I absolutely love Super Metroid. There is something so continuously mysterious about it, yet so instinctual to me. Super Metroid is a legendary adventure due to its atmosphere, tension, presentation and ability to make you feel unstoppable, despite being stopped quite often. Rich environments and intense bosses make every step into the unknown anticipatingly daunting, and every moment unexpected and unforgettable. Surprise is around every corner, which is exactly how exploring a new planet should feel. The Crocomire Fight, the Wrecked Ship, the innocent animals, Maridia’s Glass tunnel, the intro, the ending, all perfectly crafted to put you properly into the shoes of a bounty hunter going into the exact same unknown you are. Its expertly crafted map and upgrade-based progression coupled with just enough secrecy assists in an experience that rewards experimentation and pushing through confusion. In many instances the game keeps you from progression. Doors are intentionally shut and areas of intrigue are very obviously out of reach because of abilities you do not have, but this totally works because the game has no restrictions on letting you find the keys to these locks. It’s not “get to level 50 go to this area” or “find the button to push”, it’s “go find the upgrades you need to get better, then keep using them to find more upgrades, progressing further and further, funneling you to right path over and over. It lets you find the right solution without hammering it into you that it is the right solution. The feeling of finally getting that item, finding that doorway or beating that boss after figuring it out despite frustration and roadblocks is unmatched and satisfying. I think the reason that this relationship between frustration and reward is so endearing is because it emulates principles in life I hold dear too. Just like Metroid, in life you get lost. You don’t know what way to go and you don’t have what you need to get there, even though you already have a lot. In my experience, and apparently Samus’ as well, the best thing to do is press on. Find another way. Try to do things you’ve never done before and try to look for ways to progress despite your roadblocks. Yeah, it's frustrating. The game obviously has some moments that are far too cryptic, but progression in life or in anything is rarely linear or clear, and trust and persistence leads to that “upgrade” you were missing, if you will, allowing you to move forward and get to the next challenge. Super Metroid teaches me that it’s okay to be incapable when tackling obstacles, because with perseverance, it leads you to rich experiences, better abilities, and a fulfilling ending.

I can find a good burger pretty much anywhere, however Five Guys, in my opinion, just gets everything about a delicious cheeseburger right. It’s not the only place to get an amazing burger, but you will get the definitive burger experience. Metroid Dread is the Five Guys of Metroid games. It just gets everything about the perfect Metroid experience right. Super Metroid remains my favorite, but Dread is not far behind if not on the same level. Obviously, the best part of this game are the controls. Locked at 60fps, Samus in this game might be the best controlling character I’ve ever played as. Every movement, subtle or super all seem to flow into the other effortlessly, adding to the feeling of progression and power typical in a good Metroid game. The sense of progression here is almost deceptive. You get so many upgrades and abilities (all of which are pretty awesome) at such a steady pace that you barely notice, letting each crushing fight feel like a proper challenge rather than a halting, condescending roadblock. The classic Metroid head scratching is there, but is more durable for most due to the game always sending you in the right direction, even if it might take some thinking. This is done with impeccable map design, and not pestering waypoints threatening you with a game over if you don’t go right to it the way they want you to. It gives you a lot of tools to use to find where you need to go, spot upgrades, and play the game how you want, whether you want to saunter or soar. Metroid Dread is one of those games that is so mechanically tight and creative that you progress in skill simply by playing and learning how upgrades work with the environment and each other, and that is exciting. The EMMI zones are an interesting addition. These eerie zones for the unsettling EMMI bots force players into stressful situations, suddenly sharpening you into careful decision making or stealthy traversal. Getting caught by an EMMI is scary the first few times, and while it gets repetitive and unsurprising later on, it remains a formidable challenge, scaling with your abilities. Metroid Dread, although too short and lacking in music, treats you like an adult, and offers an experience leaving you feeling helpless, alone, beaten down and like the most powerful bounty hunter in the galaxy.

Before Half-Life came out, the first person shooter genre was filled with fast paced arcade-style romps where the blue key card opens the blue door, and glowing green heath pickups levitated behind swarms of demons and monsters. Half-Life took the intense gunplay into a realistic, somber and comparatively sensible location and created a truly revolutionary experience. Despite the graphics aging like milk, the immersion is palpable, as from the get-go, the game throws you right into a tram ride, showing off the facility where you’ll spend most of the game. It’s a proper introduction to the world and really grabbing for first time playthroughs. The rest of the game has you sprinting, fighting and sometimes crawling through various environments including the New Mexico desert, the depths of a research facility and even an alien borderworld. This variety is exciting, and makes you feel like you really are progressing and fighting against the odds. What’s more, the entire game puts you in full control at all times… no cutscenes or tutorial text boxes. You can walk right by any event happening or be an active participant. This relationship of storytelling and agency feels incredible in any game, but Half-Life gets it so right by fully committing to it. Half-Life’s design and gameplay mechanics are also so creative, because most big conflicts you come up against don’t end by you unloading bullets into them, it has you exploring the facility, taking down smaller foes and solving puzzles to accomplish a greater purpose. This contextualizes your small victories and makes you feel like you are always moving forward. All this with some punchy gunplay, great sound design and fascinating plot to boot ends in a distinct and unforgettable game.

