Both 3D World and Bowser's Fury were pretty great games that surprised me in unexpected ways. 3D World felt like a great progression from 3D Land and fixed some issues I had with the former. Granted, it's not perfect because the movement, while great, does feel a bit awkward at times. I randomized the character for every level and I really liked playing as Mario and especially Peach, I was neutral towards Blue Toad as some levels felt great with him and others didn't, and sadly I wasn't a fan of Luigi's movement this time around, a shame because he's one of my favourites. However, speaking of favourites, for some reason they made Bowser extremely cool in this game, with a banger theme and awesome boss fights. He really stole the show and I wish there were more fights with him, that or more replacements for Boom Boom and Pom Pom because the other bosses were so much better. The level design and music were both really good and the game is amazing visually. It's not my favourite Mario game, but it once again goes to show that 3D Mario is a pretty enjoyable experience for the most part. My only complaint really is that the locked collectibles thing is back, and while I was more prepared for it than in 3D Land, I still had to replay some levels to get enough Green Stars. Luckily the Captain Toad and Mystery House levels give a ton, but it's still annoying to have to go back. As for Bowser's Fury, I love the open world aspect here, it feels like a mini Odyssey in a way. I hope they continue with this blueprint because this experience felt pretty fresh and I love the open aspect of it. I love how it's just one big map and I can pick whichever area I can get Cat Shines from. It's a very solid experience and I hope they do more with it in the future. Overall, both 3D World and Bowser's Fury are very great experiences and another fun entry to the 3D Mario games.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting too much from this. I figured because it's on the Game Boy and has all the Mario enemies that I wouldn't like it, but it was honestly a lot better than I expected. To clarify on the Mario enemies thing, I thought it would be something that would take me out of the game, and it kind of does, but at the same time, this game never really felt super immersive, rather just trying to tell a simple but lighthearted story. The story is serviceable, definitely better than A Link to the Past's but that both games have the bare minimum, which is fine for its time. Anyway, the main meat of the game comes from the dungeons and exploration, which are both fine but if I'm being honest, I definitely enjoyed myself playing A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds a lot more. This game doesn't feel clunky, but some parts feel more obscure than in the other two, especially the former. Some dungeons like Key Cavern, Eagle's Tower, and Turtle Rock felt really confusing and had a lot of backtracking, though there are some great dungeons in here as well, mainly Angler's Tunnel, Catfish's Maw, and Face Shrine. As such I would definitely say the middle of the game is the best part easily, though the beginning is fine too. I think one thing that mainly holds this game back for me compared to the other two (even though I still really enjoyed this one) is how much you have to open the menu. Some items feel like they should've just been a passive thing and not something I have to constantly switch buttons for, especially the Power Bracelet, which ends up really killing the flow of the game. DX also has the Color Dungeon which as far as I know is one of the only differences in DX outside of adding color itself, and that dungeon, while short, was actually really good as well, and I had a ton of fun with that and other parts of the game. The 2D platforming sections aren't bad but they definitely feel a bit clunk and always having to use the Roc's Feather is a little annoying, though understandable. Lastly, running into blocks and having slow text pop up also really kills the flow of the game, though that's a more minor complaint. Regardless, I still had a ton of fun with this one and I do plan on getting to the remake one day, which will hopefully fix a lot of my issues and make this game one I like even more. Overall, very enjoyable game that has some issues due to its hardware that can really slow the pace.

Surprisingly, this one was a lot better than I expected. This one isn't really talked about much, and while I understand why, I think it's a shame because it plays pretty well. It feels like more of a level pack rather than having cohesive themed worlds, and while that doesn't bother me much, it makes sense as to why it's more forgettable over titles that have level themes or full worlds. Now, I don't mind this because it means less desert levels or water levels, and instead each level usually revolves around a gimmick,. However, because of this, these levels are typically pretty short, and the only way they could pad out the game is by making you collect a certain amount of Star Coins to unlock certain levels. I don't mind this for extra content, but I don't like when this is used for main content. Luckily though, levels are usually like two minutes long on average so it's not that much of a hassle, but it is a little annoying not having enough. Still though, the gimmicks are pretty fun to work with and I would say it's a great casual game to wind down to. Overall, solid game with great gimmicks but has a couple things that I'm not too keen on.

