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.

The SNES is actually a goldmine for amazing retro games, whether it's A Link to the Past, the Donkey Kong Country trilogy, Super Mario World, or the masterpiece that is Chrono Trigger. If it's on the SNES, you'll likely be playing a high quality game. The same can be said about Super Metroid, which is just an outstanding game from start to finish. It feels like they cranked everything by eleven to create what is rightfully called the definitive Metroid experience. The best part of this game hands down is the atmosphere. The environments and music compliment each other extremely well and it creates a lot of feelings of dread. The movement isn't entirely perfect since it can be a little clunky at times and the Space Jump is less lenient than ZM or SR but the game still plays pretty well overall. There's also a lot of secret things you can do with beam combinations and other techniques that really spice things up despite how niche some of them are. The game is pretty challenging, but it's fair overall. The only part that really troubled me was the Ridley fight in his lair which was really tough. The set pieces are also extremely well done and I love the storytelling without the use of words, mainly with the stuff revolving around Ridley, the baby, and Mother Brain. The finale surprisingly had a pretty emotional moment, at least for it's time and for something without dialogue. The music is also amazing, the Brinstar themes especially come to mind with how perfect they are, though there are some tracks meant to be more creepy due to the vibe and not catchy, but I don't mind that. The areas have a lot of visual cues of what to do like where to bomb and such, though there are some cases where it's pretty hard to tell. Still though, the experience was pretty fun and I definitely see why people love this game as much as they do. Overall, Super Metroid doesn't disappoint in any areas and serves as another quality SNES game and Metroid game.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

As someone who adores the Ace Attorney series and hasn't had time to continue with my best friend (who I'm dubbing it with), I was feeling more and more that I wanted to scratch the itch I've been having lately, both for murder mystery stuff and wanting to play another long game after beating Persona 3 Reload recently. I went in with an open mind after hearing about its reputation, but I'm glad to say, it didn't disappoint. The premise is really interesting and each case works more and more in favour of what it sets up. I wasn't a fan of the first and third cases because the killers were so obvious it hurt, but they were still pretty fun times all around. All the cases are really solid and the fourth and fifth especially hooked me in more than I'd been hooked in quite a while (not counting Persona 3 Reload since I played Vanilla before it). Even though the story was mostly strong, the main appeal of this game for me is the mechanics. I love every aspect of the class trials, especially Closing Arguments which is easily my favourite part. Speaking of, the music is absolutely amazing and Climax Reasoning (the theme for the Closing Arguments sections) is one of my favourites, along with New World Order, Box 15, Box 16, Trial Underground, and all the class trial themes. The art and stylization are also great and these elements along with the music really help set the tone of the story and give it this unique identity I can't find anywhere else. Other than the first and third case having obvious killers, the only other issue I have is a specific plot twist I didn't like from the sixth case and it didn't help that the part after the reveal felt like it was dragging on for too long. I definitely need to play the sequel soon because there's a lot I want to see how the series progresses from here. Overall, Danganronpa exceeded my expectations and turned out to be a fun murder mystery game with a dreadful tone that kept me engaged for most of its runtime.

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.

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.