2023
Unfinished for now since Mario and Spidey came out. For the most part, I think this is a decent Sonic game, but could’ve been a lot better. The art style and music were great (for the most part), as were the level designs. Characters were mostly fun, except Knuckles.
Bosses are a major letdown here, as many have said. I don’t remember most of them, and the ones I do remember are not for good reasons. The controls also feel a bit stiff compared to most modern 2D platformers.
I had some fun here as there is a great amount of creativity in the levels (the cyberspace one in particular is peak) but Superstars never rises above the bare minimum, and ends up just being a decent little experience. It def doesn’t feel like a $60 game. Wait for a sale for this one.
Bosses are a major letdown here, as many have said. I don’t remember most of them, and the ones I do remember are not for good reasons. The controls also feel a bit stiff compared to most modern 2D platformers.
I had some fun here as there is a great amount of creativity in the levels (the cyberspace one in particular is peak) but Superstars never rises above the bare minimum, and ends up just being a decent little experience. It def doesn’t feel like a $60 game. Wait for a sale for this one.
In 1996, Nintendo released Super Mario 64. That game introduced so much to the Mario formula that we take for granted nowadays. Since then, every 3d Mario entry brings forth new creative ideas and innovations that wow almost every fan of the series. But when it came to 2d Mario, innovation was severely lacking. After Super Mario World for the SNES, 2D Mario was hard to come by. New Super Mario Bros. came out and, while refreshing to see 2D Mario make a return, there was a severe lack of innovation or anything interesting. 2D Mario was stuck in its ways. While still fun and enjoyable, there was nothing to bring Mario's 2D platformers to a new level. That is, until Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Wonder is an absolute joy to play. It excels in so many areas that, for me at least, its very few shortcomings are easily shrugged off. This is the best 2D Mario platformer in a long time, maybe even ever. What makes Wonder so great is its level design. Every level feels like the perfect length, not too long and not too short. Each level as at least 2 Wonder Seeds, this game's collectible needed to progress. Beating the level normally will reward you with one of the seeds, but finding the level's Wonder Flower and completing its wacky mission will get you the other. The Wonder Flower is one of the best new things that this series could introduce. For most of the game's run time, you encounter something completely new and wacky in each of the levels that really flexes the developers' creativity. From transforming to an enemy, to riding a stampede of bulls, to a ton more than I wouldn't dare spoil. It makes each level feel unique. I also felt like the game has a fair balance of difficulty. Sure, a lot of the regular levels are on the easier side. But there are some tough optional levels here that test your platforming skills.
There are also a lot of quality of life changes as well. The timer is completely gone, which I appreciate. They also save whenever you collect one of the three purple coins that are hidden in each level, even if you die after collecting one before hitting a checkpoint. This is so so so appreciated. They also no longer boot you out to the world map whenever you die, another decision that greatly helps the pacing of the game.
You also can't forget to mention the plethora of characters you can play as in this game. I'm a basic bitch that played as Mario the whole way through my single player playthrough, but you have all of the characters from the previous 2D Mario games, as well as Daisy, Todette, Yoshi, and Nabbit. It is a shame that Yoshi in particular is limited as an "easy mode" character, but its still cool that he's included nonetheless.
The music, art style, and sound effects all have this incredible charm to them. I couldn't help but smile the entire way through just experiencing the Flower Kingdom and all of its sights. It feels so much like Mario, but different enough to form its own identity. Many have compared this game to World, which I can see why as it feels like this generation's version of it.
Even though I love this game to death, there was one thing that did irk me about the experience: the bosses. Now I know 2D Mario isn't always the best at these, but Wonder has a real lack of variety in boss battles. You pretty much exclusively fight Bowser Jr. in different ways. While the fights were pretty creative in terms of mechanics, it shocked me that a game so stuffed full of creative ideas did not have more creative boss battles with new original designs. This also brings me to the final battle, which I won't spoil, but I kept waiting for some kind of phase 2 or a twist I didn't see coming. But instead it just felt kind of lackluster. Fun yes, but it never reached the heights of say Mario Odyssey's Bowser fight and escape sequence.
