SixtyFour
2019
An incredibly fun roguelike that took what the first game did and, to put it simply, made it 3D. All of the insane item customization remains and even more insane bosses and secrets are scattered throughout each of the many levels. It is absolutely insane how much you can break this game with certain item combinations, and the game even encourages you to do so with its "Artifact" modifiers.
The DLC (a second one coming soon) adds plenty of new challenge and things to experiment with. New bosses, void items, new areas, enemies, items, I can go on and on about the Survivors of the Void DLC - bottom line is that it is most certainly worth the money.
The modding community for this game is also very active and talented, with tons of mods ranging from stupid shit like "Playable Ganondorf" to entire modpack overhauls that feel like an official DLC addition to the game.
Overall a phenomenal game with numerous ways to play and experiment as well as one of the best cooperative experiences to tackle with friends.
The DLC (a second one coming soon) adds plenty of new challenge and things to experiment with. New bosses, void items, new areas, enemies, items, I can go on and on about the Survivors of the Void DLC - bottom line is that it is most certainly worth the money.
The modding community for this game is also very active and talented, with tons of mods ranging from stupid shit like "Playable Ganondorf" to entire modpack overhauls that feel like an official DLC addition to the game.
Overall a phenomenal game with numerous ways to play and experiment as well as one of the best cooperative experiences to tackle with friends.
Twilight Princess decided to dive into an art style and theme that was unseen by the franchise at the time; instead of being a High Fantasy world, Hyrule was now a Dark Fantasy world. This game introduced the "Wolf Link" mechanic, where Link could pass into the Twilight world and use his abilities as a wolf to clear enemies and free the area from darkness. Another legendary story unfolds involving the triforce and the new Twilight Realm, with plenty of memorable characters along the way. Dungeons are very well designed and the overall Dark Fantasy atmosphere remains unmatched.
2022
Definitely the best of the trilogy that added a bunch of new content and QOL features that the previous two did not have. A very fun story mode that expands the story established in the previous games (also tying in some characters from Splatoon 2), alongside multiplayer with enhanced systems such as lobbies (I know, I can't believe I'm praising Nintendo for including bare minimum online features for a multiplayer game but they seem to be in the stone age when it comes to online stuff) and a battle-pass like system that gives you things to grind for other than ranks and levels. Plenty of weapons to try out and many maps (including returning ones from its predecessors). I'm not really sure where Nintendo will be able to go from here with this game, but I am certainly looking forward to the upcoming DLCs.
1999
The start to one of the most legendary game franchises of all time. While the game is pretty barebones, containing only 12 characters and a small handful of stages, there is little reason to want to return to this game when melee exists. Still very iconic and created a baseline for what Nintendo and Sakurai wanted to do for the next titles in the series.
2010
Very fun and very easy game. Fond memories of playing it cooperatively and replaying many of the levels. Charming art style and direction along with some very inspired and unique gameplay features involving craft-like materials. The house builder is pretty fun to mess around with, but otherwise the game is very easy and is a bit short.
2010
A game that is built specifically to be difficult and is fairly linear as a result. A bunch of pretty hard levels to navigate with some collectibles and secrets scattered throughout. If you like platformers you'll certainly enjoy this game. Otherwise, there isn't much more to this game besides it being difficult and having good level design.
2013
A very solid and fun platformer. In a time where I believed there to be a pretty significant drought of original and fun 2D platformers, Rayman Legends was quick to quench many peoples' thirst for a 2D platformer. Plenty of great level design, collectibles, unlockables, etc. Great soundtrack, really fun couch co-op, seemingly out of place but well fitting rhythm levels and more make this my personal favorite Rayman game.
A Link to the Past is undeniably the best 2D Zelda game with little to no competition. This game provided a scope larger than any other game seen at the time, and was regarded to be one of the most ambitious games ever made. With loads of iconic and challenging dungeons, numerous weapons and magic items, carefully placed collectibles and side quests, its hard to believe a game with such an incredible design philosophy was one that came out of the era of the Super Nintendo. Truly one of Nintendo's best works.
2002
A great start to a great franchise. Filled with multiple puzzles and extensive resource management. The gameplay is very intuitive and well designed. There are numerous strategies for defeating enemies, and the game will punish you for not tying up loose ends and completely killing each infected you come across.
1994
"Kirby Golf" should not be this fun. This game is genuinely one of the most enjoyable experiences with friends I have ever had. Tons of ridiculous power ups and gimmicks to traverse throughout the numerous holes/levels that truly make this game feel like it belongs in the Kirby franchise. The singleplayer is a bit lackluster and isn't particularly great. The multiplayer though, as said before, is absolutely fantastic. Seriously - if you haven't already - boot this game up on Nintendo Switch Online and play with a friend.
2004
Arguably one of the best shooters of all time and one that has aged so unbelievably well. Half-Life 2 took what the first game brought to the table and ran with it, maintaining its fast paced and strategic gameplay while also completely shifting gears on its story. Half-Life 2 takes you through numerous locations ranging from the sewers of a dystopian city all the way to a town overrun with zombies. Utilizing the shockingly good physics of Valve's Source engine, Half-Life 2 set a new standard for what a shooter game should look and play like.
1992
It's fun. That is really it. There isn't much to unlock at all and the game really only functions as a multiplayer experience. The game did establish multiple design concepts seen in later entries but is very two dimensional (literally and conceptually). Still a great little piece of history but not one I ever find myself wanting to play or go back to.
1988
This game is what proved Nintendo's mastery of what Mario was and what his games were. The first game to utilize a "world map" along with numerous extra levels, secrets, and power ups to check out. The game was seriously ahead of its time - things like the P meter, the physics (slopes, platforms, etc), storable items and power ups, secret levels and pathways, and many other features solidify this game as one of the best if not THE best game on the NES.
1990
The definitive 2D Mario experience. Combining many of the great things we saw across Super Mario Bros. 1 and 3 along with the new hardware of the SNES, Super Mario World still holds up incredibly well today. The world map design, as well as the various secrets, shortcuts and collectible items is strikingly similar to Super Mario Bros. 3 and the level variety is just as fantastic. Iconic music, levels, and, of course, Yoshi. Yoshi is this game's neat little gimmick that isn't necessarily forced upon you to use but helps immensely in traversing levels, since Yoshi can make quick work of enemies by eating them and can also eat fruit and give extra power ups. One of the best games to come out of the time period, and still is arguably the best 2D Mario game.
1989
A perfectly passable portable Mario experience. It is a GameBoy game, so it is short and simple which is not necessarily a bad thing. Fun levels but only two powerups (just as in Super Mario Bros.). Interesting sequences involving a plane and a submarine that we have never seen again in a Mario game. For the time, this game more than delivered on its purpose as a Mario adventure on the go.