DS is probably surprisingly one of the most solid entries in the whole series, and I believe it overall outshines the Wii U entry besides Controls.
The single player in Smash 3DS has the best mode in the entire series, Smash Run. Why this was never brought back is beyond me, I've spent many Car Rides playing Smash Run for hours and hours.
1 Thing I thought was cool was that Nintendo didnt abandon the 3DS version at all, all DLC characters were included and released same day as the Wii U versions.
The 3DS has specific quirks with this game, the controls are obviously... subpar. This game This specific title also has a large battery drain on the system, which is fair considering its a 60FPS massive title condensed into the 3DS.
TLDR:
Gameplay: 4/5 : its Smash 4 Gameplay on a 3DS. Everyone knows how smash plays and feels, its satisfying.
Story: N/A: Not important for a Smash Game
Controls : 3/5 : Not much Nintendo could've done to make this more comfortable with a 3ds
Replay : 5/5 : Always fun to pick Smash Run back up or get better with your main. The content truly doesnt end as long as you have a friend to play with.
The single player in Smash 3DS has the best mode in the entire series, Smash Run. Why this was never brought back is beyond me, I've spent many Car Rides playing Smash Run for hours and hours.
1 Thing I thought was cool was that Nintendo didnt abandon the 3DS version at all, all DLC characters were included and released same day as the Wii U versions.
The 3DS has specific quirks with this game, the controls are obviously... subpar. This game This specific title also has a large battery drain on the system, which is fair considering its a 60FPS massive title condensed into the 3DS.
TLDR:
Gameplay: 4/5 : its Smash 4 Gameplay on a 3DS. Everyone knows how smash plays and feels, its satisfying.
Story: N/A: Not important for a Smash Game
Controls : 3/5 : Not much Nintendo could've done to make this more comfortable with a 3ds
Replay : 5/5 : Always fun to pick Smash Run back up or get better with your main. The content truly doesnt end as long as you have a friend to play with.
1992
Super Mario Kart was good all the way up until Mario Kart 64 came out.
There's 2 things that MAJORLY drag SMK down for me. It easily has some of the worst feeling controls ever in a Kart game, and the Tracks are incredibly barebones and simple. Both of these issues are products of this being the first attempt, but it doesn't really excuse how bad the controls really felt to me.
I love Mario Kart, I wanted to 100% every title in the series, and while that isn't very time consuming with SMK, its also the last one I will touch for sure. Lots of older folks who grew up with SMK will tell you how much better it was then future titles, or how the D-PAD controls are the only thing dragging it down, but in my opinion MKDS controls 10X better with D-Pad controls.
The controls feel overly sensitive to each small adjustment you need to make. The off-road parts of the track are so punishing sometimes you can drop 5-6 placements in 2 seconds being off-road
There's 2 things that MAJORLY drag SMK down for me. It easily has some of the worst feeling controls ever in a Kart game, and the Tracks are incredibly barebones and simple. Both of these issues are products of this being the first attempt, but it doesn't really excuse how bad the controls really felt to me.
I love Mario Kart, I wanted to 100% every title in the series, and while that isn't very time consuming with SMK, its also the last one I will touch for sure. Lots of older folks who grew up with SMK will tell you how much better it was then future titles, or how the D-PAD controls are the only thing dragging it down, but in my opinion MKDS controls 10X better with D-Pad controls.
The controls feel overly sensitive to each small adjustment you need to make. The off-road parts of the track are so punishing sometimes you can drop 5-6 placements in 2 seconds being off-road
1988
Very Janky game, lot of the levels feel very rushed and confusing, the layouts are nowhere near as tight as other entries in the mario series. The best way I've heard Mario bros 2 described is Bizzaro Mario. Obviously it was a different game (doki doki) and it really shows.
There is things I like from this game, the last world in particular is pretty stellar from a gameplay perspective. The ending screen is iconic and Wart was a great big bad. Wart is one of my favorite characters from any video game honestly he just has a very funny and great design for an NES title.
Cant say I hate it, although I cant really say I like it. Dont think I'd ever seek out playing this again besides the GBA Version which I think handles much better.
There is things I like from this game, the last world in particular is pretty stellar from a gameplay perspective. The ending screen is iconic and Wart was a great big bad. Wart is one of my favorite characters from any video game honestly he just has a very funny and great design for an NES title.
Cant say I hate it, although I cant really say I like it. Dont think I'd ever seek out playing this again besides the GBA Version which I think handles much better.
1999
Smash 64 is a great starting point in one of the best series ever made.