In a lot of survival games, you craft the item, use or place down the item and that’s it. In Minecraft however, crafting literally unlocks potential and possibility. Crafting one item can allow you to craft 50 more, and any of those 50 can allow you to do hundreds of things. This spiderweb structure alone offers so much player freedom, and when you throw that into a literally endless uniquely generated world with absolutely no strings holding you back, Minecraft becomes endless. Everything allows you to do anything. Each area offers new toys to play with, new challenges to overcome, and just more to do and discover. It’s a cycle of creativity that’s hard to pry yourself away from. Minecraft just simply doesn’t say “no” to its players a whole lot.

What could I possibly say about this masterpiece that hasn’t been said already? It’s Breath of the freaking Wild. It’s pure adventure. This game is exactly how an open world experience should be, spreading the content out all over the map and allowing each one to contribute to you or the story in some way, nothing feels like filler, it’s all there for a purpose. Breath of the Wild revolutionizes the genre by incentivising exploration through mechanics and gameplay, not just a map marker icon on a compass. Immediately as you explore you start to see the various purposes that things in the world have, and you can use those to your advantage to get to new areas faster. For example, you find plants and bugs that you can cook into a potion that will heat you up, allowing you to explore cooler areas better. Your weapons break, pushing you to not only look for more weapons but find more ways to fight. With so much to toy with and explore, so many challenges to defeat and secrets to uncover, you think that limits have been reached. Yet, Nintendo pulls out all the stops and says “you know you can climb too, right?” Seriously, half of the reason that this game is so incredible is the gliding and climbing mechanics. Where a mountain would force you to find a vehicle or flat path to follow in other open world games, in Zelda it’s simply more to explore and experience. There is so much depth and exploration and experiences in this game, yet it's presented in such a smart way because it lets you find it at your own pace. Laid back and serene music coupled with vistas instill this feeling of awe within you that just makes you feel free.

Despite some irritating plot contrivances, a frankly unimportant upgrade and skill system, complicated world building jargon and it being a bit too long, God of War 2018 is a beautiful game with incredibly compelling characters and themes. Combat is simple yet vicious, weighty and satisfying. This game is less about the specific moves you do and more about just slashing through bad guys using whatever cool moves you want. There’s a certain flow to the combat that just feels so, so good, and the tight gameplay & combat going hand in hand with the story keeps you moving forward. This story has so many moving parts and stuff that honestly isn’t that important, but ultimately it sports an important message about owning your past, learning from it and choosing who you are. Kratos and Atreus are so charming and endearing right from the get go. Any time you get to see Atreus’ naive personality against Kratos’ brutal honesty and stoic demeanor is a treat. These two characters learn from one another, they grow together, they bring out the best in each other, and that’s shown in gameplay and cutscenes. Some of the best parts of the game are Kratos and Atreus (and later Mirmir, who becomes an instant favorite) just sitting in a boat, chatting. This story is so good, that the whole reason I’m playing it is just so I can see these two characters bond and get closer, and for a video game to pull that kind of motivation off is nothing to snuff at. I do wish that God of War would just trim the fat a little bit. Skill trees, a crafting system and upgrades that seemingly change the gameplay in absolutely no noticeable way can sometimes distract from the meat of the game and what's really there. This is the kind of game where you just focus on the experience and don’t want to get bogged down by menu after menu. That said, it’s simply a game I don’t think I’ll ever forget, and one that I feel changed for the better after playing.

It’s important to not use the term “miracle video game” around too much, you don’t want it to lose its flavor. However, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate is an absolute miracle of a video game. This game is a massive celebration of video game history, the pinnacle of its series, a love letter to diehard and new fans, and a dang good fighting game all at once. This result is 100% owed to Masahiro Sakurai and his team. Sakurai, arguably the most dedicated game developer out there, pulled out all the stops on this one, making this game exactly what it needs to be and something that truly speaks to the fans while balancing its mountain of content, and we can see this in the staggering roster. For starters, the “Everyone is here” slogan already makes for a truly commemorative game, bringing back fan favorites like Snake, Wolf, and Young Link. It makes the game feel so much more celebratory and joyous to see these old friends back, almost when there was no hope of them returning. Not one fan has to worry about their favorite fighter getting the boot, already bringing the player count and inclusivity up, as veteran players can rekindle memories with their veteran fighters, and new players can feast on the history of the series while trying out so many new faces. What’s more, characters who have topped wish lists for years like King K. Rool, Banjo-Kazooie, the previously “too big” Ridley, and Kingdom Hearts’ Sora are all here. You have some of the biggest names in video game history like Cloud Strife, Solid Snake, Simon Belmont and freaking Minecraft’s Steve in the same game, fighting it out on one battlefield. Matchups that seemed so far fetched and publisher walls that seemed so high up are lying in ruin as Microsoft owned, PlayStation exclusive and Nintendo born characters are on your screen all at once. It is incredible. Mechanically, this is the most airtight yet crazy insane party brawlers out there. It really feels like the most balanced smash game yet, with everyone from Isabelle to Ike and Pikachu to Pyra feeling viable. Of course there are always the Melee Foxes and Brawl Meta Knights, but the bottom and the top spaces on the tier list seem to be closer together than ever. This game just seems to be so laser focused on the fighting. The main aspect, the matchups, seem to be right in the center, while everything branches out from it. Little touches like dramatic screen zoom-ins on hard hitting KOs, split second stops before meaty attacks, an increased launch speed and a general faster pace make all the difference in making this game’s brawls feel punchy, resulting in the oh-so fun (or infuriating) game nights and online sessions. It’s the ultimate package for any Smash brothers, or video game fan.