imzachawee
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!
great game! although, not sure what it is about the og dkc games, but it feels like im missing whatever everybody else is talking about. while i love the revived dkc returns & tropical freeze games, i just have a hard time feeling the same way about the snes trilogy.
that isn't to say that i don't enjoy these games, though. the music is clearly worthy of the praise it gets and the variety of gameplay options/themes is delightful. i guess it just feels like this series has some aura about it that other people can so easily see but that i am missing out on. that being said though, this dude is the funniest guy i've ever seen in games and ill love him to the grave.
honestly enjoyed a bit more than the first game!
estimating about 4 hours playtime since switch online doesnt tell you that info and my save file says 2.5 hours (without all the rewinding i did lol so who knows). spent an hour recently trying to restart to see if i could find that magic but after beating the first two worlds, even though i enjoyed myself, it just wasn't it!
that isn't to say that i don't enjoy these games, though. the music is clearly worthy of the praise it gets and the variety of gameplay options/themes is delightful. i guess it just feels like this series has some aura about it that other people can so easily see but that i am missing out on. that being said though, this dude is the funniest guy i've ever seen in games and ill love him to the grave.
honestly enjoyed a bit more than the first game!
estimating about 4 hours playtime since switch online doesnt tell you that info and my save file says 2.5 hours (without all the rewinding i did lol so who knows). spent an hour recently trying to restart to see if i could find that magic but after beating the first two worlds, even though i enjoyed myself, it just wasn't it!
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.
2007
one of those nights with a few hours and a desire to start and finish something all in one sitting.
i am not a huge puzzle game person - just not my biggest genre, but something i may dabble in from time to time/enjoy aspects of in other games. with my time in portal, i have never felt that perfect blend of challenge and "AHHH IM SO SMART", which was an incredible experience. the small clues leading up to the final sequence, concluding with one of my favorite boss fights in any games, of which i had zero expectation of, all added up to be one of my favorite games of this year so far. one that i can envision making my top 10.
i am not a huge puzzle game person - just not my biggest genre, but something i may dabble in from time to time/enjoy aspects of in other games. with my time in portal, i have never felt that perfect blend of challenge and "AHHH IM SO SMART", which was an incredible experience. the small clues leading up to the final sequence, concluding with one of my favorite boss fights in any games, of which i had zero expectation of, all added up to be one of my favorite games of this year so far. one that i can envision making my top 10.
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.
2019
aptly named, even if you're thorough, a short hike does a good job at blending exploration with respect for your time. you won't be discovering brand new worlds/areas that will revoke you of your evening, and you won't be finding secrets to change your entire gameplay experience. but that's not what you're supposed to get out of this.
instead, you'll see a couple cute creatures that yell little quips at you. some make demands, some ask for your help, and some won't let you join their rock climbing club unless you give them a seashell or something. its adorable, funny, beautiful, relaxing, and wholesome.
i thought of my sister while i played this, which was wonderful, since i don't have the opportunity to see her as much nowadays.
instead, you'll see a couple cute creatures that yell little quips at you. some make demands, some ask for your help, and some won't let you join their rock climbing club unless you give them a seashell or something. its adorable, funny, beautiful, relaxing, and wholesome.
i thought of my sister while i played this, which was wonderful, since i don't have the opportunity to see her as much nowadays.
see my mk8d review for thoughts on the actual game
i've gotten wild amounts of value out of my time with this dlc & expect to continue building upon my times in each of the new 48 tracks in the future. similarly with the base game, time trials offers me so much to work toward, in finding that perfect build & hacking away each possible millisecond in order to get what feels like a good pb.
graphically, its clear which courses came in 2017 & which came more recently, with blander textures & less "lived-in" spaces. this gripe could cover for the feeling that the track choices weren't the best - a disguised feeling of poor tracks actually revealed to be tracks that weren't taken care of as they could've been. tour tracks are a welcome addition as somebody that hasn't played tour, though.
i've gotten wild amounts of value out of my time with this dlc & expect to continue building upon my times in each of the new 48 tracks in the future. similarly with the base game, time trials offers me so much to work toward, in finding that perfect build & hacking away each possible millisecond in order to get what feels like a good pb.
graphically, its clear which courses came in 2017 & which came more recently, with blander textures & less "lived-in" spaces. this gripe could cover for the feeling that the track choices weren't the best - a disguised feeling of poor tracks actually revealed to be tracks that weren't taken care of as they could've been. tour tracks are a welcome addition as somebody that hasn't played tour, though.
deciding to call it a figurative day after about 15 hours in. while I deeply enjoyed this game's UI, visuals, combat systems, upgrade trees, fast travel system/load times, and character customization, combined, it wasn't enough to overshadow my inability to deal with this games awkward & uninspired cutscenes, mission designs, writing, copy-paste open-world, and story.
