Sunrysky
I ended up enjoying this game was more than I was expecting to! Excellent pacing and sense of progression, a plot with a surprising amount of heavy-hitting moments (admittedly I watched the Netflix adaptation first a couple years prior but had forgotten pretty much everything by the time I actually played the game, probably for the best!), and really fun gameplay aided by the amount of customization you had over your party.
Not every idea introduced nails the landing perfectly. Monster recruitment being up to luck can be frustrating and add a lot of grind to a game that otherwise has none. It's also pretty unfortunate that integral characters like the marriage candidates and children don't get too much individual time to shine, making certain moments lack the impact it felt they should have. Still, what this game accomplishes is really impressive and the way it organizes its structure around the central ideas of family and progression through life is done on a level I've rarely seen in other games.
Not every idea introduced nails the landing perfectly. Monster recruitment being up to luck can be frustrating and add a lot of grind to a game that otherwise has none. It's also pretty unfortunate that integral characters like the marriage candidates and children don't get too much individual time to shine, making certain moments lack the impact it felt they should have. Still, what this game accomplishes is really impressive and the way it organizes its structure around the central ideas of family and progression through life is done on a level I've rarely seen in other games.
As the first two games in the series that essentially created the JRPG genre, these are interesting to check out as a novelty, but unfortunately not much more than that. It's understandably very archaic compared to modern entries, and if you're a fan of that style of game then you'll definitely get a lot more out of these. More often than not, though, the constant necessity to grind and the lack of clear guidance on many objectives proved to be more frustrating than fun, especially in II. I did enjoy the presentational aspects like spritework and music (partially the reason I wanted to play this version over mobile/Switch) and there are rare highlights, but otherwise I wouldn't recommend these entries unless you're seriously adamant about seeing everything the series' history has to offer.
2018
Starts off with an admittedly pretty weak and poorly-paced story mode for Kirby standards (I've tried to replay it once or twice and always drop out at the final world), but I think the side content is where the game really shines. Guest Star and Heroes in Another Dimension both improve on the level design where the story mode falters and the extra attention the Dream Friends get in them is a nice touch. Likewise, The Ultimate Choice is a fun take on the traditional boss rush, and the fact that it tracks which abilities you've completed it with means I got a lot of replay value out of it.
Perhaps the most enjoyable thing about the game, though, especially as a big Kirby fan, is the amount of love and fanservice from across the entire series packed into the game. In that sense, I think Star Allies accomplishes its goal of being an anniversary title that celebrates everything that came before it before moving on to new heights. It might not be as beloved as earlier titles nor is it packed with as much original ideas, but it's a fun romp and great love letter to the series nonetheless.
Perhaps the most enjoyable thing about the game, though, especially as a big Kirby fan, is the amount of love and fanservice from across the entire series packed into the game. In that sense, I think Star Allies accomplishes its goal of being an anniversary title that celebrates everything that came before it before moving on to new heights. It might not be as beloved as earlier titles nor is it packed with as much original ideas, but it's a fun romp and great love letter to the series nonetheless.
Take the solid core this series has established, ditch the turns and wait times in favor of fast-paced mad dashes to each ball, give every character their own unique abilities to add more strategy, and introduce vast interconnected courses so you can battle it out with others in an effort to score the most holes.
On paper, Mario Golf: Super Rush sounds like a wild and ambitious reinvention of the titular sport that takes more cues from frantic multiplayer outings like Mario Kart than anything else. In practice... well, the game's not that. I'm not Camelot, so I can never know for sure, but it seems relatively safe to assume the game had a rushed development that resulted in a lot of cut corners, from the frankly baffling pacing of the story mode to Battle Golf being confined to essentially two courses when all of them could theoretically support it. Even post-launch support did little to fix this, and said support was cut painfully short compared to its tennis counterpart.
At the end of the day, the game's still fun, and I boot it up every now for some Speed Golf rounds. However, more than maybe any other game in recent memory, it's frustrating to see concepts loaded with potential feeling half-baked and rough around the edges. I really hope Camelot's allowed a second go with the ideas in here, where they can really take their time and explore them to the fullest.
On paper, Mario Golf: Super Rush sounds like a wild and ambitious reinvention of the titular sport that takes more cues from frantic multiplayer outings like Mario Kart than anything else. In practice... well, the game's not that. I'm not Camelot, so I can never know for sure, but it seems relatively safe to assume the game had a rushed development that resulted in a lot of cut corners, from the frankly baffling pacing of the story mode to Battle Golf being confined to essentially two courses when all of them could theoretically support it. Even post-launch support did little to fix this, and said support was cut painfully short compared to its tennis counterpart.
At the end of the day, the game's still fun, and I boot it up every now for some Speed Golf rounds. However, more than maybe any other game in recent memory, it's frustrating to see concepts loaded with potential feeling half-baked and rough around the edges. I really hope Camelot's allowed a second go with the ideas in here, where they can really take their time and explore them to the fullest.
2022
As someone whose favorite part of Kirby Air Ride was messing around with friends in Free Run, this game including a Free Rolling mode is scarily catered to me and I'm endlessly tormented by the fact that you can't play it online with randoms.
That extremely personal gripe aside, it's a really fun game both with friends and online. Very charming, surprisingly addicting, and really snappy when it comes to getting in and out of rounds. I find myself going back to it a lot just to pass some quick time.
That extremely personal gripe aside, it's a really fun game both with friends and online. Very charming, surprisingly addicting, and really snappy when it comes to getting in and out of rounds. I find myself going back to it a lot just to pass some quick time.
