Mymy64
21 reviews liked by Mymy64
Luigi's Mansion
2001
I don't really know what to say about Luigi's Mansion to be honest. Its a fun little game, with a fun little art style, and fun little mechanics. The length was nice, it was good to control, and was fun. All around just a very good game.
Luigi's Mansion 3
2019
Luigi's Mansion 3 is not the original Luigi's Mansion. More importantly, it is also not Luigi's Mansion 2.
As a statement on it's own, that couldn't be any less obvious. Like, come on, duh Spike, the brain brigade must have been working overtime on that one. As obvious as it may be, on an emotional level, it's a statement I didn't know I needed to acknowledge. It wasn't until I've finally played Luigi's Mansion 3 with my own two hands that the realization occurred.
For context, as hinted with in my Super Mario Bros: Wonder review, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon was a game I felt immensely disappointed by. Gone was the arcade-y set up of the original, the breezy and focused gameplay now replaced by a mission based structure with content that felt as if it's sole purpose was to extend the game's length. The terrifying chills and larger-than-life character given to the ghouls within the titular mansion were replaced with copy-pasted enemy fodder with zero charm, with your run-of-the-mill spooks and specters serving as your boss battles. Even the music was butchered from it's ghostly synths and harmonic whomps setting the ambience of the mansion perfectly. From the haunting Mansion theme to the silly and off putting funk beat made to emphasize Dr. E. Gadd's zaniness, it fit the mood like a glove. With Dark Moon, all it's soundtrack provided was a vapid, boring, safe score that never instilled anything into you. Maybe light-hearted whimsy at the most, the opposite of how I felt I should be feeling.
This is how I felt at the time, and given that I haven't replayed Luigi's Mansion 2 since my teens, it's easy to see why I was so apathetic to Luigi's Mansion 3 when it was first announced. I felt no desire to give the game a try, not after the immense disappointment I had experienced. The series had left me behind and was attempting a style I didn't really care for, so I figured, why bother with this one?
Fast forward to now. 5 years have passed since Luigi's Mansion 3, and a decade since I touched Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. The disappointment and bitterness from my teen years have been shedded away by years of self reflection and personal growth. I've reflected on a lot of my personal life and my gaming life as I've grown, and re-evaluating the Luigi's Mansion series has been on my to-do list. Gratefully, I received this game as a gift for my birthday, and playing the game now in 2023 has left me with a number of thoughts that needed to be revalued.
The very first thought that came across my mind was exactly the first sentence of this review: Luigi's Mansion 3 is not Luigi's Mansion.
Luigi's Mansion 3 feels tonally off from the original game. In the original Luigi's Mansion, the ghosts as a collective had their quirks, but they were offset by ones that were more unnerving. Something about Chauncey the baby makes me uncomfortable. This pampered child shrinks you down to a pea's size, places you into a portal dimension, and tries to make you his play thing as he throws a temper tantrum, screeching demonically at you for giving him an owie. Bogmire is another great example. He's faceless in a sea of colorful faces, and he behaves so differently from everything else in the game. He's unsettling and gives the game a strong sense of mystery just from his presence alone. In Luigi's Mansion 3, there's a distinct lack of edge.
Alongside the characters of the ghosts themselves, there are design decisions within Luigi's Mansion 3 that stick out from being lost in translation from converting the original game's gameplay sensibilities to their new format. In Luigi's Mansion, the game would let you wander into a room and discover for yourself that something wasn't right. There were exceptions, of course, but this was a constant. Typically, you'd walk into a darkened room, and an object would appear to move or float before you. You wouldn't see the ghost right away, which lead into a puzzle solving phase of finding the right way to expose it's heart. This is very subtle, but this structure added a layer of uncertainty to these paranormal encounters. They're unknown until they're seen. You watch their actions to determine what their personalities are like. You're within the process of discovery yourself. With Luigi's Mansion 3, these boss ghosts are set up with a cutscene, taking the time to introduce themselves up front and personal, which loses a lot of the mystic and agency given to the player.
