imzachawee
2024
fun multiplayer game that nails those tense moments in each play session. visually & auditorily stunning w/ great voice acting which hammers in the pride & fear in each copy/paste protector of democracy. upgrades/menus felt accessible which enticed me to explore new gear options. loved the culture around this game too. i feel like the over-the-top themeing with the hints of sarcasm/ironisism helped me & the community jump all over this as true fighters for freemon.
i enjoyed it! played mostly solo but the experience is tremendous when with others. will hop back in from time to time im sure!
i enjoyed it! played mostly solo but the experience is tremendous when with others. will hop back in from time to time im sure!
1999
This review contains spoilers
things i liked:
- menus (accessible and snappy)
- writing/va (so bad it circles back to good)
- exploration (up to a point, any resources or items are handy and exciting to find!)
- vibes (mmhmm)
- puzzles (even though i couldn't solve most of them because i have a baboon brain)
things i did not like:
- staleness (once i fought an enemy, i might as well have already fought them hundres of times)
- movement (understanding that this was an open-world-ish game in 1999 on the og playstation)
- camera (see movement)
one thing that was a big bummer for me was how after a while, i got burnt out on exploring because it felt as though it became less rewarding over time. eventually it just became "okay where's the handgun ammo", as opposed to getting intrigued by the building's place in this decrepit town. this led me to not find kaufman and miss out on the liquid needed to save cybil, giving me the bad ending!
i can absolutely appreciate how silent hill has inspired the horror genre, but have a difficult time feeling super satisfied with the ending i received and how i left feeling about exploration. granted, it is a campy little horror game now for me! might give it another go sometime in the future now that i know the ropes! can see myself recommending both for horror fans and for those that are interested in engaging with the formative titles that have come before us!
- menus (accessible and snappy)
- writing/va (so bad it circles back to good)
- exploration (up to a point, any resources or items are handy and exciting to find!)
- vibes (mmhmm)
- puzzles (even though i couldn't solve most of them because i have a baboon brain)
things i did not like:
- staleness (once i fought an enemy, i might as well have already fought them hundres of times)
- movement (understanding that this was an open-world-ish game in 1999 on the og playstation)
- camera (see movement)
one thing that was a big bummer for me was how after a while, i got burnt out on exploring because it felt as though it became less rewarding over time. eventually it just became "okay where's the handgun ammo", as opposed to getting intrigued by the building's place in this decrepit town. this led me to not find kaufman and miss out on the liquid needed to save cybil, giving me the bad ending!
i can absolutely appreciate how silent hill has inspired the horror genre, but have a difficult time feeling super satisfied with the ending i received and how i left feeling about exploration. granted, it is a campy little horror game now for me! might give it another go sometime in the future now that i know the ropes! can see myself recommending both for horror fans and for those that are interested in engaging with the formative titles that have come before us!
2015
after my first playthrough, i was really only vibing with like 3/3.5 stars due to the way some dialogue interupts you & the way some fights play out, but then, I started my pacifist run, and wow
i mean this game shines when you put in the effort to talk to each character, get creative with your puzzle solving, and explore. I felt so much more satisfied and content following the second time i rolled credits because of how excellent the writing & world-building are. to me, this game is set apart because it was feels like it was made with an inspiration for telling heartwarming stories via quirky relationships with misfit characters.
obviously the music is outstanding, but the theming is what sets this game over the top to me. its the way the cities loom out in the distance during long horizontal stretches, the way the mushrooms light your path in the waterfall section, and the way the throne room recalls such a beautifuly melancholic moment in your past that will make this game last for me. and with such a heartwarming, knock out ending that will 100% have me rolling its messages around in my head for the next week, i cant not recommend you play this if you already haven't. i'm already nearly ten years late. don't you dare be worse than that.
i mean this game shines when you put in the effort to talk to each character, get creative with your puzzle solving, and explore. I felt so much more satisfied and content following the second time i rolled credits because of how excellent the writing & world-building are. to me, this game is set apart because it was feels like it was made with an inspiration for telling heartwarming stories via quirky relationships with misfit characters.
