SilverMade
2011
What stands out to me the most about Portal 2 is how much it manages to do with one main mechanic.
First of all, just using the Portal gun, momentum and the controls is fun and always feels "right", especially when enhanced by motion controls.
But the way new gameplay/puzzle elements are introduced makes the pacing perfect: You encounter novel ideas constantly throughout the game right up until the end and every single time, they get explored to their full potential and combined with other concepts to create puzzle box after puzzle box.
Portal 2 is heavier on story and lore as well and breaks up its pace every now and then with story sequences, a chase or bigger environments that leave a little room to explore and are more about finding your way than strictly solving a puzzle.
I found the contrast between the small, self-contained chambers and the huge, awe-inspiring caves to be very refreshing, even though the vastness sometimes made it a bit harder to orient myself.
The story has even more of the charm, humor and spectacle of the first installment, with some cool twists and turns and spectacular acting for every single character.
It was also interesting to find out more about this fictional world in a way that was never distracting, but usually aided the gameplay.
Having some more different settings that put the puzzles in different contexts helped to keep everything feeling fresh since this game is a good bit longer than its predecessor.
Even then, Portal 2 is once again designed so incredibly well that it's hard not to want more of this series that, even as a newcomer, holds up in every aspect.
First of all, just using the Portal gun, momentum and the controls is fun and always feels "right", especially when enhanced by motion controls.
But the way new gameplay/puzzle elements are introduced makes the pacing perfect: You encounter novel ideas constantly throughout the game right up until the end and every single time, they get explored to their full potential and combined with other concepts to create puzzle box after puzzle box.
Portal 2 is heavier on story and lore as well and breaks up its pace every now and then with story sequences, a chase or bigger environments that leave a little room to explore and are more about finding your way than strictly solving a puzzle.
I found the contrast between the small, self-contained chambers and the huge, awe-inspiring caves to be very refreshing, even though the vastness sometimes made it a bit harder to orient myself.
The story has even more of the charm, humor and spectacle of the first installment, with some cool twists and turns and spectacular acting for every single character.
It was also interesting to find out more about this fictional world in a way that was never distracting, but usually aided the gameplay.
Having some more different settings that put the puzzles in different contexts helped to keep everything feeling fresh since this game is a good bit longer than its predecessor.
Even then, Portal 2 is once again designed so incredibly well that it's hard not to want more of this series that, even as a newcomer, holds up in every aspect.
Both DLCs for this game feel a lot more competent and well put together than the main game, and since I'd had fun with the main game, I enjoyed playing this too.
For starters, the stories take place in two new, bigger Wild Areas that are actually interesting to traverse.
The topography is more engaging and varied and there are actual compelling places to discover that are either tied into the story or provide actual rewards.
Something as simple as the hidden Diglett all over the map or having to chase the legendary Galarian birds gives the environments more purpose and makes use of the potential that 3D Pokémon has.
They also introduced some nice quality of life features, such as Max Soup for Gigantamaxing, the Cram-o-matic for items and being able to reset a Pokémons EVs.
It does seem a bit weird to make these features that are designed to make aspects of the game less tedious a part of paid additional content though.
I'm a big fan of the whole concept of Dynamax Raids, especially when you do them with other people, as they find a way to make Raid battles more thrilling and get you to strategize.
Having the opportunity to shiny hunt for legendary Pokémon is a nice bonus, even though I didn't spend much time on it personally.
I found the new legendaries to be pretty interesting, both ability- and design-wise.
There's definitely an argument to be had about whether this Expansion as a whole or parts of it should've been included in the main game, considering how the DLC makes up for several ways in which the main game is lacking.
As it stands though, I had a fun time with it and I'm glad I played this.
For starters, the stories take place in two new, bigger Wild Areas that are actually interesting to traverse.
The topography is more engaging and varied and there are actual compelling places to discover that are either tied into the story or provide actual rewards.
Something as simple as the hidden Diglett all over the map or having to chase the legendary Galarian birds gives the environments more purpose and makes use of the potential that 3D Pokémon has.
They also introduced some nice quality of life features, such as Max Soup for Gigantamaxing, the Cram-o-matic for items and being able to reset a Pokémons EVs.
It does seem a bit weird to make these features that are designed to make aspects of the game less tedious a part of paid additional content though.
I'm a big fan of the whole concept of Dynamax Raids, especially when you do them with other people, as they find a way to make Raid battles more thrilling and get you to strategize.
Having the opportunity to shiny hunt for legendary Pokémon is a nice bonus, even though I didn't spend much time on it personally.
I found the new legendaries to be pretty interesting, both ability- and design-wise.
There's definitely an argument to be had about whether this Expansion as a whole or parts of it should've been included in the main game, considering how the DLC makes up for several ways in which the main game is lacking.
As it stands though, I had a fun time with it and I'm glad I played this.
2019
Pokémon Shield was my first game in the series and as such, I had a lot of fun with it.
The core formula of every Pokémon game that consists of collecting little guys, battling and traversing a new region is really solid, so it's no wonder these games are doing as well as they are, although I guess the game might've been more underwhelming to me without experiencing it as a novelty.
As a new player, Shield had this weird problem where it held my hand at the wrong times, telling me the simplest things over and over and constantly making sure I remembered where to go, but when it came to engaging with the actual depth that Pokémons mechanics have, I had to consult the internet.
In the art department, there's lots to love about Shield: The creature and character designs are charming, especially when you delve into their themes and references.
I'm also fond of the visual style, by which I don't mean the overall graphics, but how vibrant the colors are, how cozy the setting is and how slick the Pokémon look.
Customizing my character was really fun too, with how many different clothing options and hairstyles there were, and it was cool to see what other players did with that freedom.
You can tell that the art team had lots of inspiration to draw from, mainly of course from all over the UK, even though the end product often left something to be desired.
On the technical side, the implementation of these ideas felt pretty rushed.
There are tons of sloppy details, from the infamous trees in the Wild Area, the weird transition between water and shore or the irritating aliasing of edges and shadows, to the low draw distance of objects like characters and Berry Trees.
I actually happened to miss two important characters in the Wild Area just because I wasn't close enough to them, so while I was thinking I had checked every spot, their models just hadn't faded in.
The Pokémon themselves just pop up out of the ground instead of fading in, which feels weird, but while it isn't much of a problem on its own, it is indicative of the larger problems this game has.
Many quirks feel like placeholders that made it into the final release and no aspect of the game feels like it was given the attention it deserved.
Some attack animations are absolutely gorgeous and epic, while others are simply lazily wiggling around a stiff model.
Gigantamaxing is a spectacle and I love how the gym battles are presented like a sport, but at the same time, no opponent but Leon uses the feature in an interesting or surprising way.
The gym puzzles are fun the first few times, but they slowly degrade in quality.
Actual exploration in this game is very limited as well.
I liked the idea of the Wild Area, how it gave you the opportunity to capture a wide variety of Pokémon depending on the weather and battle Pokémon that could be way too strong for you.
The little races across the Area on your bike are a nice addition, so although I wouldn't say there's a lot of substantial stuff to find, I don't want to be too hard on the free roaming aspect.