missions fell within a number of small categories, as most games within this genre do: talk-travel-kill; trail an npc; or search for a random item somewhere; all of which felt like I was working on the same objective, even if the characters, storyline, setting, and enemies were tweaked. cutscenes take this strange approach of crafting what seems like a portrait with Jin & whoever within, which may have been done to showcase the games' visuals, but ends up having me feel like missions are stagnant/don't matter, due to my feel of being removed from the characters & exposition. Jin feels uninspired and contradictory, as he holds himself up to this standard of supporting those on the island, but is quick to dispatch of any person that so much as bats an eye at the wrong quest-giving npc. the only interesting character (in my opinion following completion of the first act), Ryozu - showed some sense of direction & emotion, eluding to what great writing could have been thorughout your experience as opposed to tucked away in 1/5th of an act's missions.
from reading other reviews as well, ive also become too aware of this force-fed narrative of honor within samurai life, specifically within this game. while I am not one to speak historically on this, I would've wanted something that felt a bit more genuine, as opposed to hearing each important npc tell you about how important it is to fight/die with honor. at some point, it feels like an exhausted buzzword as opposed to a critical component of how one carried themselves within their business & relationships at a time in history.
for the first time in a long time, I feel greatly disappointed in a game that holds so much promises in certain spaces, but is lacking on other major ones.
missions fell within a number of small categories, as most games within this genre do: talk-travel-kill; trail an npc; or search for a random item somewhere; all of which felt like I was working on the same objective, even if the characters, storyline, setting, and enemies were tweaked. cutscenes take this strange approach of crafting what seems like a portrait with Jin & whoever within, which may have been done to showcase the games' visuals, but ends up having me feel like missions are stagnant/don't matter, due to my feel of being removed from the characters & exposition. Jin feels uninspired and contradictory, as he holds himself up to this standard of supporting those on the island, but is quick to dispatch of any person that so much as bats an eye at the wrong quest-giving npc. the only interesting character (in my opinion following completion of the first act), Ryozu - showed some sense of direction & emotion, eluding to what great writing could have been thorughout your experience as opposed to tucked away in 1/5th of an act's missions.
from reading other reviews as well, ive also become too aware of this force-fed narrative of honor within samurai life, specifically within this game. while I am not one to speak historically on this, I would've wanted something that felt a bit more genuine, as opposed to hearing each important npc tell you about how important it is to fight/die with honor. at some point, it feels like an exhausted buzzword as opposed to a critical component of how one carried themselves within their business & relationships at a time in history.
for the first time in a long time, I feel greatly disappointed in a game that holds so much promises in certain spaces, but is lacking on other major ones.
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
1990
while I've explored most of mario's journeys throughout my life, SMW always sort of felt like more of a mysterious adventure, most likely due to what was, at the time, my very young brain's limitations in discerning how to solve each level's varying puzzles & secrets. as a child, i felt frustrated that I was clearly missing something in vanilla dome. by the time i had reached the forest of illusion, i just stopped trying altogether.
i'm glad that I gave this gem another shot as an adult, where i was really able to appreciate the tight controls, beautiful artwork/sprite design, puzzles, and progression. taking a lap around dinosaur island was colorful and rewarding as I was able to find nearly each secret and see for myself a fully explored world & uncovered paths. while the music did sort of blend into the background after awhile, i seldom felt as though any given level felt exactly like the last.
despite giving it some thought, I'm not sure what could push this game, for me, from a 4/5 to a 5/5. it could be that its kept here due to limitations of a generation or the simple boss fights, but who is to say. for a game that came into existence about thirty five years ago, i found that this light-hearted and joyful experience had me feeling content from start to finish.
i'm glad that I gave this gem another shot as an adult, where i was really able to appreciate the tight controls, beautiful artwork/sprite design, puzzles, and progression. taking a lap around dinosaur island was colorful and rewarding as I was able to find nearly each secret and see for myself a fully explored world & uncovered paths. while the music did sort of blend into the background after awhile, i seldom felt as though any given level felt exactly like the last.
despite giving it some thought, I'm not sure what could push this game, for me, from a 4/5 to a 5/5. it could be that its kept here due to limitations of a generation or the simple boss fights, but who is to say. for a game that came into existence about thirty five years ago, i found that this light-hearted and joyful experience had me feeling content from start to finish.
2003
disappointing! while the music, characters, and shading/art style have so much promise, the bugs/glitches & unplayable-ness due to weird physics and janky controls makes playing this feel more like a chore than a hobby.
having cutscenes and va is a great touch for a series that could benefit so greatly from these things when done well. the gameplay gimmick could also work incredibly well in a space where swapping between characters is more fluid than it is here, or where your camera controls allow you to quickly see all obstacles/paths coming ahead. instead, the few positives are outshined by the "could-have-been"s.
having cutscenes and va is a great touch for a series that could benefit so greatly from these things when done well. the gameplay gimmick could also work incredibly well in a space where swapping between characters is more fluid than it is here, or where your camera controls allow you to quickly see all obstacles/paths coming ahead. instead, the few positives are outshined by the "could-have-been"s.
1992
super mario kart may be one of the definitive examples of a barebones project that allowed for so many ideas to flow in the future. it's an equally challenging as it is rewarding game play loop that is great for short bursts of fun. a light-hearted experience, it's delightful color palletes & range of locals offer just enough variety that one could expect from a super nintendo game. nothing that will blow you away or make you say "they don't make games like they used to", but good enough to jump in here and there.
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.