VGCollect Forum
General and Gaming => General => Topic started by: bikingjahuty on December 27, 2025, 11:26:21 am
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It's here again! With less than a week left in 2025, I figured we can get a 52 games challenge thread going to stir up excitement and also to reserve spots in the thread for next year.
For anyone who's not familiar with the 52 Games Challenge, it's essentially VGcollect members committing themselves to beat at least 52 games (one game a week on average) in one calendar year and reducing our backlogs. This challenge is a lot of fun, not just playing and beating games, but also seeing what others are beating as well. A lot of good game discussion happens here as we comment on each other's reviews and blurbs about games. When you beat a game, abandon one, or whatever feel free to write a small blurb about it, or a super long, detailed review too if you want.
Let's beat a ton of games in 2026 and make it another awesome year of gaming!
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This year I have little doubt I'll reach 52 games beat again. Given how I play a pretty balanced combo of shorter games (lots of arcade style games and games that can be beat in under a couple of hours) and longer games (10+ hours), it won't be hard for me to beat 52 games again. However, where I might fall short compared to 2025 (I beat around 130 games) is committing myself to other things as well in 2025 that I either neglected or didn't put as much time/effort into as I should have. This will no doubt reduce my games beat output, but to what extent is to be seen. I'm estimating I'll beat around 80 games this year, but that number could go up or down depending on how things go in 2026. It's even possible I hit triple digit games beat, but again, my need to prioritize other, non-game related things in 2026 will likely get in the way of that. Anyhow, like always I'm super excited to complete the challenge again and look forward to seeing what everyone else beats too!
COMPLETED
1. Elebits (Wii) (1/2/26) [29/50]
2. Golden Axe (Genesis) (1/3/26) [29/50]
3. Splatterhouse 3 (Genesis) (1/3/26) [34/50]
4. Halo 3 (XBONE) (1/4/26) [36/50]
5. Dead or Alive 6 (PS4) (1/5/26) [35/50]
6. Castlevania (NES) (1/7/26) [29/50]
7. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (PS4) (1/14/26) [39/50]
8. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch) (1/24/26) [34/50]
9. Cyberpunk 2077 (PS5) (1/25/26) [42/50]
10. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (PS5) (1/28/26) [38/50]
11. Guitar Hero II (PS2) (1/30/26) [37/50]
12. Clayfighter 63 1/3 + Clayfighter Sculptor's Cut (N64) (1/31/26) [29/50]
13. New Super Mario Bros (DS) (2/7/26) [35/50]
14. Tobal 2 (PS1) (2/8/26) [32/50]
15. Pepsiman (PS1) (2/8/26) [25/50]
16. Omega Boost (PS1) (2/10/26) [33/50]
17. F-Zero X (N64) (2/19/26) [33/50]
18. God of War III (PS3) (2/23/26) [37/50]
19. Resident Evil Requiem (PS5) (3/1/26) [43/50]
20. Resident Evil 2 (PS4) (3/5/26) [41/50]
21. Reanimal (PS5) (3/8/26) [34/50]
22. Freedom Planet 2 (Switch) (3/9/26) [40/50]
23. Ready 2 Rumble Boxing (Dreamcast) (3/11/26) [20/50]
24. The Typing of the Dead (Dreamcast) (3/12/26) [37/50]
25. Mega Man 2 (PS4) (3/13/26) [39/50]
26. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3) (3/21/26) [36/50]
27. Mega Man Zero (PS4) (3/24/26) [36/50]
28. Fantavision (PS2) (3/24/26) [28/50]
29. Xyanide (XBOX) (3/25/26) [18/50]
30. Mario Kart 7 (3DS) (4/2/26) [37/50]
31. Pilotwings 64 (N64) (4/10/26) [39/50]
ABANDONED
1. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (PS4) (2/18/26)
2. Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (PS2) (3/17/26)
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Previous 52 Game Challenges: 2020 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10536.msg174802.html#msg174802), 2021 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11230.msg185673.html#msg185673), 2022 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193705.html#msg193705), 2023 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12127.msg199073.html#msg199073), 2024 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12641.msg204015.html#msg204015), 2025 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg207749.html#msg207749)
01. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg210957.html#msg210957) Cozy || PC || 01.04.26
02. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg210988.html#msg210988) Once Upon a Katamari || PlayStation 5 || 01.07.26
03. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg210990.html#msg210990) It Is As If You Were Doing Work || Browser || 01.10.26
04. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211066.html#msg211066) Resident Evil Code: Veronica X || GameCube || 01.21.26
05. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211088.html#msg211088) Pikmin || Nintendo Switch || 01.25.26
06. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211111.html#msg211111) Finding Father || Browser || 01.31.26
07. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211137.html#msg211137) A Space for the Unbound || Nintendo Switch || 02.02.26
08. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211225.html#msg211225) Gnog || PlayStation 4 || 02.09.26
09. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211292.html#msg211292) Witch and Hero II || Nintendo 3DS || 02.17.26
10. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211321.html#msg211321) Reanimal || PlayStation 5 || 02.19.26
11. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211360.html#msg211360) Death Stranding || PlayStation 4 || 02.21.26
12. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211420.html#msg211420) Orironautilus: Oppressongo || Browser || 03.08.26
13. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211572.html#msg211572) Resident Evil (2002) || GameCube || 03.16.26
14. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211601.html#msg211601) Picross e3 || Nintendo 3DS || 03.21.26
15. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211685.html#msg211685) Ratcheteer || Playdate || 03.28.26
16. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211726.html#msg211726) Ꙩ || Browser || 03.30.26
17. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211789.html#msg211789) Jet Set Radio || PC || 04.06.26
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Reserving my spot for this year! Unfortunately, I had a very rough year in 2025, and gaming had to take a major backseat. However, I am excited to once again give this a try! Good luck to everyone on your 2026 gaming goals!!! ;D
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Tier List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211394.html#msg211394)
Finished:
1. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211038.html#msg211038) Mario Kart World (Switch 2): 1/14
2. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211045.html#msg211045) Crazy Taxi (DreamCast): 1/16
3. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211053.html#msg211053) Vital Shell (PC): 1/23
4. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211086.html#msg211086) Gears of War: Reloaded (Series X): 1/25
5. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211101.html#msg211101) Dr. Mario 64 (Switch 2): 1/30
6. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211226.html#msg211226) Power Stone (Switch 2): 1/30
7. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211227.html#msg211227) Power Stone 2 (Switch 2): 2/2
8. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211266.html#msg211266) Jet Grind Radio (DreamCast): 2/7
9. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211267.html#msg211267) Tomb Raider II Remastered (Series X): 2/18
10. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211324.html#msg211324) Ghost in the Shell (PS1): 2/24
11. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211380.html#msg211380) Skullmonkeys (PS1): 2/25
12. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211393.html#msg211393) The Song of Saya (PC): 2/28
13. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211413.html#msg211413) Condemned: Criminal Origins (Series X): 3/7
14. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211579.html#msg211579) Donkey Kong Bananza (Switch 2): 3/8
15. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211580.html#msg211580) Digger T. Rock (Series X): 3/14
16. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211582.html#msg211582) Jurassic: The Hunted (360): 3/22
17. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211678.html#msg211678) Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PS2): 3/27
18. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211679.html#msg211679) BALL x PIT (PC): 3/28
19. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211783.html#msg211783) Rave Racer (Switch 2): 4/4
20. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211784.html#msg211784) Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2): 4/11
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I'll be there!
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3. Snoopy & the Great Mystery Club (Nintendo Switch) | 1/21/26 | Time: 07:33 | Rating: ★★★★★ | Notes: none
2. Legend of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (Game Gear) | 1/11/26 | Time: 01:40 | Rating: ★★★★★ | Notes: played on Retron 5
1. Final Fight CD (Sega CD) | 1/10/26 | Time: 03:45 | Rating: ★★★★★ | Notes: played on Polymega
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Note: I noticed and really liked aliensstudios' ratings and decided to borrow the idea. Kudos sir!
Participating once again. Let's see how far I get in comparison to previous years...
2023 - 27 Completed.
2024 - 17 Completed.
2025 - 17 Completed.
Currently Playing:
1.
Completed: 05
1. TMNT Cowabunga Collection (PS5)
- TMNT IV Turtles in Time (Arcade) -- Rating: ★★★★★
2. Code Violet (PS5) -- Rating: ★★★★★
3. TMNT Wrath of the Mutants (PS5) -- Rating: ★★★★★
4. Indiana Jones: Great Circle (PS5)
- The Order of the Giants DLC -- Rating: ★★★★★
5. Expedition 33 (PS5) -- Rating: ★★★★★
Paused/Dropped - Reasoning in Red:
1. Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered (PS5)
- Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness (PS2) [Nothing seems fixed from the PS2]
2. Arc Raiders (PS5) [Honestly finding this boring]
3. TMNT Splintered Fate (PS5) [Too difficult to beat with my 9 year old]
Planning to Play:
1. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (PS5)
2. Zelda: Skyward Sword (Switch)
3. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (PS2)
4. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (PS2)
5. Prince of Persia: Two Thrones (PS2)
6. Blight: Survival (PS5)
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1 - Peak (PC 2025) - BEAT
2 - Cassette Beasts (PC 2023) - BEAT
3 - ENA: Dream BBQ (PC 2025) - BEAT
4 - Dead Island 2 (PC 2023) - BEAT
5 - Hytale (PC Early Access 2025) - ENDLESS
6 - Doom: The Dark Ages (PC 2025) - BEAT
7 - That's Not My Neighbor (PC 2025) - BEAT
8 - Palworld (PC 2023) - DROPPED
9 - Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 (PC 2026) - BEAT
10 - Resident Evil: Requiem (PC 2026) - BEAT
11 - Icarus (PC 2021) - ENDLESS
12 - Death Stranding 2 (PC 2026) - PLAYING
13 - Retro Rewind: Video Store Simulator (PC 2026) - BEAT
14 - Windrose (PC EA 2026) - ENDLESS
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Games beaten
01] Harem Rush! Impish Fantasy (STM, 2025) | 1 Jan | Action | Adult, Fantasy
02] Earth Defense Force 6 (STM, 2024) | 4 Jan | Action | Wing Diver, Normal Difficulty, Sci-Fi
03] Spy Bros. (Pipi & Bibi's DX) (STM, 2023) | 11 Jan | Action | Arcade
04] Yohane the Parhelion - Blaze in the Deepblue (STM, 2023) | 18 Jan | Metroidvania | Anime
05] Cult of the Lamb (STM, 2022) | 22 Jan | Action | Cute, Horror
06] Look Outside (STM, 2025) | 4 Feb | Turn-based RPG | Body Horror, Cosmic Horror, RPG Maker
07] Dino Quake (STM, 2025) | 19 Feb | Action | Arcade, Bubble Bobble Clone
08] The Lucky Stray Cat (STM, 2026) | 22 Feb | Turn-based RPG, VN | Horror, RPG Maker
09] A Dog's Story (STM, 2025) | 25 Feb | Turn-based RPG, VN | Horror, RPG Maker
10] Resident Evil Requiem (STM, 2026) | 5 Mar | Survival Horror | Body Horror
11] Gal Gun: Double Peace (STM, 2016) | 5 Mar | Lightgun Shooter | Shinobu-Route
12] Succubus Forest (STM, 2025) | 12 Mar | Card Battler | Adult, Fantasy
13] Shovel Pirate (STM, 2024) | 20 Mar | Action | Cute
14] Earth Defense Force 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair (STM, 2016) | 25 Mar | Action | Ranger, Normal Difficulty, Sci-Fi
15] Luigi's Mansion 2 HD (NSW, 2024) | 27 Mar | Action | Ghosts
16] Luck be a Landlord (STM, 2023) | 3 Apr | Strategy | RNG
17] Lost Ruins (NSW, 2025) | 16 Apr | Metroidvania | RPG
Games Tried/Disliked/Got Rid Of
01] Super Zangyura (NSW, 2024) | 4 Jan | Obnoxious difficulty
02] Pac-Man World: Re-PAC (NSW, 2022) | 25 Feb | Struggled with camera
03] Bloom Paradise (STM, 2025) | 27 Feb | Limited continues, can't beat
04] System Shock (Remake) (STM, 2023) | 21 Mar | Outdated gameplay
05] Ys: The Oath in Felghana (STM, 2012) | 21 Mar | Outdated, grindfest
Previous Years
2025 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg207756.html#msg207756) - 53 beaten, 22 tried and discarded
2024 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12641.msg204045.html#msg204045) - 38 beaten, 5 tried and discarded
2023 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12127.msg199131.html#msg199131) - 37 beaten, 14 tried and discarded
2021 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11230.msg185676.html#msg185676) - 18 beaten, 9 tried and discarded
2020 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10536.msg173272.html#msg173272) - 33 beaten, 20 tried and discarded
2019 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,9921.msg162658.html#msg162658) - 45 beaten, 34 tried and discarded
2018 (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,8821.msg149025.html#msg149025) - 44 beaten, 41 tried and discarded
2017 (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,7980.msg147415.html#msg147415) - 37 beaten, 9 tried and discarded
2016 (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,6762.msg132260.html#msg132260) - 21 beaten
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Here we go again.
1. Star Trek: Armada 2 (PC) - Beat / Jan. 31
2. Mega Man X2 (Switch) - Beat / Feb. 5
3. Mega Man X3 (Switch) - Beat / Feb. 13
4. Stray (PS5) - Beat / Feb. 16
5. Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth (Deck) - Beat / Feb. 23
6. Fable Anniversary (Deck) - Beat / Mar. 4
7. Dark Souls Remastered (Deck) - Beat / Mar. 17
8. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (PS5) - Platinum / Mar. 29
9. Mega Man X4 (Switch 2) - Beat / Apr. 18
10. Assassin's Creed Mirage (PS5) - Playing
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Almost 2 years since took part in this. Let's go and howdy yall.
Beaten
1. Donkey Kong Country 2
2. Fallout 4
3. Capcom Fighting Collection(Darkstalkers-The Night Warriors)
4. Capcom Fighting Collection(Night Warriors-Darkstalker's Revenge)
5. Capcom Fighting Collection(Vampire Savior-The Lord of Vampire)
6. Capcom Fighting Collection(Vampire Hunter 2-Darkstalker's Revenge)
7. Capcom Fighting Collection(Vampire Savior 2-The Lord of Vampire)
8. Capcom Fighting Collection(Cyberbot-Fullmetal Madness)
9. Capcom Fighting Collection(Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo)
10. Capcom Fighting Collection(Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix)
11. Capcom Fighting Collection(Hyper Street Fighter II-The Anniversary Edition)
12. Capcom Fighting Collection(Red Earth)
13. Resident Evil Requiem
Now Playing
1. Professor Layton and The Curious Village
Replay
1. Rock Band(Expert Pro Drums via RB3)
Playlist(As of 2/15/26)
1. Robot Alchemic Drive
2. Cyberpunk 2077
3. Professor Layton and The Curious Village
4. Clair Obcur: Expedition 33
5. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
6. Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience
7. God of War: Ragnarok
8. Okami
9. Yakuza 3 Remastered
Nope List 2026(Games abandoned)
1. Ninja Blade
2. Deathloop
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Reserved.
Got in reserved somewhat early which is good. Been battling the nastiest Flu in a long time rn. But wish you all a happy New Years. But can't wait to hopefully at least match imput 2026! Heres to another happy backlog shredding season :)
BEATEN
1. The Bouncer [PS2]
2. GTA: Vice City Stories [PS2]
3. Madden NFL 2005 [PS2]
4. NFL Street 2 [PS2]
5. Parappa The Rapper: Remastered [PS4]
6. Jeopardy [PS1]
7. Centipede: Recharged [PS5]
8. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas [PS2/PS4]
9. Mary Kate And Ashley: Magical Mystery Mall [PS1]
10. Super Mario Sunshine [GC]
11. Venba [PS5]
12. Plants vs Zombies: Replanted [PS5]
13. Color A Dinosaur [NES]
14. Melatonin [PS5]
15. Kirby's Dreamland 3 [SNES]
16. Guitar Hero III [PS3]
17. Mario Kart 64 [N64]
18. New Super Mario Bros. 2 [3DS]
19. Resident Evil: Requiem [PS5]
20. Chip N Dale: Rescue Rangers [NES]
21. Mario Tennis: Aces [NS]
22. The Simpsons Game [PS3]
23. Starfox 64 [N64]
24. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest [SNES]
25. The Simpsons Wrestling [PS1]
Year Start Trophies - 3480
GAMES ON DECK
1. Clock Tower 3
2. Resident Evil Village
3. Castlevania Symphony Of The Night
4. Mario Sunshine
ABANDONED
1.
MONTHLY BREAKDOWN
January 4 Games and 9 Trophies
February 13 Games and 78 Trophies [3567]
2025 54 Games Finished (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg207746.html#msg207746)
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Games Finished in 2026
1. Tactics Ogre: Reborn (Switch) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211014.html#msg211014)- 1.16
2. Coffee Talk (PS5) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211069.html#msg211068) - 1.18
3. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (PS5) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211070.html#msg211069) - 1.25
4. Subnautica: Below Zero (PS5) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211387.html#msg211387) - 2.12
5. Pokémon: Emerald Rogue (Android) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211436.html#msg211436) - 2.27
6. Gauntlet: Dark Legacy (GC) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211598.html#msg211598) - 3.20
Additional Games Played in 2026 (endless or in-progress games are here)
Metaphor RE: Fantazio (PS5)
Goof Troop (SNES)
Monstrix: TCG Card Shop (PS5)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch)
Backlog - the priority games on my backlog anyway!
Silent Hill 2 (PS5 remake and PS2 original)
The Last Guardian (PS4)
Rain World (Switch)
Metaphor RE: Fantazio (PS5)
Resident Evil 5 (PS4)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (GC)
Tales of Arise (PS4)
Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm and Exercise! (Switch)
Previous Lists
2015 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,5879.msg104675.html#msg104675) - 27 finished, + 10 played but not finished
2016 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,6762.msg105642.html#msg105642) - 32 finished, + 16 played but not finished
2017 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,7980.msg132293.html#msg132293) - 26 finished, + 13 played but not finished
2018 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,8821.msg149017.html#msg149017) - 23 finished, + 6 played but not finished
2019 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,9921.msg162665.html#msg162665) - 20 finished, + 9 played but not finished
2020 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10536.msg173286.html#msg173286) - 45 finished, + 10 played but not finished
2021 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11230.msg185672.html#msg185672) - 24 finished, + 15 played but not finished
2022 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193725.html#msg193725) - 18 finished, + 11 played but not finished
2023 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12127.msg199090.html#msg199090) - 24 finished, + 16 played but not finished
2024 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12641.msg204027.html#msg204027) - 24 finished, + 9 played but not finished
2025 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg207761.html#msg207761) - 29 finished, + 14 played but not finished
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3 - ENA: Dream BBQ (PC 2025) - BEAT - I don't know if I could explain this, I found it because I had seen the player character, Ena, in different things, but it's from this game which is a mixture of video game and someones insane art project as it was apparently just gonna be animation, before turning into a game. It's very much a nod to 90's PC games, a nod to low poly 3D platformers, with characters in so many different visual art styles and mediums, from anim-like characters, to crazy 3D models that feel like they are out of Reboot, to just very weird and abstract things. No character feels like they are done the same way visually, it's kinda crazy. It's a free game, it'll have chapters added over time, but there are multiple things to accomplish and different endings to find and this is one of the types of games I want to do more of everything, because I want to see new characters or what new animation they'll do next, it's a pretty ridiculous experience in the best way.
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Met my goal in 2016 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,6762.msg105641.html#msg105641), 2017 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,7980.msg132350.html#msg132350), 2018 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php?topic=8821.msg149004#msg149004), 2019 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,9921.msg162655.html#msg162655), 2020 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10536.msg173290.html#msg173290), 2021 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11230.msg185665.html#msg185665), 2022 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193710.html#msg193710), 2023 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12127.msg199078.html#msg199078), 2024 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12641.msg204016.html#msg204016), and 2025 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg207887.html#msg207887); with 2021 being 156 games, 2016/2017/2020/2022/2023 being 104 games, and 2018/2019 being 52 games as the goals. 2015 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,5879.msg103895.html#msg103895) I tracked the info super late and I had another really busy year that year.
2025 was another rough year. Physical therapy helped me out with my problems which come and go among other problems that come and go. My kid got transferred to a new school and the teacher and staff were great despite him being in an awful place. He started ABA therapy and got kicked out towards the end of the summer, which is kind of unheard of. His teacher quit to take a job elsewhere and the new teacher isn't as great. He's got decent support though and his medicine is in a better place, hoping it can keep up, but that took almost all year to get him to a good place. My wife had Lasik and braces, both with their own issues and failures. After several procedures and tons of recovery eyes are good now, braces are still on and she's finally, almost 6 months later, starting to be able to eat more solid foods. Work was awful with my boss tanking my eval and despite his boss being aware of the prejudice and bias, allowed the eval to go through so I got no pay increase from an eval for the first time ever, last year was no pay increase either for a different reason, so with inflation shit is getting worse. Basically told most of my coworkers not to expect me to help with shit since apparently helping all of you people meant I'm not performing my own duties, so fuck everyone. I obviously, again, didn't do well keeping up with notes and stats. I've basically abandoned physical collecting in favor of a steam library and it shows with most of my activity last year being mostly on steam. Yet here I am again, making a post on here. This might be my last year doing this here as I'm transferring all of my notes and information over to backloggery with the goal of catching up and doing notes there as I input play status... right now though, I do notes here and transfer them later.
bold games are games that have been beaten, previously beaten, or are unbeatable.
italicized games are in progress.
standard games are games I am not currently trying to beat.
strikethrough games are games that have been abandoned.
Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ignition365)
Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/user/Ignition365)
2026 52 Game Challenge
- Donkey Kong Bananza (NS2)
- The Oil Blue: Steam Legacy Edition (PC)
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Bloop reserved
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Almost 2 years since took part in this. Let's go and howdy yall.
Welcome back!
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1. The Bouncer [PS2] - Finished Jan 1st, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/J7ZtxN7w/20260101-003913.jpg)
I am so incapacitated by flu that it's almost depressing at this point. I cough in my dreams. I really wish everyone health and safety away from this strand. For whatever that's worth. But being bed ridden for a week sent me to this off the wall classic! I was able to sit as the ball dropped and get my first score on the board early just like last year! Beaten at 2:00 am EST of 2026. To ring in the year. And i'm happy with the choice off sentimentality alone.
This time with a very nostalgic childhood game. It is very symbolic for me. Even the title entrance voice thheeeee Bouncerrr. This is a lesser spoken of Squaresoft beat em up. My stance on it is that considering some people paid 60 dollars for this game at launch back in the early 2000s. That's quite the tough out. But as a small experience, I enjoyed my time with it. And my brother let me borrow this game when I was like 7 years old. So its full circle to witness end credits with it :)
The plot is I believe meant to pivot around choosing sion. I chose volt and leveled up only volt. It punishes you slightly with dialogue for doing this. The game is a bare bones rudementary beat em up that actually has stellar graphics for its time. Some of these cut scenes have such great visual light reflection effects that it looks borderline Ray Tracing!! It's very pretty for a game that I remember playing before passion of the christ the movie was even released. 2 decades or more of added onto my back like armadillo scales but the game remains what it always was. An easy. Anyone can do it beat em up for begginers of the genre. I was able to beat the game without buying any special moves.
The plot is ok... although rushed. Not as flushed out as say kingdom hearts but more flushed out than say dynasty warriors. The combat is ok although not very nuianced. I do think its simplicity is what aids its nostalgia for me because it is how I remembered the game being. Some of the fighting feels club brawl style and fist fighting fun.
Sion - Dollar General Sora
Volt - spike from buffy the vampie slayer
Other dude - the host of ink master Dave Navaro.
This is lamens terms of what were dealing with in terms of character development. And they seek to rescue A drew berrymore blonde girl from some disapperance or kidnapping. It's random and off the rails but it keeps itself somewhat glued with the well animated cut scenes. The blonde girl. Has secrets. So does All the characters really.
The game is very punch punch kick repeat. Unless you buy combo moves which I didnt.
Overall its a nostalgic cute simple beat em up for ps2.
77/100
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Happy New Year, everyone! Let's do it!
1. Mega Man X7
I went through this game multiple times back when it was initially released in 2003 because I was a poor college student and didn't have many other options. It was bad then. Now, I had a video guide AND the Brady official guide next to me when I did this random replay. It's still bad. Why did I think it wouldn't be? I dunno. Maybe some of 2025 was still lingering in the background. Oh well. First is the worst. Get it out of the way.
2. Astro Bot - platinum'd
I technically finished this before the new year, but I'm marking it complete now because I got all of the additions from the Gacha Machine now. Man oh man. What a game this was. I loved every second of it. Seeing the celebrated history of Sony's gaming franchises (and many third party ones) getting their flowers with the various Bots was lovely. Of course, the game itself played like a dream and looked gorgeous. The physics were magnificent. I can't recommend this game enough to all types of gamers. Favorite deep cut Bots were: Arc the Lad, Mad Maestro, Chrono Cross, and The Legend of Dragoon.
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Almost 2 years since took part in this. Let's go and howdy yall.
Welcome back!
Yuh!
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All right! 2026 edition, let's go! Last year, I managed to beat 19 games (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208031.html#msg208031), 17 of which for the first time (and one I beat twice). Not my highest score ever, but not bad. Let's see how I do this year!
Beat:
- Spyro the Dragon (Spyro Reignited Trilogy) [Switch]
- Chaos Faction [PC (Steam) / Steam Deck]
- Chaos Faction 2 [PC (Steam) / Steam Deck]
- inbento [Mobile (itch)]
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition [Switch 2]
- Sly Raccoon [PS2]
- Rayman Origins [PC (GOG) / Steam Deck]
- Just Dance 2023 Edition (Enter the Danceverses story mode) [Switch]
- Just Dance 2024 Edition (Dance with the Swan story mode) [Switch]
- Anarcute [PC (itch) / Steam Deck]
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart [PC (Steam) / Steam Deck]
(Purple = started it last year or earlier)
(Orange = already beat it before)
Endless games I'm playing or have played:
- Just Dance
- Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
Abandoned:
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1. Spyro the Dragon (Spyro Reignited Trilogy)
And that's the first game of the year beaten already: the remake of the original Spyro the Dragon, from the Spyro Reignited Trilogy. I started this game a few years ago, but I finished it just now. And well, sorry to start the year off on a negative note. I know the original Spyro and this remake are beloved, and I genuinely wanted to like it. But I'm sorry, I didn't. There's a reason I put the game down a few years ago. I found some parts to be fine, but in other parts it was tedious and finicky.
Some sections were outright annoying. I'm thinking of some precise glide jumps that I would repeatedly die to until I made them, with no idea of what I did differently. And the enemies you have to chase with your dash, they can get lost. I always had a little difficulty controlling Spyro, especially when it came to those long glides and in lining up my dash attacks. In some levels the game wasn't bad, but even there it also just never grabbed me. Many times when I died, I just didn't feel compelled to try again. I just wanted to stop playing and pick up something else.
It's a shame. I want to like this game. I love Spyro's character design. I like the idea of a world populated by cartoony anthropomorphic dragons. I know these games are beloved. But this game just did not do it for me. Funnily enough, the first Crash Bandicoot from the N. Sane Trilogy didn't either, so that's an extra thing Crash and Spyro share I suppose. Maybe Spyro 2 and 3 are better, that's possible, but I honestly do not feel compelled to pick them up right now. I've got other games in my backlog I'd much rather play than more of this.
Speaking of which, Metroid Prime 4, you're up.
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1. Spyro the Dragon (Spyro Reignited Trilogy)
If you ever do get around to playing Ripto's Rage and Year of the Dragon, I think you'll find them to be substantially better than the debut title, though they may still not be games you'll enjoy.
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First game of the year down! I was rearranging my collection all day, making room for the few console collections which are still growing, and while moving the Wii games I grabbed a title I've been meaning to return to for some time.
1. Elebits (Wii)
I was one of the lucky ones who was able to get a Nintendo Wii at launch back in late 2006. The reason I was lucky was, a) they were hard as hell to find, and b) I was a broke ass college student who had no business spending the limited funds I had on a hot new game console. Regardless, I picked up Twilight Princess with my Wii and devoured that game over the following weeks. However, once I beat Twilight Princess and had extracted all the enjoyment i could out of Wii Sports at the time, I decided to use a Best Buy gift card I had burning a hole in my pocket to pick up a brand new game that was among the best to show off the Wii's then revolutionary motion controls. That game was Elebits.
It's been nearly 20 years since I last played and beat Elebits and in that time period I've been meaning to go back and replay it. Having finally done so, I can say that this game does a pretty good job with not only showing off the versatility of the Wii's motion controls, but unfortunately does so in a game that has some fundamental design issues and gets way too repetitive way too fast.
The basic premise of Elebits is you need to explore various confined environments to track down the chubby creatures whom the game gets its namesake. The Elebits are essentially beings made of electricity and the more you collect, the more you're able to explore and interact with various other parts of each stage, thereby allowing you to find and capture even more Elebits. As you progress through the game's 30 stages, new elements are introduces including new types of Elebits, new obstacles and hazards to contend with, new puzzles, and of course, new environments to explore. Unfortunately, the game does recycle stages, which is a shame since there aren't a ton of them to begin with, and many are just extensions/variations of others you've previous played. Aside from the recycled stages, all this might sound like this game remains fresh and interesting throughout, however the more this game adds, the worse it gets.
For example, there are stages where you are not allowed to break any objects like dishes or glasses, or you can't make too much noise while overturning furniture and other objects in search for Elebits. The games controls combined with the stage and time constraints you're required to contend with just don't mesh well enough for you to get through them in a matter than isn't either tedious and boring, or needlessly frustrating. With all that said, this is not a difficult game. It is also worth noting there are several Elebit bosses you have to fight throughout the game as well, and beating them requires some sort of unique action or strategy. Unfortunately these boss battles are somewhat half baked and don't make the game really any better, or I suppose worse either.
Elebits was a pretty good looking game for its time. Environments are fairly detailed and have many objects to interact with. This extends to the game's physics which are pretty fun and decently implemented. It's fun to use your Elebit capturing gun to throw objects like lamps, chairs, electronics, and all sorts of other things around a room like a manic lunatic in search of the colorful little creatures. The game is actually most fun when you just get to go insane on the sage environments and the objects within them. Unfortunately, these moments are too seldom and instead you are required to take a much more tedious, restrained approach to complete most stages. But anyhow, this game looks pretty good for what it is and certainly one of the better looking early Wii games.
Finally, there's Elebits' soundtrack which is surprisingly good, albeit not mind blowing by any stretch of the imagination either. There is a decent amount of voice acting too, which is all pretty terrible and wooden. Sound effects of objects being thrown about of the squeaks and cute noises of the Elebit creatures also help give this game a distinct, lighthearted identity as well. The overall sound quality of this game is good, just not amazing...other than the voice acting of course, which is fairly trivial regardless.
I have to admit, I am a tad disappointed I didn't enjoy this game more upon replaying it. I'd forgotten most of my impressions of this game from back in 2006, but do at least remember feeling more positive about Elebits than negative. Unfortunately my new opinion screws slightly more towards the negative side of things, mostly due to how limiting the gameplay can be and also how repetitive this game gets despite its best efforts to avoid that. Elebits served its purpose in late 2006 and Id say even through some of 2007 as one of the best showcases of the Wii's motion controls, however there are far better games that would do this in the years that followed during the Wii's lifespan. Still, this game isn't without its charm and it's certainly a decent little FPS game that you coiuld also play with young kids if you wanted to. (1/2/26) [29/50]
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2. Golden Axe (Genesis)
While I never owned Golden Axe as a kid, one of my best friends did and it was one of our favorite multiplayer games to play whenever I was at his house. Having never played or even encountered the arcade version of this game growing up, this was my first exposure to the Golden Axe series. However, it's been easily 30 years since I last played the original Golden Axe and I was fairly sure my opinion of this game had likely changed in that time period. Sure enough, it has.
For a fantasy style beat em' up from the late 80s, Golden Axe is a decent game. The visuals do a good job of capturing that fantasy adventure feel as you quest through each of the game's stages on your quest to defeat the evil Death Adder. In true fantasy style your progression through the game is tracked on a ancient looking map which just adds to the great encapsulation of the fantasy genre. Levels are also pretty memorable as you fight your way through villages, on the sides of cliffs, and eventually inside an ominous looking castle. Enemy variety is unfortunately lacking compared to some other contemporary beat em' ups of the time; most enemies will be the same models, but just color swapped. Bosses are also less varied than I would like, with most just being big looking dudes with giant swords or axes. Still, despite this, the visuals are pretty good in Golden Axe, especially for a very early Genesis release.
The soundtrack is also pretty good. There are some very memorable tunes in this game that gave been burned into my brain most of my life thanks to those Golden Axe play seasons from the early and mid 90s. Listening to the soundtrack now, however, there is still some decent music in this game, but still not as good as I remember. Aside from this, there are cool, crunchy sounding Genesis sound effects when you strike and enemy or they hit you, as well as the cries of enemies when you finally vanquish them.
Sadly, Golden Axe's gameplay isn't great, but in a way not terrible either as far as late 80s beat em' ups are concerned. Beyond the typical repetitive gameplay games from this genre are somewhat infamous for, there is a definite lack of balancing and an undeniable cheapness to Golden Axe's gameplay. Enemy default speed is faster than yours, which is already really slow, which allows them to easy flank you. You can do a variety of things to deal with this, including jumping and a 360 degree attack, but what often happens is the hit detection seems inconsistent, and niot just when surrounded on both sides. The inconsistent hit detection in Golden Axe is honestly my biggest grip with the game seeing how you're almost certain your strike with hit a bad guy, but instead just passes right through them, but next time from the same distance it lands? Okay. The use of magic via potion bottles you collect by kicking the shit out of little elves with bags does spice up gameplays, especially since the more you charge up your magic the better and cooler the attack you unleash. Oh and the three playable characters all have different magic attacks too which is pretty cool. There are also mounts you can use to help you fight, although between trying to actually get on them with getting hit by an enemy and then hit again after just one attack on the mount kind of diminishes their relevance in the game.
I have to constantly remind myself that Golden Axe is pretty par for the course when it comes to beat em' up games from this era, however it still had me wishing the game just had a little more refinement. There are so many great qualities in the Genesis port of Golden Axe, it's just a shame they didn't come together as well as I'd hoped they would. And unfortunately, even my childhood nostalgia for this game wasn't enough to mask these issues and have me coming out the end mostly enjoying the game. Still, the game is super short on a single playthrough (I beat it in about half an hour) and based on that, I feel like if you have an itch for some 16-bit beat em' up action, Golden Axe is worth trying even if there are much better examples from the genre and time period to be played elsewhere. (1/3/26) [29/50]
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I hope it's not too late for me to join. I don't think I could ever do 52 in a year, but I can see myself finishing 20-30 games.
My current active playthroughs are:
Tomb Raider 2 (Evercade)
Final Fantasy IV Advance (PC via emulation)
Mafia: The Old Country (PS5)
I'm at level 13 of Tomb Raider 2, so I should be finishing that one in a few days. Then I'll play through Tomb Raider 3 on Evercade before moving on to the remasters of 4, 5, and 6 on PS4. I'm also planning to replay the Legend-Anniversary-Underworld trilogy on PS3 since that was my favorite TR trilogy and introduction to the series.
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I hope it's not too late for me to join. I don't think I could ever do 52 in a year, but I can see myself finishing 20-30 games.
My current active playthroughs are:
Tomb Raider 2 (Evercade)
Final Fantasy IV Advance (PC via emulation)
Mafia: The Old Country (PS5)
I'm at level 13 of Tomb Raider 2, so I should be finishing that one in a few days. Then I'll play through Tomb Raider 3 on Evercade before moving on to the remasters of 4, 5, and 6 on PS4. I'm also planning to replay the Legend-Anniversary-Underworld trilogy on PS3 since that was my favorite TR trilogy and introduction to the series.
It's never too late to join, not to mention we're only 3 days into the new year so we just started.
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3. Splatterhouse 3 (Genesis)
Despite my countless trips to rental stores, as well as me and my various friends who owned Sega Genesis consoles, the Splatterhouse series was completely unknown to me until probably the late 2000s. Had I been a bit older during the early and mid 90s, I probably would have heard of it given how violent and spooky it was, but it's not a game that was ever on m radar until long after the Genesis was discontinued. More so, even after hearing about Splatterhouse and its various sequels, it wouldn't be until this year (2026) where I'd finally try one of these games out and see if it was truly something special or just another 16-bit dud. Splatterhouse 3 was always the entry that looked the most appealing to me so it's the one I decided to start with. And yep, it's pretty freakin good.
I'm actually surprised the Slatterhouse series didn't get way more popular after the third game given how violent, gory, grotesque, and at times even disturbing this game is. For a game released in 1993 it even gives Mortal Kombat 1 and 2 a run for its money in the violence department. But beyond it 16-bit carnage, Splatterhouse 3 has an excellent horror art direction that oozes creepiness and atmosphere. Every stage has distinct rooms to traverse through and most of these rooms look pretty different from one another. Especially in the mansion floor stages, one room might be a decrepit study and the next is an old garage or balcony overlooking a spooky forest in the background. There are mangled corpses laying around, blood and entrails on the walls and floor, and sections of this game that looks like hell is doing its very best to merge with ours.
Enemies are also very creative and appropriately scary. There is a decent variety of enemy types in Splatterhouse 3 with most reminding me of some sort of mix between Hellraiser and The Thing in terms of their design. Speaking of enemies, as the main character Rick beats the crap out of them, they will gradually show signs of taking damage and getting closer to death; when most enemies are around halfway through their HP, their heads will become visibly bloodied or even parts of their bodies will fall off. This also happens with boss characters as well which especially show off an impressive level of detail and creepiness in their design. Even Rick and his two forms look cool. If not for the parts of the later stages being a bit underwhelming compared to earlier stages, and maybe a little too much recycling of the same enemy types, this would be one of the best looking Genesis games I've ever played. It's still certainly up there though given its visuals and graphics are its strongest suit.
Before moving on from Splatterhouse 3's visual presentation it's definitely worth mentioning how surprisingly story driven this game is. Unlike most Beat em' ups which just given you a brief explanation of what you're doing and why you're doing it either at the beginning of the game or before it starts, Splatterhouse 3 continued to deliver a narrative through cool 16-bit rendered cutscenes that use a lot of digitized looking actor stills to tell a pretty interesting and creepy story. Splatterhouse 3 goes a step further, however and also has multiple, pretty different endings depending on whether you completed certain levels before the allotted time expired on those levels. All of this absolutely adds to and is a big part of why this game is one of the creepiest 16-bit era games. I've ever played and one that would have almost certainly given me nightmares had I played it around the time it originally came out.
Audio in Splatterhouse 3 is also great. There are actually vocal sound clips in this game that surprisingly clear seeing how this was a cartridge based game. Music is also pretty good with a variety of spooky tracks that definitely add to the action horror atmosphere of the rest of the game. Sound effects when you hit and kill enemies also sound pretty good too. Overall, the audio definitely compliments the overall great horror presentation this game is going for and excels at.
I feel like with most beat em' ups, particularly the ones most remember fondly, I get to praise their visuals and audio up and down, but when it comes to their gameplay, I have to take things down several notches and explain why they're maybe not the most enjoyable games to play. Unfortunately, Splatterhouse 3 is no different. Don't get me wrong, the beat em up action in this game is prety satisfying and well implemented at times, but there are just too many issues with this game's gameplay that hold it back from being anything better than just okay.
For starters, Splatterhouse 3 is an insanely hard game, even on easy difficulty. There are some basic enemies that will drain half your life bar with a single hit, meanwhile most bosses don't even hit this hard. Luckily you have unlimited continues, but you'll be sent right back to the beginning of the stage, meaning you're very likely to die again before completing it and moving onto the next level. Even the main character's power up ability which has him transforming into what he normally looks like, but on steroids does little to make getting through Splatterhouse 3 any easier. I'm not one to be overly critical of games for being "too hard" but when a lot of that difficulty is because of poor design or just general cheapness, I'm going to call it out. Splatterhouse 3 also suffers from some really annoying gotcha moments where enemies will instantly attack you before you have time to reach when entering a new room, and bosses spam certain movies which make dealing any damage to them a matter of out spamming them with cheap moves. These are not hallmarks of good game design for any better em' up or really any game at that.
However, there are some very noteworthy aspects to Splatterhouse 3's gameplay that certainly act as a buffer to its often frustrating, cheap gameplay. Splatterhouse 3 is the oldest beat em' up I've seen with nonlinear progression. Once you clear a room within a stage, you are often given multiple doors to choose from which take you into different rooms in whatever stage you're playing through. This allows you to get to your final destination in each stage differently, adding to this game's replay value. You're given a map to review when you press the start button which allows you to easily navigate through each stage and its rooms, do you'll never get lost. Exploration can definitely be enjoyable as it can reveal secrets, special items, health and power up items, and other oddities you'll be rewarded with for doing so. However, straying from a more direct path to the final room you're making your way towards often comes at a price of running out of time.
Yep, each stage had a time limit, which ties directly in with the story and what is occurring in each stage. You can still beat a stage and progress to the next one if you run out of time, however it will be at the expense of getting a worse story and ending in the game. I don't want to spoil anything, but the time limit is definitely a consideration if you're looking to get a better ending.
The bottom line is there is a ton to appreciate and enjoy in Splatterhouse 3, and this is despite the game's pretty blaring gameplay faults. Even with dying over and over again as I made my way through it, I still really enjoyed Splatterhouse 3 for the most part. It's presentation goes a long way to carry it, but even all things considered, this is one of the better Genesis beat em' ups I've played and worth checking out if you're a fan of the genre from the 90s. (1/3/26) [34/50]
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4. Halo 3 (XBONE)
Despite Halo CE and Halo 2 coming out while I was in high school and it being all the rage at the time, I never "loved" Halo, but I certainly liked it. By the time Halo 3 got announced I had graduated high school and was living 1200 miles away out of state for college. My little brother and I shared joint custody of our XBOX 360 Elite console; I'd have it for about 3 months, ship it to him, and he'd send it back in another 3 or 4 months. Around the time Halo 3 came out, my brother was in possession of our 360, which was absolutely appropriate given he LOVED Halo, definitely way more than I did. Funny enough, he went to a huge Halo 3 launch event that was holding an all ages tournament and he ended up winning it along with a free copy of Halo 3, a giant Master Chief cardboard cutout and like $100. I guess that's what playing Halo 2 thousands of hours on XBOX Live amounts to. But anyhow, the combination of my brother having the 360 when Halo 3 came out, me living so far away from all my high school friends whom I used to play Halo with, and the fact that I was never crazy about Halo to begin with meant I didn't play this game back in 2007, or in 2008, or for the rest of the 2000s....or the 2010s. Nope, here we are in 2026, nearly 19 years since Halo 3 originally came out and I finally sat down and played through the campaign. Better late than never I suppose.
As mentioned, I only played the campaign which is where most of my interest in Halo games lies. I enjoyed playing local multiplayer in Halo CE and Halo 2, but in recent years I've only ever played the single player campaign in those games. Same goes for Halo 3. With that said, i am aware how robust Halo 3's multiplayer and map editor modes are and how this games legendary for its multiplayer back in the day, both locally and online. The reason I mentioned this is because your mileage will vary greatly depending on how much you value the multiplayer aspect of these games and my review may not reflect how balanced or enjoyable this experience might be. However, if you're just interested in the single player experience, read on if you'd like.
I'm a bit bummed to say, Halo 3 was not nearly as impressive and many have led me to believe over the years. With that said, I sort of expected to like this game roughly about as much as I did Halo CE and Halo 2, minus the nostalgia I directly have for those two games. And sure enough, I enjoyed Halo 3 about just as much. With me saying that, i have to stress that Halo 3 did have aspects about it that I did genuinely enjoy more than any of the previous Halo games, mainly how much better paced Halo 3 is. There isn't nearly as many chapters and sections that just drag on and on like they did in Halo 2, and especially Halo CE. This meant the action and story just kept coming and coming, which is something I really appreciate. Unfortunately, the final chapter to the original Halo story arch was not as cool as I had hoped, but at the very least ties things up nicely and the final chapter of the game was appropriately epic.
Halo 3 also luckily refined the gameplay from the previous two Bungie Halo games. Shooting feels a little more crisp, vehicles control way better, and level design is generally way better. Speaking of vehicles, there are a decent amount more to pilot compared to the previous two games, which makes the improvements to how they control that much more appreciated. Most of Halo's chapters are very well made, however the sections and chapters that aren't are so bad that I dare say they are some of the worst in the original Halo trilogy. Particularly, the double scarabs fight and the final couple stages that bombard you with flood to the point where it's more frustrating than fun. There are also more weapons, although many are just variations of other weapons that have existed in the series for some time. In saying all this, the gameplay of Halo 3 is certainly improved, but it still has some notable flaws that prevent this game from being the incredible experience this game was often lauded for around the time of its release.
Probably Halo 3's weakest quality is its visuals. That's not to say Halo 3 is a bad looking game, but unfortunately the jump in visual fidelity compared to Halo 2 just didn't wow me as much as I was hoping. Maybe I've forgotten how old 7th gen game graphics can look, but honestly Halo 3 didn't look that much better than Halo 2. This lack of visual sharpness and detail is most evident in character models and animations which again, don't seem to look that much better than how they looked in Halo 2 back in 2004. Sure, some textures are noticeably better, but overall the visuals crispness of Halo 3 is not the leap forward I thought it would be. The beefed up hardware of the 360 seems to have gone more towards the spectacle and scale of the battles that take place; there are definitely way more enemies and just general chaos during the game, and fortunately there are rarely any framerate dips or stutters when these large scale skirmishes occur.
Finally, there's Halo 3's audio which is just as epic as it was in the previous games. Keeping with the Bungie era Halo games, many memorable and iconic tracks from Halo CE and Halo 2 are also present in 3 as well. There are some new orchestral tracks which really complement the action on screen and also fit in well with those classic Halo songs as well. Voice acting is also competent and well done too, with nearly the entire voice cast from Halo 2 reprising their respective roles in this game. As you'd expect, there are a ton of explosions, enemy growls and screams, cool weapon sounds, and just overall the audio design in Halo is something that needs to be experienced. My only real compliant about the audio is sometimes the volume of character dialogue can sound really quiet, even during cutscenes. Seeing how I commonly play games with voice acting on this same TV and almost never have this compliant, this definitely seems to be more the game's fault than my setup.
While it's a shame I wasn't blown away by Halo 3 as I'd hoped, I'm at least happy to say I liked it about as much as Halo CE and Halo 2, with Halo 2 being my favorite of the three by only a small sliver. Still, despite me not thinking these three games are the unparalleled masterpieces thousands, possibly millions of other gamers seem to think, I can still appreciate these games for what they are, but also what they mean to gaming culture. The original Halo trilogy practically defined the zeitgeist of 2000s gaming. I have so many wonderful memories of playing Halo CE and Halo 2 with friends back in high school, and those are honestly just as special to me, if not more so than the games themselves. As for Halo 3, I obviously never played it until just the other day, but I certainly remember the almost indescribable hype surrounding it before and after release in 2007 and 2008, and also how at the time of its release, it was practically synonymous with gaming. In a way, Halo 3 and its predecessors have become a bit of a time machine for me, reminding me of the fun times back in my teens and early 20s. It's for those reasons that I will always hold Halo CE, Halo 2, and Halo 3 in high regard, even if I think the games themselves are just pretty good for the most part. (1/4/26) [36/50]
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01. Cozy || PC || 01.04.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/OuqgGFU.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/Y8CvHld.jpeg)
While looking for a short game in my itch.io backlog to play, Cozy caught my attention. I don't exactly remember how I originally came across it, but I imagine it was from a while back when searching for free point-and-click games, or free horror games, or perhaps games with both genre tag descriptors.
Nevertheless, the game offers a casual point-and-click puzzle adventure experience that doesn't take long to complete, and its winter setting was a perfect complement to this time of year. When the game begins, the player-character has just driven into the wintry woods to check on their uncle, as he lives in isolation. When we finally reach his home, however, things are clearly awry; so, we as the player are required to interact with the environment to solve simple puzzles by using and combining found items to make progress toward continuing our search and then, later, escape the woods using our vehicle. Throughout the game, players will navigate a handful of rooms each with their own items to collect or to utilize in a specific order. And like in typical point-and-click adventure fashion, brief narration toward the actions being made or being attempted are present, alongside enough text relating to failed solutions that's engaging enough that will temporarily baffle players.
Despite its name, Cozy maintains an off-putting atmosphere that becomes more impressive as players venture further inside the uncle's cabin and the sun sets and then disappears to bring nightfall. To my surprise, the game actually managed to incite a sense of fear within me, though there is one trite implementation of a jumpscare midway through the playthrough, which is a tool I almost always find to be reductive toward crafting any meaningful horror. Regardless, the horror ambiance is subtle until it's all of a sudden not, which was unnerving. However, I didn't find the final moment before the game's end credits to be successful, as it botched the emotional turmoil that had just been elevated to a peak to instead deliver a lackluster concluding visual.
Overall, Cozy is an okay horror experience to pass a short fifteen minutes or so. It's not particularly original, but it manages to provide a thoughtful implementation of an interactive short horror story effectively.
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And the first game I've completed for 2026 is TMNT IV: Turtles in Time (Arcade) from the Cowabunga Collection on PS5. Played some co-op with my son for a fun time.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/saAELu_Ll_XyX0NUmkH_nkYi56TaWQKX7R0xmar4fGRgwljLPoU77PxfE9d1Y2BJIBbWsCiIYOjL13nCAMXye5gtjagWkN0eP7e2WiK9ZwCUs6gJ8YswfsXIjw)
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2 - Cassette Beasts (PC 2023) - BEAT - As someone that's fallen off Pokemon hard with the state of their games from the Switch era, it was nice to have a monster collecting game that calls back to the old sprite era, but doing it with a 3D world, and introducing some cool unique mechanics. It very much follows what you expect of a Pokemon-like game, but does it in a way that doesn't feel so hand holdy like Pokemon usually is. I know those are made for kids, but they just don't really take into account at all that a huge audience of the games is adults. Not that this is super mature or anything, but it feels less like a childrens game while still being family friendly.
Good art, good music, some light voice work to add character, it's all a real nice package, highly recommend it if i you want a more old school feeling Pokemon experience.
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5. Dead or Alive 6 (PS4)
Up until last year, most of my love for the DOA series was the result of one game in the series, DOA2. I played the hell out of DOA2 on my Dreamcast and PS2 back in the early 2000s. The combination of its fast, action packed gameplay and umm...certain female character attributes heavily appealed to my teenage brain at the time. While I have dabbled in some of the later entries in the series, I'm a little bit surprised and disappointed I didn't play some of the later mainline DOA games more until 2024. Having played so much DOA relatively recently has definitely helped me decide which games I like better than others. In all honesty, they're all pretty good, some do stand out as being better than others for one reason or another. The final mainline DOA game I still needed to get my hands dirty with was the latest entry in the series, DOA6. And well, DOA6 was in many ways one of the most surprisingly good entries in the series while also being somewhat of a disappointing step backwards for the series as well.
I'll start things off on a positive note and say DOA6 might have the best gameplay in the entire series. Seriously, this game is so incredibly fun to play! Controlling nearly every character feels fluid, intuitive, and accessible than any other entry in the series. That's not to say this game is easy, but it certainly does make feeling like an absolute champion in a DOA game easier than ever as you're stringing together crazy combos and counters while the typical craziness of a DOA game plays out around you. This great gameplay is in no small part thanks to the knew Break system which acts as both a combo breaker and super system simultaneously. There is a gauge that fills up as you fight and once it reaches a certain level of fullness you can unleash a variety of supers on your opponent. The closest thing I can think of in terms of a similar system, both in implementation and how it looks (albeit WAY less violent) is the Xray special system in the newer Mortal Kombat games. I had a hard time wanting to stop playing this game, which isn't always the case when it comes to me playing fighting games.
Like most DOA games, DOA6 has many unlockables, mostly relating to costumes and accessories you can obtain for the fairly impressively sized toster of characters. Unfortunately, DOA6 has the distinction of having the most grindy unlockables system in any fighting games I've ever played. You don't just unlock costumes like you do in all previous DOA games. You literally unlock pieces of costumes by playing as the various characters, which also require you buy the costume with in game currency. Of course, being a modern video game, costumes and in game money can be purchased using real money, but I guess in a way it's nice they allowed you to unlock most of this content without needing to purchase it via DLC. Of course, there is plenty of content that is only paid DLC too, including a decent chunk of characters. But yeah, if you want to unlock anything decent in this game, be prepared to play this game for hours upon hours, sometimes for a single character costume. It's bullshit to be honest.
As mentioned, DOA6 was as much of a step forward as it was a fairly big step backwards. While DOA6 totes possibly the best gameplay in the franchise, it also tripped the series of a lot of its identity thanks to some questionable artistic decisions. Like it or not, DOA as a whole is loved just as much for its fun gameplay as it is for its overly sexualized female characters, over the top jiggle physics, and unapologetic promotion of TnA. While this part of DOA certainly appealed to me more as a guy in his teens, it's still an undeniable part of what makes a DOA game what it is and without it, the game just feels off. It's like if Mortal Kombat removed the blood and fatalities (MK vs DCU anyone?); it just doesn't work. Female characters have been undeniable defanged and the almost patented jiggle physics are almost non existent. I don't know whose decision it was to change these things or tone down the sex appeal of the female characters, but it honestly makes this game feel a bit generic and not as DOAish as nearly all other entries.
But even if DOA6 had all those staples of the DOA franchise in them, the game still doesn't look that much better than DOA5, a game originally released on 7th gen hardware. Stages are a noticeable downgrade as well. While there are a few memorable ones, many are simply generic looking Japanese villages or fighting rinks. There is far less verticality in stages too, meaning less opportunities to kick your opponent off rooftops or cliffs, and have them crash into the hard ground 50 feet below. Even the character models don't look as detailed or polished as they did in DOA5, which also includes the swear, damage, and dirt effects present in that game. This is still a fairly good looking game, but not nearly as good as a the previous entry in the series.
Finally, the soundtrack in this game is probably one of the worst in any DOA games I've ever played. DOA soundtracks jsut have this catchy, coolness to them that makes nearly all of them great. Unfortunately, DOA6 doesn't have a single track I really liked, yet at the same time none of them feel woefully out of place or offensive to the ears either. It's essentially a serviceable soundtrack, nothing more. Aside from the OST, the sound effects and voice acting is pretty good, at least if you turn on the Japanese voice audio.
I absolutely will be returning to DOA6 again at some point, albeit it will be almost exclusively for the game's stellar gameplay. It's a real shame this game didn't continue many of the staples the DOA series is known for or put more time and effort into the overall presentation of this game. This could have easily been one of the best DOA games ever made, if not the very best had they done so. But with how good this game plays, it's hard to be disappointed with DOA6 and I'd still strongly recommend people play it, even if it fell off the wagon in other ways. (1/5/26) [35/50]
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First abandoned game of the year.
1. Castlevania (NES) - ABANDONED
Even though I was born in the mid 80s and many of my family, friends, and neighbors growing up had NES consoles, I'm still a bit ashamed to admit that the NES is just a little too old school for me. Most NES games I've played, even the ones that are considered among the best on the console, I typically get minimal enjoyment out of. The combination of archaic gameplay, annoying old video game mechanics, and just general technical limitations keep me from enjoying vast swaths of the NES's library. Still, with that said I'll occasionally I'll get the urge to play an NES game.
Given how much I've fallen in love with the Castlevania franchise in recent years, I decided I was going to play some of the game that started it all. Keep in mind this isn't my first rodeo with the original Castlevania. Many years ago when I still collected NES games and thought I liked the console way more than I actually did, I got my own copy of Castlevania, played it quite a bit for about a week, and then just never had any desire to pick it back up. I can't remember how far I got, but all I remember is not beating it back then. I decided I was going to try it out again and see if maybe I had misjudged the game or possibly I'd find myself enjoying it more if I played it now. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
Like many "hard" NES games, its difficulty is more the result of technical limitation and poor game design than the deliberate planning of Konami back in 1987. The placement of enemies, the slow, stiff controls, the annoying knockback, and of course needing to restart a stage when you die, all will drain your motivation to continue playing. As you play through Castlevania more and more, you will learn to compensate and adjust to its meh gameplay, even at times tricking yourself into thinking it's maybe not that bad. But then you'll reach some section later in the level or on the next will will make you wish you were playing a better game. As I'll soon discuss, there is so much I do like about the original Castlevania, however its gameplay is definitely not one of them and had me quitting just before I reached the boss, Death. I do not enjoy playing this game or think it's fun, but that's not to say I hate everything about Castlevania.
From a visual and audio standpoint, Castlevania is a very appealing game. I'm a sucker for horror aesthetic and art direction in video games, and Castlevania nails it with its gorgeous 8-bit pixel artwork. The is a surprising level of detail in every stage. Enemies and especially bosses all look great and do an excellent job of representing whatever monsters they were meant to look like. This game's art is a true love letter to the horror genre and I could not get enough of it as I trudged through actually playing this game. Castlevania's audio is also pretty excellent and has some truly catchy and iconic tunes. I also am a fan of the sound effects weapons made and just the overall sound design Konami was able to accomplish here.