These critiques are based on a purposely faulty premise, however. All of these criticisms would be valid of Luigi's Mansion 3 if the game was attempting to contain the same tone as the original.
But again, Luigi's Mansion 3 is not Luigi's Mansion.
Instead, Luigi's Mansion 3 goes for a more light hearted tone with it's horror. The kind of tone that might startle you, but will make you smile after it's done. Ghosts jump scare you from time to time, but they're usually doing something goofy to deflate your fear and convert it to a smile. There's only one really mean jump scare, and that would be on Floor 8, Paranormal Productions. The entire game has been lulling you in for a false sense of security up until a bear statue just decides to violently grab you. Even then, the designers felt so bad for this that they give you plenty of money as an apology. It's the perfect example of this game's MO.
Much like Resident Evil 4 was to the original Resident Evil, Luigi's Mansion 3 puts the focus on action rather than scares. The gameplay uses the same design keys of capturing ghosts and performing small puzzles to figure out how to capture said ghosts, but it's recontextualized into a more gameified feel. The tools at your disposal have expanded, your list of actions increasing from a mere suck and blow.
Don't, don't mind that phrasing—
Sucking up the environment is a strong part of the gameplay loop now. The added physics to every object within the hotel creates an addicting kleptomanic drive to vaccum out anything and everything valuable from this shady hotel. The game feel to this reminds me of Paper Mario: Origami King and it's ability to make the simple act of hitting things feel immensely satisfying. The noises, the chaotic clutter of objects flying about, it's simply joyful.
Unlike Origami King though, it's main gameplay loop is also satisfying. The hotel is structured with each floor acting as a level to explore, setting up gags, ghosts to gobble up, and ghoulish bosses to grapple with. Flinging ghosts by slamming their ectoplasmic bodies sharply to the ground makes combat feel crunchy, which is something I neglected when I played Dark Moon many years ago. There indeed IS substance to this gameplay style that appeals to me, it was just hidden through a distinct lack of soul given to the direction.
The hotel is structured similar to the mission like structure of Dark Moon, creating bite sized chunks with tasks set out for you to accomplish. Yet, Luigi's Mansion 3 is not Luigi's Mansion 2. The game doesn't cause you to go back in and out of E. Gadd's lab to complete an objective, and if it does, you can quickly teleport there and back to where you last left off. Each floor builds upon gimmicks culminating in a boss fight. These bosses typically use mechanics already established through the floor you've spend the last 30 minutes on, finding clever ways to plunger enemies and drag them down, using your pal Gooigi to double team them in elaborate methods, along with an assortment of other tricks up it's sleeve. It's all fairly enjoyable. I almost wish there were more tools to expand your equipment in more interesting ways, but with what they accomplished here felt like they had enough to work with.
There's more I could say about the bosses not quite meeting my expectations in terms of personalities, the music not quite hitting the highs of the original game's, the overall structure causing me to put the game down more than feeling a strong urge to keep trucking forward. But these are all aspects that come down to personal preference. The structure plays well to the game's strengths. There's more to do and explore from this concept. The bosses and music are bit too light-hearted, but again, the tone of the game is different by design. You can't capture the same magic if your goal was never to do so. What's there is still charming. My teenage self wouldn't have understood that.
I'm no longer the bitter sad sap I once was, and my reaction towards Luigi's Mansion 3 has been a reflection of that change to me. 5 years ago me and teenage me were wrong, both for different reasons. This gameplay style does suite me — it just took another entry with refinements to prove that it did. Just because it's not the same tonally from what I loved in the past doesn't mean I can't still enjoy the game.
Are there aspects lost from this direction? Sure. Do I prefer Luigi's Mansion over 3? Of course I do. It's my childhood favorite, it's hard not to. But this does not make Luigi's Mansion 3 any less valid in existing like I once so stubbornly believed. Luigi's Mansion 3 executes ideas pulled off within it so superbly well, it's hard not to love it. And that feels good to say.
