Super Mario World: Good, Classic 2D Mario

Growing up, the Mario games I constantly played throughout my childhood were New Super Mario Bros Wii, New Super Mario Bros 2, New Super Mario Bros U, and pretty much all the 3D Mario games that were released at the time, except Odyseey because wasn't released yet, and Sunshine the outlier. which I wrote about not too long ago.
Since I mainly played on my Wii and Wii U throughout that time, I had access to the virtual console library and bought a few retro games from there, with Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros 3, and Super Mario World being the 2D Mario games I got from there. Super Mario World was one of those games from my childhood, that I've never actually played myself. Super Mario World is in the same boat as The Legend Of Zelda Majora's Mask for being games part of my childhood, but never actually played myself. I remember some of the pixel animations on YouTube, it's been so long, and I don't remember a lot of those old videos nowadays, some of which probably were never attended for 5-year-old me to watch, and looking back now, probably shouldn't have. But now, I decided to finally play Super Mario World, for real this time, and look through my current eyes to see what made this game so special for so many people.

The story is pretty simple for a Mario game of course, after the events of Super Mario Bros 3 (according to the instruction booklet), Mario, Luigi, and Peach visit Dinosaur Land, and in common Mario fashion, Bowser kidnaps Peach and it's up for Mario and Luigi to save her. While this is the same song-and-dance story we've seen in a bunch of Mario games, Super Mario World marks the introduction of Yoshi, who's become a mainstay in the Mario cast since this game. The Koopalings from Super Mario Bros 3 return in this game and serve the same purpose as they did in that game, being bosses to beat to move on. The story exists to give a purpose to the gameplay, like most Mario games, and like in most Mario games, that's all it needs to be. The characters throughout Super Mario World are charming in their own way, the unique SNES-Era spirits, the constantly changing atmosphere throughout most of the levels, and enemies such as the Koopas and Gombas make a return, but Super Mario World has it's own unique set of enemies that are exclusive to this game as far I can recall, such as the Chagin' Chucks and the Dino Rhinos. Super Mario World just has it's own unique charm compared to other Mario games, it's cast and design make it still stand out from other Mario games to this day.

Now to the gameplay, Super Mario World's gameplay feels unique compared to any older 2D Mario game. It's more slippery, but not in a bad way, it's pulled off pretty well actually. Super Mario World's levels feel unique each time I start a new level. I love the overall design and feel of this game, the colors just stick out greatly, and would probably look gorgeous if I played on a OLED screen. I found the difficulty to be pretty balanced, it's not too hard like The Lost Levels, but it's not too easy like some of the "New" Super Mario Bros games. The secrets in this game are fun to catch too. I always knew about the secrets this game had, but I never completed any of these secrets myself, so I might have to do that on a future playthrough. The OST is pretty simplistic, but the old soundfont from the 16-bit era of gaming is charming and unique in its own way. The power-ups in this game are great, the red mushroom and fire flower are the basic power-ups returning from past Mario games, but this game introduces the Cape Feather into the mix as well. This was such a fun power-up to get, each time I got it, I flew around as much as I could. Since this is the first Mario game to introduce Yoshi, he's a fantastic addition to the game, it wouldn't be Super Mario World without Yoshi. This is as much Mario's game, as much as it is Yoshi's game.

I've enjoyed my time with Super Mario World greatly, but I do feel that since this game feels kinda bland sometimes. It's a great game of course, but I feel that compared to other 2D Mario's and other platformers, it just feels basic, but that's okay. It doesn't need to be anything complex, or world-changing, it can just be a great, fun 2D Mario game, I just can't have it any more than great.

Overall, Super Mario World is a great game that pushed Mario games further into what they are today, its impact and legacy can be seen, you can tell Mario Wonder takes a lot from Super Mario World's design and presentation. Super Mario World is a fun title, I can see why so many hold this game in such high regards, and definitely should give it another playthrough in the future!

Stats:
The 15th game I've completed in 2024
Played on SNES
Hours into Game: 9 Hours
Score: 8/10 (4/5)
Last Statement: Super Mario Worldwide

SOMA: Sorrows Over the Mechanical Abyss

SOMA was a game I had only recently heard about. I've heard its name thrown around, and since I happen to have it in my library, courtesy of the Epic Games Store when it was given away for free, I decided to add it to my backlog to try it out eventually. But what I got from my time with SOMA was a game that lingered with me long after my playthrough, with its psychological themes and overall tone, I didn't find SOMA to be scary in a "Booo!" jumpscare type of way, it was scary due to its undertones and atmosphere. The extra bits of lore you can find throughout the game add so much to the already fantastic narrative, and it's just one of those games you just need to play completely blind without knowing anything.

Gamplay-wise, SOMA is pretty bare-bones, the main character Simon explores different areas in a somewhat linear way, with there being puzzles along the way as well. The puzzles are pretty basic, but that's a good thing, they don't need to be anything more than basic. Along the way in Simon's journey he encounters enemies that I feel don't add much to the game. The first couple of encounters add to SOMA by being a good stepping stone into what's to come throughout the game, but as it goes on, the enemies start to feel like annoying obstacles in the way. It's no wonder the developers decided to add a no-enemy mode after the game's initial launch. In my opinion, the enemies aren't even scary, they look scary on the surface, but not at all scary to make me jump out of my chair. Movement in SOMA feels kind of stiff, I'm not sure if it's just in SOMA or in the Amnesia games, or any of Frictional Games's other games, but in SOMA it just sorta stuck out, in better words.

But, gameplay and its issues aside, the real meat and potatoes of SOMA is its story. SOMA is a walking simulator with a sci-fi story that feels like you're listening to it, rather than playing it. The gameplay elements are barebone, but the story has a lot of muscle and carries its weight. It's really hard to explain without spoilers, but what I can say is, SOMA evokes a feeling of being alone. While playing as Simon, there's a feeling of loneliness everywhere, and the ending just adds to this notion more. Simon as a character, can be seen as dumb in certain moments in the story, but as a human, we're all liable to being dumb without knowing it. It's easy to pick on Simon for being a dumbass, but let's be honest, we would just be dumber. In a game centered around robots and sci-fi elements, Simon, for all his faults, still adds the long-forgotten layer of humanity, to an otherwise, artificial world. The atmosphere SOMA creates feels grimy, dirty, all messed up, and gone to shit. It creates a feeling of dread lingering over my shoulder throughout my playthrough, each area feels unique in its own atmosphere.

Overall, I found SOMA to be a unique different take on horror games, but that's not saying much considering I don't play a lot of horror games, regardless of that, SOMA is one of those games you need to play if you're looking a unique experience, or just want to try something new. If you like sci-fi or horror, you'll love SOMA. It's a game that anybody who enjoys either genre will love, and its just a game to play completely blind.

Stats:
The 14th game I've completed in 2024
Played on PC
Hours into Game: 7 Hours & 49 minutes
Score: 9/10 (4.5/5)