obviously the music is outstanding, but the theming is what sets this game over the top to me. its the way the cities loom out in the distance during long horizontal stretches, the way the mushrooms light your path in the waterfall section, and the way the throne room recalls such a beautifuly melancholic moment in your past that will make this game last for me. and with such a heartwarming, knock out ending that will 100% have me rolling its messages around in my head for the next week, i cant not recommend you play this if you already haven't. i'm already nearly ten years late. don't you dare be worse than that.
i was so excited for uncharted 3 after starting/shelving it nearly a year ago. when i finished among thieves, i was so into the series and the characters. but after this playthrough, i felt like i was just so caught up in the things that were frustrating that any redeeming qualities felt difficult to appreciate!
shooting feels clunky at times & lacks any sort of feedback, leaving me emptying entire magazines into regular enemies only for them to flinch. getting in/out of cover is inconsistent. i'd also oftentimes feel confused as to where i was supposed to go/what i was expected to do (not necessarily in a fun, puzzle-y type way), running around a small area trying to find where the game wanted me to hit triangle. any time i was exploring/traversing an area, it felt as though i was always bumping into something/not quite where i wanted to be.
i don't think that the series as a whole is lackluster, and im not saying that i dont think this game didn't have anything to offer. i did enjoy the shipyard chapters, music, and action set-pieces, but about halfway through i found myself just speeding through trying to get it over with! just my experience with this one.
shooting feels clunky at times & lacks any sort of feedback, leaving me emptying entire magazines into regular enemies only for them to flinch. getting in/out of cover is inconsistent. i'd also oftentimes feel confused as to where i was supposed to go/what i was expected to do (not necessarily in a fun, puzzle-y type way), running around a small area trying to find where the game wanted me to hit triangle. any time i was exploring/traversing an area, it felt as though i was always bumping into something/not quite where i wanted to be.
i don't think that the series as a whole is lackluster, and im not saying that i dont think this game didn't have anything to offer. i did enjoy the shipyard chapters, music, and action set-pieces, but about halfway through i found myself just speeding through trying to get it over with! just my experience with this one.
as a whole, great collection! haven't played many before, and haven't played a single uncharted game until this. was nice to go through the series on one disc.
i liked it! i spent the first hour farming rupees so i could gnab every trendy item i could. thats how you know its good.
my greatest fear in turning this game on was the threat of getting lost in yet another expansive & beautiful world with no clue of what to do/where to go next. that feeling of hope as I would try to piece together where im meant to venture to next would transition into an aimless rigamarole without end, ending with me inevitably giving up and moving on to something else. that feeling of excitement & wonder quickly transforming into frustration & confusion is a challenging feeling to come back from, for me.
that being said, links awakening didnt just rectify this concern of mine - it erased it, keeping me continuously engaged in what possibilites exist at any given time. hints houses, chats with the owl, the ability to revisit any conversation you've previously had at any time, and, most importantly, visual feedback regarding what abilities do what in a certain space, ensured for me that i was able to assertain my wareabouts and goals whenever i desired. i constantly stumbled into areas/rooms that were clearly designed for the utilization of some piece of gear. what works about this, for me, was how the game earned my trust in how if i didn't have a certain item at any point, i would soon be able to revisit this space with said gear. that is to say, it felt to me as if the game was saying, "if you can't complete a challenge, the solution is close by".
outside of the general adventure-gameplay loop, links awakening also does a fantastic job at interconnecting its story, writing, and music, all of which work together to spin this beautifully melancholy tale of a hero saving a dream world from nightmares. music is both cheery & somewhat offputting, indicating that despite everything's glossy & textured exterior, something amiss is lurking underneath. the sound design, in my opinion, does this fantastic job of blending that upbeat, triumphant music of zelda with an uncanny, unsettling feeling that works well with the narrative.
the ui is clean & user friendly, the quests are silly & touching, and the combat is responsive & satisfying. there are parts of this game that make it links awakening and parts that make this a zelda game. both support each other wonderfully for a product that had me feeling content as the credits rolled.