Castlevania is a game I really, really want to like. I can almost forgive this game for being the first entry in the series and creating the blueprint that future titles would improve upon (well, except Simon's Quest maybe). Unfortunately by the time i get to the Frankenstein boss battle, I'm just so burnt out and honestly a little bored with playing this game that I just don't really want to play anymore. At this point, I'm fairly certain I'll never actually beat Castlevania, but that's honestly okay with me. I've played enough of it at two separate times in my life to know this game isn't for me, and luckily i have a ton of newer titles that I enjoy significantly more. (1/6/26) - ABANDONED
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1: Tomb Raider II
The first game was rough, but thankfully the second game was a massive improvement. By itself, getting rid of the horrible single-use save crystal system and replacing it with a save-anywhere system was such a massive improvement that it made the game playable without resulting to save states (though I still used them to avoid sitting through a loading screen every time I died). TR2 was also a considerable improvement both visually and in level design. There were two levels in particular, Barkhang Monastery and Temple of Xian, that I actually enjoyed playing and look back on fondly. I feel like TR2 will be the high point of the original trilogy. Now on to TR3, which I'm already 2 levels into... and brought back the damn save crystals... yeah, not looking forward to this one.
Completed:
Tomb Raider II
In Progress:
Tomb Raider III (Evercade)
Mafia: The Old Country (PS5)
Final Fantasy IV Advance (PC via emulation)
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6. Castlevania (NES)
I'd originally given up on Castlevania yesterday due to how little fun I was having just prior to getting to the Death boss. After trying years ago to beat this game, and once again the other day, I fully realized once more that I'm not a fan of the first Castlevania game, or really most NES games for that matter. Still, a little voice in my head kept on egging me to return to it, if for nothing else than to say, "yep, I beat the original Castlevania." And stubbornly, that's what I chose to do. However, after beating Castlevania, I somewhat wish I hadn't.
Like most "hard" NES games, the game's difficulty stems more from gameplay limitations of the time, poor game design, and just really outdated mechanics. Castlevania is a prime example of this, and this game drives me crazy even when it's not at its most relentlessly difficult. Moving is very stiff and slow, jumping and even basic platforming is overly difficult, navigating stairs sucks, and certain sections of this game feel very half baked in terms of their design. This game is a literal test of patience and endurance over how many cheap shots and needless deaths the player can endure before wanting to turn the console off and just walk away. The gameplay isn't all bad however, but whatever it does right, it easily does two or three other things wrong.
The presentation in Castlevania is fantastic and I adore the gothic horror art direction of the game and how well the artists at Konami portrayed this with 8 bit pixels. Bosses and enemies are mostly all great and memorable, and there is a level of detail not seen in many other NES games for the time. The soundtrack is also very memorable and catchy and goes so well with everything else going on. In many ways, Castlevania's presentation really carries it and makes it a standout game on the NES.
While I am happy in a way that I beat Castlevania, I didn't necessarily feel a sense of accomplishment or even really relief. I was just sort of pissed off and a little annoyed with myself that I just HAD to go back and play this game again. I didn't enjoy it when I played and dropped it yesterday, and I enjoyed it even less getting through the rest of the game, include two of the most obnoxiously annoying bosses in the entire game. I definitely don't plan on playing Castlevania ever again and will instead spend my time with the newer entries that definitely refined nearly everything from the first game. (1/7/26) [29/50]
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01 - uDraw GameTablet - uDraw Studio: Instant Artist [DE] (PlayStation3)
https://vgcollect.com/item/286773
Hardware: PlayStation 3 fat + uDraw GameTablet
Playtime: About 10 hours
I swapped this item and game along with Pictionary Plus, that I played and reviewed a few weeks ago. uDraw Studio: Instant Artist seems to be the must-have title to compliment the uDraw GameTablet and I enjoyed this game far more than Pictionary Plus.
The bundle uDraw GameTablet - uDraw Studio: Instant Artist was released in Germany on march 6th 2012 by publisher THQ. The game uDraw Studio: Instant Artist itself is the sequel to uDraw Studio and was delevoped by Pipeworks Software, a company based in Eugene/Oregon founded in 1999. Bought by Foundation 9 in april 2005 and then bought by Digital Bros in september 2014, and then again bought by Northern Pacific Group in february 2018 and renamed Pipeworks Studios, this company is responsible for developing a few known games such as Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones for PSP, Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2 and Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening for Xbox360 and PS3 or Zumba Fitness for Xbox360, Wii and PS3, amongst some lesser known partially licensed titles.
uDraw Studio: Instant Artist is essentially a digital art studio to use the uDraw GameTablet as intended - for drawing.
Logically, the core gameplay-element (is gameplay even the correct term?) is the quite impressive drawing-editor, where you pick your tools, colors and so on and start drawing something. Being somewhat graphically skilled since childhood, this "game" actually appealed to me. It takes a little while to get used to the tablet's attached pen, but I was slightly blown away by the capabilities of this graphic drawing editor. The color palette to choose from offers literally endless options and there are more than enough useful and sometimes funny tools to choose from, such as pen, brush, spray can, paint bucket, and many more. This is where uDraw Studio: Instant Artist really shines in comparison to Pictionary Plus with it's own very simplified editor.
You can either use all those functions freely in the free drawing mode, or absolve a digital art course, or try out some of the minigames and drawing puzzles in the so called artist camp section. The drawing-with-numbers puzzle felt specifically relaxing and cozy within this section. I don't know if this was intentional, but one of the minigames (Alien Swatter) seems to be a modern ripoff of the fly swatting minigame in Mario Paint - C'mon, how dope is this please? :o
Graphics (menu, layout, minigames) are all humble and basic, and a game like this doesn't require anything more sophisticated. At the end of the day, the player's own paintings and creations are ment to build the graphical heart of uDraw Studio: Instant Artist. And, given all the different tools and options, it is really possible to create impressive pictures with depth, lighting and effects. It takes some practice though.
Same as with graphics and similar to Pictionary Plus, the music in uDraw Studio: Instant Artist is not worth examining in detail. But let me at least point out who's credited with this unmemorable, highly generic drivel: Michael Jones, American freelance composer and sound engineer, who already composed the soundtrack to uDraw Studio and actually won the 2021 MPSE Golden Reel Award for outstanding achievement in audio editing (game Audio) with his contribution to Call of Duty: Vanguard. I guess he himself doesn't consider this particular soundtrack as one of the milestones of his career...
Nevertheless and thanks to it's fine working editor, I totally enjoyed playing uDraw Studio: Instant Artist and am looking foward to getting more uDraw-titles to tinker with this funky uDraw GameTablet.
First game finished in 2026 - on to the next one 8)
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2: Mafia: The Old Country
THIS is how you make a cinematic game. Straight to the point, no pointless busywork, no grind, absolutely nothing that distracts from the main story. If Rockstar is working on Red Dead Redemption 3, they need to learn some lessons from this game. It feels like RDR2 if that game was story-focused, had cars, and took place in Italy. And because there's absolutely nothing unnecessary to get in the way, it's a much more enjoyable experience. Mafia: The Old Country does more with its 11-hour run time than most modern games do with 70. Thoroughly enjoyed it, looking forward to playing it again some time.
Completed:
Tomb Raider II (Evercade)
Mafia: The Old Country (PS5)
In Progress:
Tomb Raider III (Evercade)
Final Fantasy IV Advance (PC via emulation)
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2. Chaos Faction*
3. Chaos Faction 2
(https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/3038340/ss_dc2eccf7c79edbb231aa4c96e83b5d0098029901.1920x1080.jpg?t=1738256448) (https://games-cdn.softpedia.com/screenshots/Chaos-Faction-2_3.jpg)
Well these certainly weren't games I was planning to add to the list this year, but here we are. Chaos Faction is a Flash game from back in the day that I liked a lot as a kid. I remember beating it on a school computer, with a friend watching, and I felt so cool when I did. I was surprised to find that Chaos Faction and its sequel were ported to native PC and rereleased together as Chaos Faction Legacy Collection on Steam. Hell, I didn't even know Chaos Faction had a sequel. But for nostalgia's sake, I decide to give them both a go again. Flash games are odd in general: do they even count for this? Well, I say they do. Sure, many of them are 5-minute long crap, but there were also some genuine gems on Flash, sometimes with substantial amounts of content. And I don't see how Flash games are that different from bite-sized experiences that we still see on platforms like Steam, itch or even the Nintendo eShop nowadays. So as far as I'm concerned, they count.
Starting with Chaos Faction 1, I played through the game again, and usually when I play through games for the second time I do count them with an asterisk here, so that's what I'm doing. This is pretty much a 1-to-1 port of the original Flash game. Almost to a fault: they didn't even bother to include built-in controller or Steam Deck support, so I had to manually map the buttons. That's a bit cheap guys, but thankfully the game is simple enough that mapping the buttons is easy. Apart from that, the only difference is some music and sound effects which I'm assuming is because in the original release they didn't have the rights (I mean, it was still an online Flash game).
Chaos Faction is a platform fighter. You jump around, attack your opponent, and collect items to attack your opponent harder. It's pretty simple stuff, but for a Flash game in the mid-2000s, this was legitimately good. Among the endless piles of junk and extremely basic or repetitive stuff on Flash game sites at the time (or, well, the Flash game sites I frequented as a kid), this game was a breath of fresh air. It's hectic, but with some strategy and skill to it. However, you really need to see it in that context of Flash games of the time. If you're looking for a platform fighter, there are so many options out there nowadays that are far better. The campaign mode has 15 stages and I beat it in half an hour. It's fun to look back on and still pretty enjoyable to me, but if you're not nostalgic for it like I am, there's probably little here to make it worth searching out. (And let's be real, if you're curious, you can also just try it through Flashpoint first.)
It's sequel, Chaos Faction 2, I played through for the first time. It also only has 15 levels in its campaign mode so that also didn't take too long to beat. Compared to Chaos Faction 1, there are some clear improvements here. More variety in the challenges per level, there's actual hitstun this time, movesets are expanded a little, in addition of course to the new skins, stages and items. It's clear some effort and skill went into this, and it's probably objectively the better game. However, my views on it are similar to Chaos Faction 1: if you're not nostalgic for these titles, they probably won't wow you. There's some fun to be had in these games, for sure. Including in multiplayer. Some of the items, if aimed right, can be blunt 1-hit kills, which creates a fun chaotic dynamic of trying to run for them and creating some "What was that?!" moments. If you're looking for a smooth, fast, hectic game with Flash-feeling fun, this'll do the trick. But I just find it difficult to see people who don't know already know these games really fall in love them.
So yeah, Chaos Faction was fun to go back to, and I'm sure I will again in the future when I'm feeling nostalgic again. But should you search them out? Well, if you're nostalgic for the mid-2000s Flash game era, maybe give them a try through Flashpoint, or support the developers by buying it if you want to (I mean, I'm assuming they're getting a cut). But otherwise, eh, as much as I will always have a soft spot for these games, you'll probably be all right skipping these.
(Also, if you haven't heard of Flashpoint yet: it's an archival project intended to archive as many Flash-based games and applications as possible, and make them playable on modern hardware. Do check them out and support them, they do great work: https://flashpointarchive.org/ )
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02. Once Upon a Katamari || PlayStation 5 || 01.07.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/7Jsl5su.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/B6jIjqr.jpeg)
For about twenty years, I've been a fan of the Katamari series, and fourteen of those were spent long dormant apart from the occasional mobile title. So for much of my time as a fan, the series has long been dormant apart from the occasional mobile title, though I have spaced out my time playing the games released long ago and am still yet to play one original title which has been beneficial in some way for when I'm wanting to play a new game (to me) in the series. However, that's now changed after an original follow-up console entry was introduced, marked by Once Upon a Katamari (OUaK)'s release this past October. A new entry has been greatly anticipated for many years, and I decided to play it sooner than later this time.
Now, as part of a long-running series that's best summed up as an action-puzzle experience that tasks players with rolling up houses, cities, countries, the world, and beyond in an effort to create a mass of stuff, OUaK is the first game since the debut title that tries and succeeds on expanding upon its core mechanics. As its title implies, OUaK is a game that divides its myriad of stages into historical eras as players navigate throughout time. And, because of this gimmick, what's presented actually plays like a proper follow-up to the series that had grown stagnant which ultimately led to its lengthy hiatus. Before, every game centered around modern-day Japan, whereas now there are appropriately themed levels that brings forth a sense of innovation even from a design standpoint. And while there are still uniquely Japanese-themed stages, they too differ from past games that so regularly reused the same environments and assets.
At the same time, this new title introduces other mechanics and changes, most of which are welcome additions. The most important of these is the power-up items system, which are tools spread through each stage that help the player reach their goals more easily. There are only three tool types in total, and they're limited in number during each stage attempt. At first, I was hesitant about their inclusion, but they're fine additions since stages are designed with their use in mind. I'm still not thrilled by their inclusion, but I think it may have to do with how easy it is to find them. Should the game instead be designed in a way that their placement is random or even hidden from plain view like they presently are, it would make using these tools feel more fulfilling. Another aspect that's existed to some degree but is now expanded upon is the inclusion of narrative cutscenes. In certain stages, they'll feature short story scenes that provide context and the passage of time; while they serve no actual purpose to a game that largely features no plot, they're still fun animations. Meanwhile, perhaps the most interesting changes to the game is its single use of branching paths. Depending on what sort of actions one takes, the stage being played changes to one of two outcomes that results in a different environment to play and different items to collect. It's actually the kind of novelty I think would elevate the series in a stronger direction, so I hope that this mechanic returns in future installments and is more fully realized. And, lastly, a small but still negative design decision is the choice to feature the player's letter grade rank on-screen at all times, as it greatly trivializes the stage completion screen and how fun it traditionally is with The King's totally dismissive and selfish personality.
There's no disputing that OUaK is a content-rich game as it has the most amount of stages in any game thus far. However, it forgoes a lot of what makes these games feel concise while providing a cohesive sense of progression. In every past game, there was only ever one set goal to accomplish, whereas now there is a full list of objectives that, admittedly, are optional but seem so obtrusive to the experience. In short, there is a complete disregard to focus. Besides the main stage goal, there are crowns to find, tokens to earn, the performance rank to improve upon, and a series of objectives that can only be completed one at a time. As a result, OUaK abandons much of what makes the franchise great. There is a common opinion that most if not all of the games developed after series creator Keita Takahashi's departure suffer in a similar fashion, but as someone who's played nearly all of the home console titles, this is the only one that's imparted this feeling. Perhaps related to this emotion is the topic of this game's quirkiness, which the series is known for. Before, it was this strange amalgamation of consumerism and over-consumption paired with this far-out wackiness that's uniquely Japanese (especially for its debut) that shouldn't complement another but does while being so organic too. But now, that design philosophy has never before felt so forced and formulaic.
On the topic of stages, there's a little more to discuss. While the stage count total is at an all-time high, I do appreciate that some have condition barriers to meet before they're accessible. In short, this decision further incentivizes focused play and, more than likely, repeated stage playthroughs. Although unless I'm mistaken, only two stages have these sorts of unlock conditions. If implemented correctly, I think such a mechanic could make the play experience more engaging. Right now, I don't think how level conditions are being utilized is particularly successful, but though I do see greater potential in it. Conversely, an annoying aspect is that Cousins (alternative characters to play as) routinely appear one at a time after selecting a stage, even though the menu states that there's a higher number of Cousins to find. It's a small detail that's probably more annoying than anything else to the casual player, but this is a new change and only artificially inflates the time it takes to earn all the game's collectibles.
And, lastly, I'll mention some miscellaneous details worth pointing out. As any fan of the series knows, the games' soundtracks are almost paramount to the play experience, and without it, the game's ability to provide fun greatly lessens. On that note, the game's music doesn't manage to come close to the high standards that early titles established, meaning it's lackluster but fine. It really didn't leave any memorable impression on me even after a considerable amount of time was spent playing, which really means it serves as actual background music more than a crucial stage design element. Conversely, visuals remain fun. They maintain their low-poly, colorful nature but again, are much more varied and engaging than since the series began on account of the game's varied levels that go beyond modern-day Japan both in time and location. But even for some stages set in Japan, they're quite novel and more than just a simple room or neighborhood but something else entirely, and they're some of the best stages in the game because of it. I played through OUaK as a single-player experience, but there is a new co-op mode called KatamariBall that exists. While this minigame does offer capability to play with three CPU players, it's a bland experience that I imagine is far superior when played online though still significantly worse than the game's primary single-player campaign. This isn't necessarily a surprise, though, because no title has been able to provide a worthwhile multiplayer experience.
On a general level, Once Upon a Katamari has notable strengths and weaknesses, but it does show promise for what's to come in the series. Still, it's far too gimmicky with its multitude of systems and overload of in-game achievements. Perhaps that's ideal for some players, but for me, a game all about amassing a colossal ball of clutter doesn't need to be more complicated than that straightforward premise. Sometimes, what's simplest is best.
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3. The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero
No, Gehenna didn't freeze over. I completed (and for the most part enjoyed) a modern-ish The Legend of Heroes game with "Trails" in the title. The interest for this particular one started after a poll I ran gave exceedingly high praise for it. A lot of the of participants in the poll said it was a good game as a standalone, and it had better pacing than Trails in the Sky. About 45 hours later, I can attest to both of those claims being true. Indeed, this is an all-around solid RPG that doesn't require prior knowledge from other titles. While there were references, they didn't take away the spotlight from the main story and characters. I'll write a review soon, but I'll say my biggest complaint was with the fluffy yet required dialogue and story scenes. Seriously, being forced to go fishing or running five security sweeps on a theater halted pacing. Also, is it a Trails thing to make each Chapter 3 as slow as possible? The game started with a bang and continued up until the third chapter. Either way, a good RPG to finish at the start of the year.
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03. It Is As If You Were Doing Work || Browser || 01.10.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/D2kmi5J.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/oFhQne9.jpeg)
While looking for a thoughtful game to play, I came across It Is As If You Were Doing Work among developer Pippin Barr's gameography, whose works were suggested from the developers of another game I played some time ago, Something Something Soup Something (SSSS). I was hoping to play something that was just as impactful as SSSS was to me or even close to it, as it's still a game I think about every so often.
To outline It Is As If You Were Doing Work as succinctly as I'm able to, it's an introspective gaming experience about the value we as humans attribute to the act of labor, no matter how tedious or fictitious such labor may be, and then gamifying it. And, strangely, it's successful. As the in-game About text file reads, the game (or, rather, the program we as the player-character are engaged in which acts as the game we as the player are playing) "is an application created especially for those humans who feel the need to recapture an appearance of usefulness through traditional human-computer interaction." Of course, the application only exists in a theorized world where almost no human works anymore as a result of AI machine-learning having replaced human labor. So when we as the player begin, we log in to the program as one would at an office job at their personal work station. The program is a mock substitution of white-collar desk work to grant compromised or struggling individuals in this new world the opportunity to feel fulfilled by some arbitrary metric, wholly devoid of earned income but instead fueled by the work itself and the routine job title promotions we inevitably achieve.
Regarding gameplay, it's comprised of assorted tasks we're to complete that appear as pop-up windows flooding the screen. While they're all straightforward to accomplish, the effort that's required varies. Some are elementary action prompts: select the correct field option, input the desired field value, or merely click the requested button. Meanwhile, other tasks are slightly more in-depth, such as finding the correct date on a calendar. However, the most interactive task players will engage in are text fields that are often presented in the form of responding to an e-mail. During these sequences, players will actually need to press keys on the keyboard, but what appears on-screen is a pre-written message. there is always a subject the proposed e-mail is about, but the text we're implied to be typing are inspirational messages, though not generic ones people tend to think of when envisioning office space. Instead, what's typed out reinforces the program's design in re-establishing a sense of purpose to those who use it. Interestingly, tasks cannot be ignored. Time may pass resulting in their expiration, but they'll remain on-screen otherwise, meaning they'll naturally overlap one another as windows continue to appear over time. Additionally, tasks cannot be completed incorrectly; so while the program does aim to provide self-worth earned through completing tasks that are objectively simple, it does still force users to put in the minimal effort of performing them correctly.
All the while, completed tasks and just about every individual action grants a point value that leads to the user's promotion. Of course, there are no changes in how the program functions once a promotion is reached, and there aren't even differences to the types of tasks being presented. After all, there doesn't need to be. Working toward job performance milestones to earn a nonexistent promotion and seeing that subtle job title change is all that we need as struggling individuals who long for some sort of work satisfaction to feel accomplished. So, we keep working, and working, and working—until at some point, maybe we don't need the program anymore. We'll either find the sense of accomplishment we strove for and feel temporarily fulfilled or, instead, maybe we'll begin to find it all worthless. But in the context of what this fictional program and actual game is, I don't think whoever we as the player are intended to feel anything but the satisfaction we so longingly missed.
Alongside tasks to complete, there are four desktop icons to open. None of them relate to anything remotely resembling computer work, though they strangely do still award promotion points. Intermittently, the program pauses and opens a loading progress bar signifying our need to take a break. Whether these moments really serve as an intended break for the player-character or instead a stopping point for the real-life player to reflect upon what they've been doing all this time and consider stopping, I'm unsure. Maybe it's both. It's easy to just go through the motions while completing these tasks, just as it is with the work being emulated.
Something I noticed after playing while skimming through press reviews is that my takeaway upon playing was much different than others. While there is some level of humor involved in such an outlandish premise (though maybe it won't be in the years to come), I was much more analytical about my short time playing. While the game itself states that the program is for the 5% of people who haven't adapted to the change in human labor not needing to be exchanged to support one's life anymore, it only made me think of the kinds of people who live for work, so to speak, or those without any hobbies, interests, or life passions. Even when those opportunities are freely granted—when you now have full control of your life without consequence if whether you'll financially fail from doing or not doing something—there will still be people who aren't able to fathom what life is without performing work that's almost assuredly unimportant in the grand scheme of things. It's not as if I've been unaware that some people are like this all this time, though. It's just a sad reminder is all.
What's especially thought-provoking is that, in the end, It Is As If You Were Doing Work actually is just some game and not some self-help program for addicted workers out of a real job. And somehow, Barr has been able to accomplish making a game with such a tedious game loop that really does feel like work yet simultaneously has the work present itself as the game it is with its systems. When you think deeply about the topic, it's not like other gaming works people would objectively classify as games are that much different: buttons being pressed and prompts being read are noticeable similarities, but even gaming objectives such as farming resources or min-maxing character stats take on a quality to that of menial work that's devoid of fun. Maybe the line between what's work and what's play isn't all that objective.
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4. Mega Man Zero
I haven't played this series in a while and I've been meaning to, especially since they're all included in a nice, compact collection for Switch. I started with this one, and it's clear that the devs had some idea what they were doing. Their vision was there, but not fully realized. Still, for a debut, it delivers. The action is non-stop and seeing the words "level up" pertain to a weapon of Zero's is satisfying. Even more satisfying? Finishing off a damn boss! This game is indeed as brutal as they say, despite having played it a couple of times before. I plan on playing the games in order, so up next is Zero 2!
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5. Mega Man Zero 2
I'll start with the good: multiple forms to unlock, more unique Cyber Elves, a story that makes me question the game's E rating (and graphics that do the same), and an overall fun adventure that lessened some of the brutality from the first game. When you begin the final battle, there's a blood-curdling scream from the enemy that is just...something else. The dialogue is still Woolsey-ish, but the themes aren't lost because of it. Things went DARK in Zero 2, which is fitting since a lot of the story revolves around a Dark Cyber Elf. Now for the bad. Namely, the bosses. It's common knowledge that touching an enemy will damage you. This just doesn't apply to Mega Man games - it's pretty universal. For some reason, it seems to be extra egregious here in Zero 2. All of my deaths were from an enemy running into me. Never an all out attack or a projectile, but of a collision. It was...kind of annoying. Now I'm determining if I want to jump to Zero 3 or save the best for last and jump to Zero 4, instead.
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7. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (PS4)
Last year I beat my first GBA Castlevania game, Aria of Sorrow, and despite going into it with the expectation I'd enjoy it, I guess I underestimated just how much I'd enjoy it. It definitely inspired me to tackle some of the other handheld metroidvania Castlevania titles, so I decided to start this year with the first one released back in 2001, Circle of the Moon. Unlike Aria/Dawn of Sorrow, Order of Ecclesia, and even Portrait of Ruin, I don't hear people talking about Circle of the Moon nearly as much. The game had a very tough act to follow with it being the first metroidvania style game in the series following in the massive footsteps of Symphony of the Night. Even though I was well aware that Kogi Igarashi was not involved in Circle of the Moon's development, that didn't stop me from wanting to experience this less acclaimed entry in the series for myself.
Like Aria of Sorrow, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Circle of the Moon. However, what makes me even more surprised is how I really liked this game despite some pretty big gameplay faults, as well as this game being WAY harder than either Aria of Sorrow or its predecessor, Symphony of the Night. Like those two games, you'll be exploring Dracula's castle while doing tons of backtracking and revisiting new areas once you obtain an a new ability that will allow you to do so. Where Circle of the Moon differs from this formula is the game remains very difficult to ridiculously difficult all the way through. A lot of this has to do with a lot of thought being put into enemy placement, but for better or worse, things like the lack of an item shop, very rare and random item and equipment drops, lack weapon variety, and very spread out save rooms all contribute to Circle of the Moon's noteworthy difficulty as well. Most of this does feel deliberate, albeit maybe a little on the ill advised side of things, but throughout Circle of the Moon you can tell the dev team spent a lot of time thinking about things like enemy placement, obstacles and other features to maintain a somewhat stable level of difficulty throughout the game.
Unfortunately, one of the game's key mechanics is also one of the things that holds this game back from being better than it could have been. Circle of the Moon uses a card based magic system called the DSS that allows you to mix and match cards you find throughout the game to unlock an impressive array of magical abilities to aid you on your quest to rescue your friends and kill Dracula. This would be all fine and dandy if cards were just scattered throughout the castle for you to find, but rather some bonehead at Konami decided it was better to have fallen enemies randomly drop them. Because of this, you either have to get very lucky to get certain cards or grind a ton to get them. Outside a few useful magical abilities, many of the abilities unlocked through specific DSS card combos aren't terribly helpful outside of maybe a few encounters or sections. You'll mostly be using the same 3 or 4 DSS abilities throughout the game, which makes the system in general feel ultra gimmicky. Despite how flawed the DSS system is, it doesn't drag the game down too much, but certainly does make add to its difficulty for the wrong reasons.
Speaking of Circle of the Moon's difficulty, this game has some of the most notoriously challenging bosses and even enemies in the franchise. There were a few that took me what seemed like forever to beat. However, one positive aspect to this is despite how hard some of the enemies, bosses, and sections can be, I never felt like beating them was completely out of my grasp or that they were just so insanely cheap that I'd have to get lucky if I were ever to beat them. This really kept me going in this game. Circle of the Moon does a tremendous job of straddling that like between hard but fair, with very few times where I felt like the game was being cheap or unfair. A lot of this is thanks to how well this game controls and how fun it is to play. In some ways, despite being a metroidvania game, it feels like almost a bridge between classic Castlevania games like the NES titles or Rondo of Blood and the newer, sleeker metroivania games like Aria of Sorrow and Symphony of the Night.
For a launch title on the Gameboy Advance, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon was and still is a pretty impressive looking game. Sure, Harmony of Dissonance and especially Aria of Sorrow definitely showed what could really be done from a presentation standpoint on the GBA, but as a trailblazer not just for the series, but also for the platform it was originally released on. Some of the backgrounds for the various areas of the background can look a little on the flat side, again, especially compared to later entries, and many of the sprites in this game don't look nearly as good as what we'd get in Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of Sorrow, but for what they are, nearly everything in this game looks pretty good. There are a ton of interesting, varied settings in the castle and even more enemy variety. Sure, there many recycled enemy skins that are given a color swap and new abilities, such as the skeletons and armors, but at no point did I feel like this game felt stale or uninteresting from a presentation point of view.
Probably Circle of the Moon's best quality is its audio. The music in this game is unfreakin believable! There are a lot of borrowed and remixed tracks from older Castlevania games, but there are also a decent amount of original songs in this game too. While I did play this on the PS4, it's audio is essentially unaltered from the original GBA version. What Konami was able to compose here is nothing short of excellent. There are also tons of great sound effects and other noises that really add to the fun, cool, spooky atmosphere of the game, creating a near flawless audio presentation as far as I'm concerned.
While I didn't like Circle of the Moon as much as Aria of Sorrow, and especially not more than Symphony of the Night, what's impressive is this game wasn't that far off from how good or enjoyable its aforementioned GBA counterpart is. I had a hard time putting this game down most of the time, and even when I was getting my ass thoroughly kicked by a specific area or boss, there was almost never a time where I didn't want to come back for more. Do not sleep on Circle of the Moon; it's a game worthy of your time whether you're a seasoned Castlevania fan or a complete noob. Just be prepared for a pretty hard game. (1/14/26) [39/50]
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5 - Hytale (PC Early Access 2025) - ENDLESS - Couldn't help myself, but this was one of those situations where it's more about supporting a studio than anything, it's kinda of an interesting story for this game getting to where it is, coming from Minecraft modded days, to being supported by Riot Games to create their own game, to being shutdown, to the team getting the rights back so they can go indie with it.
What's here is really solid, it's years of work from what I understand and you do feel it. It's basically just base Minecraft, but with more QoL to it. I've seen some folks be real weird about comparing it to Minecraft, acting like that's unfair to compare it or something, trying to put it with Terraria or Valheim, and some building aspects lean abit that way, but the core of the game is just Minecraft, and that's fine.
Minecraft, base Minecraft, is boring, it's always been boring to most folks unless you are like a kid for the most part. Minecraft became great with its mod support. This feels like they are trying to make base Minecraft into more of a proper adventure game. It's got a long way to go, a lot of stuff that feels abit outdated, some old feeling textures compared to other stuff person/creature models feeling way more detailed, which will eventually get updated I'm sure. I'll play for abit though, it's got enough here to spend some time with it and then set it aside for like a year to see what they add lol
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4. inbento (Mobile)
(https://play-lh.googleusercontent.com/KqEEnDJv4tr4uJUF4DzFsd-a0L3QZYbsqpgBTCf-Z6D_j3s5vn5bsMkZ10XLY8WNmVU=w5120-h2880) (https://play-lh.googleusercontent.com/ZmN0Ap_9FRQ-SuGn6bvKNn0OqlY--QZDh_SyANq2N1hdbsLc9kl3yF4Pd2ZsmRzdLw=w5120-h2880)
Fourth game down, and actually the first mobile game I've ever beaten. I almost never play mobile games, but I got this game on itch and it looked adorable, so I gave it a shot. And I quite liked it!
inbento is, at its core, a pretty simple puzzle game. You've got a bento box with some squares of food in it, a few tiles you can use to either put more food in the bento or move food around, and your goal is to recreate the pattern it asks you to. It's a pretty simple concept, I'm sure you can tell from a screenshot how it works. It's pretty addicting though. I quite enjoyed pulling out the game on the train or on the couch at home and finishing a few puzzles. Helped by the adorable plot of a small family of cats making bento, told through adorable illustrations you unlock as the game progresses. There are over 120 puzzles here. Some are really easy, others can get very tricky. But it's nothing impossible: there were only two puzzles I could not figure out on my own (at least, not before I finally gave up and looked up a hint).
This game is adorable and comfortable, and I'm glad to have played it! As someone who never plays mobile games, this was a reminder that there's a lot more on that market than the typical ad-filled dopamine-rushing Raid: Shadow Legends-type ordeal I think of when I hear the term. This game is available on platforms like Nintendo Switch and PC, but I actually recommend it on mobile. It's perfect for the platform.
Tip: Unfortunately on Google Play the game is tied to Crunchyroll for some reason, but the game is also available on itch (https://afterburn.itch.io/inbento), where after buying it you get an .apk file that you can install on your phone yourself. :) Also, did you buy the 2022 itch charity bundle for Ukraine, like me? Then you already own the game! So all the more reason to give it a try and show the creators some love :D
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Game 1 - Tactics Ogre: Reborn (Switch) - 48 Hours
What a great game to start off the new year with. I've always really enjoyed the Final Fantasy Tactics games but have never experienced the series that really started this whole genre. True to the back of the box, this is the "crown jewel" of the tactical RPG and definitely earns that title. The gameplay is simply divine and combined with great music, graphics, and atmosphere, make for a truly engrossing experience. The storyline is also really interesting in the sense that it has multiple branching paths that lead to a very complex and highly repayable narrative that extends into the postgame as well. I did a Chaos story on this playthrough but I wonder about the other paths and how that would play out, especially since elements of the story change depending on who you do/don't recruit to your team. In general, all of the systems on display in this game are highly polished and near-perfect.
There are a couple things that I wish could have been better, the main one being elements of the game's storytelling. Much like FFT, the story just kind of drops you in and expects you to know everything that's going on in the world, and it wasn't conveyed very well - there is so much to this world that would have been better received if I was eased in a little more gently - but right away the elements of different political and ideological factions, religions, historical events, races and much more is just all kind of dumped on you and it's very overwhelming. My other criticism is I didn't really see the need to change classes. Unlike FFT, changing classes gives you benefits because you can take skills you learned in one class to another class. That doesn't exist in this game, meaning that it's more advantageous to just stick with one class for a character which limits the experimentation you could to.
I finished this game wishing there was more for me to experience, but other than the GBA game this series remains kind of limited which is a shame, because it's excellent. I'm planning on revisiting FFTA, and playing through The Knight of Lodis someday too, because there's just something really special about this series to me!
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6. Roomerang
We had friends over and loaded up the ninth party pack on Jack Box. This was the only game we played, but it was a lot of fun as always. And I won! I rarely win at Jack Box. I played a "goody two shoes" so it was one of those art imitates life moments.
7. Mega Man Zero 4
Yeah, I'm glad I skipped one because I want to save Zero 3 for last and get this one over with. Hell, I may even do ZX and ZX Advent next because neither can compare to the pinnacle of Zero 3. Zero 4 isn't bad, it's just that it flipped the formula too much. You have to farm enemies for parts - kind of like an RPG. Normally I wouldn't mind something like this but not in a high-speed action game like Mega Man Zero. Also, his grabby claw weapon was only used for certain puzzles instead of serving as a good weapon substitute. I give a lot of points for creativity and effort, but ultimately it wasn't as fun as Capcom and them had hoped.
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1. Mario Kart World | 2025 | Switch 2 | 1/14:
(https://imgur.com/Q7VjpUU.png)
First game of 2026 officially completed!, and why not start the year off right with some good old Mario Kart? I just received a Switch 2 around Christmas and was expecting to marathon through DK Bananza, but was pretty sidetracked at how fun this new MK game is -- and it's not only because of the racing. The open-world of MK World doesn't have any inspiring set objectives. The only objective officially given to you is finding and completing collectibles & challenges for car stickers that you hardly see on your own vehicle. However, I can't help but go back into the open-world (called Free Roam) after every few races. The world that's given to explore, to discover, to complete objectives, and to make your own, is very well-crafted and very Nintendo. Stopping at a bench with a Yoshi or Toad on it and having them wave back at you when you honk the horn is one of the many little things that gives this game life and makes me want to continue exploring Mario Kart's World.
The Free Roam and 10-hour long soundtrack alone make this a great game, but there just so happens to be a mode for racing other players as well. Grand Prix is pretty alright in my opinion. Mario Kart 8 is a complete game that would be nigh impossible for this game to compete with if they were to stick with the traditional track formula, so I don't mind the mix-up. That, combined with 24 players on the same track, leaves for some real chaotic fun & some frustration when you get hit by item spam (which WILL happen). The retro tracks are really cool with how they've been redesigned to fit with Free Roam, but there are some stinkers. Like, what happened to all the hills in Desert Hills? I'm curious as to what Nintendo has planned in terms of future updates cause there hasn't been anything of note aside from adding custom items to local multiplayer (which is admittedly cool, but nothing substantial). I would love to see a playlist mode where you can choose what music tracks you want to listen to or filter out during Free Roam (why this isn't a feature yet, I have no idea). As it is today however, Mario Kart World is a fantastic celebration of both past and present in the Mario Kart franchise & the Mario series itself.
(https://imgur.com/Y2EqSDA.png)
Grade: A-
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8. Mega Man ZX - Vent
This was a lot more fun than I remember it being. Mega Merging is a rad concept that keeps the action going non-stop, despite some forms being more useful than others. The water form is just about useless. The game was also a lot more challenging. While the save point issue is resolved in this collection, it still doesn't mean the game is simple. Enemies move fast and hit hard. And they're everywhere. This is a big game that clearly took advantage of the jump from GBA to DS. There's also a darker tone with the story. One thing I forgot about until I finished the first boss was that you have to be careful how you land your hits. If you damage a Maverick incorrectly, then your rewards are decreased. E Crystals can be used to make any repairs, but still. It's frustrating to see a Level 1 or 2 finish despite trying to be careful.
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2. Crazy Taxi | 2000 | DreamCast | 1/16:
(https://imgur.com/XyOab6D.png)
Man, I didn't realize how fun it would be to replay Crazy Taxi again in the year of 2026. I played a couple of hours of the Steam PC version with restoration mods years ago, and I've probably doubled that time of recent with the OG Dreamcast version. I've since noticed that the open-world is smaller from what I remembered, that the game is very janky and many locations of the clients are the same each time you start over, and that I suck ass at pulling off the special crazy maneuvers that the game does a poor job of explaining to you. And yet, I don't see any of that as a negative. I've had a ton of fun with all my time playing Crazi Taxi again. And that's what matters at the end of the day. Grade: B+
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3. Vital Shell | 2026 | PC | 1/23:
(https://imgur.com/YG83QfG.png)
Another addition to the Vampire Survivors, action roguelike-genre: we have Vital Shell. Right of the bat, you control a mech and fight 20 waves of various unique-looking enemies, ending off with a boss encounter. The visuals are chunky and glorious with a jungle,
drum-n-bass soundtrack to round it off. This could easily pass as a classic PS1 or DreamCast title if it were released back in the day.
It does play a bit different to how Vampire Survivors would. You get to upgrade your mech with new weapons, skills, and augments after each wave -- as opposed to when you level up. Leveling up here just gives you stat bonuses that correlate to the build of your mech. Augments -- which are colored gems -- give the game more flavor as you can only equip 4 onto each weapon. Equiping 4 gems onto one weapon will grant it a unique ability, which all depends on the combination of the gem colors. You also have a much more confined space to battle enemies compared to Vampire Survivors. Having enough speed or DPS stats to create openings for your mech is of utmost importance in this game.
This was a surprise to play considering that I kind of bought it on a whim. I had no recollection of wishlisting this game until I got the email from Steam that it was available to purchase & play. It is well worth the asking price of $6 and another great game to start off the year.
(https://imgur.com/BACsOeF.png)
Grade: B+
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4 - Dead Island 2 (PC 2023) - BEAT - This is my second playthrough of the game as I had played it on Epic when it came out and got it insanely cheap with the DLC, which was the big reason to check it out. The main game is solid, coming off Dying Light 2 and The Beast, I like the linearity of this abit more, focus on bloody violence and some humor, it's more direct fun, a lot less open world roaming that drags. Dying Light still does movement stuff well, which DI2 could certainly use at times as you'd get situations that you wish you could charge through crowds or leap over better lol I don't want to see grappling hooks and all that, but there's definitely a little more room to improve general movement.
Forgot the ending was such a cliffhanger, you have some big bads teased through the game, but you only interact with one, in the DLC, and it's not to take her out, it's a big setup for a third game for sure.
DLC is overall solid, two favorite areas, Haus built around the artistically driven rich creeps creating a dark cult, built around a mysterious person. And then Sola, which is about a huge festival that's gone horrible wrong, Coachella with zombies. Both dive deeper into stuff with the Autophage, the thing that turns people into zombies, it's not simply a virus, and the way they expand on it I'm a little mixed, it's trying to make it such much bigger, almost makes me think of Death Stranding and I'm not sure how much I love that. Not bad, but it would take the next game to really explore it fully.
In the end, I kinda realized some things I disliked, the combat needs to be less stiff. There's a lot of times where you get locked into animations, heavy strikes usually doing these stationary animation attacks, or if you stun a zombie, you can then get some brutal attacks in, but they take way too long. The stuns need to be glory kills like in Doom 2016, fast, insta-death, and then I'd kinda get rid of the lock on heavy attacks just to move away from being stuck in place. The SOLA dlc in particular emphasized another issue where you could quickly get juggled into hits or stunned on the ground while taking environment damage, and really just lose large chunks of health fast. I died like a dozen times in the final two big SOLA fights because I'd suddenly lose 75% of my health or more and had no chance to recover.
Frustrations at times with the combat aside, I did have fun, I'm not doing most of the side stuff, this was purely a story run, but there's New Game+ stuff here and I think completion on the game, with DLC is probably 40 to 50 hours, so a good chunk of time for sure.
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Completed: 02
2. Code Violet (PS5)
Code Violet's quality looked subpar to me early on from pre-release trailers and even more so after it released. But after remembering how eager you were for it, I'm curious if it managed to meet your expectations and if your thoughts differ from the general public's negative opinion after having played it.
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5. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
And that's game number 5, the long awaited Metroid Prime 4. Including by me. This game has been divisive, with some people and reviewers praising it but many players heavily criticising it. And honestly, now that I've beaten it, I'm rather split on it too. Full warning: I will try not to spoil anything, but I will be generally discussing some aspects of the game. And yes, sorry, this is a long one, but I have a lot of thoughts on this one.
Let's start with the good, because there is a lot to like here. This game is visually beautiful. Its visual design in the environment and creatures is just as strong as it was in the previous Prime games. I really enjoyed the boss fights. Those are always highlights for me in the Prime games, and these bosses do not disappoint. The gameplay loop is satisfying. The various areas in the game, although linear, are still fun to explore, and constantly finding powerups to slowly beef yourself up feels as good as ever. I really want to stress: there is a lot to like here, and at times, that did shine through for me.
But yes, there are annoyances here too. The game feels strongly linear. You still explore areas and solve puzzles to progress, which is still fun, but in some way, this just felt stronger in previous titles. The games's locations are connected by an open world, and I know it's a desert but it still feels empty. I think I preferred the more directly interconnected areas from the previous Prime titles.
By far the biggest criticism online is the supporting characters, and unfortunately, I have to agree with the critics. Throughout the game you're accompanied by a cast of Galactic Federation characters. They call you, join you on quests, and will talk to you whenever they're around. And yes, I found them annoying and grading. Some of them instantly got on my nerves, to the point that once the cutscene ended I jokingly tried to shoot them (which the game doesn't allow but still). They instruct you on every new step which makes the game not only feel even more linear, but also takes away some of that sense of figuring stuff out more on your own. The previous Prime games also had objective markers, but they were far less intrusive. And on top of this, they're a hindrance in combat. There are multiple segments where you get into fights and they join you. And while they're constantly depicted as capable soldiers, every time they almost die and you have to stop fighting and go heal them. Often multiple times per fight. Several times I found myself almost screaming at my screen: "This would be so much easier if you would just GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
But a deeper issue with them is that, to me, they don't fit Metroid. A core aspect of Metroid, to me, is its sense of loneliness. That feeling of you, alone, on a distant, intriguing but hostile world, with nothing but your wits and your skills to aid you. One of Metroid's biggest appeals to me is that atmosphere. And these characters, to me, ruin that completely. If I ever got into that mental state of getting lost in the world the game was giving me, whenever these guys popped up it immediately took me back out of it. They break the immersion, and also break that sense of isolation and weight. I admittedly don't play many games with chatty sidekicks like this, but still: I would've enjoyed this game so much more if I was just left to explore this world on my own, and only interact with ancient messages and the main villain.
(Also, a little side tangent, but I do not understand why Nintendo thinks we like the Galactic Federation so much. Personally, I don't. At all. If you want other characters: Prime 3 had you interacting with other bounty hunters that turn from good to evil, all from different species with wildly different designs and abilities. They were cool! Prime Hunters's other bounty hunters are still, to this day, fan favourites! Yet from Prime 3 to gosh darn Federation Force to this, they keep focusing on the stupid space army. Drop them and focus on something cool instead! Hell, Sylux is right there. If you focused on just him, he could've been so much cooler!)
I think the biggest thing that stood out to me about Prime 4 is that it didn't feel as grand or epic as the previous games. The game does try to give your situation weight, trapping you in a completely unknown and isolated world, with a troubled history of a fallen civilization, but I rarely felt that weight. I don't know whether it's the world design, the npc's or whatever, but I never felt that immersion or weight. When I beat the original Metroid Prime games, I felt a sense of accomplishment, relief, grandeur, weight. With this game, I just felt like I had beaten another game.
And let me re-emphasize: that doesn't mean the game is bad. Tons of good games have left me without a major feeling at the end. And I did enjoy this game. I was always happy to pick it back up and keep playing, there are moments that did immerse me into the world and battles that are riveting. But yes, from Prime 4, I was also hoping to feel more.
I know that Prime 4 had an impossible legacy to live up to, but even seen on its own, I cannot ignore some of these annoyances. This is still a good game, there is no doubt about that. This is a high quality title that I don't doubt many people will enjoy. But to me, while I overall enjoyed my time with it, if I were to rank my favourite Metroid games, Prime 4 would not be very high on that list. I only just beat it, so maybe the positives will become stronger in my head over time. But right now, while this game is no doubt good and worth playing, I also don't feel comfortable calling it anything more than just "good".
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8. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch)
Occasionally, my wife and I will pick out a local co-op game to play together. In recent years, this has typically been some sort of two player platformer. About a week ago we decided to finally play Kirby and the Forgotten Land, a game that we originally started playing in 2022, right before we moved into our new home. Unfortunately between the move and other games the two of us started around that time, Kirby got shelved until finally nearly 4-years later we picked it back up. While it wasn't the amazing game I hope all first party Nintendo platformers will be when I first start playing them, it was a still a decent little game overall.
Being a mainline Kirby game, Forgotten Land has most of the same mechanics of Kirby's previous main series adventures. You're sucking up various enemy types and absorbing their powers. All the power up staples of many previous Kirby games is here as well, with the added bonus of being able to power them up to become stronger and stronger. While powering up your umm...power ups makes them more powerful (I will try not to saw "power" again) and therefore making the game easier, this actually plays into Forgotten Land's greatest flaw, at least in my humble opinion. It's difficulty.
Nearly every mainline Kirby game I've ever played ranges for moderately easy to laughably, close you eyes and just press forward and auto win easy. Unfortunately, most of forgotten land leans closer to the latter and it wasn't until the last couple areas of the game where I felt like anything resembling a challenge presented itself. The result of all this was me being fairly bored throughout this game, and that's despite the pretty good 3D visuals and adorable Kirby game charm. In fact, had I not been playing this game co-op with my wife, I don't know that I'd have finished the game, simply out of sheer boredom.
The 3D stages and visuals are Forgotten Land's best quality. This is probably the best, most visually impressive Kirby game ever made. Unfortunately, that doesn't translate to this game being a stunner for the eyes. While there are a lot of recycled assets, both stages and enemies, my main issue is how a lot of the characters and enemies sort of clash with the setting overall. The forgotten land this game is named after resembles some sort of post apocalyptic world, more similar to a cartoonish earth than what we've seen on Planet Pop Star and in other Kirby titles. Some stages definitely feel like they fit better than others, but many of them just feel out of place for a Kirby game. This, however, is a fairly minor compliant to what is otherwise a pretty good looking 3D platforming game.
Finally, the audio in Kirby is fine for the most part, if not bordering pretty good. There are some pretty good tracks, although I never felt like any of them particularly stood out and really caught my attention. There is almost no voice acting of any kind unless you want to count little grunts and noises from Kirby, his allies, and some of the enemies and bosses as voice acting. The non-OST audio certainly fits, but just like the character visuals, it somewhat clashes with the levels and settings throughout the game.
I can't say Kirby and the Forgotten World is the best Kirby game I've ever played, but for what it's worth, it was a pretty fun, little game that I derived more enjoyment out of playing it with my wife than I did out of the game itself. I feel like your mileage with this one will absolutely vary depending on your tolerance for remaining engaged in easier games, as well as your love of the Kirby franchise. I definitely like Kirby, but there was enough I didn't care for in this game that beating it solo would have been more of a test of my endurance than I'd care to admit. Still, I beat Kirby and it was a decent platformer overall that I'd recommend other fans of the genre, or Kirby, try out if they can grab a copy for relatively cheap. (1/24/26) [34/50]
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3: Tomb Raider III (Evercade)
Oh damn, this was the worst game in the original trilogy. Such a mixed bag of a game. It had a good weapon selection and some levels that I liked, but every level I liked was sandwiched between two that I absolutely hated. In the first two games you could see the cause and effect of pulling levers and pushing buttons right away, but here it was common to pull a lever and have no idea what it opened. And then there was the absolutely broken crap like the underwater segment of Lud's Gate where the underwater vehicle you had to use would constantly hang up on the walls without even touching them, causing you to run out of air. The final boss was godawful, you had to sprint around a narrow stone circle with slippery slopes and instant death lava pools on both the inside and outside edge, while stopping to fire at the boss who was constantly chasing you. And when you stunned him, you had to quickly sprint down a connecting pathway, pick up an artifact, and sprint back before he recovered and fired an undodgeable perfect-homing instant death fireball at you. And you had to do this FOUR TIMES before you could kill him! And even after he died, you still had to fight your way through his henchmen to the level exit. Seriously, that boss can fornicate with a full-size saguaro cactus until he becomes physically and psychologically dependent on the sensation. The Fire Giant in Elden Ring was easier and more fun.
Like Dark Souls II, Tomb Raider III was made by a different team than the first game, and was a potentially good game ruined by terrible design choices. Also like Dark Souls II, I refuse to ever play Tomb Raider III again unless it gets a significant upgrade. I might try the remaster because they let you change the controls and uncap the framerate, but vanilla Tomb Raider III has earned its spot as one of the bottom 5 worst games I've ever played. In closing, I'll rate the original trilogy:
TR1: 4/10 Subpar
TR2: 5/10 Average
TR3: 3/10 Bad
Now I've gone from the Evercade VS-R to the PS4 to play the remastered versions of Tomb Raider IV, V, and VI. I'm really liking Tomb raider: The Last Revelation Remastered so far. This might be the first classic Tomb Raider game to get a 6/10 from me, but it's way too early to tell as I'm still on the first level after the prologue.
Completed:
Tomb Raider II (Evercade)
Tomb Raider III (Evercade)
Mafia: The Old Country (PS5)
In Progress:
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (PS4)
Final Fantasy IV Advance (GBA)
Resident Evil Code: Veronica X (Gamecube)
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04. Resident Evil Code: Veronica X || GameCube || 01.21.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/tiV1e2Q.jpeg)
Despite not being a numbered title, Resident Evil Code: Veronica X (C:VX) is a game I've been aware that's quite renowned by fans of the Resident Evil franchise. There are a lot of rumors, speculation, and alleged facts as to the game's naming convention status that relates to it being a mainline entry or not, though it's ultimately irrelevant as it's the game itself that matters. So while being aware of the game's positive reception, I began playing with certain expectations.
With that said, C:VX is a lot different than the games before it from a narrative perspective. Set after the events of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, the game deviates from the epicenter of the zombie outbreak, Raccoon City, and instead is divided between two separate military bases as its setting. I wasn't particularly pleased with how the game's opening events transpire, though I did eventually recognize why they occur as it's only rational considering how the previous series entry concludes while transitioning the franchise narrative to a more global scale instead of a localized one. In fact, the story became far more engaging than I was anticipating while offering a much more focused look at what the T-virus is, the virus's origins, and what the virus can become alongside other experimentations parallel to Umbrella's own scientific efforts. As the story continued, I was surprised at how successful it expands upon the franchise lore more than any of the three previous games without directly being about Umbrella at all even. Looking back, I'm still not partial to how the game begins by dropping the player right in the middle of an ongoing event. From my understanding, this seems to be expected as the franchise continues, with greater context being provided much later in later series installments.
As the narrative unfolds, the game tries to introduce emotionally adult themes. However, the effectiveness of the majority of these scenes are widely mishandled for one chief fault: the quality of most of the cast's voice work. Even among the playable cast, vocal performances are generally awful and arguably the worst in the series so far as several devolve into cartoon characters. Generally, these characters and the situations they're in are over-the-top and too ridiculous for my personal tastes—I'd greatly prefer a more serious and mature tone with characters that reflect it instead. Accordingly, C:VX demonstrates how thin the line between horror and comedy is. It's a design philosophy I recognize and respect, but I do sometimes wonder how this franchise above all else led the thematic horror genre during this era. To a lesser extent, plot pacing and cinematography also regularly diminish the efficacy of emotion attempting to be conveyed. Fortunately, though, these performances contrast certain scenes that are eerie in tone, especially in regards to one of the central antagonists.
Regarding gameplay, it's largely split between two protagonists. They both control the same, have access to the same weapon types, and have the same functionality besides one of the two having the means to release certain locks. Despite the immense physical space between the two at times, item storage accessibility from one to the other exists somehow, though this isn't too far-fetched considering how unrealistic the system operates normally anyway. As the campaign continued, I found myself becoming more and more irritated with bugged gameplay limitations and unfair level design, such as only being able to interact with this one specific point of interest while remaining stationary unlike any other instance when it can be done in motion or a high-traffic hallway with numerous enemies that respawn and easily infect you with poison. It should also be made clear that, even on a fundamental level, C:VX's level design and level progression is not friendly to first-time players. It's common for first-time players to become softlocked during certain sections, which is an issue that's directly related to available resources from within item storage. How items are exchanged from one character to another (something that's unexpected for a first-time experience) has the opportunity to greatly bolster or worsen not only the immediate objective but what's to follow—sometimes both from effects from the same action. The auto-aim mechanic during combat is also rather mixed. There is a noticeable pattern of poor prioritization to which enemies are targeted such as aiming toward the downed enemy and not the one advancing to you that's mere paces away. But at the same time, I found the auto-aim mechanic particularly useful in this game as it reveals the presence and broad location of off-screen enemies. Perhaps that sort of functionality has been present for a while, though, but I certainly found its use during this game.
From a genre perspective, C:VX pushes survival horror to its limits. Well, that's how I felt through the opening hours, anyway. Like with previous titles, players start with basically no items at their disposal, and it seemed that resources available as the path continued—including save point typewriters and the ink ribbons to use them—were considerably sparse and spread out. But over time, the game becomes quite manageable even without playing conservatively. For much of the game, it really just felt like going through the motions when being bombarded by enemies. And as to be expected from the franchise up to this point, boss combat sequences are markedly unfair—in particularly, one at the game's midway point. While a challenge is to be expected, the design to these encounters is not balanced well, and it completely removes any and all sense of being terrified while playing as players will undoubtedly be forced to retry again and again and again. It was never dread felt during these moments but instead annoyance.
Other aspects of the game are worth mentioning too. While they're few in number, puzzles are slightly more challenging than the ones before it—they're certainly more thoughtful, anyway. Even the series of barriers that impedes exploratory progress have elevated in difficulty, in part to the game's reliance on backtracking that, while certainly irritating on a surface level, exhibits a more thought-out level design. One after another, there is also at least one immediate path being blocked for whatever reason. As has been the case with the three previous games, the the majority of so-called puzzles in C:VX are really just obstacles. In short, each one requires finding the key to unlock the path. To call the stage design itself a puzzle is an exaggeration, though players are required to remember a fair amount of information that sometimes isn't relevant for long periods of time and is an exercise in memory, for sure. Meanwhile, the Resident Evil series is known for its action sequences, and this game is no exception to that expectation. It's especially evident in the opening FMV and closing hour of the game, but it's simultaneously underwhelming, as what one segment in particularly demonstrates an intense showdown but is represented by FMV alone, entirely without player input. To say that this game is more concerned with action than horror would not be a controversial statement. Lastly, pre-rendered backgrounds have been retired with this title and have instead been replaced with real-time 3D environments. They've aged poorly by comparison and certainly remove the cinematic quality to play.
Despite coming across as rather mixed in my thoughts, my time with Resident Evil Code: Veronica X was more enjoyable than not. Its strengths and weaknesses are across a broad spectrum, but I'm nonetheless impressed with just how compelling the game's narrative is compared to the previous titles. Should its tone had been more mature, my opinion would undoubtedly be even higher.
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Game 2 - Coffee Talk (PS5) - 6 Hours
I made a point to purchase as many "cozy" games as possible with some birthday money last year and here's a review of the first one I've finished!
First, I think it's worth mentioning that Coffee Talk isn't really the most engaging from a gameplay perspective. It's mainly just reading text boxes and occasionally choosing ingredients to make coffee, tea and other drinks. If you're the person who likes deep and meaningful core gameplay, this won't be for you. But, if you like something that's very chill, and engrossing in a narrative and atmospheric way, this game is great. It's the little things that make the atmosphere special. The rain falling outside of the shop (although it rains every single day which is a little off). The movements of the characters, the music and sound effects, all of it blends together into a game that puts you into a zen.
I enjoyed the game the most when I limited myself to just one night in the coffee shop play session. If I tried to play multiple nights in a row it became less entertaining. I also found that for a game where the story is the main attraction, it actually wasn't that interesting. Some compelling threads here and there, but mostly superficial storytelling without a lot of pizazz that would really make it great. Part of the problem is the character you play as, the barista, who has no stake in any of the stories being told, which means as a player your investment in what's going on is significantly diminished.
Coffee Talk isn't a game for everyone, but I still enjoyed my time playing it. It's a kind of game that I don't really play that often, but I'm glad I gave it a shot.