As a statement on it's own, that couldn't be any less obvious. Like, come on, duh Spike, the brain brigade must have been working overtime on that one. As obvious as it may be, on an emotional level, it's a statement I didn't know I needed to acknowledge. It wasn't until I've finally played Luigi's Mansion 3 with my own two hands that the realization occurred.
For context, as hinted with in my Super Mario Bros: Wonder review, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon was a game I felt immensely disappointed by. Gone was the arcade-y set up of the original, the breezy and focused gameplay now replaced by a mission based structure with content that felt as if it's sole purpose was to extend the game's length. The terrifying chills and larger-than-life character given to the ghouls within the titular mansion were replaced with copy-pasted enemy fodder with zero charm, with your run-of-the-mill spooks and specters serving as your boss battles. Even the music was butchered from it's ghostly synths and harmonic whomps setting the ambience of the mansion perfectly. From the haunting Mansion theme to the silly and off putting funk beat made to emphasize Dr. E. Gadd's zaniness, it fit the mood like a glove. With Dark Moon, all it's soundtrack provided was a vapid, boring, safe score that never instilled anything into you. Maybe light-hearted whimsy at the most, the opposite of how I felt I should be feeling.
This is how I felt at the time, and given that I haven't replayed Luigi's Mansion 2 since my teens, it's easy to see why I was so apathetic to Luigi's Mansion 3 when it was first announced. I felt no desire to give the game a try, not after the immense disappointment I had experienced. The series had left me behind and was attempting a style I didn't really care for, so I figured, why bother with this one?
Fast forward to now. 5 years have passed since Luigi's Mansion 3, and a decade since I touched Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. The disappointment and bitterness from my teen years have been shedded away by years of self reflection and personal growth. I've reflected on a lot of my personal life and my gaming life as I've grown, and re-evaluating the Luigi's Mansion series has been on my to-do list. Gratefully, I received this game as a gift for my birthday, and playing the game now in 2023 has left me with a number of thoughts that needed to be revalued.
The very first thought that came across my mind was exactly the first sentence of this review: Luigi's Mansion 3 is not Luigi's Mansion.
Luigi's Mansion 3 feels tonally off from the original game. In the original Luigi's Mansion, the ghosts as a collective had their quirks, but they were offset by ones that were more unnerving. Something about Chauncey the baby makes me uncomfortable. This pampered child shrinks you down to a pea's size, places you into a portal dimension, and tries to make you his play thing as he throws a temper tantrum, screeching demonically at you for giving him an owie. Bogmire is another great example. He's faceless in a sea of colorful faces, and he behaves so differently from everything else in the game. He's unsettling and gives the game a strong sense of mystery just from his presence alone. In Luigi's Mansion 3, there's a distinct lack of edge.
Alongside the characters of the ghosts themselves, there are design decisions within Luigi's Mansion 3 that stick out from being lost in translation from converting the original game's gameplay sensibilities to their new format. In Luigi's Mansion, the game would let you wander into a room and discover for yourself that something wasn't right. There were exceptions, of course, but this was a constant. Typically, you'd walk into a darkened room, and an object would appear to move or float before you. You wouldn't see the ghost right away, which lead into a puzzle solving phase of finding the right way to expose it's heart. This is very subtle, but this structure added a layer of uncertainty to these paranormal encounters. They're unknown until they're seen. You watch their actions to determine what their personalities are like. You're within the process of discovery yourself. With Luigi's Mansion 3, these boss ghosts are set up with a cutscene, taking the time to introduce themselves up front and personal, which loses a lot of the mystic and agency given to the player.
These critiques are based on a purposely faulty premise, however. All of these criticisms would be valid of Luigi's Mansion 3 if the game was attempting to contain the same tone as the original.