Even with lackluster bosses, this is one of the best 2D Mario games to date. A must own for Switch owners for sure. Its great to play solo or with others, and is so fresh and innovative for the 2D Mario series. I can't wait to see what the developers come up with from here on out. Keep making Mario wacky and new, Nintendo.
Wonder is an absolute joy to play. It excels in so many areas that, for me at least, its very few shortcomings are easily shrugged off. This is the best 2D Mario platformer in a long time, maybe even ever. What makes Wonder so great is its level design. Every level feels like the perfect length, not too long and not too short. Each level as at least 2 Wonder Seeds, this game's collectible needed to progress. Beating the level normally will reward you with one of the seeds, but finding the level's Wonder Flower and completing its wacky mission will get you the other. The Wonder Flower is one of the best new things that this series could introduce. For most of the game's run time, you encounter something completely new and wacky in each of the levels that really flexes the developers' creativity. From transforming to an enemy, to riding a stampede of bulls, to a ton more than I wouldn't dare spoil. It makes each level feel unique. I also felt like the game has a fair balance of difficulty. Sure, a lot of the regular levels are on the easier side. But there are some tough optional levels here that test your platforming skills.
There are also a lot of quality of life changes as well. The timer is completely gone, which I appreciate. They also save whenever you collect one of the three purple coins that are hidden in each level, even if you die after collecting one before hitting a checkpoint. This is so so so appreciated. They also no longer boot you out to the world map whenever you die, another decision that greatly helps the pacing of the game.
You also can't forget to mention the plethora of characters you can play as in this game. I'm a basic bitch that played as Mario the whole way through my single player playthrough, but you have all of the characters from the previous 2D Mario games, as well as Daisy, Todette, Yoshi, and Nabbit. It is a shame that Yoshi in particular is limited as an "easy mode" character, but its still cool that he's included nonetheless.
The music, art style, and sound effects all have this incredible charm to them. I couldn't help but smile the entire way through just experiencing the Flower Kingdom and all of its sights. It feels so much like Mario, but different enough to form its own identity. Many have compared this game to World, which I can see why as it feels like this generation's version of it.
Even though I love this game to death, there was one thing that did irk me about the experience: the bosses. Now I know 2D Mario isn't always the best at these, but Wonder has a real lack of variety in boss battles. You pretty much exclusively fight Bowser Jr. in different ways. While the fights were pretty creative in terms of mechanics, it shocked me that a game so stuffed full of creative ideas did not have more creative boss battles with new original designs. This also brings me to the final battle, which I won't spoil, but I kept waiting for some kind of phase 2 or a twist I didn't see coming. But instead it just felt kind of lackluster. Fun yes, but it never reached the heights of say Mario Odyssey's Bowser fight and escape sequence.
Even with lackluster bosses, this is one of the best 2D Mario games to date. A must own for Switch owners for sure. Its great to play solo or with others, and is so fresh and innovative for the 2D Mario series. I can't wait to see what the developers come up with from here on out. Keep making Mario wacky and new, Nintendo.
This review contains spoilers
Spider-Man means a lot to me. When I first saw the original film directed by Sam Raimi as a little boy, Spider-Man was everything that I could have wanted in a super hero. Not only did he have incredible powers that made him a super hero, but he had real human problems and struggles that came with being a hero. Insomniac's first Spider-Man game for the PS4 (now also on PC) was the perfect Spider-Man experience. Their spinoff, Miles Morales, was also a great, albeit short, Spidey story about Miles coming in to his own. Now with their full fledged sequel for the PS5, Insomniac gives players their version of the Black Suit Spider-Man tale, and my god did I love it.
The narrative is obviously a major highlight here. Playstation exclusives usually have great storylines and that doesn't stop here in Spidey 2. From Kraven's somewhat tragic backstory, Peter's fall from grace with the symbiote suit, to Miles' struggles with being his own person outside of Spider-Man, everything is nailed here. Every character is so fleshed out here. There isn't a single character in the cast that I disliked, no matter how major or minor their role is.