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Game 3 - Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (PS5) - 3 Hours
A very pleasant, light platformer with a cute story and characters, solid gameplay, and some really nice music. The game has a really unique atmosphere with a mix of dreamy and unsettling music, characters and dreamy atmosphere that really contributes to the game's themes. I wish Klonoa's attack had a bit more range to it, but I found the challenge to be just the right level and it was fun to master the controls. Really not a whole lot more to say about this one. It's pretty short, and there isn't any replay value, but I did really enjoy my time with it.
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9. Cyberpunk 2077 (PS5)
Having bought Cyperpunk 2077 (CP2077) on day one when it came out in 2020, I was one of those crazy people who stuck it out with the game despite glitches and game breaking bugs galore. Adding to the insanity of my perseverance even more, I purchased the game on the PS4, which was infamous for being the least optimized, poorest running, and most unstable release compared to all other platforms CP2077 was released on. The fact I was able to beat the game at all on the PS4 back in 2020 (I actually beat the game on 1/1/2021, but whatever) was a miracle akin to V dodging a cascade of bullets and coming out the other end unharmed. Maybe the craziest thing of all was I actually walked away from this early build of CP2077 on a console it probably should have never been released on to begin with, with an overall positive impression of the game. Sure, some of the bugs and glitches, and the fact there was terrible frame rate and pop in issues throughout certainly dampened my opinion of the game somewhat, but I still had a great experience by the time the credits rolled.
Hearing nothing besides how CDPR turned the game completely around and even made it way better with its expansion, Phantom Liberty, had be eager to replay CP2077 and see how much more I'd enjoy it now that the game was fixed and no longer borderline unplayable. Originally, I was going to review the base game of CP2077 and Phantom Liberty as one game, however after beating base CP2077 and completing what the internet tells me is the first 1/3 of Phantom Liberty, I just ddin't feel right lumping the main game and expansion together. Phantom Liberty, at least so far, is a very different experience in so many ways compared to the base game. Some of this, again so far (I haven't beat Phantom Liberty yet), is a good thing whole some I'm not quite sure about just yet. Either way, it just feels very jarring and shoehorned into the pretty solid, cohesive narrative present in the main game of CP2077. However, with that out of the way, here are my thoughts on CP2077 5 years since originally playing it.
CDPR has improved virtually everything in this game as of version 2.31. Almost every gameplay mechanic and system works way better, possessing a level of polish almost every feature in version 1.XX was missing. Stealth works a 100 times better, shooting is actually fun and effective now, hacking and completing missions or areas outside of the box now actually feels doable, and the leving/progression system is noticeably tighter and better thought out. Honestly, the only thing that still feels kinda crappy is driving, which obviously sucks, but it's a far cry from how almost everything in CP2077 was pretty busted back in 2020/2021.
The game offers an almost overwhelming amount of missions, side objectives, oddities to explore, and other fascinating things to see and do, that you'll rarely feel bored or underwhelmed by what CP2077 has to offer. Unfortunately, many of these missions do play out the same way more or less (break in, steal this, kill that guy), but luckily the writing does a fairly good job at spicing some of this side content up. Beyond just the combat and exploring Night City, there isn't a ton of more out of the box side experiences, which is a bit of a shame, but the core of CP2077 is so good now, that it hardly needs that side crap anyways.
The story of CP2077 is pretty good overall. There are so many ways to experience this game differently depending on what back story you choose, what dialogue and action options you decide to make, what side missions you choose to complete, and so may other variables, CP2077 can almost feel like an entirely different game between playthroughs. Whle the middle 50% of the game mostly plays out the same, the beginning of the game and the ending can look dramatically different depending on your in game choices. While I'm not going to spoil anything, the ending I got during the playthrough blew the alternate ending I got doing my 2020 playthrough completely out of the water! And what's even crazier is there are even more ending I could see depending on choices I make. Combine all this with some excellent character writing, dialogue, and a pretty original, gripping plot and you have a video game that rivals many sci fi books and movies in terms of how interesting it is.
Still, with all that said about the story, it still has a few parts that aren't as interesting or great. The writing in side missions can outstay its welcome at times. And if I'm being completely honest, the dynamic between certain main and semi-main characters can sometimes feel all over the place, even when not talking dialogue options into consideration. Still, these are fairly minor gripes to what is otherwise a really enjoyable, well made story.
I honestly don't have a single bad thing to say about the visuals or audio in CP2077 on the PS5. The game runs silky smooth, even during more hectic sections of the game. The amount of detail in Night City absolutely makes it feel like a real living, breaking place. There are random allies you can explore that look completely unique even if there is otherwise nothing remarkable or noteworthy about it. Just the level of visual detail is off the charts in CP2077 and I can say with absolutely certainty that this is one of the best looking video games ever made. Audio is also amazing. Great soundtrack, nearly perfect voice acting, amazing sound effects of all sorts. The audio is legendary and needs to be heard to be believed!
While some of its flaws and shortcoming do hold this game back for me as being one of my favorite games of all time, it's still no understatement to say that CP2077 is one of the best games ever made. It's nothing short of incredible how much CDPR turned this game around in just a few years and delivered the title we had all hoped for back in 2020. But as they sau, better late than never. Now, I just hope I enjoy Phantom Liberty just as much, if not more, even though that game is quickly turning out to be a bird of another color. (1/25/26) [42/50]
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9. Grandia II HD - platinum'd
My second platinum of the year, and one step closer to 150! Compared to the first game, Grandia II is the better title for the most part. I don't like how drastically and quickly Ryudo changes personalities, but otherwise the cast and story is a step forward in development with a more mature story line to match. I played the game on Hard mode, which was a new addition to this HD collection. Overall, it wasn't that much more difficult than the standard difficulty. The two toughest fights were the Body of Valmar and the final boss. The final boss was tough because its speed was insane. Spell after spell after spell. Thankfully, I held onto all my important items like feathers and SP restoratives. The game is a true classic, but this port? Man, what a letdown. First, there's the sound quality. Moving the cursor up and down has this laser beam "pew" sound and it is loud. There's no way to adjust sound quality, either. Music will fade out, and then restart. That's not a big deal but it's noticeable in an otherwise epic soundtrack. Then, there's the freeze-framing that happens when a battle ends. It looks like the game is about to glitch - the character that does the victory pose will often freeze for a split second before finishing said pose. However, the only time the game crashed on me was in a random dungeon when I was walking. Annoying? Yes. But, RPG 101: save often, and Grandia's full HP/MP/SP restorative save points are everywhere. I lost all of 10 minutes of game time so, not a big deal but still something that happened when I wasn't expecting it. This is my third time going through the game. First was on PlayStation 2 and it was a passable port. Second was on the Dreamcast and it's crazy to think that this original version is still the best version. Now, we have this HD port and while the game is still a lot of fun, it's probably the worst way to go about playing it.
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10. Mega Man Zero 3
I ended up jumping into this instead of Advent, and I'm glad I did. This is still my favorite from this sub-series. The Recoil Rod is a lot more fun than the special weapons from the other games. It's not used as much as the saber or gun, but still a fun little trick weapon. I managed to keep an A ranking the entire time. I also managed to get most of the secret disks. I'll probably do another run through this year and go for the ones I'm missing while attempting to get an S rank.
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10. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (PS5)
When it comes to substantial bonus content and large expansion for games, I rarely complain or think the base game would have been better if the expansion never existed. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is no different in this regard, however I do feel like its inclusion, should you choose to play it, feel fairly out of place and jarring shoved within the CP2077 narrative. Taking place during the events of CP2077, and even offering up an entirely new ending should you make certain decisions towards the end of Phantom Liberty, the game really throws things askew plot and storywise from the main game. Base CP2077 is built upon Johnny Silverhand becoming imbedded within your psyche and your struggle to remove him and survive becomes just as much your story as it does his. However, in Phantom Liberty, Johnny almost takes a back seat to some of the new characters plot threads that have far less to do with him and his past and more to do with the what's going on with these new characters. In a lot of ways, regardless of what path you decide to take in Phantom Liberty, it undermines the story already established towards the beginning of CP2077 and abruptly ends a lot of the threads that game was established, which mostly all get resolved by the ending of the base game.
So in a way, choosing to play Phantom Liberty is done so at the expense of the main plot and story, even though it does do its best to tie into it and resolve certain problems that arise within case CP2077. What this all means for me is that I didn't care for the story Phantom Liberty had to tell even though I did find myself interested and even intrigued at times by what was happening throughout most of it. Again, Phantom Liberty just felt bluntly shoehorned into the overall story of Phantom Liberty, like someone who managed to bash in a square peg into a circular hole.
My issues with the story aren't the only problem I had with this game. While far more minor, I didn't care that much for Dogtown, the new main area offered in the Phantom Liberty expansion and where the bulk of that game takes place. Beyond it giving me some strong Escape from LA vibes and also being reminiscent of Kowloon City which was essentially an independently ran anarchy city nestled nearly Hong Kong during most of the 20th century until the entire city was eventually demolished, there wasn't really anything that interesting about Dogtown that made it stand out heavily from other parts of Night City you'd already seen. Sure, some of the building looked post apocalyptic as they sat there in a mid state of decay, but upon closer inspection, their layouts and features were just like any other place you'd already been in the base game. While you can venture out back into the rest of Night City whenever you want, the main story of Phantom Liberty as well as the new side missions offered to you nearly all happen within Dogtown or at least right outside it. Otherwise, this game, including Dogtown, look just as good as the rest of CP2077.
Phantom Liberty's gameplay is more or less yanked right out of the base game of CP2077, with a few noteworthy exceptions. For one, Phantom Liberty leans way more into action than the base game, almost becoming an action game first and an RPG second. The reason I won't say that, however, is the inclusion of Relic abilities and points which give the main character, V special abilities not offered in vanilla CP2077. Otherwise, you'll be leveling up the same and putting points into various character attributes like Agility or Tech. Because of the greater emphasis on action in Phantom Liberty, there is way more ammo and weapons just lying around, which you'll absolutely need given how much shit you'll be shooting in this expansion. In fact, the first third of Phantom Liberty is so action packed that I almost forgot I was playing CP2077 for a minute. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, although it does contribute somewhat to the jarring tone and plot shift I mentioned earlier.
Audio is still top notch in Phantom Liberty. The voice acting from the new characters introduced in this game is at the same high caliber seen in the base game. While my connection and investment in the new characters wasn't as strong as it was with many characters introduced in base CP2077, that had nothing to do with the voice acting or the performances given in Phantom Liberty whatsoever. Music and sound effects are mostly just lifted from the main game, which is by. no means a bad thing given how good that all was there.
While playing Phantom Liberty was something I always intended to do whenever I got around to replaying the base game again, one of the biggest selling points of Phantom Liberty was the proclamation of it "fixed" the ending of the base game. To be clear, the base game has five endings if memory serves me right, so I guess it's more accurate to say Phantom Liberty offers an additional sixth ending. The ending I got in Phantom Liberty was more a conclusion to the events of Phantom Liberty rather than a definitive ending to the story of CP2077. I did watch the definitive ending that is offered in CP2077 and found it to actually be less satisfactory than most of the endings in the base game. This is saying something since one huge thing is never fully resolved in the base game's ending and most are all somewhat bittersweet if not mostly negative. The same is true in Phantom Liberty's conclusive ending which just made me feel kinda depressed and unfulfilled. Obviously, this is more of a subjective thing, but I really feel like I was sold a false bill of goods with the internet collectively saying the ending of Phantom Liberty was so much better than the ones in base CP2077. It isn't and neither are the endings that just loop back into the events of the main game.
I feel like I had a lot of negative things to say about Phantom Liberty, but at the end of the day, it's still a game based on an already great game. While it does fall noticeably short in various areas compared to base CP2077, I would say that it's still worth playing through to make your own opinion on. Just be prepared for the game to shift tonally in a pretty sudden and jarring way if you decide to play Phantom Liberty. (1/28/26) [38/50]
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4. Gears of War: Reloaded | 2025 | "Hardcore" Difficulty Solo Campaign | Xbox Series X | 1/25:
(https://imgur.com/IOhXDNe.png)
A leftover from 2025, I have finished playing Gears of War: Reloaded: a remaster of a remaster of the original game. I have played plenty of Gears of War 4 many years ago, but barely anything from the original trilogy. Rare props to Microsoft for handing me a free copy for owning the physical version of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition.
Anyways, this is 100% Gears of War through and through, love it or hate it. It's pretty surprising how much the first game got right with its gameplay, art direction, and characters. The campaign is nothing ground-breaking or life-changing, but it's still a solid few hours to play through today. What I am disappointed with is with the remaster. This is the third release of the same game and still has some of the worst friendly AI I have ever seen. You get the option to direct your teammates' (mainly Dom's) actions, but they do almost nothing. They may listen to you when you tell them to regroup, then continue to rush the enemy and get downed 5 seconds later. The enemy AI isn't much better either, and there were some graphical & gameplay glitches throughout my playthrough (I posted an image of one of my first glitch encounters above). You think someone at The Coalition would bother tinkering with the original game's code for once?
I did have more fun than I expected playing a solo Gears campaign that's almost 20 years ago at this point. There are a lot of memorable set pieces and locations that you trudge through -- which was more than I expected for a game that only uses gray, dark green, and sepia as colors. This remaster does make the game more pleasant to look at and play through, at the cost of the original game's gritty art direction. Overall pretty solid, but I do have to question if we will see an 8K resolution, Gears of War: Supreme Edition remaster of the first game another decade from now?
(https://imgur.com/VrQzOXD.png)
Grade: C+
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05. Pikmin || Nintendo Switch || 01.25.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/G1IJAsR.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/DDYApcz.jpeg)
For nearly fifteen years, Pikmin has been a game I've been meaning to complete. It's been fifteen years specifically because it's been that long since I first played the game without really knowing what to expect at all, so it was both a franchise and a genre of games I was unfamiliar with. As to be expected from this specific game that offers three different endings dependent on player performance, I earned the worst possible outcome and moved onto something else. So since I never properly played Pikmin to completion, having it as part of my backlog all this time still has long bothered me. Fortunately, that's since changed.
To set the scene, Pikmin begins with the protagonist Olimar crash-landing on an alien planet while navigating through space. Needless to say, Olimar's ship is unable to take off once again as numerous parts of it—thirty, to be exact—have scattered around the surrounding regions, waiting to be found. To make matters worse, there is a grave sense of urgency to reclaim these pieces as Olimar's space suit only has enough power to filter out this world's toxic air composed of oxygen for thirty days. So, to be direct, Olimar has one month to repair his ship or else he'll die. Fortunately, however, Olimar isn't alone on this life-or-death mission but is instead accompanied by upwards of hundreds of alien creatures, the eponymous Pikmin, who eagerly aid his cause serving as tools at his disposal. So for thirty in-game days that are roughly 13 minutes in real-time, both Olimar and the Pikmin must accomplish their short-term goals of reclaiming one ship piece at a time which will enable the ship to navigate short distances across the planet from one region to the next at certain milestones, where other parts await to be found.
While Olimar's alone at first, it's almost immediate that he discovers Pikmin, this sort of hybrid plant-animal species. Quickly, Pikmin's numbers multiply as the they themselves harvest resources that enable them to reproduce at propagation pods. This is a slow process at times as they move slowly throughout it, but it's typical for the collective Pikmin to pool together their power at the whim of Olimar's direction that enables both parties to accomplish their survival goals. For without Olimar's command, the Pikmin are rather useless and fall prey to the numerous predators that roam the wilderness. While Olimar's chief goal is to bring back each fallen ship part back to their home base, it's often interrupted by predators and the terrain itself. So, even though the main objective is for multitudes of Pikmin to carry these parts—as there is strength in numbers—they must routinely clear the path for both Olimar and themselves to traverse safely which is, in itself, Pikmin's chief gameplay loop. At times, this is as simple as opening a blocked path or as dangerous as confronting a much larger, much more capable predator. It's often not clear what sort of resources are needed for each individual circumstance, so there is a fair amount of trial-and-error involved throughout a first playthrough. Discovering and understanding new information is paramount to making progress, and it's made easier by daily field reports from Olimar himself.
Even though Pikmin is quite approachable for anyone new to real-time strategy games with an emphasis on resource management, I found the experience to be somewhat challenging for me—for a while, anyway. And what I mean by that exactly is that, for the majority of my playthrough, I'd consider myself to have been bad at maintaining Pikmin's numbers, as they'd constantly die with high frequency. That being said, while the Pikmin population is an important factor to monitor and replenish, it becomes even more crucial to bolster the numbers of each individual type of Pikmin, which there are three: red, yellow, and blue. While each of these three types have the same basic qualities and can perform the same simple actions, they differ in more finer abilities and are required to be used in certain scenarios to continue progress. Since only one hundred Pikmin in total can be dispersed on the field at a time, it's crucial to balance the actions you assign them to maximize the limited time that's available each day, with tasks such as constructing bridges or collapsing wall barriers being the highest priority since these obstacles impede further progress. Of course, simply finding a ship part is only one segment of the game, as overcoming each region's trials and successfully bringing the part back to Olimar's ship is the real challenge.
Of course, Pikmin are more than capable of defeating their predators while following Olimar's commands. Using them as tools, Olimar can direct Pikmin to attack predators or even fling Pikmin on top of them to gain advantage. Still, it's to be expected that many of Olimar's forces will die. Together, they act as an army against much larger and more capable predators, but that doesn't mean predators will simply allow themselves to die. Alongside simply being eaten alive, Pikmin can die in scenarios such as falling victim to the environment itself that includes being burnt and drowned or merely becoming separated from the group and then being left in the wilderness overnight on their own where they'll be preyed upon. Olimar can also disengage any active Pikmin at any time that's made easier by separating them by color type, though it's sometimes more ideal to lead them back to their propagation pods where they're completely safe. As new regions are discovered, predators become more active, so any Pikmin that's on the field but not currently with Olimar are easy targets. Alongside typical predator creatures, there are also several boss-type predators in the far corners of each stage which guard ship parts. They require their own strategy, and it's best to come prepared with a full army.
Overall, the game's core objectives are straightforward to accomplish. While players are tasked with rebuilding Olimar's ship with broken-off parts, finding these parts is made relatively easy with a map that somehow has the location of every part marked. As days continue to pass, Olimar eventually reveals in a daily report that he believes only some of the lost parts are needed for the ship to properly function. So while there are a total of thirty parts to collect, only twenty-five specific parts are actually needed. However, the game doesn't reveal which parts are optional to reclaim. For there to have been a means to know which specific ship parts have been found from the stage select screen would have been ideal, but I suppose a mechanic like that serves little purpose unless knowing which parts are required. Regardless, collecting all thirty parts rewards the player with the best ending, whereas merely obtaining the required twenty-five rewards the adequate one. Meanwhile, anything less triggers the worst ending with Olimar unable to leave. Of course, this means that Pikmin does offer some level of replayability, though that replayability is largely related to besting one's own records concerning how many in-game days it takes to gather all thirty parts or how few Pikmin die.
After all these years, I'm glad to have finally completed Pikmin and being rewarded with the best ending. Obviously, my playthrough was far from perfect, but it's a game that's dependent on players learning new information regularly after both successes and failures. While I know some basic details regarding how the series changes, I'm curious just how different each sequel actually is from this debut title.
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11. Guitar Hero II (PS2)
Games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band were more or less a core part of the Millennial experience back in the mid to late 2000s. I was in college at the time, and these two games were everywhere. Parties, student unions, dorm rooms, retail stores, you name it. Despite me probably being the least into video games I've ever been around this time, I still was unable to avoid getting sucked into the plastic guitar game hysteria. Given how social these games were, they meshed well with my priorities of friends and dating during this time, and well, needless to say, I played a shit to ton of Guitar Hero and Rock Band between 2006 and 2008.
The first game I bought for my own personal enjoyment was the second game in the Guitar Hero series. I used to play this game all the freakin time, both alone and with friends. At one point, I actually got pretty good at it and was able to get four stars on most songs in hard mode. Being the first of these guitar rhythm games I really threw a lot of time into, Guitar Hero 2 holds a special place in my heart. Eventually, Rock Band would become my preferred series in this sub genre, especially Rock Band 2, but I'll always have a huge soft spot for Guitar Hero 2. It's been close to 20-years since I last played one of these games and the itch to replay Guitar Hero 2 has been strong for quite some time. Picking up my original red plastic Gibson guitar replica that came with the copy of Guitar Hero 2 I bought new 20 years ago, I jumped back into this game yesterday. And oh man, what an experience that ended up being!
Tons of wonderful memories game flooding in as I played every song through Concert Mode. Between trying to keep the rhythm of each song and not miss any notes, I was reminded of all the wonderful times I had with friends whole playing Guitar Hero 2 and all those other guitar/instrument rhythm games from the 2000s. And beyond just how nostalgic Guitar Hero 2 is for me, the game still holds up incredibly well, even to this day.
The gameplay of Guitar Hero 2 and other games in the series is fairly simple; you're simply pressing a combination of five colored buttons on the neck of you plastic guitar controller while flicking a switch which is meant to simulate the strumming of the strings. Button commands and timing do a fairly good job of simulating what you'd have to do while playing the actual song, albeit significantly simplified. There are other actions as well such as using the whammy bar during held chords and also doing a rocking motion with the guitar itself to go into a point multiplayer mode. However, at its core, you're going to want to hit as many notes corresponding with the guitar chores in the song to rack up as much points as you can while also not missing too many, causing you to get booed off stage by your digital crowd, requiring you to start the song over again.
Guitar Hero 2's simplicity is a massive part of why this game and others like it became so successful, however back then and even now, it does leave a bit to be desired at times. I also found that some songs leant themselves way better to Guitar Hero 2's gameplay far better than others. Still, for the most part, nearly every song in this game is synced up well with the guitar notes in the actual song, making for an engaging, fun experience as you play through all 30 or so songs.
Speaking of Guitar Hero 2's songs, there is a pretty diverse mix of rock tracks in this game, spanning four decades of music. You'll play some well known classic from Black Sabbath or Kansas, followed by playing something far more obscure and modern like Avenged Sevenfold or Reverend Horton Heat. It definitely keeps this game interesting, even though I wish maybe Activision would have acquires slightly more well known songs, bringing the overall song count up at least a dozen or so at least. My only other gripe with the songs in guitar hero is their all sang as covers by some vocalist Activision payed. The vocalists, both male and female, definitely do some songs justice far better than other, but some just sound borderline bad given how much the hired vocalist's voices clash with how the song originally sounded. This is a fairly minor gripe, but in a game with only around 30 songs, it's a shame about 1/6 or so of them sound kind of blah due to the original song vocals not being used.
Finally, there's Guitar Hero 2's visuals, which you'd be at times mistaken for thinking, "what visuals?" 98% of the time you're playing Guitar Hero 2 you're either looking at a menu between songs, or at the notes you need to press on your controller which is represented by a flow of colored prompts on a digital guitar neck coming towards you. In the background you have a motley crue (no relation to the band) of mismatched cartoony rock stars jamming out on various venue stages. You'll almost have no time to actually look up to see your cartoon rockstar avatar head banging or playing their guitar behind their back. Still, these 3D characters and their performances have a certain charm to them that certainly adds to the appeal of the game. But really. this game is more about its music and gameplay anyways, which means how good or not the 3D character models, stage props and other visual elements look is almost irrelevant.
Some games are absolute time machines for me, and Guitar Hero 2 is absolutely one of them. Nearly the entire time I was playing, memories of playing Heart Shaped Box or Free Bird with friends back in college came flooding back. It reminded me how much I miss a lot of them, some of which I haven't spoken to or seen in almost as long a it's been since I last played this game. The ability for some games to take me back to simpler and sometimes better times is part of why I love this hobby so much. And fortunately for Guitar Hero 2, it's still an awesome game that is a hell of a good time to play. (1/30/26) [37/50]
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12. Clayfighter 63 1/3 + Clayfighter Scultor's Cut (N64)
This morning when I woke up, I felt the sudden urge to revisit the original Super Smash Bros on the N64. Despite owning most of the N64 games I care about and like, I play 95% of my N64 games off an Everdrive 64. To my surprise, for some reason I'd overlooked Smash Bros ans it was nowhere to be found in the list of N64 ROMS I had on the flash cart. Feeling too lazy to pull Smash out of its box protector and box, I decided to instead play some other game on the N64. Out of all the excellent N64 titles I could have chosen to play this morning, I landed on what is considered one of the more infamous games on the N64, Clayfighter 63 1/3.
While I never owned Clayfighter 63, I vividly remember renting it as a kid around the time it came out. I remember thinking the game was goofy and ridiculous, which as a 10 year old was all I required to like a game sometimes. I'm pretty sure that was the last time I'd played the game, so here we are nearly 30 years later and I decided it was high time I played through this game with an adult's perspective to see if Clayfighter 63 was as decent as I remembered it being or as terrible as the internet claims it is. Since I was playing Clayfighter 63 off a flashcart, I decided to play it and it's questionably enhanced, updated version, Clayfighter Sculptor's Cut back to back to see if one game was better than the other. Honestly, despite there being some gameplay and presentation differences, these games are still essentially 95% the same game, so I didn't feel right counting my playthrough of Sculptor's Cut as its own game beat. So when I refer to Clayfighter 63, I'm essentially referring to both games even though Sculptor's Cut does have more characters to choose from. But anyhow, with that out of the way, what did I think of Clayfighter 63 1/3 in 2026?
To my surprise and I guess delight, Clayfighter 63 isn't as bad as I expected it to be. Sure, the gameplay in this game is not great, in fact I'd say it absolutely leans in the direction of bad, but it's not so horrible that the game is unplayable or even unenjoyable to play, at least in small doses. Clayfighter 63 is a gag fighter through and through, and knowing this going into it definitely makes it a more enjoyable experience rather than thinking you're getting some competitor to Super Street Fighter II or some other way better game. Most of Clayfighter's gameplay issues stem from poorly implemented opponent AI and controls that seem somewhat inconsistent. Other than that, you could definitely do way worse when it comes to fighting game gameplay, but yeah, Clayfighter's gameplay isn't going to land it in the EVO rotation any time soon.
This game's main asset is its pretty goofy, very 90s presentation of strange gross out humor and bizarre fighters. Most fighters are either parodies of some sort or ridiculous caricatures. Then there's the cool guest characters from other Interplay games, specifically Earthworm Jim and Boogerman. Along with these characters are entertaining moves, goofy one liners, and various other flourishes that make you forget you're playing an inferior fighting game. Stages are also surprisingly entertaining and fun, at least for N64 game standards. There is also a decent variety of both stages and characters to choose from, even more so in Sculptor's Cut. While the music in this game is nothing special or noteworthy, the character voices and one liners are what'll stick with you the most after playing Clayfighter 63.
I almost feel like you'd have to be a 90s kid to really understand and appreciate Clayfighter 63; it's a game that took so much of the zany, weird, and often gross humor of 90s cartoons and kid shows and distilled it in a fighting game that never takes itself seriously, almost to a fault. Still, there is definitely some value in playing this game, especially if you get some friends together. But even playing this game alone, it's worth the 15 minutes it takes to clear this game with on a single playthrough. As I said earlier, you could do far worse when it comes to 5th generation fighting games, and at the very least, Clayfighter 63 is a goofy, entertaining game that is worth checking out at least once. (1/31/26) [29/50]
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5. Dr. Mario 64 | 2001 | Mario & Wario "Story" Campaign | Nintendo Switch 2 (originally N64) | 1/30:
(https://imgur.com/fBhXKV7.png)
I recently renewed my NSO subscription after about 2 years of Switch 1 neglect. Dr. Mario 64 was one of the last games I expected to play when booting up the N64 Switch app for the very first time. I love puzzle games, but I've been most comfortable with ones that emphasize logic: stuff like The Witness, or even a game more universal like Sudoku or Picross. I'm not the best when it comes to games like Puyo-Puyo or Tetris, and Dr. Mario 64 was a big reminder of that.
Even after putting the game on Easy for my 2nd playthrough, this game still kicked my ass. Like the aforementioned Puyo-Puyo, you will want to stack and build combos to crush your opponent. It may seem optional, but in some modes like "Marathon", it's almost mandatory to use combos in order to get a higher score. In other modes like "Story" -- which I spent most of my time playing -- you can clear stages by only focusing on eliminatining Viruses (thankfully).
This game is a lot of fun and I do feel like I did get better at it -- even after abusing the "Rewind" function more times than I would like to admit. The story mode is short but there are different endings to get, depending upon the difficulty beaten and whether or not you beaten the game without using continues. The endings aren't super crazy or anything, but it does add more replayability to the mode.
There's a lot of content in Dr. Mario 64 to play through however, so there's an abundance of replayability and chances to improve. It's very barebones in terms of using the power and hardware of the N64. I would've liked to see more work go into the models of the Story mode and more expressive animations during gameplay. I still had a good time regardless. Grade: B-
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11. Mega Man ZX Advent - Ashe
I did it for the booty. Compared to ZX, Advent is ten steps above. Even the horrid voice acting adds to the charm. It's similar in a lot of ways to ZX, but it offers more things to collect, more forms, and better data management. Transforming into old bosses feels like such a surreal thing. I've played nearly all Mega Man top to bottom, and being able to fully transform into a downed RM or Maverick is something unheard of. I forgot how fun it was to do so. We'll see if I do a Gray file. The Star Force collection is coming out next month and I feel like this is a great way to get ready for it.
12. Star Ocean: First Departure R - Timeless Treasures
The Timeless Treasures ending was the one I was the most worried about getting, but really it wasn't bad. Using the Publication Super Specialty, everyone was able to have level 8 affection with Roddick. Then, rotating them between the final boss fights boosted the affection to 9. There was no need to worry about dialogue options or Private Actions. Seeing that ending was heartwarming - I'm glad I took a few extra steps to get it. That aside, this has been a great replay so far! I feel like this is an underrated iteration in the series. Yeah, it's one of those games where it's short length feels padded by lots of backtracking, but it's a lot of fun since it copies the design from the original Second Story which is still fun to play and highly regarded.My final party is Roddick, Cyuss, Ioushua and Millie. I took some time to grind levels with the silver trumpet and it made a world of difference for the final challenges. Will it help with the upcoming Cave of Seven Stars? That's TBD, but I'm looking forward to it.
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06. Finding Father || Browser || 01.31.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/XYUmtme.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/lwJf1Aj.jpeg)
Although I can't remember how I came across Finding Father, I imagine it was during a time while searching for hidden object puzzle games. More than likely, the reason why this game in particular stood out to me is how it subverts the genre.
Whereas in traditional hidden object games players are presented a series of visual objects or descriptions of those objects to find, Finding Father offers no objective information in such a fashion. What I mean is that, instead of an icon, a cropped image, or even a word that describes what to find, the only clues as to what's needing to be found are brief audio recordings. Interestingly, there is a simple story setup that does provide a reason why we as the player would be tasked with such an activity, and it serves its purpose well. Throughout the game, players are freely allowed to revisit these recordings as they search across the environment, clicking on objects while hoping that the sound they make is a match to the recording. There is never just one object needing to be found which helps alleviate becoming stumped, meaning players will need to actively select a specific recording in order to successfully discover the object it represents.
When clicking the environment, many of the objects in frame create sounds. Some are similar, though many differ from another. An aspect I appreciated is that there are instances of multiple objects of the same kind that sound different from another. For instance, one recording players are tasked to find is of a bird call. Though there are several birds to click, many have individualized sounds alongside there being only one bird to find that matches the recording. And while there are a number of objects to find throughout the game, they're divided into sections. At first, what players are tasked to find is easy and shouldn't be a sound that players question as to what it may be. But as the game continues, audio recordings become more vague. You as the player may think you have an idea what a sound could be and are actively looking for an object that may make it, but what's really needing to be found is something different altogether.
While much of the game's short experience is through its sound recording audio, there are other aspects worth highlighting. As previously mentioned, there is a story of sorts that's narrated. I did encounter once instance when this voiceover provides added context to the supplied audio recordings, but it can't be replayed. So, in the event players weren't paying attention as it's easy to skip past or even ignore, valuable information is lost. To be expected from a game with this scope, there is only one cityscape screen environment to inspect. Though simple in design, the game's black-and-white illustrative style is eye-catching albeit uninspired when compared to other games within the genre. Also, while players do have the capability to zoom in and out, it's not possible to zoom out fully to look at everything all at once.
Overall, Finding Father offers a novel take on the hidden object genre by replacing a core visual element that's objective to something that's far more indistinct. With that said, however, I feel as if this idea limits the gameplay to be either too easy or too difficult with no real in-between as a thoughtful but manageable challenge, since sounds will either be too obvious or too nebulous.
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1 - Peak (PC 2025) - BEAT - Finally beat this, I've been trying for awhile, I have 13 hours in the game, and that's just me trying to get to the top ONCE lol That's maybe a dozen tries at this point, I'd basically just play till I die and then that would be it, but it's not a long game. If you have a solid run, I think it's maybe an hour'ish, but it's so easy to die. One bad leap, running out of food, not enough supplies. I probably could've made it like 2 runs back, but I was trying to get an achievement which gets you a costume and I accidentally killed myself in the last zone lol
The game is fun, it's built around co-op, but it's very playable solo, you just don't get any extra help which is good for like bad falls and what not. It's a little survival oriented, needing supplies, there's decent randomness to it as the two middle zones can be a variation of 2 different ones per zone, and each week they put out a newly created version of the mountain, so it's randomized, but not every single time so you can learn what routes are bad or good for that week to help get through, it's a nice middle ground.
No real complaints, it's exactly what it needs to be and I dug it. Plus it's super cheap and I can see if you got a group of friends eager for this, it's a perfect co-op game.
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And the first game I've completed for 2026 is TMNT IV: Turtles in Time (Arcade) from the Cowabunga Collection on PS5. Played some co-op with my son for a fun time.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/saAELu_Ll_XyX0NUmkH_nkYi56TaWQKX7R0xmar4fGRgwljLPoU77PxfE9d1Y2BJIBbWsCiIYOjL13nCAMXye5gtjagWkN0eP7e2WiK9ZwCUs6gJ8YswfsXIjw)
Really rad! The arcade version of this game is 10x better than the console version imo. Love they included it in the collection. Shredders Revenge is also a blast of a time for co-op.
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2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories [PS2] - finished Jan, 20th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/PqtY9ZNx/IMG-20260204-170909-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
For anyone who knows me and my childhood, there may not be any one entity let alone video game that was as important to my soul on a meta-physical level as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City... it was that up until 3am with your Cousin trying to blow up Diaz's boats, it's that symphonic loving cocoa made by a grandmother, it was Santa Claus magic that some how mere mortals with low income were able to make happen under the guise of luck overloaded atom sacks we call children. It was to me what imagination and cocaine were to Stephen King. And tbh. This game (vice city stories) titular successor had a lot to live up to. But by no means did I desire to compete the two. So I enjoyed the game as it's meant to be enjoyed. As a seperate all alienating experience from it's big sister in it's own side universe and for what it is. It did find that gooey, sensitive nostalgia berry located deep within my thorax and find a way to crunch into it. And that's enough for me. I had a good time
Story - The story? Is a prequel to what takes place in the more popular Vice City. So before Tommy Vercetti's arrival at vice city or anything involving italians or Sonny. The game is centered around Lance Vance's brother Victor Vance and his unwilling or unmeant thrusting into the world of debt, cocaine crime and the criminal underbelly of Vice City, FL. The games story starts off perhaps spotty. At times it felt like I was doing missions sporadically for random people but the plot really gets footing when it focuses on the troubled and often times sad relationship between Vic, Lance and their mother and then as well as the entire overseeing plot which is ultimately a debt owed to Mendez brothers. Best to think of them as basically El Chapo and Escabar as siblings but with the government in their pocket. And it has a lot of cool soundtrack choices such as Talk Talks "its my life" and time transporting motife that the Houser brothers do best.
The game has elements that combine San Andreas with Vice City. The missions already are very memorable and even the memories of my life are fairly intertwined. It doesnt necessarily improve on vice city. But it does an amazing job laying a predecessor or prequel footwork to the origin stories of Lance Vance and his brother. It shows some areas of Vice City looking wildly different such as the cubano drug torn area in vc is utopia here.
Also has some sick Celeb cameos that are truly shocking. It was a good tme for what it is.
Cons are. It starts slow and gets its footing about half way through.
Rating - 81/100
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3. Madden NFL 2005 [PS2] - finished Jan 24th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/q7jyTRCw/IMG-20260202-125925-(300-x-300-pixel).jpg)
Perhaps the most adaptive and transformative of the madden games to be created. I find a lot within this game that not only elevate the existing Madden 04 Title but that are knockout levels greater than the newest 26 entry and it's truly not even close. Madden 05 was a time period when EA was competing with multiple combatants in the arena of sim football. And also competing with the legacy of their own marketed product. And what this led to was a innovative title that many consider to be the goat.. and here is why were dealing with perfection here.
HIT STICK + Tackle Feel
Madden 05 has far more control over the way you play defense than any other madden before or recent. The hit stick I have found to be a top 5 quintessential video game franchise decision let alone Madden games. It seriously takes a square to tackle rudementary game to 4 different slam tackle moves and still square for basic wrap ups. This feature gives you dynamic control of risk, when and where to apply brutal hits to force fumbles, and when a run is more warranting of a wrap up tackle for example counter rushes or lateral pitches where a runner is sprinting around. It makes the beauty of d line trench warfare magical in this entry and it truly is far more essential than one realizes. In contrast to both Madden 04 and it's new sister Madden 26. It gives it more depth and control. It never get old lining someone up. Clicking the stick and watching these beefy pops that can knock helmets off (literally. The helmet comes off in game. It doesn't in newer ones. Absolutely insane how much detail you get when a studio is fighting for their existence and not just your money)
Franchise
Madden 05 introduced the EA Sports show with Tony Bruno. Which is a radio show that plays as you menu surf or make trades in franchise mode. This thing has cameos from NFL elite of the day which is nostalgic and almost sad how painfully it irks that funnybone of childhood. But it also implemented a genius way to immerse you. The fans would call in to discuss your recent games. Things like "dude Chad Johnson was lighting it up. And I gotta face this guy in my fantasy team. Guess I lose this week. I just wish I coulda been there. Over 350 yards? Unreal" in direct referende to what your player just performed on sunday night. This level of immersion shames the new product and its not even close. Its embarassing to compare. I haven't felt like my gameplay mattered to an npc in madden since this era. The glorious PS2 era. Franchise mode also features training camp. Training camp has 10 mini game style outlets to play which are fun as playing Horseshoes with your high school crush at a pool party on LSD. Perhaps with pizza on top. You can run routes. Block as a defensive back. Practice percision passing through bronze and gold rings. Pure excitement but not for nothing. It also is used to have a meaningful impact on your player roster and directly improve stats of key players.
Graphics and Soundtrack
Madden 05 is a soundtrack and presentation beast. Little things like fireworks in the endzone. Cheerleader and nfl player sequences pre game. Halftime shows. And dynamic weather. Yes fucking dynamic weather in 2004-2005. A game will start rainy and end sunny, then transfer to gloomy night time situationals. Songs comprising the game are Green Day, Funky Bunch, Ludacris, Grunge and emo pop punk bands of the day. It's a sweet mix of bling era hip hop, corny school rap, and dad rock. It's like a time portal when you play these games. Graphics? I notice reflections and shadowing. A caveman version of ray tracing but still pretty and it holds up because of its arcadey vibe. It wasnt trying too hard to be something its not.
John Madden calls every game. And while he becomes redundant the more you play because of recycled lines. He is iconic and just hearing his voice ilicits happiness. He also is more in tune with the game it seems. Like the npc voice knows more of how or why you are running schemes and plays. Making wise cracks and such. Perfection. Sweet science!
Madden 05 has practice modes. New and improved create a teams. Create stadiums. Mobile phones. And boom stick. The whole thing took the franchise to the next level. And if it doesnt end up being the best. It is the most important id reckon.
It also introduced madden cards. Back before madden cards were micro transactional trash made to make teen kids broke. They added status effects to players, were collectibles and earned through game accomplishments. It was incredible. Cool art styles too.
Rating- 95/100
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4. NFL Street 2 [PS2] - Finished Jan 28th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/tCQ5Dsd7/IMG-20260204-171158-(400-x-300-pixel).jpg)
BEST SPORTS GAME EVER
In my quest to try and finish all football games I return to a familiar face. I've beaten this game a few dozen times in my life. And truthfully it is bar none the golden standard when it comes to arcade football games. It takes everything NFL Street failed to do with the first outing such as varying game modes, style variety and such. Then trims down the absolute disgusting 32 games NFL street 1 forces you to play back to back to streamline your experience and avoid needless repetition. It boosts your vibe with celeb cameos like Xzibit from pimp my ride and an entire team xzibit centered around him. Which basically has all the nfl greats of the day. It's pure nostalgic hop-scotchin, wall hoppin bliss.
The game gives the player an insane amount of control over the characters. User controlled recievers can press L1 and up to perform wall and style catches. Wall elements add a whole other layer of sickness to the ways you can make broken ankles of meer man's follies of trying to bring down your center of gravity in a centrifugal manner with the intent to bring your rump to grass land. The game entails the same fun you expect. Trash talking, creating a team of players you create that you upgrade with dev points. Dev points are earned by doing challenges. An example of a challenge may be like "stop the cowboys from scoring on this drive" and such. Its addictive. Consumable. And adds to the internal human high of mini rewards that give a virtual reward. Sorta like a attribute casino.
The game slims down the areas were street 3 tried too damn hard. But also made magic where nfl street 1 just wasnt enough. Jewlery. Soundtrack. Wall jukes. All timeless. New crush the carrier, and jump ball, 2 on 2 street events are a blast. The game is a glowing example of when EA had competition and behaved as such. Its a very glorious game.
Rating - 100/100
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5. Parappa The Rapper: Remastered [PS4] - Finished Feb 4th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/9F5p1DPx/IMG-20260204-171231-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
GAME IS BROKEN
To be frank... this game is less than shit. And I highly advise anyone to not buy it if at all avoidable. I regret heavily even purchasing this. And what it does with nostalgia and brevity which can be worth a few smiles. It destroys by being an input lagging dumpster fire with one of the worst UIs in video game history. Imagine a game with the most finicky and precise demands for rythym that you had to be within a gnats mustache of accuracy even back in the 90s yet also not accounting for HDTV set settings and forcing a 1.3 second input delay on you with no remedy or calibration to fix or adjust. If I could get a refund I would. Why anyone would release this predatory piece of unfinished trash to a consumer is biblical level betrayal and I can't even stomach how awful and uncoordinated the design is for this remaster. No art? No making of? No calibration? Even the cut scenes are unpolished. I wish I researched this port or even the original that was being ported. I enjoyed 2. So I took a gamble but yet this game has aged like human breast milk in the trunk of a hot Ford Bronco.
As mentioned the main issue with this port which is general consensus on all forums is that it is brutally inaccurate with prompts and has a huge delay. For example to register a perfecy input you have to hit maybe 1.5 seconds later than normal or what you see is accurate. But the odd part is. Some levels that delay is off by maybe 2 seconds. Some feels closer to normal. You can hit the wrong buttons entirely and still get closer to "good" rating then hitting the games buttons perfectly synced with audio. It also seems the worse Parappa actually raps in the game the more the game rewards you. So if it sounds bad coming through the speakers (robotic and off beat) it means you're doing well. From what ive read. The original was not exactly a beacon of engineering either. And the PS4 version carries over all its flaws and the modern age of gaming puts a magnifying glass upon them. The gleam of high definition judgement but albiet sloppy. The game is also unfortunately ALSO lazy. For example...
They rendered and remastered the play sequences to be pretty as seen above but left cut scenes a PS1 era 240p of some sort in a 4x3 rectangle in the center of the screen. With this tacky vibrant overlay on the edges. The overlay is modern and 4k. The cut scenes are choppy and old. Its hideous and lazy. Even AI could have remade the cut scenes. This is pure cash grab and belongs 2.99 on some sony classics catelog. But nope. 14 99. A disgraceful price that has truly pissed me off today and rubbed me the wrong way. The devs, studio and even Parappa himself should feel deep shame. I cant speak on the OG. I always wanted it. But why on earth does the game have a pause screen with no back to menu option? Everything is a cluttered mess in the options menu and the final level is only beatable on easy on my set. Its a disaster. Truly.
The only reason it gets 37. Is because Parappa is cute and his gf is a pink flower and her dad is a coffee cup who happens to be a decorated Sergant in the marine corps. That alone is wild enough to say its cool. Maybe the OG is better :)
Rating - 37/100
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5. Parappa The Rapper: Remastered [PS4] - Finished Feb 4th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/9F5p1DPx/IMG-20260204-171231-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
GAME IS BROKEN
To be frank... this game is less than shit. And I highly advise anyone to not buy it if at all avoidable. I regret heavily even purchasing this. And what it does with nostalgia and brevity which can be worth a few smiles. It destroys by being an input lagging dumpster fire with one of the worst UIs in video game history. Imagine a game with the most finicky and precise demands for rythym that you had to be within a gnats mustache of accuracy even back in the 90s yet also not accounting for HDTV set settings and forcing a 1.3 second input delay on you with no remedy or calibration to fix or adjust. If I could get a refund I would. Why anyone would release this predatory piece of unfinished trash to a consumer is biblical level betrayal and I can't even stomach how awful and uncoordinated the design is for this remaster. No art? No making of? No calibration? Even the cut scenes are unpolished. I wish I researched this port or even the original that was being ported. I enjoyed 2. So I took a gamble but yet this game has aged like human breast milk in the trunk of a hot Ford Bronco.
As mentioned the main issue with this port which is general consensus on all forums is that it is brutally inaccurate with prompts and has a huge delay. For example to register a perfecy input you have to hit maybe 1.5 seconds later than normal or what you see is accurate. But the odd part is. Some levels that delay is off by maybe 2 seconds. Some feels closer to normal. You can hit the wrong buttons entirely and still get closer to "good" rating then hitting the games buttons perfectly synced with audio. It also seems the worse Parappa actually raps in the game the more the game rewards you. So if it sounds bad coming through the speakers (robotic and off beat) it means you're doing well. From what ive read. The original was not exactly a beacon of engineering either. And the PS4 version carries over all its flaws and the modern age of gaming puts a magnifying glass upon them. The gleam of high definition judgement but albiet sloppy. The game is also unfortunately ALSO lazy. For example...
They rendered and remastered the play sequences to be pretty as seen above but left cut scenes a PS1 era 240p of some sort in a 4x3 rectangle in the center of the screen. With this tacky vibrant overlay on the edges. The overlay is modern and 4k. The cut scenes are choppy and old. Its hideous and lazy. Even AI could have remade the cut scenes. This is pure cash grab and belongs 2.99 on some sony classics catelog. But nope. 14 99. A disgraceful price that has truly pissed me off today and rubbed me the wrong way. The devs, studio and even Parappa himself should feel deep shame. I cant speak on the OG. I always wanted it. But why on earth does the game have a pause screen with no back to menu option? Everything is a cluttered mess in the options menu and the final level is only beatable on easy on my set. Its a disaster. Truly.
The only reason it gets 37. Is because Parappa is cute and his gf is a pink flower and her dad is a coffee cup who happens to be a decorated Sergant in the marine corps. That alone is wild enough to say its cool. Maybe the OG is better :)
Rating - 37/100
I'm glad I'm not the only one who really dislikes this game. The gameplay is terrible and makes it next to impossible to actually follow the beat. I can't for the life of me see why this game is held in such high regard.
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5. Parappa The Rapper: Remastered [PS4]
I'm glad I'm not the only one who really dislikes this game. The gameplay is terrible and makes it next to impossible to actually follow the beat. I can't for the life of me see why this game is held in such high regard.
Unless I'm mistaken, my takeaway from these thoughts is that they focus more on the fact that this is a modern port to a game that released twenty years earlier but didn't have its flaws addressed. I can't comment on how the port plays, but something I can confirm is that, even in the original game, there is an element of performance experimentation that's expected of players to accomplish instead of strictly following the presented call-and-response rhythm beats. Anyone would be lying if they'd argue that this experimentation doesn't feel spastic during play, but I personally found it tolerable since I greatly enjoy just about everything else this game offers.
I mentioned this in 2021 when I replayed through the three games in the series on original hardware, but I personally consider the spin-off entry Um Jammer Lammy to be the most successful.
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13. Star Ocean: First Departure R
I finished the other part of the first playthrough. There's nothing major to report; it was kind of a speedrun. I removed Mavelle from the party, and put T'Nique and Welch in the party. I didn't use either of them much.
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07. A Space for the Unbound || Nintendo Switch || 02.02.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/H9ZG6Tg.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/q8qx29n.jpeg)
Like I've realized with some of the other more modern games I've bought physical copies of years ago but am only just now getting around to playing, A Space for the Unbound is a game I don't particularly remember the reason why I made a purchase. For a lot of games that fall into this category, I'm mostly drawn to visuals foremost and decide from trailers if the gameplay is something that I'd enjoy or find interesting enough to try out. With that said, I began playing without knowing what to expect in terms of narrative, which I knew would be the game's emphasis.
Because A Space for the Unbound is a story-driven adventure experience set in 1990s Indonesia that chiefly moves forward with passive instead of active player engagement, much of the following thoughts will be broad overviews. To be succinct, the game's plot concerns coming-of-age struggles and trauma, relationships and friendships, social acceptance, and artistic expression, all of which interconnect with another. While I really had no basis for what to expect regarding story, that the game takes on a somber tone that only delves deeper into negativity surprised me to some degree—perhaps because the game's visuals and early plot points contrast this declining tone. Until around the midway point, the game is overly linear and keeps players focused on the next immediate goal. Even though there is a small town environment to explore, much of it remains inaccessible during segments where a specific locale isn't relevant to the ongoing plot. And this is done in spite of a number of side activities to pursue over the course of the campaign, meaning many of these opportunities are both brief and time-sensitive.
Throughout the narrative that unexpectedly employs magical realism, a reoccurring power that becomes available to the player is the act of Spacediving. More-or-less, this power allows for the player-character to delve into a person's psyche, though it's an act that's only possible during scripted events. As one may surmise, these moments feel morally wrong as we're often forced to alter who these targets are on a fundamental level through puzzle-solving that, at times, sometimes later has great impact to the decisions they make for themselves later on. So, I found myself questioning what this act really means for the player-character and their goals as it very much came across that they were making decisions on someone else's behalf to serve their own personal needs, even after later plot points are later revealed to a greater truth that complicates the morality of such acts. With such a gameplay mechanic alone, it's apparent that A Space for the Unbound has dark elements to its story. Fortunately, this tone does not ever feel forced or as if it's being accomplished to subvert a cheerful narrative that is regularly done in other works to the point where it's now almost expected in modern games; instead, the plot always feels grounded as it presents characters and scenarios that feel true to life.
As a game full of emotional unrest, it does, however, have one major flaw: its length. When reaching the game's halfway point, how drawn-out, unnecessarily complicated, and even a bit aimless the experience is at times becomes unable to be ignored. A point is reached when a lot of back-and-forth exploration is necessary, and it's made worse that this segment concerns tertiary characters that players shouldn't be expected to care about and still aren't even by the end. This particular issue is made abundantly worse because the game's actual protagonist—whom players do not play as—is often delegated to a far more subordinate role. Over time, the plot evolves into something far more tangled than the simple emotional story that the introductory hours establish. This is fine on its own, but the game decides to repeat its dialogue, messages, and themes again and again and again and without any excusable reason to either. Still, I will mention that I do consider aspects of the game's ending sections commendable albeit not entirely impressive. At that point, the game isn't afraid to take its time with its impassioned conclusion as it allows it to resolve in a realistic manner. But, overall, much of A Space for the Unbound's impact is diminished as it loses efficacy while thwarting players the ability to maintain engagement. My total playtime was around fifteen hours, yet there are games with stories just as emotional that accomplish their story in far less time and with more success, and it's for good reason too. I undoubtedly think that a story like this could be conveyed effectively at such length, but the game ignores a timely experience for a prolonged one.
Apart from narrative, the town where the story takes place is interactive and explorable while being segmented by individual screens. To advance the story, it's common to be assigned basic tasks to complete. Normally this is presented as finding an item, but these tasks seldom challenge the player as required items are usually in the next screen or two. And in the event players do need something but don't know where to collect it, the game routinely tells you where to go. Unfortunately, there are few things to inspect, and what can be inspected is almost always a valuable item or information to learn. So since there are so few things, players will have to go out of their way not to engage with them when passing by. Since these segments are the only interactive gameplay segments, how shallow that sometimes are is a bit upsetting, though I won't deny that there are more engaging interactive gameplay segments as the game continues. Additionally, there are optional objectives to complete such as collecting bottle caps or petting stray cats. They're not difficult to complete, so they all come across as something to maintain player interest as other parts of the game stretch out.
In regards to other details, they vary in quality. The most important of these aspects lies in the game's writing. It's apparent that the game is translated into English either from the original language or, at the very least, developers or even translators who aren't fully versed in the language. To be expected then, dialogue is sometimes stiff with some typos and strange sentence structure, but this is largely excusable and is infrequent but still obviously noticeable. Beyond simple movement, other small gameplay mechanics are periodically introduced such as sneaking, fighting, and engaging in courtroom trials. They all to seem be inspired by certain game within their respective genres and also an appreciated change of pace despite usually being simple. What's most apparent from an onlooker's perspective are the game's visuals and audio. While not in large abundance, animated sequences are impressive. But even the game's general presentation marked by graphically impressive pixel art is well-designed with fun animations and character expressions that better bring scenes to life. Meanwhile, the game's accompanying soundtrack is praiseworthy as it adequately and consistently complements story and setting without fault.
By the time I reached the conclusion to A Space for the Unbound, I was even more conflicted than I usually am after having played a game that's left me feeling mixed. While I think the plot presented is well thought-out, it ultimately suffers from bloat, repetition, and a lack of focus to a degree that can't be excused by the elements that are conveyed well. Should what I would consider to be major weaknesses had been addressed in some manner for the final product, a game capable of leaving both a profound and dramatic influence on its players is undeniable, but unfortunately that's not the case.
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5. Parappa The Rapper: Remastered [PS4]
I'm glad I'm not the only one who really dislikes this game. The gameplay is terrible and makes it next to impossible to actually follow the beat. I can't for the life of me see why this game is held in such high regard.
Unless I'm mistaken, my takeaway from these thoughts is that they focus more on the fact that this is a modern port to a game that released twenty years earlier but didn't have its flaws addressed. I can't comment on how the port plays, but something I can confirm is that, even in the original game, there is an element of performance experimentation that's expected of players to accomplish instead of strictly following the presented call-and-response rhythm beats. Anyone would be lying if they'd argue that this experimentation doesn't feel spastic during play, but I personally found it tolerable since I greatly enjoy just about everything else this game offers.
I mentioned this in 2021 when I replayed through the three games in the series on original hardware, but I personally consider the spin-off entry Um Jammer Lammy to be the most successful.
The last time I tried playing it, on the PS1, I tried multiple ways of getting the hang of the gameplay. I tried going explicitly off the visual prompts and timing it gives you, I tried following the beat, and I tried just winging it, and nothing worked. I couldn't even clear the tutorial. I have no idea how you're supposed to play this game. I have to believe that it is playable since so many people speak highly of it, but I couldn't make heads or tails on how to accomplish even the most basic tasks that were being asked of me in this game.
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4: Gundam Breaker 4 (PS5)
I wasn't planning to play this yet, but I got stuck on the plane tyrant boss in Code Veronica X and wanted to play anything but that or Tomb Raider for a while. I put GB4 in to try it out and ended up bingeing the game in about a week because it was so fun to play. Basically it's a game where you play as a gundam, tear parts off of other gundams in combat, and use those to improve your own. However you're not actually playing as a gundam, you're playing as a computer-generated representation of a plastic gundam model in a fictional online game based on the hobby of collecting and building gundam models. This concept causes some issues I'll get to later. The core gameplay loop is excellent. You can use the parts you break off other gundams in missions to customize and create your own unique custom gundams, which is really cool and gives you the feeling of having an enormous collection of action figures to play with. There's also a Diablo-style loot system where each part has its own randomly-generated level, rarity, and skills. You can either farm for stronger parts or use synthesis to level your favorite parts up, improve their rarity, or add new skills to them. After a while it really makes your custom gundams feel custom.
Where the game really suffers, though, is the story. It starts off with you and other players of the fictional online game forming a clan and trying to "take your team to state", so to speak. This is fine except for some of the characters being high schoolers and the writing being somewhat childish as a result. Also because the gundams are used as your lobby avatars, you'll see them doing things the "actual" mobile suits wouldn't do, such as laughing or acting scared. It's a tad offputting, but if those were the only issues, the story would still be serviceable at worst. What really kills it is when it jumps the shark in Chapter 7. Earlier at the end of chapter 5, one of your teammates who was obviously an AI clone of another teammate gets kidnapped by a rival clan of hackers who take over the servers during a tournament. Chapters 6 and 7 are then about rescuing her. Sure, AI companion character, it's been done before in countless JRPGs, seems like no big deal... until you get to the final boss, where the mask slips off and the story turns into aggressive pro-AI corporate propaganda. The "villain' is a former developer who took over the servers to protest the game's use of AI to create content. When he explains this to the main characters, they all immediately start preaching to him about how the AI girl is just as human as they are and that he's the one without a soul. They go on to say that everyone needs to accept AI in the game because it's the inclusive thing to do (not joking, that's the actual kind of language they use). They even say that the AI girl has the same rights as any other human. Basically the message the story tries to push is that if you don't like AI, you're a bigoted terrorist. Not bigoted against specific types of humans, mind you, but bigoted against AI! Apparently you can be bigoted against nonliving things now.