But again, Luigi's Mansion 3 is not Luigi's Mansion.
Instead, Luigi's Mansion 3 goes for a more light hearted tone with it's horror. The kind of tone that might startle you, but will make you smile after it's done. Ghosts jump scare you from time to time, but they're usually doing something goofy to deflate your fear and convert it to a smile. There's only one really mean jump scare, and that would be on Floor 8, Paranormal Productions. The entire game has been lulling you in for a false sense of security up until a bear statue just decides to violently grab you. Even then, the designers felt so bad for this that they give you plenty of money as an apology. It's the perfect example of this game's MO.
Much like Resident Evil 4 was to the original Resident Evil, Luigi's Mansion 3 puts the focus on action rather than scares. The gameplay uses the same design keys of capturing ghosts and performing small puzzles to figure out how to capture said ghosts, but it's recontextualized into a more gameified feel. The tools at your disposal have expanded, your list of actions increasing from a mere suck and blow.
Don't, don't mind that phrasing—
Sucking up the environment is a strong part of the gameplay loop now. The added physics to every object within the hotel creates an addicting kleptomanic drive to vaccum out anything and everything valuable from this shady hotel. The game feel to this reminds me of Paper Mario: Origami King and it's ability to make the simple act of hitting things feel immensely satisfying. The noises, the chaotic clutter of objects flying about, it's simply joyful.
Unlike Origami King though, it's main gameplay loop is also satisfying. The hotel is structured with each floor acting as a level to explore, setting up gags, ghosts to gobble up, and ghoulish bosses to grapple with. Flinging ghosts by slamming their ectoplasmic bodies sharply to the ground makes combat feel crunchy, which is something I neglected when I played Dark Moon many years ago. There indeed IS substance to this gameplay style that appeals to me, it was just hidden through a distinct lack of soul given to the direction.
The hotel is structured similar to the mission like structure of Dark Moon, creating bite sized chunks with tasks set out for you to accomplish. Yet, Luigi's Mansion 3 is not Luigi's Mansion 2. The game doesn't cause you to go back in and out of E. Gadd's lab to complete an objective, and if it does, you can quickly teleport there and back to where you last left off. Each floor builds upon gimmicks culminating in a boss fight. These bosses typically use mechanics already established through the floor you've spend the last 30 minutes on, finding clever ways to plunger enemies and drag them down, using your pal Gooigi to double team them in elaborate methods, along with an assortment of other tricks up it's sleeve. It's all fairly enjoyable. I almost wish there were more tools to expand your equipment in more interesting ways, but with what they accomplished here felt like they had enough to work with.
There's more I could say about the bosses not quite meeting my expectations in terms of personalities, the music not quite hitting the highs of the original game's, the overall structure causing me to put the game down more than feeling a strong urge to keep trucking forward. But these are all aspects that come down to personal preference. The structure plays well to the game's strengths. There's more to do and explore from this concept. The bosses and music are bit too light-hearted, but again, the tone of the game is different by design. You can't capture the same magic if your goal was never to do so. What's there is still charming. My teenage self wouldn't have understood that.
I'm no longer the bitter sad sap I once was, and my reaction towards Luigi's Mansion 3 has been a reflection of that change to me. 5 years ago me and teenage me were wrong, both for different reasons. This gameplay style does suite me — it just took another entry with refinements to prove that it did. Just because it's not the same tonally from what I loved in the past doesn't mean I can't still enjoy the game.
Are there aspects lost from this direction? Sure. Do I prefer Luigi's Mansion over 3? Of course I do. It's my childhood favorite, it's hard not to. But this does not make Luigi's Mansion 3 any less valid in existing like I once so stubbornly believed. Luigi's Mansion 3 executes ideas pulled off within it so superbly well, it's hard not to love it. And that feels good to say.