my greatest fear in turning this game on was the threat of getting lost in yet another expansive & beautiful world with no clue of what to do/where to go next. that feeling of hope as I would try to piece together where im meant to venture to next would transition into an aimless rigamarole without end, ending with me inevitably giving up and moving on to something else. that feeling of excitement & wonder quickly transforming into frustration & confusion is a challenging feeling to come back from, for me.
that being said, links awakening didnt just rectify this concern of mine - it erased it, keeping me continuously engaged in what possibilites exist at any given time. hints houses, chats with the owl, the ability to revisit any conversation you've previously had at any time, and, most importantly, visual feedback regarding what abilities do what in a certain space, ensured for me that i was able to assertain my wareabouts and goals whenever i desired. i constantly stumbled into areas/rooms that were clearly designed for the utilization of some piece of gear. what works about this, for me, was how the game earned my trust in how if i didn't have a certain item at any point, i would soon be able to revisit this space with said gear. that is to say, it felt to me as if the game was saying, "if you can't complete a challenge, the solution is close by".
outside of the general adventure-gameplay loop, links awakening also does a fantastic job at interconnecting its story, writing, and music, all of which work together to spin this beautifully melancholy tale of a hero saving a dream world from nightmares. music is both cheery & somewhat offputting, indicating that despite everything's glossy & textured exterior, something amiss is lurking underneath. the sound design, in my opinion, does this fantastic job of blending that upbeat, triumphant music of zelda with an uncanny, unsettling feeling that works well with the narrative.
the ui is clean & user friendly, the quests are silly & touching, and the combat is responsive & satisfying. there are parts of this game that make it links awakening and parts that make this a zelda game. both support each other wonderfully for a product that had me feeling content as the credits rolled.
2023
my debut into the dead space series, i can see why it has bred an entire sub-genre of horror content. i enjoyed how aspects of survival, exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat all intertwined, as it felt as though each significant aspect of this game's identity had its time to shine.
hitting crits with the pistol felt gritty and satisfying. i had a great time during the first few parts of the game when i was experimenting with each weapon & excitedly sprinting back to old locations to unlock previously blocked off lockers/rooms the moment i could. i did notice that, toward the end, i started to find my niche with the blade shooter where i'd just spam blades at enemies and frantically look all around their weakpoints to easily dispatch them. also, as the game came to its conclusion, the story took an understandable stance, asserting itself as significant for the first time (at least beyond the notion of 1. look for x, 2. get clue, 3. run into obstacle, 4. explore, 5. fight big guy, 6. something happened to x, 7. go fix/find something/one else). the story was fine. the twist was fun in the moment, and the resulting boss fight was very enjoyable, however, the exposition that set it up wasn't anything CRAZY, in my opinion. it was certianly fun, don't get me wrong! i think i was burned out by the end by the way the mc was lead on and on and on by his gf.
nevertheless, good game! grateful they remade this in such a beautiful and atompsheric way!
hitting crits with the pistol felt gritty and satisfying. i had a great time during the first few parts of the game when i was experimenting with each weapon & excitedly sprinting back to old locations to unlock previously blocked off lockers/rooms the moment i could. i did notice that, toward the end, i started to find my niche with the blade shooter where i'd just spam blades at enemies and frantically look all around their weakpoints to easily dispatch them. also, as the game came to its conclusion, the story took an understandable stance, asserting itself as significant for the first time (at least beyond the notion of 1. look for x, 2. get clue, 3. run into obstacle, 4. explore, 5. fight big guy, 6. something happened to x, 7. go fix/find something/one else). the story was fine. the twist was fun in the moment, and the resulting boss fight was very enjoyable, however, the exposition that set it up wasn't anything CRAZY, in my opinion. it was certianly fun, don't get me wrong! i think i was burned out by the end by the way the mc was lead on and on and on by his gf.
nevertheless, good game! grateful they remade this in such a beautiful and atompsheric way!