2014
In a bold affront to every "what your favorite Pokemon generation says about you" image, being born in time for my first Pokemon game to be Emerald does not make the third generation my favorite. It's actually one of my least favorite generations to revisit. I won't dwell on those reasons here, because this isn't my thoughts on Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald. Instead, it's about Omega Ruby, probably the boldest and most distinct Pokemon remakes, and for that they're also my favorite remakes in the series.
While Omega Ruby is faithful enough to its predecessor to still be recognizable, it brings over a lot of QoL features from modern entries while taking active steps to fix some of the game's most egregious issues and making other changes to keep the experience fresh. Not every change is a total win; the new plot material (especially the Delta Episode) is needlessly wordy and poorly written, and while I appreciate the idea of newer Pokemon in the base game, they come too late to make much of an impact. Other additions such as the DexNav, soaring, and the revamp to secret bases more than make up for it though. They even tried to bandage the tedium of the endgame with faster surfing and way less encounters! It's... still just a bandage, but anything is appreciated.
The game obviously isn't perfect, and has a lot more room for improvement. Considering how apprehensive Pokemon as a series is to these sorts of changes, though, I'm appreciative of how much they were willing to tinker with in this game, and it was enough to substantially improve my opinion of Hoenn. In my eyes, remakes offer a lot more worth when they're willing to look back and make changes for the sake of improvement, instead of offering an experience that's faithful to a fault... and this is not a sentiment that would ever come back to haunt me within this series' future, surely!
While Omega Ruby is faithful enough to its predecessor to still be recognizable, it brings over a lot of QoL features from modern entries while taking active steps to fix some of the game's most egregious issues and making other changes to keep the experience fresh. Not every change is a total win; the new plot material (especially the Delta Episode) is needlessly wordy and poorly written, and while I appreciate the idea of newer Pokemon in the base game, they come too late to make much of an impact. Other additions such as the DexNav, soaring, and the revamp to secret bases more than make up for it though. They even tried to bandage the tedium of the endgame with faster surfing and way less encounters! It's... still just a bandage, but anything is appreciated.
The game obviously isn't perfect, and has a lot more room for improvement. Considering how apprehensive Pokemon as a series is to these sorts of changes, though, I'm appreciative of how much they were willing to tinker with in this game, and it was enough to substantially improve my opinion of Hoenn. In my eyes, remakes offer a lot more worth when they're willing to look back and make changes for the sake of improvement, instead of offering an experience that's faithful to a fault... and this is not a sentiment that would ever come back to haunt me within this series' future, surely!
2018
Games that ruined my life in an okay way
Almost gets a perfect rating through its sheer existence, New Super Mario Bros. is still peak multiplayer Mario to this day and the amount of improvements in the remake (10-player online, new stages + items + music, unique color palettes and rule customization options etc.) is frankly ludicrous!
The only thing really holding it back is that the move to online means interactions can get pretty jank, in both good and bad ways. Otherwise, it's an incredible revival of an underloved side mode and one of my new favorite multiplayer experiences in recent memory.
The only thing really holding it back is that the move to online means interactions can get pretty jank, in both good and bad ways. Otherwise, it's an incredible revival of an underloved side mode and one of my new favorite multiplayer experiences in recent memory.
The first 15 seconds of "Loud Locomotive" is just about the closest Kirby music has ever gotten to a miss, everything else about the game is pretty stellar though!
2014
Not just my favorite Kirby game, but my favorite video game of all time. I'm aware it's an unpopular opinion to prefer this over Planet Robobot, and in fairness that game's a strong second place in my eyes! Having replayed them both back-to-back, what edges Triple Deluxe to the top for me is how cozy it feels. The world themes are especially colorful and distinctive even by Kirby standards and the backgrounds go for more of a geometric look which gives the game a really unique identity compared to others in the series. It adds an extra bit of charm and style to modern Kirby's winning formula of rock-solid platforming, great boss fights, and a variety of side content, which have all been taken a step further compared to Return to Dream Land. It's my personal gold standard for Kirby games and one that I'm sure I'll continue to revisit a lot in the future.
I can't judge this game on the merits of being "Kirby's first 3D outing", as it's a great disservice to Kirby's Blowout Blast, a vital component of the series' history that deserves no slander. That being said, I'm willing to begrudgingly forgive those who do because, I mean... take a look at Blowout Blast, and then at Forgotten Land.... practically night and day.
For how much work clearly went into preparing for this title, it's remarkable how seamless the transition feels, with all the highlights you'd come to expect from modern 2D Kirby games. In some ways it's even an improvement on the traditional formula, especially with regards to side content. The most I can nitpick at is how the game's pacing is impacted by missing a spare side mission or needing to upgrade certain abilities, but these problems are really softened on repeat playthroughs. Either way, the game is an absolute joy from start to finish, and hopefully it'll serve as a strong foundation for future 3D Kirby titles.
For how much work clearly went into preparing for this title, it's remarkable how seamless the transition feels, with all the highlights you'd come to expect from modern 2D Kirby games. In some ways it's even an improvement on the traditional formula, especially with regards to side content. The most I can nitpick at is how the game's pacing is impacted by missing a spare side mission or needing to upgrade certain abilities, but these problems are really softened on repeat playthroughs. Either way, the game is an absolute joy from start to finish, and hopefully it'll serve as a strong foundation for future 3D Kirby titles.