Anyone who's played this game probably knows how good it is. The level design is probably the best in any 2D Mario game I've played, and honestly one of the best 2D platformers I've ever played as well. The sprites are very charming and still hold up to this day, and the game has a lot of stuff that I can sum up with one word: unique. The levels don't follow the basic themes like desert or ocean or ice land and instead try and do more unique things, like the Forest of Illusion that requires you to find a secret exit in a level to escape. The bosses have different ways of beating them like pushing them into the lava or jumping on them when they appear on the right pipe. The difficulty of the game is just right, some levels feel really hard but not impossible. The only frustrating levels other than some later ones are the Ghost Houses, but those are usually frustrating anyway. Overall, I'd definitely recommend playing this game as it does live up to the hype it gets.

Started the Mega Man Legacy Collection since I saw it was on sale on Steam during the Fall sale. Remembered really liking this game and loving 2, but I didn't remember too much of this one, so how is it now replaying it? Well, I had a blast with this one! Sure some of the stages have really annoying segments (looking at you Ice Man), but the game has a difficulty level that I really like personally. It's still really difficult but it has enough simplicity to the point where I can think "yeah this is possible." The only issue I have is that most of the weapons here don't really feel too good to use. For instance, the Super Arm feels way too niche since it's only really used in the third Wily Fortress and against Cut Man. That or the weapons just don't feel too good to use like the Hyper Bomb or Fire Storm (I still like Fire Storm I just never felt like I needed to use it outside of a few moments). I mainly used the Mega Buster, Rolling Cutter, and Thunder Beam and only used the others when I needed to. Overall, I'd say for a starting point of an old series, this is actually really damn good even if it's not perfect.

I went into this game with low expectations and came out very content with what I got. It took me a while to finish it because I dubbed the whole game with my friend, but that only added to the experience. I think what makes me like this game so much is the overall atmosphere. The courtroom has a darker colour scheme, the music focuses more on the mysterious vibe, and character designs such as Phoenix and Ema help set up the atmosphere of the game well. As for the cases themselves, while I didn't particularly care for Turnabout Corner, I surprisingly like Turnabout Serenade and I absolutely adore Turnabout Trump and Turnabout Succession. I don't want to go too deep into the cases due to spoilers, but I feel like the only issues with this game are that the killers are pretty obvious most of the time (Turnabout Corner and Serenade), and the killer's motivations can be weak at times as well. Either way, it doesn't change how much fun this game can be. The humour is probably the best in the series so far and the one off characters are actually pretty good for the most part (I actually like Spark Brushel). Overall, while I'd say this game had flaws, I would say I had too much fun with the game to care. I know it wouldn't be for everyone, but I think it's an enjoyable experience for myself.

Not the best game but not the worst game either. I feel like a middle score fits well. The gameplay can be fun but at the same time it can be frustrating, especially with some aspects that I don’t like such as the screen not being able to move left or in game things like the springs that are inconsistent. There’s nothing really impressive about the sprites or the music, just simple but iconic for both. Also, some levels have some really bad level design, especially the levels that feel impossible to do without searching them up, mainly 7-4 and especially 8-4. Lastly, the movement is decent, it can be frustrating since it feels almost slippery but it can be satisfying if you get it just right and speed through the level with no issues. Overall, each aspect of the game has pros and cons so I would give it a mid score.

Here's the thing, the game is fine, but it doesn't feel like a Mario game which is my biggest issue. I know the game is a reskin of Doki Doki Panic, but they tried to make it feel like Mario right? It just doesn't seem like that worked at all. Yeah the iconic enemies like Shy Guy and Birdo (named Ostro in this game) exist, but they also originated from Doki Doki Panic. It just feels like there's nothing to really identify this game as a Mario game except for the fact that Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Peach are playable. Besides that, the game isn't bad. Some of the levels feel kind of tricky, but the game isn't cheap like how Super Mario Bros. and The Lost Levels were (those stupid levels that looped until you took the right path are what I'm referring to). The only levels I didn't really like were the desert levels since you had to dig into the ground and it felt awkward. There's no variety with the bosses as it's either Ostro (Birdo) or the boss at the end of the world which you would beat in the same way. I don't like how you can't jump on enemies to kill them in this game since it, again, doesn't make the game feel like a Mario game. The plus side is the different characters because Luigi and Princess Toadstool are fun to play (I didn't figure out what Toad did prior to the review, oops). Those make beating levels more unique since you can use different characters to solve the same problems. Overall, the game isn't bad by itself, but as a Mario game, it doesn't really fill the quota.