Okay wow, wasn't expecting this to be as tough as it was from the get go. Never really played a game like this but it was a pretty cool experience. I like that each fighter has a pattern you need to learn and a way to counter in order to beat them, though some are really hard to time, maybe because I played it on NSO. The music is pretty good too, I always picked the modern remix whenever I went Boxing Ring in Smash since it was one of my favourites in there. There's not too much I want to say about this game since it's one of those games where what you see is what you get, but it's a pretty fun NES game. Overall, really fun but challenging NES game.

When I think of the perfect Sonic game, Sonic Mania is one of the very first games I think of and is easily my favourite 2D Sonic platformer of all time. It's not often that I play games and immediately play it after finishing it, but the Encore DLC was half off and I got it. I ended up being so engrossed in the game that I basically played it twice in one day, the 18th I beat Green Hill and Chemical Plant with 5 Chaos Emeralds while the 22nd (and a bit of the 23rd going past midnight) I beat the rest of the game and Encore mode. Coming out fresh from the game, I can say both versions are great in their own ways. Mania mode gives the original default experience which is catered more towards Sonic's kind of playstyle (unless you play Knuckles) while Encore slightly adjusts levels for each character to get their own times to shine. While I do like going through with the default Sonic and Tails combo in Mania mode, having to be extra careful of the replacement system for lives with the different characters makes for a much more challenging experience for those who got familiar with the game. The level choices for the returning remixed stages are all great, and while there are a few Zones I would've liked to see return, I think the final roster is honestly the best we could've gotten. Act 1 familiarizes us with the original stage, making a similar level layouts to their original sources with some changes, while Act 2 adds new gimmicks that can even make some stages I didn't like in their original games so much more enjoyable. For example: I didn't really care for Oil Ocean in Sonic 2, but Mania's version is much more enjoyable, especially with the toxic fumes of Act 2 or going inside the submarine for powerups. The maps are super large and expansive, meaning there is no proper way to beat levels and lots of secrets are to be found. Tee Lopes absolutely killed it with the music as well, I don't think there's a single bad track. For the new levels, all of them are really unique, especially Press Garden which is one of my favourite Zones. The sprites are absolutely gorgeous and the animations are smooth, making the game super visually appealing in every way. I think what makes Mania so good for me is that it takes the best parts of all the Classics and puts them into one, from the challenging platforming from Sonic 1, the crazy speeds from Sonic 2, the exploration from Sonic CD, and the lengthy but unique and gimmicky levels from Sonic 3 and Knuckles. You can tell really feel the passion from the developers and it results in such a beautiful game that has so much replayability and really is one of the best iterations of Sonic to date. Overall, I would say Sonic Mania is one of the most enjoyable games I've ever played and is one of the most worthy games of a 5/5 status, creating such a perfect Sonic game that everyone should try.

Oh wow... okay well, first I'd like to say part of my experience COULD'VE been affected since I started this a while ago but put it to the side for Persona 3 since I wanted to start Reload soon. Yeah, taking a break and getting lost was annoying but getting a guide didn't help because the game itself is a problem for me. Brinstar was a decent start, but I quit at Noirfair because I just found that the game was a difficulty that was too annoying for me, mainly due to how clunky it feels. The game also lags out a ton and the controls feel like I'm fighting with them at times, it feels too easy to jump too far or not jump far enough at times. The fact that there's no map also makes the game incredibly annoying because it feels so ridiculously easy to get lost, mostly so in Noirfair. Also, the Ice Beam is weaker than the default weapon which made killing enemies take much longer. It would've been nice to switch between the default to Ice Beam to Missiles. Music isn't too bad, though the Secret Room track is genuinely like nails on a chalkboard for me. I respect this game for existing, especially since it helped to create a full on genre and inspired many others, whether it was from Metroid itself or other Metroidvanias, but the original Metroid just isn't for me. I don't think I'll revisit this one, but maybe one day after beating more Metroid games, I might try it again. Overall, the buildup of issues I have like how clunky the game felt and lag make this game something I just really don't want to finish.

Mega Man 9 going back to the NES roots was something I knew about, but I didn't think I'd like it as much as I do. I honestly think this might be my current favourite Mega Man game since it checks off all the boxes and provides an experience that is both unique while staying true to the formula of Mega Man 2. As someone who adores Mega Man 2, it's easy to say the same for this game. The weapon roster is really fun to use, with the situational weapons feeling a lot more useful and enjoyable while the others felt really good to use if I wasn't feeling the Mega Buster. I'm a little sad that the charged Mega Buster and slide were removed, but I understand the intention and it provided some difficult platforming. Despite reverting to Mega Man 2's style, it still has features from other Mega Man games like 7/8's shop, Rush and Eddie from Mega Man 3, and Beat from Mega Man 5. The platforming and levels are also really difficult, but they feel fair and aren't riddled with many moments that I would call stupid, just difficult. Despite having to redo Wily's Castle since I didn't spend my currency prior, I still found it to be pretty fun and gained more of an appreciation for Wily's Castle in this game. Overall, I would say while this game is one of the more difficult games in the series, I find it to be one of the most fair games in terms of its difficulty and it becomes a lot of fun to play as a result.