The traditional 2D routes with a locked camera on the other hand became simpler and simpler the longer Shield went on; no overworld puzzles, no forks in the road, just a very linear path from A to B.
The story of Pokémon Shield is nothing to write home about either.
There's an overall sense of a story they wanted to tell about twist-villain chairman Rose trying to harness a legendary Pokémons power to prevent a future energy crisis, which I would've found interesting.
Unfortunately, it's told in such an underdeveloped and confusing way that his motivations are never really clear.
As a player, you're way too uninvolved in this part of the story.
It may make sense that as a child, adults are the ones to handle a dangerous Gigantamaxed Pokémon in the city or that you wouldn't be sitting in on a meeting with Rose, but just because it's realistic, doesn't mean it's very gripping to be sidelined.
As a matter of fact, the story is further undermined by low-effort cutscenes, where everything fades to black and a little textbox tells you what just happened instead of showing you.
It's a saving grace that many characters and their personalities are so lovable, because their small arcs make up for the main story a little bit.
Another thing I have to mention is how laughably stupid NPCs are.
During battles, I was okay with this since I was just learning the mechanics and I actually struggled a bit with Piers and Leon, but considering I didn't lose even one battle as a beginner, I can understand why some seasoned players are asking for more of a challenge.
During raids however, NPCs are oftentimes more of a hindrance than help, using nonsensical attacks and weak Pokémon, to the point where some raids are impossible to beat in singleplayer.
This is especially disappointing for players who don't want to pay extra for Nintendo Switch Online, so I hope NPCs might improve in future installments.
Lastly, the music slaps.
That's all I have to say about the soundtrack, it's great.
At the end of the day, what makes Pokémon Shield so frustrating to me is all the lost potential that it clearly had.
I enjoyed my time with it, but a lot of other people didn't and I fully understand why.
I hope this franchise will eventually get the treatment it deserves, because right now, it really doesn't.
The core formula of every Pokémon game that consists of collecting little guys, battling and traversing a new region is really solid, so it's no wonder these games are doing as well as they are, although I guess the game might've been more underwhelming to me without experiencing it as a novelty.
As a new player, Shield had this weird problem where it held my hand at the wrong times, telling me the simplest things over and over and constantly making sure I remembered where to go, but when it came to engaging with the actual depth that Pokémons mechanics have, I had to consult the internet.
In the art department, there's lots to love about Shield: The creature and character designs are charming, especially when you delve into their themes and references.
I'm also fond of the visual style, by which I don't mean the overall graphics, but how vibrant the colors are, how cozy the setting is and how slick the Pokémon look.
Customizing my character was really fun too, with how many different clothing options and hairstyles there were, and it was cool to see what other players did with that freedom.
You can tell that the art team had lots of inspiration to draw from, mainly of course from all over the UK, even though the end product often left something to be desired.
On the technical side, the implementation of these ideas felt pretty rushed.
There are tons of sloppy details, from the infamous trees in the Wild Area, the weird transition between water and shore or the irritating aliasing of edges and shadows, to the low draw distance of objects like characters and Berry Trees.
I actually happened to miss two important characters in the Wild Area just because I wasn't close enough to them, so while I was thinking I had checked every spot, their models just hadn't faded in.
The Pokémon themselves just pop up out of the ground instead of fading in, which feels weird, but while it isn't much of a problem on its own, it is indicative of the larger problems this game has.
Many quirks feel like placeholders that made it into the final release and no aspect of the game feels like it was given the attention it deserved.
Some attack animations are absolutely gorgeous and epic, while others are simply lazily wiggling around a stiff model.
Gigantamaxing is a spectacle and I love how the gym battles are presented like a sport, but at the same time, no opponent but Leon uses the feature in an interesting or surprising way.
The gym puzzles are fun the first few times, but they slowly degrade in quality.
Actual exploration in this game is very limited as well.
I liked the idea of the Wild Area, how it gave you the opportunity to capture a wide variety of Pokémon depending on the weather and battle Pokémon that could be way too strong for you.
The little races across the Area on your bike are a nice addition, so although I wouldn't say there's a lot of substantial stuff to find, I don't want to be too hard on the free roaming aspect.
The traditional 2D routes with a locked camera on the other hand became simpler and simpler the longer Shield went on; no overworld puzzles, no forks in the road, just a very linear path from A to B.
The story of Pokémon Shield is nothing to write home about either.
There's an overall sense of a story they wanted to tell about twist-villain chairman Rose trying to harness a legendary Pokémons power to prevent a future energy crisis, which I would've found interesting.
Unfortunately, it's told in such an underdeveloped and confusing way that his motivations are never really clear.
As a player, you're way too uninvolved in this part of the story.
It may make sense that as a child, adults are the ones to handle a dangerous Gigantamaxed Pokémon in the city or that you wouldn't be sitting in on a meeting with Rose, but just because it's realistic, doesn't mean it's very gripping to be sidelined.
As a matter of fact, the story is further undermined by low-effort cutscenes, where everything fades to black and a little textbox tells you what just happened instead of showing you.
It's a saving grace that many characters and their personalities are so lovable, because their small arcs make up for the main story a little bit.
Another thing I have to mention is how laughably stupid NPCs are.
During battles, I was okay with this since I was just learning the mechanics and I actually struggled a bit with Piers and Leon, but considering I didn't lose even one battle as a beginner, I can understand why some seasoned players are asking for more of a challenge.
During raids however, NPCs are oftentimes more of a hindrance than help, using nonsensical attacks and weak Pokémon, to the point where some raids are impossible to beat in singleplayer.
This is especially disappointing for players who don't want to pay extra for Nintendo Switch Online, so I hope NPCs might improve in future installments.
Lastly, the music slaps.
That's all I have to say about the soundtrack, it's great.
At the end of the day, what makes Pokémon Shield so frustrating to me is all the lost potential that it clearly had.
I enjoyed my time with it, but a lot of other people didn't and I fully understand why.
I hope this franchise will eventually get the treatment it deserves, because right now, it really doesn't.
2007
I'm glad I went into Portal knowing next to nothing about it, because it ended up being so much more than I was expecting.
What I did expect was a fantastic puzzle game: I love how every puzzle felt challenging or at the very least interesting while encountering it for the first time, all the while effortlessly teaching you more about the mechanics without explicitly telling you what to do.
The first 19 rooms almost feel like a tutorial in hindsight, since the latter half of the game has you on your own even more and is even less hands on in guiding you.
This brings me to what I didn't expect: Breaking out of the test chambers.
The gradual mood shift Portal managed to put me through was really cool to experience.
It went from being sterile and a bit goofy to dropping less and less subtle hints about something being wrong and eventually became pretty creepy once outside of the chambers.
The tense atmosphere combined with the well written dialogue from GLaDOS held my attention all the way to the end, so much so that I completed the game in one sitting.
To be fair, that's not exactly hard as Portal is a relatively short game.
I'm honestly not sure how to feel about its length, because on one hand the gameplay is just so engaging and polished that I wish it would go on forever, but on the other hand it makes for an incredible short story and ends on a high note before it has the chance to become stale.
Lastly, I wish the loading "screens" were less obvious.
