Gotham
1994
1981
There's a reason why this game is considered to be the one of the greatest indie success stories of all time. Base game Shovel Knight is an excellent 2D platformer, and the various remixes included in Treasure Trove are tons of fun too. Shovel Knight is nothing mind-blowing in terms of genre innovation, but it aces nearly everything it set out to do.
1988
2021
2017
Ugh.
This is the cheapest the series has ever felt. The graphics lack the normal Game Freak/Nintendo polish, and the multitude of glitches on the initial version is frankly inexcusable. However, at its core, Shining Pearl is still a fun game - Sinnoh is always a joy to explore, and the late-game fights were genuinely pretty challenging. I wish that some elements of Platinum were included.
This is the cheapest the series has ever felt. The graphics lack the normal Game Freak/Nintendo polish, and the multitude of glitches on the initial version is frankly inexcusable. However, at its core, Shining Pearl is still a fun game - Sinnoh is always a joy to explore, and the late-game fights were genuinely pretty challenging. I wish that some elements of Platinum were included.
2016
2014
This game laid the groundwork for the Kirby formula that would be polished further in the 3DS titles and Star Allies. Those games copied this one for a reason - the level design is stellar, the boss battles are exciting, and the OST is a classic. I wish there was a little less emphasis on the Super Abilities and Another Dimension sections, as those parts of the game became fairly predictable and formulaic near the end.
2016
I completed Pokemon Sun with only a Popplio. There are two other required catches; a random mon to enter Po Town, and the Box legendary. There were some challenging fights (Totem Lurantis and Guzma), but otherwise it was fairly simple. I had a lot of fun creating strategies for the run as well.
I wrote most of my actual thoughts about Gen 7 under my Moon journal entry.
I wrote most of my actual thoughts about Gen 7 under my Moon journal entry.
2019
Lacks the normal polish the previous Pokemon games had in their world design and animations. It's also really easy, with the exception of the Leon fight. I liked its new ideas and Galar in general, I just wish it had more dev time to flesh out its story. You can really tell they rushed near the end, especially when an entire scene plays out off-screen and all you're treated to is a dialogue box and a piece of art.
1993