Childhood wish fulfillment at it's peak. In terms of core gameplay and especially roster, it's my favorite in the series. With what looks to be a final total of EIGHTY-TWO fighters, there is no issue of character variety in this game. Everyone truly is here. Ultimate also manages to find a good balance of accessibility and skill-based gameplay that I think the other smash games have struggled with in the past. If World of Light was as extensive of an adventure mode as Subspace Emissary, and we had a Break the Targets mode, I would have no problem calling this the definitive smash game. Regardless of the lackluster single-player modes, Super Smash Bros Ultimate is well worth your time if you are looking to for a fun party/fighting game to play with friends and family, especially if you are a Nintendo fan.

It's a shame this collection is as underwhelming as it is. These are some of the greatest games of all time thrown together in a collection with basic emulation, minimal enhancements, and is being charged for full price. Dedicated modders have put together better versions of these games for free, so it's a shame Nintendo couldn't at least have done at least something like: made Super Mario 64 widescreen, given Super Mario Sunshine a better blue coin counter, or added Super Mario Galaxy 2. Since these games are so hard to obtain legally (and as of this review have been delisted), I can't help but recommend picking up a physical copy if you haven't had a chance to experience the games before. All in all, the games run nearly flawlessly and are still a joy to play through again, it just sucks considering it's Mario's 35th anniversary there wasn't more effort put into this collection.

The Super Mario franchise has always been based on a zany concept. A Italian plumber traveling through a pipe to a Kingdom of Mushrooms to save a Princess from a big evil turtle? Mario has always had games with unique settings that are masterpieces in their own right, but never have I felt a game has captured the true zany concept of the series as Super Mario Odyssey. Without spoiling anything, the variety of Kingdoms in this game and how massively different they feel from one another (and especially to previous settings of the franchise) is a sight to behold on it's own. The amazing soundtrack also helps to highlight every world and set piece in the game leading to moments I will never forget. These reasons, coupled with the most expressive movement and amount of level exploration this series has ever had, despite having a weak postgame, elevates this game to masterpiece status for me.

Easily one of the best 2D platformers of all time. From the great level design that is organically contextualized throughout the game's worlds and levels, to the amazing soundtrack composed by series veteran David Wise, the overall presentation and polish of this game is one of Nintendo's best. The weight of the movement of Donkey Kong and the rest of the Kongs also feels great despite the very occasional instance of slipping off an edge or feeling like the game has ate your input. All in all, the game is still phenominal and I highly recommend it regardless if you are a fan of 2D platformers or not.

I loved Xenoblade Chronicles 2. All of the main cast of characters were well written and engaging to me, with interesting backstories and motives that unfold throughout main game. The combat system, while explained very poorly through the game's tutorials, I found to have a lot of depth, variety, and customization as the game progressed to later chapters. Each time the game transitioned to a new titan, I was enthralled by the visual design and level of detail put into the game's environments that I felt the need to explore every nook and cranny of the world. The designs of the monsters and enemies are stand outs to me too, complementing the environments well. I also found a lot of the side-quests to be entertaining, especially the ones that unlock with the rare blades, which are characters that also function as combat partners (The Praxis and Theory, Perceval, and Wulfric quests were stand outs to me for those who have played the game). The character designs of the main cast range from good to great for me, even though I do wish some of them were a bit more armored since they are weapons after all.

To address the flaws of the game, while there is fanservice and anime tropes in the main plot, I don't feel it is as egregious as others make it out to be, and rarely did it detract from my overall experience with the main story. In terms of the character designs, again I think it comes down to subjectivity whether you love or hate them, but other than a couple of rare blades (Dahlia and Newt) none of them stuck out to me as anything worse than mediocre. Also, in order to unlock new rare blades there is a "gacha" mechanic where you open core crystals that have seemingly random odds. However, there is a pity points system that the game doesn't tell you about where the more core crystals you open, the easier it is to pull a rare blade. During my playthrough, I was very lucky and was able to get all of the rare blades I needed only using the core crystals I had naturally come across, only needing to grind when I was going for 100% after beating the main story.

In conclusion, my experience with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was an outstanding one. After watching a playthrough of the first game on youtube while in middle school, and getting invested in the world of Xenoblade, even more so after getting to experience it again myself, I feel that almost everything about Xenoblade Chronicles 2 connected with me in a special way that the first game never did. If you are able to deal with the fanservice and anime tropes that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has on the surface, I feel the characters, combat, world, and story within is well worth your time.