1997
This review contains spoilers
dkr crept up on me. i revisited it with the intention to feel some nostalgia & see what the single player was really about. at first, i was all over the place.
so many things interupted my enjoyment. 1) turning feels like it shifts you along the x axis, often times setting up for awkward positioning that feels frustrating. 2) if you bump into something, you are sent god knows where, facing whichever direction. even further, maybe you get only somewhat close to an obstacle whilst flying. might as well reset because you're hitting that obstacle & falling straight down. 3) rockets feel pretty useless, as hitting enemies (most bosses included) with projectiles literally does nothing to slow them down. 4) trying to hit taj the genie to switch vehicles? well he's doing everything in his power to prevent you from doing so. he'll turn at the last second, stop moving when you anticipate him to move, and, when you've finally bumped him, you have to hope that the game registers it as a prompt to start dialogue, because it seldom will. 5) not making clear how trophies are expected to be earned within an adventure save if progress is to be saved. this could've just been a me thing, but it was frustrating to have completed all 4 trophies to progress the story only to learn that, because i was in the track mode, none of it mattered.
BUT. then i unlocked drumstick. i started getting a hang of combining drifting & breaking to get around best. I learned how to use zippers in the most efficient way possible. i discovered the last world. it all came together when i played star city for the first time. i understood why people loved this game. that feeling of darting around, perfectly maneuvering around a level, was incredible. on top of that, of course, the music, art direction, and track/world design are all as outstanding as they are distinct from others in their genre.
and its got tip tup. what else is there to want. wake me up when mario kart puts in jungle falls, frosty village, pirate lagoon, greenwood village, and anything from future fun land.
so many things interupted my enjoyment. 1) turning feels like it shifts you along the x axis, often times setting up for awkward positioning that feels frustrating. 2) if you bump into something, you are sent god knows where, facing whichever direction. even further, maybe you get only somewhat close to an obstacle whilst flying. might as well reset because you're hitting that obstacle & falling straight down. 3) rockets feel pretty useless, as hitting enemies (most bosses included) with projectiles literally does nothing to slow them down. 4) trying to hit taj the genie to switch vehicles? well he's doing everything in his power to prevent you from doing so. he'll turn at the last second, stop moving when you anticipate him to move, and, when you've finally bumped him, you have to hope that the game registers it as a prompt to start dialogue, because it seldom will. 5) not making clear how trophies are expected to be earned within an adventure save if progress is to be saved. this could've just been a me thing, but it was frustrating to have completed all 4 trophies to progress the story only to learn that, because i was in the track mode, none of it mattered.
BUT. then i unlocked drumstick. i started getting a hang of combining drifting & breaking to get around best. I learned how to use zippers in the most efficient way possible. i discovered the last world. it all came together when i played star city for the first time. i understood why people loved this game. that feeling of darting around, perfectly maneuvering around a level, was incredible. on top of that, of course, the music, art direction, and track/world design are all as outstanding as they are distinct from others in their genre.
and its got tip tup. what else is there to want. wake me up when mario kart puts in jungle falls, frosty village, pirate lagoon, greenwood village, and anything from future fun land.
2016
after playing eternal, man, this game just doesn't feel the same. i did LOVE all the clearly amazing things - soundtrack, combat, exploration, unlockables/upgrades.
after getting a grapple hook, flame thrower, better mods for weapons that make each weapon more exciting to use (shield on minigun for example), more diverse enemies, etc., four years later, it makes doom 2016 feel more like a wonderful sample thats good on its own, but only stands to improve by diving deeper into what identity it has here.
the things that i loved specifically of this game were was the dynamic of traveling back and forth between mars/hell, the audio recordings/voices that you find scattered throughout that are so gritty in their tones, and the consistenty abrasive vibes throughout each level/character/set pieces.
after getting a grapple hook, flame thrower, better mods for weapons that make each weapon more exciting to use (shield on minigun for example), more diverse enemies, etc., four years later, it makes doom 2016 feel more like a wonderful sample thats good on its own, but only stands to improve by diving deeper into what identity it has here.
the things that i loved specifically of this game were was the dynamic of traveling back and forth between mars/hell, the audio recordings/voices that you find scattered throughout that are so gritty in their tones, and the consistenty abrasive vibes throughout each level/character/set pieces.