I know I just gave the past two Mega Man games five stars and I'm doing it again, but I mean it when I say these past few games have been some of the most fun I've had with the series. I can compliment the same stuff here that I did with 9 and 10 so I'll focus on the new stuff here. I think these are easily the best Robot Masters in the series, especially due to the Double Gear gimmick of this game. Instead of short and difficult battles that could be ended very easily, the bosses actually take some time to beat, especially due to the phases they have. Each boss either activates the Speed or Power Gear, and as a result they become much more difficult due to either a transformation or an attack they do with these abilities. These fights become a lot more dynamic and memorable and some of my favourites in the series. As for the Double Gear gimmick, I think it's pretty fun to use, though the Speed Gear is the highlight for me, especially with the upgrades. I love the Speed Gear upgrade that let's you move at regular speed while using it, that was a great example of a new upgrade I really love from this game. I also think the shop system is much better here as there's not only a lot more upgrades, but a there's more than just 1-Ups and Energizers. You also get a lot of Bolts which lets you play around with these buffs (unless that's just Casual mode). The difficulties seem to be a lot more balanced as opposed to Mega Man 10 which made Easy have way too much hand-holding and Normal as the other option. After reading the differences, I found Casual mode to be the one for me and I loved the difficulty. It felt somewhat easy at times, but still had great platforming segments with a lot of difficulty, like in Wily Castle 1. The art style also looks very good and it's really pleasing on the eyes. It's unfair to compare the art style of this game to it's predecessors, but this game just oozes with personality and I love it. Speaking of personality, the voice acting adds so much to the characters and Robot Masters, and the best part is, it's not bad like Mega Man 8's! All the characters have pretty fitting voices and great voice lines for Robot Masters and Wily in their fights, making things more intense and adding character to the bosses. Overall, Mega Man 11 brings a lot to the table with new features and higher quality in every way, which easily let's this be my favourite classic Mega Man game.

I feel like if I played both halves on their own, I wouldn't like them nearly as much. Though together? Those two parts fit together and create an amazing experience. The levels are pretty, the music is catchy, and the special stages are a lot of fun when you get the hang of them. There's only one thing that I found to be a bit questionable and it was with the level design. Some of the levels feel a lot longer than they should be and some of the zones are really uninteresting, meaning that if you don't like a zone, you're stuck there for a while. This is especially true with Sandopolis, which was a level I hated playing as I already don't like desert level settings that much to begin with. Even so, the game is still great. Sure there were some stages I wasn't a big fan of, but all of the high points are amazing, and there's a lot of highs (Ex: Hydrocity Zone, Launch Base Zone, Lava Reef Zone, etc). Plus, this game has the single best zone in any Classic Sonic game (I love Doomsday Zone to death), though maybe this opinion will change after my Mania replay. Overall, very enjoyable game and lives up to the hype it gets.

I've been a Sonic fan for a long time, Generations was the most recent game and Lost World was coming out around the time I was first becoming a Sonic fan. Out of all the games I've played, I've never been disappointed by one, until now. There are just so many issues I have with this game that I don't know where to start, so I'll pick the most significant. First of all, the physics are horrible. There are so many ways to fall of the map since everything feels so slippery. Not only that, but you need to deal with those physics in four different stories: Team Sonic, Team Dark, Team Rose, and Team Chaotix. Speaking of, the four teams don't add enough to have to play the game four different times to justify playing through with each. Sonic is the standard, Dark is harder, Rose is easier, Chaotix is mission based. It really isn't worth it in my opinion. The payoff to beating all of these stories is fighting a secret final boss in "Last Story" which also requires you to get the Chaos Emeralds. Speaking of the Chaos Emeralds, to get them, you need to get a key from a cage in every second act and bring it to the end of the level. To do so, you need to beat the level without dying or taking damage as you'll drop the key. It's easier with Team Rose since their levels are shorter, but it's not worth it considering what the final boss is. The special stages aren't much better, imagine Sonic 2's pipe stages but slippery and annoying. I watched a video of the final boss again and it's underwhelming now compared to when I saw it as a kid. Also, the game doesn't really utilize Sonic well. Each team has the Speed, Fly, and Power characters, and yet you don't really need your Speed character for anything. For example: Most combat is done with your Fly or Power characters. Speaking of combat, the bosses are terrible and once again don't require the Speed character at all. One of the bosses is an upgraded version of another, two "bosses" are just waves of enemies, and two other bosses are just fighting one of the other Teams, meaning that there are only two original bosses, the first and the last. It's honestly disappointing to me how many issues I have with this game, especially since I was looking forward to playing it for the longest time. The only good parts of the game I can mention are the soundtrack and the Ocean and Metropolis levels. Those four stages were fine and I quite enjoyed them. I didn't hate the Casino stages, but as I mentioned earlier with the physics, it's quite slippery especially with the pinball boards. The remaining stages are awful in their own ways and make the game feel terrible to return to. Overall, I would say this game is worth skipping unless you're patient, but I don't think I myself am patient enough, so I'll pass on finishing this sad game.