The game gets an 8/10 for its gameplay, but unfortunately the terrible story knocks it down to a 6.5/10. It's very disturbing to see a video game studio trying to push the public acceptance of AI Psychosis, which is the belief that AI is alive. People are literally dying now in real life because they made the same mistake these characters made and assigned personhood to a computer program, then obeyed it when it told them to kill themselves.
Completed:
Tomb Raider II (Evercade)
Tomb Raider III (Evercade)
Mafia: The Old Country (PS5)
Gundam Breaker 4 (PS5)
In Progress:
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (PS4)
Final Fantasy IV Advance (GBA)
Resident Evil Code: Veronica X (Gamecube)
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So, I made it to the final mission of Star Trek: Armada II, and the AI seems to go all wonky and make it basically impossible to beat the game. My resource gathering ships were just stopping in place and not delivering, and half of my fleet wasn't moving when I was commanding them around the map. Left a real sour taste in my mouth for a game I haven't played in almost 25 years.
Also beat Mega Man X2 for the first time since maybe the 90s. Some of the collectible upgrades in this one are a real pain in the ass, but it is still a fun game overall.
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5. Parappa The Rapper: Remastered [PS4]
I'm glad I'm not the only one who really dislikes this game. The gameplay is terrible and makes it next to impossible to actually follow the beat. I can't for the life of me see why this game is held in such high regard.
Unless I'm mistaken, my takeaway from these thoughts is that they focus more on the fact that this is a modern port to a game that released twenty years earlier but didn't have its flaws addressed. I can't comment on how the port plays, but something I can confirm is that, even in the original game, there is an element of performance experimentation that's expected of players to accomplish instead of strictly following the presented call-and-response rhythm beats. Anyone would be lying if they'd argue that this experimentation doesn't feel spastic during play, but I personally found it tolerable since I greatly enjoy just about everything else this game offers.
I mentioned this in 2021 when I replayed through the three games in the series on original hardware, but I personally consider the spin-off entry Um Jammer Lammy to be the most successful.
The last time I tried playing it, on the PS1, I tried multiple ways of getting the hang of the gameplay. I tried going explicitly off the visual prompts and timing it gives you, I tried following the beat, and I tried just winging it, and nothing worked. I couldn't even clear the tutorial. I have no idea how you're supposed to play this game. I have to believe that it is playable since so many people speak highly of it, but I couldn't make heads or tails on how to accomplish even the most basic tasks that were being asked of me in this game.
Damn. Really glad I didn't pay the 100+ the OG is going for. I guess I got off easy with 15 lol. It's so wierd because it's pretty revered like you said. What a disaster. I am legitimately shocked. I didnt even research before I paid because the game has such a huge name reputation. Cute colorful cover. And I liked 2. I assumed it was a porting issue but both of you say it has that bizarre timing issue on ps1. Just baffling they didnt repair it or give a simple calibration option to slow or speed the notes with a modern "remaster". Bare minimum stuff. Its the closest i'll ever feel to being catfished by a video game lol.
5. Parappa The Rapper: Remastered [PS4]
I'm glad I'm not the only one who really dislikes this game. The gameplay is terrible and makes it next to impossible to actually follow the beat. I can't for the life of me see why this game is held in such high regard.
I mentioned this in 2021 when I replayed through the three games in the series on original hardware, but I personally consider the spin-off entry Um Jammer Lammy to be the most successful.[/font]
Did Un Jammer Lammy improve on the accuracy over 1? Or is it the same trial and error?
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5. Parappa The Rapper: Remastered [PS4]
I mentioned this in 2021 when I replayed through the three games in the series on original hardware, but I personally consider the spin-off entry Um Jammer Lammy to be the most successful.
Did Un Jammer Lammy improve on the accuracy over 1? Or is it the same trial and error?
The game has an arcade style as it's divided into narrative stages, similar to PaRappa the Rapper. Since they're both short experiences as most rhythm games are, there is some expectation that players may not clear a stage their first try. However, as a sequel, Um Jammer Lammy performs better in nearly every criteria that I can remember. Like I said before, I last played the game four years ago, but here are my thoughts from then (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11230.msg193746.html#msg193746) if you're curious how I felt immediately after playing. Hopefully this is what you mean when asking about trial-and-error gameplay, as new players especially will have a difficult time progressing from one stage to the next. I almost always have such a hard time getting past "All Master's Rap" which is stage 5 that's about waiting in line to use the toilet.
I'll go on record now saying that I personally find PaRappa the Rapper 2 to be the weakest of the three games. It may perform better than the original title, but its stage design, narrative tone and sequencing, and even the music itself are all considerably weaker than what the first game so strongly established. Also, after reading more about the topic, your issues with input delay aren't even a port problem but instead a hardware problem. From what I've read, modern TVs make playing the game in any way a terrible experience.
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13. New Super Mario Bros (DS)
When it comes to the 2D and 3D games in the Mario franchise, I pretty much have the opposite opinion of them compared to the Sonic series; 2D Sonic games are amazing, while the 3D games...eh, not so much. Essentially, I love most of the 3D Mario games I've played, some even being among the very best games I've ever played. And while I don't feel as negatively or strongly about the 2D Mario games being as unenjoyable as the 3D Sonic games are for me, they still never are able to wow me in the way Mario's heavily polygon'ed adventures do. While I did enjoy it overall, this also applies to New Super Mario Bros on the DS.
When it comes to the New Mario series of platforming games, I've only ever played the second one, which many consider to be among the weakest mainline Mario games in the series. It was a long time ago that I played 2, but I remember mostly enjoying it. Same goes for New Super Mario Bros which takes the platforming formula from Mario's previous 2D games, mainly Super Mario Bros 3 and World, and throws in splashes of 3D models while maintaining the 3D perspective and gameplay. This game looks pretty good and definitely has that 2D Mario charm, albeit maybe not as visually appealing and the aforementioned old school 2D Mario adventures. Some of the stages are also a tad on the underwhelming, less memorable side, but for what this game is, it's still a pretty memorable and good looking Mario game, especially when you consider this is a handheld title from 2006.
New Super Mario Bros gameplay is also really good for the most part. I definitely appreciated Nintendo making Mario feel a lot less slippery compared to the NES games, and even to an extent what we got in Super Mario World. Platforming is mostly precise and easy to place the Italian plumber where you want him. Most levels in New Super Mario Bros are well thought out and designed too, however there are some noteworthy exceptions to this which are frequent enough to dampen the experience of playing this game just a bit. My other main gripe has to do with some of the new Mario power ups Nintendo introduced, which just feel a bit tacked on a gimmicky. These mostly involve turning Mario into a giant kaiju for a brief period of time, or making him super small, allowing him to reach certain secret areas and avoid being hit more. I didn't really feel like either mechanic really added anything to the experience of playing New Super Mario Bros and outside a handful of times, I never really used these power ups.
The final aspect of New Super Mario Bros I wanted to discuss is its audio. Audio is appropriately Mario, but unfortunately I found this OST to be a bit on the forgettable side compared to most other Mario games I've played. The soundtrack is certainly not bad, but it just lacks those fun, nostalgic, and timeless tracks that nearly all other mainline Mario games have. Still, the addition of voice acting to Mario, Bowser Jr, Peach, and other Mario staples is welcome, as are all the familiar and new sound effects. The takeaway here is the audio in the game is pretty good, if at times bordering on okay.
I seriously wish I liked 2D Mario games as much as I do the 3D ones. If I did, I'd likely be singing this games praises much more than I ended up doing, at least on a personal level. Still, I mostly liked New Super Mario Bros outside a few frustrating levels and sections. Still, when the end credits rolled, I didn't really feel the need to go back and unlock secret areas I overlooked or ignored. This really boils down to my personal taste in games, but even with my lukewarm enthusiasm for 2D mainline Mario entries, I still thought this was a fairly enjoyable game and certainly a competently made entry in this beloved franchise. (2/7/26) [35/50]
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14. Star Ocean: First Departure R - The Adventure Continues
A couple of complaints about this game before the praising. The first is the encounter rate. As fun as combat is, the encounter rate is high and none of the methods to lower it work. The second is the Appraising skill. I never understood why they included it in the first place in Second Story - just tell me what the item is and stop wasting my time. Otherwise, this was a solid game and a lot of fun to platinum. Going for all the trophies meant doing things I didn't do before: getting the SFTs, learning new moves due to SFTs, seeing certain PAs, seeing special endings, recruiting all the characters, and seeing all of the animated movies. Some QoL features would have boosted this closer to excellence, but otherwise this was classic Star Ocean for all the right reasons. I hope they add Till the End of Time back to the catalogue so I can get that, too!
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14. Tobal 2 (PS1)
Tobal 2 has been a backlog game for a very long time for me. The reason it's taken this long to play it is because it was never released outside Japan, and well, my backlog is an enormous, never ending monster. But this evening I finally loaded this game up on my modded PS1 and decided to see if it lived up to or even surpassed the first game in the series, Tobal No. 1. The first Tobal game is an incredibly sentimental game for me. I remember longing for this game after reading about it and seeing pictures of it in an old Game Informer I got in the mail one time. It wouldn't be until the early 2000s that I finally got a PS1, and a used copy of Tobal No. 1 from a local rental store was one of the first games I owned for it. While the game is undeniably not as good, polished, or attractive as some of its more well known 3D game counterparts, there has always been something very special about the first Tobal. It's a game that really represents an era where so many studios, including Squaresoft, were experimenting with all sorts of new genres and tech, and as a result we got some very interesting games out of it. The Tobal series is one of them, and Tobal 2 is no different in this regard.
In fact, Tobal No. 1 and Tobal 2 are very similar games. For one, they practically play the same and have pretty much the same game modes. One of those modes, which Tobal No. 1 was famous for was its adventure mode where you controlled one of the characters in a full 3D environment and fought various enemies, dealt with a variety of obstacles, and had to explore pretty thoroughly to get through to a new area. This mode definitely worked better in theory than in practice give the Tobal No. 1 was a fighting game at its core, so making a 3D adventure game out of that was definitely very ambitious for a game in 1996. Tobal 2's adventure mode is definitely more polished and is also more story rich, but unfortunately it is plagued by many of the same shortcomings that the adventure mode in Tobal 1 had. On top of that, your mileage will vary quite a bit depending on whether you speak Japanese since Tobal 2 was never released outside Japan.
Even if you opt to ignore Tobal 2's adventure mode and just play this game as another 3D fighting game it does a decent job at being pretty enjoyable to play. While Tobal 2 is not going to blow anyone's find or pretend to be some crazy deep fighter like Tekken 3 or Virtua Fighter 2, it's still a pretty fun fighting game. My main complaint with Tobal 2's gameplay is how stiff it can feel and also how the low, medium, and high attack system feels a bit on the unpolished side. Still, Square did a great job at making Tobal 2 at least competent and when combined with the game's other qualities, it actually makes for a decent time.
The visuals in Tobal 2 are an undeniable upgrade in some aspects compared to the first game. For one backgrounds are noticeably cleaner and more polished, as are the character models, which were for more blocky in Tobal 1. Still, there was a strange charm to the first Tobal's graphics and visuals that has seemingly been lost in Tobal 2. Still, the game's upgraded visuals are certainly worth giving some credit to even if the game's graphics come across as fairly average, if not a tiny bit above average compared to many other 3D consoles games of the mid to late 90s.
Probably my favorite thing about Tobal 2 is its soundtrack. Tobal 2 has an excellent rock/jazz soundtrack, that is just so smooth and enjoyable to listen to. Especially when combined with the visuals, Tobal 2 definitely tickled that nostalgia part of my brain that made me yearn for the late 90s, even though here I am in the mid 2020s playing this game for the first time. The audio just really captures that mid to late 90s Playstation feel and sound, which made the sort of undercooked gameplay and average visuals far more palatable. There is some voice acting in Tobal 2 from the various characters, but like most fighting games, it's all fairly inconsequential to not only the overall sound design, but the game in general.
Tobal 2 is far from a masterpiece, nor is it a huge leap forward compared to its predecessor. Still, there are certainly improvements in Tobal 2, and while I did appreciate those, the game still isn't anything remarkable. And if I'm being completely honest, I still prefer the first Tobal simply due to my personal connection with that game and the fact that it just has a bit more charm, despite looking a little more rough visually. Tobal 2 is certainly not going to light the fighting game world on fire, not back in 1997, nor today. It's not hard to see why the Tobal series was lost to time and you're now more likely to find someone who knows the atomic weight of Cobalt off the top of their head than you are to meet anyone that remembers this series. Still, I'd recommend anyone looking for a mostly enjoyable, quirky, and unique PS1 era game try this game out. It's at least worth a single play through, if not more given the content it provides. (2/8/26) [32/50]
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I'm not big on writing long reviews but figure I should make a blurb or two of what I have beaten so far.
1. Donkey Kong Country 2 - Aside from some annoying levels which is the standard from 2D platformers at the time, this was really fun. It took me ages to finally get to a point in the game that I have not reached because I tend to play game for a bit and just stop and never come back. This game felt into that category and trust me, its not the only one. It is very close to being my favorite from the first. I love Dixie coming in clutch with here glide move even though I have someone beaten the majority of levels with Diddie. I haven't played through the Klubba levels as I only managed to unlock 1 but maybe someday.
2. Fallout 4 - This was another game that took me years to finally playthrough for real this time and I liked it. Not as much as Fallout 3 and New Vegas but it was fun nonetheless. Story was fine, not the best. Being able to build settlements was cool even thought I didnt build much cuz my lack of creativity but its nice that it is there. I was getting annoying near the end due to the game crashing on me about 6 different times within 1 day of playing over the weekend which unfortunate but sadly expected given Bethesda's questionable quality control. Yeah their games are great but it's not secret that their games seem to hang on by duct tape from time to time.
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15. Pepsiman (PS1)
Throw this one into the "How the hell did I end up playing THIS!?" category of games. Truth be told, I've known about Pepsiman for quite some time, definitely well before the famous AVGN review. Still, the game has been nothing more than strange curiosity that I figured I may or may not play one day. This evening I was going through a ton of import PS1 ISOs and realized I had this in my catalog. I figured, "what the hell" and fired Pepsiman up on my Xstation. The experience was...umm, amusing to say the least.
There isn't a single ounce of Pepsiman that takes itself seriously. Everything about this game is quirky and weird as hell. You play as the Japanese-centric Pespiman mascot, a strange metallic looking man with no face who essentially looks like scientists cross bred a can of Pepsi and a human. The commercials that featured Pepsiman were only aired in Japan, and if this game is anything to go by, only the Japanese would get a mascot and advertising like this. Still, as an American, I found this game thoroughly amusing. Everything from the fact that all the world's problems seemed to be caused and resolved by Pepsi, the strange levels and settings, the TV Game guy (aka Mike Butter) acting like a Pepsi addicted slob between stages, and just how over the top all the voice acting is in this game make it impossible not to find entertaining. Still, this is a video game at the end of the day, and like all games, it lives or dies based on how enjoyable it is to play. In this regard, Pepsiman sort of craps the bed.
Pepsiman is not a well made game. Controls feel delayed and clumsy, level design is mostly trash, and the perspective in this game is functional, but poorly implemented. Being a weird racing/platforming game of sorts, you're taking control of the character the game is named after and running through a variety of settings that make up the game's levels. You're given some weird objective at the beginning of each stage, which each consist of two levels and a...I guess, boss fight at the end? Regardless of why you're running through a sewer, suburban neighborhood, or through a city that looks like it's experiencing the apocalypse (because of Pepsi...or a lack thereof), the objective is simple; collect as many cans of Pepsi as possible. Each level has 100 cans of Pepsi to collect as you steer Pepsiman, trying to keep him from hitting a plethora of obstacles while you're at it. You can also jump, slide, run faster, and slow down as well. While all this is well and good, none of these controls work particularly well and each stages obstacles seen to operate on different definitions of hit detection, making for a pretty frustrating experience overall. You're given a time limit to clear each level while collecting Pepsi cans. At the very least, each level has two or three checkpoints which allow you to start back at the last checkpoint versus having to repeat the stage all over again.
Then there are the boss levels at the end of each stage which are, umm, oh boy...
These boss stages all consist of Pepsiman running towards the screen as objects pop in, giving you next to no time to react to them. Meanwhile, Pepsiman is being chased by a giant Pepsi can, an out of control semi truck, or a bundle of logs, depending on which level you're playing. More or less, beating these bosses consists more of repeated trial and error, and memorizing when and where certain obstacles will pop in, more than your reflexed and relying on the controls to get you through the encounter. These boss fights are the worst part of playing Pepsiman, and the last fight in particularly drove me insane until I somehow beat it through sheer luck.
Almost as bad as the gameplay is Pepsiman's audio. More or less, every song in this game is a remix of the Pepsiman theme which plays over and over, and over again throughout the entire game. Not to mention, there are some incredibly obnoxious sound effects that repeat constantly. It will honestly try your patience to the point of nullifying all the goofy entertaining bits I mentioned earlier. Luckily, it's those goofy entertaining bits within the audio that save it from being complete ass, mainly from the NPC characters that tell you why you're collecting a ton of Pepsi for this time and that lovable TV Games guy.
In terms of Pepsiman's visuals, there actually pretty decent and definitely contribute to the ridiculous, over the top humor that defines this game. Each stage looks very different from the next, making them all feel memorable for the most part. There are also a lot of different obstacles you'll encounter, some of which repeat maybe a little too often within a specific stage, but overall it all helps define each level and set it apart from any of the others.
Despite Pespiman's blaring faults, I simply cannot hate this game. Sure, it's a pain in the ass to play and most of its audio is akin to sticking boiling hot sauce in your ears, but there seems to be something there constantly to make up for it. Still, having played and beat Pepsiman, I can't see myself returning to it ever again for any reason. TV Game guy was funny, the levels and stupid humor made me chuckle, and I love how this game is about as silly as they come, but sadly, this game is not fun to play through. You're honestly better off just watching a lets play, laughing at all the crazy shit in this game, and saving yourself from the frustrating and annoyance of actually playing Pepsiman. (2/8/26) [25/50]
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15. Resident Evil Village
I didn't play VII, but I was able to hop right into this thanks to the game's introduction and brief rundown of what happened. I got to learn about Ethan and his crazy adventures in the Baker house, and while I admit I am curious to see more, I know I wouldn't be able to play it for long stretches without getting motion sickness. All that to say gamers can happily play VIII without having played VII. This game was a lot of fun, and it feels like a blueprint for the remake for 4. Ethan was an interesting lead. We barely saw his face, which was an odd choice, but I still felt for him. He really came into his own as he acquired more weapons and things to craft. One thing where the game really shined was atmosphere. Every area had a mixture of creepiness and action, which is a hard balance to get nowadays because of the game market being so saturated. As usual, the biggest issue was the camera and the combat. Most boss battles felt like a Souls game in terms of difficulty and action. Funnily enough, the only time I got a game over was when it was an instant kill (Moreau) or when I was just being silly against certain enemies (specifically in the factory area). I'll probably play the Rose DLC next.
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15. Resident Evil Village
I didn't play VII, but I was able to hop right into this thanks to the game's introduction and brief rundown of what happened. I got to learn about Ethan and his crazy adventures in the Baker house, and while I admit I am curious to see more, I know I wouldn't be able to play it for long stretches without getting motion sickness. All that to say gamers can happily play VIII without having played VII. This game was a lot of fun, and it feels like a blueprint for the remake for 4. Ethan was an interesting lead. We barely saw his face, which was an odd choice, but I still felt for him. He really came into his own as he acquired more weapons and things to craft. One thing where the game really shined was atmosphere. Every area had a mixture of creepiness and action, which is a hard balance to get nowadays because of the game market being so saturated. As usual, the biggest issue was the camera and the combat. Most boss battles felt like a Souls game in terms of difficulty and action. Funnily enough, the only time I got a game over was when it was an instant kill (Moreau) or when I was just being silly against certain enemies (specifically in the factory area). I'll probably play the Rose DLC next.
As someone who wasn't head over heals in love with 7, Village was a great surprise given how much I enjoyed it. I loved the village setting, most of the enemies and bosses, and just overall it was a blast. I'll admit it still veers a little too far off the RE lore path, but still does a decent enough job tying everything back into it to make it feel like it belongs.
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6. Jeopardy [PS1] - Finished Feb 10th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/8ctTX6Gr/IMG-20260210-173704-(357-x-300-pixel).jpg)
This game is a knockout! It fulfills every itch an old school, 90s, nostalgia, mustached Alex, Jeopardy fanatic could want. The story of how this game came to be so personal to me, is a trip me and my mother took downtown to a vintage electronic shop. My mom loved Jeopardy when I was little and she got this game for herself which was rare. There were maybe only a few games she played and I remember exactly how it played with the drawing your name. What I wasn't aware of is that The game has 3500 individual questions. Each game has about 72 questions asked. So that means you can play a good amount of games without repeats.
Alex Trebek voices every question himself which is really ambitious for the time. I half expected it to be a read along type of game with Alex voiceovers for only introductions. But nope. He reads every question. (Not answers) And each question is vibrant, accurate to the type of questions they ask on the tv. I considered beating this game as beating the NPC in a game. And trust me it's no small task. The NPC cpu you play against are some form of librarian literary nerds who know everything about the old testament. It is a hill climb trying to out "Hariett Beacher Stowe" the Jeopardy contestants. And in that sense it is almost a good simulator for the real thing. It requires patience. Knowledge and the puzzle element of knowing when to risk and how much. It's brilliant as anyone who has watched the tv game knows. And truthfully it took me to a simpler time. A time when a 12 inch crt on a kitchen counter with aluminum foil wrapped around the antenna picking up I Love Lucy reruns and jeopardy at 7pm was just enough. It was consuming media. Not being consumed by it. Everything was so tactile and analogue. I just love thinking of those times. I am still very close to my mom. But this is a little easter egg of my childhood. A phantom bus ride, a simple ps1 classic. And a legendary tv game come to life on old hardware. It simply works. It is so far ahead of it's time to me and it's an excellent console version of the jeopardy game.
It's also cheap as chips so I can't reccomend it enough. I have played at home versions of jeopardy on PC, buzzfeed, self created. This feels more genuine to me. It feels like i'm back there. Letterman on the tube. Pre 9/11. 1 dollar nacho bell grandes. Surge sodas and rug rats. This is really really cool. And I will be playing it more.
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16. Omega Boost (PS1)
Another long time backlog game for me was 1999's Omega Boost. Despite seeing commercials for this game and it also being mentioned alongside Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo, and Resident Evil in the Eiffel 65 song "My Console" (listen to it if you haven't), it took me 27 years to play this game. What's even stranger is it's a game about mechs which for many years was all I needed to know to immediately drop what I was doing and seek a game out. Unfortunately after playing Omega Boost, I can't say it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as those other games from the Eiffel 65 their euro pop classic.
Omega Boost is a great example of a game that is easy to see just how much better it could have been. Being made by the same studio that makes the Gran Turismo games, the ability for Polyphony Digital Studios to make a well made, amazing looking game is not outside their grasp. Unfortunately, Omega Boost proves they know cars way better than they do futuristic mechs fighting in space. The ultimate flaw in Omega Boost is its gameplay, which just feels poorly implemented and balanced with controls that don't feel up to the task being asked of you half the time. There are some bosses and section in this game that are downright demoralizing, and not because they were designed that way. Rather, it's so easy for you to lose track of what you're fighting given how the camera just goes wherever the hell it wants. There is a camera recentering button that focuses you back in the closest enemy or enemies, but it's still annoying having to press it over and over again throughout this game. What makes this even more frustrating is one of your primary weapons and the one you'll likely be using the most is a homing laser attack which requires you to lock onto those enemies before using. You also have a standard plaster as well that fires where you're mech's reticle happens to be. But the act of aiming, managing the camera, and then dealing with stages that are constrained or disorienting make for a mostly frustrating time.
Still, Omega Boost's gameplay does have its moments. Being essentially a rail shooter with the illusion of being a third person open air mech combat simulator, you'll be doing barrel rolls, dodging lasers, and going toe to toe with a pretty creative plethora of enemies and bosses. While I'd say at least half these bosses are more annoying than not to fight, there are several which are actually really fun. In fact, the line that separates the good boss encounter from the bad ones is fairly faint. This is what I meant by this game having the potential to be a lot better than it actually is. When this game works, it is really enjoyable and just cool as hell. I just wish the gameplay and game design had been given more time to incubate. I'm a firm believe that if it had, this game may have launched a franchise and been Polyphony's other AAA series.
Not perfect, but certainly an improvement over Omega Boost's gameplay is its audio. The soundtrack is really a mixed bag with some songs and tracks being excellent and fully complementing the fast paced, space battle gameplay, while other tracks are just downright obnoxious. There was one stage, I believe stage 5 that I had to replay several times and every time the sound playing annoyed me far more than the actual annoying, poorly designed boss battle that kept on killing me. Luckily, there are only a few tracks that really grated on my nerves and everything else was decent to pretty good. There are even a few licensed songs, one being from one of my favorite rock groups of the late 90s, Static X. Other than the soundtrack, the sound effects and limited voice acting all fit pretty well and definitely add the the cool sci-fi theme the game is going for.
By far Omega Boost's best quality is its visuals and overall artistic presentation. It is almost unreal that this game was able to look as good as it did and run as well as it does on the PS1. Part of what it is able to do this has a lot to do with one of the game's only visuals flaws. Most stages and areas in Omega Boost are definitely pretty dark. Some of this is because the battles take place in the depths of space, while other times it feels like you're fighting inside a dimly lit cave. There are some more interesting and vibrant backgrounds, but most stages definitely posses this darkness. Still, darkness or not, levels all are fairly memorable and cool, but the real showstopper when it comes to the visuals is the mechs and enemies you'll encounter. The art direction in this game is excellent and there are some amazing looking bosses in this game, with there being virtually none that I would say even look just okay. Likewise, the effects of weapons being used all looks great against the mostly dark backdrops of each stage. There are also some really great damage effects on bosses which show their armor or overall structure becoming more and more damaged as you drain their health closer to zero. From the studio that made the Gran Turismo games, I'd expect nothing less visually, and in this regard, Omega Boost does not disappoint in the slightest.
Even though Omega Boost's gameplay had me on the brink of rage quitting more times than I'd like to admit, I still enjoyed this game far more than I would have normally for a game this poorly designed. The visual spectacle, the cheesy late 90s FMV cutscenes, the smooth, high FPS space battles, and the rad as hell bosses were all just too intoxicating for me to abandon this game. Still, those frustrations and annoyances were also a large part of my experience with Omega Boost, and had me lamenting the fact this game wasn't just a little but better designed. Having played Omega Boost now, I feel like Konami's Zone of the Enders was partially inspired by this game, both in aesthetic and gameplay, but fortunately that game ended up being way more fun, balanced, and designed than Omega Boost, by a fairly wide margin if I'm being completely frank. Still, this is a cool, somewhat obscure title that I'd recommend to mech video game fans, or just people wanting to see how goo a PS1 game can look. (2/10/26) [33/50]
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7 - That's Not My Neighbor (PC 2025) - BEAT - I got a soft spot for the "Find the thing that's wrong or out of place" sorta games, and this one I had been meaning to check out mostly because a Youtuber I like did a great themed song of the game. I like the gimmick, try to figure out if a resident is the actual resident or not, sometimes it's obvious, sometimes it's not. I ran through the campaign twice which is short, and the nightmare mode once, and it's all fine and entertaining. Any real complaints I'd have with wanting more content and variety, more characters, is mostly ignored for being a 3 dollar game lol
Overall, decent time, I might play it abit more, wanted to get at least one S Rank day, but there's always a thing or two I'm unsure of how to report and that usually gets my score dinged slightly.
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Played Mega Man X3 for the first time. Maybe it's just because I played X and X2, but I found this game a fair amount more difficult than those. Not in a bad way, though. Great music, level and boss design. I totally understand why this is kashell's favorite in the series. Until the final end game stages. Those I didn't really like at all, and I found the final boss to be annoying instead of difficult. Left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth after really enjoying the rest of the game.
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08. Gnog || PlayStation 4 || 02.09.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/kVy7bCU.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/UcKXXap.jpeg)
I'm not exactly sure how I came across developers KO_OP, but I suspect I only became aware of them and their game Gnog during its development as Double Fine Productions was attached to this project as its publisher. Six years ago, I began playing this game but for some reason didn't play for long and never went back to it. So, I started a new save file.
Interestingly, Gnog is a puzzle game that doesn't explain anything at all really. Not conventionally, anyway. It's comprised of nine single-screen stages that shouldn't take overly to solve for first-time players, though obviously that's situational. While the goal for each puzzle largely remains the same—to delve inside the one center object or environment on screen which acts as the stage itself to figure out just how it operates so that the one big button can finally be pushed—they all feel varied. Inside these objects, one puzzle divided into a series of tasks presents itself full of knobs and dials and levers needing to be rotated, pushed, and pulled.
If that sort of tactility comes across as early child development play, that's because that's how Gnog was designed to be. With that said, this is a game that greatly encourages play to progress through its puzzles, and it's effectively achieved with a tone that's both silly and simultaneously mesmerizing alongside its demonstration of light-up colors and playful sing-song sounds. Throughout the stage, there are visual (and sometimes audio) cues to help the player understand what's being requested to progress. Sometimes you may know what to do, but the means to accomplish it, or the order for what needs to be done exactly isn't quite understood yet. So, you'll inevitably go through a series of actions seeking to understand how these elements correspond to another. I'm curious just how capable very young players may be were they to play this game, as I was stumped on a small number of short segments for some time.
As single-screen puzzles, they may come across as simple at first but are unexpectedly expansive. Though, in some way, there are two screens to inspect—two sides to the same puzzle, anyway. By this, I mean that players will be required to navigate between the front and back of these 3D objects as they rotate 180°. Of course, there are instances where this design is subverted in novel ways, such as a housing development that's interconnected. The capability to inspect the puzzle's sides by using the joystick is also sometimes necessary, and it acts as another way to demonstrate how the stages themselves are like physical puzzles we would hold in our hands. While the stages themselves are often some an environment such as a home or a laboratory, they're also sometimes non-living things such as a submarine or a log. No matter what the stage is presented to be, though, their true nature is a monstrous face suspended in air that, in time, reveals itself as some vessel for the things within them.
While much of the game is without formal instruction, problems needing to be solved have clear goals. For instance, one beginning stage involves a submariner collecting treasures and artifacts whereas another is a mother bird feeding her chicks. How to go about this, as previously mentioned, is usually not straightforward, though. So when a puzzle is fully solved, the sense of accomplishment is felt and reinforced by the stage itself as it comes to life and celebrates with you by dancing and singing in its strange way. It's not wrong to describe stages as mundane, but what happens in them is often unexpected or presented in an abstract, cartoon-ish way and are always creative. Gnog's presentation is bolstered with VR functionality that I did begin using, but I quickly reverted to standard mode play as there are finer details needing to observe that I simply couldn't see as my headset wouldn't focus.
In some ways, Gnog is difficult to discuss to anyone who's not experienced it because of its abstracted presentation. But something that I think most people can relate to is real-world play and kinetic thought, and KO_OP's implementation of it toward video game design is both novel and successful. Gnog is a short game to play, so by its quick end I was left wanting to experience more.
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6. Power Stone | 1999 | Capcom Fighting Collection 2 | Arcade Mode | Nintendo Switch 2 (originally DreamCast) | 1/30:
(https://imgur.com/TsPDWtw.png)
If there's any alternative name I would give the "Capcom Fighting Collection 2" game, it would probably be the "Power Stone Fighting Collection". Now, I couldn't do that because A: there's already a similar named title for the PSP and B: there's 6 other fighting games unrelated to Power Stone in the CFC 2 game. But I do not care for any of them. I just want to play more Power Stone.
Power Stone 1 is a lot of fun, specifically the Arcade Mode. There's always a mad dash to pick up any power-up or item that spawns on the map. The maps feel claustrophobic at times, but you do get enough room to duck and dodge your opponent when they're throwing tables & chairs at you. But once they pick up three power stones, you better pray that the damage you take is minimal. The AI will start to get ridiculous with their main priority of picking up all the power stones instead of targeting you (especially the final boss, my goodness). However, there's a lot of strategy involved with both using items and pulling off CQC when you don't have any.
It was real cool to see that, after completing Arcade Mode, the character you picked has their own little ending with their personal agenda being fulfilled after obtaining the power stone. I liked all the characters in this game, so I can imagine myself replaying this mode a lot to get more endings. Capcom really went into their bag for this one (and for all the people like me that button-mash in fighting games).
(https://imgur.com/6zuocNF.png)
Grade: A-
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7. Power Stone 2 | 2000 | Capcom Fighting Collection 2 | Arcade Mode | Nintendo Switch 2 (originally DreamCast) | 2/2:
(https://imgur.com/IxIDaO5.png)
Hot take, but I liked Power Stone 1 more. It's a little unfair to compare this game to the first game, due in part to the former missing content I guess. Now I haven't played either game in its original format, but there's content like the Adventure Mode and crafting that was not added to this modern port. Judging both games mainly on the "Arcade Mode" portion, I am a bit disappointed with Power Stone 2's offering.
Gameplay is a lot more loose and random, ditching the tighter closed-quarters fighting of the original with a bigger parody of Super Smash Bros.. That isn't to say what's here is bad; Smash Bros. is a great game to copy from and Power Stone 2 is one of the better examples of just that. There's a lot more generated chaos running around to use new items such as turrets, shields, the Mega Man Buster gun -- plus everything from the first game and more. Wacky stage transitions -- like falling from the sky or climbing up the Himeji Castle -- while fighting everyone else along the way makes Power Stone 2 its own unique game.
While that's all well and good, I still prefer the feel of the original. A lot of the move set in Power Stone 2 feels dumbed down compared to the first one, and I don't understand why? The first game's hand-to-hand combat is simple enough as it is, so now it feels like there's no point in engaging the enemy without an item in hand, and with how frail your own punches land. Collecting three power stones to transform isn't as big of an event anymore: it's not as overpowered as the first game felt, but now it feels way too underpowered in this one. Even with stage transitions added, Power Stone 2 feels a bit skimpy with maps, only having 5 to pick from. I liked how in the original, there's one map for every playable character that represents their own personality & background. You feel more connected to the characters and their story of collecting the legendary Power Stone, whereas location is just whatever the devs thought was cool in Power Stone 2.
It's still unfortunate about the missing content. I'd like to try this one again when I get my hands on an original copy and have a group to play with. Grade: C-
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7. Power Stone 2 | 2000 | Capcom Fighting Collection 2 | Arcade Mode | Nintendo Switch 2 (originally DreamCast) | 2/2:
(https://imgur.com/IxIDaO5.png)
Hot take, but I liked Power Stone 1 more. It's a little unfair to compare this game to the first game, due in part to the former missing content I guess. Now I haven't played either game in its original format, but there's content like the Adventure Mode and crafting that was not added to this modern port. Judging both games mainly on the "Arcade Mode" portion, I am a bit disappointed with Power Stone 2's offering.
Gameplay is a lot more loose and random, ditching the tighter closed-quarters fighting of the original with a bigger parody of Super Smash Bros.. That isn't to say what's here is bad; Smash Bros. is a great game to copy from and Power Stone 2 is one of the better examples of just that. There's a lot more generated chaos running around to use new items such as turrets, shields, the Mega Man Buster gun -- plus everything from the first game and more. Wacky stage transitions -- like falling from the sky or climbing up the Himeji Castle -- while fighting everyone else along the way makes Power Stone 2 its own unique game.
While that's all well and good, I still prefer the feel of the original. A lot of the move set in Power Stone 2 feels dumbed down compared to the first one, and I don't understand why? The first game's hand-to-hand combat is simple enough as it is, so now it feels like there's no point in engaging the enemy without an item in hand, and with how frail your own punches land. Collecting three power stones to transform isn't as big of an event anymore: it's not as overpowered as the first game felt, but now it feels way too underpowered in this one. Even with stage transitions added, Power Stone 2 feels a bit skimpy with maps, only having 5 to pick from. I liked how in the original, there's one map for every playable character that represents their own personality & background. You feel more connected to the characters and their story of collecting the legendary Power Stone, whereas location is just whatever the devs thought was cool in Power Stone 2.
It's still unfortunate about the missing content. I'd like to try this one again when I get my hands on an original copy and have a group to play with. Grade: C-
I actually 100% agree that Powerstone 1 is better than 2. I never understood why 2 gets way more praise. It just feels like a much more sloppy, poorly designed game.
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8 - Palworld (PC 2023) - DROPPED - Got a decent chunk of time into the game, about 16 hours, nearly level 30 before I was feeling abit of burnout. I'm not quitting specifically because of that, but I figured I didn't want to wear the game out before it hits full release as I'm kinda hoping they are gonna do a lot to improve the game in general. It's overall a solid game, it just needs a good amount of polish across the board, some quality of life features for base management worked in, and perhaps some more features implemented, a little more variety to gear and such. Polish is the biggest thing, more to music, the audio, interactions, etc...
It might be a game that's just straight ripping off stuff from Pokemon and Breath of the Wild, slapping in a crafting game among that, but I think it's overall decent. I wish the map was abit smaller as it can feel very barren, very boring to explore with not a lot of distinct, worthwhile things to find. I'll jump back in for a fresh playthrough when it hits 1.0.
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16. It Takes Two
My partner and I played this. As a game, I have thoughts. As a story, I have more thoughts. I'll definitely get a review up for this one. We're also going to go through parts of it again to get the last remaining trophies. For now, I'll say that this is mostly competent co-op game worth checking out if you have someone to play with - a requirement.
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16. It Takes Two
My partner and I played this. As a game, I have thoughts. As a story, I have more thoughts. I'll definitely get a review up for this one. We're also going to go through parts of it again to get the last remaining trophies. For now, I'll say that this is mostly competent co-op game worth checking out if you have someone to play with - a requirement.
Me and my girlfriend finished this game a few years back. I always found it interesting how it was split screen even from online multiplayer via 2 tvs. That took getting used to. It was quite the experience and I remember it insanely fondly. I wonder what itd be like to play with a casual friend because it's so couple focused.
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7. Centipede: Recharged [PS5] -Finished Feb 14th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/1zM3WvDy/IMG-20260215-125245-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
ARCADE DAYS REBORN
Centipede Recharged is to Atari 2600 Centipede what The light bulb is to a baked potato with copper coil wrapped around it. Alas nonetheless the original was a fine italian wine that simply knocked it out of the park. Perhaps as good as Atari gets. But now from the video game senior society it has aged from wine into raspberry crush soda somehow, it has added caffiene and cocaine and it's hyper and its sexy. But most of all it's authentic. It is freaking centipede!!
To say this game is a revision is a understatement. It is an absolute rebirth. A face lift. It has Kylie Jenner's doctor on deck. It actually succeeds at what anyone would want it to set out to do. It doesn't go the way of most remade classic games by changing the formula, adding confusing JRPG plot, adding anime girls, adding new level layouts, robots and tutorials all wandering from the vibe. This game does it... it takes the beloved icon centipede. A grandfather that everyone loves and gives you that "this is what centipede woulda looked like today" feel. It doesn't try to make a new game. It tries to hypercharge what is already known. And tbh. It's one of the greatest arcade games ive ever played. It's simple addictive joy.
If this game had existed in 1978. There would have been a quarter shortage. The new centipede can be played in multiple modes. Arcade mode has 2 modes within itself. Classic and recharged. Classic is centipede as you remember it and you can choose to add recharged's powerups to the classic layout. Or play recharged mode which is similar but now the centipedes, fleas, scorpions and spiders attack triaxilly, and you obtain screen sparkling power ups to digitize enemy foe with. These power ups include a firework bomb, a machine gun blaster, a spinning sphere of bullets, a mirror mode to attack from two ends of the screen, a slow motion power to slow centipedes down, a rail gun Lazer that obliterates all enemies in its wake, and many others. It is steroids seriously. And these power ups make adrenaline of making it to higher scores such a blast. In classic mode you get 3 lives and gain lives as you go. Recharged mode has 1 life. Sorta like sudden death.
(https://i.postimg.cc/pT6Xvy00/IMG-20260215-125313-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
But the games true joy is found in its challenge mode. Which to me is the main story of the game. These challenges require you to for example "survive 120 seconds" and trust me... it humbles you with challenge. Hitting scorpions through tiny openings without hitting mushrooms is brutal. It requires the player to really master the timing. It feels nostalgic in its difficulty. Starting simple then requiring mastering of the algorithm and npc to really guage what order to do things. The premise of centipede is simple. Kill centipede in an endless loop to raise the high score. But the new game adds depth to that making you build up skillsets for challenges... and it is one of the harder games ive beaten in recent memory but also doable. A perfect balance of "screw you" but also "have a nice day" lol.
It is a blessed remake, a cute and entertaining color fest and I am looking forward to trying the other "recharged games" of the atari series. Which include most of the classics.
Rating - 95/100.
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17. It Takes Two - platinum'd
Done! We went through some favorite stages, as well as the stages where we missed stuff to mark this as 100 percent complete. Overall, we did damn good when it came to uncovering everything the first go-around.
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Stray is a totally fine indie came that got a disproportionate amount of coverage and hype because you play as a cat. It's a walking simulator that has a couple of puzzles and happens to be kinda cute. A Game of the Year nomination for this is insane.
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8. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas [PS2/PS4] -Finished - Feb 17th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/fb5CRj7Q/IMG-20260217-124420-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
A STAR THAT SHINES SO BRIGHT, THAT IT DIMS THE REST OF GAMING AS A WHOLE. ALL OTHER GAMES LOSE LUSTER IN COMPARISON
(Both PS2 and PS5. Because I started on OG Hardware and finished on Definitive Edition
Speechless.... Speechless comes to mind when describing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The sheer impropriety in which the game transports you into it's world is sickening in the sense that it gives you whiplash with just how good it is. Flawless even, gorgeously perfect. Played it in 2026.
No rose-tinted childhood bias. No “it was my first GTA” filter. It's the difference between the idealogy of existing for human enjoyment and existing for human consumption. A sweet soylent shake meant to sustaine a human, versus charred marshmellow meant to peak glucose. It is a generation coming together to leave a phantom rose on the grave of humanity. It may just be the gamer community as a collective's swan, atop the toxic waters of past tense creativity. It's an encapsulated human soul. It is jarred charisma. How good it is I wasnt prepared for. How unique and crafty it is... how fun and cunning it is. But in pure retrospect. The game is so incredible that it begins to dwarf its contemporaries. It begins to make a mere mirage out of my all time favorites and it bullies itself into my top 15 games of all time. And it may just Suge Knight dangle GTA V off a balcony to get itself there. It shows me how special a game can be. Perhaps effortlessly. And I now understand why it is the bar Rockstar North and its fan base keeps chasing like it's Orion's belt guiding it to a peak that may never be seen again. How even a decade older did it manage to be this much more immersive, consuming and dazzling is beyond me. But it really is a masterpiece. The movie colors meets beethoven symphonies meets a Dave Chapelle sketch.
The thing is. I grew up playing vice city with my step dad, dad, mom, brothers, at 7 years old. It was a friend. It was familiar. I was disallowed from playing San Andreas because at the time it had extreme hype and hate and an AO rating on some copies. So i'd sneak to play it at my cousins and put out atv vs bmx or whatever its called case to throw my mom off the scent.. It is nostalgic in a secret far away distant star kind of way. Well now at 29. I can say. I beat San Andreas. And I missed a lot... but no longer. It didnt have rose tinted nostalgia goggles. It had just raw day 1 feel and it still knocks socks.
To put it into perspective how good it is, I will pit it directly against it's flashier and younger sister at times to just show how San Andreas has set a gold standard for sandbox games that can't be sniffed in my opinion or experience.. Although it feels a bit hindsight forward to compare the game to GTA 5. I couldn't help but notice all of the elements GTA V recycled sloppily and all the elements they failed to duplicate that made San Andreas not only feel more Californian, More Genuine but also more hilarity infused pure fun. It feels like someone stole their own potato salad recipe and botched it. For example. San Andreas's story is draped with extra terrestial espionage, winding water silos with government henchman, area 51, the mob, the movie casino? Basically inside of the movie straight out of compton. It covers all worlds, gangsters, nerds, rivalries, hippies, aliens, big foots, hover crafts, fighter jets, go karts, jet packs, swat unimog tanks, monster trucks, derby cars, tuners, putting out fires, exotics. 3 different destinct police forces with 3 distinct habits. It's a world that lives. RPG elements. Personalities. Where as in GTA 5 even when I wonder into the wilderness of Los Santos, it feels very grounded. Safe. Things begin to look alike. Even when you press the relationships within you realize that most behave similarly.
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas not only features a full fledged 90s gang war torn version of los angeles (los santos) which is plenty large enough and fantastic enough to be the entirety of the game. But it features San Francisco too (san fierro) and everything down to the cobble stone winding hill roads, Bougie boutiques, expensive clothes shops, full house set and even the golden gate bridge is remade in stunning detail for its day. And just when you think your socks are properly rocked enough. It hits you with a moflippin' sneak shot and anchors the Boyz N Da Hood, straight outta compton meets godfather II masterpiece of a story in this light wrapped Las Vegas clone that is so pretty and immersive that it feels like you are going on vacation everytime you travel between towns. It's just too much to even describe. It feels like 3 to 4 worlds in one. The hicks areas of San Bernidino, the missions make most to dabble you in these new and fresh landscapes it seems to zig zag you between. It works to keep everything you do in this world fresh.
(https://i.postimg.cc/4dS1zfFB/IMG-20260217-124448-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
The cameos? The love letter to the franchise elements? But I havent touched on the sheer scope of all there is to do in this game. Dating? Girlfriends? You can pick between a good handful although Denise is Canon imo. And each girl doesn't just pop up, they have unique plot paths that lead CJ to admiration with them. Flowers can be found in random bushes on highways, graveyards, or other like areas that can be saved as a theoretical gift for a later date in which you take your in game gf to cluckin bell (chic fil a) in game. Of course this is between working out to build muscle which raises your sex appeal and helps chemistry with your partners in general. Its one of the elements of the game I explored least and in itself is pretty much a dating sim. Now hear me out boss... say you finish up with the date and want to drive to Las Venturas and gamble? Put 10000 dollars on Red 23? You can do that. Maybe you want to race dirt bikes at a dirt ring for 25 grand first place prize? Do it. Perhaps you want to assemble a posse of 7 gang members, drive them all in a bus to a rival gang area and declare war? Have turf. Have stake in properties? Maybe you want to work for a mining quarry for wage? Perhaps all that is wack and you'd rather deliver stolen oil rigs for money instead as one of at least 10 optional "jobs" you can do. All of this is just the tip of the ice berg of what can be done. I feel like ive lived a second or 3rd life by even playing this game. I street raced Woozie's triads, met friends, became loyal, understood the concepts of friendship over novelty. Honor over material. And karmic retribution. All from a video game.
San Andreas is systemic immersion.
- Stats that matter
- Body changes that matter.
- Relationships that matter.
- Territory that changes color.
- Skills that unlock mechanical depth.
-Money progression that reflects growth.
The ammunations (gun store) even have a shooting range which improves your shooting skill which unlocks you weapon improvements like dual wiedling smgs. Everything has a method to it's madness.
You can get fat!! Like eat yourself to vomiting. But if you eat yourself to the point you vomit. You dont get as fat as you would if you ate a bit less. Because the game literally accounts for the vomit as losing some of what you ate. Exercise improves stamina stats. Muscle can be built at the gym. Gym has boxing tutorials, martial arts and more.
To quickly put it in perspective again
NONE of these are available in 5. 5 has 3 full characters who arent able to date or have romantic lives, work out, change body type, go to casinos, or even take over factions with a posse outside of gta online. To say that it is a poor mans San Andreas as a map, layout and even story is sadly truth and im stunned I waited this long to experience it. But thats not a knock on V. A titan of industry. It is a praiss to san andreas. An unbeatable symphony.
Later games do however recycle entire mission sequences that I wont share for spoiler purposes as they may be meaningful to the plot. But man... lets just say. Big brother passed down the clothes that didnt fit him anymore. But San Andreas did everything better. Everything. Thats what happened. San Andreas is rockstars magnum opus. The beatles had abby road. Eminem had marshall matthers LP. Simpsons had seasons 4 through 10. Well this is Rockstar when they werent trying to pedal shark cards to kids or survive off name only. It wasnt playing it safe. It was trying to kill it's competition if it even had any after vice city. That trilogy of the ps2 era is truly scary. I clapped during the credits of this game. It keeps the GTA Hilarity and humor but it also feels so much more beleivable, mature, realistic, nuanced. Everything from the bond with your mexican friend Cesar, the hatred of the games villains, the funny sibling rivalry that unfolds. The anticipation of events that are rumored but awaiting.
Turf wars are also a blast. The way they work is the map has 3 colors. Green (your gang the grove st) purple (the rival gang the ballaz) and yellow (mexican gang. The vatos) and when you roll up into another area and initiate violence it starts a gang war. Waves of gang members come and you gotta kill them all to claim the hood.
(https://i.postimg.cc/pr5JCwwT/IMG-20260217-124527-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
Few games make you feel like you lived an entire crime saga. The licenses both for biking, planes and cars alike at the multiple schools are also a blast. They feel more like mini games than say a tutorial or mandatory boredom.
Landing a commercial liner on a runway that has a giant number 69 on it while Rod Stewart's young turks plays over the hazy sun kissed skies of Los Santos is a core gaming memory. Some of the side characters in this game stand out more than main characters in other games. It does a good job to make you care about these people. As if you have formed commraderie. Money starts scarce and builds to become easily obtainable as you go. It's fun to watch yourself become better both in money and skill. Everything you do is weighted and it rewards you.
And the game also has the absolute perfect amount of challenge. It requires massive skill. Especially the final mission but it rarely feels cheap. It feels just pure gaming. Soundtrack? Gangsta rap. The radio dj announces the songs as if they are new. It really makes you feel like snoop just dropped a new banger in 1990s. Boyz to men. Bobby Brown. Classic alt grunge rock? Bliss
(https://i.postimg.cc/h4XkNfgR/IMG-20260217-124554-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
Take the transportive nostalgia and era projecting of vice city and mix it with the expansive map and depth of 5. Give it 3s edge, 1s humor and 4's variety with relationships and you get what I can only call the metacritic love darling... and possibly my new favorite grand theft auto.
San Andreas.
The review is so long but I still havent covered even half. It's just its own world. And I love it.
Rating - 100/100
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9. Mary Kate And Ashley: Magic Mystery Mall [PS1] - Finished Feb 17th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/CLLxrdgs/IMG-20260217-200609-(300-x-300-pixel).jpg)
If you were alive in the late 90s or early 2000s then you know the Olsen twins as peak consumerism. Just paparazzi fuel, kinda tabloid famous from fullhouse legacy. The straight to home disney dvd craze of the late 90s, the fashion. It is a bit odd to note that the Olsen twins are over a decade older than I am considering when you think of them you think of kids bop, sugar surge and lemon heads with the comcast on demand remote... they seem to be perpetually remembered this way as a kid and I feel in this sense they sorta are a time capsule to that era. And my knowledge of their works outside of Fullhouse is not vast but I still think they are classic, simple and Americana. Like the millenial version of Shirley Temple. So with that.. I dove in to their game. It's not the only game I own of the twins. I also own "get a clue" for gameboy color.
Is the game Skyrim? No. Is it harmless mind rot fun that only lasts about an hour? Sure. But it's funny comically. If you were a teen girl in 1999 perhaps the plot would register but I even doubt that. It's cliche but fairly calming and sweet in premise. MKAMM is essentially a series of mini games that make up a larger game.
As the sisters you are led to a mall where you break a heart pendant containing crystals which then freezes the mall in time. Ashley says "this is one mall I dont want to be stuck in forever" and then the plot becomes collecting the 5 crystals to fix the pendant and restore the mall. You can choose between Ashley and Mary Kate. Not that there is much difference being that they are literally identical twins born 2 minutes apart. but Ashley seems to have better fashion sense in almost every skit. The mini games are
Diner - You must control the sisters to make orders for customers. This concept has been done in many games. Think dave the diver or krusty krab games. Where you gotta grab a tray, or food and feed it to the corresponding customers before they get impatient. It's fun. Classic.
Runway - in this mini game. You choose an outfit for both MK and A. MK has denim outfits. Ashley has more pastels. You gotta match the outfit pieces and then take photos of them as they walk a runway making sure to catch them in poses. It's the most useless of the mini games but also the easiest.
The lifeguard boy friends - this one is the funniest, funnest and most 90s teen core to the essence of 90210 vibe. The girls decide they have a crush on 2 lifeguard boys. The photographs of the boys will help prove they are cool for an editorial. So you follow the boys around and you have to snap the photos of Ashley with both boys. This seems dumb but it's hard and actually takes puzzle solving as the boys only pop up in certain areas, and some are at random. So you gotta get the girl lined up with both boys. Extra points if all 3 poses. Banter exhanges with them. The boys start thinking they are being stalked then divert into "yeah but they're kinda cute" acceptance of it which culminates in a group photo. Its hard, and patterned. It took me most of the time to complete this. I think it has the most ps1 IP stalgia of the game. It's goofy and made me feel like I was back as a kid again when all this was relevent. My cousin Felicia had ps1 and games like this. So it's fairly nostalgic even if I havent played it.
Snowboarding - the snowboard levels are easy but also pretty good for the time. Like ps1 era SSX but with no tricks and the olsen twins lol. They say "so rad" and 90s lingo which is cool as Im only playing these games for escapism at this point.
Music video - the final mini game is a music video. You choose moves abd have to slowly fade the camera in and out as the Olsen twins videographer. This one kinda sucks. It's boring and has no substance.
Overall. It is what you expect it to be. A time capsule to goof on. Like when we watch scooby doo movie. It's 2 people larger than life being themselves with youthful nostalgia. It's simple. But as a liesure play. It was not completely a dumpster fire. And sometimes I like to dabble in games like this because its funny to see how capitalism and branding and name recognition get used for quick dollars. Sometimes it works. If the game was like 5 bucks id imagine a girl of the day not compeltely hating it for a night lol.
(https://i.postimg.cc/HkrsHKjx/IMG-20260217-200455-(300-x-300-pixel).jpg)
Rating - 62/100
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1. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (PS4) - ABANDONED
One of the harsh realizations I've come to while playing the various classic style Castlevania games is I vastly prefer the Metroidvania style games more. Part of it is due to the fact that most classic style Castlevania games were made in a different era with less advanced technology and more constraints to gameplay, but part of it is also due to how questionably designed many of these older Castlevania games are. Poor difficulty balancing and level design, stiff and slow movement, and cheap as hell bosses and enemies are things that plague nearly every pre-metroidvania Castlevania game I've ever played. Given how much praise Rondo of Blood gets, I figured it must have improved the old school Castlevania formula so much that these egregious issues in games like the NES entires and even newer entries like Bloodlines must have been fixed. Nope. If anything, they're even a bit worse in Rondo of Blood.
Like many people, I'll I've heard for years is how incredible Rondo of Blood is. From a presentation standpoint, I completely get it and will fully agree that this is one of the prettiest and best sounding games of its generations. I adore the art, character and enemy design, the amazing stage art direction, and let's not forget how unforgettable the OST is. It's impossible not to be drawn to this game as a fan of retro video games. Still, I have to imagine that a lot of the people that heavily praise this game have never actually played it.
Rondo of Blood is a bit of a mess gameplay wise. As mentioned, Rondo of Blood suffers from the ultra stiff, slow, and cumbersome movement controls of most pre-Symphony of the Night Castlevania games. You can't control Richter's jump once you've initiated it, your invincibility frame between taking damage is a fraction of a second, meaning you will get utterly destroyed in some of the more difficult, unrelenting sections of the game. Speaking of Damage, nearly every attack, whether it's from a standard enemy or a boss will drain roughly 20% of your health, meaning you're screwed after just 5 hits at most. Bosses are mostly agile and their attacks come at you fast, but as mentioned Richter moves with the ability of a sea cargo freighter meaning the only way to get through this game is an offensive amount of trial and error. The gameplay can still be fun, and most enemies and bosses offer up unique challenges and considerations, but nearly all of this is nullified by the poorly balanced and implemented gameplay. At least in the NES games, most enemies and their attacks were also slow, but Rondo of Blood simply has no excuse.
I only got three stages in before I just couldn't take anymore of this game. That's really too bad since I really, really wanted to like Rondo of Blood after nearly almost universal praise for it since first discovering this game back in the late 2000s. There is so much I appreciate about this game, but none of it redeems how shit this game is to play. I know this will likely piss some longtime fans of Rondo of Blood off, but I feel like you really have to have a preference for the classic style Castlevania games to squeeze any enjoyment out of this one. As for me, my opinion of Rondo of Blood gives me little hope that I'll really like some of the other older Castlevania games I have yet to play. I'm sure I'll give them a shot someday, but for now, I'm feeling pretty pessimistic about any game in this series that isn't a Metroidvania or a 3D entry. (2/18/26) ABANDONED
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9 - Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 (PC 2026) - BEAT - After playing through the series last year, I was looking forward to this new chapter. I don't love most mascot horror, mostly just this and Five Nights at Freddy's, but it's impressive how this series has improved in quality. The first chapter is a demo, nothing more, 2nd chapter became what felt like a proper game, 3rd to me felt like it understood what it could become and expand on, and then 4 was where the quality came in, better visuals, improved gameplay.