2016
i mean i see why everyone loves this one. the gameplay is so fun to play around with and attempt to master. gunplay is responsive & diverse with all sorts of things to try out. the actual titanplay too is so much more fun than I remember when i played the first game back on release.
the story sneaks up on you. its so quick & outside of your relationship with BT, theres nothing else to really feel connected to, so as you're sprinting/sliding/running/whatever else, you're also being fed exposition & dialogue that ultimately makes you feel so sad when a robot throws you for the nth time.
its good!
the story sneaks up on you. its so quick & outside of your relationship with BT, theres nothing else to really feel connected to, so as you're sprinting/sliding/running/whatever else, you're also being fed exposition & dialogue that ultimately makes you feel so sad when a robot throws you for the nth time.
its good!
2001
i never made it to the end as a kid. past that, i don't think i even collected more than one treasure in the second zone. i mean i was in a perpetual cycle of days 1-3, heartbroken at the sight/sound of one of my little friends dying and losing their soul to the atmosphere. it was just so much easier to play pokemon/mario where i didn't feel guilty when my videogame friends died. as an adult, the first pikmin game was a fun and quick game that was a perfect slice of game for me. the moment i started to feel like i had gathered everything that this game wanted to tell, it was just about over.
as a child, any boss that wasn't a bulborb was monstrous. but, replaying this later in my adult years, i LOVED discovering each new boss and seeing how kooky they were. i also felt so smart when I figured out how to solve a puzzle/get a bunch done in a day/beat a weird looking boss! siding with all the pikmin lovers that the ost and charm are here. haven't played other games in the series yet but super excited to jump in!
as a child, any boss that wasn't a bulborb was monstrous. but, replaying this later in my adult years, i LOVED discovering each new boss and seeing how kooky they were. i also felt so smart when I figured out how to solve a puzzle/get a bunch done in a day/beat a weird looking boss! siding with all the pikmin lovers that the ost and charm are here. haven't played other games in the series yet but super excited to jump in!
2017
my favorite parts about this game were fighting a toilet boss, making a murder-mystery/heist movie for owls, and discovering a book titled “Proof of Ethical Consumption under Capitalism” that had the pages blank.
remember that crazed moment in the late 2010s when people was losing their minds over getting the banjo-kazooie era 3d platformers back? and it couldn't have just been a new 3d platformer - it HAD to be like the n64 days. then yuka laylee came out and flopped.
I loved how this game seems to take inspiration from games passed and then adds its own identity to the mix. even if this game could be boiled down to cute mario sunshine x mario odyssey (down to how you take fire damage) it felt like a very charming & light-hearted experience that, by the end, had me feeling like I'd played something both new and familar at the same time.
pros: level design, characters, writing, art direction, progression, rewards/unlockables, sound design & ost
cons: inability to invert vertical camera controls, depth perception infrequently being janky due to lighting
remember that crazed moment in the late 2010s when people was losing their minds over getting the banjo-kazooie era 3d platformers back? and it couldn't have just been a new 3d platformer - it HAD to be like the n64 days. then yuka laylee came out and flopped.
I loved how this game seems to take inspiration from games passed and then adds its own identity to the mix. even if this game could be boiled down to cute mario sunshine x mario odyssey (down to how you take fire damage) it felt like a very charming & light-hearted experience that, by the end, had me feeling like I'd played something both new and familar at the same time.
pros: level design, characters, writing, art direction, progression, rewards/unlockables, sound design & ost
cons: inability to invert vertical camera controls, depth perception infrequently being janky due to lighting
2019
i was so excited for a game like this - it feels like in so many fantasy spaces i'm consistently interested in this idea of religion & faith being used as core expository set peice in a way that portrays the belief system as unwavering & dark.
while blasphemous does an incredible job narratively with thorough and consistent story-telling through npcs, enemies, environments, and especially ost, i did not find myself enjoying my time with it as much as i would've liked. that being said, i can't argue that it isn't a good game.
