When I dreamt about Mario and Sonic doing a crossover that would be legendary, this isn't exactly what I had in my mind.

Regardless, it exists and honestly, it's decent. Despite the weird idea of Mario, Sonic, and their friends competing in the Olympic Games, it's admittedly a fun concept. But the concept of them being in a fighting game definitely would've been better. (Yes, I know we got Super Smash Bros Brawl a year later, but still.) In terms of enjoyment, I've only played this game whenever my family wanted to or if I was bored. It's just the mere fact this game is an Olympic Games simulator instead of a fighting game that doesn't really give me much incentive to dedicate a lot of time on it. With that, it's more like a "one-and-done" kind of game. I didn't even play the sequels just from pure disinterest.

It's not a bad game by any means and some of the sports are fun, but I never see myself actively replaying it.

I never thought I would write a review for an exercise game, but here we are.

At the time, I was completely flabbergasted by the fact that video games could encourage daily exercise. And since I had a Wii Balance Board at the time, I gave Wii Fit a chance. However, ironically, I never actively played it since I was already getting exercise by just being outside. So I didn't really need a video game to remind me that daily exercise is good hahaha.
In terms of the game itself, it's... alright. The minigames work well enough to replicate activities, but I personally believe that Wii Sports does a much better job at encouraging exercise WHILE also being fun.

And that's what it really boils down to: Wii Fit is good for a short pastime, not a full dedication.

I'm writing this review while I'm in my Astronomy class lmaooo.

Anyway, this was the very first Mario game I played and I'm just going to say what has been repeated ever since it came out: this game is simply magical.
While I knew of Mario 64 and Sunshine as big leaps for the series, I'd argue that none of them were as legendary as Super Mario Galaxy. It cannot be understated how massive the scope and scale is in Galaxy because I mean, come on; IT'S A UNIVERSE-SPANNING ADVENTURE.
While the story is, well, the usual Mario affair, the gameplay, the beautiful art direction, and the galaxies you visit make up for it. The nonstructural level design in any other game would be seen as questionable (i.e. Bubsy 3D), but Galaxy uses it to perfection. And for a Wii game, it's still one of the most beautiful-looking games on the system.
Although, one thing that I think Super Mario Galaxy does really well that I'm thankfully not alone in is the balance between feeling adventurous as you explore the many different galaxies with the unshakeable fact that you are alone in the vast, infinite space of the Universe. I know it's a really weird thing to comment on, but given how colorful and fun this game is, the quiet nature of space is displayed beautifully.

In conclusion, even if you're not a Mario fan, a Nintendo fan, or an avid gamer, you owe it to yourself to play this game. It's undoubtedly one of the best.

I mean, what else can be said about this game that hasn't already been said?

Despite its short length, the unique and thought-provoking gameplay, the sharp and witty writing, and the strange yet dynamic atmosphere all make up what has to be one of the greatest examples of video games as an interactive medium and art form. Yeah, I know the phrase "example of video games as an art form" has been used to death, but there's no other way to describe it. Portal simply possesses a magical quality to it by being whatever it wants to be.

I remember when a family friend played the game on his PC when it first came out and as a little kid that mainly played Sonic the Hedgehog, this game was unlike anything I'd seen before. In fact, it was the first game that taught me that video games can be ANYTHING. I'm aware that sounds stupid, but honestly, Portal really was.

If you haven't played Portal at all, please do everything you can to give it a playthrough.

It's one of the essential games to play in your life.

Admittedly, I don't really have much memories with the first Skate game because all I remember doing in the game was just skating around and being weirdly obsessed with injuring my character in the most extreme ways.
But even with those memories and not really engaging much with the actual campaign, this game helped me understand the skating world since my brother was the skater in the family and I was curious on the appeal. I know other skating video games such as the Tony Hawk series came before Skate and were probably more refined, but for Skate 1 to be my first skating game, I think of it quite fondly.
Although, one thing that didn't sit right with me was the difficult learning curve in pulling tricks and whatnot. Even though that's kind of the point since skating itself is difficult to master, I still found it irritating at certain points. But, it didn't really matter because just skating without a purpose is why I enjoyed my time with this game regardless. :)

Okay, time to share my first controversial opinion!