Chapter 5 is that level of quality, but I feel like it didn't take the next step. The hand gimmick in this one is kinda weak and used in less interesting ways and it just feels like less variety, which is a shame. I think there's less lore learned and such here compared to previous chapters, though I don't mind that as much as Chapter 4 had almost too much like cutscenes and character talking that it felt like it dragged because of it. I like the characters introduced, but there's just not enough here. Saying that, I think it's the longest chapter, as I believe I put around 5 hours into it, maybe close to Chapter 4, but there was definitely some wandering padding.
Overall, it's not bad, but it feels like an inbetweener chapter, more setup for what I think is the big finale of the next chapter. It's also a struggle to recommend either this or Chapter 4 at 20 bucks each. Only buy if you can get on like a half off sale.
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I actually 100% agree that Powerstone 1 is better than 2. I never understood why 2 gets way more praise. It just feels like a much more sloppy, poorly designed game.
Late reply, but yeah. Probably because Power Stone 2 is a better party game that it has the more positive reputation. As a game I'd want to take the time playing & learning more about, Power Stone 1 all day!
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8. Jet Grind Radio | 2000 | DreamCast | 2/7:
(https://imgur.com/nm6Rsak.png)
Glad to play Jet Set Grind Radio on official, North American DreamCast hardware for the first time! The wonderful soundtrack, crisp cel-shaded graphics, and iconic aesthetic of JGR all make for great reasons to replay it again after so long. Everything is pretty much the same as I remembered. The later stages still get incresingly annoying in terms of difficulty -- to the point where I would just brute-force spray graffiti on a wall while getting hit over and over by the flying jetpack dudes. This however takes nothing away from what makes this game special. This was SEGA at their peak: keeping the flow of new ideas constant and creating brand-new experiences and gaming franchises in the process. This was SEGA's make-or-break moment to stay in the console market (which we all know what happened). Still, SEGA really gave it their all just to keep the DreamCast alive, and Jet Set was one of the most memorable outcomes of that bygone era. Grade: A-
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9. Tomb Raider II Remastered | 2024 | "Tomb Raider I-III Remastered" Collection | Xbox Series X | 2/18:
(https://imgur.com/qX8Kljy.png)
I'm finally picking up from where I left off on my 1st completion of 2025. After more than a year since completing Tomb Raider I, I decided to put myself through the gauntlet again and best its sequel: Tomb Raider II! TL;DR: Tomb Raider II as a first playthrough is not quite as fun as the first game.
Almost every level in the 1st half of the game required me to look up walkthroughs just to figure out what I needed to do. There's too many wrong turns and confusion that occur just to find where a certain key is, what door just opened, or what pulling down a lever does to the level. The first game had moments like this for sure, but nothing of this scope. It's the inconsistencies in Tomb Raider II (and what the game doesn't tell you) that weigh it down for me. For example: distinctive levers that tell you what doors stay open and those that have a time limit, terrain that tells you what is or isn't climbable (like the bookshelves in the Venice level), or jumps that have to be off-angle or some "side-flip off the ladder in mid-air to grab the opposite ladder" type of shit that isn't explained at all in the Lara's House tutorial.
The new locales in this game are nice & varied compared to the first one, but the level design feels too labyrinthian at times. The 2nd half of the game gets more difficult and trolls you a lot more, but I didn't mind it as much because the levels are laid out in a digestible manner that makes sense. The monastery is probably my favorite level in the game and an excellent example of a very large, open level that is made digestible by the fact that each smaller section of the monastery circles back to a larger hub area near the level's exit. You're not finding a key that's stuck under ice and out of the way of where you need to go, or navigating the Opera House level.
I'm kind of nitpicking at this point. It's pretty impressive in retrospect that the original Tomb Raider team were able to push out a robust sequel in just under 1 year. I like the new weapons added like the M16 and grenade launcher, and even the vehicles were fun for a bit. I could see myself enjoying Tomb Raider II a little more in a second playthrough, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I would've liked currently.
(https://imgur.com/5mZre76.png)
Grade: D+
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18. Resident Evil Village - Shadows of Rose
Well, this was a fun and spooky little piece of DLC. Rose was shown a bit during the end of the regular campaign, but she got her time to shine in this DLC. I liked her as a lead. This made the actual gameplay more manageable. Going from a fully loaded Ethan to a clunky Rose was a struggle. Even with her unique powers, the game felt longer due to the constant running and scrounging for materials. In terms of atmosphere, though? Tens across the board. The part where you have to play red-light/green-light was absolutely nerve wracking and terrifying.
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17. F-Zero X (N64)
When it comes to futuristic racing games on the N64, my goto series has always been the two Extreme G games on that console. I received the first Extreme G as a Christmas gift back in 1997 and remember the agony of having to wait to play it until later in the day since we were at a relatives house with no N64. I eventually did get to play my new game later that evening and long story short, I loved the hell out of it. It's become an incredibly sentimental game for me and one I still hold in fairly high regard on Nintendo's 5th get console. However, some of the N64's other futuristic, high action racing games kinda flew under my radar, one of which was F-Zero X.
I never played the original F-Zero on the SNES, nor would I even first hear about the series until the 2000s. Seeing gameplay footage of that original game, as well as F-Zero X, I'd always been interesting in trying them out eventually, but just never got around to it for whatever reason. My first F-Zero would actually be GX on the Gamecube, but really it was more of me trying it out for a bit than me really sinking serious time into the game. So yeah, I'm essentially an F-Zero virgin that has put off jumping into one of the series' beloved entries for far too long. I decided to finally do something about that this year and committed to playing the entry on the N64. I know GX is considered the best in the series by most, but due to my personal history as a gamer, I have a soft spot for N64 racing games. So, what did I think of F-Zero X?
X is a fairly lopsided game in terms of quality. On one hand, you have gameplay that is ultra tight, well balanced, and has a high skill ceiling while also continuing to be surprisingly fun and accessible. On the other, the presentation run this game, while not terrible, definitely screams budget title, particularly for being a first party Nintendo game. Still, I respect games that pretty much sacrifice all else in the name of gameplay (it's always nice when a game gives you everything, but gameplay always trumps everything else in my book). F-Zero X's gameplay is highly polished and well thought out. That's a pretty impressive feat given how challenging this game can be with its 29 opponent racers, very tricky tracks, and fairly deep character stats that noticeably impact how certain racers perform over others. That's not to say that X's gameplay is perfect however. Some tracks are certainly designed way better than others, and I'd say the opponent racers on higher difficulties become downright cheap as hell at times. Still, if you play this game on Novice and Standard, you'll likely have a good time despite how difficult the game still is.
As mentioned, the visuals in X aren't the greatest. I know the N64 is generally criticized for its visuals, especially nowadays, but compared to other N64 and 5th gen games, F-Zero reminds me more of third party budget games like Battletanks than it does a first party Nintendo game. The menu and character art is done in an illustrated comic style, which isn't terrible, but what is borderline bad is the art direction of X's various stages. Most look fairly the same from an artistic perspective, except the color pallet has been changed. The only real thing that makes some stages standout is the design of the track itself with its various jumps, narrow sections, or sharp turns. But other than that you have some blurry illustrations of buildings in the background that you'll mostly barely see given the trademark N64 draw distance fog that is heavily present in this game. I get that Nintendo likely had to do this given how much action is going on in each race and also maintaining a smooth, consistent framerate, but the visuals of each track definitely take a hit as a result. Likewise, there aren't any really standout 3D elements like what you see in Mario Kart 64 or Extreme G. In those games, each track felt like it had a distinct personality and identity. Not so much in F-Zero X.
However, ending the discussion of the game's mostly lackluster visuals on a more positive note, I thought how distinct and interesting each of the selectable race ships were was well done. While the 3D models for these ships can be a little plain at times, they're mostly creative and unique, which is a breath of fresh air given how flat and uninspired the tracks looks.
Finally, there is the OST in X, which is pretty good. It mostly consists of a heavy rock/metal instrumental soundtrack which goes very well with the crazy action and sense of speed in this game. There are some sound effects and voice acting in F-Zero X, but really it's all about the OST. I wouldn't necessarily rock out to any of the music tracks in my car, but listening to them in the game is definitely welcome.
I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with F-Zero X overall. While I wouldn't place X among my favorite racing games on the N64, it certainly doesn't sit that far outside that illustrious list. I really appreciate the focus on the gameplay, but I'd be lying if I said nothing else mattered here. When other first party games like Wave Race 64 and Mario Kart 64 can pull off incredibly fun, well implemented gameplay and visuals...and a soundtrack, why can't F-Zero X? This is what really holds this game back from being an all time great of its generation. Still, this is a very well made, highly polished racing game that I'd still definitely recommend despite its blaring shortcomings. (2/19/26) [33/50]
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10. Super Mario Sunshine [GC] - finished Feb 21st, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/nrLhRq6y/IMG-20260221-174012-(405-x-228-pixel).jpg)
Super Mario Mario Sunshine
PLOT
Mario Sunshine takes place in glorious Delfino Island, and initially Delfino Plaza. Where in a cunning twist of circumstances, the villain of the game (cant share for spoiler purposes) attempts to frame the real Mario for crimes of vandlism to have him imprisoned so that Bowser can shag peach in privacy. But all along he is vandalizing delfino plaza under the guise of a shadow mario which is a ink based illusionist version of Mario... I dont get how an entire village and even peach herself confuse this character for the real Mario considering he is literally black. But video game logic lol. Either way real Mario is sentenced to community service pretty much, which leads to of course your investigation into the culprit and a rescue mission on our beloved Princess...
THE SLANDER = SKILL ISSUE
Video games are objective, I get that. So this is just my 2 cents. Probably 5 cents due to inflation. But some of the Slander this game gets is just blasphemous and borderline cringe. I have no clue why this game gets beat up the way it does. Sure it has a cult following. But Galaxy gets far less criticism with far wonkier controls. 64 gets far more praise with a far worse Camera. I read comments like "this level took me 2 hours. Shitty level design. I'm gonna Curse the designers" on levels that took me 5 minutes to clear. Is the game challenging? Yeah. Is that why it is one of my favorite marios? Precisely.. because I am so refreshed to actually have a Mario game test me. To actually have to earn a shine sprite. To feel victorious when I clear a level versus what we get with games today. It isnt that sunshine has any gaping flaw, it's that the typical Mario consumer is used to coasting through Mario games. And this one makes you earn it. I hate this expression but it has to be said. Skill issue. The game is perfectly fine. The camera isnt flawless but ive played 100x worse games than get praised to the high moon. Sunshine has some of the most fun, fresh and unique platforming the series has ever seen. Fluid (pun intended) jumping. Excellent implementation of the water jetpack. And colorful, gorgeous and cute boss battles. It is paced perfectly. Isnt too long. Isnt too short. It might be the most consistent and entertaining 3D platformer ive played. Absolutely INCREDIBLE.
LEVELS
Levels are broken down into numbered missions. Each level has 8 missions. Its sorta similar to mario 64 where you beat a goal to get a shine sprite. Not like Odyssey where you free roam as a open collectathon. You always get the following missions
1. A mission where you gotta collect 8 red coins
2. A mission where you have to catch shadow mario and spray him with water
And
3. My favorite.. which are these little levels within levels where you lose your jetpack and are required to do some intense and intricate platforming accross differing obstacles to get a shine sprite at the end. These are expert level shit. But far from unfair. Any time I died I always felt like "I didnt do this right" not "the game cheesed me" the game is what ive always wanted from Odyssey and I never got it outside of darkside of the moon. Challenge. Difficulty. Nintendo was built different back then. The level layouts feature very beachy utopias. It's got a summery, tropical, Jimmy Buffet and coconuts vibe going for it. And the levels are very pretty to look at even 2 decades later. These types of levels are like if a very tactile and skill based 2D side scroller blew up into 3D landscapes.
Water jetpack buddy named F.L.U.D.D has differing attachments that can guide the water in differing ways. Some rocket, some propel, some spray. Think like nozzles on a water hose but on steroids. And I love jetpacking accross large gaps. It's really a blast to naviagate :)
All and all. Mario Sunshine is the most unique of the series of 3D Mario Games. It implimented very daring and risky controls and elements yet somehow still knocked a home run. I really really loved this game. And this is quickly becoming one of my favorite gaming years.
Rating - 99/100
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11. Venba [PS5] - finished Feb 22nd, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/CxJqsycJ/IMG-20260222-005558-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
THE FAMILY FOUNDATION OF IMMIGRANT LIFE
Venba is actually intense... a short, condensed powerful tale of the trials and tribulations of first generation immigrant parents. Without politicizing or romanticizing that circumstance, the game does such a tremendous job of not only taking you through the pains of fitting in, in a foreign place. But also how food, culture and roots bond families. You play as Amma and Appa which I believe is mother and father in Indian. You are Indian (Tamil) immigrants in Canada and the story unravels to include elements of parental sadness, longing for a life since forgotten, struggling to maintain work, fit in or even avoid abuse and the challenges that come with the golden opportunity of new life. But an added layer of having children who "westernize" far faster than you. Leaving this cultural disconnect.
As far as gameplay is concerned, it is essentially a prettier more wholesome cooking mama type of game. The premise is you read faded recipe books passed down with hard to read pages and broken dialect and puzzle solve to make Indian dishes. The game taught me how to cook Tamil dishes but also the names and vibe and also cultural significance of these meals. You add ingredients into different cooking instruments in varying orders and if you mess up, it comes out BOOTY and you must retry. The trophies are fun. The game is condensed like milk. And it's a tear jerker for sure at times.
(https://i.postimg.cc/1X2QQzRP/19c83e74f7968-screenshot-Url.jpg)
Many times throughout the game I drew parallels with the titular Venba to my very own mother. The hardships, the growing older and having distant children who maybe dont appreciate everything you did and the sacrifices. But also Paralells to mothers cooking, childhood soup, faded mumbling of the adult world seeping through over heritage and cuisine. And like art, food is a barrier breaker. The game does an excellent job at showing me a side of secondary residency or your 2nd home conflicting with your begginings that I hadn't faced so directly. And I feel more grown for having played it. Or just learning about Indian culture. It isn't a history lesson or anything nor is it overtly preachy but there are good tid bits that show a window into what it's like to balance your roots versus flourishing new leaves. A beautiful short story.
Rating - 88/100
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09. Witch and Hero II || Nintendo 3DS || 02.17.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/yuMosTT.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/XThPo8p.jpeg)
Twelve years ago, I first played Witch and Hero and greatly enjoyed my time with it despite its straightforward gameplay and rudimentary presentation. About two years ago now, I found out that it received not one but two sequels, so I was keen on playing through those in time. Well, I've now finally played through the second entry, aptly named Witch and Hero II.
With simple gameplay that replicates a subset of RPGs from the mid-1980s, Witch and Hero II is an action-RPG emphasizing bump combat mechanics. So what that means exactly is that the combat largely revolves moving around the field while pummeling straight into enemies to attack and defeat them. However, Witch and Hero II is, in some way, even simpler than the games it's inspired by as there isn't an overworld to explore but instead stages with a single-screen battle display. At the beginning of each stage, the two titular characters Little Witch and Little Hero are at center-screen while hordes of enemies surround them in never-ending waves. And as a result, combat is a battle of attrition. Unlike in the first title, the player can now control both characters individually and simultaneously: one with the directional pad and the other with face buttons. Before, the witch character was unable to move while the hero was forced to guard her. That same structure still remains, though, as Little Witch is slow, weak, and often without any means of offense. At first, controlling both characters in tandem was a bit difficult to perform as they're often performing two separate tasks—attacking as Little Hero and evading as Little Witch—but I became more accustomed to it as the game progressed.
Adding depth to combat, Witch and Hero II has a dedicated leveling system. Leveling up is dependent on collecting enemy spoils which yields EXP points, but I found player level progression more minor than the alternative that's the skill level system. Alongside EXP points, gold can be collected which can later be exchanged at the main menu shop. The shop itself offers some variability to allow players to strengthen their characters' individual stats in the way they'd like to prioritize. For instance, players can choose to spend gold on Little Hero's defense power or the Little Witch's spell power. Altogether, there are five separate stats to upgrade. While gold isn't limited by any means, the cost of leveling skills prevents players from quickly purchasing upgrades in bulk. So, players will naturally choose which upgrades they think best suit their play style, though a more balanced build seems most practical to me. And if it was not made aware, spoils are not automatically picked up but instead must be gathered, so it's easily possible to preemptively end the stage by defeating its boss enemy before collecting everything.
While it may seem that the game is designed around Little Hero protecting Little Witch, that's certainly not true. Together, the two are on a quest that relates to the events of the first game utilizing each of the pair's strengths: physical and magic power. But while Little Hero can attack freely, Little Witch has a finite amount of magic available to her at any one time. As enemies are defeated, magic power fragments that's represented by blood droplets must be collected, and it's only after the magic meter is full will one of two magic attacks be performed in a short burst. Little Witch is very much a passive force, meaning it's Little Hero who's at the forefront of combat. As a result, it's common for him to be temporarily knocked out. Little Witch can more quickly revive him, so there is a level of strategy involved to defeat certain enemies or to knock them back further away in addition to ensuring the two characters are near each other when this happens. Because while the hero can be knocked out any number of times, the witch will die when her health is depleted that instantly results in failing the stage.
With thirty stages to complete, Witch and Hero II offers a considerable amount of content despite its lack of variety. But it's this simplicity that the game strives to achieve and does accomplish; the campaign is especially ideal for short pick-up-and-play sessions as stages can be completed in two or three minutes. Stages can be freely selected once unlocked, so players are capable of grinding. In fact, grinding may be expected considering there can be difficulty spikes from stage to stage. However, I wasn't overly focused on rushing through the campaign, so I'd regularly go back to past stages to earn more gold for leveling up stats. I'm sure that progressing through the game playing each stage only once is possible, though I imagine it'd be a challenge.
After all this time, the games' elementary gameplay remains fun to play. I'm glad to have revisited the series by playing through Witch and Hero II, and I know I'll be playing the third and final title sooner than later.
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12. Plants Vs. Zombies: Replanted [PS5] - finished Feb 22nd, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/WpSqpNjJ/IMG-20260222-194054-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
Plants vs Zombies replanted is a modern retake of a classic game. It surprisingly doesnt change much. Did it add 50 new levels of pea shooting excellence for the 40 USD? Nope. Did it give you more plants to plant? Not at all. It gave you exactly what you remember. Plants vs zombies. A game that was free like almost 16 years ago on popcap games website playing on an old laptop running windows vista.
For that, I gotta say. It isn't as ground breaking or refreshing as it should be. It is an iconic tactics kinda game and with that comes nostalgia and fun. It's an amazingly fun and addictive game with a zenful entertainment factor. But shit, even the original ps3 console version over 13 years ago had peggle bundled in and was 30 dollars for all of it. This feels a tad cash in. It had no need to be 40 dollars. 20 or 10 is fine. I honestly cant see much difference between this and what I played in middle school. I'm almost 30 now lol. So yeah.
With that said. The game itself is clever, colorful, fun, cute, everything you remember. But I just think more could have been done. But I will rate it on what quality of game it always was. I will say they have added some things. None major. But one fun addition is you are now allowed to click L3 which then speeds up the entire game. This is a blessing to expedite the early level slow ups and get your sunshines quicker. It adds challenge for die hards as well b overall I love this game. I just wish they did more than replant the game. I wish they added fertilizer.
79/100
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13. Color A Dinosaur [NES] - Finished Feb 22nd, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/52QXm8zK/IMG-20260222-194150-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
A DINO TIME PORTAL OF SENTIMENTALITY
The 80s were such a glorious time. Hair bands, Irocs and primative tech that somehow felt so space age. Clunky Grey plastic, vintage computing slowly unvieling color in a digital landscape of hollow. Before the advent of the internet or better yet to be more clear commercial internet to consumer homes. There was a day where electronic innovation came in the form of 8 Tracks in cars, giga pets and the magic 8 ball was about as state of the art as humanity had. Watching people push the envelope further and further to reach what tech would eventually be is cute. I have been mocked for wanting Color a dinosaur for years. It's oddly been something that makes me long for a time I wasnt born within. But I finally got a copy. Not because it's castlevania symphony of the night. Not because it's this big cinematic experience. But because it's not... it's a window into a simpler time. And that is truly what I love about it. It is so funny, that it's epic. Like how ROB robot sucks. But everyone wants one because it's so cool.
And in playing it, I imagine it's history. Somewhere a child got this game for their birthday or some mom got it from a Ame's super mart or something. Someone who is now in their 50s maybe. And it became their digital coloring book for a day. Seeing the colored paint magically fill the lines I bet blew minds back then. Or at least was a relaxing goof for parents to enjoy quiet for an hour or so. It's the berlin wall of games. It's a Bicentennial quarter. It's a lava lamp on grandma's dresser. It's everything and nothing at all. And sometimes to me games aren't about the glit and glam. It's about remembering what life was like at a different time. Now Mario Paint would go on to take this idea and perfect it. Many PC games had this tech earlier. And of course now we have apps that can do this. But my point is, this concept is not extinct. It's part of our culture. And Color A Dinosaur is hilarity, an anti game of sorts. A tech demo that makes me smile. And for me. That is worth what was asked to own it. I love Barachiosauruses. I got to paint one all goofy colors. Even the dinosaurs themselves dont take it seriously. They smile and goof about.
Now ponder actual dinosaurs. Going extinct millions of years ago but leaving such an impact that humans glorify you with 1980s Nintendo games. It tells a story. To me it's kinda like when you get a cartridge with a blockbuster sticker. A name written on. Or my favorite yet. Cheat code papers on the inside. I even have a game that says "to Kelcey love Adam" on a copy of FF13. It's like the game holds a archival footprint that was just a fleeting moment to 2 star crossed lovers but now is immortalized by my curation. Kinda intense. Well Color a Dinosaur is why the earth exists.
Rating - Not Rateable
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6 - Doom: The Dark Ages (PC 2025) - BEAT - I really loved the first Doom reboot, and didn't really love Doom Eternal as much, but Dark Ages is okay. From what I remember I didn't super love the gameplay loop of Eternal, it involved using more particular weapons for kills, where Dark Ages is more about the parry system being how you get health and ammo and you get to tackle stuff however you want for the most part and the parry system does keep you on your toes, though because it's so much a focus, it takes away from some of the direct gunplay action.
Some new things they tried were giant mech fights, which were just kinda middling, and free roam dragon flight areas, which I could do without, those are lame. The game in general wasn't truly hitting me early on, the first half is just fine, you get your slightly scifi fantasy setting, then hell, but a little over half way, you get a whole new zone to explore and it's way more interesting than anything before. Kinda that last half/third of the game got way more intense and I just liked the setting more.
Something I feel like I enjoy less is seeing glowing orbs of ammo and health packs around. They were then in Eternal I believe and functionally similar in 2016, but it was handled like actual ammo supplies in 2016, but a lot of stuff in this game feels like I'm playing Banjo-Kazooie, you go to an area that is lined neatly with ammo, gold bars lay in nice neat lines for you to pick up, it's almost a collectathon. That stuff was sorta always there, not the gold, upgrades were you actually finding the parts in 2016, it's just boosted to a larger degree.
It's weird to go back to Doom 2016 after this, I thought I'd fire it up to see what was different and it's not as much as I thought, but man I like that game. Fights against a couple imps or undead soldiers can be enough of a fight, glory kills are kinda satisfying, compared to the other games where they become completely useless fodder because the actual fights are against all the things bigger than you. The Slayer is like a god tier being, shaking the ground like someone dropping a 1,000 pound wrecking ball...in Doom 2016, he's more just a badass in a suit and the "epicness" comes abit more naturally.
I didn't hate Dark Ages, I took my time with it, didn't burn through the game too fast, honestly just been playing a level here and there for abit, until this past weekend when I went way harder just wanting to beat the game. Some of these levels are way too big and long, it was sorta the same thing with Eternal where they wanted to up the scale like crazy and it wasn't a ton better for it. That collectathon aspect I brought up before is why they are so big, I was very back and forth on that throughout the game, hating the secret area hunting, but then wanted to do it more later since you need gold to boost your guns.
I think I might've said I was done with Doom with Eternal, but I think I'm good with Dark Ages unless they try to do something more different, bring it closer to Doom 2016, scale it back down, which I doubt they will, but this game was good enough to be done with the series. I'm tempted to play through Doom 2016 now proper, played the first level, it's weird not having all these mechanics, but I dig it, it still feels good to play.
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18. God of War III (PS3)
Last year, I made it my mission to at least re-beat the first two God of War games in preparation for finally forging ahead in this series. I've never played God of War III, the various God of War spin offs, and of course the modern sequels that have Kratos living in Norse mythology times. I've read numerous sources online that said you don't have to really beat the original GOW trilogy to understand what's going on in 2018's God of War, however I felt like even if that's true, I'd at least appreciate the 2018 game and Ragnarok a lot more if I did. Well, this evening I finally beat God of War III for the first time, and while I mostly enjoyed my experience with it, the game was certainly a mix of pretty high highs and various low lows that have me feeling conflicted.
My biggest gripes and some of my biggest praised revolve around God of War 3's gameplay. Unlike GOW2 which at times felt way too derivative of the first GOW's gameplay, mainly the various abilities, weapons and power ups you receive, GOW3 felt very fresh. GOW3 introduces almost an entirely new set of weapons and abilities while still using the pretty awesome core gameplay found in those first two entries. Combat feels probably the best its felt in any of the first three GOW games, The various abilities you unlike through the course of the game result in some of the best boss battles of the series up to this point...but also some of the worst too. The Hades boss fight has officially become my favorite boss fight in the series, meanwhile fighting the giant scorpion and Zeus to an extent have become some of my least favorite encounters. However, it's not the combat gameplay that drags my opinion of GOW3's overall gameplay down. No, it's kinda everything else for the most part.
The platforming in GOW3 is definitely the worst in the series up to this point. A new harpy grabbing mechanic is introduced and my god is it awful. I don't know how many times I plummeted to my death when trying to jump to another harpy or onto a ledge. Then there's the issues with some of the platforming when you're not replying on harpies, and just, you know, jumping from one ledge to the next. There are also a plethora of new gameplay mechanics just as sections where you're either flying or plummeting while having to dodge a punch of objects and obstacles. Meandering Kratos in this sections sucks and it's almost a certainty that you will take a needless amount of damage when getting through them. I won't knock GOW3's puzzles too much, but yes, some of them are fairly annoying and tedious as well. Oh, and to top it all off, near the end of the game you're introduced to an escort mechanic which just felt tacked on a frankly just as annoying as escort mechanics are in most games.
While you will be in combat with the various monsters and enemies present in GOW3 most of the time, these other mechanics are enough of an annoyance where it's impossible to to mention them. There were times when playing GOW3 where I thought to myself, "Wow, this game is amazing to play!" only for me to have the opposite opinion of it half an hour later. It was fairly jarring, but in the end, I will say that GOW3's gameplay is better overall than it is worse.
GOW3's best quality consistently is its visuals and presentation. This is a very good looking 7th gem game. Especially the character modeling on Kratos and several other main characters is highly detailed and just gives them new life in terms of how great they look. Although, in saying this, visual fidelity of characters seemed to be a mixed bag, with some of the more minor characters looking noticeably less detailed than Kratos, which was a bit odd looking at times. Still, this didn't distract too much from what was otherwise a game full of very good looking character models and their animations. Likewise, the backgrounds and settings in GOW3 look fantastic! There are a few areas such as the labyrinth that I wasn't as big of a fan of, but like the previous 2 games, GOW3 does an excellent job of portraying the epicness of scale that really gives this series a distinct identity. Fighting, enemy, and boss design and animations are also amazing for the most part.
In terms of GOW3's story, it's definitely the weakest of the original trilogy. The writing just feels a bit all over the place despite the central plot revolving around Kratos' obsession with seeking vengeance against Zeus. There were a few times where you have to go out of your way to find some odd thing, but then another thing needs to be found, and for reasons Kratos seems to care more about those other things than he does getting his revenge. There is also a part towards the end of the game where Kratos just acts weird and it definitely seemed to clash with the character that has been established thus far in the game. I am purposely being vague as not to spoil anything, but yeah, while not terrible, the writing was definitely a lot weaker than it was in GOW and GOW2.
Finally, audio in GOW3 is pretty awesome. Character voice acting, including the inclusion of some recognizable celebrity talent was all really good for the most part. The soundtrack felt like it was lifted from the previous two games, which is fine, but nothing music wise really stood out for me. Still, the soundtrack is perfectly appropriate and fitting for this game which means I have nothing inherently bad to say about it. Sound effects all sound meaty and cool, and the sound design in general is on par with what you'd expect from an early 2010s AAA game.
Beyond mostly enjoying GOW3 and being happy I finally beat it, I am possibly even more excited to move on to the modern GOW games. I know those games have their critics, but overall the consensus seems to be that Santa Monica Studios sent the series in a different direction with a much different Kratos than what we got in the original trilogy and spinoff games. I'm eager to see how this plays out and if I do in fact appreciate GOW 2018 more now that I've recently beat the original trilogy. Still, newer games aside, GOW3 is a fitting and welcome entry in the original canon of games that I'm happy I played and will certainly return to again someday down the road. (2/23/26) [37/50]
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I liked Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrith quite a lot. Would have never guessed it was a Metroidvania based off of the title (would have assumed JRPG), but it is a really tight, fun game. It is a little on the easy side (which in turn makes it kinda short, too), but I had fun the whole way through. Big recommend for fans of the genre if you are looking for something you can knock out in a couple of days.
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14. Melatonin [PS5] - finished Feb 24th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/nVTcrxdK/IMG-20260224-112009-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
DREAMSCAPES GALORE
Melatonin is a rythym game with cute Lofi asthetics. Those "study music 24 hour loop lofi" animation videos on YouTube? It's kinda like that but with timed button pressing to make up complex rythyms. Animations such as donut boxes throwing donuts into your mouth match the timed button inputs. As you know. I love Guitar Hero, DJ Hero and Rockband. I enjoy the rythym genre. With those games. The only challenge comes from adding notes and speeding notes. It's simple by design. Where as this game Melatonin? It's complex calculus. It's challenging but not too much. Its got a fun blend to it.
What is fun about this game and perhaps the most glorious part of it, is that it has visual and audible cues at the same time. Sometimes more than 3 cues. A player must master timing, the beat itself, when the beat will align with an action you need to perform but the on screen world is playing mini movies based on what you are doing in these melatonin infused dreamscapes of purple and biege. It's extremely neat. Like you have to actually memorize the beat. There is no on screen note to hit. It is off internal clocking. The rocket launches when the beat clicks the 3rd time. Hold X. Release. It's hard but zenful when you get the hang of it.
The levels of his dreams include everything humans dream about (except dirty stuff lol) including
. Money
. Space
. Shopping
. Food
. Stress
. Dating
. Video Games
And more. Totalling about 20 levels over 5 sections I believe. Each has a very different timing pattern, visual cue and scheme to master. Some require more tapping. Some require elongated presses. Some require alternating between both. It's very artistic and almost like having 20 seperate games and movies in one. I am really impressed and may find myself going back to this one.
Rating - 85/100
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10. Reanimal || PlayStation 5 || 02.19.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/6CI3LDC.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/emUCGiV.jpeg)
Because Tarsier Studios was bought by Embracer Group while Bandai Namco retains the IP rights to Little Nightmares franchise they're most associated with, they're back with a newly-created horror project titled Reanimal. Since the game's announcement, it's been advertised as being more mature than their previous works, so I've been eager to find out what that means exactly.
Despite Reanimal being an original horror game, there is plenty of overlap between it and the Little Nightmares franchise, though I'll refrain from comparing the two with another. Throughout this exploratory journey of survival and escape, the cast of characters are seldom alone. Players will often creep along a path from one dark corner to the next, just out of view from the threats they hope to avoid that will, quite literally, consume them if found. What Tarsier Studios has always been able to achieve is the sense that safety is never guaranteed—and especially not when it seems most likely—and the effectiveness of that design philosophy has never been this fully realized by them until now. Some unknown variable will always happen as narrative events are scripted, meaning there will be unavoidable encounters that more often result in the characters on screen running for their lives. Of course, when these immediate dangers do arise is never known, so the anxiety of player safety being sacrificed by one small mistake is high.
In this world, the setting is dreary, drab, and gray while what's in it is cracked and broken beyond repair. What's on screen captivates how bleak life can feel like when nearly all hope is lost. To reinforce this idea, the dangers within it are true terrors. Corpses litter the environment as both set dressing and hazards. They're grossly designed as deflated bodies, or oppositely as bloated masses. While the game's title name implies a focus on animals which is true, there are still plenty of encounters with humanoid figures. (I question to call them humans outright.) Elements of body horror are prevalent, though there's not much need to be over-reliant of it through visual design. The reason for that is, as to be expected from Tarsier Studios, the difference in scale between player and everything they face including the world itself is, in some way, the most effective means of instilling horror.
Emphasizing platforming mechanics, Reanimal is not unlike previous works from Tarsier Studios. However, its secondary focus on puzzles has since been lessened in favor of more action-dominated gameplay, though puzzles are still certainly present. While players are generally vulnerable to the world, moments do arise when they can defend themselves. In fact, there are several fully-realized combat encounters. More often than not, combat is delegated to simple melee attacks, though there are instances when ranged thrown weaponry is needed. However, action gameplay is not limited to combat. Stealth sequences are also present, though the mechanics aren't as expansive as I think the game would benefit from. This is especially true as Reanimal is a two-player co-op game. Generally, both players are attempting to accomplish the same immediate goal together by the same method. But the game's stealth mechanics seem fully capable of providing a more defining multiplayer experience, such as one player acting as a distraction while the other moves forward.
With that said, I'm unsure if this game really benefits from co-op play. While nothing is detracted from the experience with its inclusion, the game just as easily could have been designed for a single player and feel just as rewarding. Personally, I've never played Tarsier Studios's games alone while usually opting to pass the controller back-and-forth from time to time. And while I don't know if that style of play is true for others, I do know that previous games from them (namely Little Nightmares) is experienced by many by two or more players at once, whether that be passing the controller or one person playing and others spectating. Should the developers continue making this style of game, I'm curious if they'd expand upon co-op play that gives reason for it being designed that way. As a final note to discussing co-op play, it's worth mentioning that a two-player experience is how Reanimal is intended to be played, but it can also be experienced on one's own alongside a CPU player two.
Players can expect to fail segments with some frequency throughout the adventure, though Reanimal is quite generous with checkpoints. Still, the amount of failure experienced across my playthrough (just for two or three specific sequences that took several attempts each, really) makes the game less impactful, considerably so since the segments I failed were intense moments. Obviously, there is a balance to maintain in terms of tension and difficulty, so I'm not sure how this could be adjusted. For one segment, the time window for completing successfully was too tight, whereas the issue for another was that a multitude of enemies were too overpowered. Arguably, it could be suggested that these are issues in skill, but I don't think that was the case in my experiences.
By the end of its brief campaign, Reanimal reveals much of its metaphorical messages in a manner that's not unlike the stories they've previously told. Yet while the overarching themes remain the same, the experiences are always unique, with this game being no exception. So while I did enjoy my time playing, I'm left wanting to see Tarsier Studios branch out for whatever horror project they work on next, particularly in regards to the broad theme concerning children and corruption as that hasn't really changed in nearly a decade.
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15. Kirby's Dreamland 3 [SNES] - finished Feb 25th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/qMsnSst7/IMG-20260225-015930-(405-x-353-pixel).jpg)
A TIMELESS LEGEND, IN A CUTE ADVENTURE BOTH SWEET AND FLAWED
I had always heard phantom rumblings about this one. It’s a pricey title, and rarity breeds curiosity. Considering it’s a multi-hundred-dollar Kirby game, it was long outside my personal realm.
But being snowed in with six-foot drifts, full Boston winter apocalypse mode. I decided to kick back and fire up Kirby’s Dream Land 3 on the Switch. My conclusion? It’s an adorable, sugary-sweet experience… but not without its flaws. Still, I’m glad I played it. Because at the end of the day, It's the pink marshmallow of glory.
And Kirby is theology wrapped in fluff.
. A man must ponder. If Kirby sucks a ditto? Who copies who's abilities and since both have the same ability. Does Kirby then copy the ability to copy abilities?
. If Kirby sucks a black hole does the black hole suck Kirby from the inside and rearrange Kirby's molecular structure or does Kirby become a black hole which he already pretty much is.
. If Kirby and Jigglypuff dated. Tell me the kids wouldnt be adorable.
. Why is Samus Aran even remotely in attendance in Kirby's universe? Is Kirby technically an alien? Is dreamland an LSD acid trip during MK Ultra experiments? Is the fact that Samus is in dreamland canon?
This mind of thinking occurs when dealing with Kirby and his shenanigans.
Kirby sparks theology, but above all. He's adorable. And fun. I have always enjoyed the character design. Kirby is a masterpiece spawned from the genius of Mr. Iwata (rip) and his vision for the brand of nintendo as a whole. The thing that I enjoy about Kirby games is they are relaxing offering depth and lax difficulties combined with epic power ups and this game does all of that. But here is where it goes wrong.
Kirby Dreamland 3 does something different from the gameboy games or the NES Game Kirby's adventure in that it gives you a blue koosh ball as an ally. I'd go as far as to say it's a blue koosh ball with some sort of mental impairment. It is extremely dumb and most of all it almost always gets in the way. Luckily the thing is optional because its only good for getting 2 rewards at the end of each level which range from nothing to 1ups. Which are the best rewards in the game. The game is loaded with
. Doors that lead to nowhere
. Cheap ass kills by having enemies disguised as doors, blocks ect.
. Puzzles that are tedious at best and even most forums that reference 100 percent completion of this game talk about how ridiculous some of them are. For example. The game may show you vaguley 7 spike balls. Then a enemy (a built in carny) will beep 3 times. Like what on earth am I supposed to gather from this information. So you hit the 3rd spike ball thinking thats 3. Nope. He meant how many spike balls are on screen versus the spike blocks. Which is 7. But how can you know how to play without the rules being laid out? It'd be like me asking you. What cup is the ball under without showing you the ball first. It's just sorta stupid. I only knew one games ruleset. The rest are vague and silly. I find this to be such an uncessary part of the game. It does a lot to make it less streamline.
And yet again. A very mentally deficient blue koosh ball is your friend... and you have to suck up things to spit at enemies or absorb powers. Thats the ENTIRE premise of Kirby. But with blue ballsack present. You end up sucking up him. Which then makes it harder to get the power. You know what else he does? Gee idk
Steals your powerups and spits them accross screen. Hits enemies that you needed to continue. And even fills your mouth at inoppurtune times so enemies can kill you whilr you are defenseless. He sometimes does come in handy by being a distraction. Something for enemies to beat up while you float. But that's rare and not his primary function.
But enough of the negatives, now we get into the greatest part of this game. The damn bosses. The bosses of Kirby dream land 3 are so epic. Very on brand with the other kirby games and the perfect sweet spot of challenge. I adore the painter boss who paints enemies onto a canvas as they come to life. Each enemy and boss has patterns to learn in ways only vintage nintendo could muster. It's sweet poetry. So it did well in the areas where it mattered most. The art is beautiful. Kirby looks great in 16 bit and overall I had a lot of fun with this game. It needed a little polishing around the edges. But it is a fun time nonetheless.
Rating - 80/100
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10. Ghost in the Shell | 1997 | PlayStation 1 | 2/24:
(https://imgur.com/ldGAr1U.png)
This was so much fun to play through. Every element -- from the bumpin' soundtrack, to the graphics, to even the game's main menu -- is oozing with atmosphere; enough to make Kojima blush. You even have voiced cutscenes that play every 3 missions, which are fully animated in the GITS's manga artstyle. It's pretty simple gameplay-wise: you tap square to shoot the dual machine-guns or hold it to lock onto targets with missiles, all while using the triggers to strafe incoming fire. Not much else to it, but when the game looks this cool to play, who cares if it's a little basic?
The only negative takeaway is that this game is short, too short. It feels like the game was just starting to hit its stride as it incorporated more of the spider tank's wall-climbing mechanics in the level design towards the end. Even taking into consideration the simplistic gameplay, it wouldn't have hurt to make the main story an hour longer. I would've been pretty disappointed if I purchased this game full-price back in the day and beat it in under 2 hours. Still, this made me more of a fan of Ghost in the Shell so I guess the game fulfilled its original purpose after all.
(https://imgur.com/ut5QvjG.png)
Grade: B+
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ABANDONED - Super Mario Kart [SNES]
Yeah... i'm sorry. This feels sort of like insulting an elderly grandfather that everyone loves. But the game sucks ass. Like really bad. It's nauseating visually, cheap mechanically, and a repetitive bore on the level design. It somehow manages to be both brutally unfair and complex and also too simple and dull at the same time. AI such as bowser get infinite fireballs while you get banana peels and thowmp'd 200 times a race. The game is plagued by rubber banding which forces the same racers to assume the same pole positions knocking you off track in the process. It is truly a grind and not a good one. It's also technically cheating.
The normally 3 dimensional obstacles in other Mario Kart games are now 2D flat road illustrations. How am I supposed to know a flat cement colored tile is a wall? My eyes hurt from playing it.
It genuinely feels like you're twisting the course, not the kart, when you turn.
I respect it because it's the originator. It has amazing soundtrack. It has cute kart racers. But It's borderline unplayable if you didnt grow up with it. And I didn't. I'm not good at it. But never does it feel like that's because I suck. I can admit when I suck. The game sucks and the difficulty is more so adapting to it's filth than conquering it's challenge. I know its consensus that it aged bad. But damn. I just feel saddened lol. Maybe another day.
On to brighter pastures.
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ABANDONED - Super Mario Kart [SNES]
Yeah... i'm sorry. This feels sort of like insulting an elderly grandfather that everyone loves. But the game sucks ass. Like really bad. It's nauseating visually, cheap mechanically, and a repetitive bore on the level design. It somehow manages to be both brutally unfair and complex and also too simple and dull at the same time. AI such as bowser get infinite fireballs while you get banana peels and thowmp'd 200 times a race. The game is plagued by rubber banding which forces the same racers to assume the same pole positions knocking you off track in the process. It is truly a grind and not a good one. It's also technically cheating.
The normally 3 dimensional obstacles in other Mario Kart games are now 2D flat road illustrations. How am I supposed to know a flat cement colored tile is a wall? My eyes hurt from playing it.
It genuinely feels like you're twisting the course, not the kart, when you turn.
I respect it because it's the originator. It has amazing soundtrack. It has cute kart racers. But It's borderline unplayable if you didnt grow up with it. And I didn't. I'm not good at it. But never does it feel like that's because I suck. I can admit when I suck. The game sucks and the difficulty is more so adapting to it's filth than conquering it's challenge. I know its consensus that it aged bad. But damn. I just feel saddened lol. Maybe another day.
On to brighter pastures.
I replayed it for the first time in about 30 years last year and it definitely has not aged well. I could not believe how hard it was just to control your racer and some of the tracks were horribly laid out. I did get through the game on 100cc, but was surprised by how poorly the first game aged.
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6. Sly Raccoon [PS2]
Also known as Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus in the US, but I'm from Europe and my box says Sly Racooon so that's what I'm going with.
The first game in the Sly Cooper series, and actually the first PS2 game I've ever beaten if you can believe it. And well, I loved it!
This is a 3D platformer with elements of a collect-a-thon and stealth. I really loved its style. The character designs, art style and storytelling reminded me of Humongous Entertainment, and I mean that in the best way. It's cartoony, charming, appealing and just fun. It's also backed up by solid gameplay. Just moving Sly around is fun on its own, and when a game pulls that off you know it does something right. The game isn't hard at all, honestly it's really damn easy, but that's OK. Sometimes you want games like that. Spotting a collectible, and then making a jump or climbing a pipe to get to it is just fun. I've now beaten all the levels and collected all the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus. I have not done the time trials yet, but maybe I'll try a few out sometime.
Overall, you can definitely call me a Sly Cooper fan now. This game made me nostalgic for a type of game I didn't even know I was nostalgic for. I gotta keep an eye out for the other games in the series, because I'd love to try them!
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ABANDONED - Super Mario Kart [SNES]
Yeah... i'm sorry. This feels sort of like insulting an elderly grandfather that everyone loves. But the game sucks ass. Like really bad. It's nauseating visually, cheap mechanically, and a repetitive bore on the level design. It somehow manages to be both brutally unfair and complex and also too simple and dull at the same time. AI such as bowser get infinite fireballs while you get banana peels and thowmp'd 200 times a race. The game is plagued by rubber banding which forces the same racers to assume the same pole positions knocking you off track in the process. It is truly a grind and not a good one. It's also technically cheating.
The normally 3 dimensional obstacles in other Mario Kart games are now 2D flat road illustrations. How am I supposed to know a flat cement colored tile is a wall? My eyes hurt from playing it.
It genuinely feels like you're twisting the course, not the kart, when you turn.
I respect it because it's the originator. It has amazing soundtrack. It has cute kart racers. But It's borderline unplayable if you didnt grow up with it. And I didn't. I'm not good at it. But never does it feel like that's because I suck. I can admit when I suck. The game sucks and the difficulty is more so adapting to it's filth than conquering it's challenge. I know its consensus that it aged bad. But damn. I just feel saddened lol. Maybe another day.
On to brighter pastures.
I replayed it for the first time in about 30 years last year and it definitely has not aged well. I could not believe how hard it was just to control your racer and some of the tracks were horribly laid out. I did get through the game on 100cc, but was surprised by how poorly the first game aged.
I was honestly shocked, It is the first game to give me motion sickness and I played lots of Virtual Boy lol. The way you bounce off everything feels like a pinball. I hear the battle mode is aged better but I never got around to it.
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16. Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock [PS3] - Feb 26th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/Hkb2jkkW/IMG-20260226-184759-(533-x-280-pixel).jpg)
The Purist's Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero III has a golden throne for a legacy. It's the big daddy. Revered by casual fans and masters alike. To most fanatics of the genre and series, It stands as the king. Alluring to all generations and all critics.
But to me it has a lot of sentimentality which plays into how fondly I recall Guitar Hero III. I still remember the gold foil paper wrapping on christmas eve, the rectangular box under the tree and I just knew already what it was off shape alone. It was one of my fondest memories of a gift from grandmother who passed away a few years ago. In playing this game I experience her again. The love of family. And it's fairly profound how video games take moments of our lives and make them into digital foot prints that last with us for life... sort of like a digital picture frame that can play back your memories through reliving the game but beyond all the fluff of nostalgia. It also is a rockin' pinnacle of what a rythym game should be. It's good.... damn good. Some call him...
The goat.
Guitar Hero 3 follows the same formula of all the other guitar hero games. Dividing a set list of songs into different venues to create mini concerts. You beat 4 songs on a given difficulty and are introduced to a encore song which closes out the set. But what Guitar Hero III does different is it introduces boss battles. Gilded legends of string, sick and beastly sultans of rock who you must face off against using your Guitar as a weapon. It's extemely arcadey and neat and leads to a cohesive experience. It takes a game that typically feels like karoake with guitars and turns it into a game. With endings, cut scenes, bosses and plot.
The plot centers around developing your band and touring and all that comes with it. It's not necessarily a biopic cinematic movie of a bands Legacy like Rockband Beatles was. It's more like vignettes of the cliche stereotypical life of a rockstar finding his way. Of course except this time, interlaced with Satan, Tom Morello cameos and prison breaks. Which are excessive and comedic. Maybe satirical. But let's get into the meat and potatoes now...
The Setlist
This is mostly why Guitar Hero III is revered so highly. It's just got a bitchin' pile of songs. Intricate hammer ons in songs like Cliff's of Dover are pretty and serene. Insane solos in masochist songs like Raining blood by slayer contrast to form variety. Everything from dad rock, to blues folk, to techno rock, and all generations and genres in between make it here.... it has balance, brevity and succession. It feels calculated with how it's rolled out rather than Rockband 3 which at times felt like a bunch of songs piled into list format. Guitar Hero III feels like a journey through rock. And as the title says "the legends of rock". Cult of Personality's solo on hard mode shortly before watching lucifer crumble to your sick skill? Timeless. The game is A1 since day 1.
Rating - 95/100.
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10 - Resident Evil: Requiem (PC 2026) - BEAT - Was gonna take my time, spread it out over the weekend with a few hours every day, but I just binged it hard lol I had a pretty good time with it, it was a fun idea they did, where they people like both the more slower survival horror side of things, RE2R/RE7, but also like the more actiony stuff, RE4/RE8, so why not both? Grace is perfect as someone new dealing with these horrors, having a setup that feels more standard survival horror, exploring a big hospital. Leon slips in and out, and then later you get a section with him that is more actiony in general, generally splitting the game.
Part of me wishes it was more just Grace and doing stuff that feels more like RE2R/RE7, I'm not so nostalgia driven like some fans are where they need the lead to be Leon, or Chris, or whoever else has done this before, I like having a character who struggles to handle what is going on, it's what makes it more creepy, compared to Leon spouting off one-liners. I do like those one-liners, I like how cheesy and action heavy he is, but I like the survival horror leaning the other way more. That's something I wish they did more, there's not enough puzzling, maybe trying to figure out progression more, that feels abit lax in this game. It's not bad, I just want more of that.
Overall quite fun, not my favorite, but definitely good.
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10 - Resident Evil: Requiem (PC 2026) - BEAT - Was gonna take my time, spread it out over the weekend with a few hours every day, but I just binged it hard lol I had a pretty good time with it, it was a fun idea they did, where they people like both the more slower survival horror side of things, RE2R/RE7, but also like the more actiony stuff, RE4/RE8, so why not both? Grace is perfect as someone new dealing with these horrors, having a setup that feels more standard survival horror, exploring a big hospital. Leon slips in and out, and then later you get a section with him that is more actiony in general, generally splitting the game.
Part of me wishes it was more just Grace and doing stuff that feels more like RE2R/RE7, I'm not so nostalgia driven like some fans are where they need the lead to be Leon, or Chris, or whoever else has done this before, I like having a character who struggles to handle what is going on, it's what makes it more creepy, compared to Leon spouting off one-liners. I do like those one-liners, I like how cheesy and action heavy he is, but I like the survival horror leaning the other way more. That's something I wish they did more, there's not enough puzzling, maybe trying to figure out progression more, that feels abit lax in this game. It's not bad, I just want more of that.
Overall quite fun, not my favorite, but definitely good.
Dang! You plowed through that one!
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19. Trails in the Sky First Chapter
Gehenna froze over twice this year! Am I Trails fan now? After another 50 hours with another entry (albeit a modern one) it's hard to say. I'll always prefer classic Falcom sprites to 3D models, but this remake really came through. I have a few complaints that I'll disseminate in a review, but the only one I want to mention now to get off my chest is enemy HP. I played on standard difficulty and all of the Intelligence Division enemies had HP bloated to high heaven. It was ridiculous. Naturally, they gave crap experience, too. Anything to pad the game, I guess? Otherwise, this was another pleasant surprise. I can't say I'm not intrigued by what Second Chapter would have in store based on the ending.
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Dang! You plowed through that one!
I didn't have anything else going on, so I played at Midnight for a number of hours and then just went crazy last night on it lol I was gonna spread it out across the weekend, savor it, but I got too engaged, been awhile since I went full gamer like that, I think Death Stranding 2 last year was the last time I went that hard.
I still put nearly 13 hours for the one main run and trying Insanity mode right now which is ridiculously hard, so it's living up to its name lol
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17. Mario Kart 64 [N64] - finished Feb 28th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/Ghtt1bbC/IMG-20260301-001912-(405-x-405-pixel).jpg)
THE SWEET TEARS OF PERFECTION
Mario Kart 64 exemplifies the old adage of "they don't make them like that anymore". A beacon that all Mario Kart fanatics run to when needing to point to the gold standard. A measuring stick so to speak. A game that took it's franchise to the moon in only the 2nd entry into the lineup. In both popularity, sales and prestige. Mario Kart is poetry in motion and perhaps one of the greatest art installations of modern man. I will get into every reason why... but of course let's remind. That this is Mario Kart 64. So it speaks for itself.
But first, I must say. My past with this game runs deeper than even Guitar Hero III. So much so, that I cried while playing it. It had been about 15 years since i've played the game. Remembering my childhood friend Glen Constantino. My batman themed bed spread. Inflatable chairs and pogs? I cried not because I had realized that my fleeting childhood was never to be relived again or because every giggle, laugh and blue shell that came to define my most important adolescent years was now just a memory. Not because I had lost so much even though I did, but because I have gained so much. It feels as though you have reuinited with an elementary school friend. And the friend reminds you of yourself. I miss it. I miss those Sunny Delight summer days when school was out, and the red glow of an N64 light illuminating the room was all we needed. This feeling is by design. It is in every essence of this game. It is why Mario Kart 64 is the mvp. It does this for so many people.
GAMEPLAY
Mario Kart 64 takes all the errors of Super Mario Kart and makes sure to distance itself from them. Things like constant podiums, terrible rubberbanding and wonky ricochet mechanics of the karts are gone. Replaced with sensible and fair podium randomness. Peach can win race 2 and yet you may find her place 7th next time. This does quite a bit in balancing Mario Kart 64's difficulty. You can place 2nd in each race and possibly win in points at the end. That's how real racing championships work. Which is perhaps it's most important refresher and something that has carried over to every other installment of Mario Kart since.
The blue shell makes it's debut in this game. The gamer universe's beloved friendship ender. Drifting becomes more fluid than ever. And the graphics and textures of course quadruple from 16 bit to 64 bit.
The game is set up basically. It is pure couch co-op fun. You get 4 cups. Each have 4 levels. So 16 in total. And you progress by winning gold in each. If you win gold in each cup on 150cc. You unlock a mirror mode. No hamming about. Just regular simplicity that sometimes is lost on modern mario karts.
I find the NPC intelligence in this game to be quite shocking. For example, a cpu character may lay a banana on the bridge. It knows that it is impossible for the next person to not hit it. A cpu character may also lay a decoy powerup with the real powerups to genuinely trick you. The intelligence the cpu operates with made me feel like I was facing a friend via split screen while playing on 1P mode. It's fascinatingly good for it's day.
LEVELS
But perhaps the greatest part of Mario Kart 64 is the levels. Toad's express way stands out above all. A interstate highway level where you race at micro size along side giant cars and semi trucks on a road. Being a kid, this level always blew my mind. Rainbow road is a ribbon of decadence, it glows seemingly 200 million colors to become this crazy color fest that resembles a lite brite toy from the 80s. And each level is joined by beautiful soundtracks. Symphonies of hymns, harps, violins and electro synths make these melodies that transport you to the track. Colorful celestial vibes match rainbow road flawlessly. Adrenaline pumping jungle themes reflect Donkey Kong's level. It is quite a connection to feel and it feels transportive.
Mario Kart 64 is God tier Mario Kart. Perhaps 20 years ahead of it's time. And to most it is more than that. Anyone who had this console at an age early than 15. This game is like mother's hug. It is beyond sheer plastic and screws at this point. Sometimes a piece of entertainment can become so connected to your soul that it ascends into your consciousness as metaphysical. Your central nervous system is rainbow road. Time stands still. Welcome back.
Rating - 100/100
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19. Resident Evil Requiem (PS5)
Resident Evil Requiem (RE9) is really a tale of two games. On one hand, you gave some of the best survival horror gameplay and atmosphere the series has seen since RE7 and some of the classic RE titles. On the other hand, you have a balls to the wall horror action game that takes its cue's directly from some of the more over the top entries such as RE5, RE5, and dare I say, even a hint of RE6 (I mean that it the best way possible, honestly). The first half of the game absolutely leans way more into the unfiltered survival horror gameplay mentioned, while the second half is predominantly an action game first and foremost. For some, this is going to be fairly jarring, however the way it is implemented and how things play out in terms of RE9's settings and stories absolutely works. The end result is one of the best Resident Evil games ever made, and possibly the best modern RE game.
During the 10 hours it takes to beat RE9, you'll be transitioning between the two main characters of the game, Grace Ashcroft and series veteran, Leon Kennedy. Despite being an FBI agent (FBI analyst if you want to be more specific), Grace is a fairly fragile and relatable character. Aside from a few key parts, Grace definitely comes across as a fish out of water and is struggling to survive, much less just stay sane and calm in the insane situation she finds herself in throughout the game. She isn't a trained badass like Jill Valentine or a natural born badass like Claire Redfield; Grace is just a fairly ordinary first who is just trying to survive with the little personal and physical resources given to her. As you've probably already surmised, Grace's gameplay is pure survival horror where you'll be doing all you can to avoid conflict, which will always be the prescribed method of success given how little ammo, health items, and general resources are available to her.
On the complete flip side of this, Leon's gameplay is all action, stealth and avoidance be damned. The way forward with Leon is always through an endless wave of zombies and other BOW enemies, leaving in your wake a trail of blood, guts, gore, and destruction. RE9 supplies you with plenty of ammo and supplies to accomplish this, although I'd be lying if I said there aren't a few sections of the game where maybe you'd want to be more judicious about how much ammo you're using and how many enemies you engage. Luckily, there are a variety of more creative ways to slay your enemies such as traps and obstacles, almost taken right out of RE4. The bottom line is that you there is barely a dull, slow moment when Leon is behind the wheel.
RE9 starts you out in Rhodes Hill Care Center, a building that takes a lot of inspiration from the Spenser Mansion in terms of his design and aesthetics. Still, the care center offers enough of its own unique qualities where you won't just feel like Capcom reheated the main setting of RE1 and threw a new coat of paint on it, hoping no one would notice. No, Rhodes Hill is a genuinely interesting and fun survival horror sandbox where as Grace you'll be carefully backtracking to different areas of the complex, collecting keys, solving puzzles, and pretty much doing all the amazing survival horror tasks many old school fans of the franchise can never seem to get enough of. There are brief sections where RE9 switches you over to Leon and you'll go from carefully avoiding zombies to killing anything that moves, but the first half the of game is mostly a survival horror experience. Those action portions with Leon are simply an appetizer for the second half of the game.
