52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

[kashell]

46. Resident Evil Requiem

This Capcom at its finest. Pure excellence in nearly every aspect. It's bloody. It's spooky. It's intriguing. And it's so polished that it has me scratching my head as to how the developers were able to make something look so good. It's on the shorter side, to be sure. I would have happily gone through one more area as both Grace and Leon if it meant more discoveries, enemies to slaughter, and places to learn more about the overall world of Resident Evil. My only note on the game is that it's easy to get turned around or lost, but that's it. Otherwise, I recommend this game to anyone. I'm pumped to get a review going for it.

[supremeusername]

27. Super Mario 64 | 1996 | Switch 2 | 6/18:



     Super Mario 64 is about to be 30 years old later this year. It's hard for me to imagine, because that game was out before my time. I didn't have the experience of transitioning from the 2D sprites of the SNES/Genesis to full-fledged 3D graphics promised by fifth-generation consoles, such as the Nintendo 64. I've had an N64, and I have played a bit of SM64 growing up, so I do have some nostalgia for the game.

     All of this is to say: Super Mario 64 is without no doubt a masterpiece, and will continue to be so as long as 1+1=2. I don't think it's a perfect game by any stretch of the imagination. The camera, while NOT as bad as everyone makes it out to be, can become unintuitive when moving on a thin surface or lining up for a jump. Even when using the Mario Cam instead of the Lakitu Cam (I think a lot of people forget it exists), it can still be troublesome. Yet if the camera system of Mario 64 was reworked, we wouldn't get the cinematic moments of the Chain Chomp narrowly avoiding you with its bite in Bob-omb Battlefield, nor the piano coming to life in Big Boo's Haunt. Those moments wouldn't have been as memorable or cherished if captured at any other angle.

     The designers of Nintendo were so ambitious with this game. I can imagine kids bewildered at getting to explore Peach's Castle for the very first time, and discovering all the castle's secret levels in the process. Imagine going from 8 or so worlds in a 2D Mario game, to almost double with 15 in SM64. Sure, there's repeat themes -- two snow courses and two water for example -- and some courses are a lot better than others. But that doesn't matter; you don't have to play every level. I ended up skipping Cool, Cool Mountain and Tiny-Huge Island entirely; not because I don't like them but because I got involved with trying out other levels first. I really wanted to fully complete all the water courses (yes, I like the water levels) and the very first two courses as well cause they are both classics. It ended up being more than half of the 70 stars I needed to finish the game, so the rest of the stars I got were just whatever I felt like getting at the moment.

     There's just something special with the design of Mario 64. Take the 3rd mission in Bob-omb Battlefield for example: "Shoot to the Island in the Sky". You're supposed to walk halfway up the mountain and use the cannon to fire yourself at the tree. The game doesn't tell you this of course, but that's the easiest, most simple path to the star. You can however, also use the cannon that's almost directly underneath the floating island to get there. It's a quicker, but more difficult solution as you get a lot less wiggle-room to line up the perfect shot. If you aim too high, you'll miss the top of the tree and end up sailing towards the mountain. It sucks when you miss, but you end up a lot closer to the easy cannon shot in return. Was this all by design, or is it all one big coincidence?

     Whatever the case may be, it adds more and more to Mario 64's crowning achievement: the freedom. You have the freedom to pick out what stars you want to get, and how you want to obtain them. There's some exceptions to the rule, but you ultimately decide what you want to do. You have an entire arsenal of tricks at your diposal to obtain these stars: the triple jump, the mid-air dive, the long jump, the ground pound. You can combo some of these moves together to get to other areas quicker, or places that may or may not have been available yet by design. It really opens the game up for a high skill-ceiling, and it's ultimately why SM64 is still the #1 speedrunning game in the world.

     There's skips like the backwards long jump up the infinite staircase that anyone can do, lore ("L is Real"), memes ("So Long Gay Bowser"), and theories outside of the game ("Every copy of Mario 64 is personalized"). These are all elements that make this game stand out beyond the game, but never overshadows it; because SM64 is timeless to play. Mario 64 is not even my favorite 3D Mario game, but there's no denying the fact that Super Mario 64 is eternal.