as mentioned, the world-building is outstanding here. no mechanic, including menus, is spared from being capitalized upon to further your emersion into blasphemous's setting. your progression as you explore also feels generally appropriate - improving upon dps, health, and heals as you progress. bosses feel like they belong in each level, new enemies keep things engaging, and new quests/collectibles have you always finding a use for that random item you found ages ago - all of which feel as though they belong in the game you're playing.
i just don't think i like metroidvanias. overtime, i end up feeling lost and more connected to a guide than the actual game's story & environment. backtracking feels tedious and confusing as each (beautifully designed, in blasphemous's case) area begins to blend into itself and others. i begin to only notice how frustraingly far away an objective of mine is, as opposed to feeling an excitement to prove how my mastery of the gameplay has improved, or to put to use that new item i just grabbed, along the treck. i would often find a new, interesting idea/quest only to be more relieved that i found something new to progress through, not really taking in what new information is being offered to me as a player. furthermore, i just don't think im into the souls-like genre, either. while, again, the idea of journeying into a thick, lovingly crafted & detailed world full of despair, conquest, darkness, and hope sounds brilliant and exciting - in practice, i just cannot feel compelled to lose progress due to one mistake (or bug/bs), and have to run it back for a period of time until i get another go.
more specifically to blasphemous, combat often times felt aggrivating, due to you having a perceived larger hitbox than model at times, enemies being able to travel offscreen and continue to hurl projectiles/make quick dashes toward you without you being able to do much in time, and a few enemy designs that make cheesing a priority due to their insane dps, spawn locations, and/or quick attacks.
again though, i don't think that it's fair to say that blasphemous is a "bad game" - i think its fantastic. just not for me. i'm glad that i gave it a try over and over again, completing the first 3 bosses, the siblings fight, and two more fights, with 85% map completion, as it helps me feel more solidified in knowing that i gave it a valid effort. in the end, its more the genre for me that holds me back from completion - as as of writing this, i have no clue where to go or what to do, and i've lost the interest to pull up another ign page for help at this moment.
while blasphemous does an incredible job narratively with thorough and consistent story-telling through npcs, enemies, environments, and especially ost, i did not find myself enjoying my time with it as much as i would've liked. that being said, i can't argue that it isn't a good game.
as mentioned, the world-building is outstanding here. no mechanic, including menus, is spared from being capitalized upon to further your emersion into blasphemous's setting. your progression as you explore also feels generally appropriate - improving upon dps, health, and heals as you progress. bosses feel like they belong in each level, new enemies keep things engaging, and new quests/collectibles have you always finding a use for that random item you found ages ago - all of which feel as though they belong in the game you're playing.
i just don't think i like metroidvanias. overtime, i end up feeling lost and more connected to a guide than the actual game's story & environment. backtracking feels tedious and confusing as each (beautifully designed, in blasphemous's case) area begins to blend into itself and others. i begin to only notice how frustraingly far away an objective of mine is, as opposed to feeling an excitement to prove how my mastery of the gameplay has improved, or to put to use that new item i just grabbed, along the treck. i would often find a new, interesting idea/quest only to be more relieved that i found something new to progress through, not really taking in what new information is being offered to me as a player. furthermore, i just don't think im into the souls-like genre, either. while, again, the idea of journeying into a thick, lovingly crafted & detailed world full of despair, conquest, darkness, and hope sounds brilliant and exciting - in practice, i just cannot feel compelled to lose progress due to one mistake (or bug/bs), and have to run it back for a period of time until i get another go.
more specifically to blasphemous, combat often times felt aggrivating, due to you having a perceived larger hitbox than model at times, enemies being able to travel offscreen and continue to hurl projectiles/make quick dashes toward you without you being able to do much in time, and a few enemy designs that make cheesing a priority due to their insane dps, spawn locations, and/or quick attacks.
again though, i don't think that it's fair to say that blasphemous is a "bad game" - i think its fantastic. just not for me. i'm glad that i gave it a try over and over again, completing the first 3 bosses, the siblings fight, and two more fights, with 85% map completion, as it helps me feel more solidified in knowing that i gave it a valid effort. in the end, its more the genre for me that holds me back from completion - as as of writing this, i have no clue where to go or what to do, and i've lost the interest to pull up another ign page for help at this moment.