I admit this is a very minor nitpick, but having a message pop up that grinds everything to a halt for a couple of seconds so many times just ruined the immersion a little bit.
I think a more subtle approach could have been beneficial, but I'm not sure how realistic that would have been to implement of course.
All of that is to say, I definitely understand the status Portal has and I'm looking forward to playing the sequel!
What I did expect was a fantastic puzzle game: I love how every puzzle felt challenging or at the very least interesting while encountering it for the first time, all the while effortlessly teaching you more about the mechanics without explicitly telling you what to do.
The first 19 rooms almost feel like a tutorial in hindsight, since the latter half of the game has you on your own even more and is even less hands on in guiding you.
This brings me to what I didn't expect: Breaking out of the test chambers.
The gradual mood shift Portal managed to put me through was really cool to experience.
It went from being sterile and a bit goofy to dropping less and less subtle hints about something being wrong and eventually became pretty creepy once outside of the chambers.
The tense atmosphere combined with the well written dialogue from GLaDOS held my attention all the way to the end, so much so that I completed the game in one sitting.
To be fair, that's not exactly hard as Portal is a relatively short game.
I'm honestly not sure how to feel about its length, because on one hand the gameplay is just so engaging and polished that I wish it would go on forever, but on the other hand it makes for an incredible short story and ends on a high note before it has the chance to become stale.
Lastly, I wish the loading "screens" were less obvious.
I admit this is a very minor nitpick, but having a message pop up that grinds everything to a halt for a couple of seconds so many times just ruined the immersion a little bit.
I think a more subtle approach could have been beneficial, but I'm not sure how realistic that would have been to implement of course.
All of that is to say, I definitely understand the status Portal has and I'm looking forward to playing the sequel!
Super Mario Bros. Wonder was exactly the breath of fresh air I was hoping to see in 2D Mario.
The amount of creativity is evident in every facette of this game: While the core formula of platforming design ultimately remains intact, it manages to feel new by including lots of new ideas and surprises all the way to the end.
Some of the most obvious examples may be the music levels, the wonder flower effects - which manage to shake up every level in a new way - and the new power-ups.
I'm especially fond of the new artstyle.
It adds so many new details and mannerisms to the characters and the world around them that make this game incredibly charming.
Looking back at the animations in the New-series makes those feel very stiff in comparison, so I'm glad a lot of extra time was spent on this aspect of Wonder.
All in all the way this game looks is very clean and polished, but still has its very own sense of identity.
The new badge-system was a good way of catering to every type of player, as you can make the game easier or harder for yourself or just go off and have fun with a new ability.
I was a big fan of the challenge levels that were specifically designed around badges, so I would've loved to see a bit more of those, but as it is, Wonder strikes a good balance in the kind of levels it offers:
There are your "standard" platforming levels, challenges, small gimmick stages and search parties which have you examining a confined area under a microscope.
Those tend to get a little easier though when using my favourite new feature in this game: The online multiplayer.
Online play is designed in such a way that it encourages positive interactions between players.
Competent players get to help out less experienced ones by reviving them, setting up checkpoints or giving them spare power-ups and receive points towards their online score in return (which doesn't really have much meaning beyond showing it off to other players).
I found that the way the system is designed brings out the best in everyone and I had a lot of fun goofing around with random strangers.
Unfortunately, while this does make for a very good experience with strangers, it's not a very good multiplayer with friends, which used to thrive under the chaos of being able to touch and grab other characters.
On a quick side note, I want to mention the parts of the overworld you can freely roam around in.
It's an excellent idea for players who may not want to take on more difficult stages and gives everyone a bit more freedom to play whatever kind of level they want to do next.
It also makes for some cool extra puzzles and secrets outside of levels.
The bossfights in Wonder felt a little like they were there out of obligation though.
If you look at how much thought went into everything else, it's strange that the bosses are so underdeveloped, reuse the same idea too many times or are just completely missing from some worlds.
There were some criticisms to be had against the bossfights in the last few games, but even compared to those, Wonder feels like a step-down in quality.
That's really the only major complaint I have about this game, as Mario Bros. Wonder was a fantastic experience from beginning to end and made me excited about the future of 2D Mario games.
The amount of creativity is evident in every facette of this game: While the core formula of platforming design ultimately remains intact, it manages to feel new by including lots of new ideas and surprises all the way to the end.
Some of the most obvious examples may be the music levels, the wonder flower effects - which manage to shake up every level in a new way - and the new power-ups.
I'm especially fond of the new artstyle.
It adds so many new details and mannerisms to the characters and the world around them that make this game incredibly charming.
Looking back at the animations in the New-series makes those feel very stiff in comparison, so I'm glad a lot of extra time was spent on this aspect of Wonder.
All in all the way this game looks is very clean and polished, but still has its very own sense of identity.
The new badge-system was a good way of catering to every type of player, as you can make the game easier or harder for yourself or just go off and have fun with a new ability.
I was a big fan of the challenge levels that were specifically designed around badges, so I would've loved to see a bit more of those, but as it is, Wonder strikes a good balance in the kind of levels it offers:
There are your "standard" platforming levels, challenges, small gimmick stages and search parties which have you examining a confined area under a microscope.
Those tend to get a little easier though when using my favourite new feature in this game: The online multiplayer.
Online play is designed in such a way that it encourages positive interactions between players.
Competent players get to help out less experienced ones by reviving them, setting up checkpoints or giving them spare power-ups and receive points towards their online score in return (which doesn't really have much meaning beyond showing it off to other players).
I found that the way the system is designed brings out the best in everyone and I had a lot of fun goofing around with random strangers.
Unfortunately, while this does make for a very good experience with strangers, it's not a very good multiplayer with friends, which used to thrive under the chaos of being able to touch and grab other characters.
On a quick side note, I want to mention the parts of the overworld you can freely roam around in.
It's an excellent idea for players who may not want to take on more difficult stages and gives everyone a bit more freedom to play whatever kind of level they want to do next.
It also makes for some cool extra puzzles and secrets outside of levels.
The bossfights in Wonder felt a little like they were there out of obligation though.
If you look at how much thought went into everything else, it's strange that the bosses are so underdeveloped, reuse the same idea too many times or are just completely missing from some worlds.
There were some criticisms to be had against the bossfights in the last few games, but even compared to those, Wonder feels like a step-down in quality.
That's really the only major complaint I have about this game, as Mario Bros. Wonder was a fantastic experience from beginning to end and made me excited about the future of 2D Mario games.
2019
In terms of visuals, this game is one of the best on the Switch.
The animations are fluid, full of personality and overall possibly the best I've seen in a Nintendo game; they're honestly more like what you'd expect from a movie.
The way everything is lit elevates the cartoony style in the best possible way and manages to lend every floor a sense of atmosphere that's especially strong at the beginning and during the finale of the game.
Pretty much every object is interactable and physics-based, leading to lots of fun chaos while flinging objects across the room, sucking them up or during fights.
It's really cool to see all the tricks the developers pulled out of their hats to make this game look and run this well, even when there's lots of stacks of coins on screen for example.
Despite its positives, Luigi's Mansion 3 didn't really manage to connect with me.
There's a huge variety of ideas, lots of different floors with unique gimmicks, but in the larger context of a hotel, they ultimately fail to establish a cohesive theme.