While I won't spoil where the second half of the game takes place, let's just say it was featured in a lot of the trailers so it should hardly be a surprise to anyone. Within the dilapidated ruins of this new area, you'll be playing almost exclusively as Leon. While there are some light puzzles and areas that flirt with survival horror, make no mistake that the vast majority of RE9's second and final acts are action packed. For some, this may be disappointing, but given how well, both the action and survival horror aspects of RE9 are, it's hard to imagine anyone being disappointed with any portion of the game. Still, all things are not created equal between RE9's survival horror and action gameplay.
I felt like RE9 did a way better job being a survival horror game than an action game. That's not to say the action portions were bad, I just found them not as well designed, with some parts of Leon's trek through the second half of the game to be a chore at times rather than genuinely fun. As for the survival horror gameplay and experience, it wasn't perfect, but I almost always enjoyed these sections more, minus a few minor complaints. With all that said, I feel like there were several amazing and also not so amazing boss fights in Leon's portion of the game. In fact, two of these boss encounters and their respective reveals had be going, "HOLY SHIT!" when they happened. Again, I'm not going to spoil anything, but fans of RE2 especially are going to love some of the crazy shit that happens later on in the game whole playing as Leon.
My main complaints with Grace's survival horror gameplay is avoidance of enemies did not always feel consistent. You're given a variety of tools and techniques to avoid confrontation entirely, but I found these conflict free methods to be fairly inconsistent in terms of them working as intended. For example, you can throw empty bottles to distract enemies so you can try and slip by them. However, sometimes enemies would ignore these broken bottles or be distracted for a couple seconds, before quickly turning around and spotting me, forcing me into a situation where I can to fight to avoid taking damage. There are also a few sections, particularly in the Rhodes Hill Care Clinic that maybe should have been thought out a little longer given how restrained they can feel, forcing you to take action in them even if you're trying to avoid that. As mentioned before, these complaints are fairly minor and don't distract too much from what is otherwise an amazing survival horror experience while you're playing as Grace Ashcroft.
I have far more complaints when it comes to Leon's action oriented gameplay. I played the game on standard difficulty, and even when doing this, some standard enemies were unbelievable bullet sponges. The worst part is how inconsistent it all was. One zombie taken out with a headshot from a shotgun at close range, would go down with one shot, while another standard zombie would take three head shots. Speaking of zombies, there is a variant of the walking dead that appears fairly early on in the game that is a complete nuisance and I dreaded fighting them for all the wrong reasons. Aside form just straight up combat, this is one section with Leon you encounter at around the halfway mark that sort of outstays its welcome. By the time I moved on to the next areas, I was beyond done exploring that previous part of the game. Like my complaints with the survival horror parts of RE9, the issues I have with the action gameplay are relatively minor, but certainly more of a big deal to the overall enjoyment of RE9 than those in the aforementioned parts of the game.
When it comes to RE9's story, it's mostly pretty good, but certainly has some flaws and annoyances. While I played playing as her, I wasn't completely sold on Grace's character and at times even found her to be a bit on the annoying side. Sure, she was definitely a fairly relatable protagonist, but I feel like the voice actress almost overacts when it comes to expressing Grace's terror and anguish at several parts. I also don't buy that an FBI agent would be as woefully unprepared to deal with a situation like the one Grace find herself in. Still, the character has enough development throughout RE9 to where I mostly came out in the end liking her. Still, she'd no Jill, Claire, or Ada, that's for sure. As for Leon, he's the same Leon us RE fans have been in love with for almost 30 years.
In terms of the plot, RE9 almost feels like a direct sequel to RE2 rather than being the 9th entry in a long running franchise. I say this in the absolute best way I possibly can as I haven't enjoyed a new, non-remake RE game like this in a long time. There are some genuinely nostalgic moments in RE9 that will make any RE2 fan become overwhelmed with feels. It certainly had the impact on me. Still, despite how lovingly RE9 serves as an almost direct sequel to RE2, the writing isn't perfect. The main villain is fairly hokey and almost becomes an afterthought in the second half of the game. Some of the plot too can be a little silly and also disappointing, but overall, the story and plot of RE9 is definitely pretty good and worth playing the game just to experience it.
Visually, RE9 looks incredible. It's hard to believe the RE Engine is almost a decade old given how amazingly well it renders characters, backgrounds and other visuals elements. I'd say there are small indicators it may be showing its age just slightly, but it still holds its own in 2026, that's for damn sure. Rhodes Hill looks amazing, however there are some more bland looking areas later on in the game, which while it makes sense why they'd look the way they do, they're still a bit on the bland side, especially when how long you have to play through one of them in particular. There's also an impressive variety of enemy models in the game, and also a pretty good spread of enemy types. Bosses are all amazing looking as well, with a few being among the best looking bosses we've had in an RE game since the 90s and early 2000s.
Finally, RE9's audio is pretty good for the most part. Music is a mix of creepy, original music made specifically for RE9, however it also possess some arranged and remixed classic RE songs that go with specific parts of the game. One of these arranged classic tracks gave me goosebumps in combination of what was happening on the screen. Still, I didn't feel like the original songs or the arranged songs in RE9 were as good as some of the older entires in the series, but saying they're anything less than pretty damn good would be inaccurate. The sound effects are also top notch and never miss a beat in terms of portraying the impact of weapons or damage to enemies and environmental objects. Enemies all sound nice and creepy too.
The voice acting in RE9 is a bit of a mixed bag. I already talked about some of my grievances with Grace's voice actress, but one of the main bad guys is also guilty of hamming it up a bit too hard and even overacting. I don't know if this was deliberate in order to remind players of some of the cheesy voice acting of the old, PS1 era RE games, but it didn't sound self aware enough to make me think this was the case. Still, outside these relatively minor issues with the voice cast, all the other performances were excellent, with Leon's being the best by far.
I knew going into RE9 that I would almost assuredly like it, however I'm once again surprised by just how much it exceeded my expectation regardless. RE9 is one of the most phenomenal entries in the series and is bound for greatness in a series with some very strong competition. I'd even go as far as to say RE9 is the best new Resident Evil game we've had since the PS1 era. I can't think of a single RE game, save the remake of the first Resident Evil game that does it for me quite like RE9 does. If not for maybe a bit more refinement to the story, gameplay, and audio, this would undoubtedly be my favorite RE game ever made. But even at second place, this is an outstanding game that I cannot recommend highly enough. (3/1/26) [43/50]
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11. Death Stranding || PlayStation 4 || 02.21.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/nf2Ot0q.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/W1uYLjf.jpeg)
Since before its release, Death Stranding is a game I've maintained some level of interest in playing, though much of that intrigue perhaps comes from the reception it's garnered both as a game and as a fully-realized project from Hideo Kojima, sans Konami. So, I finally decided to see what it's like after all these years without really knowing what to expect from it still.
To be brief, the player assumes the role of Sam Bridges, a one-of-a-kind courier who's tasked with traveling across the United States of America to reconnect the country by linking satellite locations together along a data network. This relatively straightforward premise is bolstered by a series of metaphors that are undeniably simple to grasp yet are simultaneously contrasted by plot exposition and worldly phenomena that's wide-reaching and convoluted. By no means is the game afraid to provide answers directly without much of an explanation as it treats the player like they're a part of this world with context, and it's most implemented by a heightened use of theorization, historical recollections, and ambiguous plot developments. At the same time, what this also means is a script that batters the player over and over again with the themes the game hopes to convey that, between these two polarizing points, I imagine will leave many players confused either confused or actively ignoring it altogether. But maybe that thought is wrong—it doesn't describe my experience with the game's story, anyway.
While the country's population is largely segregated from another in their own pockets of society—and sometimes living totally alone, even—as a result of a threatening outside environment that's led to its broken nature, the people whom Sam engages with cheer him on. Yet despite this attempt to reclaim the lost social dynamics of society, the world is simply too fractured for us to think that Sam's journey is anything but a solitary one. On his own, Sam treks across an empty expanse teeming with hazards, be they related to the environment, humans, or the unexplained. But humanity still carries on somehow, mostly alone, and it's Sam's assigned task to reconnect them. Be that as it may, when Sam interacts with NPCs unrelated to the main narrative, there is only one instance where he meets others face-to-face. Everyone else is just a hologram, or what they say is relayed as a written e-mail. Even though Sam works toward saving hundreds of thousands of people, he only ever properly meets less than ten. To some degree, this is due to the urgency of Sam's mission but also because of who Sam is as a person: he's closed-off, damaged, and unwilling to participate in a society he's never before been forced to be apart of.
Tasked as a porter, the player's goals are simple: travel across the dangerous landscape to conduct deliveries while minimizing damage to them while, at the same time, establishing a connection between new sites where deliveries are made. But how that travel is achieved varies as new environmental hazards, terrain types, and the tools to overcome both are introduced that often results in a seemingly simple task becoming opposite. Natural terrain does not accommodate those who seek to overcome it, so successfully doing so either requires a preparedness with disposable tools or electing to wander to find some inconvenient detour that it itself may introduce its own challenge. Nearly every single aspect of the game complicates the core gameplay mechanic that's walking, and I'm aware that many other players regard these obstacles as nothing more than unrelenting annoyances.
But across my experience, it's this difficulty and dedication to translating the real-world action of taking one step after another that elevates Death Stranding into a game that stands out in more positive and refreshing ways. Sam does not glide along the ground or scale elevation with ease as players may be able to perform in similar games. Instead, every aspect of the natural world including steep hills, rocky fields and clifftops, and lively streams of water is just as dangerous as everything else Sam encounters throughout his journey. Players will inevitably trip along the uneven ground, have the weight of their excessively high-stacked cargo pull them to the ground, and lose cargo in a number of ways including being destroyed by the elements and player carelessness. What's already a slow process is often made much slower until players begin properly outfitting the world with more permanent constructions, and patience is more often than not something that rewards players. During short cinematic sequences, Sam may be seen loading or adjusting his gear and cargo in manner that changes pending upon how much weight he's carrying. He'll be postured uncomfortably, make audible grunts, and gesturing general bodily strain and fatigue. As the player, we dictate just how miserable Sam's current objective is to accomplish, and it's strongly captivated.
While the outside world is overwhelmingly a solitary place as Sam ventures on his own, it's heavily contrasted to Death Stranding's gamified social mechanics that work toward making an individual endeavor rooted with survival gameplay mechanics a community one. As the game progresses, Sam eventually gains the means to craft more permanent structures to help perform deliveries such as paved road segments and resting shelters, and as the network he's tasked with setting up widens, so too are the tools other players online acting as fellow couriers create. I personally feel conflicted about its inclusion in spite of the game's messaging about social connection, though. Fellow porters acting as NPCs do also traverse the world, but they're seldom found and can't really be interacted with. Meanwhile, online players are never to be found, although their presence most certainly is. At nearly every location, the area is littered with lost cargo or crafted structures, and it adequately defeats the idea that the world is barren. While I do find this mechanic interesting as an idea, its execution is too pronounced. Particularly in regards to traversal tools, the frequency of online player assistance is too high; there shouldn't be two extremes, marked by either no help or too much of it.
Beyond natural hazards, Sam inevitably faces aggressive adversaries as well. So, to be expected, there is combat to engage in alongside the more pronounced exploratory gameplay. Fortunately, combat mechanics aren't poorly tacked on, though combat's general inclusion is something I grapple with being necessary or not to the game's overarching experience. Nevertheless, combat is functional and simple to engage in. Sam will come to amass an arsenal of weapons to craft, equip, and then use in addition to various ammunition types that are interchangeable to accommodate for various situations. Alongside proper combat, stealth is also an option to utilize. To be expected, stealth is a more strategic approach to enemy encounters and is difficult to perform at times, but that it's an option that exists for those preferring it is welcomed. During the late-game, combat becomes more emphasized with encounters that are nearly or totally unavoidable in a way that makes sense on a narrative level but also with a frequency that feels overdone. Really, there was never an instance where an encounter went wrong and it felt like the game was penalizing me, meaning every botched situation felt like a result of my own player mistakes no matter if I relied upon direct combat or stealth.
For as much as I enjoyed the game, it definitely has its problems. On a fundamental level, how distance is conveyed greatly removes the illusion that Sam's journey takes him across thousands of miles across what is one of the world's largest countries. While I acknowledge that this sort of realism can't be expressed realistically without heavily compromising the gameplay or narrative, it was unavoidable for me to ignore. Meanwhile, the actor performances that are meant to reinforce the narrative-dense experience vary from highs to lows. Perhaps it's because of the lack of human connection present in-game that highlights these issues, or maybe it's the disconcerting story actors may have had trouble with understanding. Regardless, in rare examples exemplified best through Mads Mikkelson but also Troy Baker do characters feel expressive and fun despite of the outlandish premise and made-up jargon they're working with. To phrase it simply, Sam is a rugged vagabond who willingly chooses to disengage with society rather than be forced to. So even though the performance by Norman Reedus comes across as a bit singular at times, the role suits his natural demeanor well. And to quickly pivot to the gameplay experience itself, the game's UI was regularly difficult for me to easily understand and worsened by limiting UX design, most often in terms of navigating the map system. The worst defining feature of it is the abysmally cluttered map markers of various kinds that can't be toggled alongside their dim color-coding. I constantly was referencing the map over and over again which was an exercise in itself but still somehow easier than utilizing the more accessible field navigation that's a compass.
Of course, there is a lot to be said of Death Stranding. From my understanding, it's a game having garnered mixed opinions but one that I generally have had fun playing. To me, the hurdles needing to be surmounted aren't annoyances in the middle of an already tedious task but instead an endeavor that feels rewarding to have persevered through. Despite the struggles that Sam himself is forced to overcome, the gameplay he's caught in became a meditative experience that I as the player found easy to pass countless hours with. While I'm aware of the game's recent sequel, I don't think it will be something I'll be playing anytime soon. I also don't particularly think a sequel is even warranted, but I suppose I'll make a more informed opinion about that some other day.
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Of course, there is a lot to be said of Death Stranding. From my understanding, it's a game having garnered mixed opinions but one that I generally have had fun playing. To me, the hurdles needing to be surmounted aren't annoyances in the middle of an already tedious task but instead a endeavor that feels rewarding to have persevered through. Despite the struggles that Sam himself is forced to overcome, the gameplay he's caught in became a meditative experience that I as the player found easy to pass countless hours with. While I'm aware of the game's recent sequel, I don't think it will be something I'll be playing anytime soon. I also don't particularly think a sequel is even warranted, but I suppose I'll make a more informed opinion about that some other day.[/font]
The sequel is great if you want to get back into that gameplay groove, just losing hours in satisfying transportation trips, it's functionally very similar, with some new goodies to play with, and a new wild story stuff to experience. I think it did enough to justify itself as a sequel, but probably a good thing to save it for a later date. Both games are pretty big time investments and doing huge open world games back to back can lead to burnout lol I'm looking to double dip on it this year since it's coming to PC soon.
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Of course, there is a lot to be said of Death Stranding. From my understanding, it's a game having garnered mixed opinions but one that I generally have had fun playing. To me, the hurdles needing to be surmounted aren't annoyances in the middle of an already tedious task but instead a endeavor that feels rewarding to have persevered through. Despite the struggles that Sam himself is forced to overcome, the gameplay he's caught in became a meditative experience that I as the player found easy to pass countless hours with. While I'm aware of the game's recent sequel, I don't think it will be something I'll be playing anytime soon. I also don't particularly think a sequel is even warranted, but I suppose I'll make a more informed opinion about that some other day.[/font]
The sequel is great if you want to get back into that gameplay groove, just losing hours in satisfying transportation trips, it's functionally very similar, with some new goodies to play with, and a new wild story stuff to experience. I think it did enough to justify itself as a sequel, but probably a good thing to save it for a later date. Both games are pretty big time investments and doing huge open world games back to back can lead to burnout lol I'm looking to double dip on it this year since it's coming to PC soon.
Games with open-world design are already ones I rarely play, and I'd like for enough time to pass for my thoughts to settle, so I'll definitely be waiting for an extensive period. I'm actually still completing orders while trying to earn all of the game's achievements (I've gone too far with optimizing zip-line routes), so it's not like I've had that opportunity yet even. I know you're a big fan of the games, so it's good to get your thoughts on what's to come. I'm very particular with story-dense experiences across all mediums being given a sequel, so hopefully I feel that a sequel in this instance feels earned like you do!
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20. Resident Evil 2 Remake - Claire
While the rest of the world was hiding as Grace or blasting away as Leon, I was trying to do a bit of both with Claire Redfield. I've been hopping from game to game out of order and I'm finally getting around to playing the remake that started it all. Compared to the others, this was a fun but drastic change of pace. The odds were stacked against players from the start. Every enemy was resilient, making item management and ammo conservation essential. I really enjoyed playing as Claire because I feel like she doesn't get as much time in the spotlight compared to Leon. (I'll still play through the game with him at some point). Her mini-grenade launcher was an excellent weapon. I think my biggest gripe with the game was the necessary back and forth managing limited item space. That, and the tight quarters when fighting bosses or attempting to deal with Ivies. Otherwise, this was a great game. I can see why many still consider it the best of the moderns.
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20. Resident Evil 2 Remake - Claire
While the rest of the world was hiding as Grace or blasting away as Leon, I was trying to do a bit of both with Claire Redfield. I've been hopping from game to game out of order and I'm finally getting around to playing the remake that started it all. Compared to the others, this was a fun but drastic change of pace. The odds were stacked against players from the start. Every enemy was resilient, making item management and ammo conservation essential. I really enjoyed playing as Claire because I feel like she doesn't get as much time in the spotlight compared to Leon. (I'll still play through the game with him at some point). Her mini-grenade launcher was an excellent weapon. I think my biggest gripe with the game was the necessary back and forth managing limited item space. That, and the tight quarters when fighting bosses or attempting to deal with Ivies. Otherwise, this was a great game. I can see why many still consider it the best of the moderns.
I decided to jump back into RE2R after beating RE9. I haven't beat it since early 2020 and never as Claire. It's still a phenomenal game.
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Games with open-world design are already ones I rarely play, and I'd like for enough time to pass for my thoughts to settle, so I'll definitely be waiting for an extensive period. I'm actually still completing orders while trying to earn all of the game's achievements (I've gone too far with optimizing zip-line routes), so it's not like I've had that opportunity yet even. I know you're a big fan of the games, so it's good to get your thoughts on what's to come. I'm very particular with story-dense experiences across all mediums being given a sequel, so hopefully I feel that a sequel in this instance feels earned like you do!
I'm still cementing my views on DS2, that's my plan with the PC release, though I think it's on par with the first, with only some story beats not hitting as well as it did in the first game, with some new fun stuff added that kinda makes it feel like the definitive experience for this world, but at the same time, maybe not as impactful as the original. It's a viewpoint as complex as the series itself lol In the end, I just find it enjoyable to be an Apocalyptic Fed Ex man lol
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20. Resident Evil 2 Remake - Claire
While the rest of the world was hiding as Grace or blasting away as Leon, I was trying to do a bit of both with Claire Redfield. I've been hopping from game to game out of order and I'm finally getting around to playing the remake that started it all. Compared to the others, this was a fun but drastic change of pace. The odds were stacked against players from the start. Every enemy was resilient, making item management and ammo conservation essential. I really enjoyed playing as Claire because I feel like she doesn't get as much time in the spotlight compared to Leon. (I'll still play through the game with him at some point). Her mini-grenade launcher was an excellent weapon. I think my biggest gripe with the game was the necessary back and forth managing limited item space. That, and the tight quarters when fighting bosses or attempting to deal with Ivies. Otherwise, this was a great game. I can see why many still consider it the best of the moderns.
I decided to jump back into RE2R after beating RE9. I haven't beat it since early 2020 and never as Claire. It's still a phenomenal game.
Nice! I had a lot of fun with it. Quick pro tip: remember to develop any roles of film you come across because it'll uncover some hidden goods in the station. I'm not sure if this was the same in Leon's case.
(I'm not sure why Claire just couldn't open the drawers that contained them since everything else could be opened but. Whatever.)
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I decided to jump back into RE2R after beating RE9. I haven't beat it since early 2020 and never as Claire. It's still a phenomenal game.
I literally did the same thing, I'm kinda casually playing that while trying to do some challenges in RE9 I still have, because I played through Grace's section and it gave very big RE2 vibes, so I think I'm gonna do a chill run with infinite ammo through it lol
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Went back to the original Fable with the Anniversary edition. It's still got a ton of charm, and some of the concepts about alignment and renown are interesting, but the story is incredibly basic and the combat is really rudimentary and repetitive. I'm glad i revisited it, but I don't know that I ever will again.
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11. Skullmonkeys | 1998 | PlayStation 1 | 2/25:
(https://imgur.com/yylfrhc.png)
Continuing from Ghost in the Shell, we have yet another one-of-a-kind PS1 game completed: Skullmonkeys. Off the bat, art direction gets a 10 out of 10 from me. This is actually a sequel to the point-and-click adventure game The Neverhood, released two years prior. You can absolutely tell the same team worked on this one just by artstyle alone: claymation that's been all hand-crafted and worked into most of the game's assets -- from the backgrounds, to the enemies you face, to the stop-motion cutscenes that play every couple of levels. How cool is that?!
As for the actual gameplay, it's kind of ehh. In the beginning, you have a nice balance of difficulty and fairness as you get used to the game's mobility and mechanics. However, the game becomes exceptionally brutal once you meet the bug enemies. These levels just start to feel monotonous as you're stuck in the same environment, dying to the same enemies over and over. It doesn't help that each level to start with features different types of enemies and vistas (snow, industrial, above the clouds, etc.), while these 'YNT' levels all have gloomy environments with these bug enemies that punish you with their hit detection and speed -- and there's four of them, IN A ROW!
There's one thing I've noticed with some of these enemies: the standard ones that walk back and forth have no predictable movement cycle. For example: the non-flying bug enemies will stand in one spot until they scratch their heads, which means they are about to move in the opposite direction they're facing. Sometimes, the head-scratching animation will play halfway or not at all when they decide to move. Sometimes, they move the length of an entire platform or move only halfway before they stop dead in their tracks. So for a platformer that requires minimal room for error, you have to face enemies that give you no way to predict when they're going to move and how they're going to move. This harkens me back to some of the problems I've had with Tomb Raider II: where some of these deaths are in no way your fault because you have no way of predicting them. It's worse in this game however, because at least if you replay Tomb Raider II, you will know what to look out for in terms of traps set up to troll you. I have no idea if my jump in Skullmonkeys will allow me to stomp on an enemy or I end up a couple of pixels short and get blown up because the enemy decides to abruptly stop.
Forewarning: this game is part platformer, part inventory management sim. There are parts in later levels where it feels like you HAVE to use power-ups to make it past. You have a finite number of power-up items that's earned in levels. When you lose all of your lives, you spawn at the start of the section where you died instead of the start of a level. This is very nice of the game to do something like this, expect for the fact that every power-up you've collected over the course of the game is now lost. You may as well start over from the last password save instead.
Everything outside of the gameplay is intriguing (in a good way!). You get this bizarre but memorable soundtrack to jam out to, with the kind of humor you would expect from a LucasArts point-and-click adventure sprinkled in. You knock your head into an upper platform and you hear a bonking sound. You jump on top of a skull monkey and their body parts will explode towards the player's camera. You have funny cutscenes of your character, Klaymen, eating beans and getting into shenanigans with the skull monkeys. This game is marvelous to look at, just not as fun to play.
(https://imgur.com/dlg0m0f.png)
Grade: D+
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I decided to jump back into RE2R after beating RE9. I haven't beat it since early 2020 and never as Claire. It's still a phenomenal game.
I literally did the same thing, I'm kinda casually playing that while trying to do some challenges in RE9 I still have, because I played through Grace's section and it gave very big RE2 vibes, so I think I'm gonna do a chill run with infinite ammo through it lol
Because of my experience with RE9, I'm kinda on a RE kick right now. I'm playing through Claire's campaign in RE2 currently, but am considering going back and doing a lot of extras in RE9 after I'm done with RE2. When I actually want to go back and do extra stuff, that's the mark of a really good game imo.
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Game 4: Subnautica: Below Zero (PS5) - 35 Hours - Platinum
Subnautica is one of my favorite games of all time, so I was itching to dive in (haha) and play this midquel before the sequel comes out later this year. I will say that this game, while still bringing it with the mixture of tense survival and delightful exploration and discovery with an amazing atmosphere, is a little lacking in other departments. First, the arctic setting feels a little superficial. Once you go underwater, the lush greenery and diverse aquatic life makes it feel like you're back in a tropical locale like the first game. No, the cold weather is really used for a new dry land segment, which while fine to traverse, doesn't really feel all that exciting compared to the underwater portion. I found that the story lacked the original tight focus like the first game. Your first mission is to find your sister, then the story takes kind of a 180 and instead you’re trying to resurrect an ancient alien – but neither of these plot points can match what the first game was able to do as a perfect mix between gameplay and story.
All of the minor annoyances from the first game were not changed in Below Zero which was also disappointing. Truthfully I didn’t find the monsters nearly as much as a nuisance as the first game so the lack of non-violent deterrents wasn’t that big of a deal this time around. However, I still don’t understand why you can’t have just a basic map that you can mark out places of interest or that shows places you’ve been to. You’re telling me I can make a nuclear power plant with a device the size of a hair dryer, but I can’t have a map??
If you put those things aside, Subnautica Below Zero still provides a great experience even if it’s a step down from the original.
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12. The Song of Saya | 2003 | Director's Cut | PC | 2/28:
(https://imgur.com/FwIMQku.png)
Well, where do I begin? This game is an experience, and I don't say that lightly. This is one of those games that you have to go in blind and be fully immersed by what the game gives you. And this game will not only give, but put you through a lot within its 6 to 8 hour runtime. It's unapologetically grotesque & deranged in its presentation, yet never feels over-bearing. It can feel overly nihilistic at times, yet beautifully written with a lot of thought and effort. For every shocking moment, there's respite (yet somberness looms in the atmosphere). There's not a moment of waste in The Song of Saya.
The 'visual' in visual novel is clearly presented here. Outlines of buildings covered in guts and entrails parade the streets in a nightmare world where the sky is endless black. The nasty gore of background environments isn't drawn but created from early-2000s CGI, which feels even more unsettling and uncanny to visualize. This is juxtaposed by moments of real life: pictures taken from everyday places, filtered to look like faded, nostalgic slices-of-life, making up environments for the game outside of the nightmare. There's plenty of unique CG art shown as well; way more than a short VN like this should have. You also have the fantastic soundtrack, with wildly shifts in tone & mood: from something as simple & serene as "Sabbath" to the roaring drone of guitars and distant wails of agony in "Schizophrenia". There's a lot to Song of Saya that makes it feel complete, unrelated to the actual story.
Speaking of which, let's get into what rounds out Song of Saya for me: the story-telling -- specifically the shifting of perspectives. You start as a victim involved in a tragic accident that has completely changed his view on life, and you see all the disturbing details that he sees from his perspective. Later on, you start to see the story unfold from other viewpoints and foreboding horror starts to occur. I'll try my best to explain a scenario from the game without spoiling anything: there's a scene of murder involved, but to show or even explain the person getting murdered is very taboo in the land of video games. So, this game decides to dehumanize them by showing you the perspective of someone that can't see them as human. Elements of the real world are heavily altered in their point of view. You can make out some remnants of the outside world's humanity as the spectator of the story, but the person you are spectating cannot because they are filled with fear. So you witness and hear the sounds of a tragedy taking place from their muffled POV, but you know the exact context of the crime occurring if the veil were to come off. It's an absolutely fucked-up display of horror, but it doesn't come off as cheap or in poor-taste because of the clever writing and mixed-perspective presentation.
(https://imgur.com/PxlBr2G.png)
I'm baffled that this came out in 2003. There must've been nothing like it then and it's still captivating to this today. Apparently, Japan agrees because they're still pumping out all kinds of merch for this game: Posters, figures, plushies. There's also vinyl records of the game's OST, with some colored variants aptly named "Meat" and "Rot". Not bad at all for a 23-year old visual novel with no anime or manga adaptation. Anyways, I'm getting off-topic. This game is really not for everyone and even for the people that its for, opinions are polarizing compared to the other classics of this genre. Most of the "Director's Cut" content I used my arm as a censor bar, but I appreciate it for making the game even more disturbing to read. I don't think there's any correct way to experience The Song of Saya. I'm glad there's options to blur the abhorrent scenery in this game for those that can't stomach it, but still want to engage in the story. I did however, experience this game as any Japanese person would back in 2003 and I did not regret it one bit. This is a work of art in the same vein as games like Pathologic and Deadly Premonition are: completely and utterly its own thing; no sugarcoating it or compromise to appeal to the largest audience. It may not be my favorite game of the year when everything's said and done, but it will probably be my most memorable.
Grade: A
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Updated: March 29th
(https://imgur.com/jWlQCBN.png)
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12. The Song of Saya | 2003 | Director's Cut | PC | 2/28:
I wasn't familiar with Saya no Uta previously (I'm generally unfamiliar with visual novels), but I did become somewhat curious about it after reading your thoughts. Without really knowing the extent to just how explicit this game is even after some shallow searching, I decided to peruse images results. With that said, while it's not a game for me (probably only) because of its eroge content, it's interesting to know that this exists and as is popular as it is.
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20. Resident Evil 2 (PS4)
One major sign that tells me I really enjoyed a game is when I immediately want to jump into another game in the series right after. This is especially true of any game that takes me more than 4 or 5 hours to beat. Such is the case with me playing the Resident Evil 2 remake (RE2) right after beating Resident Evil Requiem just a few days ago.
Initially going into RE2, I really wanted to play as Leon and revisit where it all began for one of the heroes of Requiem. However, once I fired RE2 up and realized the one and only time I played through RE2 back in 2020 was with Leon, I inevitably decided to take the game on as Claire instead. With RE Code Veronica being the first RE game I ever sunk serious time into and beat, I have a soft spot for the sister of Chris Redfield and felt like I wanted to experience RE2 in a fairly different way than I had during my first play through. I have to say, despite undeniable differences, the campaigns are still remarkably similar in how they play out. I suppose if I wanted a much different experience I'd have to play the B scenario with one of the characters instead of just doing back to back A scenarios. Still, some of the changes with Claire were certainly welcome. For one, Claire is the easier of the two campaigns. A lot of this has to do with being able to get a grenade launcher fairly early on which makes real short work of some of the toucher enemies and bosses in the game. Also, the tyrant monster that plagued my first playthrough as Leon, Mr. X, is barely in Claire's campaign. What this essentially meant is playing through RE2 as Claire was a far less tense and stressful affair than it had during my Leon playthrough.
Regardless of who you're playing as, RE2 is an excellent game to play. The remake's upgrade to the original by modernizing nearly everything about the gameplay absolutely helps elevate RE2 remake over the classic 1998 game. Gone are the tank controls, and in its place is a much more engaging, dynamic, and immersive third person perspective that allows you to view your surrounding and aim weapons where you want them. I'm certainly not one of those classic RE tank control haters, but the new style of aiming, shooting, and exploring in RE2 remake is undeniably more appealing and easier to play.
Combat in RE2 is mostly pretty good. Characters are given a fairly wide arsenal of primary and secondary weapons to get this the tense survival horror setting of this game. Primary weapons take the form of guns that you manually aim when pressing one of the shoulder buttons. This allows you to put the bullet right where you want it. However, this is easier said than done since enemies can be very mobile and erratic, making it easy to waste ammo when trying to aim for a zombie's head or leg. As for secondary weapons, thes take the form of knives and grenades mostly. Secondary weapons can be used both when in the clutches of an enemy, almost like a get out of jail free card that will prevent you from taking damage. Or they can be used preemptively to attack enemies before they've got a hold of you. Both weapon types work pretty well, however combat still isn't perfect in RE2.
My main gripes in RE2 have to do with enemy balancing and placement. There are more than a handful of sections in this game that really make it ver difficult, if not impossible to take damage. Most of these issues have to do with how many zombies and other enemies the devs crammed into a fairly tight, small area. More than once, I found myself getting attacked, recovering, and getting attacked almost immediately after with almost not chance to get away, attack, or heal in time. Regardless of whether or not I died, these areas always felt very cheap and poorly designed. This also extended to several boss battles which felt way too confined and restrictive. It was almost inevitable that I'd take damage from the boss, once again making the overall combat experience feel cheap and annoying. It also doesn't help that even when running, Claire (and Leon too) feel like they're wading through sludge with how slow they move. This was a big enough issue to where it did distract somewhat from my enjoyment of this game, but there was too much else present in RE2 remake to make me feel like this game was anything short of amazing.
Puzzles in RE2 are great, resources such as ammo and healing supplies are in short supply, and just the atmosphere from start to finish is outstanding. This game is true survival horror mastery and how you update a 20-year old classic for the modern era. Yes, RE2 remake does lean slightly more into the action side of things more than the game it's based on, but even so, this is still about as good as survival horror gets in the modern era of gaming.
RE2's visuals are near perfect. Every area, section, room, hallway, enemy, boss, and practically everything else in between looks absolutely amazing! The RE Engine is a stunner as seen in so many modern Resident Evil titles since RE7. Unfortunately, where RE2 falls noticeably short is in some of its character models. Some models, chiefly Leon's and Marvin's look amazing, highly detailed, and just have that polish that nearly every character model had in RE7. Then there are models like Claire, pre infected William, Sherry, and a few other minor characters you encounter. During gameplay they mostly look fine, however it's during cutscenes where these specific character just look more flat or even, dare I say, kinda ugly. They just look more flat or their face models just look a bit off. Again, compare this to virtually every model in RE7 and you'll know what I mean. And RE7 came out a couple years before RE2 did, making this downgrade in character models a bit puzzling. But yeah, none of the models are downright terrible and while it is worth noting, it's still a bit distracting as you play through RE2.
When it comes to the audio in RE2 it's pretty damn good, albeit not perfect. The soundtrack in this game is good, however I actually prefer the original RE2's soundtrack to it. There are some arranged tracks from the original RE2 here, but just overall, the OST is noticeably less memorable or enjoyable as it was in the 1998 game. Voice acting is arguably an improvement to OG RE2; the somewhat cheesy performances in the old RE games have a unique, weird charm to them and somehow just work so well with those games. While RE2 Remake has noticeably more competent voice actors, I guess none of them captivate me like those older performances. Even compared to the performances in RE7 (with Ethan Winter's voice actor being a HUGE exception to this) RE2 just isn't as good. Games like RE4 remake and RE8 prove voice acting can be much better than they were in RE2. And finally, the sound effects, including monster noises are excellent here. The sound of foot steps from Mr. X, zombies moaning further down a hallway, or the banging of zombies clamming against doors and windows is awesome and certainly contributes to RE2 being overall a delight for the ears.
I'm not sure if it's because I preferred Claire's A scenario over Leon's, or perhaps the game just grew on me in the 6 years since I last played it, but I found myself liking RE2 just a tad more than I did back in 2020. The game isn't perfect and there are still several RE games I like more than it, but for it to be better than nearly all the classic RE games as well as a good chunk of modern Resident Evil titles is a true testament to RE2's quality. This is a must play for anyone wanting to play an excellent modern survival horror game, even being so good as to be a substitute for the original RE2, which is undisputed classic. By this logic, RE2 remake is an undeniable modern classic if there ever was one. (3/5/26) [41/50]
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21. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Red
We're starting the game that'll eventually grant me my 150th platinum! Naturally, it has to be my favorite game of all time. The first character I finished was the same character I played the very first time I played the original. Red is always a good "starter" hero for those that don't know much about the game and it's mechanics. When his quest finally opens up, the Remaster does a good job of keeping players aware of what they have to do next. I decided to use Gen, Liza, Fuse and Lute along with Red. Gen, Fuse and Lute are available in all of the other campaigns so that'll be handy for the new game pluses. Liza might not be I'm going to build her up as much as I can when she's around. During this play through, I managed to knock out some trophy requirements that I'd normally never bother with. One was for getting a Mariche. The second was for getting a Dullhalan. Red's campaign ended with a fun bang. Up next is Emilia.
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I wasn't familiar with Saya no Uta previously (I'm generally unfamiliar with visual novels), but I did become somewhat curious about it after reading your thoughts. Without really knowing the extent to just how explicit this game is even after some shallow searching, I decided to peruse images results. With that said, while it's not a game for me (probably only) because of its eroge content, it's interesting to know that this exists and as is popular as it is.
The Steam version cuts down on the eroge content, but I don't know how it's done. I've tried looking into it, but everyone has a slightly different description about what's shown and what's removed. I think you still get the context about what's happening, but the eroge dialogue & nudity is cut out. Some people liked the 'censored' version more after reading both, so you couldn't be wrong looking into the Steam version if you're interested. It's still gonna require some willpower to read though, no matter what version you pick.
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13. Condemned: Criminal Origins | 2005 | Xbox Series X | 3/7:
(https://imgur.com/RsaHWWF.png)
Completing back-to-back horror games for the first time in quite a while, this one is poles apart from the last one I played however. We have here the grungy survival horror action-FPS of Condemned, developed by the late & great Monolith. This game really did not age well in the 'looks department', but it kind of works with the overall aesthetic. Character models with any semblance of being called human just look dreadful in this game. The enemies you face however, look real dangerous and thrilling to fight. This, combined with the closed-quarters level design, really make Condemned shine through all the grit and grime of the game's world. There's also the game's combat, which feels visceral and crunchy when you trade blows with the many thugs and gremlins you're forced to face. Condemned does feel a little stiff to play today, especially with this herky-jerky camera movement that may be due to how it ran on the original 360. Still, it only adds to the claustrophobic layout of levels and not knowing what's around the corner.
Story was so-so for me. I liked the beginning parts where it felt more like a crime drama, but they lost me with the paranormal crap introduced towards the end. It felt shoe-horned in and not what the game built itself up to be. This was Monolith's 2nd first-person horror game released in 2005, the prior game being F.E.A.R. about a month earlier. These were the studio's first attempts at making a single-player FPS with elements of horror (not counting Blood); and they nailed both. F.E.A.R. is way better though. Grade: C+
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21. Reanimal (PS5)
My first exposure to the Little Nightmares series was watching my wife play through the first two games. I remember thinking the atmosphere, art, and interesting puzzle/platforming gameplay looked interesting enough to where I wanted to try playing these games myself at some point. Well, that point came last year where I finally played the first Little Nightmares game and....it was okay. I honestly thought I'd like it more than I did, but for what it's worth, I still thought Little Nightmares was a decent, spooky game and given how short it was, I found it hard to be upset about not liking it more.
Given my lukewarm reaction to the first Little Nightmares was, I was in no rush to play Little Nightmares 2 and after my wife's fairly negative appraisal of Little Nightmares 3, I had no intention of playing that one. Enter Reanimal. Yes, I'm aware that Little Nightmares 3 is pretty much a Little Nightmares game by name only given it was developed by an entirely different team. On the flip side, Reanimal is essentially the real Little Nightmares 3 despite having a different, unrelated name. This was enough for my wife to want to pick up Reanimal and due to the inclusion of a local co-op option, I was willing to play it with her during our first playthrough. At only around 4 hours to beat, we blew through this game in a few evenings, beating the game tonight. And well, I feel about the same towards Reanimal as I did the first Little Nightmare games.
Like Little Nightmares, you control one of two children who are forced to navigate through a dreary, horror-filled world in a state of ruin. However, unlike Little Nightmares, there seems to be a bit more emphasis placed on some sort of story involving a well, sheep, and a bunch of other crap I was never able to wrap my head around. Luckily, the avant garde horror plot barely matters and instead the game's focus seems to be more on the experience of getting through each of the nightmarish sections that comprise Reanimal's world.
I actually didn't care for this game during the first quarter of it. You're being chased in a dilapidated city surrounded by a forest while a guy who looks like Coraline's Other Father collects skin suits from a bunch of unnamed inhabitants of the city. This section didn't really scare me or put me on edge, and honestly I just felt sort of bored. Luckily the game quickly picks up right after this part and outside an ending that was somewhat annoying to play through, the game does accomplish being a fairly interesting, unique horror setting. This setting is rendered pretty well in the game's visuals, however I have to point out that some areas become difficult to navigate or avoid obstacles due to how dark they are or how the fixed camera seems to be in the wrong place at times. Also, given how zoomed out most of the game is, there were a handful of times where I mistook my character I was controlling for the one my wife was controlling, or a few NPC characters that join you sporadically throughout your journey. These issues came up enough to where they certainly impacted my overall enjoyment of the visuals in Reanimal, but not enough to ruin the game or for me to even consider the visuals just decent. No, Reanimal's visuals are pretty good as is the overall art direction.
The audio in Reanimal, while pretty good from a sound design perspective, has little else to offer beyond that. Yes, there is an original soundtrack here, but outside enhancing the horror atmosphere, I never found it to be particularly alluring or good. There is a touch of voice acting in Reanimal, but honestly it's so infrequent and the characters speaking are practically whispering that it might as well have not been included. No, the best part of this game's audio is its sound design and effects which do a pretty good job of ramping up tension or anxiety as some hostile creature is running after you or something creepy suddenly appears out of nowhere.
This leaves Reanimal's gameplay, which is umm, pretty good...mostly. Anyone who has played Little Nightmares or its sequels will be familiar with how Reanimal controls. As one of the playable characters, your abilities remain fairly limited. You can essentially run, jump, and interact with a plethora of objects using an action button. Reanimal also gives the player an extra source of light in the darker portions of the game, just like its predecessors of a different name. However, Reanimal also offers the ability to fight, allowing you to use a variety of weapons to handle specific situations you run into. Unfortunately, these weapons and how often they're used does reduce some of the anxiety and tension the game is trying to make the player feel. It's also worth noting that due to some of the visuals issues I mentioned earlier, it's easy to get hung up on something or accidentally get detected when you thought you were hidden in cover. I also found the movement controls to be a bit vague and even floaty at times, which was an issue when I needed to make a jump or quickly change direction while trying to escape something. These were certainly issues, but on the whole, Reanimal is absolutely playable and mostly a well crafted experience to get through.
While I do have a decent amount of good things to say about Reanimal, I still unfortunately feel like this game just didn't land with me much like the first game. I'm at the point where I'm fairly certain these games use aren't for me when it comes to horror video games, a genre I'm typically a big fan of. Reanimal is not a bad game, not at all. However, it's a game that fails that really draw me in or give me anything objective to heap praise on, which means this will almost assuredly be the first and last time I ever play Reanimal and possibly be the last Little Nightmares-like game I have it in me to play. (3/8/26) [34/50]
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21. Reanimal (PS5)
While I do have a decent amount of good things to say about Reanimal, I still unfortunately feel like this game just didn't land with me much like the first game. I'm at the point where I'm fairly certain these games use aren't for me when it comes to horror video games, a genre I'm typically a big fan of. Reanimal is not a bad game, not at all. However, it's a game that fails that really draw me in or give me anything objective to heap praise on, which means this will almost assuredly be the first and last time I ever play Reanimal and possibly be the last Little Nightmares-like game I have it in me to play. (3/8/26) [34/50]
Sometimes a decent or even good game just isn't the right game for us. On a general level, I feel as if a lot of people fail to recognize that when something simply doesn't cater to their preferences. Good to see you demonstrate that sensibility.
Out of curiosity—since your wife enjoyed Little Nightmares and Little Nightmares II but not Little Nightmares III, what was her overall opinion regarding Reanimal?
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18. New Super Mario Bros. 2 [3DS] - finished - March 2nd, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/qv5GLbKL/IMG-20260309-155243-(533-x-320-pixel).jpg)
KOOPA KINGDOM GOLD RUSH
New Super Mario 3DS is a familair face with new botox. Yet another gimmick pasted onto the New Super Mario bros series, and that is with all love and respect because I feel the entire identity of the Mario Franchise lives or dies by how well they can utilize a new concept or gimmick. With Wonder it was the musical sections. The elephant power up. With New Super Mario Bros 1 the whole schtick was that Mario can turn into a Godizlla sized gargantuan and plow through everything on screen. It had our ham in a can when we first seen it in 2006. Well Mario Bros 2's big gimmick? Gold my friends. Stinky, hedge against hybrid inflation, Scrooge McDuck level GOLD. It's really magnificent all the fun they manage to sap out of the simplicity of the mario coin. Perhaps the most unassuming of all the Mario collectibles. But what they manage to accomplish is actually extremely fun.
DESIGN + Gimmick
Each of the 6 worlds is broken up into upwards of 8 levels. And each of these levels has 3 giant gold coins to find for completionist playthrough. The 3 collectible coins are where 90 percent of the games challenge comes from. Most require expert level platforming, wall kicks, shell throws and powers to even get. But the Gold Rush didn't stop in the first city baby! Gold comes in other forms. It comes in the form of a giant gold block for a head that spits gold coins as you run. A golden flower power that blasts enemies with supersonic subatomic golden rays of gold. A power that turns all enemies gold allowing you to throw a koopa shell and follow a giant string of gold coins. And of course an entire mode called gold rush where you try to get as many gold coins in a 3 level gauntlet. So yeah. The game loves it's Gold lol. It was probably produced by Rumplestilskin. I find that when you throw a golden Koopa shell following its path perfectly and hearing the chime of gold and 1ups is beautiful. I really enjoy the fluidity of that. The game is a casual sit through. It's calming. It's pretty for it's age. And also a happy fun time.
New Mario Bros 2 also has some of the best ghost levels I have ever played. One where you need to time between looking at a giant Boo (ghost) and a smaller one while also navigating. If you stare at one too long it gets too close. It is a feeling that walls are closing in as you traverse very spooky and brand appropriate haunted houses. Then one of the later ghost houses feels very similar in nature to how super mario world does it's haunted house levels. It is a puzzle with trick doors. Iconic, cute and perfected here.
Overall. New Super Mario Bros 2 is not akin to some monumentous epic or a glass of scotch. It's more akin to a Capri Sun at Recess. It has sweet charismatic boss battles, colorful levels, fun new gimmicks and one of the most solid secondary collectible playthroughs I have seen. In the palm of my hand it feels magnificent.
Rating - 83/100
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I wasn't familiar with Saya no Uta previously (I'm generally unfamiliar with visual novels), but I did become somewhat curious about it after reading your thoughts. Without really knowing the extent to just how explicit this game is even after some shallow searching, I decided to peruse images results. With that said, while it's not a game for me (probably only) because of its eroge content, it's interesting to know that this exists and as is popular as it is.
The Steam version cuts down on the eroge content, but I don't know how it's done. I've tried looking into it, but everyone has a slightly different description about what's shown and what's removed. I think you still get the context about what's happening, but the eroge dialogue & nudity is cut out. Some people liked the 'censored' version more after reading both, so you couldn't be wrong looking into the Steam version if you're interested. It's still gonna require some willpower to read though, no matter what version you pick.
This just seems like one of those instances where I probably will just elect to not play the game unless my opinion toward eroge ever changes. While I'm sure a formally censored version is fine, I'd always rather engage (particularly with how its implemented in a scenario like Saya no Uta, if my impression of the game is correct) with a piece of content how it was originally intended.
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12. Orironautilus: Oppressongo || Browser || 03.08.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/yO0grrA.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/7Rj1Rj3.jpeg)
Not too long ago, I came across a developer's itch.io page and was interested in the most popular game they had released up to that point. However, instead of playing that game first, I actually decided to delve further back into their history of creating games since most seem loosely related to each other (or it seems that way, anyway—maybe it's just a unifying design choice.) So, I decided to play through Orironautilus: Oppressongo.
Prior to playing, I really had no expectation for what kind of game Orironautilus is since its store page is vague, although I was aware of its brief play time. Even across the first minute or two of play, I wasn't really understanding what exactly I was doing, but, as it turns out, Orironautilus is a game of puzzle game combining memory and hidden object type play. In each stage, so to speak, players are tasked with finding and activating a path of five connecting dots on a screen that's wholly comprised of one static image with no other interactivity. These dots are sometimes usually simple to locate, though other times they're hidden by being more integrated into the on-screen illustration or maybe not formally present at all. For the latter especially, players may frantically move their cursor to trigger these dots, though that's seldom helpful despite the impulse to do so. The reason for that is because each dot segment must be triggered in the correct order. Failing to do so results in every previous activated segment to revert. And should the player move across any other segment besides the beginning one first, the image color shifts that serves as helpful player feedback.
Surprisingly, the game revolves around the premise of the protagonist experiencing a lucid dream—an oppressive one in particular. Each illustration is connected by the dots we're to activate as they guide us deeper into this semi-conscious journey and for allowing the protagonist the continued means to dream. However, simply activating each dot segment is not some passive activity without repercussions. Instead, there is a strict time limit of ten seconds to accomplish this task for each stage screen or else the screen reverts back to the previous one should the player fail to progress in time. So, the need to remember previous puzzles like a memory exercise is crucial, because a first playthrough will likely be confusing and more of a challenge than one may have anticipated. I'm not exactly sure how the time limit relates to lucid dreaming, but I suppose it's implemented as lucid dreaming is a phenomena requiring concentration, whether it be intentional or not.
Despite its simple gameplay, however, Orironautilus doesn't always function well. When hovering over the next dot segment, there are times when it doesn't activate. Also, there is a bug that occurs when the player keeps moving their cursor after the current puzzle is solved. If the cursor happens to hover over any of the five dots again, the game recognizes such action as triggering the puzzle in the incorrect order. As implied, this reset occurs even while the game is quickly loading the next stage. Even so, the time meter continues to deplete, so players will likely fail the current stage should this happens. Though I don't think these problems are intended, they do elevate the game's theme of oppressive dreams.
But concerning the game's presentation, it has its strengths and weaknesses. Visual design is decent, although obviously these are static illustrations with no virtually zero interactivity. Meanwhile, sound design could be better. Triggering each dot successfully produces an electrical beep that sounds out of place, though its contrasted by more appropriate-sounding thumps when selecting a segment out of order. All the while, a light static noise propels the nightmarish experience. A more mechanical element is a point and rank system that's implemented. When failing a stage, more points are lost than they are to be regained, so repeatedly failing can easily revert the player's score to zero. I wasn't particularly interested in that sort of element, but I did quickly play through the game a second time after memorizing each stage to see just how efficiently I could solve each puzzle while playing around the game's bug risks.
For a lot of these smaller indie games, my expectations for what exactly the type of experience they'll provide varies considerably; however, Orironautilus: Oppressongo is almost assuredly the one I so far began knowing the least about before I began playing, and perhaps that lack of awareness enhances the game's experience in some way. Overall, the game is a strange curio of sorts, and I don't regret my time playing it.
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19. Resident Evil: Requiem [PS5] - finished - March 9th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/PxzDDPyH/IMG-20260309-141741-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
IT IS WHAT THE WORLD SAYS IT IS
Yeah, I got bit by the wave of clammering praise for this game. People talk about it like it's the second coming of Christ. Like the game disc ejected itself and drove their wife to the hospital when she was in labor. And since Resident Evil 2 is one of my favorite games of all time and I feared spoilers I decided to get in on what is clearly going to be contender for GOTY. Anyone save some punch for me? Is the pizza still warm? Because I have now attended the party that is Resident Evil requiem. Let's just say. You don't wanna wait on this one... :)
We Stan A Relatable Queen
The game is broken up between two conjoining stories, much like Claire and Leon in Resident Evil 2 except the new face of the game is Grace Ashcroft. The story begins in her teen years, and introduces both you and Grace to the underlying tragedies that forge her story. What I began to notice about Grace quite early is that Grace may be the best representation of functioning anxiety disorder a video game protagonist has ever displayed. From full blown hyperventilating, to this recurring nervous stutter throughout dialogue. "W-w-what do you mean?". Her tendency to shiver and clatter her teeth when it is not cold at all even just in casual play. Like walking into a room. These are so immersive, far more immersive than you'd expect. It gives you the sense that you are controlling a very scared, socially harmed, emotionally stunted invidual. Not some Axe swinging badass from the jungle. The devs do an excellent job giving Grace this wholesome believable nature that saps through the screen. But for whatever reason. I also really liked Claire for similar reasons. So seems Capcom nails this. It's always refreshing when a main protagonist feels like a real person because the rest of the plot follows suit. Grace battles with feelings of failing others. Feelings of being inadequate and other quirks that give her Personality identity. Her mannerisms are expressive and overall her plot (I will avoid for spoilers sake) is well written.
The Balance of Grace and Leon (A master dance of the ages)
My favorite element of resident evil requiem is the way it balances the contrasting elements of Grace And Leon Kennedy. This juxtaposition between first person and third person. Between new and old trademarks of the franchise. Geniunelyy weaving their talents and even perspectives. The game starts you out with giving Grace a first person pov and Leon a 3rd person over the shoulder classic shooter kind of perspective. You can change this but the devs intended you to play this way and I am so happy I did. It's canon imo. This alone is symbolic as it says Grace is new, youth, speed, clean, the continuation. Leon is the classic, seasoned, your childhood resident evil returned. Grace's arsonal of weapons, her hip pouch is smaller and more limited, her energy always feels reserved. She has like I said, social anxiety disorders, self worth issues. Confused and disjointed backstorh. Leaning on stealth more often. Where as Leon feels like Rambo. Action star extraordinaire. More seasoned. Less giving a shit and they lean on eachother with that contrast. She seeks his firm experience. He basks in her helpful exuberance. It's sweet science of story telling. I love every bit of it.
Leon has a gameplay element that I cant share due to spoilers. But it does give even more contrast between Grace and Him. In both combat and story.
(https://i.postimg.cc/wvHVnKb6/19cd212e63494-screenshot-Url.jpg)
the GLORIOUS setting
Resident Evil Requiem, ahhhh. It's a damn Chef's kiss. The setting takes place among many locations. Among many characters. But perhaps the most glorious is the hospital in which most of the beggining game takes place. The labratory is also scenic. The atmosphere is on par with how excellent capcom does with these games and what they pride themselves on. I know many people like to tout the adage "this game looks like real life" but I never cosign that. It's rare a game actually visually tricks my eye. This one does that. The level of Ray tracing fidelity is succulent, lighter flames flicker off walls, lights gleam off guns. It really does well of placing you into the atmosphere. And the way labratory walls reflect light, a tumbling fire truck's red LED lights kiss the deep dark unknown is just spine tingling. The skin pores, cuticles, it's all beautifully done. Suspensful ambiance made me multiple times want to shit my pants in fear as a undefeatable enemy trails you, your controller beating to the pace of Grace's heart. It's intense. The atmosphere, graphics and HDR contrasts are pushing the PS5 to new heights. This is one of those "yup. Were in next gen" moments. It's a generation seller. No doubt about it. These graphics help the setting come to life. Zombie patients, zombie doctors, zombie staff. The hospital gives this trapped feel that is extremely spooky. I find some of the earlier sequences the scariest ive encounted in games.
The Puzzles
Some of the best in franchise history, some of the greatest mental journeys Ive been on within a digital world, and even more so. Mentally rewarding. I know these are also franchise staples but this game did such a wonderful job. Assembling a dentonator by finding 3 parts accross raccoon city was invigorating and the way the game pushes your brain to solve challenges is fun. To give a quick example of it, you may need to get fuel for a generator to use a crane to zipline to a fallen skyscraper. You may need to shoot out a window so a infected falls through it. It's brilliant preplanning just like the resource management that defines the series. (Ink ribbon optional)
Resource Management
RE9 returns the classic puzzle solving of the franchise. And also the "resource management" elements the franchise has implimented into it's games for decades. But it introduces three very fun and entertaining currency systems for aquiring new weapons or crafting new supplies. Which are
. Infected Blood (Grace)
. BSAA Dollars (Leon)
With the former, when you snuff out a infected, Grace is able to syphon Infected blood which can be used to craft all kinds of stuff like clorophorm injections (the cosby jab) and the classic GREEN HERB (the hemp of life). It can be found in blood transfusion bags and sometimes when you're on deaths door one of these will present itself as a ticket out of trouble and that is a refreshing situation to say the least. As with all RE games you must ration this stuff. Unlike other shooters. You must use bullets sparingly.
As for the latter, Leon's currency based system awards you different amounts of money depending on how many and what types of Infected you kill. Which is rad. Then when you return to the BSAA camp it allows you to use that money to upgrade weapons with muzzle upgrades, extended magazines, scopes and more. As well as purchase new weapons, armor, ammo ect. Leon has a new gun called the Requeim. Its a big ass buffalo thumper that one shots most enemies. So he has even more insentive to keep ammo wasting at a minimum because trust me. They dont hand the stuff out. It takes a lot of pre calculating which I love about the franchise.
(https://i.postimg.cc/qB1LD5cB/19cd2129e6285-screenshot-Url.jpg)
In essense, Resident Evil Requiem blends universes, an aging Leon, a folklore hero from days passed meets a fresh take on ferocious bravery. Grace is so awesome. The game easily takes my heart, my feels and my soul. I am grateful I didnt wait on it. I perhaps would have regretted not experiencing this when the moment was fresh. It emboldens the connections we have made with the franchise. It continues its long tenured string of excellence and it lets the gaming industry know its here to play. A cinematic masterpiece as visually excellent as it is audibly. A pure spectacle and id say a game that cozies itself up to RE2 as a tie for my favorite survival horror game ever made. Welcome to the jungle! Absolute wonderwall.