Grade: S

[2ko]

27. Super Mario 64 | 1996 | Switch 2 | 6/18:



     Super Mario 64 is about to be 30 years old later this year. It's hard for me to imagine, because that game was out before my time. I didn't have the experience of transitioning from the 2D sprites of the SNES/Genesis to full-fledged 3D graphics promised by fifth-generation consoles, such as the Nintendo 64. I've had an N64, and I have played a bit of SM64 growing up, so I do have some nostalgia for the game.

     All of this is to say: Super Mario 64 is without no doubt a masterpiece, and will continue to be so as long as 1+1=2. I don't think it's a perfect game by any stretch of the imagination. The camera, while NOT as bad as everyone makes it out to be, can become unintuitive when moving on a thin surface or lining up for a jump. Even when using the Mario Cam instead of the Lakitu Cam (I think a lot of people forget it exists), it can still be troublesome. Yet if the camera system of Mario 64 was reworked, we wouldn't get the cinematic moments of the Chain Chomp narrowly avoiding you with its bite in Bob-omb Battlefield, nor the piano coming to life in Big Boo's Haunt. Those moments wouldn't have been as memorable or cherished if captured at any other angle.

     The designers of Nintendo were so ambitious with this game. I can imagine kids bewildered at getting to explore Peach's Castle for the very first time, and discovering all the castle's secret levels in the process. Imagine going from 8 or so worlds in a 2D Mario game, to almost double with 15 in SM64. Sure, there's repeat themes -- two snow courses and two water for example -- and some courses are a lot better than others. But that doesn't matter; you don't have to play every level. I ended up skipping Cool, Cool Mountain and Tiny-Huge Island entirely; not because I don't like them but because I got involved with trying out other levels first. I really wanted to fully complete all the water courses (yes, I like the water levels) and the very first two courses as well cause they are both classics. It ended up being more than half of the 70 stars I needed to finish the game, so the rest of the stars I got were just whatever I felt like getting at the moment.

     There's just something special with the design of Mario 64. Take the 3rd mission in Bob-omb Battlefield for example: "Shoot to the Island in the Sky". You're supposed to walk halfway up the mountain and use the cannon to fire yourself at the tree. The game doesn't tell you this of course, but that's the easiest, most simple path to the star. You can however, also use the cannon that's almost directly underneath the floating island to get there. It's a quicker, but more difficult solution as you get a lot less wiggle-room to line up the perfect shot. If you aim too high, you'll miss the top of the tree and end up sailing towards the mountain. It sucks when you miss, but you end up a lot closer to the easy cannon shot in return. Was this all by design, or is it all one big coincidence?

     Whatever the case may be, it adds more and more to Mario 64's crowning achievement: the freedom. You have the freedom to pick out what stars you want to get, and how you want to obtain them. There's some exceptions to the rule, but you ultimately decide what you want to do. You have an entire arsenal of tricks at your diposal to obtain these stars: the triple jump, the mid-air dive, the long jump, the ground pound. You can combo some of these moves together to get to other areas quicker, or places that may or may not have been available yet by design. It really opens the game up for a high skill-ceiling, and it's ultimately why SM64 is still the #1 speedrunning game in the world.

     There's skips like the backwards long jump up the infinite staircase that anyone can do, lore ("L is Real"), memes ("So Long Gay Bowser"), and theories outside of the game ("Every copy of Mario 64 is personalized"). These are all elements that make this game stand out beyond the game, but never overshadows it; because SM64 is timeless to play. Mario 64 is not even my favorite 3D Mario game, but there's no denying the fact that Super Mario 64 is eternal.

Grade: S

I've played a lot of SM64, especially the DS version (N64 was around when I was a kid, but I had a PS1), but I have never actually beaten it lol

I've started the OG N64 release on a few different occasions over the years but never make it very far, maybe 20 or so stars before something comes up that takes my attention away.

I plan on beating it later this year though now that I have an Analogue 3D. I'd play it now but it's already packed up and shipped back home to Canada as I'm in the process of moving.