Honestly, there's not much I want to say about this one since I feel like my feelings are pretty similar to how they are with the first one. I think the better spritework is very nice and the power meter definitely makes the game a lot more enjoyable. The difficulty also feels better handled than the original. At the same time, I don't think this game does enough for me to want to put it a whole point higher, especially since I don't believe it meets the enjoyment level I had with some of the games in the next tier, so I think I'll leave it at an 8 with the original, but do know I like this one a bit better. Overall, pretty solid sequel that gives us more of the enjoyable playstyle of Punch-Out!! while having some upgrades from the original.

I can say the exact same thing as I did in the Super Mario Bros. review, but there's one thing I want to add: The level design. It's absolutely horrid and I would've gone mad without save states (played with Nintendo Switch Online), especially since it feels like you can't predict what's to come. There were some levels I had to look up how to solve because the solutions felt unreasonable. The original Super Mario Bros. was at least fun, but this one doesn't really do it for me. It's only going to get half a star lower since it's basically a hard mode in my eyes. Overall, frustrating game without save states and not really a good sequel.

Edit: I'm lowering the score because I feel like my original score is too high compared to some other games in its original rating and is slightly under Super Mario Land for me.

I honestly adore this game replaying it. There's so much to love about this game in my opinion. I think the concept of time travel feels perfect for a Classic Sonic title, and the levels do this very well. The level design is very beautiful; bright eye catching colours in the good futures, dark atmospheres with the bad futures, dull old looking worlds in the past, and a base to go off of in the present. The music is also just amazing, I played with the Japanese soundtrack and there are so many songs that I can choose for a favourite, from the cheerful Palmtree Panic Good Future, to the iconic Stardust Speedway Bad Future, or even Wacky Workbench Past, there's so much to love. My only complaint about this game is all of the stuff they expect you to do. There's no way I'd enjoy this game if I went for every Metal Sonic hologram, every Robot Generator, and every Time Stone. I typically go for the Robot Generators until I have all the Time Stones, but getting the latter is such a hassle with how frustrating the special stages are that I'd rather break the generators. Even so, I love the exploration in this game. I'd like to revisit it and see what futures I'll get just by thinking less and speeding through the levels. Overall, it's a charming game and I really enjoy playing it again.

This is the literal definition of a retro game I can pick up and play and have fun with. It's easier than the first game but provides a lot more content and the level design is so much more fun. Honestly, this is my second time playing through the whole game and I already loved it before but replaying it was a blast. From the better level design to adding more Robot Masters and stages to the really fun Wily Castle segments. I think this game really has it all. The only complaint I could think of is the weapons again but even that isn't so bad because I found myself switching weapons pretty often. Honestly I think it's literally just the Time-Stopper but considering what it's meant to be for which is to make Quick Man easier, then it gets a pass in my book. Overall, I think this game is really well made and fun and easily became my favourite retro game I've played this year, if not ever.

Pretty solid sequel. To be honest, I definitely like the first game just by a little small margin, but this game does have a lot of great qualities too. While there are a lot of improvements here, I still think I like the first game a bit better because I much prefer stuff like the level design or the OST in that one. The big thing I'd like to mention are the Animal Buddies. I personally don't like the levels that replace Diddy and Dixie with one of or multiple Buddies, mainly because most of those levels end up being really tedious or kind of wonky to play, mainly levels with the Squawks and Quawks the Parrots because they felt really clunky and the hitboxes just felt wrong when controlling them. That aside, the game is still pretty fun, and basically everything I need to say in this review has already been said in the review of the original DKC, so I'll wrap it up now. Overall, this game is a pretty good sequel with qualities as good as the original, though I do like the original by a point more.