The gameplay is largely the same from the previous two Spidey games, but they've just added more to play around with. The web wings are a nice little addition to the already near perfect traversal system. Web swinging feels as great as ever. The combat will feel very familiar to people who played the previous games (which you should really do before jumping in to this one imo), but with more added abilities for both Peter and Miles.
Obviously a big highlight of the game is the symbiote suit abilities. Visually alone they are so impressive and fun. They change up the gameplay enough to give you a sense of just how powerful the symbiote suit really is.
At first, I groaned when I saw that MJ's missions were back. However, this time around, they are extremely well designed. MJ now has a weapon that she can use to take down enemies, and each time you play as her, your options greatly expand. By the last of her missions, it plays closer to a 3rd person shooter rather than a boring sneaking/tailing mission.
Let's also not ignore one of the best gameplay parts of the game: you get to play a mission and a boss battle as Venom. This was so damn cool and unexpected. It may only be for one small portion of the game, but even then Venom's gameplay is so highly polished and fun. If this is Insomniac hinting at a Venom game in the future, sign me the hell up.
Side missions this time around were pretty solid. They're a little lighter on Spidey villains this time around, but there's enough that set up future games and/or DLC that make them satisfying enough. There are a few extra baddies that show up though, and they are a lot of fun to see.
Progression is also largely similar to the previous games, but with a focus on skill trees, stats and gadget upgrades. Progression felt nice and smooth. I never felt like I had to grind for resources or that I was underpowered in any way. Everything just feels so smooth in Spidey 2.
In terms of complaints, I think I would really have to start nitpicking my experience. I suppose at times the side missions can start to feel a little monotonous. Though to be fair, that could just be because I would often go and try to do all of the side missions at once when I could, so that is probably more on me than anything. This experience is just so great there's not a lot coming to mind in terms of things I didn't like.
As a huge Spider-Man fan, I know I'm biased towards loving this game, so take my review however you will. But Insomniac created the best Spidey game to date (again). I highly recommend this game for anyone who's a Spidey fan, or just super-hero fan in general. Is it the best comic book game ever made? Well, its certainly between this and Arkham City.
The narrative is obviously a major highlight here. Playstation exclusives usually have great storylines and that doesn't stop here in Spidey 2. From Kraven's somewhat tragic backstory, Peter's fall from grace with the symbiote suit, to Miles' struggles with being his own person outside of Spider-Man, everything is nailed here. Every character is so fleshed out here. There isn't a single character in the cast that I disliked, no matter how major or minor their role is.
The gameplay is largely the same from the previous two Spidey games, but they've just added more to play around with. The web wings are a nice little addition to the already near perfect traversal system. Web swinging feels as great as ever. The combat will feel very familiar to people who played the previous games (which you should really do before jumping in to this one imo), but with more added abilities for both Peter and Miles.
Obviously a big highlight of the game is the symbiote suit abilities. Visually alone they are so impressive and fun. They change up the gameplay enough to give you a sense of just how powerful the symbiote suit really is.
At first, I groaned when I saw that MJ's missions were back. However, this time around, they are extremely well designed. MJ now has a weapon that she can use to take down enemies, and each time you play as her, your options greatly expand. By the last of her missions, it plays closer to a 3rd person shooter rather than a boring sneaking/tailing mission.
Let's also not ignore one of the best gameplay parts of the game: you get to play a mission and a boss battle as Venom. This was so damn cool and unexpected. It may only be for one small portion of the game, but even then Venom's gameplay is so highly polished and fun. If this is Insomniac hinting at a Venom game in the future, sign me the hell up.
Side missions this time around were pretty solid. They're a little lighter on Spidey villains this time around, but there's enough that set up future games and/or DLC that make them satisfying enough. There are a few extra baddies that show up though, and they are a lot of fun to see.
Progression is also largely similar to the previous games, but with a focus on skill trees, stats and gadget upgrades. Progression felt nice and smooth. I never felt like I had to grind for resources or that I was underpowered in any way. Everything just feels so smooth in Spidey 2.
In terms of complaints, I think I would really have to start nitpicking my experience. I suppose at times the side missions can start to feel a little monotonous. Though to be fair, that could just be because I would often go and try to do all of the side missions at once when I could, so that is probably more on me than anything. This experience is just so great there's not a lot coming to mind in terms of things I didn't like.