[dhaabi]

25. Novena || Browser || 06.21.2026



I'm still trying out bite-sized Bitsy games. Something I noticed when first starting but haven't mentioned yet is how many of these experiences that highlight story and storytelling are immediately presented when playing in browser. By default, the button to execute programs on itch.io will be labeled as run game, but there is a trend among Bitsy games to alter the labeled text to something more fitting. For Novena specifically, the button now reads run poem. And while that's a slightly dramatized change, it does reflect the more poignant tone it sets as a drama.

Novena is a story emphasizing repetition and the ongoing effort it often takes to help rebuild what's been broken—if it can be rebuilt at all, even partially. Specifically, the problems introduced deal with depression but ultimately stem from mistrust and exploitation, though they're presented in a somewhat abstracted way. Above anything else, the game's use of color reinforces the emotional journey with its changing progression being simple yet powerful. To be expected, it's a short story that's best experienced first-hand instead of reading about. And this is especially true considering that gameplay only consists of basic exploratory interactions—walking around small rooms and reading dialogue or other in-game text that appears. Gameplay is especially limited, but I can't imagine what other mechanics could have been incorporated that wouldn't have instead subtracted from the experience.

While the game is primarily designed with Bitsy, it also utilizes other tools and effects beyond what are typically available. These additions are subtle and don't greatly alter the experience but do elevate it. Particularly, its most noticeable outside element is the implementation of music. While music is optional to most gameplay experiences, it would be a disservice to say that Novena would be the same without it. Other changes are much smaller, relating to text formatting effects and something so minor such as directional avatar positioning instead of players controlling a character that's solely bound to one static direction despite where they move to. Having already looked at the Bitsy tool some, I don't think the game incorporates any other changes besides these ones; if other effects are present, they're slight and went without my noticing.

From my observations, Novena is one of the more popular games built with Bitsy, and for good reason too. It exemplifies what Bitsy does best by being a short graphic adventure experience, although I do believe that its overarching theme would have been considerably less effective had no music been added from outside tools. And to be straightforward, it's not that I find the game's theme to be all that compelling or unique, but its storytelling capabilities are noteworthy considering the limitations its bound by.

[realpoketendonl]

18. Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled

Okay, to be honest: I have not yet beaten all the time trials or unlocked the "true" ending yet. But I beat the final boss of the Adventure Mode once and got to the credits, and I'm going to consider that beating it. Also because I don't want to play this anymore.

Pff, this game is polarizing to me. In multiplayer, it's a blast. I played it with friends once, and we had a great time. Races can be pretty exhilarating at times when you string good drifting and jumping together through tight turns. Can highly recommend.

The single player adventure mode though, I'm not sure I liked. It does not mess around: it's tough. But not in a way that I always found fun or fair. I moreso found myself getting easily frustrated. I honestly found playing through it stressful, and not in an enjoyable way. The bosses especially are just plain cheap. Tip: just having your boss racers endlessly throw shit behind them on the course is not good boss design. It's cheap and annoying. Also doesn't help that, even though I've now literally beaten the final boss, there are still turns in some tracks that are so tight that I have no idea how I'm supposed to take them. I just hit the wall every single time.

Also, there's two broader things in the game that bug me. First of all, the microtransaction-centric progression is awful. It's really annoying and distracting. It really has no place in a game like this. The fact it needs to ping a server after every single race alone, god that's so stupid. And secondly, I have to address the offensive stereotyping here and there. In particular characters like Papu Papu. I know he debuted in the 90s, but to be honest I still just found it uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, that's two for two Crash games I've played thus far that I'm iffy about. I did not really like the original Crash Bandicoot (N. Sane Trilogy version), and I'm not sure how much I liked this game. In multiplayer I've definitely had fun with it, but single player? I don't think the exhilarating race moments outweighed the frustration for me. Don't think I'll really come back to this one alone.

At least this game introduced me to the character Pura. I had never heard of her before, but I played the whole campaign as her. She's adorable.

[kashell]

47. The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales - As Long as Any Hope Remains

Uh. Ending one of whatever, I guess? The game just ended after beating a boss. On the one hand, I knew I was near the end based on all my inventory and the life bar. On the other hand, WTF? There isn't that much left for me to discover. I'm confused. Oh well. Clear data has been saved and I'm seeing what's next.

