Kailof
2017
Night 6, 12 AM, stage cam. Thank me later.
Kanto isn't particularly a region with all that much thematic depth to it and is rather simplistic in design, but this simplicity and the Gen 3 engine are truly a match made in heaven. Flows incredibly well, and the Sevii Islands were a welcome addition. (7.5/10)
Easily the weakest entry in the series, thanks to the ridicilous amount of plot holes within the story, less interesting character dynamics, and it's poorly handled antagonists. The puzzles are at their peak and certain setpieces were wonderful, but that simply wasn't enough to salvage this game. Awful gunplay.
I get that it takes Melee as it’s blueprint (which gets extra “braindead Melee enjoyer points” from me) but it’s clearly a rushed product. Movement is clunky as hell, character movesets aren’t very interesting and the fact that voiceover was nonexistent at launch should say enough.
1996
Revolutionary but extremely flawed and janky. Too dependent on TM's, meh level design and no running equals slow gameplay. Kanto feels pretty generic here. NPC's don't even have names (except major opponents such as gym leaders). You can't even look at which move does how much damage. Literally impossible to complete without a wiki. Despite all that, it's still somewhat enjoyable.
The most creative Mario Kart. Great maps, power ups and gameplay.
Way too unbalanced and floaty. Meta Knight dominated the entire roster. Subspace was fine. Still really enjoyable.
Where SMB truly lost it's identity. Has very clunky controls, uninspired level design, guard rails (which significantly eliminates the whole challange when present) and boss fights for some reason. Literally goes against what SMB 2 was in every way possible.
A very touching and heartfelt celebration of life and connection, with each character arc serving to bring their restless loneliness to a close. Phenomenal plotting across the board, with an incredible ending to make everything click thematically. Sissel is the best.
2012
A very sweet and heartwarming experience focusing on the chains of fate and how the human heart cannot be restricted by barriers such as labels, heritage or language. Brilliant usage of the medium through lighting, sound design, movement and spacing through both the environments themselves and the camera. Quite possibly Team Ico’s most distinctive work, certainly the one that performs the best. Ueda’s philosophy of “design by subtraction” couldn’t have worked better, and its influence can be seen all across the medium of gaming.
Narrative-wise, I don’t think I could buy into this as much as I wanted to. The majority of the antagonists weren’t anything noteworthy outside of the fights themselves, Raiden’s “Jack The Ripper” plotline is a mixed bag, the rest of the side cast is kinda just there, etc. But gameplay-wise, its visceral nature accompanied by a phenomenal soundtrack was bound to make it immensely enjoyable. Armstrong is an unironically amazing antagonist, the way his ideology challenges the discussions of the gene and the meme is fascinating. (7.5/10)
2010
One of Sonic’s stronger games, but it almost certainly has its flaws. Sweet Mountain is dull, Starlight Carnival feels like a cutscene and Planet Wisp is too precise to be engaging. But Aquarium Park and Asteroid Coaster are some of the best the franchise has to offer, with wonderful aesthetics and incredibly pacing. The good certainly balances out the bad here.
2016
A constant ride of original and smooth scenarios that are insanely fun to go through. Every time you think this game can’t come up with something, it does. The variation in not just the combat scenarios but the ways you’re given in order to overcome said scenarios creates this ongoing learning process that keeps the game fresh at all times. I actually don't think this game should have been longer, it knows exactly what it wants to achieve and executes it accordingly.
One of the most flawed yet well-utilized experiences I’ve ever had with a game, with absolutely impeccable usage of its medium, especially through its protagonist. The ways in which it approaches identity, desire, belonging and humanity through its main cast that has gone through literally everything yet can still hold onto and at times let go of that beauty in their lives is nothing short of inspiring. Endings D and E are some of the most life-changing stuff ever, absolute masterpieces.
Some genuinely touching characterization for Ellie, showcasing the highest and lowest moments of her life that we had seen so far and connecting the bridge in the most heart wrenching way possible. The way it uses the game’s primary mechanics during the flashback sequences were brilliant.