A great sequel compared to the first, but upon replaying, I can't say it's my favourite like I used to back when I first played. I will give this game credit where it's due, it has great replay value, but the last few stages (specifically Oil Ocean, Metropolis, and depending on the day, Sky Chase and Winged Fortress can be annoying) can bring the game down a bit. The special stages are extremely annoying to do with Tails following from behind, and the ending scene is arguably worse with all of the Emeralds. There doesn't really seem to be a good reason to collect all of the Emeralds on a casual run due to the difficulty of the special stages, but that's only an optional thing. The levels are fast paced and never feel repetitive, and having Tails follow you from behind has a lot of charm to it. Overall, this game is still really enjoyable, but there are a few aspects that bring it down slightly for me.

I mean it's alright, not an inoffensive game by any means but honestly I think this a little overrated. I heard a lot about how this is the best New Super Mario Bros. game and one of the best 2D Mario games but it's just decent at best. On one hand, it lacks a lot of annoying gimmicks found in the Wii game, but on the other hand the level design itself is either not as interesting or actually pretty tedious at times. I would like to compliment the game for it's boss battles though because those are easily the most creative 2D Mario bosses bar none. Like there's some creativity here, especially since it starts a new formula, but in all honesty, after playing Wii last year and having played 2 when I was younger, I just think the New Super Mario Bros. series isn't for me. For me, 2D Mario doesn't hit the heights I wish it did, and I doubt a replay of 2 or playing U for the first time will, as those are the last mainline 2D Mario games I need to log (unless you count Yoshi's Island, which seems pretty interesting and could possibly be as good as I've been hearing). Overall, just a pretty average 2D Mario experience.

Hey, this was surprisingly really good! I didn't expect much from this considering the only other Game Boy platformers that I remember playing were Super Mario Land (which I heavily disliked) and Kirby's Dream Land (which was fine but way too short), so getting a pretty good length game was actually pretty surprising and welcome! I also think the gimmick of this game being the companions works well to not change too much from the formula but also make for a lot of unique combinations, sort of like Planet Robobot with the mechs. Coo is definitely my favouirte of the three mainly because I love the Cutter and Parasol especially, but the other two have great one such as Rick with Stone and Kine with Ice. I didn't get to use all of the combinations, but I spent a majority of the game with combinations I really liked, so I was alright with that personally. Levels were pretty fun and there never really was a point where I got frustrated, I thought the difficulty was pretty fair overall and had pretty good progression despite the whole game being pretty easy overall. I guess I'd say the only part I actively didn't like was the part in Dark Castle with the sidescrollers and you had to guess which side to go on otherwise you're hit with a dead end. I never really liked that trope in level design, but at the very least it's not looping and guessing which exit is correct, those drive me mad. Overall, I'd say this game was a lot better than I expected and made for a great casual experience for the couple hours I played it for.

To give credit where credit's due, this game has a lot of great qualities like the art style and its unique gameplay, but it just isn't for me. I finished World 3 but just didn't feel like continuing. Simply put, I just don't really find the game to be that fun. I'm not particularly fond of the level design or gimmicks and I feel like I could just find more fun in different platformers. It's a shame because I wanted this to be a great 2D Mario game (since my opinion on most 2D Mario's is pretty negative) and a great first impression for the Yoshi games, but this didn't do either for me. Instead, this game was more tedious to me and annoyed me more than anything. Overall, I'm disappointed this game didn't click for me but I didn't really find it fun as unfortunate as it is.