This game is great! A masterpiece even! Yeah, back then, Sonic Unleashed wasn't exactly well received and was even mocked for the thing I will also share my controversial opinion on. But you know what? This game was the first example to teach me to always form my own opinion no matter how opposing every other opinion out there will be.
And for me, this game rocks. In fact, despite Sonic Adventure 2 meaning the most to me, Sonic Unleashed is my favorite Sonic game PERIOD.

Coming after the dawns of darkness known as Sonic 06 and The Secret Rings, Sonic Unleashed had a lot to live up to since I almost quit the franchise. And like many others during the game's promotion, I was apprehensive and uncertain of what it was going for. In fact, I'll go ahead and admit that I hated the Werehog because, on paper, it sounded too ridiculous. But I knew that my true judgment would be after I gave the game a play myself, so I did and...
OH, MAN. I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.
After my first playthrough, I realized that I was an ignorant fool and decided that no matter what, Sonic would be a series that I'll always be a fan of. But anyway, what's there to like about this game?

First, the gameplay. To this day, there has been no other Sonic game to match the speed and exhilaration Unleashed has. It needs to be played to be believed and that's what makes the Day Stages the most fun and thrilling experience I've ever had with Sonic. They also give the game reasonable difficulty since they rely on fast reactions and reflexes. It may not be for everyone, but it's certainly for me.
Also, side note: Eggmanland is the best Final Stage in the series AND one of the best Final Stages in gaming. Yes, it does take an hour to complete for most people, but the challenge it provides is just... brilliant. Call me sadistic, but I LOVE IT.
Then, we have the Night Stages, aka the Werehog. The big old controversy of this game. Now, I do understand why it was disliked. It deviated from the core gameplay Sonic was known for and made you flip-flop between the two styles for the entire game. I do get it! However, I've always been a forgiving person and one to give anything a chance, so after giving the Werehog one, I found it pretty fun! The brawler/beat 'em up gameplay it centered around was already a genre I had relatively decent experience with, so it wasn't a completely alienating thing.

Second, the music. Well, honestly, I don't need to go in-depth about it because we all know that no matter what, the soundtrack is going to slap, and Unleashed's music slaps HARD. The way it utilizes so many different instruments instead of mainly relying on the guitar and represents the various cultures the Stages are based on is nothing short of masterful and beautiful. It's honestly my 3rd favorite Sonic soundtrack, right behind Sonic Adventure 2 which sits behind... uh. Well, I'll mention it another time. ;)

Third, the graphics. Now I may be alone in this considering the fact that this game is 15 YEARS OLD (wow, where has the time gone, I miss my childhood;-;) and it came out on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but I think Unleashed has the best art direction, animations, and graphics in the series. Yes, I do think they're that good. The mix of beautiful locales with the cartoony look of the characters just works so well. And for a 7th gen game, it's pretty impressive.

And finally, the story. Holy mother of Gaia, Unleashed's story is perfect. It expertly blends adventure, action, comedy, heart, and tragedy seamlessly, giving what I believe to be Sonic's greatest and most memorable adventure. But the story also hits close to home as Unleashed came out when I was moving out of my first home and Sonic living his life after Chip's sacrifice reminded me of me living my life after leaving my friends and the life I knew.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get cheesy in this.

Honestly, the only flaws this game has are...
1) The fact that you have to collect so many Sun and Moon Medals to unlock the Stages. I mean, what's the point? We have to travel across the entire world to restore it, so the urgency is extremely high. It's just kind of a pacebreaker.
2) The framerate can drop during exciting moments, most notably, the Adabat Day Stage. Dear Gaia, every time I replay that stage, the framerate drop makes me cringe.
3) This last problem isn't actually about the game itself, but rather with the soundtrack. WHY THE HELL IS THE MAIN THEME, ENDLESS POSSIBILITY, NOT INCLUDED IN THE DIGITAL RELEASE OF THE SOUNDTRACK? SERIOUSLY, THAT SONG IS SO ICONIC AND BELOVED, AND YET, IT WASN'T PUT IN FOR THE DIGITAL PLATFORMS. WHY.

