justgrim
2023
To me, this is the perfect remake. It modernises the graphics while staying true to the art style of the original game, and keeps core gameplay mechanics intact while introducing some small new ones that don't intrude on the nostalgia. The quality-of-life changes are great (early hidden treasure finder, restoration item shortcut, equip item after buying) and the changes to timed hits make landing them all the more satisfying.
The rescore is excellent, and as much as I love the original version of the soundtrack—which you can switch to at any time from the menu—I couldn't bring myself to do it, as some of the new arrangements were just too good. It's still a pretty easy game and I'd have enjoyed the addition of a 'hard mode' beyond the additional post-game boss fights, but it's still an iconic game I struggle to find issues with beyond some small occasional framerate issues— and the fact they didn't keep the name of Exor's mouth component as Neosquid.
I enjoy this as a remake so much that I'll probably play this instead of the original, in future. ArtePiazza should definitely be given more remakes.
The rescore is excellent, and as much as I love the original version of the soundtrack—which you can switch to at any time from the menu—I couldn't bring myself to do it, as some of the new arrangements were just too good. It's still a pretty easy game and I'd have enjoyed the addition of a 'hard mode' beyond the additional post-game boss fights, but it's still an iconic game I struggle to find issues with beyond some small occasional framerate issues— and the fact they didn't keep the name of Exor's mouth component as Neosquid.
I enjoy this as a remake so much that I'll probably play this instead of the original, in future. ArtePiazza should definitely be given more remakes.
2005
Kids these days just won't get it.
2002
I have a lot of nostalgia for this game, as it's the first Mario game I ever played— and, having played it again recently, it still holds up. The graphics are great for a 2002 game, with the water in particular looking excellent. The 'secret' levels are a lot of fun, and the boss fights are very creative.
I never want to see a watermelon in my life again.
I never want to see a watermelon in my life again.
2022
This game is unfairly maligned. Modern Pokémon games are stinky for a lot of reasons (low difficulty, bad graphics), but I feel Scarlet gave me enough to do that I wasn't really bothered by it. The game runs awfully and I still prefer having a linear path through the game's areas, but I like the freedom it gives you to tackle bosses as you please and throw yourself into high-level Pokémon if that's what you want.
Had a surprisingly good and emotional story, hit me with the Ed Sheeran banger in the credits. Good game.
Had a surprisingly good and emotional story, hit me with the Ed Sheeran banger in the credits. Good game.
Good childhood memories of this one. Wish they'd remade it instead of regular DP, but I guess with the quality of BDSP that isn't the worst thing in the world. Digging tunnels with my buddies will always be a fond memory, and Cynthia actually isn't as difficult as an adult as I remember.
Definitely in the top 3 for my favourite Pokémon games, if not purely because of Gen 3's undying love for the trumpets. I also just like the Pokémon a lot and think Magma/Aqua are among the more interesting evil teams over the years.
In the same vein as Majora's Mask, Tears of the Kingdom is more or less a 'recycled assets' game that somehow still ended up being incredible. While it isn't as unique from its predecessor as MM, as it essentially reuses the same map, TotK adds enough to it both above and under that excuses it. More importantly, it re-introduces classic Zelda dungeons, and has a richer story to tell than Breath of the Wild.
I think I like it more, especially because of Ultrahand and Fuse, and the complexity they both lend to puzzles and the player experience as a whole. I haven't yet replayed it, but I plan to.
I think I like it more, especially because of Ultrahand and Fuse, and the complexity they both lend to puzzles and the player experience as a whole. I haven't yet replayed it, but I plan to.
I think it'd be a disservice to give this game any less than 5 stars. It's one of the greatest games of all time, leaving a mark on the gaming industry standard the same way Ocarina of Time did. I admittedly like Zelda more as a linear gameplay experience and I really wish they'd move back in that direction, but it's still a great game I replay at least once a year (and still haven't 100%'d).
The worst thing BotW did was indirectly cause the existence of Genshin Impact.
The worst thing BotW did was indirectly cause the existence of Genshin Impact.
I hate having to control this game with a stylus, but it's an amazing game so it makes up for it. I love the way the boat works, and I love the use of the DS's technology (the fact you had to close the lid to transfer a picture from one screen to the other was literally mind-blowing to me as a child). I find myself wanting to revisit this a lot, but I don't have a copy anymore.
I hate the Wii version of this because it flips the whole game and throws my sense of direction off, but it was still a cool thematic approach to Zelda that was a lot darker and scarier, and had possibly the most in-depth story in the series yet. I think linear Zelda is Zelda at its best, so games like TP will always appeal to me.
My favourite version of my favourite game in the Zelda series. It fixed everything that was wrong with the original version, such as the Triforce quest and (arguably) the slow sailing. The story was great, the dungeons were fun and the world was rich with side quests and quirky locations. I will replay this forever.
This is, visually, one of the nicest games on the Nintendo Switch and a personal favourite in the Zelda series as a whole. I never played the original Link's Awakening that much, but this remake was great. It's a little short, but I can forgive that.
I don't usually enjoy NES games as much (the graphics are dated, sue me) but I always thought Zelda 2 was an interesting concept for a more RPG-oriented entry in the series that I'd like to see them touch on again.
It's amazing how a game of recycled assets can be as good as Majora's Mask and feel like a completely different game to the original. It's a lot darker, its three-day gameplay loop was well executed, and it rewarded you for going out of your way to do side quests. I always struggle to decide whether I like it more than Ocarina.
I usually prefer to play the 3DS version because its quality-of-life changes make a lot of the game feel much better to play (especially in terms of FPS and graphical fidelity), but it's hard to beat the classic experience. The level design is engaging, the combat system was revolutionary— it became the basis of almost all modern ARPGs with good reason.