This review contains spoilers
SPOILERS AHEAD
I was very excited for this DLC. Like a lot of people, I am a big fan of the Rayman series. Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends in particular are two of my favorite games of all time. But the series has long laid dormant. Before Rayman in the Phantom Show was announced, the series' future looked bleak. Ubisoft has gone through many controversies as of late, including accusations of workplace abuse against series creator Michel Ancel that led to him resigning and retiring in disgrace. This DLC does its best to try to bring Rayman back into the public consciousness. While I had a great time playing more Mario+Rabbids levels, I wish they had gone a bit further with references to the Rayman series. The Donkey Kong DLC in the last Mario+Rabbids game felt like a love letter to that franchise, but Phantom Show is content to just make a few references to the series (and how this is essentially Rayman's "comeback").
The gameplay here is great. Rayman feels exceptionally powerful. While you can only use Rabbid Peach and Rabbid Mario to accompany him, their healing and up-close combat abilities compliment Rayman well. This also marks the return of The Phantom, probably the most memorable character introduced in these games. The music is a standout, incorporating sounds and motifs from past Rayman games. The Phantom also sings a very funny "diss track" about Rayman that echoes the one about Mario in the first game.
While I enjoyed Rayman in the Phantom Show a lot, I do have a gripe that will seem minor to some, but I'm sure others will understand. AT NO POINT IN THE GAME DO RAYMAN AND MARIO MEET! I get not wanting to overshadow Rayman's return, but it would've made for a nice ending cutscene. If it isn't going to happen in Super Smash Bros, it should've happened here. Maybe they didn't want to be too obvious, but I still feel it's a lost opportunity.
If you 100% Phantom show, you are greeted with a message that the developers teased was about Rayman's future. It reads:
"The bleakest dark yields to the faintest light; a light that exists within each of us. You are not alone, we are a multitude linked together by a thin red thread that sews together our hearts and souls. Tighten the knot and we will be together forever, lighting the way."
I take this statement to mean that Rayman lives on as long as there are still fans who love and play the games. We don't know what the future holds for Rayman, or even the Mario+Rabbids series of games. But for all the toxic traits associated with fandoms, they serve a major purpose: Keeping media, art, and stories alive years after their heyday. Our treasured memories are enough. But there's always the hope that we may one day see our favorite characters and franchises return to their former glory. It was nice to see Rayman again. I hope Globox is doing well too!
I was very excited for this DLC. Like a lot of people, I am a big fan of the Rayman series. Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends in particular are two of my favorite games of all time. But the series has long laid dormant. Before Rayman in the Phantom Show was announced, the series' future looked bleak. Ubisoft has gone through many controversies as of late, including accusations of workplace abuse against series creator Michel Ancel that led to him resigning and retiring in disgrace. This DLC does its best to try to bring Rayman back into the public consciousness. While I had a great time playing more Mario+Rabbids levels, I wish they had gone a bit further with references to the Rayman series. The Donkey Kong DLC in the last Mario+Rabbids game felt like a love letter to that franchise, but Phantom Show is content to just make a few references to the series (and how this is essentially Rayman's "comeback").
The gameplay here is great. Rayman feels exceptionally powerful. While you can only use Rabbid Peach and Rabbid Mario to accompany him, their healing and up-close combat abilities compliment Rayman well. This also marks the return of The Phantom, probably the most memorable character introduced in these games. The music is a standout, incorporating sounds and motifs from past Rayman games. The Phantom also sings a very funny "diss track" about Rayman that echoes the one about Mario in the first game.
While I enjoyed Rayman in the Phantom Show a lot, I do have a gripe that will seem minor to some, but I'm sure others will understand. AT NO POINT IN THE GAME DO RAYMAN AND MARIO MEET! I get not wanting to overshadow Rayman's return, but it would've made for a nice ending cutscene. If it isn't going to happen in Super Smash Bros, it should've happened here. Maybe they didn't want to be too obvious, but I still feel it's a lost opportunity.