The initial spookines of the intro falls to the wayside rather quickly, turning the game into more of a theme-park consisting of entertaining, but largely disconnected set pieces.
Something I kept looking forward to though were the bossfights at the end of each floor, which is where the gameplay really shines.
Some of the fights were more similar to puzzles, while others leaned heavier towards action, but you get to make full use of Luigi's arsenal and enjoy listening to a captivating piece of the soundtrack either way.
Standard enemies, on the other hand, could have used a bit more variety, especially when you consider how many of these battles you have to fight.
Instead of finding more creative solutions, difficulty is increased by throwing more and more enemies at the player, which in turn made me tired of them even faster.
When it comes to traversing the hotel and exploring its rooms and halls, I have to praise the incredible amount of detail and depth in every nook and cranny.
It was a joy entering a new area and thoroughly investigating it, because I was always rewarded with secrets of some kind.
Unfortunately, this didn't mesh very well with the pace of the game, as having to backtrack multiple times meant slowly going back to a place I'd already had my fair share of.
As a consequence, backtracking rarely felt enjoyable or interesting and prolonged a game that didn't need the extra playtime.
I also wasn't a very big fan of the puzzles in Luigi's Mansion 3.
It really feels like a lot of thought and care was put into them and the game is practically overflowing with different ideas and mechanics, but at the end of the day, I almost never found myself in that sweet spot where a puzzle feels challenging, yet solvable.
Rather, solutions felt like they were either too simple or too obscure in a way that they made sense after looking them up, but didn't feel like I could've found them on my own with more effort.
I'm sure others will feel differently about that though.
Ultimately, all the little bits and pieces that are there feel like something I would love, but they didn't really come together in a way that worked for me.
I'm stressing this, because I'm certain other players will/do love Luigi's Mansion 3 to pieces, especially since the amount of care that went into its creation is fantastic.
The animations are fluid, full of personality and overall possibly the best I've seen in a Nintendo game; they're honestly more like what you'd expect from a movie.
The way everything is lit elevates the cartoony style in the best possible way and manages to lend every floor a sense of atmosphere that's especially strong at the beginning and during the finale of the game.
Pretty much every object is interactable and physics-based, leading to lots of fun chaos while flinging objects across the room, sucking them up or during fights.
It's really cool to see all the tricks the developers pulled out of their hats to make this game look and run this well, even when there's lots of stacks of coins on screen for example.
Despite its positives, Luigi's Mansion 3 didn't really manage to connect with me.
There's a huge variety of ideas, lots of different floors with unique gimmicks, but in the larger context of a hotel, they ultimately fail to establish a cohesive theme.
The initial spookines of the intro falls to the wayside rather quickly, turning the game into more of a theme-park consisting of entertaining, but largely disconnected set pieces.
Something I kept looking forward to though were the bossfights at the end of each floor, which is where the gameplay really shines.
Some of the fights were more similar to puzzles, while others leaned heavier towards action, but you get to make full use of Luigi's arsenal and enjoy listening to a captivating piece of the soundtrack either way.
Standard enemies, on the other hand, could have used a bit more variety, especially when you consider how many of these battles you have to fight.
Instead of finding more creative solutions, difficulty is increased by throwing more and more enemies at the player, which in turn made me tired of them even faster.
When it comes to traversing the hotel and exploring its rooms and halls, I have to praise the incredible amount of detail and depth in every nook and cranny.
It was a joy entering a new area and thoroughly investigating it, because I was always rewarded with secrets of some kind.
Unfortunately, this didn't mesh very well with the pace of the game, as having to backtrack multiple times meant slowly going back to a place I'd already had my fair share of.
As a consequence, backtracking rarely felt enjoyable or interesting and prolonged a game that didn't need the extra playtime.
I also wasn't a very big fan of the puzzles in Luigi's Mansion 3.
It really feels like a lot of thought and care was put into them and the game is practically overflowing with different ideas and mechanics, but at the end of the day, I almost never found myself in that sweet spot where a puzzle feels challenging, yet solvable.
Rather, solutions felt like they were either too simple or too obscure in a way that they made sense after looking them up, but didn't feel like I could've found them on my own with more effort.
I'm sure others will feel differently about that though.
Ultimately, all the little bits and pieces that are there feel like something I would love, but they didn't really come together in a way that worked for me.
I'm stressing this, because I'm certain other players will/do love Luigi's Mansion 3 to pieces, especially since the amount of care that went into its creation is fantastic.
In my opinion, the tracks included in the Booster Course Pass range from underwhelming to pretty good.
Compared to the courses from the main game, this DLC is mostly a step down in quality, although it did improve over time.
First of all, most tracks don't look nearly as good as the original ones that are almost 10 years old by now.
Textures get re-used too many times or used in the wrong places, there are spots where the developers forgot about appropriately lighting your character and both your surroundings and bystanders seem to be way bigger than the player characters themselves, among other careless mistakes that admittedly aren't too noticable while driving.
Granted, there are some genuinely beautiful standouts and I'm not against the more cartoonish style of the new courses, but in general it feels like less effort and polish went into them.
The same can be said for the layouts.
I've had some of the most fun I've ever had in Mario Kart 8 with some of these courses, while others frequently fail to adjust well to Mario Kart 8's physics.
There are turns that are unnecessarily narrow or sharp, badly telegraphed, the camera regularly moves below the ground (which I've only ever seen in the main game on purpose) and most importantly, next to none of the tracks make use of the potential that anti-gravity has.
I did however appreciate the new, unexpected gameplay elements or gimmicks this DLC brought with it, like the inclusion of half-pipes.
The selection of which tracks made it into the Booster Course Pass feels a bit weird if I'm being honest.
Since almost all of them are old tracks that were remade for Mario Kart Tour, there are some very creative, unique and enjoyable courses included, plus a couple of fan-favourites I'm glad I finally got to play.
But considering how many amazing courses have existed over the course of Mario Kart's history - courses which could have been a part of this package - makes some of the inclusions feel a bit boring in comparison.
I also feel like the City tracks didn't have all that much to offer considering how many of them there are.
I also want to mention some surprises the DLC had in store.
There were a couple of new characters to play as which I'm very happy about, even though the models aren't as high-quality as they could be.
New courses were also included, some of which (like Yoshi's Island) are absolutely fantastic!
We (and by that I mean not just players who bought the DLC) got the option to play rounds with a specific selection of items and some welcome changes were made for balancing.
I apologize if this feels like non-stop complaining, because at the end of the day, this is still Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a brilliant game.
While the DLC may not live up to the standard the main game has set, it doubles the amount of tracks available to you and is especially worth it considering its price.
Compared to the courses from the main game, this DLC is mostly a step down in quality, although it did improve over time.
First of all, most tracks don't look nearly as good as the original ones that are almost 10 years old by now.
Textures get re-used too many times or used in the wrong places, there are spots where the developers forgot about appropriately lighting your character and both your surroundings and bystanders seem to be way bigger than the player characters themselves, among other careless mistakes that admittedly aren't too noticable while driving.
Granted, there are some genuinely beautiful standouts and I'm not against the more cartoonish style of the new courses, but in general it feels like less effort and polish went into them.
