Godzilla definitely deserved better on the SNES. The highlights of this game are the visuals and soundtrack. Unfortunately, the rest of it is kind of dull. You control Godzilla on an overhead map that just has icons on it. There is a visual of the big man himself, but it's solely cosmetic. The fights are also weird, utilizing a sort of fighting game meets slot machine system that makes what should be epic confrontations into a frustrating practice. I will say, though, when I beat the final boss with Super Godzilla's most powerful move with almost no health left... that was kinda cool.

This is where Final Fantasy began to fall off for me a little. While this game had many of the familiar elements of the series, this is also where things took a much more linear turn. Not that the game is spent solely going in a straight line, but the nature of the map does leave a little less exploration at your whim compared to the previous era. I also think there was some awkwardness with this being the first FF game with voice acting. You can defend the laughing scene all you want, but it is absolutely cringe-inducing for me. I did like the sphere grid, and found that to be a compelling method of progression, and the new summons were cool! Overall, it's still a fun game, but more of a mixed bag that I'm not as eager to revisit compared to the older titles.

It's a shame this was something of an obscure title for a while due to the relative unpopularity of the Sega CD add-on. This is a really cool game! The time travel concept was a neat innovation, and it made for a unique way of traversing the different stages as you searched for ways to travel to and from the past. It also introduced one of the iconic villains of the series in Metal Sonic, adding him to one of the coolest stages in 2D Sonic games. The real star of the show is the soundtrack, however. I do prefer the Japanese OST to the US one, but I think both produced some memorable tracks in Sonic's musical library.

I'm lumping in the whole StarCraft experience here. I mean, what a masterwork! This is one of the most finely tuned RTS games ever. It has a phenomenal single player campaign, excellent online multiplayer, and even spawned an entire separate genre of games thanks to Aeon of Strife (which became DotA for you youngsters). This is a game you can spend hours in and never get bored of, and it has just enough going on to be challenging without the gameplay getting too overcomplicated. It was a defining moment for strategy games, and may very well be the best work Blizzard has done and will ever do.

I'll start by saying that this game is a lot of fun. Weapon customizing, settlement building, and the V.A.T.S. combat are all done well. The story? It's a little thin, and none of the factions are particularly interesting to me. The biggest problem, though, is how shallow the dialogue system became. That may be due to limitations of a fully-voiced protagonist, but one of the great aspects of Fallout is its dialogue and the interesting outcomes conversations can have. I think this game lost a little bit of that. It's certainly not awful, and I'll replay this game again, I'm sure... but compared to the heights this series has reached before, it's somewhat disappointing.

Easily my favorite platformer for the SNES, this was a major leap forward from an already fantastic game. Both Dixie Kong and the new animal friends add fun new gameplay elements, and the new worlds to explore are even more unique than those of the first game, with all kinds of new challenges to face. The bosses also allowed for a little more interesting movement thanks to setting-appropriate arenas (whereas it was all the same in DKC 1). Special recognition has to go to the music, where David Wise really brought the heat and made all kinds of new, memorable tracks. Who doesn't love Stickerbrush Symphony?

Using a bow and arrow to fight robot animals was already a cool concept, and adding a really satisfying narrative to that made Horizon Zero Dawn one of my favorite games of 2017. Aloy is a great new protagonist in the video game pantheon, and following her journey to uncover the mystery of her origins was an excellent introduction. The bow combat is a lot of fun, and you have all manner of tools to take down the diverse array of enemies that take on many shapes and sizes. The setting is another highlight, with a fascinating world to explore and all kinds of interesting characters.

I enjoyed the game, but I think there's a lot of hyperbole about its quality. The open world is a cool concept for a Zelda game, but it might be just a little too big to keep my interest. There's stuff to do, but it gets repetitive after a while. I wish there were longer, more expansive dungeons like the classics, and I wanted more unique items and weapons--not just finding multiple copies of the same stuff. I loved the music and thought the minimalist approach really worked for the setting. Overall, still a very good game, but not the masterpiece it gets touted as.

It's fitting that this is the last of the 2D Final Fantasy games, because it feels like a culmination of the best aspects of the series up to that point. It has a delightful cast of characters who are highly customizable due to the Esper system (but still retain some of their unique skills). It has a great story with a brilliant mid-game shift that caught me completely off guard the first time. It is incredibly expansive, with a large world map and numerous side quests that provide major benefits. And, of course, it has one of the best OSTs in video games. I have nothing but great things to say about Final Fantasy VI, and it only just falls short of my favorite game because I have stronger nostalgia for VIII.

BioShock is probably better remembered for its story and themes over its gameplay, but the gameplay is pretty good, too! It's a solid shooter with a cool set of powers that can do all kinds of interesting things depending on the environment. And speaking of that environment, Rapture is certainly one of the most imaginative settings for a game. The art deco aesthetic was such a perfect choice. And yeah, the story is awesome. When it released, this game stood out for its uniqueness, and I think that will remain part of its legacy.

After being somewhat let down by the first game (didn't even finish it), I was hesitant about taking on the sequel. Turns out it's pretty good! My biggest complaint was the lack of connection between the characters, and while this entry doesn't significantly change that dynamic, it does make great strides at making the party connect with each other more often. It is still largely individual stories, but I found most of them much more compelling than the first game. I also think they tried to make the individual chapters more unique and not quite as repetitive. Overall, a fun experience!