If you 100% Phantom show, you are greeted with a message that the developers teased was about Rayman's future. It reads:
"The bleakest dark yields to the faintest light; a light that exists within each of us. You are not alone, we are a multitude linked together by a thin red thread that sews together our hearts and souls. Tighten the knot and we will be together forever, lighting the way."
I take this statement to mean that Rayman lives on as long as there are still fans who love and play the games. We don't know what the future holds for Rayman, or even the Mario+Rabbids series of games. But for all the toxic traits associated with fandoms, they serve a major purpose: Keeping media, art, and stories alive years after their heyday. Our treasured memories are enough. But there's always the hope that we may one day see our favorite characters and franchises return to their former glory. It was nice to see Rayman again. I hope Globox is doing well too!
The better half of the DLC pack, though I was hoping for more Rayman iconography. It's there, but I feel they could have gone a bit further. (the letter you get for 100%ing it is odd and I am not sure what it means for Rayman. If there is anything that is.)
People seem to be really disappointed by this and I can't for the life of me figure out why? It's just another, kinda smaller, world of the game. Like it literally feels like a part that got cut for time restrictions. It's fun. Kinda sucks that it's separated and not fully on the main game map, especially cause they just KEEP reminding you that it was right after the 2nd to last world. Still pretty good though.
As the WarioWare series evolved, installments usually became more complex through new implementations of controls: Nintendo went from a D-pad + the A button in the original Mega Microgames on the GBA, to a gyro sensor + A in Twisted, to a DS touch screen for Touched, and finally to emulated Wii motion controls for Smooth Moves. So, it’s interesting how the latest installment, Get it Together, goes in the complete opposite direction and reverts back to a more conventional and simple control scheme with a single joystick + A. Unfortunately, I found it to be a regression from even the original Mega Microgames, because the gameplay felt undercooked.
Instead of referencing WarioWare’s usual motley of arcade-style structure (where the controls were generally used to manage and solve each scenario presented in drastically different manners), Get it Together plants all the microgames on the same 2D plane akin to a 2D platformer. Objectives here are pretty straightforward, and can usually be summed up as “travel from point A to point B” or “attack object(s) until you win.” As such, the main culprit behind this microgame homogeneity is that every level needs to be theoretically solvable with every single cast member; the result is that every level in isolation is somewhat basic, with designs that bled into one another after some time. This is further exacerbated because some cast members are just better versions of other cast members (ex: Ashley might as well be an amalgamation of Dribble/Spitz/Mike/Red that can attack in multiple directions) and some feel especially stunted because they’re stuck to the ground and/or can’t move (18-Volt…), nor does the game provide much incentive to play with the worse cast members during the story missions. It certainly feels like a step down from WarioWare Gold, which while I did have some minor complaints for regarding lost potential by not integrating touch-screen/gyro/gamepad controls together, nevertheless at least had depth via a suite of different control schemes to frantically juggle players through varying objectives.
I genuinely wish I had nicer things to say about Get it Together, but I was sadly underwhelmed. As usual, the sound design and vibrant art are on point, though I have to admit that the wacky vignettes didn’t quite hit it for me this time around. The side content also failed to hold my attention; there’s an endless arena mode that’s interesting for a few minutes until you realize mashing Ashley’s attack will get you easy points, an endless side-scroller mode with fairly few collectibles and obstacles, and a ball juggling mode that’s pretty optimally cleared by mashing attack with Mike. You can also buy gifts for your crew with coins earned during missions/story mode, but the resulting level-ups don’t affect gameplay outside of giving you a slightly higher score multiplier for Wario Cup, the weekly score challenge mode with online leaderboards: at least the unlocked color customization + character concept art are appreciated. That’s about all I can comment upon regarding a solo playthrough: while I can’t see myself dedicating much more time to this, I might add on a few multiplayer notes if I can get a friend to try this out with me in the future. If you want a more expansive toolkit to mess around with, then it looks like Gold is still the go-to, but if you want the back-to-the-basics idealization that Get it Together seems to emulate on paper, then I’d just recommend playing through Mega Microgames or Twisted. Sometimes, less really is more, but that doesn’t mean you have to try and reinvent the wheel in the process.