The same can be said for the layouts.
I've had some of the most fun I've ever had in Mario Kart 8 with some of these courses, while others frequently fail to adjust well to Mario Kart 8's physics.
There are turns that are unnecessarily narrow or sharp, badly telegraphed, the camera regularly moves below the ground (which I've only ever seen in the main game on purpose) and most importantly, next to none of the tracks make use of the potential that anti-gravity has.
I did however appreciate the new, unexpected gameplay elements or gimmicks this DLC brought with it, like the inclusion of half-pipes.
The selection of which tracks made it into the Booster Course Pass feels a bit weird if I'm being honest.
Since almost all of them are old tracks that were remade for Mario Kart Tour, there are some very creative, unique and enjoyable courses included, plus a couple of fan-favourites I'm glad I finally got to play.
But considering how many amazing courses have existed over the course of Mario Kart's history - courses which could have been a part of this package - makes some of the inclusions feel a bit boring in comparison.
I also feel like the City tracks didn't have all that much to offer considering how many of them there are.
I also want to mention some surprises the DLC had in store.
There were a couple of new characters to play as which I'm very happy about, even though the models aren't as high-quality as they could be.
New courses were also included, some of which (like Yoshi's Island) are absolutely fantastic!
We (and by that I mean not just players who bought the DLC) got the option to play rounds with a specific selection of items and some welcome changes were made for balancing.
I apologize if this feels like non-stop complaining, because at the end of the day, this is still Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a brilliant game.
While the DLC may not live up to the standard the main game has set, it doubles the amount of tracks available to you and is especially worth it considering its price.
2020
The Last Campfire is a beautiful and soothing little experience that in my eyes deals with the question of "Why keep going even though nothing lasts forever?"
You traverse several atmospheric areas full of variety, helping out all of those who want to be helped along the way and get to meet some intriguing characters, all of whom have very charming designs.
While the visuals are very cute, the game does take its philosophical nature seriously, which is going to affect some people more than others.
The way everything was narrated really helped set the mood, although the narration might get too much for some people.
Along with exploring, the main gameplay consists of solving puzzles that are mostly on the easier side, except for maybe two that genuinely took me a while.
This game makes sure that there's always plenty of new, delightful gameplay elements to keep it interesting, which is especially important considering how short it is.
My only real complaint about The Last Campfire is its lack of polish.
There's nothing that's going to have a huge impact on anyone's experience, but I did encounter a good amount of tiny bugs and localization errors.
I also felt like the game didn't always make it clear enough where a secret might be hidden and where you're going to run into a wall that's obstructed because of the camera angle.
All in all I can recommend this game to anyone who's looking for a short, but adorable and special game.
You traverse several atmospheric areas full of variety, helping out all of those who want to be helped along the way and get to meet some intriguing characters, all of whom have very charming designs.
While the visuals are very cute, the game does take its philosophical nature seriously, which is going to affect some people more than others.
The way everything was narrated really helped set the mood, although the narration might get too much for some people.
Along with exploring, the main gameplay consists of solving puzzles that are mostly on the easier side, except for maybe two that genuinely took me a while.
This game makes sure that there's always plenty of new, delightful gameplay elements to keep it interesting, which is especially important considering how short it is.
My only real complaint about The Last Campfire is its lack of polish.
There's nothing that's going to have a huge impact on anyone's experience, but I did encounter a good amount of tiny bugs and localization errors.
I also felt like the game didn't always make it clear enough where a secret might be hidden and where you're going to run into a wall that's obstructed because of the camera angle.
All in all I can recommend this game to anyone who's looking for a short, but adorable and special game.
2023
This was my first time ever playing a Pikmin game and somehow, the mechanics immediately hooked me!
There is something very rewarding about constantly planning ahead, trying to manage multiple Pikmin in groups at once, gathering knowledge about your surroundings and making it back to the ship just in time.
I consider the game's relatively short length and limited amount of areas a strength, as it makes Pikmin 1 all the more replayable and drove me to keep thinking about how I could optimize my time and keep trying.
That being said, I wish the Pikmin had some amount of self-preservation.
There were many times where I had to make compromises to account for the Pikmin's frustrating AI: Pathfinding (e.g. Pikmin getting stuck or taking a longer route), prioritizing the wrong things (like getting stuck on grass instead of following Olimar) and Pikmin tripping over gave me the most trouble in this regard.
Of course there were other times where the AI worked surprisingly well, especially for an older game like Pikmin 1.
I'm looking forward to seeing how AI has improved in the following entries.
What pulled me in right from the start was this game's incredible atmosphere; the feeling of being alone, stranded on an alien planet full of both the familiar and unfamiliar, of friendly and dangerous creatures.
The 30 day timer is a constant threat, but manages not to feel crushing, yet urgent.
There is so much melancholy at the end of each day, recounting the successes and failures of the day.
Despite everything there is hope and perseverance that inspires Olimar (and the player) to carry on, as we learn more and more details about his family.
The music adds a lot to the emotions in Pikmin 1 and changes depending on the time of day and whether enemies are nearby.
I'm very glad I gave this game a chance and can definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't yet played Pikmin 1.
There is something very rewarding about constantly planning ahead, trying to manage multiple Pikmin in groups at once, gathering knowledge about your surroundings and making it back to the ship just in time.
I consider the game's relatively short length and limited amount of areas a strength, as it makes Pikmin 1 all the more replayable and drove me to keep thinking about how I could optimize my time and keep trying.
That being said, I wish the Pikmin had some amount of self-preservation.
There were many times where I had to make compromises to account for the Pikmin's frustrating AI: Pathfinding (e.g. Pikmin getting stuck or taking a longer route), prioritizing the wrong things (like getting stuck on grass instead of following Olimar) and Pikmin tripping over gave me the most trouble in this regard.
Of course there were other times where the AI worked surprisingly well, especially for an older game like Pikmin 1.
I'm looking forward to seeing how AI has improved in the following entries.
What pulled me in right from the start was this game's incredible atmosphere; the feeling of being alone, stranded on an alien planet full of both the familiar and unfamiliar, of friendly and dangerous creatures.
The 30 day timer is a constant threat, but manages not to feel crushing, yet urgent.
There is so much melancholy at the end of each day, recounting the successes and failures of the day.
Despite everything there is hope and perseverance that inspires Olimar (and the player) to carry on, as we learn more and more details about his family.
The music adds a lot to the emotions in Pikmin 1 and changes depending on the time of day and whether enemies are nearby.
I'm very glad I gave this game a chance and can definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't yet played Pikmin 1.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe's biggest strength is how unapologetically happy and colorful it is.
Its visuals are bright and gorgeous except for the characters' outlines, although I did get used to them over time.
The gameplay is unsurprisingly very laid-back and ramps up in difficulty a little, but not too much.
Instead, the focus seems to be more on variety, which extends to more than just Kirby's copy abilities: On top of the normal stages Return to Dream Land Deluxe offers "chase" sequences, challenges and minigames that ensure there's always something to unlock and to do.
Because of this, completing the main story and Merry Magoland felt very natural and rewarding.