Rating - 100/100
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22. Freedom Planet 2 (Switch)
One of my biggest gaming surprises of 2025 was beating the first Freedom Planet game and falling completely in love with it. As a Sega kid back in the 90s and a lifelong fan of Sonic the Hedgehog, particularly Sonic's 2D platformers, I'm genuinely surprised Freedom Planet didn't pop up on my radar sooner. For what it's worth, Freedom Planet was one of my favorite games I beat last year and I've been dying to try out its sequel. After my wonderful wife gifted me Freedom Planet 2 on the Switch for our recent anniversary, I was ready to see if the second game in the series was as fun, memorable, and passionately crafted as the first game. In many ways, yes, it is just as good. In other ways it's even better than Freedom Planet, and in some ways it's actually a decent amount worse.
Let's start off with Freedom Planet 2's best quality, it's visual presentation. If Freedom Planet 2 doesn't have the best sprite work in a game I've ever seen, it absolutely deserves to be placed in the top 5 when it comes to its 2D visuals. This game's visuals were crafted by masters of 2D pixel art and it lovingly shows in absolutely every inch of the screen. Whether it's the amazing character animations, gorgeous stage backgrounds and set pieces, extremely memorable bosses, or pretty much just anything you experience with your eyeballs, everything in Freedom Planet is gorgeous. While I have a soft spot for the exceptional, but undeniably less refined look of the first game, Freedom Planet 2 is undeniably more polished and better looking than its predecessor. There are also 3D elements thrown in sparingly and these arguably look just as good as the 2D artwork on display. While Freedom Planet 2's visuals are an improvement, I can't necessarily say the same for the game's story.
Freedom Planet 2 takes place 3 years after the events of the first game. A new threat has emerged and like last time, it's up to Lilac, Carol, Milla, and now playable newcomer Neera to stop their new foe, Merga. Along the way, the four heroes will encounter new friends, enemies, twists and turns, and everything else in between. It's an undeniably entertaining story and plot that is complemented by the game's incredible visuals, as well as very well done character animations. These animations allow for a huge range of emotions and expressions that had me caring about the characters, as well as making me laugh at various points too. Where Freedom Planet 2 falls short compared to the first game's story is in its writing. Some of the plot as well as certain character motivations seem very poorly developed and weak. And it's not like the first game was a story telling masterpiece by any means, but I found my interest in Freedom Planet 2's story to be lacking compared to the first game.
Just like the amazing visuals of Freedom Planet 2 enhance the overall experience of playing through this game, so does the game's audio. Freedom Planet 2's OST is nearly as good as the first games. A mix of high energy tracks that would fit perfectly into some of the better Sonic games is combined with more chill, almost atmospheric retro tunes which fit in very well with the action going on as you play through the game. However, what arguably steals the show in the audio department is Freedom Planet 2's incredibly talented voice cast. Virtually all the voice actors from the first game return to reprise their respective rolls. There are also a decent amount of new characters and new actors to give them life, all of which do just as good of a job as those veteran voice actors. Speaking of veteran voice actors, some of the new characters are voiced by well know anime voice actors which I found to be a pleasant surprise. Other than the voice acting, sound effects and other auditory flourishes all sound great as well.
Much like the first game, Freedom Planet 2's weakest quality is its gameplay. By no means is Freedom Planet 2 an unpleasant game to play, nor is it a complete mess from a design or control standpoint. Maybe Freedom Planet 2's greatest gameplay sin is putting quantity over quality throughout much of the game. There are A TON of stages in Freedom Planet 2, over 30 to be more specific. Between the story cutscenes and the exploring hub levels, this is a 10 hour platformer, which for a 3D example of the genre is a long ass game. While this does somewhat impact the pacing negatively, the biggest issue is actually with the inconsistent quality of stages and boss battles. Most stages in Freedom Planet 2 are great, some even better than any stages found in the first game. A noticeable chunk are okay, and then another junk are borderline bad. This is also true of the boss battles too. I found some boss battles to be excellent while others were just terrible. Luckily the good ones outnumbered the bad ones by about 4 to 1, but I couldn't help but think maybe the devs should have focused on making fewer really, really good stages and bosses instead of just throwing everything plus the kitchen sink at this game.
Aside from the Sonic-esq stages you'll be dashing through as one of the four characters, there are also things like shops, mini games, and other distractions you can engage with throughout Freedom Planet 2. I found these added extras to be of limited value, including the ability to buy special items that are supposed to help make the game easier, but they mostly seemed irrelevant when deciding whether or not I succeeded or failed at a specific stage or boss encounter. There is also an overworld that you get to explore in this game, but other than showing a form of progression throughout the game, its inclusion seemed a bit unnecessary.
The four playable characters all control and handle differently. I played through the game as the game's main protagonist, Lilac, but I did play about an hour as Milla and Carol just to see how different the game was from a gameplay perspective. Undoubtedly, your experience with each character is going to make Freedom Planet feel noticeable different depending on what character you choose, and this extends beyond just how they play and control. There are certain parts of Freedom Planet 2's story that are exclusive to specific characters. In other words, to get the entire story experience of Freedom Planet 2, you will have to beat it with all four characters. While I really enjoyed Freedom Planet 2, I just don't have it in me to beat it three more times to see every inch of the game's story. Given the story isn't amazing as mentioned earlier, this doesn't really motive me to go back in with the other three characters and do it all over again, at least not so soon.
While I know it's contrary to the popular opinion, I actually prefer the first Freedom Planet slightly more than its sequel. I get why Freedom Planet 2 is often considered the superior game; it's hard not to be bewitched by how amazing this game looks and sounds. However, the tendency for Freedom Planet 2 to feel a bit bloated, sometimes at the expense of having fun with the game keeps it from being as enjoyable as the first game. Still, Freedom Planet 2 is an outstanding retro inspired platformer that is still better than most of Sonic the Hedgehog's 2D adventures, which is saying a lot considering we wouldn't have Freedom Planet 1 or 2 without Sega's flagship platforming mascot. So yeah, go play Freedom Planet 2 if you're a fan of 2D Sonic games, it's so incredibly good! (3/9/26) [40/50]
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Game 5 – Pokémon: Emerald Rogue (Android) – 19 Hours
As Pokémon has progressed as a franchise, it’s gotten easier and easier. I think that’s why the Nuzlocke run became so popular, and I remember fondly spending a lot of time doing Nuzlocke runs about 15 years ago. If you like Pokémon Nuzlockes, then Emerald Rogue is the natural progression of that idea. It’s basically what it sounds like, a build of Pokémon Emerald but with changes to make it play like a roguelike, consisting of multiple “runs” through a random assortment of areas/routes from RSE, FR/LG and DPPt, including random Pokémon, events, and trainers. Each time you lose a run, get a little more support in the form of extra money, items, and a homebase that you can add buildings to which provides you with more resources to help you go a little further on your next run. As the name of the game suggests, I set my runs to a “vanilla” build of Pokémon Emerald, but you can also set it to include Pokémon from Generation 1-9 if you want, with the physical/special split and modern items/conveniences. I also added some additional rules, including 1) I could only bring one of each species with me from a given area, and 2) no items during trainer battles (although I did cave on that last challenge and used items against the final Champion).
There is so much depth to this game that I’m more inclined to say that it’s better you just try it out for yourself if you’re interested, but I’d highly recommend it.
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7. Rayman Origins [GOG / Steam Deck]
Game number 7 down: Rayman Origins. Bought it for a few bucks on GOG and played it on Steam Deck. The first Rayman game I've ever beaten. And I liked it!
I gotta admit, it took a while for me to get into it. In the first bit of the game, I found it a tad dull. The platforming takes a bit to get interesting. But as the difficulty increases and you get more abilities, it becomes pretty fun! Smoothly running through a difficult segment perfectly is pretty satisfying. Especially near the end it can take a couple of tries, but it has an extremely forgiving checkpoint system and unlimited lives which is hugely appreciated. It's all tied together by worldbuilding that clearly isn't even trying to be realistic or cohesive, as long as it's creative, and I appreciate that.
There was one thing I gotta say I didn't like, and that's the sound design. It's annoying as hell. The soundtrack and sound effects are nothing but kazoos, jaw harps, and high-pitched voices going DOOOBEEEDABEEE DOBADABWAAAAA DOOOBAAADABWAAA. I did not enjoy it. Eventually I got to the point that I could tolerate it, but it was always present and always annoying.
But apart from that, I enjoyed this game a lot! I played a few levels on the train every day, and it's perfect for that. I got it on GOG for like 2 bucks on sale, and at that price? It's a steal! If you like 2D platformers, I think you'll really enjoy this game. (Just check your tolerance for Minions, Chipmunks and toddlers going BABABABABABABABABABABABA first.)
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20. Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers [NES] - Finished March 10th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/vmmNzQNd/IMG-20260311-200907-(533-x-380-pixel).jpg)
Chip and Dale: Rescue rangers is a tale of brevity saving an otherwise redundant and unfair game. And although I can look past the clunky controls, and repetition of boss concepts. I can't overlook a game that has problems underneath the surface with mechanics, UI or level design. In that sense the game is shallow. It looks the part but once you get familiar with it's controls you realize you got cat-fished by grey plastic cartridge yet again. Duped by a fun happy plot with the innards of an LJN game.
My main gripes with Chip and Dale Rescue rangers is that it is close to broken mechanically. Again I feel like that is sacrilegious. Like insulting someones elderly Uncle based on how beloved the game is. But it hasn't aged as well as countless other platformers on the console for whatever reason. The main issue is the hit boxes. The hit boxes are atrocious. Countless times I tested this. Fire up the game and gently nudge Chip a milimeter at a time near an unmoving enemy [fly trap] and notice that the game registers you being hit when you are still [ ] this much away from the enemy. Not even a close graze. A good cm gap on screen. And in platformers this precise and tedious. That stuff matters. The game feels cheap and so many times I found myself being sent to the beginning of an entire level just because the game killed me 3 times by hitting NEXT to my character.
Also on at least one ocassion an enemy would randomly spawn mid jump in an area off screen. How on earth would a player be able to mind bend the space time continuum to predict that would occur? It's like you'd have to assume "ok as soon as the screen slides over there will be a lizard throwing top hats. Press A instantly" like come on. What were they thinking? But the game was developed by capcom. Now i'm not saying that's a bad thing. They are revered juggernauts of the era. But they are known for cheap kills and brutal unpredictable platforming patterns. Ask anyone who has beaten Mega Man.
The difference is Mega Man felt fair. Its hit boxes were cleaner. It gave you a variety of changing suits, powers and cannons. Chip and Dale gives you nothing but a wannabe Squirrel which is all chipmunks are to begin with. Your ability? Throwing crates. No gun. No acorns. No bubbles. You throw crates. The bosses of each level are some variation of the same concept. Throwing a red ball until you hit it. The whole thing is basically Diet Megaman with none of the flash.
Then you get the little mini games after each level. Where you pick up boxes revealing random black boxes with white text on them. I've ran into thousands of these things and have still yet to learn their purpose. Nothing changes no matter how many I get. I suppose id need Nintendo power. Like what in the blue blazer was this company thinking? Why?
Is it bad per say? No. Lets get into what works now. The game is adorable. The likeness of Chip is captured adorably for 8 bit and the bosses are memorable due to the repetition. The levels have quirky obstacles to learn. Like twisting faucets to stop water flow to continue. Thing's like timing conveyer belts and fan speed. And the precision of which Chip jumps is actually really nice. He feels light weight. Like spring loaded almost. Which works for a chipmunk. I find the actual traversing to be pin point accurate. Which makes up for the wonky hit boxes sometimes. If you be sure to jump about 2 centimeters from the enemy instead of 1.
Chip and Dale is a cute, quick and competent platformer buried under poor design. It's "babys First mega man" but perhaps not even that good. It makes up for it by being cute and quick.
Rating - 69/100
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21. Mario Tennis: Aces [NS] - Finished March 11th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/43FF2rDc/IMG-20260311-201307-(533-x-300-pixel).jpg)
UNDERATED BLISS
I am a massive fan of the Mario Tennis games, to me they are olympiad level Tennis glory. A staple in couch co-op and adrenaline fuel to the highest order. I grew up playing the N64 original, bathed in the excellence that was the GBC game. Dozens of hours. I know it's not the largest measuring stick of opinion validation but i'd like to say I know ball when it comes to our raquet wielding adventures so I don't say this lightly.
Mario Tennis Aces is the goat. Its top 3 minimum of the tennis games Nintendo has published.
Mario Tennis aces takes place on a myriad of locale that is gorgeous to look at it, a very cartoony Super Mario Movie style sports cgi atmopshere makes up the scenic graphical layout. Blades of grass are lush, the fabrics of Mario's shorts are stitched to perfection. It looks like peak cinema. You take what is a gorgeous sports game for tennis fanatics. And then you add both RPG elements and you realize early on. You aren't dealing with your grandads tennis game. This is a new beast. It's more a fighting game with tennis rules than it is a tennis game.
PLAYSTYLE MECHANICS
What stands out first and foremost is the sheer depth to how you actually carve up the court like brisket beef. First off thr game has countless ways to actually hit. Backhand, forehand? 2 subsets. Then you get LOB, SLICE, POWER AND LIGHT swings allocated to each of the 4 face buttons. Lobs hit the ball to the stratopshere and back down in high archs. Good for backing up an opponent crowding a net but dangerously slow. Power is good at knocking an opponet off balance but it lacks direction. Slice is my favorite. A fastball that curves based on your analog placement. Then on top of it they add a whole new style shot element where you can hit ZR and ZL and literally cart wheel into these gorgeous shadows of tennis back and fourths and reach far away sideline shots with ease. It's like Marvel Vs Capcom 2 (no pun intended) meets Mario Tennis. Then you got yellow star power where you can control aim a speciality shot for a "zone score" and then the grand daddy of it all! The ultimate shot. Which is the same except twice as powerful and can be taken with any ball not just speciality zone balls. This is aquired by filling your meter enitrely by getting into exchanges on the court. In total their are 45 total ways to strike the ball and trust me. It's absolutely insidious this game was met with mixed hype. It is so underated it crushes me. Because it does so much with such a tried and true formula. Idk how it even fits so much crystal clear depth into itself.
BOSSES AND RPG ELEMENTS
The freshest part of Mario Tennis Aces that keeps it vibrant unlike some tournament style tennis games is that it plays much more like a fighting game with JRPG elements and i'll explain how. Sometimes the objective of the game is not to get the ball passed the enemy in a routine way. That is just the overylaying rules of tennis. Sometimes the game makes you attack your foe with the ball. Hit mirrors that flip the ball back in reverse, knock timed bobs into your opponent to render him incapacitated, time prearys to block an enemy shot which have fractions of a nano second to predict and act on. The environments come to life to form hazards, such a ship's ballast acting as a ricochet trick, it's all strategic. And also half of the game at least is not tennis matches. It's boss battles that require solving tennis based puzzles as you play. Such as the squid from Mario Sunshine which you have to trick shot over his tentacles and knock a star ball into his mouth. The star shots use motion controls which I found very intuitive.
The story is essentially a evil wizard named Lucien has taken the forms of Luigi and your friends to turn them against you using dark magic. He does this by having 5 power stones. One he stole from the aformentioned squid. To defeat him. You must beat your homies at tennis to free them of their curse and get the power stones back. 5 in total.
But what I'd say made me so happy above all else. Is that the game had the most PERFECT difficulty curve I've ever played in recent memory. Starting borderline hand holding in this tutorial vibe of pre kindergarten sillyness. To ending in a puddle of sweat telling poor Luigi expletives he should never hear. Especially considering he is an underpaid ghost hunter by trade and Mario constantly bullies him. But the point is. It rapidly starts handing you your own ass at a very sharp incline. It gives you just enough sense of comfort before it gives you some of the most brutal challenges of your life. The game is notoriously hard. Praised in communities for that very fact. And i'm so happy. Nintendo has a tendency to kid proof games by giving no difficulty options. Metroid and Donkey Kong have managed to remain challenging and now Mario Tennis has too. That is divine. I never felt overpowred. I always felt like I would barely edge a skill based victory off pure determination. And I love that change of pace.
Mario Tennis aces is just superfly man. One of the best sports games ive ever played. I seriously dont get what more someone could expect off a tennis game based around Mario. It checks all boxes imo :)
Rating - 98/100
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23. Ready 2 Rumble Boxing (Dreamcast)
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing is one of those games that is forever seared into my memories of the early days of the Dreamcast. Between seeing this game all over various gaming magazines, its heavy representation in Sega's "It's Thinking" Dreamcast commercials, and also its inclusion on the pack in demo disk that came with brand new Dreamcasts back in 1999, it's impossible for me not to associate Ready 2 Rumble with my favorite console of all time. I do remember trying Ready 2 Rumble out via that demo disc back in the day, but can't say it really left any sort of impression on me or made me want to go out and get the full game. Decades later, here I am in possession of the full game and its sequel for the better part of two decades, and tonight was the first night I ever sank any serious play time into this game. Unfortunately my underwhelming response to the demo back in 1999 should have been a warning sign of things to come when it came to experiencing the full game of Ready 2 Rumble Boxing.
Ready 2 Rumble is one of the most awfully designed games I've played on the Dreamcast to date. The game essentially has zero depth, strategy, or really anything beyond mashing buttons and hoping you block or dodge enough attacks while simultaneously landing as many punches as possible to KO your opponent before they KO you. There is literally no strategy, no tells or indicators of where your opponent is about to strike. It's just luck of the draw with every button press. As you can imagine, this makes for an incredibly tedious and boring experience. Unfortunately, the gameplay isn't the only thing working to starve you of fun.
For a game with such over the top characters and a fairly silly, cartoonish aesthetic, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing takes itself so seriously that it can't even be bothered to have music playing during your matches. There are only a handful of tracks in the entire game and they all play during the intro, menus, and credits...that's it. The only saving grace to the audio are the limited lines of the ridiculous roster of characters, but more importantly Michael Buffer (aka, the Let's get Ready to RUUUUMBLLLLEEE! guy) lends his voice to the game. Beyond saying is trademark phrase before every match, he also introduces all the fighters as well. Sound effects are fairly limited and uninspired, so yeah, it's pretty much just Michael Buffer making the audio worth anything for the most part.
Undoubtedly, Ready 2 Rumble's best quality is its visual presentation. While certainly far from perfect, the character design and graphics all work together pretty well to create a fairly silly game. Characters are all fairly charming and unique. On top of that, fighters show off an impressive level of damage during the course of each fight. This is shown in the form of bruises, black eyes, and sweat. It's all pretty cool and definitely adds to the entertainment value in Ready 2 Rumble, which let's be honest, desperately needs something to keep you from wanting to just turn it off. Unfortunately, the is a major lack of variety in the rings you'll be fighting in, audience members are 2D cutouts of actual people, and yeah, beyond those cool looking characters, nothing else is all that noteworthy or even good looking in this game.
Luckily, you can get through a full game of Ready 2 Rumble boxing pretty quickly despite constantly having to use continues due to the absolute travesty this game calls gameplay. With how negative I've been on this game, I'm almost too embarrassed to say that I don't completely hate it. It reminds me of the simpler times of the late 90s and how adolescent me was head over heels in love with the Dreamcast back then (I still am, but I mean, I was OBSESSED with the Dreamcast when Sega was still supporting it). Still, my sentimental nostalgia for Ready 2 Rumble is nowhere near strong enough for me to recommend this game to anyone. In fact, I'd strongly recommend avoiding it entirely and just playing the vast array of actual good games on the Dreamcast. (3/11/26) [20/50]
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Games Finished in 2026
1. Tactics Ogre: Reborn (Switch) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211014.html#msg211014)- 1.16
2. Coffee Talk (PS5) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211069.html#msg211068) - 1.18
3. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (PS5) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211070.html#msg211069) - 1.25
4. Subnautica: Below Zero (PS5) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211387.html#msg211387) - 2.12
5. Pokémon: Emerald Rogue (Android) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211436.html#msg211436) - 2.27
Coffee Talk has such a sweet OST. One of the few game OSTs I regularly listen to TBH, I probably throw it on a couple times a month. The game itself is kinda mid imo, but it's kinda worth it just to listen to the OST while you play lol
Here's what I've played so far in 2026:
1. Mario Kart World (Switch2) - Got a Switch 2 for Christmas and played this during my winter holidays. As many other have expressed, it was a step down for me compared to Mario Kart 8. The tracks just aren't as fun (many tracks have too many long straight sections and not enough interesting layouts) and the open world is not really that interesting to drive in. The challenges can be fun to try and do though.
2. Vampire Survivors (PC) - I played for like 4-5 hours and kind of "solved" it, at which point it became pretty boring. You just got to know which powerups to pick up in order to get the ultimate weapons or whatever, and then the game just plays itself. When I can walk away from my PC for 10 minutes and comeback and the level is beat...... yeah.
3. Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin (PS4) - I played the original years ago but never beat the second. I started it last year (and got through most of it) but didn't beat it until February this year. I don't see why it gets so much hate from the community tbh. It has it's flaws, but so did the first game. And it does more than enough right, with some of its own interesting differences from the first to deserve a spot in my collection.
4. Meteos (NDS) - Always playing new games on DS. It has such a deep and underappreciated library. Like, I had no idea Masahiro Sakurai designed a puzzle game. It's pretty cool! You don't get many puzzle games that aren't just a variation of Tetris or Bejewled, but Meteos is pretty unique from those games. It's is technically a match 3 game, but there is so much more going on it's s disservice to call it one. It's the kind of game I turn on for 30 minutes in an evening when I'm not in the mood for a more serious game that will take up more time. Just a quick few rounds after dinner and before cleaning up kind of thing. Playing a ROM, but will pick up a copy to put into my collection when I get the chance.
Games I am in the middle of playing:
Metaphor Refantazio [PS5], Marathon [PS5], Pokemon Diamond [NDS], Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon [NDS], Octopath Traveler [Switch]
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22. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Emilia
I've always loved Emilia's campaign, and this one was no different. Story, characters, narrative. It's all there in her short but sweet campaign. Also, outfit changes! Emilia was once again supported by Gen, Liza, Fuse and Lute. During my beepbopping around, Emilia was able to get to over 800 hit points. So, in the event that I'm missing a fifth character that can act as Backpack carrier, then she could possibly be it. During this campaign, I was able to get Riki changed into a Black Dragon - another first for me. Up next is Asellus.
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24. The Typing of the Dead (Dreamcast)
The House of the Dead series, specifically the first two games are among my favorite and most special arcade games from the 90s. While the first House of the Dead game was a treat I really only ever got to experience in arcades, I would eventually get the arcade perfect port of House of the Dead 2 on the Dreamcast shortly after I got one back in late 1999. I've probably played through and beat House of the Dead 2 over a hundred times in my life and it remains possibly my favorite lighten shooter of all time. So yeah, when Sega took House of the Dead 2, replaced the guns with keyboards, and had you typing zombies and monsters to death, my initial reaction was likely WTF...
It's been many years since I first played Typing of the Dead and it's been the sole reason I still own an official Dreamcast keyboard. I decided to play through the game once again and what's crazy is it's just as charming and fun as the game its based on. And this is despite the fact that I'm not a very good typist. In addition to carrying over all the visual and auditory charm that made House of the Dead 2 so memorable and fun, Typing of the Dead is more than just type words and sentences that appear on the screen. First off, the things the game will have you type are distractingly hilarious at times. Phrases like "cat toilet", "stinky finger", and other ridiculous phrases commonly appear on screen and will often made it hard to type while you're laughing at what you're trying to type. Likewise, there are certain sections and bosses that will have you typing out the answers to questions or completing spoofs on nursery rhymes that had me audibly laughing out loud. Keep in mind all this is happening while James, Harry, and Amy have Dreamcast consoles strapped to their backs while a keyboard is propped up in front of them as they're walking. This game has an amazing sense of humor and I commend Sega for going that extra mile and adding silly stuff like this to make this game even more memorable. Still, covering inputs from a lighten pointed at a screen to rapidly typing words, phrases, and sentences with a keyboard was not a seamless transition.
There are parts in Typing of the Dead that make the use of the keyboard a bit frustrating. For one, once you start typing a specific word or phrase to kill a specific zombie, you're locked into it. That means if a projectile is heading towards you, typing the proper letter or word to "type" it out of the air won't be possible until you finish the word or phrase you started on. This situation is where I took the most damage in this game and made certain parts fairly frustrating. Likewise, the game is particular about you using punctuation and special characters when prompted, but it doesn't care about the spaces between words? It's a bit strange and inconsistent, but aside from some frustration, it wasn't a huge deal in the grand scheme of this game.
I dare say that Typing of the Dead is just as good as House of the Dead 2, maybe even arguably a bit better due to its unique, unconventional gameplay. Had Typing of the Dead been around when I was learning to type on a keyboard in elementary school, I might have actually been motivated to correctly type instead of the weird T-rex style I've adopted sine I was a kid. This game is such a hilarious, and unique game and is worth tracking down a Dreamcast keyboard (and I suppose even a Dreamcast console too) just for the pleasure of playing it. If it hasn't been already, this game is begging to be ported to modern PCs, which would not only make it more accessible, but also not having to cross my legs to use as a makeshift desk for my Dreamcast keyboard would have been nice. Regardless, this game is awesome. (3/12/26) [37/50]
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24. The Typing of the Dead (Dreamcast)
The House of the Dead series, specifically the first two games are among my favorite and most special arcade games from the 90s. While the first House of the Dead game was a treat I really only ever got to experience in arcades, I would eventually get the arcade perfect port of House of the Dead 2 on the Dreamcast shortly after I got one back in late 1999. I've probably played through and beat House of the Dead 2 over a hundred times in my life and it remains possibly my favorite lighten shooter of all time. So yeah, when Sega took House of the Dead 2, replaced the guns with keyboards, and had you typing zombies and monsters to death, my initial reaction was likely WTF...
It's been many years since I first played Typing of the Dead and it's been the sole reason I still own an official Dreamcast keyboard. I decided to play through the game once again and what's crazy is it's just as charming and fun as the game its based on. And this is despite the fact that I'm not a very good typist. In addition to carrying over all the visual and auditory charm that made House of the Dead 2 so memorable and fun, Typing of the Dead is more than just type words and sentences that appear on the screen. First off, the things the game will have you type are distractingly hilarious at times. Phrases like "cat toilet", "stinky finger", and other ridiculous phrases commonly appear on screen and will often made it hard to type while you're laughing at what you're trying to type. Likewise, there are certain sections and bosses that will have you typing out the answers to questions or completing spoofs on nursery rhymes that had me audibly laughing out loud. Keep in mind all this is happening while James, Harry, and Amy have Dreamcast consoles strapped to their backs while a keyboard is propped up in front of them as they're walking. This game has an amazing sense of humor and I commend Sega for going that extra mile and adding silly stuff like this to make this game even more memorable. Still, covering inputs from a lighten pointed at a screen to rapidly typing words, phrases, and sentences with a keyboard was not a seamless transition.
There are parts in Typing of the Dead that make the use of the keyboard a bit frustrating. For one, once you start typing a specific word or phrase to kill a specific zombie, you're locked into it. That means if a projectile is heading towards you, typing the proper letter or word to "type" it out of the air won't be possible until you finish the word or phrase you started on. This situation is where I took the most damage in this game and made certain parts fairly frustrating. Likewise, the game is particular about you using punctuation and special characters when prompted, but it doesn't care about the spaces between words? It's a bit strange and inconsistent, but aside from some frustration, it wasn't a huge deal in the grand scheme of this game.
I dare say that Typing of the Dead is just as good as House of the Dead 2, maybe even arguably a bit better due to its unique, unconventional gameplay. Had Typing of the Dead been around when I was learning to type on a keyboard in elementary school, I might have actually been motivated to correctly type instead of the weird T-rex style I've adopted sine I was a kid. This game is such a hilarious, and unique game and is worth tracking down a Dreamcast keyboard (and I suppose even a Dreamcast console too) just for the pleasure of playing it. If it hasn't been already, this game is begging to be ported to modern PCs, which would not only make it more accessible, but also not having to cross my legs to use as a makeshift desk for my Dreamcast keyboard would have been nice. Regardless, this game is awesome. (3/12/26) [37/50]
Oh man I always wanted this game but never wanted to commit to buying the keyboard peripheral for just the one experience. Then I discovered how much I love the JP Clear version of the dreamcast keyboard so now I am stuck waiting for a "deal" on one that never comes lol. This review may have reignited my need for this game.
Between this and Seaman, dreamcast had some novel and off the wall concepts that some how worked. I found that SEGA made a version of this game for PS2 but I have no clue if its as good. It's certainly not as beloved. I need a reason to fire up my dreamcast considering I only have 1 game for it for the past 15 years of owning it. Whats funny is when I bought the dreamcast. The guy told me "get typing of the dead. Best game for it". And thats why I want it so bad.
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24. The Typing of the Dead (Dreamcast)
The House of the Dead series, specifically the first two games are among my favorite and most special arcade games from the 90s. While the first House of the Dead game was a treat I really only ever got to experience in arcades, I would eventually get the arcade perfect port of House of the Dead 2 on the Dreamcast shortly after I got one back in late 1999. I've probably played through and beat House of the Dead 2 over a hundred times in my life and it remains possibly my favorite lighten shooter of all time. So yeah, when Sega took House of the Dead 2, replaced the guns with keyboards, and had you typing zombies and monsters to death, my initial reaction was likely WTF...
It's been many years since I first played Typing of the Dead and it's been the sole reason I still own an official Dreamcast keyboard. I decided to play through the game once again and what's crazy is it's just as charming and fun as the game its based on. And this is despite the fact that I'm not a very good typist. In addition to carrying over all the visual and auditory charm that made House of the Dead 2 so memorable and fun, Typing of the Dead is more than just type words and sentences that appear on the screen. First off, the things the game will have you type are distractingly hilarious at times. Phrases like "cat toilet", "stinky finger", and other ridiculous phrases commonly appear on screen and will often made it hard to type while you're laughing at what you're trying to type. Likewise, there are certain sections and bosses that will have you typing out the answers to questions or completing spoofs on nursery rhymes that had me audibly laughing out loud. Keep in mind all this is happening while James, Harry, and Amy have Dreamcast consoles strapped to their backs while a keyboard is propped up in front of them as they're walking. This game has an amazing sense of humor and I commend Sega for going that extra mile and adding silly stuff like this to make this game even more memorable. Still, covering inputs from a lighten pointed at a screen to rapidly typing words, phrases, and sentences with a keyboard was not a seamless transition.
There are parts in Typing of the Dead that make the use of the keyboard a bit frustrating. For one, once you start typing a specific word or phrase to kill a specific zombie, you're locked into it. That means if a projectile is heading towards you, typing the proper letter or word to "type" it out of the air won't be possible until you finish the word or phrase you started on. This situation is where I took the most damage in this game and made certain parts fairly frustrating. Likewise, the game is particular about you using punctuation and special characters when prompted, but it doesn't care about the spaces between words? It's a bit strange and inconsistent, but aside from some frustration, it wasn't a huge deal in the grand scheme of this game.
I dare say that Typing of the Dead is just as good as House of the Dead 2, maybe even arguably a bit better due to its unique, unconventional gameplay. Had Typing of the Dead been around when I was learning to type on a keyboard in elementary school, I might have actually been motivated to correctly type instead of the weird T-rex style I've adopted sine I was a kid. This game is such a hilarious, and unique game and is worth tracking down a Dreamcast keyboard (and I suppose even a Dreamcast console too) just for the pleasure of playing it. If it hasn't been already, this game is begging to be ported to modern PCs, which would not only make it more accessible, but also not having to cross my legs to use as a makeshift desk for my Dreamcast keyboard would have been nice. Regardless, this game is awesome. (3/12/26) [37/50]
Oh man I always wanted this game but never wanted to commit to buying the keyboard peripheral for just the one experience. Then I discovered how much I love the JP Clear version of the dreamcast keyboard so now I am stuck waiting for a "deal" on one that never comes lol. This review may have reignited my need for this game.
Between this and Seaman, dreamcast had some novel and off the wall concepts that some how worked. I found that SEGA made a version of this game for PS2 but I have no clue if its as good. It's certainly not as beloved. I need a reason to fire up my dreamcast considering I only have 1 game for it for the past 15 years of owning it. Whats funny is when I bought the dreamcast. The guy told me "get typing of the dead. Best game for it". And thats why I want it so bad.
I played Seaman years ago and had a hard time getting into it. I get it's supposed to be super weird and all, but I got to a point where I could get Seaman to do anything else and just sort of got stuck with it. But yeah, Typing of the Dead is amazing. It's freakin hilarious and fun too. I'd just grab a standard keyboard and a copy just to try it out. What's nuts is I bought my copy of the game around 2011ish, when you could still buy brand new Dreamcast back stock directly from Amazon. I think I got my copy new for like $15 or something like that at the time. Feels like forever ago.
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25. Mega Man 2 (PS4)
I'm a bit ashamed to admit that despite being a gamer for over 30 years of my life, I've never really played or beat one of the core Mega Man games. My history and love of the X series is well established, but for whatever reason I've never gone back to play the original series where it all began. When I was planning out my backlog for 2026, I knew I finally had to do something about this. I decided to go with what most people consider to be the best of the classic Mega Man series, Mega Man 2, to see if the core series was right for me. What I found out was yes, yes it is for me.
One gripe I have with a lot of video games made before the late 90s is how it was a fairly common for a game's difficulty to be tied to how broken or poorly thought out the gameplay was. Some of this is due to the limited technology of the time, however much of it is also because devs back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s were trailblazing a medium that was still very new for the most part. The end result of this for me personally, is the older a game is, the less likely I'm probably going to enjoy it. My enjoyment cutoff, at least for console gaming, seems to be somewhat in between the 3rd and 4th console generation; essentially most NES and Master System games don't appeal to me all that much, mostly due to how annoying that can be to play, with some exceptions of course. Luckily, Mega Man 2 is absolutely one of those exceptions.
I was genuinely surprised by how well thought out, balanced, and masterfully implemented Mega Man 2's gameplay is. Whether it's the stage obstacles and enemy placement, the boss fights, or the various other challenges you encounter throughout the game, Mega Man 2 has some of the best, most well designed gameplay of any 1980s game I've ever played. Don't get me wrong, there were a few parts and one particular boss fight towards the end that made me wonder if the dev team was hung over from partying the night before, but these blemishes on Mega Man 2's gameplay were were and far between, and also relatively minor in the grand scheme of things. I honestly struggle in deciding whether the boss battles or the stages themselves were more fun or memorable. This game is just that good and is still a blast to play through.
As for Mega Man 2's visuals, the are pretty impressive for a game released in 1988. Stages all have their own unique feel, layout, and theme, making them all pretty memorable. Enemy and boss design is great for the most part, with some of the game's most memorable boss fights occurring towards the end of the game. There are also really cool cutscenes and cool stage transitions after beating a robot master. You can really see the foundation that the X series was built on in these early games and I was pleasantly surprised to see how similar games as old as Mega Man 2 were to some of the earlier X games which came out half a decade later. Regardless, I have few complaints or issues with Mega Man 2's visuals. It's an awesome looking game.
Finally, the audio in Mega Man 2 is outstanding. Mega Man 2 has to have one of the best soundtracks on the NES, which is definitely saying something despite how crude sound processing and production was on that system. Capcom composed literal symphonies of nostalgic sound in this game, and that may be most apparent in the theme that plays during the end credits. Music during the stages is all high energy, catchy tunes which all go great with the action occurring on your TV. Mega Man 2's soundtrack is nearly perfect in my book and a shining example of how good an NES game can sound.
Wow, I honestly am shocked by how much I liked Mega Man 2. I figured at best I'd be here saying something like, "meh, it was pretty good I guess" but rather I'm thinking it's one of the best games in the series I've played. Despite my praise of the game, I will say that it being an NES game does limit its overall appeal to be somewhat, however with Mega Man 2's gameplay being as good as it is, this was hardly an issue. Mega Man 2 absolutely deserves its status as not just one of the best Mega Man games ever made, but one of the best games of its era. (3/13/26) [39/50]
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11 - Icarus (PC 2021) - ENDLESS - Might be done with the game, I put a good dozen hours into it, it's a game that I think has shifted quite a lot from what it originally was, kind of an extraction/survival game, where you land, do stuff, and then extract before an event happens. Long form extraction shooter I guess, but they went and added a proper long term survival open world mode and that's what I was playing.
What stands out quite a lot is how much there is to the game in regards to gear/crafting/items, there's a ton you can unlock. Not just for that, but there's like 4 separate skill trees and a bonus "solo" skill tree if playing solo that you can extra point for every two levels. You can spend a lot of time just grinding out levels, unlocking tech, getting new gear, there's a ton to do, it's very impressive.
The negative is that the base map seems super boring. It's enormous, even if you have a mount to use, but there's nothing interesting to find. It's mostly standard terrain that's either forest, snow, or desert, and then caves have ores you can mine. As far as I can tell, that's about it. Missions, objectives, things to do are done through a terminal, meaning you can only do one at a time and these are events that are injected to the map, not found naturally, which to me feels very counter-intuitive to a survival open world. I like to wander around a map, maybe find cool loot, interesting locales, lore, whatever, but as far as I can tell, there's nothing here, things only happen because you'll click a terminal you craft, open up either repeatable missions, or go on a path of missions that'll unlock stuff, which I don't really care for.
There's also a ton of expansion content, basically new maps that have new animals, bosses, etc, seemingly the maps are more engaging, but I'm not really gonna buy them just to start a new survival run to get an actually good map to play, which is a bummer.
Overall, mechanically the game has a lot going for it, it's just that the base map is pretty boring and I can't really justify paying to get a good map, so I'm probably done for now. It's technically "dropping" the game, but it's also endless, but since I put a dozen hours in, I'll count it as just Endless and I got what I could out of it since I could spend a lot more time playing it, think I was only at like Tier 3 of like 5, which is a ton of things to unlock.
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24. The Typing of the Dead (Dreamcast)
The House of the Dead series, specifically the first two games are among my favorite and most special arcade games from the 90s. While the first House of the Dead game was a treat I really only ever got to experience in arcades, I would eventually get the arcade perfect port of House of the Dead 2 on the Dreamcast shortly after I got one back in late 1999. I've probably played through and beat House of the Dead 2 over a hundred times in my life and it remains possibly my favorite lighten shooter of all time. So yeah, when Sega took House of the Dead 2, replaced the guns with keyboards, and had you typing zombies and monsters to death, my initial reaction was likely WTF...
It's been many years since I first played Typing of the Dead and it's been the sole reason I still own an official Dreamcast keyboard. I decided to play through the game once again and what's crazy is it's just as charming and fun as the game its based on. And this is despite the fact that I'm not a very good typist. In addition to carrying over all the visual and auditory charm that made House of the Dead 2 so memorable and fun, Typing of the Dead is more than just type words and sentences that appear on the screen. First off, the things the game will have you type are distractingly hilarious at times. Phrases like "cat toilet", "stinky finger", and other ridiculous phrases commonly appear on screen and will often made it hard to type while you're laughing at what you're trying to type. Likewise, there are certain sections and bosses that will have you typing out the answers to questions or completing spoofs on nursery rhymes that had me audibly laughing out loud. Keep in mind all this is happening while James, Harry, and Amy have Dreamcast consoles strapped to their backs while a keyboard is propped up in front of them as they're walking. This game has an amazing sense of humor and I commend Sega for going that extra mile and adding silly stuff like this to make this game even more memorable. Still, covering inputs from a lighten pointed at a screen to rapidly typing words, phrases, and sentences with a keyboard was not a seamless transition.
There are parts in Typing of the Dead that make the use of the keyboard a bit frustrating. For one, once you start typing a specific word or phrase to kill a specific zombie, you're locked into it. That means if a projectile is heading towards you, typing the proper letter or word to "type" it out of the air won't be possible until you finish the word or phrase you started on. This situation is where I took the most damage in this game and made certain parts fairly frustrating. Likewise, the game is particular about you using punctuation and special characters when prompted, but it doesn't care about the spaces between words? It's a bit strange and inconsistent, but aside from some frustration, it wasn't a huge deal in the grand scheme of this game.
I dare say that Typing of the Dead is just as good as House of the Dead 2, maybe even arguably a bit better due to its unique, unconventional gameplay. Had Typing of the Dead been around when I was learning to type on a keyboard in elementary school, I might have actually been motivated to correctly type instead of the weird T-rex style I've adopted sine I was a kid. This game is such a hilarious, and unique game and is worth tracking down a Dreamcast keyboard (and I suppose even a Dreamcast console too) just for the pleasure of playing it. If it hasn't been already, this game is begging to be ported to modern PCs, which would not only make it more accessible, but also not having to cross my legs to use as a makeshift desk for my Dreamcast keyboard would have been nice. Regardless, this game is awesome. (3/12/26) [37/50]
Oh man I always wanted this game but never wanted to commit to buying the keyboard peripheral for just the one experience. Then I discovered how much I love the JP Clear version of the dreamcast keyboard so now I am stuck waiting for a "deal" on one that never comes lol. This review may have reignited my need for this game.
Between this and Seaman, dreamcast had some novel and off the wall concepts that some how worked. I found that SEGA made a version of this game for PS2 but I have no clue if its as good. It's certainly not as beloved. I need a reason to fire up my dreamcast considering I only have 1 game for it for the past 15 years of owning it. Whats funny is when I bought the dreamcast. The guy told me "get typing of the dead. Best game for it". And thats why I want it so bad.
I played Seaman years ago and had a hard time getting into it. I get it's supposed to be super weird and all, but I got to a point where I could get Seaman to do anything else and just sort of got stuck with it. But yeah, Typing of the Dead is amazing. It's freakin hilarious and fun too. I'd just grab a standard keyboard and a copy just to try it out. What's nuts is I bought my copy of the game around 2011ish, when you could still buy brand new Dreamcast back stock directly from Amazon. I think I got my copy new for like $15 or something like that at the time. Feels like forever ago.
15 is just wild.. really cool! I always get fascinated when I hear stories like this because I got into collecting full passion in 2014. By then it was right at the dawn of the collecting boom. So I missed being able to get piles of NES games for 10 dollars and some of the stories people share. I've gotten my share of deals but never "I bought Rule of Rose for 15 dollars off a girl in high school" kind of deals that were just everywhere in the 2000s. CIB super nintendos for 20 bucks and stuff. I remember it. I was just too young. That's crazy that Dreamcast was still moving new back stock even in 2011. Thats awesome.
I really wish I coulda seen it. Sometimes I get shocked with how much I have to pay for my childhood but the options just arent there anymore. Even Goodwill goes strict off ebay pricing. I did manage to get a good deal on my dreamcast for 20 bucks before those took off. Dreamcast is so red hot right now. I'm gonna dive on a Keyboard and Typing of the dead. And I hear the crazy taxi is leagues above the other 3 console versions so I might look into that too. Typing of the dead is such a cool concept to me. It was one of the reasons I wanted a dreamcast.
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8. Just Dance 2023 Edition - Enter the Danceverses Story mode
Yes, you read that right. Story mode. Just Dance 2023 Edition, for some reason, has a story mode. I play a lot of Just Dance, and I mostly consider it an endless game and thus ineligible for this challenge under how I'm counting it. But this is an official story mode, and if that's the case, I'm gonna treat it as such.
There isn't that much to it. It's a set of seven songs with routines that, when played in order, tell a simple story. You're a player joining the dancer Wanderlust to recruit other dancers and defeat the evil Night Swan. Specifically, the seven songs covering this story are:
- Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake
- Witch by Apashe feat. Alina Pash
- Physical by Dua Lipa
- Rather Be by Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne
- Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars
- Majesty by Apashe
- If You Wanna Party - a Just Dance original song
I like these songs, and the routines and visuals are well done and fun to dance to. And Night Swan, admittedly, is serving. But does this story mode add much to Just Dance as a whole? Not really.
I do really love Just Dance as a whole. I've been playing it actively for months now. It's really fun! I love many of the songs in it, with the subscription service Just Dance+ you have hundreds to choose from, most of them with fantastic visuals supporting dance routines performed by real talented dancers. The routines are varied and great fun. It's not easy either: many songs take quite a bit of practice and skill to master, and it feels great to hit that Megastar rank. Many songs will really make you work up a sweat too. As someone who struggles with exercising regularly and who does not feel comfortable at the gym, this has been a great way for me to get more moving and exercise in.
However, the story mode, while harmless, is also superfluous. I'm mostly just wondering whose brilliant idea it was to say: "You know what Just Dance needs? A story mode!" Just Dance 2024 Edition had one too, and it's mostly just a tad distracting when you select a song in the regular game mode that you don't realise is part of the story mode and you're suddenly thrown into the middle of a plot. I had that with Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson, which is a part of 2024 Edition's story mode.
I still love Just Dance tho. I feel like many gamers tend to look down on it, but it's a series that has a lot of love put into it, and that's great fun alone and an absolute blast in a group. I doubt I'll specifically come back to the story mode often, but I'll definitely be playing a lot more Just Dance in the future.
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23. Resident Evil 3 Remake
I would say this was short and sweet, but there isn't much "sweet" about it. The blueprint is there, but it feels like there's more bad than good in Jill's/Carlos' campaign. I like both of these characters, and both seem like seasoned warriors. And yet, I'm having to once again backtrack often to make space for inventory. The Nemesis thing has the same flaws as other games with "stalkers" in them. It's a bit jarring at first, but then it turns into irritation. Needless to say, this was a one and done campaign that feels good but not great. Kudos for the trophy that referenced Power Stone, though.
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24. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Asellus
Relatively speaking, I blazed through Asellus' story. From a gameplay perspective, hers has always been on the more challenging side. Bosses appearing somewhat randomly means there's a chance you're not prepared with your party or equipment. It can also be challenging to figure out where to go to advance the story. White Rose isn't a strong character (from what I can tell anyway) and she's the only one to immediately join. So, lots of randomness for Asellus. But in terms of story? Hers is one of the best. It deals with identity, sexuality, the depravity of men, and learning to overcome dysmorphia. Playing it in the late 90's was cool (although some parts are censored). Playing it now as an adult and being wholly aware of how backwards things are progressing, it's necessary. Up next is Riki!
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23. Resident Evil 3 Remake
I would say this was short and sweet, but there isn't much "sweet" about it. The blueprint is there, but it feels like there's more bad than good in Jill's/Carlos' campaign. I like both of these characters, and both seem like seasoned warriors. And yet, I'm having to once again backtrack often to make space for inventory. The Nemesis thing has the same flaws as other games with "stalkers" in them. It's a bit jarring at first, but then it turns into irritation. Needless to say, this was a one and done campaign that feels good but not great. Kudos for the trophy that referenced Power Stone, though.
This one was disappointing. They had the blueprint for sure in multiplayer ways, they are coming off two big wins with RE7 and RE2R, and then they just dropped the ball with it, primarily because they cut a ton of content from the original and it felt like a downgrade from RE2R. The original was meant to be like a quick offshoot of RE, abit more actiony, but you can't do that quite the same here, because it needs to still have most of what the original game had. Add to that they attached the awful Resistance mode to the game and it's kind of a double whammy of lame. Just unfortunate that there's all these great new games and remakes post-RE7 and then there's just this huge misstep in the middle. We need a remake of the remake lol
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23. Resident Evil 3 Remake
I would say this was short and sweet, but there isn't much "sweet" about it. The blueprint is there, but it feels like there's more bad than good in Jill's/Carlos' campaign. I like both of these characters, and both seem like seasoned warriors. And yet, I'm having to once again backtrack often to make space for inventory. The Nemesis thing has the same flaws as other games with "stalkers" in them. It's a bit jarring at first, but then it turns into irritation. Needless to say, this was a one and done campaign that feels good but not great. Kudos for the trophy that referenced Power Stone, though.
This one was disappointing. They had the blueprint for sure in multiplayer ways, they are coming off two big wins with RE7 and RE2R, and then they just dropped the ball with it, primarily because they cut a ton of content from the original and it felt like a downgrade from RE2R. The original was meant to be like a quick offshoot of RE, abit more actiony, but you can't do that quite the same here, because it needs to still have most of what the original game had. Add to that they attached the awful Resistance mode to the game and it's kind of a double whammy of lame. Just unfortunate that there's all these great new games and remakes post-RE7 and then there's just this huge misstep in the middle. We need a remake of the remake lol
Agreed! Also, I had to look up what Resistance mode was, ha.
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Agreed! Also, I had to look up what Resistance mode was, ha.
Capcom once again trend hopping like they've done for so many years now, "Oh, asymmetrical co-op horror is popular with things like Dead by Daylight? Let's do that!" and what we get is basically a half-assed, poorly made, version of Resident Evil Outbreak, the thing that fans would actually want if they put the real time and money into it lol
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23. Resident Evil 3 Remake
I would say this was short and sweet, but there isn't much "sweet" about it. The blueprint is there, but it feels like there's more bad than good in Jill's/Carlos' campaign. I like both of these characters, and both seem like seasoned warriors. And yet, I'm having to once again backtrack often to make space for inventory. The Nemesis thing has the same flaws as other games with "stalkers" in them. It's a bit jarring at first, but then it turns into irritation. Needless to say, this was a one and done campaign that feels good but not great. Kudos for the trophy that referenced Power Stone, though.
This one was disappointing. They had the blueprint for sure in multiplayer ways, they are coming off two big wins with RE7 and RE2R, and then they just dropped the ball with it, primarily because they cut a ton of content from the original and it felt like a downgrade from RE2R. The original was meant to be like a quick offshoot of RE, abit more actiony, but you can't do that quite the same here, because it needs to still have most of what the original game had. Add to that they attached the awful Resistance mode to the game and it's kind of a double whammy of lame. Just unfortunate that there's all these great new games and remakes post-RE7 and then there's just this huge misstep in the middle. We need a remake of the remake lol
I was completely oblivious to the hate for this game until after I beat it. I really enjoyed it. Sure, it's different than the original, but I don't see that as necessarily a bad thing. It seems the biggest gripes seem to be how Nemesis was handled and also the game's length. I didn't have an issue with either and thought the game was pretty fun. I actually like it slightly more than the original game.
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I was completely oblivious to the hate for this game until after I beat it. I really enjoyed it. Sure, it's different than the original, but I don't see that as necessarily a bad thing. It seems the biggest gripes seem to be how Nemesis was handled and also the game's length. I didn't have an issue with either and thought the game was pretty fun. I actually like it slightly more than the original game.
I didn't hate it either, a lot of my annoyance was that it just felt so much more lacking compared to RE2R, like they cut back on what you could do against zombies where you could shoot off limbs and such, which was so weird to get rid of. After I finished, I found all that was missing from the original and it's kind of a lot, which would've helped with how short the playtime is. I put as much time into my first run of Requiem than I did all the time I spent playing RE3 lol I know there was some other annoyances that just didn't work great for the game either, but a lot of it was just how short the game was and how unsatisfying the replay for it was. It's one of those games where in vacuum it's mostly fine, but compared to the other games and its original, it's really lacking.
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25. Mega Man 2 (PS4)
I'm a bit ashamed to admit that despite being a gamer for over 30 years of my life, I've never really played or beat one of the core Mega Man games.
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One gripe I have with a lot of video games made before the late 90s is how it was a fairly common for a game's difficulty to be tied to how broken or poorly thought out the gameplay was. Some of this is due to the limited technology of the time, however much of it is also because devs back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s were trailblazing a medium that was still very new for the most part. The end result of this for me personally, is the older a game is, the less likely I'm probably going to enjoy it. My enjoyment cutoff, at least for console gaming, seems to be somewhat in between the 3rd and 4th console generation; essentially most NES and Master System games don't appeal to me all that much,
We are in the same boat (though, I haven't hit the 30 year mark yet. Another 2 years before I can claim that).
Out of the hundreds of games I have played, Mega Man is a pretty huge gap in my experience. I played through 1 and 2 last year for the first time.
Yellow Devil sucks, but the rest of the game was pretty good. A solid 7 for me. 1 gets a bad rap but its not that much worse imo. Like a Low-Mid 6. A little bit more "frustration as game design" than 2, but still manageable.
I will say though that while I agree with your general thought that a lot of games on the NES were somewhat poorly thought out, and as a result poorly balanced (or in the worst case, just not fun) there are enough gems on the NES that I can't personally throw the whole generation out. The NES Super Mario Bros. games are all gems, with SMB3 being one of the best games of all time in my opinion. The Legend of Zelda is an all time classic, and seeing it's DNA in Breath of the Wild is what helped elevate BotW to a 10 for me (I would only consider 3 games I've ever played to be a 10, maybe 4 if you count TotK which feels a bit like cheating cause it's just BotW again with even more stuff lol).
But for every gem there are like 2 or 3 games that treat making the game so difficult that you have to play a level 100 times to memorize their layout as good game design. An interesting thing about this design philosophy though (that the longer you play the game, the better it is) is that it hasn't actually changed. Just instead of making the game super hard and replaying the same content over and over, you now just do the same thing over and over to pad out games. Instead of replaying the same level 100 times, you play a level that has been copy and pasted 100 times instead. It's weird how games evolved and how gamer's brains have been conditioned to correlate playtime with quality.
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I was completely oblivious to the hate for this game until after I beat it. I really enjoyed it. Sure, it's different than the original, but I don't see that as necessarily a bad thing. It seems the biggest gripes seem to be how Nemesis was handled and also the game's length. I didn't have an issue with either and thought the game was pretty fun. I actually like it slightly more than the original game.
I didn't hate it either, a lot of my annoyance was that it just felt so much more lacking compared to RE2R, like they cut back on what you could do against zombies where you could shoot off limbs and such, which was so weird to get rid of. After I finished, I found all that was missing from the original and it's kind of a lot, which would've helped with how short the playtime is. I put as much time into my first run of Requiem than I did all the time I spent playing RE3 lol I know there was some other annoyances that just didn't work great for the game either, but a lot of it was just how short the game was and how unsatisfying the replay for it was. It's one of those games where in vacuum it's mostly fine, but compared to the other games and its original, it's really lacking.
oh, no doubt. It's definitely not a top 5 RE game for me, and probably not even a top 10 game. Still, it was a fun, pretty memorable RE game that I've been meaning to play through again. However, at the moment I'd pretty much been submerged in RE following RE9 coming out and need a break for a bit. On top of that, I'll probably be playing Revelations 2 or the original RE4 next, whenever that ends up being.
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25. Mega Man 2 (PS4)
I'm a bit ashamed to admit that despite being a gamer for over 30 years of my life, I've never really played or beat one of the core Mega Man games.
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One gripe I have with a lot of video games made before the late 90s is how it was a fairly common for a game's difficulty to be tied to how broken or poorly thought out the gameplay was. Some of this is due to the limited technology of the time, however much of it is also because devs back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s were trailblazing a medium that was still very new for the most part. The end result of this for me personally, is the older a game is, the less likely I'm probably going to enjoy it. My enjoyment cutoff, at least for console gaming, seems to be somewhat in between the 3rd and 4th console generation; essentially most NES and Master System games don't appeal to me all that much,
We are in the same boat (though, I haven't hit the 30 year mark yet. Another 2 years before I can claim that).
Out of the hundreds of games I have played, Mega Man is a pretty huge gap in my experience. I played through 1 and 2 last year for the first time.
Yellow Devil sucks, but the rest of the game was pretty good. A solid 7 for me. 1 gets a bad rap but its not that much worse imo. Like a Low-Mid 6. A little bit more "frustration as game design" than 2, but still manageable.
I will say though that while I agree with your general thought that a lot of games on the NES were somewhat poorly thought out, and as a result poorly balanced (or in the worst case, just not fun) there are enough gems on the NES that I can't personally throw the whole generation out. The NES Super Mario Bros. games are all gems, with SMB3 being one of the best games of all time in my opinion. The Legend of Zelda is an all time classic, and seeing it's DNA in Breath of the Wild is what helped elevate BotW to a 10 for me (I would only consider 3 games I've ever played to be a 10, maybe 4 if you count TotK which feels a bit like cheating cause it's just BotW again with even more stuff lol).
But for every gem there are like 2 or 3 games that treat making the game so difficult that you have to play a level 100 times to memorize their layout as good game design. An interesting thing about this design philosophy though (that the longer you play the game, the better it is) is that it hasn't actually changed. Just instead of making the game super hard and replaying the same content over and over, you now just do the same thing over and over to pad out games. Instead of replaying the same level 100 times, you play a level that has been copy and pasted 100 times instead. It's weird how games evolved and how gamer's brains have been conditioned to correlate playtime with quality.
There are definitely 3rd gen games I enjoy (MM2 being one), but unfortunately I'm left feeling disappointed and/or annoyed when I play most 3rd gen games, particularly on the NES since that's where the bulk of my 3rd gen experience is. I played and somehow beat the Castlevania on the NES earlier this year and while it had its moments, my overall experience with it was not very positive. The same goes with Ninja Gaiden, the original Contra, and a few other games that are generally considered among the better games on the NES. Still, I do enjoy games like Super Mario Bros, so it's definitely not all games from that gen. I don't discount my own bias and preferences in why I feel this way, but a lot of it is also gameplay I'd considered fairly outdated and difficult to go back to, when compared to 4th gen games.
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I was completely oblivious to the hate for this game until after I beat it. I really enjoyed it. Sure, it's different than the original, but I don't see that as necessarily a bad thing. It seems the biggest gripes seem to be how Nemesis was handled and also the game's length. I didn't have an issue with either and thought the game was pretty fun. I actually like it slightly more than the original game.
