ItsChros
2012
A real 3DS classic, unfortunately held back by an awful control scheme. I love Kid Icarus Uprising from top to bottom. It has one of the most entertaining casts of characters ever, a zany and fun-to-experience plot, and enjoyable gameplay, but dear lord, is that 3DS control scheme terrible. If Kid Icarus saw a Nintendo Switch release, I could die a happy man.
I think it’s evident from the endless arguments in the Pokémon community that, for most people, their first Pokémon game is their favorite. I would say Pokemon White 2 technically was that for me (my brother and I played Pokémon Black together all the time but White 2 was the first Pokémon game I owned), and it remains my favorite vanilla Pokémon experience. Admittedly it’s story falls a little short of the bar set by Black and White, but White 2 has possibly the most vast array of post-game content next to Platinum. I always found completing the White Treehollow and locating Legendary Pokémon to be really enjoyable in White 2, and the PWT was a really cool way to call back to old gym leaders and elite 4 members. Combine a great main game, a great post-game, fantastic 2D presentation, and one of the best soundtracks Pokémon has to offer, and you’ll have Pokémon Black and White 2.
2017
Splatoon 2 is pretty dope. Most everything about it is pretty enjoyable, from the single player campaign to the multiplayer aspects to its bubbly and weird soundtrack. Once I was done with single player, I found it pretty easy to stop playing the game, though. It feels incredibly hard to aim without Gyro controls, which makes the control scheme of the game feel less natural to me than other shooters, an issue I had with the original Splatoon. I don’t think Splatoon 2 had too much else to offer that wasn’t already present in Splatoon, with the exception of perhaps Octo Expansion and Salmon Run, but still a fun game.
I think Octo Expansion is one of the most underappreciated gems in games today. I really enjoyed the level design, the character interactions, the music, the v i b e s , pretty the whole experience. I had issues with the control scheme of Splatoon 2 that translated to Octo Expansion, though.
Xenoblade Chronicles is a real apex predator in the vast world of JRPGs. The narrative is fascinating and contains some of my favorite plot twists in gaming; the gameplay is complex and rewarding (if you have the patience for it!), and the world is one of the most unique and vast ones out there. Not to mention the jaw-dropping sound design (Bionis’ Leg and Valak Mountain Night are just perfect tracks for me) and a wonderful cast of characters. It’s weaknesses lie in it’s complex battle system and it’s sheer length - if you can stomach both of those aspects of Xenoblade, you’re in for one of the best modern JRPGs on the planet.
2016
This review contains spoilers
Persona 5 is beyond dope. Everything that a game needs to be great is present in P5, and turned up to 11. Stunning visuals, a stunning soundtrack, a stunning cast of characters, and a stunning narrative. Persona pulls all this off with an inimitable sense of poise and style that contributes to every facet of the experience, and it nails the hybrid approach of being a turn-based RPG and a life simulator. All this builds a complex cast of characters, full of charming and genuinely interesting personalities. For being an 80+ hour experience, there are noticeably few boring story moments. In my playthroughs, I would say the Spaceport was absolutely the weakest part of the game (boring palace and annoying music), but every other palace brought a really fun and well-thought-out experience. This is another game I would put in anyone's hands, regardless of whether they're a JRPG fan or not.
2018
Toby Fox just does this thing where he makes really good games and I love them every time.
Few games can craft a world so wonderfully packed with character and vibrance in two or three hours, but again, praise be to Toby. I think about Deltarune all the time, from its elite soundtrack to its adorable characters to its hidden lore; every little facet of this game is purely entertaining and thought-provoking. Deltarune packs an unbelievable amount of heart into a brief punch that I haven't been able to stop thinking about since 2018, and I don't think I'll stop thinking about it until we get a full release.
Few games can craft a world so wonderfully packed with character and vibrance in two or three hours, but again, praise be to Toby. I think about Deltarune all the time, from its elite soundtrack to its adorable characters to its hidden lore; every little facet of this game is purely entertaining and thought-provoking. Deltarune packs an unbelievable amount of heart into a brief punch that I haven't been able to stop thinking about since 2018, and I don't think I'll stop thinking about it until we get a full release.
This review contains spoilers
To quote Austin "PeanutButterGamer" Hargrave:
"ADVENTURE!!! YEAH!!!!!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsxcHHbdLA4
That's basically what I love about Wind Waker. Wind Waker was my first completed 3D Zelda, so it clearly holds some nostalgic value with me, but nothing else in the Zelda world tops Wind Waker for me. The art style is wonderful and vibrant, the music is superb, and the Zelda gameplay is quite solid, but I just love the feeling of sailing out on the Great Sea and spotting new islands on the horizon. Typically I'm not one for open-world games, and while I wouldn't necessarily classify Wind Waker as such, its open-world characteristics are absolutely nailed for me. Aside from perhaps the Triforce Hunt (which was reduced in scale from the original), I don't think there's a part of the game I would consider to be too slow. It's just a game I fully enjoy from top to bottom.
"ADVENTURE!!! YEAH!!!!!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsxcHHbdLA4
That's basically what I love about Wind Waker. Wind Waker was my first completed 3D Zelda, so it clearly holds some nostalgic value with me, but nothing else in the Zelda world tops Wind Waker for me. The art style is wonderful and vibrant, the music is superb, and the Zelda gameplay is quite solid, but I just love the feeling of sailing out on the Great Sea and spotting new islands on the horizon. Typically I'm not one for open-world games, and while I wouldn't necessarily classify Wind Waker as such, its open-world characteristics are absolutely nailed for me. Aside from perhaps the Triforce Hunt (which was reduced in scale from the original), I don't think there's a part of the game I would consider to be too slow. It's just a game I fully enjoy from top to bottom.
2018
Celeste is a perfect example of how to make the gameplay of a video game tell a story. Its mix of crushing difficulty, tender handling of mental health issues, top-notch movement and tear-jerking moments makes for an utterly irreplaceable experience in the gaming world. Throw in one of the best soundtracks in gaming and lots of impossibly difficult challenges, and you have one of the most rewarding and profound video game experiences out there.
I'm biased.
I've played lots of Ultimate in my day, but if we're talking about competition, Super Smash Brothers Melee is such a complex and challenging slice of perfection. It being played competitively for two decades should be a testament enough to its quality as a game, but it still maintains a fun casual element that sadly goes unappreciated given the success of Brawl and Ultimate. I think the broad lack of buffer for inputs gives the game a more tough barrier of entry than Ultimate or Smash 4 or Brawl, but boy, once you're through the gate, there's no turning back. Melee may be a beautiful accident in a lot of ways, but there's so much to enjoy regardless.
I've played lots of Ultimate in my day, but if we're talking about competition, Super Smash Brothers Melee is such a complex and challenging slice of perfection. It being played competitively for two decades should be a testament enough to its quality as a game, but it still maintains a fun casual element that sadly goes unappreciated given the success of Brawl and Ultimate. I think the broad lack of buffer for inputs gives the game a more tough barrier of entry than Ultimate or Smash 4 or Brawl, but boy, once you're through the gate, there's no turning back. Melee may be a beautiful accident in a lot of ways, but there's so much to enjoy regardless.
One of the few games I can say with confidence is basically flawless. The gameplay and presentation are quite solid (hehe) by my standard today, but the characters and story and the sheer poetry of the game are literally unmatched. This game asks really profound questions about devotion and patriotism while maintaining a complex yet fun-to-follow narrative, complemented by the gritty and tactical survival mechanics. It was a super consistent experience, and I didn't have any parts of the game I thought were too slow or frustrating either. I would recommend this game to anyone.
2015
This review contains spoilers
i would steal this game from the pope