While I wouldn't listen to most of the game's music on its own, it serves the gameplay very well, going from upbeat synths to epic orchestral pieces in its final moments.
My personal standouts are definitely Freezing Temple and CROWNED.
The story (including the Magolor Epilogue) was interesting and I'm looking forward to finding out more about it, but it felt like they could've done more with it instead of keeping the story at a minimum.
I also felt like the parchment aesthetic of the cutscenes put an unnecessary distance between the player and the action, which made it harder to get invested in this joyful experience.
My only gripe with the gameplay is the execution of sprinting: Having to push the control stick in a direction twice to get to full speed takes just a little too long for an action that is supposed to be fast.
It also created multiple situations where Kirby didn't perform an action I intended to perform, because I was sprinting (or not sprinting) without my knowledge.
Mapping that action to a button would've probably made it easier and cleaner to execute.
The level design was pretty much exactly what I was looking for, but it did feel to be at its strongest when it was designed around a single ability and didn't have to account for 24 others.
This is especially obvious in the new Magolor Epilogue, which was solely designed around Magolor's moveset.
Slowly upgrading this little character from almost nothing to being excessively powerful gave this mode a sense of progression as strong or even stronger than the main game.
Your mastery of all the different moves is repeatedly being put to the test by confronting you with harder bosses, some of which actually gave me a little trouble!
Admittedly, I wasn't a big fan of having to grind for the last few upgrades, but I'd be more than happy to see the mechanics of the Magolor Epilogue return and be fully explored in a whole game.
Finally, I want to point out how much detail was put into this game.
The art design, how much personality the characters have, Manager Magolor's statistics: There are so many aspects that show how much love went into this remake that I heavily recommend this game to anyone who's looking for a little positivity.
Its visuals are bright and gorgeous except for the characters' outlines, although I did get used to them over time.
The gameplay is unsurprisingly very laid-back and ramps up in difficulty a little, but not too much.
Instead, the focus seems to be more on variety, which extends to more than just Kirby's copy abilities: On top of the normal stages Return to Dream Land Deluxe offers "chase" sequences, challenges and minigames that ensure there's always something to unlock and to do.
Because of this, completing the main story and Merry Magoland felt very natural and rewarding.
While I wouldn't listen to most of the game's music on its own, it serves the gameplay very well, going from upbeat synths to epic orchestral pieces in its final moments.
My personal standouts are definitely Freezing Temple and CROWNED.
The story (including the Magolor Epilogue) was interesting and I'm looking forward to finding out more about it, but it felt like they could've done more with it instead of keeping the story at a minimum.
I also felt like the parchment aesthetic of the cutscenes put an unnecessary distance between the player and the action, which made it harder to get invested in this joyful experience.
My only gripe with the gameplay is the execution of sprinting: Having to push the control stick in a direction twice to get to full speed takes just a little too long for an action that is supposed to be fast.
It also created multiple situations where Kirby didn't perform an action I intended to perform, because I was sprinting (or not sprinting) without my knowledge.
Mapping that action to a button would've probably made it easier and cleaner to execute.
The level design was pretty much exactly what I was looking for, but it did feel to be at its strongest when it was designed around a single ability and didn't have to account for 24 others.
This is especially obvious in the new Magolor Epilogue, which was solely designed around Magolor's moveset.
Slowly upgrading this little character from almost nothing to being excessively powerful gave this mode a sense of progression as strong or even stronger than the main game.
Your mastery of all the different moves is repeatedly being put to the test by confronting you with harder bosses, some of which actually gave me a little trouble!
Admittedly, I wasn't a big fan of having to grind for the last few upgrades, but I'd be more than happy to see the mechanics of the Magolor Epilogue return and be fully explored in a whole game.
Finally, I want to point out how much detail was put into this game.
The art design, how much personality the characters have, Manager Magolor's statistics: There are so many aspects that show how much love went into this remake that I heavily recommend this game to anyone who's looking for a little positivity.
New Super Mario Bros. U is in my opinion the best of the series when it comes to level design.
The approach of introducing one element per level and exploring each idea to its fullest extent is executed to perfection, while the focus remains on building satisfying environments to move around in.
Outside of that, this game only has few new ideas and doesn't really do much that its predecessors haven't already done, which is probably why most people were burnt out on the series at this point.
Most things that are great about this game were already great in the others, but I do want to mention some of my favourite aspects.
I enjoyed the interconnected overworld a lot, especially how the music changed when entering a new world and discovering how the secret exits translated to the overworld.
The multiplayer is a great and chaotic time and offers some nice options for people who don't play very often.
The baby Yoshis and Nabbit were also a nice addition to the gameplay, as they offered some variety to the standard routine.
What dragged this game down for me the most, however, were the long loading screens.
Getting back into the action after dying just takes way too much time, which made the more difficult late-game stages more of an endurance test than a challenge.
It's a good thing that this game is more of an easy-going experience since difficulty would've only exacerbated this problem.
I'd like to reiterate that I think the main game is a great time, despite being part of a very samey series.
Luigi U:
Luigi U on the other hand is possibly the most innovative game in the series and I'm glad it was included in this package!
Everything is designed to encourage you to speed through these levels: A stricter time limit, shorter levels and controls that punish you for course correcting, combined with the level design perfection of the main game, make for such a different experience that still manages to retain the feeling of a Mario game.
These changes also allow for more of a challenge, which was unexpected from a title in this series.
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is probably my favourite "New" game and definitely worth playing if you're not looking for innovation.
The approach of introducing one element per level and exploring each idea to its fullest extent is executed to perfection, while the focus remains on building satisfying environments to move around in.
Outside of that, this game only has few new ideas and doesn't really do much that its predecessors haven't already done, which is probably why most people were burnt out on the series at this point.
Most things that are great about this game were already great in the others, but I do want to mention some of my favourite aspects.
I enjoyed the interconnected overworld a lot, especially how the music changed when entering a new world and discovering how the secret exits translated to the overworld.
The multiplayer is a great and chaotic time and offers some nice options for people who don't play very often.
The baby Yoshis and Nabbit were also a nice addition to the gameplay, as they offered some variety to the standard routine.
What dragged this game down for me the most, however, were the long loading screens.
Getting back into the action after dying just takes way too much time, which made the more difficult late-game stages more of an endurance test than a challenge.
It's a good thing that this game is more of an easy-going experience since difficulty would've only exacerbated this problem.
I'd like to reiterate that I think the main game is a great time, despite being part of a very samey series.
Luigi U:
Luigi U on the other hand is possibly the most innovative game in the series and I'm glad it was included in this package!
Everything is designed to encourage you to speed through these levels: A stricter time limit, shorter levels and controls that punish you for course correcting, combined with the level design perfection of the main game, make for such a different experience that still manages to retain the feeling of a Mario game.
These changes also allow for more of a challenge, which was unexpected from a title in this series.
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is probably my favourite "New" game and definitely worth playing if you're not looking for innovation.
Looking back at New Super Mario Bros., this game is actually more different to the other games in the series than I would've thought.
This becomes immediately obvious in the level design: Layouts are often structured with less space for the player character and are less focused on player movement.
This leads to a bunch of cool ideas that appear in no other New Super Mario Bros. game, but it also means that levels often felt less satisfying to jump around in.