As a huge Spider-Man fan, I know I'm biased towards loving this game, so take my review however you will. But Insomniac created the best Spidey game to date (again). I highly recommend this game for anyone who's a Spidey fan, or just super-hero fan in general. Is it the best comic book game ever made? Well, its certainly between this and Arkham City.
2023
While Alan Wake II was on my radar, I didn't expect it to be THIS good. AW2 is a masterwork of surreal survival horror. With some many layers to unpack in its story and presentation, to its tense and engaging combat, AW2 takes you on a wild ride that you won't soon forget.
The shining star here is the story and presentation. Some may find Sam Lake's writing to be a bit pretentious at times, but I found this to be his best work. The game is separated into two stories: the titular character, Alan Wake, is trying to escape The Dark Place after the events of the first game, and the brand new character, Saga Anderson, is attempting to solve a string of murders that are occurring in Bright Falls. The story has so many surprising moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Those who enjoy a complex narrative will find themselves wholly engaged with every chapter, especially when playing as Alan.
The gameplay is expanded and more modernized from the previous game. With tons of stuff to collect, weapons to try, and intimidating enemy encounters. There are a few boss fights as well that help increase the tension even more. The general design of the game from both stories are unique and interesting.
AW2 just achieves a vibe that I haven't felt from any franchise since the golden era of Silent Hill. It isn't cheap horror, nor is it meant to be scoffed as some kind of stupid jump-scare fest (tho there is a fair share of those). The metanarrative and deeper themes only sink you more and more into the horror. I won't dare spoil anything, but this is most definitely the best narrative of the year.
In terms of negatives, I do think that the dodge that you're given for combat is a bit finicky, especially when trying to get a perfect dodge against enemies. I also found that exploration can be a bit tiresome. This may just be a me thing, but I don't really like when a survival horror game tries to have open world elements. I like a more linear approach overall, with some little side paths or optional little areas for some extra goodies to collect. Having the game be open world (mostly for Sagas story, but also somewhat present in Alan's) just made me feel like I was getting too drawn away from the main narrative and objective. It was fun sure, but it kind of took me out of the tense experience a lot.
All that being said, Alan Wake II is an absolute banger of a game. Yet another GOTY contender in my eyes. Remedy is continuing to put out some incredible games lately, and is quickly becoming one of the best developers around. This is a must play for any survival horror fan. Though I would recommend either playing through the original Alan Wake or reading up on the events of that game in order to fully enjoy this one.
The shining star here is the story and presentation. Some may find Sam Lake's writing to be a bit pretentious at times, but I found this to be his best work. The game is separated into two stories: the titular character, Alan Wake, is trying to escape The Dark Place after the events of the first game, and the brand new character, Saga Anderson, is attempting to solve a string of murders that are occurring in Bright Falls. The story has so many surprising moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Those who enjoy a complex narrative will find themselves wholly engaged with every chapter, especially when playing as Alan.
The gameplay is expanded and more modernized from the previous game. With tons of stuff to collect, weapons to try, and intimidating enemy encounters. There are a few boss fights as well that help increase the tension even more. The general design of the game from both stories are unique and interesting.
AW2 just achieves a vibe that I haven't felt from any franchise since the golden era of Silent Hill. It isn't cheap horror, nor is it meant to be scoffed as some kind of stupid jump-scare fest (tho there is a fair share of those). The metanarrative and deeper themes only sink you more and more into the horror. I won't dare spoil anything, but this is most definitely the best narrative of the year.
In terms of negatives, I do think that the dodge that you're given for combat is a bit finicky, especially when trying to get a perfect dodge against enemies. I also found that exploration can be a bit tiresome. This may just be a me thing, but I don't really like when a survival horror game tries to have open world elements. I like a more linear approach overall, with some little side paths or optional little areas for some extra goodies to collect. Having the game be open world (mostly for Sagas story, but also somewhat present in Alan's) just made me feel like I was getting too drawn away from the main narrative and objective. It was fun sure, but it kind of took me out of the tense experience a lot.