[kashell]

48. The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales - The Peace in Which We Walk

I was a thorough adventurer, so a lot of the stuff that was needed to reach this next ending was already done. I think I see where this is going. I hope I'm wrong, but we shall see. Obviously, I won't get into any spoiler territory.

[bikingjahuty]

42. Sonic Mania Plus (Switch)

In many ways, Sonic Mania feels like the Sonic 4 we should have got back in 1997 on the Sega Saturn. The aesthetic, art style, music, and nearly everything else about it fits in almost perfectly with the classic 3D era of Sonic on the Genesis. I think it's because of this that I was so bewitched by this game when I first played it around the time it first came out that I initially overlooked some of its more blaring faults. In fact, I was so enamored with Sonic Mania the first time I played and beat it back in 2019 that I debated whether to place it over my all time favorite Sonic game, Sonic 3. However, having gone back and replayed it again for the first time since then, I can definitely say I prefer Sonic 3 and I'd even go as far as to say my second favorite Sonic game, Sonic 2, trumps it.


I'll start off my saying this game's presentation is OUTSTANDING! Seriously, I cannot overstate how incredible this game looks and sounds. When I said you could be forgiven for thinking this was the sequel to Sonic 3 we should have had back in the mid to late 90s, I wasn't joking. If not for the copious amount of recycled/remixed levels from classic Sonic games and the heavy use of arranged audio from those older titles, I'd say this game's presentation was absolutely perfect. The original stages and audio, which account for about half this game, are all lovingly crafted to feel as authentic to the classic era of 2D Sonic the Hedgehog games as possible. It truly is remarkable what they were able to accomplish and I really have nothing negative to say about it other than older assets may have been used a bit too much. However, this might not have necessarily been a bad thing when it comes to Sonic Mania's gameplay.


Unfortunately, the moments I enjoyed Sonic Mania the most were when I was playing through one of the remixed retro levels of Sonic like Hydrocity or Green Hills. This is mostly due to the fact that these levels are way better designed and implemented than the original zones added to Sonic Mania. And before I get too far ahead of myself, know that these borrowed stages are not carbon copies of their originals. No, in fact they are remixed and changed up enough to feel new and fresh while still retaining a level of familiarity that any longtime Sonic fan will feel familiar with. The new elements thrown into the classic stages do a fairly good job of complementing and even enhancing the gameplay of those stages at times, however it doesn't always work out that way. This is particularly true of the bosses in Sonic Mania, which while they all mostly look awesome, aren't particularly fun to fight, save a few.


More or less, 80% of the bosses in Sonic Mania have little to no strategy when fighting them. It pretty much just boils down to bludgeoning them fast enough while managing rings to end the fight. The fights that do try and be more technical don't always work out the way I'm sure the developers intended either. And that's not to say most of the boss fights are terrible, although some certainly are. It mostly just means the majority or okay at best, which is a shame since as mentioned, nearly every boss looks excellent. This is true of both returning classic zones as well as the new zones. Speaking of the new zones...


Just like Sonic Mania's bosses, the new zones are a visual highlight and a ton of effort was put into them to make them as charming and memorable as possible. This extends to their respective soundtracks which retain the same level of quality found in other retro Sonic OSTs. However, these newer, original stages really highlight just how good Sonic Team and STI were at designing these games back in day. From a pure gameplay and level design perspective, the new zones in Sonic Mania are pretty consistently the weakest ones in the game. They possess a lot of spectacle and flourishes that the designers tried integrating into the gameplay, but the end result are levels that just feel cumbersome and bloated. Not to mention, certain platforming elements added into this game are just plain annoying and a chore to get through whenever you encounter them. Luckily, there are enough redeeming gameplay qualities in the newer levels where few are downright awful, but it does create a pretty stark contrast in quality between the returning classic stages and the newer, flashier stages.