The secrets were sometimes too obscure to my liking without any real hints pointing you towards them or required powerups that you couldn't get in the level itself.
The new powerups were something of a mixed bag.
I personally loved the blue shell and mowing over a row of enemies and being able to destroy brick blocks.
The mega mushroom on the other hand felt more like a gimmick without much use for it; in fact I didn't use it most of the time out of fear of accidentally destroying the path to a star coin.
My only complaint about the music is that there was too little of it, the few tracks that are in the game are fitting, but get reused too many times.
Don't get me wrong, this is still a really good game: The controls work perfectly, there are unique and interesting boss fights and the multiplayer and minigames are great additions to the main game!
All in all, I definitely enjoyed my time with New Super Mario Bros.
This becomes immediately obvious in the level design: Layouts are often structured with less space for the player character and are less focused on player movement.
This leads to a bunch of cool ideas that appear in no other New Super Mario Bros. game, but it also means that levels often felt less satisfying to jump around in.
The secrets were sometimes too obscure to my liking without any real hints pointing you towards them or required powerups that you couldn't get in the level itself.
The new powerups were something of a mixed bag.
I personally loved the blue shell and mowing over a row of enemies and being able to destroy brick blocks.
The mega mushroom on the other hand felt more like a gimmick without much use for it; in fact I didn't use it most of the time out of fear of accidentally destroying the path to a star coin.
My only complaint about the music is that there was too little of it, the few tracks that are in the game are fitting, but get reused too many times.
Don't get me wrong, this is still a really good game: The controls work perfectly, there are unique and interesting boss fights and the multiplayer and minigames are great additions to the main game!
All in all, I definitely enjoyed my time with New Super Mario Bros.
Tears of the Kingdom is a great game that, at least in my opinion, gets held back in a few aspects.
First of all, TotK addresses one of the biggest criticisms people had for the prequel.
Even though it's delivered in a similar way, the story has more structure this time around, which allowed for some actual mysteries and good payoff towards the end.
There's even a nice message in this story!
Another improvement over the predecessor is how much more reward systems and collectables TotK has, and therefore more to do throughout the game. Breath of the Wild was very minimalistic in its approach to rewards, so this feels like a logical expansion on the original.
The new mechanics focused even more on player freedom and creativity this time around and it's been a joy to experiment with them.
Every time I asked myself, "What would happen if I did this?", that curiosity would be met with either a satisfying or funny answer.
While I was hesitant at first to "waste" materials on builds or fusions, trusting the game that there would always be new materials to collect helped my enjoyment a lot.
People who didn't like the way Breath of the Wild handled its soundtrack probably won't be happy about this one either, but since I'm a big fan of BotW's music, I liked this one as well.
It doesn't get in your way during exploration, but uses strong themes at the right times during the story and always adds to the atmosphere.
I also liked that dungeons had actual themes in TotK and were more distinct. This also applies to the corresponding quests to reach each dungeon and the new boss fights.
Unfortunately, I can't help but miss the more difficult puzzles that are present in most other Zelda games, both on a micro and macro level.
Even if the individual puzzles were harder to solve, there's no real need for getting a sense of the whole dungeon anymore, as the dungeons mostly consist of a few separate, disconnected parts.
This also applies to the new shrines.
Now, I liked BotW's shrines even though they were a bit too easy, but the focus of TotK's shrines seems to be less on puzzle-solving and more on teaching you about the mechanics of the world.
This approach didn't really work for me, as it made many solutions immediately obvious, and made the execution of that solution take longer than the solving itself.
The biggest letdown for me was that the sense of exploration was not as strong as in BotW.
A big factor in this was that I'd already thoroughly explored this version of Hyrule in BotW, and while there were many differences between the two games, they didn't feel substantial enough to make me want to revisit every single location.
Additionally, because the world was originally designed for BotW, a lot of places that served as puzzles or quests feel empty and useless now.
Both the sky and the depths were great new additions that made up for the lack of new locations a little bit, but it felt like they didn't reach their full potential (especially the depths).
Once you've seen one sky island or one part of the depths, you've pretty much seen it all, except for the few places that are important to the main story.
As a side-effect of having so many mechanics, the UI isn't exactly the most efficient.
I'm not really sure if there's a better way to structure it without introducing other drawbacks, but some of the simplest actions you'll have to perform repeatedly (like fusing an item to an arrow) take way too long.
Finally, I don't think TotK is suited very well to 100% completion.
There are so many various items to collect and locations to visit without having a very good system in place to let you know where you might be missing something.
The Sensor+ helps a little bit in this regard, but it ultimately forces you to either run around all of Hyrule or resort to using a guide.
I don't necessarily see this as a flaw, because, as it turns out, not going for 100% and just collecting stuff like Korok seeds along the way makes for a very enjoyable experience where you'll always find something of value around the corner.
First of all, TotK addresses one of the biggest criticisms people had for the prequel.
Even though it's delivered in a similar way, the story has more structure this time around, which allowed for some actual mysteries and good payoff towards the end.
There's even a nice message in this story!
Another improvement over the predecessor is how much more reward systems and collectables TotK has, and therefore more to do throughout the game. Breath of the Wild was very minimalistic in its approach to rewards, so this feels like a logical expansion on the original.
The new mechanics focused even more on player freedom and creativity this time around and it's been a joy to experiment with them.
Every time I asked myself, "What would happen if I did this?", that curiosity would be met with either a satisfying or funny answer.
While I was hesitant at first to "waste" materials on builds or fusions, trusting the game that there would always be new materials to collect helped my enjoyment a lot.
People who didn't like the way Breath of the Wild handled its soundtrack probably won't be happy about this one either, but since I'm a big fan of BotW's music, I liked this one as well.
It doesn't get in your way during exploration, but uses strong themes at the right times during the story and always adds to the atmosphere.
I also liked that dungeons had actual themes in TotK and were more distinct. This also applies to the corresponding quests to reach each dungeon and the new boss fights.
Unfortunately, I can't help but miss the more difficult puzzles that are present in most other Zelda games, both on a micro and macro level.
Even if the individual puzzles were harder to solve, there's no real need for getting a sense of the whole dungeon anymore, as the dungeons mostly consist of a few separate, disconnected parts.
This also applies to the new shrines.
Now, I liked BotW's shrines even though they were a bit too easy, but the focus of TotK's shrines seems to be less on puzzle-solving and more on teaching you about the mechanics of the world.
This approach didn't really work for me, as it made many solutions immediately obvious, and made the execution of that solution take longer than the solving itself.
The biggest letdown for me was that the sense of exploration was not as strong as in BotW.
A big factor in this was that I'd already thoroughly explored this version of Hyrule in BotW, and while there were many differences between the two games, they didn't feel substantial enough to make me want to revisit every single location.
Additionally, because the world was originally designed for BotW, a lot of places that served as puzzles or quests feel empty and useless now.
Both the sky and the depths were great new additions that made up for the lack of new locations a little bit, but it felt like they didn't reach their full potential (especially the depths).
Once you've seen one sky island or one part of the depths, you've pretty much seen it all, except for the few places that are important to the main story.
As a side-effect of having so many mechanics, the UI isn't exactly the most efficient.