Instead of referencing WarioWare’s usual motley of arcade-style structure (where the controls were generally used to manage and solve each scenario presented in drastically different manners), Get it Together plants all the microgames on the same 2D plane akin to a 2D platformer. Objectives here are pretty straightforward, and can usually be summed up as “travel from point A to point B” or “attack object(s) until you win.” As such, the main culprit behind this microgame homogeneity is that every level needs to be theoretically solvable with every single cast member; the result is that every level in isolation is somewhat basic, with designs that bled into one another after some time. This is further exacerbated because some cast members are just better versions of other cast members (ex: Ashley might as well be an amalgamation of Dribble/Spitz/Mike/Red that can attack in multiple directions) and some feel especially stunted because they’re stuck to the ground and/or can’t move (18-Volt…), nor does the game provide much incentive to play with the worse cast members during the story missions. It certainly feels like a step down from WarioWare Gold, which while I did have some minor complaints for regarding lost potential by not integrating touch-screen/gyro/gamepad controls together, nevertheless at least had depth via a suite of different control schemes to frantically juggle players through varying objectives.
I genuinely wish I had nicer things to say about Get it Together, but I was sadly underwhelmed. As usual, the sound design and vibrant art are on point, though I have to admit that the wacky vignettes didn’t quite hit it for me this time around. The side content also failed to hold my attention; there’s an endless arena mode that’s interesting for a few minutes until you realize mashing Ashley’s attack will get you easy points, an endless side-scroller mode with fairly few collectibles and obstacles, and a ball juggling mode that’s pretty optimally cleared by mashing attack with Mike. You can also buy gifts for your crew with coins earned during missions/story mode, but the resulting level-ups don’t affect gameplay outside of giving you a slightly higher score multiplier for Wario Cup, the weekly score challenge mode with online leaderboards: at least the unlocked color customization + character concept art are appreciated. That’s about all I can comment upon regarding a solo playthrough: while I can’t see myself dedicating much more time to this, I might add on a few multiplayer notes if I can get a friend to try this out with me in the future. If you want a more expansive toolkit to mess around with, then it looks like Gold is still the go-to, but if you want the back-to-the-basics idealization that Get it Together seems to emulate on paper, then I’d just recommend playing through Mega Microgames or Twisted. Sometimes, less really is more, but that doesn’t mean you have to try and reinvent the wheel in the process.
This feels like a 'your mileage may vary' thing, but the central character shuffle gimmick in Get It Together acts as too much of a setback for all of these microgames and bogs the variety down. The fact that every microgame has a redesign in mind for the character you're tackling it with is a very interesting quirk that works well on paper, but the game doesn't utilise it very well and typically makes the microgames feel a little too samey - you generally just have to make your character hit something or go from a to b. This probably could have been alleviated if the microgames had fixed characters, allowing the designers to go crazy within a specific control framework, but I'm not a professional game designer, like Wario.
First of all, I'm not this big of a TMNT or beat-em ups fan,
but this game is one of the best if not the best beat-em up out there. Firstly, the game feels fun to play and the combos aren't that hard to remember, the characters feel balanced and each one is fun to play just like the other one. The enemy designs are also pretty cool as well and fit the level themes very well (especially the bosses), speaking of levels they look absolutely gorgeous and have so many little details in them. The music is also composed by the amazing Tee Lopes so expect some bangers outta that. The game is also so much fun with your friends and I recommend playing the game with your friends together through the game, definitely makes the games better. Now my problems with my game is that it got some glitches, although I only encountered a few, they would crash the game and even make it unplayable.
