EarthBound is an odd case of a fantastic game held back by some poor gameplay and design decisions. Things like limited inventory space and a less than stellar encounter system where enemies race towards you hold the game back. There are moments where EarthBound prioritizes player convenience (buying and equipping items automatically) only to waste their time later on (needing to call and wait for a service to store items). It’s a weird give and take.

However, the writing, music, presentation, and bizarre moments make the game worth it in the end. The battle system is also fairly solid, and I do like the rolling HP mechanic. EarthBound also plays with the medium in some really interesting ways, and it’s filled with a very distinct charm and personality. EarthBound feels like a character in itself, which isn’t something I can say about many games.

I genuinely love this game despite its flaws, so I feel comfortable giving it high remarks. EarthBound isn't something that will click for everyone, but it clicked for me.

Majora’s Mask’s three-day time limit ties the entire game together in a way I have never really seen before. The atmosphere, world, characters, music, gameplay...everything revolves around the natural passing of time. It’s quite impressive for an N64 game, and its festive, apocalyptic atmosphere gives Majora’s Mask a very distinct tone from the rest of the Zelda series. Majora’s Mask is one of the most mechanically interesting games I’ve ever played, and this is one of the easiest five-star ratings I could give.