fun little golf game. as a kid, never made it past the third cup. as an adult, it was joy-inducing to see all the little uses of characters/items in each course as you progressed. so many things to love: character choices, mechanics, color pallete, modes, and unlockables.
one big thing for me were the animations for each character upon completing a hole. these are the animations I feel like i wish came back to modern games in some way - not that modern animation is anything to scoff at, but the character and charm of these old ones feels unparalleled in the present. double bogey as wario? accidently crush yourself with a boulder and then waddle around in anger. hold-in-one as yoshi? flutter around in excitement. definitley nostalgia for me, since I grew up playing prime gamecube, but those old character models/voices will never get old for me. it feels like the same boo model is in literally every mario game on the gamecube. they just never changed it.
i really enjoyed the mechanics presented here, even if I didn't know that you manually had to toggle where you're character would hit the ball, as opposed to only selecting the target pre-shot. that was fun to learn while on the back 9 of my last tournament. finessing each shot by changing up my club, power, distance, and location of where I hit the ball made it so that no shot ever really felt impossible.
lastly, if i didn't have save states playing my *legally back up physical copy" on emulator, i don't know what I would do. i was only able to complete this game in 10 hours because I could mess around with my options and see what would work best. unlocking shadow mario through completion of the ring attack mode would've taken me at least four times as long could I not have saved my spots.
a lovely, inoffensive game that is great to relax with and enjoy the vibes.
one big thing for me were the animations for each character upon completing a hole. these are the animations I feel like i wish came back to modern games in some way - not that modern animation is anything to scoff at, but the character and charm of these old ones feels unparalleled in the present. double bogey as wario? accidently crush yourself with a boulder and then waddle around in anger. hold-in-one as yoshi? flutter around in excitement. definitley nostalgia for me, since I grew up playing prime gamecube, but those old character models/voices will never get old for me. it feels like the same boo model is in literally every mario game on the gamecube. they just never changed it.
i really enjoyed the mechanics presented here, even if I didn't know that you manually had to toggle where you're character would hit the ball, as opposed to only selecting the target pre-shot. that was fun to learn while on the back 9 of my last tournament. finessing each shot by changing up my club, power, distance, and location of where I hit the ball made it so that no shot ever really felt impossible.
lastly, if i didn't have save states playing my *legally back up physical copy" on emulator, i don't know what I would do. i was only able to complete this game in 10 hours because I could mess around with my options and see what would work best. unlocking shadow mario through completion of the ring attack mode would've taken me at least four times as long could I not have saved my spots.
a lovely, inoffensive game that is great to relax with and enjoy the vibes.
2023
dredge was the first game since tears of the kingdom that demanded all of my attention for days on end. for two and a half days, i was stuck exploring each corner of the map, dredging up any treasure i could find, and completing the entire dredgedex. it felt like every time i found a new mutated abomination, i would say to myself "now THIS is my new favorite".
the art style, music, atmosphere, moment-to-moment gameplay, subtle storyline, and mystery all worked together outstandingly to create an experience that i will not forget anytime in the future. it perfectly toed the line of creepy/eerie and disconcerning. i constantly felt as though i was shifting between comfortable and not, which added to my enjoyment here, as for each moment exploring held an ominous tone, as did the times of safety and calm when at a dock/town.
only "complaint" would be how the story's interconnectedness and progression toward the end started to feel less woven together than it did previously - call it a side effect of long play sessions or it's coinsiding with my satisfaction with time with the gameplay.
the art style, music, atmosphere, moment-to-moment gameplay, subtle storyline, and mystery all worked together outstandingly to create an experience that i will not forget anytime in the future. it perfectly toed the line of creepy/eerie and disconcerning. i constantly felt as though i was shifting between comfortable and not, which added to my enjoyment here, as for each moment exploring held an ominous tone, as did the times of safety and calm when at a dock/town.
only "complaint" would be how the story's interconnectedness and progression toward the end started to feel less woven together than it did previously - call it a side effect of long play sessions or it's coinsiding with my satisfaction with time with the gameplay.