That aside the game is amazing and the best beat-em up I've ever played, I highly recommend it for those who like beat-em ups and for those who want a fun game to play when you get some friends over. 9/10
but this game is one of the best if not the best beat-em up out there. Firstly, the game feels fun to play and the combos aren't that hard to remember, the characters feel balanced and each one is fun to play just like the other one. The enemy designs are also pretty cool as well and fit the level themes very well (especially the bosses), speaking of levels they look absolutely gorgeous and have so many little details in them. The music is also composed by the amazing Tee Lopes so expect some bangers outta that. The game is also so much fun with your friends and I recommend playing the game with your friends together through the game, definitely makes the games better. Now my problems with my game is that it got some glitches, although I only encountered a few, they would crash the game and even make it unplayable.
That aside the game is amazing and the best beat-em up I've ever played, I highly recommend it for those who like beat-em ups and for those who want a fun game to play when you get some friends over. 9/10
See, I usually love the WarioWare games with all my heart, but unfortunately this one missed the mark! :(
Building the titular microgames around multiple characters and their unique movesets sounds like a great idea, considering how large and varied the cast has gotten, but in practice? It felt less like a rapid fire smorgasbord of ideas and more like... a rapid fire series of sidescrolling platforming challenges? And, realizing that, it kinda drained a lot of the fun and surprise out of the experience as a whole, considering that so many of these challenges/characters felt identical mechanically. The novelty wore off well before the credits rolled, which is exactly the sort of thing you want to avoid in this sort of genre...
So much of this game felt similarly half hearted, as well. The surprisingly listless script really sucks the life out of the multiple, monotonous cutscenes during the game's dull story mode. A weird lack of variety in the minigame graphics, which feature a noticeable amount of reused assets between minigames (and not in a 'hidden lore/narrative' way, like in past entries). An online mode that honestly feels more like an obligation than anything with passion put into it? It's such a shame, considering how otherwise lively and charming the presentation as a whole is. the UI work is so quirky-yet-clear, and I can never get enough of the bizarre soundscape the series as a whole has created for itself!
...I just wish it were in a better game than this. It's hard to be spontaneous after nearly two decades of existence, and no doubt COVID-19 impacted it in some way, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't leave me feeling a little disappointed overall. Here's hoping they don't rush out a Rhythm Heaven in the same vein, ey...
Building the titular microgames around multiple characters and their unique movesets sounds like a great idea, considering how large and varied the cast has gotten, but in practice? It felt less like a rapid fire smorgasbord of ideas and more like... a rapid fire series of sidescrolling platforming challenges? And, realizing that, it kinda drained a lot of the fun and surprise out of the experience as a whole, considering that so many of these challenges/characters felt identical mechanically. The novelty wore off well before the credits rolled, which is exactly the sort of thing you want to avoid in this sort of genre...
So much of this game felt similarly half hearted, as well. The surprisingly listless script really sucks the life out of the multiple, monotonous cutscenes during the game's dull story mode. A weird lack of variety in the minigame graphics, which feature a noticeable amount of reused assets between minigames (and not in a 'hidden lore/narrative' way, like in past entries). An online mode that honestly feels more like an obligation than anything with passion put into it? It's such a shame, considering how otherwise lively and charming the presentation as a whole is. the UI work is so quirky-yet-clear, and I can never get enough of the bizarre soundscape the series as a whole has created for itself!
...I just wish it were in a better game than this. It's hard to be spontaneous after nearly two decades of existence, and no doubt COVID-19 impacted it in some way, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't leave me feeling a little disappointed overall. Here's hoping they don't rush out a Rhythm Heaven in the same vein, ey...
Luigi's Mansion 3
2019
When you have two games that is so different from each other but still liked by their fanbases, what do you do for the third? Well, certainly shouldn't have been taking parts of both but never going the full way of either like this game did. It ends up being the worst of the two worlds so to speak while not really having enough to stand on its own (unless you really like gooigi). Not to mention that it felt a bit unpolished at times.