Taking a game I already loved and remaking it with new content and improved quality of life is a recipe for a perfect game, that being A Link Between Worlds. I love A Link to the Past, but I had a few issues with it that stopped it from being a perfect score, such as how obscure some things can be, such as needing the Fire AND Ice Rods for the Turtle Rock boss. How do they fix this? Well, the items you need for each dungeon are shown in front of the entrance, so you just need to bring that item and you can do the dungeon. Okay, so I just need to figure out which dungeon each required item comes from so I know what order to do them in. Nope! Instead, all the items you need can be rented or bought from Ravio's shop, meaning you can fast travel there, rent or buy the item, and go back to the dungeon. The only instance of a dungeon being required to access another is Thieves' Town before Desert Palace as the latter requires the Sand Rod, which the Sage you save from the former has. Other than that, the dungeon order is completely free in Lorule, which not only adds to replayability, but allows for more freedom than A Link to the Past did. The renting system is also just a great idea in itself, and you get tons of Rupees per dungeon so you'll be able to buy quite a few items and rent the rest as you go. The dungeons themselves are also just really interesting and fun to play, I love small things that they changed like Turtle Rock having the shape of an actual turtle instead of a different layout. I also think the Merge gimmick is one of the best gimmicks I've seen in gaming because of how unique and creative it is and what it allows this game to do. The game makes a great usage of it's camera to hide certain areas but has a map that allows you to find said areas. Even annoying gimmicks like the Dark Palace needing you to switch the Lantern on and off still makes for pretty good content and fun puzzles that keep me invested and I think there was only one or two dungeons that I wouldn't put in A or S tier because of how high the bar is for good dungeons and puzzles in this game. There's also a bit of story which isn't anything super crazy but it's a lot more fleshed out and sort of acts as a bit of a continuation from A Link to the Past which was really neat, but while it's still a pretty basic story, it adds quite a few elements that make it actually pretty engaging rather than just a regular quest. I'm not trying to say A Link to the Past has a bad story because for it's time it was pretty good, but this game gives the story a lot more meat on its bones that make it more interesting and better. The characters are pretty great here too, I love that the Seven Sages are all characters you meet on your journey rather than rescuing seven random girls we've never seen before that are important. Ravio, Hilda, and Yuga especially are the highlights (as they should be) and it's pretty easy to like them. Also, the final boss of this game is really epic and the final shot of the Bow of Light was really cool. Overall, I would say this game is worth checking out for both fans of A Link to the Past (and Zelda itself), and the general public as this game has quite a lot of quality of life changes from its predecessor while giving a great challenge to its players as well.

Out of the four NES Mario games, this one is easily the best. The other games have aspects that bother me but this one doesn't have too many. The main issues are how long some of the worlds get, which sucks because I don't like a handful, namely the water and ice lands. The dark land is short, but it's more frustrating than fun. The rest of the game is still good, the dark land is the only one I truly don't like. The new power ups add so much more to the typical Mario formula that really paves the way to future games. Overall, I'd say this game is definitely worth checking out to see how the games evolve over time.

Wasn't sure if I'd like this or not, but it was really fun to play. I was initially kind of turned off by the visuals and hearing about its hard difficulty, but after playing games like the Mega Man series, I've been more open to trying harder games. This was definitely a challenge at times, but it was a pretty fun game to blaze through regardless of its difficulty. I had a blast with a good chunk of the game, though I wasn't a fan of most of the Gorilla Glacier levels. However, I do really like Croctopus Chase and Rope Bridge Rumble, both being levels that really stand out for me in particular. The levels in this game also have great gimmicks that didn't change much of the gameplay itself, but more of how you need to tackle each level. Great examples of gimmicks I love are the Stop & Go Barrels in Stop & Go Station and the flickering lights in Blackout Basement (which is probably my favourite level in the game). The music in this game is also incredibly good and it's another example of retro music being really damn good (like Mega Man), featuring tracks like Fear Factory, Mine Cart Madness, Gang-Plank Galleon, and my personal favourite which is Aquatic Ambiance. Speaking of which, props to the developers for creating really fun water levels. Normally I don't like water levels because they feel extremely slow, but these levels felt really good to control and play while having incredible music to really enhance the experience. Overall, I'd say this game provides a great level of challenge and fun and is a great starting point for the Donkey Kong Country series.

Never actually played an FPS campaign before, so a lot of this is very new territory to me. Regardless of that, I had a ton of fun with it, especially because I played it multiplayer with a friend of mine who loves this series, and it's not hard to see why. I went in with low expectations because the game is kind of old, but I was pleasantly surprised with the quality, whether it's the campaign, the guns, or the level design. Now that's not to say it was perfect, I did have some nitpicks like not being able to zoom in with certain guns and I found some of the controls to be a little weird, but I got used to them. I think the only main flaw that brings this game down for me is that some levels have really repetitive design. I know I just praised the level design a bit ago, but sometimes it can be a little lacklustre. Some missions drag on for a long time, which can work in the favour of some (Assault on the Control Room) and really ruins others (The Library). The Library in specific was really monotonous and definitely was the only mission I actively disliked. Back to more good, I really like the application of music and set pieces. The beginning of The Silent Cartographer and the very last part of The Maw were really highlighted by the great main theme and intense action. My personal favourite missions were the two I just mentioned, Assault on the Control Room, and Keyes. The ambience in the game is also really well done, being really creepy when it needs to be but also the game is really epic as well. Overall, a very solid campaign for a game I didn't know much about, and now I'm really excited to go to the next games as well.