Okay, I think I've gone on about this game long enough. To summarize, I love this game. Go play it.

See you on the next game review I write!

Ya know, I'm gonna be honest with you. I practically have no memories of this game. The only thing I remember of this game is that I finished it and that's really it. The reason why I don't remember this game is because 5-year-old me couldn't understand or adapt to the mechanics of the Extreme Gear, so my brother helped me with the races I struggled with.
And from that, I grew up with the poor verdict that this game was heavily flawed and that it wasn't a good Sonic game.
Now that I recently replayed it, I can now give an honest review of it.
Is this a bad game? No, it ain't! In fact, I would go so far as to say that it's one of the underrated Sonic games. Although there's definitely a lot to criticize about Sonic Riders, the ideas make it stand out as a unique and interesting racing game.

Starting with the positives, the futuristic setting and aesthetic of hoverboard racing give Sonic Riders a nice edge over casual racing games. And it's translated well into the gameplay mechanics with the Extreme Gear which, personally, is the most cohesive vision of hoverboard racing put to video games. The incentive to keep the Air Gauge active by doing tricks on ramps or other racers' slipstreams is genius because it demands quick thinking mixed with maintaining speed. You can also refill it by going to pit stops around the tracks which may seem inconvenient and a pace-breaker, but it helps to highlight that it isn't your average racing game where you don't have to worry about fuel.
Another positive aspect is the music (I mean, when does Sonic ever have bad music), although it's not as memorable as the more renowned soundtracks. The obvious banger is the intro song, Sonic Speed Riders, but the songs of the races themselves aren't half bad and fit the futuristic setting well.

The story is the only aspect that's decent because it's simple enough, but it's lacking in depth that it could've had. That's about it.

And then we have the negatives which really show the game's age. I'm referring to the voice acting which wasn't given good direction, the cutscene animations which honestly don't look better than Heroes, and the muddy graphics that just don't hold up well. That's just me though.

Sonic Riders, despite all its flaws, is underrated without a doubt. It just could've been better.

I know that this game was overshadowed by Wii Sports despite the fact that Sports came out much earlier, but as someone who had Wii Play as well, I can say that it's a fun "sister game." It's just not really as replayable as Wii Sports.

Firstly, the selection of minigames in Wii Play was unique. The standouts for me were Billiards, Fishing, and of course TANKS! Although I never got to the supposed 100th Final Level in TANKS, the game was just too addicting and fun for me to really care. Also, I never really knew it had 100 levels back then, haha.

As for the minigames that are simply good, they were Table Tennis, Laser Hockey, and CHARGE! I'm not sure why, but these 3 weren't as fun or replayable as the ones I previously mentioned. Maybe they just weren't for me, but they're serviceable.

Then we have the minigames that aren't inherently bad, per se, but were too frustrating and anxiety-inducing for me which were Shooting Range, Pose Mii, and FIND MII. For the life of me, these games were not fun. It wasn't because of their design, it was mainly because I had terrible eye-to-hand coordination and still do to this day. I have no idea people have been able to get such high scores in them because the highest I've been able to achieve are ten levels.

While Wii Play isn't as classic as Wii Sports, it still offers a fun and varied array of games to try. But honestly, the only minigame that matters is TANKS! I know that's not a unique sentiment, but its pristine design and replayability make it an undeniable beast of a minigame.

Would it be weird to say that this was literally the ONLY Nintendo DS game I had? I really don't know why it was, I'm just guessing the DS wasn't popular with my family, so there wasn't really an incentive to expand our DS library.
It was really a shame because, from this game alone, I wanted to see what the DS and its game were capable of.

