I hope I’m not clouded by nostalgia when I think of Tomodachi Life, but I can’t talk about this game without talking about the feeling of opening my 3DS in the car on the way to school. In a rush of adrenaline to get to those pink windows, I’d quickly collect coins at the fountain before trying to quickly set two Miis up together before the bell rang for class.

As a kid, this game gave me something to look forward to every morning, and the comedy of it only grew with me watching Vinny’s playthrough. Nintendo Switch Pro when?

2012

I played Ib when I was 8 or 9 and I’m pretty sure this is the game that sparked my love for both JRPGs and horror.

Games like Ib break the horror genre down to its simplest form. How can you be scared of a pixel horror game? The artistry speaks for itself; really the graphics are just the blueprint and the tension and story take it away in your mind.

Beautiful, scary, sad. I love the setting of the museum and I’d love to see games explore thenes like Ib.

Over the pandemic I picked up Danganronpa to stream to my friends online. I played all of them except the first one (even Ultra Despair Girls) since I just watched the anime instead.

The sequel definitely shook me to my core in terms of twists and overall plot, but something about the eeriness of V3 really stuck with me more than the second title. I truly think the first murder/trial is one of, if not the best in the series. The deaths in this game struck me particularly hard and there are some definite tear-jerking moments that made me have to take time off from playing.

A lot of things that happen throughout the game click into place towards the end, but I did feel like there were some things that just felt thrown in there or were too much up for interpretation. This is by far my favorite installment in the series!!

This game was such a fresh addition to the Layton series with some really interesting elements of gameplay from games like Ace Attorney or even Danganronpa. Lucy and Alfendi are such great characters and work really well off of each other, and I hope that they do something with them again soon. I’ll always remember how tense I felt during that last chapter. Chills!

Where to begin?

I used to be a Final Fantasy hater. I groaned when there were new announcements and always wondered why there were, like, 28 of them. Fast forward a few years and I see a clip of FFVII Remake online of Cloud’s iconic “nailed it, I know, thank you, moving on,” and I suddenly had the realization that maybe this game could be funny. Long story short, I bought the game on my PC in 2022 and besides knowing Cloud wears a dress, I knew next to nothing about VII or Final Fantasy in general. I knew that most people I watched online had the original in their top favorites, but I never really bothered to check why.

Playing the game from a cinematic perspective is breathtaking— it really feels like everything is intentional and exact. It runs great, the characters are beautifully complicated, and Cloud has a cool sword. That’s all I really need in a game. Additionally, the messy relationships and romance that tie into the A-plot is such a smart touch that really makes this game extra special.

I honestly feel like a fake Final Fantasy fan when I mention I did not play the original VII (even though I’ve played some of Tactics Advance, XV, X, and continue to play XIV regularly), but even though I’m relatively new to the community, I am so excited to see what the next generation of games from Square has in store. This has taken one of the top spots for me in gaming. I look forward to playing the original afterward!!

If you’re going to play an arcade-style game, you will play Peggle. I found this game purely by chance and was intrigued by its lush colors and simple design. Each character feels unique and new (…although some may argue otherwise. I beg to differ!) I completed a significant amount of the challenge levels with Jimmy Lightning, who I know some think is one of the weaker characters, but depending on the level he can easily wipe an entire board of pegs.

The lore is quite intriguing, too— why is there a university? Why are there pegs? But when you suspend your disbelief and take in the context of the world, you realize the artistry that is required to become a grandmaster.

The feeling of getting the “Peggle Grandmaster” certificate was a feeling of accomplishment that I found comparable to winning a sport. I only wish I could go back to the day I opened the game for the first time and heard the music swell as I pressed play. Jimmy Lightning forever ❤️