All that being said, Alan Wake II is an absolute banger of a game. Yet another GOTY contender in my eyes. Remedy is continuing to put out some incredible games lately, and is quickly becoming one of the best developers around. This is a must play for any survival horror fan. Though I would recommend either playing through the original Alan Wake or reading up on the events of that game in order to fully enjoy this one.
2023
It's been awhile since I've been able to binge a game like I did with Super Mario RPG. I played the original on Virtual Console back in the day. I remembered liking it and thinking that it had this great charm. Because of Square Enix being a developer on the original, I never expected it to get a full on remake. But here we are! And I couldn't put this game down. I'm not sure how hardcore fans of the original feel, but I think that Super Mario RPG Remake is even better than the original.
For starters, the game looks fantastic. It maintains the SNES level design and layout, but modernize it more to where it doesn't just constantly look like you're on floating squares. The cutscenes are a major highlight here as well. Visually they look incredible. Anytime there is a fully rendered cutscene or animation, the game is almost jaw dropping. This game makes me really want Nintendo to finally get with the program and make a 4k capable console already.
The gameplay is largely similar to the original, but with some added goodies. For starters, well timed attacks affect all enemies in a battle. I thought this would be OP, but its balanced out pretty well. They added Triple Moves as well, which are basically these super moves that you can pull off when your meter is filled up to 100%. These moves have great fully rendered scenes to them and are incredibly charming. Which move you perform is based on who you have in your active party during the battle, making team composition all the more important. Although you can just switch out a character during their turn to use the move you want.
The writing and characters hold up pretty well also. I would've liked to have seen a little more added story or lore elements though, since this is one of the most unique Mario universes we've ever seen. The world is just so charming, as are the many unique characters that we've only really seen in this game.
I only have a couple gripes with this game. For one, I did find the experience really, really easy. I only had trouble with the post game bosses, which are designed to be really difficult. The base game is just extremely easy, so much so that I'm shocked that theres a mode to make the game even easier. This could just be because I am very well versed in the RPG genre, and SMRPG is more so targeting RPG newbies, but I think the game could've had a little more of a difficulty curve. My second complaint is that the game could've updated more of the experience. While I loved this remake, it honestly rides the line between remake and remaster. Some of the issues of the SNES version are still here, such as issues with depth perception and the camera angle(s) being a bit off when it comes to some of the platforming challenges that they require you to do. There could've been more of an effort to at least update a little aspects of the game that did not age well.
Even still, I found this to be the definitive way to experience Super Mario RPG. It's extremely fun and addictive. I couldn't believe that I finished the game as quickly as I did. It's been a long time since I have been able to sit down and binge a game like I did this one. And I don't regret it for one second.
For starters, the game looks fantastic. It maintains the SNES level design and layout, but modernize it more to where it doesn't just constantly look like you're on floating squares. The cutscenes are a major highlight here as well. Visually they look incredible. Anytime there is a fully rendered cutscene or animation, the game is almost jaw dropping. This game makes me really want Nintendo to finally get with the program and make a 4k capable console already.
The gameplay is largely similar to the original, but with some added goodies. For starters, well timed attacks affect all enemies in a battle. I thought this would be OP, but its balanced out pretty well. They added Triple Moves as well, which are basically these super moves that you can pull off when your meter is filled up to 100%. These moves have great fully rendered scenes to them and are incredibly charming. Which move you perform is based on who you have in your active party during the battle, making team composition all the more important. Although you can just switch out a character during their turn to use the move you want.
The writing and characters hold up pretty well also. I would've liked to have seen a little more added story or lore elements though, since this is one of the most unique Mario universes we've ever seen. The world is just so charming, as are the many unique characters that we've only really seen in this game.