Regardless, this game SLAPS. The sense of speed was truly exhilarating, the presentation was slick, and the story was a simple and cohesive narrative that introduced the wonderful Blaze the Cat. I also love the fact that this game ain't a pushover. Through repeat playthroughs, I asked myself "How did I manage to beat this game when I was younger?" The obvious answer is that I'm not really good at video games, but seriously, some stages and the Final Boss are real ass-kickers. It's all great stuff though!

BUT THE MOTHER OF ALL THAT WORKED SO WELL WITH THIS GAME IS THE MUSIC. If there's one aspect of this game that has remained eternal and continues to be talked about, it's the music. Defined by an incredible blend of hip-hop, funk, electronic, rock, and dance, every track oozes with personality, style, and bops. No matter how many times I listen to the soundtrack, it never gets old. Although, I would expect nothing less from the master Hideki Naganuma himself. The point is that while the game slaps, the music slaps even HARDER.

Honestly, there's nothing else to complain about. If you have an old DS lying around somewhere and a copy of Sonic Rush inside it, please find it and give this game a playthrough. You won't regret it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go listen to the soundtrack for the millionth time.

I'm just gonna come right out and say it: this game is an undisputed masterpiece.
Yeah, it now pales in comparison to Wii Sports: Resort, but the cultural impact this game had on the world cannot be ignored.

As one of the first games for the Wii, it quickly cemented itself as a classic and a staple of my childhood. It pretty much did the same for literally everyone else. There's also the fact that it served as a wonderful way for families and people in gatherings to bond. While the game is perfectly fine through single-player, playing it with other people is where the greatness of it truly shines. The memories of playing Bowling and Golf with my brother and cousins will forever be with me.

Speaking of the Sports themselves, Bowling and Golf were my two favorites. Tennis and Baseball are fun as well, but can sometimes take way too long to finish. And, well, Boxing is my least favorite since I wasn't really into Boxing and still am not to this day.

Oh and THE MUSIC. It and, by extension, the Wii's music, is some of the best and most nostalgic pieces of video game music ever created.

And honestly, that's pretty much it! Nothing to criticize or complain about, really.
If you haven't played this game at all, you missed out on a childhood-defining classic.

Talk about a sequel going hard.

I mean, what else can be said about this game that hasn't already been said by pretty much everybody who's played it? Kingdom Hearts 2 took everything that worked in the first game; the combat, the abilities, the exploration of the Disney properties, and the story, and made it all so much better with the Drive Gauge, new Keyblades, even more Disney worlds, and the vast amount of characters and plot threads that are introduced and resolved perfectly.
Seriously, you can call Organization XIII Hot Topic people, but you cannot deny their appeal and cool, mysterious nature.
And ugh, Roxas' story in this game... it's legit one of the most bittersweet things I've ever seen. Initially starting the game as him may seem strange at first, but when you progress through, it'll leave quite the heartache.

My only real criticism of this game is that the story doesn't make a lick of sense if you haven't played Chain of Memories because despite that game releasing on the GameBoy Advance and then later being remade for the PlayStation 2, it is REQUIRED if you want to understand why everything happens in Kingdom Hearts 2. I would've preferred if Chain of Memories was part of 2 in the form of the prologue, although I realize it would be too long and it would replace the importance of playing as Roxas. But hey, in a different world, we could've gotten that.

But yeah, this game is almost perfect and no other Kingdom Hearts game has managed to replace its position as my favorite game in the series.

Long live Kingdom Hearts 2.

Oh my god, the intense whiplash of remembering how much I struggled with this game.

So let me start out by saying that The Secret Rings is NOT a good game. The negatives this game has outweigh the positives by a landslide and I would not recommend the game at all due to how bad it is. HOWEVER, I must admit a dark truth: the game is a guilty pleasure.