I'm not really sure if there's a better way to structure it without introducing other drawbacks, but some of the simplest actions you'll have to perform repeatedly (like fusing an item to an arrow) take way too long.
Finally, I don't think TotK is suited very well to 100% completion.
There are so many various items to collect and locations to visit without having a very good system in place to let you know where you might be missing something.
The Sensor+ helps a little bit in this regard, but it ultimately forces you to either run around all of Hyrule or resort to using a guide.
I don't necessarily see this as a flaw, because, as it turns out, not going for 100% and just collecting stuff like Korok seeds along the way makes for a very enjoyable experience where you'll always find something of value around the corner.
Origami King is a game that I just completely clicked with!
I know that the battle system is the most divisive aspect of the game, but personally I loved having battles that work like puzzles. I also liked that there were plenty of creative enemies and situations that actually got difficult as the game went on.
The visuals are absolutely beautiful and do so much with the paper aesthetic, which is especially noticeable with the origami and paper mache designs.
Luckily, Origami King manages to avoid the standard locations oftentimes used in Mario games (like grasslands or desert) or at the very least gives them a unique spin and feel.
I honestly wish we could get remasters of the old Paper Mario games that look like this.
Possibly my favourite thing about Origami King is the soundtrack.
I'm not kidding when I say that this is in my opinion one of the best Nintendo soundtracks of all time.
There are just as many different musical styles as there are settings in the game and all of it meshes together so well!
Another aspect I love is that this game is honestly pretty goofy. There are plenty of weird but wonderful moments where Origami King doesn't take itself too seriously, all the while keeping serious moments serious.
It's probably the humor that made this game so lovable in my eyes and made me put my guard down, which made it easier for heartfelt scenes to resonate with me.
Finally, this game is a joy to complete to 100%! You're provided with enough tools that finding all collectables never feels like a chore, rather it ties in nicely with the core gameplay loop.
Unlocking figurines, parts of the soundtrack and concept art felt like a satisfying reward to me.
I know that this game isn't for everyone, but all the creativity at display here makes me hopeful for future Paper Mario titles.
Looking at what this team is capable of even with unnecessary restrictions, like not being allowed to create new Mario characters, makes me want to see their full potential in a new game even more.
I know that the battle system is the most divisive aspect of the game, but personally I loved having battles that work like puzzles. I also liked that there were plenty of creative enemies and situations that actually got difficult as the game went on.
The visuals are absolutely beautiful and do so much with the paper aesthetic, which is especially noticeable with the origami and paper mache designs.
Luckily, Origami King manages to avoid the standard locations oftentimes used in Mario games (like grasslands or desert) or at the very least gives them a unique spin and feel.
I honestly wish we could get remasters of the old Paper Mario games that look like this.
Possibly my favourite thing about Origami King is the soundtrack.
I'm not kidding when I say that this is in my opinion one of the best Nintendo soundtracks of all time.
There are just as many different musical styles as there are settings in the game and all of it meshes together so well!
Another aspect I love is that this game is honestly pretty goofy. There are plenty of weird but wonderful moments where Origami King doesn't take itself too seriously, all the while keeping serious moments serious.
It's probably the humor that made this game so lovable in my eyes and made me put my guard down, which made it easier for heartfelt scenes to resonate with me.
Finally, this game is a joy to complete to 100%! You're provided with enough tools that finding all collectables never feels like a chore, rather it ties in nicely with the core gameplay loop.
Unlocking figurines, parts of the soundtrack and concept art felt like a satisfying reward to me.
I know that this game isn't for everyone, but all the creativity at display here makes me hopeful for future Paper Mario titles.
Looking at what this team is capable of even with unnecessary restrictions, like not being allowed to create new Mario characters, makes me want to see their full potential in a new game even more.
For anyone who's on the fence about getting Age of Calamity, I highly recommend playing the demo to see whether you enjoy this type of gameplay because you're going to be hacking and slashing your way through enemies a lot in this game.
It's super satisfying to be able to take on so many enemies at once with all the different abilities and combos at your disposal. And the number of characters keeps the gameplay varied enough to stay interesting while making sure every player will find something to suit their playstyle at the same time.
Aside from that, the gameplay loop of getting materials from levels, being able to finish "sidequests" with them and unlocking new abilities, weapons or challenges really hooked me to the point of 100% completing the game.
Admittedly, I did get tired of the repetitive nature of the gameplay towards the end of my completion, so I don't think I'll revisit this game anytime soon.
The story is probably going to be hit or miss depending on what you expect from it.
Personally, I enjoyed seeing more of all the characters that didn't get very much screentime in Breath of the Wild and while some of the tropes that were used are kinda predictable, the story delivers on both epic and more emotional moments.
I can definitely see how people who wanted this to be a true prequel to BotW were disappointed, but if you're able to look past that, this game is pure fanservice that I think more people would've liked if it weren't for the false advertising.
Another point of contention might be the framerate problems in this game. Whenever there are too many objects or effects on the screen, the framerate drops noticeably. I had an easy time looking past this and eventually stopped noticing the stutters, but other people might be more sensitive to it.
Once again, the demo will give you a good idea of what to expect, although the rest of the game mostly runs better than the demo.
Lastly, I need to talk about the soundtrack because it is fantastic. It takes the themes you're familiar with from BotW and turns them into more orchestrated, heroic versions of themselves, while the new themes introduced here are just as good and memorable as the old ones.
Age of Calamity is a game you're going to get a lot out of if you enjoy this type of gameplay, otherwise I'd recommend just watching the cutscenes somewhere else.
It's super satisfying to be able to take on so many enemies at once with all the different abilities and combos at your disposal. And the number of characters keeps the gameplay varied enough to stay interesting while making sure every player will find something to suit their playstyle at the same time.
Aside from that, the gameplay loop of getting materials from levels, being able to finish "sidequests" with them and unlocking new abilities, weapons or challenges really hooked me to the point of 100% completing the game.
Admittedly, I did get tired of the repetitive nature of the gameplay towards the end of my completion, so I don't think I'll revisit this game anytime soon.
The story is probably going to be hit or miss depending on what you expect from it.
Personally, I enjoyed seeing more of all the characters that didn't get very much screentime in Breath of the Wild and while some of the tropes that were used are kinda predictable, the story delivers on both epic and more emotional moments.
I can definitely see how people who wanted this to be a true prequel to BotW were disappointed, but if you're able to look past that, this game is pure fanservice that I think more people would've liked if it weren't for the false advertising.
Another point of contention might be the framerate problems in this game. Whenever there are too many objects or effects on the screen, the framerate drops noticeably. I had an easy time looking past this and eventually stopped noticing the stutters, but other people might be more sensitive to it.
Once again, the demo will give you a good idea of what to expect, although the rest of the game mostly runs better than the demo.
Lastly, I need to talk about the soundtrack because it is fantastic. It takes the themes you're familiar with from BotW and turns them into more orchestrated, heroic versions of themselves, while the new themes introduced here are just as good and memorable as the old ones.
Age of Calamity is a game you're going to get a lot out of if you enjoy this type of gameplay, otherwise I'd recommend just watching the cutscenes somewhere else.