I only have a couple gripes with this game. For one, I did find the experience really, really easy. I only had trouble with the post game bosses, which are designed to be really difficult. The base game is just extremely easy, so much so that I'm shocked that theres a mode to make the game even easier. This could just be because I am very well versed in the RPG genre, and SMRPG is more so targeting RPG newbies, but I think the game could've had a little more of a difficulty curve. My second complaint is that the game could've updated more of the experience. While I loved this remake, it honestly rides the line between remake and remaster. Some of the issues of the SNES version are still here, such as issues with depth perception and the camera angle(s) being a bit off when it comes to some of the platforming challenges that they require you to do. There could've been more of an effort to at least update a little aspects of the game that did not age well.
Even still, I found this to be the definitive way to experience Super Mario RPG. It's extremely fun and addictive. I couldn't believe that I finished the game as quickly as I did. It's been a long time since I have been able to sit down and binge a game like I did this one. And I don't regret it for one second.
So funny enough I picked up this game because a Tik Tok creator that I follow said this would be a rare Switch game...yet every Gamestop I go into has a ton of copies smh. But regardless of that, I have become a recent Dragon Quest fan and wanted to give this game a shot. I mean, a monster collecting game where you play as the antagonist from DQ4?? Sign me up. But honestly the grind and the repetitiveness has gotten so significant for me that I just can't bring myself to play too much more, even if the core gameplay is pretty good.
The story and characters are interesting, especially because your character, Psaro, has such interesting motivations. Different story beats take a left turn due to your character's more evil nature, which makes things super interesting. The combat is also pretty fun, even if it can sometimes feel like you're on autopilot a lot of the time. Synthesizing and fusing monsters is also a lot of fun, though a bit confusing to get the hang of at times.
Its just...damn the grind. Everything about this game tests your patience. The performance is pretty poor, which is baffling as the game is just okay looking and there isn't a lot going on that would normally affect the performance, especially on Switch. The story is so repetitive and honestly uninteresting aside from the left turns it takes occasionally. Go to this circle of Nadiria, solve the problem, rise and repeat. Maybe throw in some colosseum battles here and there too. It just feels like a slog.
Getting good monsters is also a grind. Especially because there will be random difficulty spikes that come out of nowhere. The game does not like giving you good monsters by default, you HAVE to synthesize in order to stand a chance. But then the synthesized monster starts at level 1, which means more grinding is needed in order to get it up to snuff with where you're at in the game. It just frustrates me more than anything, especially these days where my time is more limited.
All-in-all, DQ Monsters The Dark Prince is a solid game at its core, and one that I legit have had fun with. I'm just at the point where the grind and repetitiveness has taken its toll and I need a break. I don't think the game is going to change much in terms of the core mechanics and issues I have with it, so I'm comfortable giving it a final score.
The story and characters are interesting, especially because your character, Psaro, has such interesting motivations. Different story beats take a left turn due to your character's more evil nature, which makes things super interesting. The combat is also pretty fun, even if it can sometimes feel like you're on autopilot a lot of the time. Synthesizing and fusing monsters is also a lot of fun, though a bit confusing to get the hang of at times.
Its just...damn the grind. Everything about this game tests your patience. The performance is pretty poor, which is baffling as the game is just okay looking and there isn't a lot going on that would normally affect the performance, especially on Switch. The story is so repetitive and honestly uninteresting aside from the left turns it takes occasionally. Go to this circle of Nadiria, solve the problem, rise and repeat. Maybe throw in some colosseum battles here and there too. It just feels like a slog.
Getting good monsters is also a grind. Especially because there will be random difficulty spikes that come out of nowhere. The game does not like giving you good monsters by default, you HAVE to synthesize in order to stand a chance. But then the synthesized monster starts at level 1, which means more grinding is needed in order to get it up to snuff with where you're at in the game. It just frustrates me more than anything, especially these days where my time is more limited.
All-in-all, DQ Monsters The Dark Prince is a solid game at its core, and one that I legit have had fun with. I'm just at the point where the grind and repetitiveness has taken its toll and I need a break. I don't think the game is going to change much in terms of the core mechanics and issues I have with it, so I'm comfortable giving it a final score.
One of the best Mario games ever…again. And that’s not a complaint. TTYD is one of the best RPGs and Mario games you can buy. This remake was fantastic (tho locking at 30 fps was a little odd). Even with some odd limitations here and there, the game is still a masterpiece that should be played.