Let's start with the positives; firstly, the story is decent. Despite the setting of the Arabian Nights being a strange choice and the quest for the Seven World Rings seeming inconsequential at times due to the mission structure, the narrative of Sonic traversing Arabian mythology was interesting and decently written. In addition, the art design of the world and the format of presenting the story through hand-painted art give the game a unique aesthetic. Secondly, the music slaps. Although its lyrics and melodies are incredibly repetitive, the funk they all have makes the music a guilty pleasure to listen to. In fact, I would simply play through the levels over and over again just to listen to the music.
The Party Mode for this game was also a guilty pleasure of mine due to a lot of fun minigames even though nowadays, it pales in comparison to other party games like Mario Party. While some of them were pathetically easy to play and master (they were the ones that were the most fun), the rest of them were oddly difficult and sometimes made no sense. It didn't help that they also had terrible motion controls. Either way, the Party Mode is the reason why I played The Secret Rings a lot.

Unfortunately, that's all I have to say in terms of positives. The negatives, oh my jeez.
The thing that really brings this game down is the CONTROL. It's worse than Sonic Heroes, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Sonic 06, but not because it's slippery or too damn precise. It all has to do with the fact that it centers around the Wii Remote and motion-based gameplay. Now, motion control is a divisive topic in the gaming landscape, but there are games where it really does work. This game is NOT one of them.
I don't know who thought it was a good idea for Sonic to NEVER STOP MOVING, but Jesus Christ almighty, it really hurts the game and it also hurts to play lmaooooo. Unless you hold the Break button, prepare to literally keep moving. It also makes for awkward platforming whenever it's utilized.
I know the point of Sonic games is the speed and the thrill of moving faster than the speed of sound, but I think Sonic Team really misunderstood that sentiment.
There's also the fact of adding moves as the game progresses, but I'm going to be perfectly honest: as a kid, I never used ANY of them. Of course, that's my fault since I was stupid back then. But I mean, why should I play the game for better controls when it should have good controls in the first place?
The mission structure also doesn't work and is confusing because you never really know which missions are mandatory and which are optional. I remember playing a lot of optional missions only for the realization of them being optional hitting me several hours later. The mission structure also makes getting the Seven World Rings weirdly not essential since you're able to play the next area without getting the previous area's World Ring. Although it allows for freedom in how to progress, I always thought it was strange.

That's really about it. Despite my fond childhood memories with this game, it has not aged well at all and I definitely will not revisit it ever again. At least the music still exists though!

Oh boy, talk about another childhood-defining game!

This game and the entire series have no right to be this great and have an impact on gaming culture despite the initially weird mix of Disney and Final Fantasy. But somehow, they made it work.

With this very first game, things were Simple and Clean (haha, very unfunny, I know) with the hack-and-slash gameplay, the cute presentation, and the cheesy yet loveable story. Exploring all the Disney worlds with Donald and Goofy and watching their respective stories unfold will always bring a smile to my face. And despite the gameplay being refined in the later games, this game is still such a joy to play.
Also, I appreciate that it got really challenging in certain parts. I know it's supposed to be a kid's game, but hey, it doesn't mean it can't be a pushover.

In terms of negatives, the only things I can think of are the Gummi Ship sections and the movement being outdated, but it's nothing terrible. It's just the effect of playing all the other games afterward.

To be honest, that's about it! I'm just happy this game and series exist.

Even though LittleBigPlanet was my definite childhood game, this game has always been a close second.

I never played Melee, so I'll never understand why people hated Brawl as a result. This was my first Super Smash Bros. game and I LOVED IT. Not only was Brawl my introduction to fighting games, but it was my introduction to the vast gaming franchises it included. (To be honest, I still haven't delved into all of them, but I'm getting there?)

I remember the days when I played this by myself against 3 CPUs without a care in the world, but when I was able to play with others, oh my goodness; the memories of playing this game and its PERFECT story mode, The Subspace Emissary, with my brother, family members during the holidays, and friends.
And for that, I'll always love this game even if it's not that well-regarded in the community.