man, I love Remedy. I almost never come back to a game for DLC after beating it, but Alan Wake II was one of my favorite games last year so I wanted to check it out.

This is a pretty short DLC that I completed in one sitting across 2 or so hours. It's broken up into 3 "episodes", each of which has its own style and gameplay. The standouts for me are easily episodes 1 and 3. Episode 2 was just alright, although it was nice to see Jesse again from Control.

Episode 1 is a fun time with a focus on humor and combat. It was fairly easy, but the charm was enough to carry it.

Episode 3, on the other hand, encapsulates everything I love about Remedy. This is easily the most enjoyable of the 3 and I had a smile on my face throughout the entire episode. I feel like Remedy keeps coming up with weird storytelling methods that few others can even come close to in the modern gaming landscape.

I won't go into any further detail so as to not spoil what's in store, but I would recommend checking it out if you enjoyed Alan Wake II.

now this right here is 2D platforming. I feel like this game has all the sauce that was missing from the "New" era of Mario games. This game actually reminds me of Mario Wonder in the way that each level has its own unique twist. No level feels the same as the last and each one brings something new to the table.

It also fixes a problem I had with the recent 2D Mario games which is the difficulty. Mario games are always fun but they can be a little too easy in my opinion. This game has some really intense platforming, especially once you get to the last world.

The boss fights are also a highlight, some of which are also fairly difficult. I think I died around 30 times trying to beat the final boss, but it made overcoming the challenge that much more satisfying.

The overall ice theme of the game is alright. I feel like all it really brings to the game is sometimes the floors are slippery. Thankfully the game is so good regardless it doesn't really matter that the theme is slightly underwhelming.

2024 is actually the 10 year anniversary of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze releasing on the Wii U. As time continues to move on, the hope of a follow-up to this game continues to diminish. Maybe it'll happen one day, but until then DKC:TF stands tall as one of the best 2D platformers of the 21st century.

this game is often talked about as being in the upper pantheon of indie games, and for good reason. this shit kicks ass.

just to get it out of the way, the OST for this game is so damn good. Specifically the track 'Hydrogen' always had my head bumping when it came on. the artstyle is also a standout, with it's great pixel art and vibrant colors it's a feast for the eyes.

The story is strange but interesting, and after beating the game I feel like I'm no closer to understanding what was happening. The game will have you questioning what's real and what's not. It's funny, the last part of the game is called 'Answers', and after beating it I still feel like I don't have any.

The true star of the show for Hotline Miami though is, of course, the gameplay. Each level is so articulately crafted with enemy placement, weapon placement, and room layout to provide a trance-like experience that you'll want to try over and over again. I died many, many times playing each level and I never once felt frustrated. Each failed attempt gives you more information on the level which makes it feel like you'll for sure get it on the next try. You won't. And that's okay.

I'm not sure I have much to say about this one. I have a lot of great memories playing WarioWare Smooth Moves on the Wii back in the day and I always wanted a new WarioWare game that was similar. Well now we have Move It which is basically a spiritual successor to it and... it's fine.

There isn't a lot of content in this game and I really feel no need to go back to try and get higher scores after beating the main story. The microgames are fine and fit in with the rest of the series, but the controls are a step back in my opinion. I feel like the JoyCons are less responsive than the Wiimotes were way back in 2006. There were several instances where I felt like I was doing what the game wanted me to but the game just didn't respond in the expected way.

On the lack of content, this game has a surprisingly low amount of levels. Typically in WarioWare games they give each character their own stage, but in this one the majority of the time they are grouped up in groups of 2 or 3 characters per stage leaving us with a surprising lack of levels. The only stage that really stands out is, of course, 9-Volt's level. The microgames based on Nintendo's vast catalogue of games are always the highlight of each WarioWare entry. The rest of the stages sadly aren't very memorable.

Presentation-wise, the game and cutscenes look really good at least. Wario's new voice is a little off, but not enough the ruin the experience.

If you're looking for a WarioWare game on the Switch, I'd recommend Get it Together instead.

I'll start by saying I have never played the original SNES version of this game so I have no comparisons in that regard. Regardless, this was a fun little JRPG. The updated graphics are great throughout but the cutscenes, as rare as they might be, look really good. Specifically the triple moves were really fun to use because of the little cutscene that plays each time you use one. The story is pretty basic as far as Mario RPGs go, but it still had it's handful of charming moments. I think the little chibi-esque character models they decided to use were a really great idea. In my opinion it makes the game much more endearing. I also think this game gives Mario so much character without him saying a single word throughout the game. Watching him hop around and emote during dialogue was always funny, especially when he re-enacts previous scenes from the story in an attempt to explain to other characters what is going on. Every faceplant in the middle of a scene was chuckle-worthy no matter how many times they did it.

I think the characters and the humor are where this game really shines. Mallow and Geno are great companions, although I will say I enjoyed the latter much more than the former (I now understand the Geno for Smash push, he rocks). A Mario and Bowser team up is always a welcome addition, too. Bowser is great in this game with his "trying to act tough but really is kind of a loser" act. Peach is there too. She doesn't really do much. Good healer though. I will say though, the enemy and boss design is pretty unique in terms of Mario games. I'd be hard pressed to find any enemies that look this nutty in other Mario games. It's almost to the point where they don't fit, but I think it works.

As for the actual RPG mechanics of the game, they're fine. The game is pretty easy throughout and I don't think I ever really faced an actual challenge. And yes, I know this is a Mario RPG, it's a game for children, but a little challenge would have been appreciated. More often than not I would just use each character's basic "Attack" feature ad nauseam because it usually did more damage than all of the characters' special moves. There really wasn't much depth to the combat system. The saving grace of the combat was the "Action Command" feature. This is a common feature used in Mario RPGs that can either enhance your damage or reduce enemy damage by timing a button press properly with when the attack is going to hit. This at least kept me a little engaged during the battles.

Overall, this is far from the deepest RPG you will ever play, but it's charm was enough for me to enjoy my time playing.

I mean what is there even to say that hasn't been said before about this game. One of the finest open worlds ever crafted in my opinion. The freedom it gives the player to just explore and progress on their own time is unmatched.

While it's not my personal favorite souls game, I think it does many things just as well, if not better, than other games in the "series". The character builds in this game I think are the finest Fromsoft has ever done. There are so many options when it comes to building your character that you could play this game 20 times and have a different experience each time. For my playthrough I did a Dex/Faith build, and the litany of weapons and spells I was able to use were all so fun to experiment with.

Of course we have to talk about the enemies and bosses as well. There are so many different enemy types that it gives each area its own feel. And the bosses have some of the best offerings Fromsoft has ever cooked up. I beat this game without any summons, making some of the bosses a real challenge. Malenia, for example, took me several hours to beat but the challenge and subsequent rush of finally overcoming her made one of the best gaming moments I've ever had. Along with her, Godfrey/Horah Loux, Radahn, Rykard, and Maliketh are some standouts.

The only very slight complaint I have is that some of the smaller side bosses get reused a little too often, but this in no way ruins the experience.

Now, we just wait for Shadow of the Erdtree.