Despite my criticisms, Sonic Mania is still one of the best 2D Sonics ever made, which by extension means it is one of the best Sonic games, period. I may no longer hold it in the same incredibly high regard as Sonic 2 or 3, but it's not far off in terms of how good it is to look at and play. In fact, had the gameplay been a little more fine tuned and the development team spent more time making sure the newer levels were as fun to play as they were to look at, I probably would be saying how this is the best Sonic game ever made right now. But unfortunately, that just isn't the case despite how tempting it is to say otherwise based on how well the devs nailed the look and feel of classic Sonic with this one. Regardless, Sonic Mania is a must play for any Sonic fan and a title that represents one of the best retro throwback titles I've ever played. (6/28/26) [38/50]

[kashell]

49. The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales - True Ending

Okay, my earlier hypotheses were wrong, and I'm glad about that. The story had some surprising twists that made the quest for the true ending worth it. Overall, I think I'll score this game somewhere above average. It started strong. The gameplay loop is addictive. But, there was a lot of repetition. I feel like there could have been more variety with each era and location. I get what they were going for but little tweaks to each era would have gone a long way. The final boss was horrible. I hate it when games do a genre-swap and expect it to go seamlessly. I'm playing a 2D action-adventure; not Drakengard. I dunno; I'm all over the place with this one.

[realpoketendonl]

19. Star Fox (2026)

The new Star Fox! I have now finished four runs of the campaign on normal difficulty, and beaten every level at least once. I'm going to consider that fair to say I beat it. I was really excited for this game. It's so exciting to see the Star Fox cast again! And beating it now, I'm loving it.

To address the elephant in the room: yes, this is Star Fox 64 again. And yes, something original would've been nice. I did play Lylat Wars as a kid, and I have finished Star Fox 64 3D before. However, if you don't count Star Fox Zero, then the last time I seriously played through this campaign must be well over ten years ago at this point. I was still a teenager. So even if a lot of the set pieces and plot beats are familiar, a lot of it still felt fresh to me.

And I had a total blast playing through it. The game is so fun. Flying around, shooting the enemies, working out the different paths, it's a total blast. I remember struggling a lot with some of the final battles as a kid, but now, it was still a challenge, but a really friggin' fun one. I especially found myself enjoying the all-range mode dogfight moments a ton! To the point I hopped in for a few matches online, which I'm usually not into at all.

It's all helped by gorgeous modern visuals and the cinematic soundtrack, not to mention the extra story cutscenes and new dialogue. A divisive part of this game was the new character designs. Personally though? I LOVE them. Love 'em love 'em love 'em. It's different, it's cool, argh I love them! Playing through this game honestly gave me a whole new love for these characters, both the main cast and the supporting cast.

This game is great. I can see myself continuing to play it for a while to complete more challenges. Yes, it's Star Fox 64 again. How much of a problem that is, is entirely subjective. But I will say: if you've never played Star Fox before and you're curious about it, this is a fantastic entry into the series. Highly recommend it.

(Also, I'm having way too much fun with the vtuber mode. I have no idea why but simply seeing myself as a Fox McCloud vtuber is so much fun to me.)

[bikingjahuty]

19. Star Fox (2026)

The new Star Fox! I have now finished four runs of the campaign on normal difficulty, and beaten every level at least once. I'm going to consider that fair to say I beat it. I was really excited for this game. It's so exciting to see the Star Fox cast again! And beating it now, I'm loving it.

To address the elephant in the room: yes, this is Star Fox 64 again. And yes, something original would've been nice. I did play Lylat Wars as a kid, and I have finished Star Fox 64 3D before. However, if you don't count Star Fox Zero, then the last time I seriously played through this campaign must be well over ten years ago at this point. I was still a teenager. So even if a lot of the set pieces and plot beats are familiar, a lot of it still felt fresh to me.

And I had a total blast playing through it. The game is so fun. Flying around, shooting the enemies, working out the different paths, it's a total blast. I remember struggling a lot with some of the final battles as a kid, but now, it was still a challenge, but a really friggin' fun one. I especially found myself enjoying the all-range mode dogfight moments a ton! To the point I hopped in for a few matches online, which I'm usually not into at all.

It's all helped by gorgeous modern visuals and the cinematic soundtrack, not to mention the extra story cutscenes and new dialogue. A divisive part of this game was the new character designs. Personally though? I LOVE them. Love 'em love 'em love 'em. It's different, it's cool, argh I love them! Playing through this game honestly gave me a whole new love for these characters, both the main cast and the supporting cast.