You can still see so many of the fundamental ideas from 64 in Ultimate today, and if you've played 64 Remix, its not hard to see why this game still has a decent fanbase to this day.
I personally love it, its surprising levels of Depth and Complexity that's driven by the pro scene is a marvel to watch (Shout outs Isai).
Its charming, a small package wrapped in a neat little bow. 12 Characters, a Gorgeous 60 FPS for the n64, a small handful of stages and a barebones single player. It stands as the foundation of one of the largest gaming series ever produced, and for that 64 should hold its head high.
I have to be fair, playing 64 today is nothing short of rough if your a veteran of the series. Smash 64 100% gets a bonus bit of nostalgia rating for how the game felt the first time you played it with friends. But the things missing from this entry such as side special, air-dodging, spot dodging... its all very much missed when you try and play this one again.
I give 64 a 3.5 as Im reviewing it based on how it feels today to play. Still one of my favorite nostalgia games of all time, but with an objective lense its missing a lot of features that would improve its score.
You can still see so many of the fundamental ideas from 64 in Ultimate today, and if you've played 64 Remix, its not hard to see why this game still has a decent fanbase to this day.
I personally love it, its surprising levels of Depth and Complexity that's driven by the pro scene is a marvel to watch (Shout outs Isai).
Its charming, a small package wrapped in a neat little bow. 12 Characters, a Gorgeous 60 FPS for the n64, a small handful of stages and a barebones single player. It stands as the foundation of one of the largest gaming series ever produced, and for that 64 should hold its head high.
I have to be fair, playing 64 today is nothing short of rough if your a veteran of the series. Smash 64 100% gets a bonus bit of nostalgia rating for how the game felt the first time you played it with friends. But the things missing from this entry such as side special, air-dodging, spot dodging... its all very much missed when you try and play this one again.
I give 64 a 3.5 as Im reviewing it based on how it feels today to play. Still one of my favorite nostalgia games of all time, but with an objective lense its missing a lot of features that would improve its score.
2004
What can really be said for a review of WoW.
WoW is my personal GOAT of video games. It didn't always hold that title, but as the years have progressed I've grown to appreciate and love WoW more for what it is.
WoW truly can be played in so many different styles, there really isnt one specific way you have to play the game in order to have fun. Many people will focus on different things and find enjoyment out of the overall package. I personally am partial to the Leveling experience of classic and Mythic + Content in retail. If you take advantage of playing both Classic and Retail, the Sub fee starts to finally live out its value that its been missing for many years.
WoW is currently in the best spot its ever been, besides maybe the first year of Classic launching. I play it everyday, both Retail and Classic. Theres something to do every time you log in, and you will always manage to find some level of enjoyment, even from just sitting in Stormwind.
WoW has had many misses over the years, its why I gave it a 4/5. You cant excuse poor writing in Shadowlands, or the overall slog of some Expansions end games while you await the next. (WOD is a great example of this). Recently WoW has been trying to keep things fresh in smaller patches such as Plunderstorm.
Its hard for me to break down the story, gameplay, or other specific aspects of this game because of how vast and deep it all is. WoW is truly a one of a kind experience that I feel everyone should play just to see what the hype is about. From 2004-2024 this game has captured my heart and Im 100% certain ill be playing until the servers are gone or I am.
WoW is my personal GOAT of video games. It didn't always hold that title, but as the years have progressed I've grown to appreciate and love WoW more for what it is.
WoW truly can be played in so many different styles, there really isnt one specific way you have to play the game in order to have fun. Many people will focus on different things and find enjoyment out of the overall package. I personally am partial to the Leveling experience of classic and Mythic + Content in retail. If you take advantage of playing both Classic and Retail, the Sub fee starts to finally live out its value that its been missing for many years.
WoW is currently in the best spot its ever been, besides maybe the first year of Classic launching. I play it everyday, both Retail and Classic. Theres something to do every time you log in, and you will always manage to find some level of enjoyment, even from just sitting in Stormwind.
WoW has had many misses over the years, its why I gave it a 4/5. You cant excuse poor writing in Shadowlands, or the overall slog of some Expansions end games while you await the next. (WOD is a great example of this). Recently WoW has been trying to keep things fresh in smaller patches such as Plunderstorm.
Its hard for me to break down the story, gameplay, or other specific aspects of this game because of how vast and deep it all is. WoW is truly a one of a kind experience that I feel everyone should play just to see what the hype is about. From 2004-2024 this game has captured my heart and Im 100% certain ill be playing until the servers are gone or I am.