This game is great. I can see myself continuing to play it for a while to complete more challenges. Yes, it's Star Fox 64 again. How much of a problem that is, is entirely subjective. But I will say: if you've never played Star Fox before and you're curious about it, this is a fantastic entry into the series. Highly recommend it.

(Also, I'm having way too much fun with the vtuber mode. I have no idea why but simply seeing myself as a Fox McCloud vtuber is so much fun to me.)

Depending on how well OoT remake is received, that game and Star Fox may be what pushes me into Switch 2 ownership. We'll see.

[dhaabi]

Depending on how well OoT remake is received, that game and Star Fox may be what pushes me into Switch 2 ownership. We'll see.

Really? Two games that have been released across several different platforms and have already been remade?

[telly]

Game 9 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (GBC) - 6 Hours

Don't let the fact that this is a movie-tie in game on the Game Boy Color fool you. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (and Sorcerer's Stone too for that matter) is an excellent RPG on the system that still holds up even after playing it as an adult. One of the best thing about this game is your ability to explore all of Hogwarts castle, which has been miniaturized perfectly for Game Boy. The game follows the events of the book pretty well, and you can easily see that a lot of care was put into the game, from the fantastic animations and music, to the great combat system and slew of minigames. You get a lot of different magic spells to use plus an array of attacks based on collectable wizard cards you can find in the overworld. Really the only fault that I had is that the spells used in combat can a lot of the time take out about half of your MP per battle which can make it really annoying to grind or navigate areas with a lot of enemies. But other than that, it's not a bad experience at all.

[telly]

Game 10 - Monstrix: TCG Card Shop Simulator (PS5) - 7 Hours (Platinum)

Well, I spent about $4 on this game, and I got what I paid for. To be fair, I wasn't expecting much. I just wanted a game that provides a great TCG card shop management experience, kind of like Kardboard Kings I played a couple years ago, but with more features. This game does provide a bit more things to do, but feels worse in other ways. It certainly doesn't have the charm or atmosphere of Kardboard Kings. This is clearly just a lazy asset flip made with the most minimum effort possible, and there are lots of similar games on the PlayStation store. You can place out cards, sealed product, and figurines for purchase, along with some play tables and bland decor, but there aren't any other features, and after about halfway through the game you've pretty much seen every feature the game has to offer.  There was no challenge, no story, tons of glitches, and no real objective to keep you playing (which is why I went for the Plat to consider the game finished). Oh well, at such a low price point it did at least provide some entertainment, but I would advise to avoid this game.

[bikingjahuty]

4. Double Dragon (NES) - ABANDONED

There are many different reasons I abandon a game. Sometime the game is so horrifically bad, that even playing through another 15-minutes of it sounds like torture. Other times, the gameplay is so antiquated that I struggle to get into the game due to the frustration of playing it. And yet other times, the game just doesn't click with me at all, even from the beginning and I simply have no desire to keep playing. This was unfortunately my experience with Double Dragon on the NES.


Full disclosure, this is actually the first time I've ever played a Double Dragon game. Like as in any of them, ever. I've certainly heard a decent amount about them over the years, but I've never actually played one myself until tonight. I decided to start with the first one which is likely the game that most people back in the 8-bit era days played. The first thing that really struck me about Double Dragon was how incredibly basic the game is. I know most beat em' ups are not oceans of content and depth, but my God, this game felt almost no frills. Everything looks and feels super generic. The fact you can use objects as weapons almost felt like some major innovation given how dull the rest of the game is. Bad guys are just recycled 8-bit sprites, and overall everything just looks and feels so unremarkable in almost every way.


I feel like to appreciate Double Dragon, you'd have had to have grown up with it and carry a decent amount of nostalgia for it. With how far the beat em' up genre has come, even just a few years later with games my TMNT or Streets of Rage, it's so hard to return to this game in practically every way. I probably could have soldiered through this game given how short it was, but by the time I got the the third stage, I simply didn't want to play anymore. I might eventually tackle some of the later games, but as far as the first entry in the series go, it's an incredibly dated relic that takes a personal history with in order to appreciate. (6/29/26) - ABANDONED