I didn't hate it either, a lot of my annoyance was that it just felt so much more lacking compared to RE2R, like they cut back on what you could do against zombies where you could shoot off limbs and such, which was so weird to get rid of. After I finished, I found all that was missing from the original and it's kind of a lot, which would've helped with how short the playtime is. I put as much time into my first run of Requiem than I did all the time I spent playing RE3 lol I know there was some other annoyances that just didn't work great for the game either, but a lot of it was just how short the game was and how unsatisfying the replay for it was. It's one of those games where in vacuum it's mostly fine, but compared to the other games and its original, it's really lacking.
oh, no doubt. It's definitely not a top 5 RE game for me, and probably not even a top 10 game. Still, it was a fun, pretty memorable RE game that I've been meaning to play through again. However, at the moment I'd pretty much been submerged in RE following RE9 coming out and need a break for a bit. On top of that, I'll probably be playing Revelations 2 or the original RE4 next, whenever that ends up being.
Hopefully I wasn't too harsh with my little critique of it. I had some fun moments with RE3R, but it was just a major step back. Interestingly, it was the one I went in with the highest hope because I usually enjoy the "black sheep" games in major series'.
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I was completely oblivious to the hate for this game until after I beat it. I really enjoyed it. Sure, it's different than the original, but I don't see that as necessarily a bad thing. It seems the biggest gripes seem to be how Nemesis was handled and also the game's length. I didn't have an issue with either and thought the game was pretty fun. I actually like it slightly more than the original game.
I didn't hate it either, a lot of my annoyance was that it just felt so much more lacking compared to RE2R, like they cut back on what you could do against zombies where you could shoot off limbs and such, which was so weird to get rid of. After I finished, I found all that was missing from the original and it's kind of a lot, which would've helped with how short the playtime is. I put as much time into my first run of Requiem than I did all the time I spent playing RE3 lol I know there was some other annoyances that just didn't work great for the game either, but a lot of it was just how short the game was and how unsatisfying the replay for it was. It's one of those games where in vacuum it's mostly fine, but compared to the other games and its original, it's really lacking.
oh, no doubt. It's definitely not a top 5 RE game for me, and probably not even a top 10 game. Still, it was a fun, pretty memorable RE game that I've been meaning to play through again. However, at the moment I'd pretty much been submerged in RE following RE9 coming out and need a break for a bit. On top of that, I'll probably be playing Revelations 2 or the original RE4 next, whenever that ends up being.
Hopefully I wasn't too harsh with my little critique of it. I had some fun moments with RE3R, but it was just a major step back. Interestingly, it was the one I went in with the highest hope because I usually enjoy the "black sheep" games in major series'.
Same here, at least with the RE series. Despite all the hate it gets, I actually really like RE6. I expected to hate it and ended up enjoying it quite a bit in the end. RE5 though...that one has me agreeing with the haters on it.
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Same here, at least with the RE series. Despite all the hate it gets, I actually really like RE6. I expected to hate it and ended up enjoying it quite a bit in the end. RE5 though...that one has me agreeing with the haters on it.
I'm like the opposite, I really don't like RE6, it's the culmination of everything I hate about what the series had become, but RE5 has enough RE4 feel, that it can be tolerable, both just fall apart in the end for me for being co-op focused and more actiony. It's why I was so in love with RE7 when that came out and turned everything around.
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Just finished a playthrough of Dark Souls Remastered as a magic user. Haven't played in 5 or 6 years, so itvwas a cool refresher while also doing a new style of play. Felt like early game was more difficult than expected because of the limited spell options, but it was cool to see what stuff unlocked and became useful as it goes along. I don't think it really changes how you play all that much, but I had fun and am glad I did it.
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9. Just Dance 2024 Edition - Dance with the Swan Story mode
Compared to the story mode in Just Dance 2023 Edition, this is essentially same thing, different time. See here (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211495.html#msg211495). This story mode just has a couple of songs that I don't like as much. (Thankfully, the other songs in 2024 Edition do include some bangers.)
2025 Edition doesn't have a story mode anymore, so I'll just be counting those as endless games that I see as ineligible for this challenge. Reportedly the developers stopped doing it because they felt it wasn't working that well. Which I agree with, but with 2024 Edition, that leaves the story on a bad note with the villain winning, which I find hilarious.
That's it really. I'm working on games with more legitimate campaigns, I swear, those just take a little longer.
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22. The Simpsons Game [PS3] - finished March 17th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/4ybHgyfs/IMG-20260318-061844-(533-x-410-pixel).jpg)
SPRINGFIELD'S PUZZLE PLATFORMER IS A "WOOHOO" AND NOT A "DO'H"
Perhaps the funniest Simpson's episode since the launch of the Simpson's Movie comes in the form of a quirky action platformer with puzzle elements. It is a window into that perfect transition era between CRT and HD. And ushered in a new Era of Simpsons gaming. And it hits far more than it misses. It also just hit me. We really havent gotten a Simpsons game since. What gives? Lol.
"What about when Xbox 720 and Playstation 4 release. We'll be the obsolete game then". Ah little Lisa. How wrong you are on all counts lol. They'll always be a nerd to play the old stuff. It is jokes and humor like this that not only transport me to the time period of pre 2010s gaming (pre retro boom) but also self aggrandizing the franchise itself. The plot centers around exactly what I have been referencing. The simpsons game is a game about games themselves. It all begins when Bart finds a strategy guide for the simpsons game (complete with EA branding and picture accurate cover art) and becomes sentient to the fact that he's in a video game. The more he interacts with levels the more he begins to effect the game engine and cause issues with the actual springfield where he lives. All 4 of the family members constantly breaking the 4th wall. Referencing the "creator" of the game. It's actually extremely Meta and thought provoking because the plot of a self aware game character enslaved by human imput has always fascinated me. It feels a lot like being God or something which has major emphasis on the games story as creator is synonymous with Both Matt Groening and God himself.
The game gets great mileage from it's self slander. And even poking fun at some of the more overused video game cliches while also using those same cliches. Things like "enemy portals" and "pressure pads" and "double jump" are collectible cliches in which the loveable comic book guy is quick to tell you that your game is unoriginal as shit lol. It's cute and fun. And if you encounter a gaming cliche it is saved to view later as a hidden collectible.
The game even references other Simpsons games. Matt Groening saying "I didnt know they'd suck. I promise. If I did id never have put you on those cheesy grey squares. Id have licensed your faces out to dolls, plushies, socks, novelty underwear, backpacks, board games, and towels exclusively" I said the quote non verbatim but basically it's self aware on the hit or miss nature of simpsons games. The gameboy games being commercial critical failures and much more. It is a fun insight into not only how the company was percieving this release (treading on muddy waters of medicority) but also in Matt Groenings sense of humor. I always love an artist who can laugh at himself.
The game's levels are pretty exciting and vibrant. One that stands out is the iconic homer based eating contest level as it makes the most use of Bart and Homers powers. Each character has upgradable powers. To what extent they can be upgraded is very limited and up to the games discretion but it's still great nonetheless. I personally find Lisa to be OP. The depth of the game exists in its puzzles. Lisa may need to move a platform to create a bridge ect. Simple Ps and Qs kinda stuff.
Lisa - has the ability to transform into a methodical monk of cosmic properties using Hinduism to levitate blocks telephatically moving things to traverse landscapes and make the game possible at all. When not doing that she can charge music itself to use a saxophone tornado to brainwash enemies to fight along her side but also shred them to bits to hypercharge blue eco which allows her to tornado again. It almost seems like she's a damn Wizard.
Homer - Eats grub to replenish his special meter which allows him to morph into a ball, a blob that shoots green projectiles and he can also inhale helium that allows him to inflate to higher platforms. Homer is also very cool in moveset. The homer ball can slam and bash through crowds of enemies.
Bart - bartman makes up most of his special abilities. He can cape his way to long distances and essentially float. And he can slingshot a giant ball into enemies knocking them like bowling pins and the holiday lanes.
Marge - Political propaganda. She's Joseph Stalin. Using power of spoken rhetoric to form mobs that do her bidding. It's probably the hardest of the moves to master and I find her levels to be most repetitive and boring. Marge's entire premise is to stop the famous game
GRAND THEFT SCRATCHY
This alone causes alot of 4th wall breakage, funny puns and humor centered around video game violence and hypocrisy as a whole.
But overall I disagree with the sentiment that the game functions better as a epsiode of the simpsons than it does a simpsons game. I had a lot of fun with the colorful worlds within the springfield which also is loaded with collectibles to find. The enemies, bosses and overall depth of the thing is vast for licensed game based on a tv adult cartoon. It's extremely hilarious and a sentimental piece of when I used to bond with my brother over it. It's the first Gen 7 game I ever played. So that will always have a place in my heart. That grows colder with age. And warmer with each shrink of the backlog. Its a floating, balling, saxxing good time. And I really enjoy it!
Rating- 89/100
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25. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Riki
I zoomed through Riki's quest. I always thought his was longer but I guess me knowing his route so well coupled with New Game Plus made things streamlined as hell. Since I used New Game Plus, Riki was already morphed into a stronger form (a Black Dragon) and he surprisingly held his own when he was fighting alongside Gen, Emilia and Lute. I made T260G my fifth party member for this route despite recruiting Fuse. As cool as it was to have a Monster in the party, I still can't get behind them. I understand their potential and appeal. But, I had to hold my breath each time I absorbed a new ability from a fallen enemy because I didn't want him going from a Black Dragon to something worse - a common occurrence for me. So, needless to say I'm glad this one is over. One more thing I have to mention: I was able to get the trophies for landing a 5-person combo and defeating Virgil in two turns. Up next is T260G and he's fully equipped to wreck everything in his path!
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26. Exit 8
A quick download and about an hour or so later, another game is complete. I love games with a simple and engaging concepts like this. Other than some of the anomalies being hard to point out, this game really delivers with its simplicity. It's also eerie as hell. Something about complete silence in a Tokyo subway hall is unnerving. Then, toss in an Eternal Darkness-esque type of effect and you're left running the opposite direction. I can see myself going through this again just to see the other anomalies.
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26. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
Having been at the right age when GTA3 came out, I remember my friends and I being obsessed with that game back in 2001 and 2002. My friend Austin and I specifically would literally stay up all night playing it and marveling at the amount of chaos and destruction you could cause in that game. It was also nice that the story and missions were also fun and interesting too. Of course, this love of GTA3 carried over into the releases or GTA Vice City and GTA San Andreas as well. However, it was GTA's leap into the next console generation that had me the most hyped and excited back in 2008 when GTA4 was released.
I've played and beat GTA4 numerous times, however what dawned on me last year was that I hadn't beat it since the PS3/360 were part of the current console generation. So yeah, it had been at least 15 years since I'd last beat GTA4. I somewhat blame GTA5 and the Read Dead Redemption games for distracting me from replaying GTA4, but regardless I decided this was the year I was going to return to this game. While it was never one of my favorite games, I always remembered mostly liking GTA4 and having a pretty good time with it. So when I replayed GTA4 again just now, I was definitely not expecting to find a game that felt far more outdated and annoying with than I had anticipated returning to.
For the most part, I do still enjoy playing GTA4. Most of my enjoyment of GTA4 happens within the first third of the game where I felt the story, characters, and overall plot of the game are at its best. I feel like the missions are also the best designed and thought out in the earlier portion of the game. I think a big reason for this is because the more GTA4 asks of you, the more this game's flaws become not just apparent, but downright frustrating. While GTA4 is definitely a bridge between old school 3D GTA and what we'd get in GTA5, for better or worse, it shares far more DNA with those older games. Because of this, controlling anything, whether it's the main character Niko or the vehicles you can drive feel stiff and unresponsive, but at the same time feeling almost twitchy to. You definitely have to adjust to this as you play, however in many of the latter missions where you are fighting many enemies is more complex or confined areas, or need to chase down a character on a motorcycle, the game's flaws are impossible to ignore. Essentially, you just have to get through these missions and hope you're not so pissed off that you'll just want to put the controller down and walk away. The same goes for the aiming, shooting, and cover system in GTA4. While it isn't terrible, it's so easy for you to take excessive damage or enemies to swarm you, making the cover mechanic almost useless. It's also too easy to take cover in places you don't want to, leading to you getting wasted pretty quickly on some of the harder missions.
I know that was a lot of negativity thrown at GTA4's gameplay, however, despite al that, I'd still say it's more fun to play than not. The sandbox of crime and mayhem is still present in this game as it was in the previous entries. Sometimes, it's almost more fun just to go on a massive crime spree than it is to complete the next mission in the story. I guess in a way, GTA4 excels at being a sledge hammer rather than a surgical knife in the sense that way more fun to just go all out and crazy than it is to have to pull off some super technical mission or drive in cramped alleyways or areas ripe with hazards. And fortunately, I'd say 80% of the game allows you to play GTA4 as a big, dumb open world crime sandbox. However, it's that 20% where the game wants you to do more than what it's been designed to do that kinda drag this game down from a gameplay perspective.
As far as the story of GTA4 goes, it's definitely not one of the best in the GTA series, but it's still decent for the most part. Niko Bellic, however might possibly be the best GTA protagonist in the entire series, not just from a character writing perspective, but also with how likable he is. He's not an over the top cartoonishly crazy character like Trevor from GTA5 or a stereotype like Carl Johnson from San Andreas. He feels like a believable, real person and this is only complimented by the excellent voice work and writing given to his character. Unfortunately, the rest of GTA4's story is more of a mixed bag. Once again, I feel like the beginning the of the story is the most interesting and well written, particularly when you're working with the Russians and a certain plot twist happens about a third into the game. After that however, the game's story does take a fairly sharp nose dive in terms of quality, picks back up again towards the end, and then the ending of this game is one I always found to be a bit annoying and even slightly anticlimactic. Still, there are some pretty interesting side characters thrown in throughout the game, even if some of their missions aren't the greatest.
I mentioned Niko Bellic's voice acting being phenomenal, and fortunately the rest of GTA4's voice cast does a great job too. Where GTA4's audio does falter for me a little is in its spread of licensed music, which is probably the weakest in the entire franchise. You're going to hear this music a lot when you're driving around Liberty City, and well, most of it isn't that great. By 2008, we had Vice City and San Andreas' amazing soundtracks, so the fact that GTA4 mostly consists of unremarkable music from both well known and not so well known artists is kind of inexcusable. Luckily, the rest of GTA4's sound design is fairly top notch, which certainly makes up somewhat for the game's lackluster OST.
Finally, from a visual standpoint, GTA4 was a pretty impressive looking game for the time, despite showing its age somewhat now. The level of low detail to characters, cut scenes and environments is definitely a huge leap forward compared to previous games in the franchise. However, the main issue I have with GTA4's visuals are how inconsistent they can look, with some environments and even character models looking somewhat flat, while others look amazing. Also, the game has this almost dark filter on it, which definitely makes the colors and details feel a bit washed out at times. I find of remember many games using various visuals filters to give games a certain mood or vibe, and while it does seem to work sometimes, I feel like in GTA4 it's mostly hit or miss, leaning more on the side of miss.
Once again, I want to reiterate that I mostly enjoyed my time with GTA4, however my disappointment over how much this game has aged and how haphazard certain aspects of it can be cannot be understated. Still, I'd say this is a worthwhile game to play, even in 2026, and one any fan of the GTA series should go back and play. Just be prepared for some extremely annoying missions towards the later parts of the game and controls that feel more akin to an early 2000s game than the ones we'd get in GTA5. (3/21/26) [36/50]
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26. Exit 8
A quick download and about an hour or so later, another game is complete. I love games with a simple and engaging concepts like this. Other than some of the anomalies being hard to point out, this game really delivers with its simplicity. It's also eerie as hell. Something about complete silence in a Tokyo subway hall is unnerving. Then, toss in an Eternal Darkness-esque type of effect and you're left running the opposite direction. I can see myself going through this again just to see the other anomalies.
I beat and reviewed this game last year and it really is this superliminal creepy vibe that I loved. The seemingly endless void of a tokyo subway was unsettling but I did want to say the Sequel "Platform 8" is as creepy or creepier and also worth a look imo if you already enjoy exit 8. It has a similar premise but different execution if I remember correctly. It was sometimes finding anomolies but a lot of also figuring out what to do given a certain circumstance. I remember it making me very uneasy. Really cool indie games.
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23. Resident Evil 3 Remake
I would say this was short and sweet, but there isn't much "sweet" about it. The blueprint is there, but it feels like there's more bad than good in Jill's/Carlos' campaign. I like both of these characters, and both seem like seasoned warriors. And yet, I'm having to once again backtrack often to make space for inventory. The Nemesis thing has the same flaws as other games with "stalkers" in them. It's a bit jarring at first, but then it turns into irritation. Needless to say, this was a one and done campaign that feels good but not great. Kudos for the trophy that referenced Power Stone, though.
This one was disappointing. They had the blueprint for sure in multiplayer ways, they are coming off two big wins with RE7 and RE2R, and then they just dropped the ball with it, primarily because they cut a ton of content from the original and it felt like a downgrade from RE2R. The original was meant to be like a quick offshoot of RE, abit more actiony, but you can't do that quite the same here, because it needs to still have most of what the original game had. Add to that they attached the awful Resistance mode to the game and it's kind of a double whammy of lame. Just unfortunate that there's all these great new games and remakes post-RE7 and then there's just this huge misstep in the middle. We need a remake of the remake lol
I was completely oblivious to the hate for this game until after I beat it. I really enjoyed it. Sure, it's different than the original, but I don't see that as necessarily a bad thing. It seems the biggest gripes seem to be how Nemesis was handled and also the game's length. I didn't have an issue with either and thought the game was pretty fun. I actually like it slightly more than the original game.
I'm a bit late to the conversation, but my understanding of Resident Evil 3 (I've not played it yet) is that is entirely removes the chief accomplishment of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis that is its non-linear level progression. I didn't know about this until after I completed the game, but scenes and encounters vary between one and the other after nearly every singular player action. For instance, should a player visit the substation before the press office, events, opportunities, and even the items that are available to collect will change than had it been opposite. Apparently this system is incredibly robust, so it's ideal for anyone wanting to revisit the game to progress differently. Of course, all of this coincides with the game's Live Selection choices, which are also omitted from the remake.
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13. Resident Evil (2002) || GameCube || 03.16.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/IZPkGmt.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/ARRFQC3.jpeg)
Before continuing the Resident Evil game series for the first time from one original title to the next, I reached the point where the franchise's first remake game debuted in 2002. For seventeen years, this specific game was an outlier for that status, but it's nonetheless critically regarded not only as one of the best games in the series but also as one of the most influential games of all time. Having known this far ahead of time, I began playing Resident Evil (RE 2002) with tempered expectations.
While my thoughts for games generally avoid discussing anything other than the subject at hand, there's an exception to be made considering the nature of RE (2002) as a remake of Resident Evil (RE 1996). As a successful remake should strive to be, RE 2002 maintains the same framework established in the original title but is different enough so that the experience feels off-putting with unease at times. With that said, the differences presented aren't just visual or parallel upgrades to accommodate for a new era of gaming but instead ones that alter the structure of the game itself. And it should not take long for those who've played RE 1996 to realize these differences either. New maps and environmental layouts have changed, alongside items, enemies and enemy behavior, puzzles, and gameplay mechanics. That final element perhaps most dictates the survival horror experience above all else in my opinion, and the one major change it's undergone with the addition of Defense Items offsets the heightened dangers that lurk throughout the Spencer Mansion estate.
On that note, perhaps the game's most noteworthy and horrifying new feature is that certain zombies will reanimate. While this is something I knew about prior to playing, I was not aware that reanimated zombies are not the same slow-moving enemies who lurch toward you. No, they instead return as raging undead referred to as Crimson Heads which sprint toward the player in a way that was absolutely terrifying the very first time one spawned, and every subsequent time was just as tense too. As previously mentioned, not all zombies mutate in this way, and there are ways to avoid the scenario altogether. While players always have the option to avoid killing zombies, it may not be ideal. Still, players may wish to delay this action, if only until the next encounter. The reason for this is because the mutation process from zombie to Crimson Head is a timed process that's determined by game difficulty but is also randomized into several different minute intervals. Meanwhile, another new mechanic introduced is the ability to burn undead bodies. However, this ability is restricted to a finite resource that must be collected at various locations and also requires temporarily relinquishing two of the eight inventory slots available. More than anything else, this one altered gameplay mechanic adds a considerable amount of strategy to navigating the environment.
Regarding the game's survival horror elements, I actually feel conflicted. Despite the differences introduced in this remake, there obviously is much that is carried over from its source material. And since I was familiar with that earlier title, there are certain advantages I held over someone who's not familiar, such as being able to plan routes to avoid encounters or to know when obstacles that are needing to be overcome will be introduced; of course, being familiar with the source material isn't necessarily advantageous and may even be detrimental as expectations are subverted. So in this regard, RE 2002 is exceptional. However, it is the game's execution of difficulty balance that I'm most critical of. As I reached the game's midway point, my ammo supply was in cautiously meager amounts; by contrast, the health restoratives available to me were in such overly high quantities—over a dozen, in fact. So, it seems to me that RE 2002 wants players to prioritize non-combat at the cost of taking damage. If it were that alone, I think I could adjust my play style to accommodate this sort of rigid approach to play, although it doesn't make sense from a mechanical point-of-view since certain enemies have been introduced by this point that can kill the player with one strike even at full health. (Maybe that's just a factor toward reaffirming the genre, though, even if it comes across as entirely unfair.) Of course, limited resources as a design philosophy is the crux of the survival horror genre, so are my criticisms valid? Well, once the second half of the game is in full stride, the game's difficulty sharply veers toward being relatively effortless. Instead of a limited supply of weapon resources and challenging encounters, too many items are now supplied altogether alongside enemy encounters becoming a lower threat level. Overall, the game's balance is something I find to be not only the weakest design element in this installment but also the worst among every game in the series leading to this point. Had balance been generally consistent or to not such opposite extremes, I don't think there would be much to fault. Nevertheless, I personally would have felt much more satisfied had I been forced to persevere as a result of my own decisions and play style than the game being designed in this way.
Meanwhile, there is more to RE 2002 than just its survival horror elements, or perhaps the following are just aspects which reinforce the genre. As with the titles preceding it, this remake features a non-linear level progression—particularly in the game's first and final environments. Although for some reason throughout my playthrough, this open-endedness felt more pronounced. Generally, players are free to explore areas collecting key items until a certain roadblock is faced. Usually, what this means is that another route must instead be explored as additional key items are found, until eventually the player is able to explore every room. As a result of the game's genre features (namely limited inventory space and a finite means to save progress), not knowing exactly how far one must go to reach where a key item may be found or where one may be used greatly elevates the experience as the thought of backtracking to resupply resources or to explore somewhere else was always something I considered. Fortunately, the game's map system that's slightly more detailed than the games before it helps the act of navigation, and it even informs players when a room has been cleared of items to find. However, this too is an aspect of the game I both appreciate and disregard, and it also feels like an issue relating to balance. This function coincides with items that are mostly found out in the open; very few are actually hidden among environmental set pieces that will require persistent clicking to pick them up. These types of unseen items also contrast to the number of items that gleam and are largely unmissable. That several item types by a visibility metric exist is something that I feel could have been implemented better with more efficient environmental design, but perhaps this opinion is grounded in more modern expectations.
As this is the fifth title in the game franchise I've played now, there is a certain threshold of quality I've come to expect regarding presentation—both from a sensory and narrative perspective—and exploration through puzzle-solving. And, mostly, this game doesn't fail to meet that standard. To be succinct, RE 2002 is graphically impressive. While I've not played many GameCube games, this seems to be one of the better-looking ones that attempt to emulate real-world fidelity. Likewise, audio demonstrates quality, though I'll admit I was particularly captivated by the game's use of silence and natural sounds such as thunder and even the sound of birds to be more effective toward establishing a heightened horror atmosphere than song tracks. As I progressed through the game, it was evident that the developers chose to largely abandon the campy writing style and performances to elevate it. Some level of this still exists, particularly through one character across my playthrough as Jill who still has a disposition that's amateurish, demonstrated through both attitude and demeanor. To my surprise, updated written notes and an entirely new narrative sub-plot has also been included. The latter especially was interesting to read as it unveils some of the earlier experiments Umbrella conducted and the long-lasting effects of them. However, is has an incredibly unsatisfying resolution that ends abruptly. Rather, it doesn't even end. It's never properly addressed within the game again, and instead, it isn't for another six years later that this sub-plot is concluded exclusively within a real-world art book featuring story notes. And based on my observations having interacted with Resident Evil materials despite not having played the games, I believe this is one of the earliest instances within the franchise when outside reference materials are used this way. And to be brief, the game's puzzles are adequate. Overall, they're actually designed more as puzzles to be solved than the simple act of finding an item and then figuring out how it's used as these obstacles tend to be designed, though they still don't reach the level of thoughtfulness that I think would benefit the series.
Just as I prefaced my thoughts with the global attitude held toward Resident Evil (2002), I'll reiterate that it's a game that many consider to be the best in the series. But as someone who holds no nostalgia for this title and has only experienced it for the first time nearly twenty-five years later after its release, it's not difficult to recognize its shortcomings in spite of its strengths.
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27. SaGa Frontier Remastered - T260G
I feel like T260G's quest is one of the less talked about, which is a shame because it's one of the most intriguing. The set pieces unique to their journey (the game uses they/them) are epic in scope and pile on the mystery as more stuff is revealed. Just what was this important mission? Their quest also has one of the more challenging final bosses. I was cutting it close in the end, relying on one person using DCS to do DPS. Part of that was me wanting to use Engineer Car in the final party. Mecs are a lot of fun to use, but healing them can be tricky because the only item that can do the healing only does about 400 HP at maximum. Still, this was a good time. Gen, Emilia, and Lute rounded out the party. Emilia learned Life Sprinkler during the final encounter which was pretty damn epic. Up next is Lute.
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14. Donkey Kong Bananza | 2025 | Nintendo Switch 2 | 3/8:
(https://imgur.com/PGxy3i0.png)
Well, I finally finished it. My #1 reason for wanting a Switch 2. To start of, the Nintendo EPD team perfected the feel, the weight of Donkey Kong's punches. DK crushes and crumbles his enemies with perfection -- knocking them out and blowing up parts of terrain with their body's splash damage. Punching through terrain is so much fun and it's crazy how natural it feels in this game. You can just level out environments with only Donkey Kong at your disposal and the entire map layer as your oasis. Each layer is this giant sandbox pit for you to make your own. You can surf on rocks that you pulled from the earth and use that same rock to throw at an enemy getting ready to attack. Not all enemies are designed to be hit by your punches or with any terrain: some will require you to use certain abilities or stronger terrain to do damage.
The boss battles are maybe my single favorite aspect of DK Bananza. They kind of just show up randomly: either at the end of a layer or somewhere in the middle. They all make use of the voxel destruction technology in various ways. One fight will have you rip off chunks of terrain to throw at a flying boss to slow them down. Another boss will require you to look towards the ground to see where they go when they're invisible, so you won't want to mess with the terrain at all. And then you have some bosses that do away with the typical three-phase battle and just require you to run up and punch the crap out of them and anything else in sight.
If there's ONE thing that holds this game back from being an all-time great for me, it would be the collect-a-thon nature of the game. There's a little of what I would call 'DK64-syndrome' in this game and that there's way too many things to collect. Yes, both Banana and fossil collectibles are not required at all to beat the game, but it doesn't feel as special to collect as the moons did in Super Mario Odyssey. What really made Mario Odyssey shine was the discovery of finding moons. The maps of Odyssey are smaller and more linear, but felt large and rich with everything you could potentially find in some off-beaten path or hidden corner. You are also granted the powers of Cappy, which amplify the joy of discovery even further as you could potentially control anything: Goombas, frogs, a tree?! Most of the bananas you uncover in DK Bananza meanwhile, are either in challenge rooms or just buried in the earth's crust. It could be by design, but DK Bananza is still a collecthon-a-thon game -- with a list of every collectable banana you could get shown in the pause menu. I just wish a little more creativity was put into the placement of collectibles. The animal abilities you get are cool, but hardly required in comparison to Cappy. You'll need to use them a few times in the layer that they're introduced, but are not required much after that. And when you need to find collectibles, it's just easier to use the Elephant to suck all the terrain up then to use any other ability. It took me under two weeks to 100% Mario Odyssey, whereas it took over two months just to beat Bananza (I did get about half of the game's collectibles to be fair). I guess I'll have to replay Odyssey later in the year just to see if it's as good as I remember.
I still really love this game despite it not exactly being as hyped up as I wanted it to be. This is just Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction on steroids and that's a great thing. It's an idea that I could never imagine but seems so obvious with the character of Donkey Kong. There's a surprising amount of storytelling going on with the design of Bananza's world and the signs left behind in each layer. You are slowly drip-fed some details and lore behind some of the game's layers and NPCs like the Fractones. I wasn't sure what to think about a bunch of animate rocks with cute googly-eyeballs sticking on them, but I really liked them by the end of the game. And the last couple of hours this game ends on are something to behold. I won't spoil it, but it's really special.
(https://imgur.com/LCljtGz.png)
Grade: A-
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15. Digger T. Rock | 1990 | Rare Replay Collection | Xbox Series X | 3/14:
(https://imgur.com/08gf12Z.png)
I'm not gonna trip, this game is pretty ass. Seemed to be pretty cool too at first glance. The few Snapshot challenges I played in the Rare Replay collection had featured this game. I had the impression that it would be like Dig Dug, but with NES level structures and a wider emphasis on navigation -- which is more or less what it is. Controls feel simple enough to use... until you get further in and see Digger slip off ledges trying to place a ladder, or get stuck trying to climb over a rock, or lose a life because he can't decide whether to throw a rock or use the shovel at an enemy. I then realized what I was in for.
In Rare fashion, a lot of their earlier catalog LOVES to challenge you; sometimes for the worse reasons. Battletoads is challenging -- maybe downright unfair with its difficulty -- but it never feels cheap. The challenge of Digger T. Rock comes from enemies that will endlessly spawn and falls that you cannot gauge if its a couple of blocks steep or a dozen. The camera is very close to your character, so you can't really tell what's below you. You can use ladders to safely climb down, but they're limited use. It all boils down to trial-and-error. There is a way to get unlimited ladders in like the 3rd level or something, but I never figured out how. Unless you have the patience to constantly get killed over and over just to figure out where you need to go, you're going to need a walkthrough. I didn't want to start pulling hairs, so I gave in and used one.
As you can probably tell, I'm not big on Rare's earlier catalog. I can recognize however that Cobra Triangle and Snake Rattle 'N' Roll are better looking, playing games than this -- and both had been released before this game! This takes the crown from Gunfright as the worse in the Rare Replay collection thus far. Grade: F+
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28. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Lute
New Game Plus. Recruit my faves. Do a smidge of stat grinding and glimmering in the Shrike Bio Lab. And boom. Done. I like Lute as a character but his scenario feels very tacked on at the last minute. The info dump by Hamilton near the end feels a bit forced. But eh. Details. Another character down. Up next is my boy Blue.
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16. Jurassic: The Hunted | 2009 | Xbox 360 | 3/22:
(https://imgur.com/4T3PpCf.png)
This is one of those games that I felt pretty unsure about going in. I'm not into dinosaurs, why would I buy this? Let's start with the facts: Jurassic: The Hunted is not a good game. It's extremely short, jank, not visually appealing, random ass story, corny B-movie dialogue, and definitely a product of its era. Yet, I had fun playing through this mess -- way more than I expected.
The dinosaurs of this game are well-recreated and believable. I mean, most of them just dart towards you as a form of attack, but it's thrilling and sometimes scary. You face the dinky dinosaurs mainly, with the much larger ones saved as boss fights. Levels are pretty varied and will most of the time introduce a new weapon for you to play around with. There are turret sections and even closed-off areas where you have to defend and repair barricades that the dinosaurs will try to tear down, similar to Call of Duty Zombies. I never felt bored with this game, which doesn't say much considering the campaign is like 2 hours long but still.
I would even consider Jurassic: The Hunted to be in the 'C' tier level of games I've played this year... if it wasn't for one glaring issue. This game runs horribly. This is one of the worse optimized games I have ever played. The first time I booted this game up, I had thought about getting rid of it because I thought my copy of the game was defective. I don't know if it's because I have one of the oldest Xbox 360s that hasn't red-ringed or what! I had to use the Adreneline ability more often to slow down time; not because it looked cool but because I couldn't aim with all the framedrops into the mid-10s. I guess that's just part of the 'Jurassic: The Hunted experience'. Grade: D
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5. Rune Factory A Fantasy Harvest Moon - Meh. The series has potential. But the execution of the first game was just very medium all around. Combat for the most part is just spamming the attack button. Some enemies will require a more "hit and run" style, which I found to be a lot more engaging as you had to actually somewhat think about what you were doing, but those enemies were few and far between. The bosses were fine though and required some thought and preparation to take down.
My biggest "gripe" was that forging weapons and accessories are locked behind upgrading your house which takes a while to do. I was about 3/4 of my way through the main story before I got it. The problem with this was that you need to craft strong weapons and accessories to get through the last few dungeons, but in order to craft them you need to level up those skills. So you are kind of forced to grind mining ores and making weapons for a few hours to level up before you can make any more progress. If they just gave you access to this mechanic earlier on you could level it up naturally as you explore and grow your character. Ideally, you would be able to do it from the start so you can naturally level these skills as you play instead of stopping everything to grind.
I also played the EN version, which after checking the JP version has super compressed audio. A bit of a shame.
Overall, a very mediocre/average game. Nothing special, but it gets enough right to make it enjoyable as a whole. I'd give it a solid 5.
Games still in progress: Pokemon Diamond (DS), Metaphor Refantazio (PS5), Octopath Traveler (Switch)
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Game 6 - Gauntlet: Dark Legacy (GC) - 2-player co-op, 20 Hours
After many bottles of beer, a friend and I were finally able to finish this game, which I've had on my "want-to-finish" list for years ever since I picked it up for the first time in college about 10 years ago. This game is great for couch co-op with your buddies. While graphically it leaves a lot to be desired, it's the gameplay, music, and great sound effects and voice work (in a silly way) that wins you over. This is a pretty deep game too that actually requires quite a bit of coordination and effort. I had to keep a log of all the Runestones, secret weapons, and other gameplay tricks and secrets that you may miss if you don't have the manual or pause a significant amount of time between play sessions like we were doing. Nonetheless, it's a really fun game and I'm glad I stuck with it after all this time. Will probably keep quoting the characters and announcer for a bit afterwards however!
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14. Picross e3 || Nintendo 3DS || 03.21.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/Ti45DPq.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/QqqMh97.jpeg)
I found myself recently wanting to pass the time with a more focused puzzle experience. So, almost like clockwork, I began playing the next Picross game for the 3DS, Picross e3, just as I've done the previous two years.
In truth, I did not think there would be much to mention about my experience with the game as this third installment is nearly identical to the first two. Even relatively insignificant elements such as UI and sound are virtually unchanged—the former is the exact same apart from its color, whereas the latter features the same song (there are only two tracks in the entire game, and one is exclusive to the main menu) used for stages but with a different instrumentation. However, the one additional mode added to Picross e2 named Micross has been replaced with a new, more challenging mode named Mega Picross that I'll discuss at more depth further below. So while there technically are changes presented, players of the previous two games should be more than experienced with the game's basic puzzle systems and strategies.
While playing this time, I decided to turn off the option that penalizes the player with added time to their stage time total. The reason for this is because, when players do inevitably make a mistake, they're not only given this negative penalty but are simultaneously given the positive reward of immediate feedback that is knowing whether the action taken was right or wrong which is useful information either way. As I don't approach these games with any focus on time beyond trying my best no matter what time that entails, I instead wanted one added factor to test my puzzle-solving skills as I progress through the series. And perhaps it's because of this changed that this third title feels more difficult. Often, a certain point of the stage arises when there is only one particular action to take that you're trying to notice, and sometimes all that you're benefited with is the answer to one singular grid plot that allows subsequent actions to be taken. In one of the two games (probably the first), there were moments that I felt I had no other option but to guess, even though I'm sure that isn't true. Despite how it may have seemed then, these instances certainly do provide enough information that's needed to continue each step with certainty. Nevertheless, I again was routinely stumped for lengthy periods of time while playing picross again, analyzing each individual row and column while counting up-and-down, left-and-right over and over again trying to find the one detail that provides some answer. Naturally, this was frustrating, but it was rewarding to presumably find what was correctly hidden that allowed me to progress.
Alongside the aforementioned instant feedback option when an error is made, there is also an option that can be freely toggled on and off that highlights which row and column can be interacted with in some way because there is enough surrounding information to make an action. It's generally an option I mostly had toggled off with the previous two games, but it seemed to me that it was necessary to turn it on at a higher frequency than before during some of the late-game Picross stages. Perhaps this is a result of deciding to opt out of that feedback option, but it instead just felt like the general difficulty of stages had increased when compared to those in the previous titles. While this feature is a helpful tool, it does not guarantee successes whether an action is made correctly or incorrectly is ultimately dependent upon the player. Regardless, this option is totally inaccessible every five stages just as had been established before too, so players will be forced to persevere without it with regularity.
Now, the most clear difference between Picross 3 and previous installments is the addition of the Mega Picross mode. While its end goal remains the same, it feels almost doubly complicated due to its gimmick that is that puzzle segments may span two rows or columns. Even the medium-sized 10x10 puzzles are challenging, so the few 15x15 large ones definitely are too. For nearly every action, a lot of careful thought is required, and the types of spatial reasoning strategies involved toward reaching the solution are much more complicated. It demands a type of thinking that, by the end of the game, I was still having trouble understanding. Fortunately, though, the toggle highlight system is especially helpful to have on as players can observe when what exactly constitutes a puzzle segment as being marked clear or not. On my own—sometimes with the built-in hint system turned on and sometimes turned off—I was able to clear the first twenty-nine stages of Mega Picross after a considerable amount of trial-and-error that sometimes resulted in me simply restarting the stage completely instead of trying to decipher where I made an error exactly. However, the thirtieth and final stage without any in-game assistance available to me was just too difficult. Apart from one action that granted me answers to six grid plots, I didn't know how to advance the puzzle at all. So, on two occasions, I felt forced to reference the puzzle solution online to select the answers to key plots I was having trouble with. So with a little more help than I'd have like to have relied upon, I was able to complete Mega Picross and the game altogether. In hindsight, I should have consulted guides to understanding Mega Picross better before doing this, but it was something I overlooked until afterward and am only in the middle of doing post-play.
By the end of my time playing Picross e3, I felt mentally drained by subset of Mega Picross mode stages. Still, my time with the game was enjoyed as the game offers a considerable amount of mental difficulty that feels momentarily rewarding to have accomplished; I specifically mention momentarily because there almost always is another puzzle left to solve. Momentary will now be a bit more elongated now, though, as I'm sure I'll get around to playing the fourth title in a year or so.
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Game 6 - Gauntlet: Dark Legacy (GC) - 2-player co-op, 20 Hours
After many bottles of beer, a friend and I were finally able to finish this game, which I've had on my "want-to-finish" list for years ever since I picked it up for the first time in college about 10 years ago.
Experiences like these are too few and far between now, though that's certainly not a new reality. Nice!
I remember casually playing through some of Gauntlet Legends for both Nintendo 64 and at arcades. Maybe one day I'll finally get around to properly completing that too.
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27. Mega Man Zero (PS4)
I mentioned this in my Mega Man 2 review, but up until very recently, the vast majority of my time with the Mega Man series has been confined to the X series. The first Mega Man X on the SNES was my entry point into the series back in the mid 90s, and for one reason or another I just always gravitated towards those games both back in the day and pretty much up until this year. I did play Mega Man Legends several years ago and ended up not caring for that game much, but as for the other non-X Mega Man games I've played so far, I REALLY, REALLY like them. I decided to tackle another Mega Man series I had no experience with and that would be the Zero series.
I decided to start with the first Zero game despite its well known issues and brutal difficulty, mostly because I wanted a fresh take on this series and also due to the Zero series being far more narrative driven then most of the other Mega Man series. I will say right off the bat, Mega Man Zero's infamous difficulty is definitely not overstated as this is probably one of the most challenging, albeit fair, 2D actions games I've ever played. However, my decision to play Zero as part of the Mega Man Zero/ZX Collection on PS4 definitely curbed some of that difficulty somewhat since that release allows for save asset checkpoints throughout the level, whereas the original release of Zero on the GBA didn't have this much needed feature. Essentially in the GBA version you have a limited number of lives and if you used all those up, which let's be frank, you absolutely will, you had to start the stage from the very beginning. I can't even imagine playing Zero like this given the game is already hard enough without having to replay entire levels again after dying 3 or 4 times. Had I played the game without the save assist feature, it would have almost certainly ruined the game for me, but with it, I ended up having a surprisingly awesome time with Zero despite how brutally difficult the game is.
Mega Man Zero's gameplay is really a mixed bag in terms of quality. On one hand, Zero may have the most dynamic, deep gameplay of any Mega Man game ever made. The ability for Zero to use both close range melee weapons and a blaster akin to Mega Man's buster arm create multiple ways of dealing with many of the game's bosses and certain stage hazards. Most boss fights will require you think and act quickly while toggling between using Zero's sword or spear, or your truster blaster. This is also integrated fairly seemingly given the limited control inputs available on the GBA, and how those controls are mapped to a PS4 controller. What benefits the most from Zero's dynamic characters controls are its many boss fights, which are mostly spectacular. The majority of boss battles are pretty hard and really require that you stay alert, learn boss's patterns of movement and attack, and utilize everything at your disposal to defeat them. There are several boss encounters that are outliers to this, either being far more simple and easy, or being brutally difficult to the point of being broken. Luckily, these underwhelming or sadistic bosses only account for a handful of the boss battles in Zero, making this game pretty fun throughout...except when you're getting through the stages leading up to the bosses.
Unlike Zero's bosses which are mostly all well designed and fun to fight, the level design in Zero ranges mostly from flat, bland and boring to poorly designed and terrible. There is little in between when it comes to Zero's stages. Mega Man game stages are often just as memorable or more memorable than the bosses themselves, but here, they couldn't be more opposite. Sometimes I wondered why there was even a stage at all given how much it either dragged down the pacing and my enjoyment of this game, or caused me so much needless frustration over the copious amount of blind jumps, poor enemy balancing and placement, or just gotcha obstacles that were just annoying first time playthrough traps. In fact, while writing this review, I can't think of a single stage in Mega Man Zero I actually liked or found enjoyable. It also doesn't help that various stages are recycled multiple times, making returning to a specific level even more annoying since you know you've already been there once or twice before.
Before moving on to Mega Man Zero's presentation, the game's power up and buff system has to be discussed as well. Mega Man Zero leans slightly into RPG territory with weapons leveling up as you use them. Leveling up your blaster, sword, or spear grants you additional abilities with them, making it easier to inflict more damage on enemies or more efficiently take down harder to reach enemies on walls or in the air. There are also elemental abilities that you can grant weapons which can help defeat bosses faster if you know a specific boss' elemental weakness. Speaking of these weaknesses, they are far less intuitive than in previous X and core series games, requiring you to try out the different elements to find out which one is best for which specific boss. There is also an assist or buff system in the form of these randomly dropped power ups called cyber-elves. The cyber-elves can grant you a plethora of abilities or assist you in certain ways like refilling your health. Some cyber-elf abilities need to be leveled up before you can use them, which is done by feeding them points you acquire throughout the game. Unfortunately, the amount of points needed to use some of the better, more useful cyber-elf abilities is pretty high and will require you grind in order to unlock them. Overall, the cyber-elf system, as well as the elemental system is sorely lacking compared to previous Mega Man games where you obtained cool abilities by beating bosses and could use them on the fly, or your ability to collect health tanks that you could use in a pinch. Those older systems were far more basic, but also just better suited for a game like Mega Man.
The visuals in Mega Man Zero are freain stunning! I adore the art direction of this game, as well as how detailed and awesome nearly every character and enemy sprite looks. There are also a few cutscenes in the game which also look amazing. These cutscenes are part of a greater narrative focus in this game which is presented through pretty good dialogue and also non-cutscene cinematics which really elevate the visual appeal of Zero. If not for the recycled stages and copies reuse of stage element assets, this game would easily have been a 10/10 when it comes to visuals. Speaking of those stages, they all look pretty cool and atmospheric for the most part, but again, their frequent reuse does drag things down a bit for a graphical presentation standpoint.
Finally, Mega Man Zero's audio is pretty rock solid. Songs are memorable, both throwback tracks like Zero's theme, but also all the new music that was created specifically for this game. It's all appropriately high energy and also fairly catchy too. It doesn't reach the caliber of many of the X game's soundtracks, but it's also not far off earlier. There are also some pretty good sound effects which all have a crispness to them and really give the action taking place on screen a special weight to them. Overall, audio is pretty damn good in Zero.
In some ways, I'm actually a bit surprised how much I enjoyed playing Zero. I'm certainly a fan of challenging but fair games, however given how parts of Mega Man Zero work so incredibly well while others fall almost complete flat, I would have guessed this game would have come out the other end in the "meh" territory. Instead, here I am eager to play more games in the Zero/ZX series, especially knowing they only get better after the first Zero. Again, I am going to throw the caveat out there that I'd highly recommend playing this game on the Zero/ZX collection released on modern consoles; especially for Zero, I cannot overstate how much of a dramatic difference the presence of the save assist features makes to the overall experience of playing Zero and from what I've read, fixes what is often considered Zero's number one flaw. But regardless, Mega Man Zero is in awesome action game worthy of sitting alongside its two older brother series. (3/24/26) [36/50]
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28. Fantavision (PS2)
It seems like several lifetimes ago that I was a 13 year old kid staring at issues of video game magazines like GamePro, Game Informer, and Nintendo Power pining over games that had yet to come out. The late 90s in particular were a very fun time to be a young gamer, and it just seemed like there was a never ending stream of amazing games coming out and new ones around the corner. I remember being particularly interested in the PS2 before its release and my main source for excitement about the then upcoming Sony console was a magazine released I think by EGM that was just about the PS2. Within its pages there were tons of mini articles and screen shots of games that were going to be available at launch, as well as games that would end up coming out within the first couple years of the PS2's life like Metal Gear Solid 2 and Gran Turismo 3. One game in particular caught my eye. It was a game where the whole point was igniting fireworks in the sky, creating a visual spectacle over night time city scapes and even in space. That game, was Fantavision.
I'm actually a bit surprised it took me this long to finally play Fantavision. Part of this is due to the fact the game is now over a quarter century old and the other part is I've owned a copy of it for the better part of its 26 year life. I'm in the process of during a minor downsize of my game collection at the moment and I decided to place Fantavision on the chopping block, but not before I finally gave this game a whirl to see if it's actually fun to play or instead a dated relic that was little more than a PS2 tech demo at launch. Unfortunately, the game slides heavily towards the latter more than anything else.
That's right, Fantavision's entire reason for existing is showing off just how cool PS2 games could look back in 2000 when both this game and the console its exclusive too were released. While in that regard it does a decent enough job, there were actually way better looking PS2 games when the console came out. Tekken Tag Tournament, Armored Core 2, Dead or Alive 2 Hardcore, and even various sports games come to mind, but there are likely various others I'm not thinking of at the moment. While the game certainly would have captivated me to some extent with its visuals back in 2000s, today it's really nothing special other than a bunch of green, purple, and orange fireworks exploding while a camera rotates around a coastal city at night, around a space station, and around a cool looking amusing part.
Music in Fantavision is even more underwhelming. While there are some decent songs in this game, most aren't particularly catchy, nor do they really add any appeal to this game. There is an announcer that says how big your chain of fireworks was (more on that soon) and when you pick up certain bonus or special items, but other than that there is little else to the audio in this game. Oh, and fireworks go boom...so yeah, there's that too.
The gameplay in Fantavision is not great, but I guess not horrible either. Fantavision's gameplay revolves around chaining three different colored fireworks together by using a variety of special flares and other modifying or special flares to rack up points and create a bigger visual spectacle when you ignite all the fireworks in your chain. You do this by selecting at least three fireworks of the same color in a row, but you can also string together colors using rainbow colored flares that go up fairly often. Unfortunately, selecting the firework you need quickly can be challenging as other colors easily get in the way, or you'll accidentally negate a chain by accidentally accessing the wrong color. At the same time, you can almost mindless twirl the analogue stick and just press the X button as much as fast as you can and rack up a fairly big chain. The take-home here is that the gameplay is very loose and sloppy, and pretty much just a serviceable distraction to what might as well have just been a movie showing off the then new PS2's graphical abilities.
There are far better puzzle games released during the late 90s and early 2000s, and way better games released for the PS2 at launch. Knowing this somewhat negates Fantavision's appeal or relevance in any way, which is why this game is typically a fixture of PS2 bargain bins. Still, on a personal level I do carry some sentimental feelings towards Fantavision and I'm happy I finally got around to trying it out. Sadly, it's still going into the bin of games I'm planning on selling here very soon. For what it's worth, I'm glad I at least tried the game out finally, but it's certainly not a game worth keeping and certainly not playing ever again. (3/24/26) [28/50]
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29. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Blue
Man do I so enjoy Blue's journey. Magic is always something I enjoy celebrating in RPGs, and Blue's quest is all about magic. His snippy attitude is great. He has a goal and will do whatever it takes to accomplish it. I had him acquire the gifts for Shadow, Rune, and Time magics. Surprisingly, I was still able to get Fuse and the Shield Card even after getting the gift of Rune Magic. That was nice. Fortunately, I would have been fine without him. Blue was joined by Liza, Gen, and Lute. The final area in Blue's journey is still stunning as hell (IYKYK). I love the color scheme for it. Up next is Fuse, and his will be a long one.
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29. Xyanide (XBOX)
One pet peeve of mine is how freely the word "hidden gem" is thrown around online. At this point, saying hidden gem is more or less just a buzz phrase to bait people into clicking on your YouTube video or Reddit post. The reason I mention this is because over the years of playing countless examples of supposed hidden gems, I've come to discover that the overwhelming majority, probably around 90% of them, range from being wildly mediocre to absolute trash in reality. For most of these obscure titles, there's a very good reason they remained obscure and relatively rare. And while I realize there are exceptions and special cases when it comes to this, most obscure games remained that way because, well, they kinda suck. Case in point, Xyanide on the original XBOX.
Never heard of Xyanide? Well, that's because this game is horribly made twin stick shooter released late in the original XBOX's life in 2006. The premise and even the opening cutscene of the game seem very promising, however when you actually play the game, you'll find a horribly designed dumpster fire of terrible gameplay balancing, inability to perform crowd control in a genre where it's absolutely crucial, a practically useless primary weapon and an arguably even worse more powerful secondary weapon, and to top it off, background enemies and visuals which often confusingly become part of the foreground, that frequently result in your ship colliding with another one. Not to mention, shooting anything in the background is about as clunky and inaccurate as it gets. The only reason I even finished this game was due to it fairly short length and also very easy mode slightly mitigating some of Xyanide's most egregious gameplay sins. Otherwise, I would have easily dropped this game well before ever reaching the end of the game, something I still feel like I should have done.
As mentioned, the visuals become a gameplay problem when enemies are flying in an out of the background and foreground while other enemies remain in the background firing at you, and you trying to fire back at them. There are some cool sci-fi visuals as you're blasting away at everything, but overall the 3D visual and gameplay style of this game did not mix together very well. I will also give some credit to the game's cutscenes which while limited do show off some very interesting sci-fi world building and pretty creative ideas. Unfortunately, they're not even good enough to redeem this game or the fact that the visuals are part of why this game sucks too.
Finally, we get to the best part of Xyanide, the music. While nothing special or overly catchy, the OST in Xyanide is still fairly good and definitely goes along with the theme and setting of the game. There are also exposition and various weapon sound effects as well, but they do little to enhance the overall experience of playing this game. I guess you could say the audio is slightly above average, which is among the only things about this game I can say that about.
Xyanide would have been a complete waste of money back in 2006, and it's still an even way bigger waste of money now seeing how it's fallen pray to the retro video game tax. Unless you're just some hardcore XBOX collector and have to have one of the consoles more rare titles in your collection, I'd strongly suggest spending your hard earned cash someplace else. This game is an absolute train wreck of gameplay design and one of the worse games I've finished in quite some time. (3/25/26) [18/50]
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29. Xyanide (XBOX)
One pet peeve of mine is how freely the word "hidden gem" is thrown around online. At this point, saying hidden gem is more or less just a buzz phrase to bait people into clicking on your YouTube video or Reddit post. The reason I mention this is because over the years of playing countless examples of supposed hidden gems, I've come to discover that the overwhelming majority, probably around 90% of them, range from being wildly mediocre to absolute trash in reality. For most of these obscure titles, there's a very good reason they remained obscure and relatively rare. And while I realize there are exceptions and special cases when it comes to this, most obscure games remained that way because, well, they kinda suck. Case in point, Xyanide on the original XBOX.
Yeah it annoys me too lol. I feel this 100% If they were good games, even if they didn't sell well at the time for whatever reason, collecting is such big hobby now that they would have been found by now.
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Sometimes playing the bad games helps us appreciate the good games that much more.
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29. Xyanide (XBOX)
One pet peeve of mine is how freely the word "hidden gem" is thrown around online. At this point, saying hidden gem is more or less just a buzz phrase to bait people into clicking on your YouTube video or Reddit post. The reason I mention this is because over the years of playing countless examples of supposed hidden gems, I've come to discover that the overwhelming majority, probably around 90% of them, range from being wildly mediocre to absolute trash in reality. For most of these obscure titles, there's a very good reason they remained obscure and relatively rare. And while I realize there are exceptions and special cases when it comes to this, most obscure games remained that way because, well, they kinda suck. Case in point, Xyanide on the original XBOX.
Yeah it annoys me too lol. I feel this 100% If they were good games, even if they didn't sell well at the time for whatever reason, collecting is such big hobby now that they would have been found by now.
I think at this point there are no more undiscovered retro gems, but for whatever reason there still seems to be quite a few games that have this reputation for being good, under appreciated, and lessor known, yet I just don't see it when I've actually played them. As I said, I think hidden gem has become a clickbait phrase more than anything, but I also think sometimes people dupe themselves into thinking a game is way better than it actually is due to the game's rarity, value, or desirability among collectors.
Sometimes playing the bad games helps us appreciate the good games that much more.
Very true. I tend to try and play games that have a pretty solid reputation for being good, but I also like to get adventurous and try out stuff that is lessor known, but also have reputations for being at least decent. I'm pretty sure I found my copy of Xyanide before Metal Jesus Rocks posted his XBOX Hidden Gems video, but at the time it gave me hope that game would actually be a gem. After all, I'm a pretty big fan of shumps, so I figured the game at to at least be okay. Nope...
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I think at this point there are no more undiscovered retro gems,
There certainly are, such as games that never released in the US that don't have English language options alongside titles for older PC systems. Although, maybe you specifically said this in reference to the US home console market which is probably more true than it's not.
Sometimes playing the bad games helps us appreciate the good games that much more.
Absolutely, and obviously this isn't limited to video games. If you're someone who has a favorite genre within a particular medium, then engaging in lower-quality contemporaries gives you the opportunity to think critically about what it is you do actually like. Sometimes, people don't know why it is they like a particular aspect because they don't actually have anything bad to compare it to.
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I think at this point there are no more undiscovered retro gems,
There certainly are, such as games that never released in the US that don't have English language options alongside titles for older PC systems. Although, maybe you specifically said this in reference to the US home console market which is probably more true than it's not.
Sometimes playing the bad games helps us appreciate the good games that much more.
Absolutely, and obviously this isn't limited to video games. If you're someone who has a favorite genre within a particular medium, then engaging in lower-quality contemporaries gives you the opportunity to think critically about what it is you do actually like. Sometimes, people don't know why it is they like a particular aspect because they don't actually have anything bad to compare it to.
With how long YouTube and various other large online spaces have been around, any game you can possibly think of has been discussed to death at this point. There are some fairly obscure PC games I grew up with and even those have at least a handful of dedicated reddit threads (sometimes whole subreddits) or there's a few videos on YouTube discussing them to some degree. Sure, there are probably unreleased games that have never seen the light of day that no one but the original devs know about, but if it's been released, it's known about and the internet has fully thrust it into the gaming community consciousness by now.
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23. Starfox 64 [N64] - finished March 24th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/2SHFh27Q/IMG-20260326-132807-(405-x-228-pixel).jpg)
GREAT THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES
Starfox 64 was directed by the great Shigeru Miyamoto and produced as this glorious rail shooter with 3D video-scopic 3rd person POV. It is technically great and visually ahead of it's time. But brevity and a short run time certainly leave you feeling like you had a rendezvous with a very beautiful person who didn't think you deserved a 2nd date... a lot of the excellence of it's technical prowess and level design was cut short it seems. And at my age and attention span? That's perfectly fine with me.
The game takes place through varying planets in a galactic solar system where you team up with Falco, Skippy, and the pig to chase after intergalactic villains that were responsible for the death of your dad. And they make no reservations about that being the reality either. With countless times sitting around and saying "you're gonna die just like your daddy" and other sinister stuff this cast of true pricks manage to muster up. I honestly have never heard a video game characters father be desecrated post mordem this much. Why do Fox so bogus? But either way you spend the entirety of the game traveling to distant planets on the Arcadia such as Titania. These barren sandstorm planets, gas giants, earth like worlds and all in between battling galactic starship, monsters and all kinds of epic space fare. It feels really 64 Bit for whatever that is worth.
The SNES starfox was also a technical juggernaut. Making use of the systems full video fx chip. The N64 version seems to push the N64's hardware capabilities to the max with these lush 60fps flying sequences, lazers. It looks likeba sexier 3D Zaxxon on steroids.
Fox's spaceship has many maneuvers that you can master. From corkscrew (the spaceship spins like a barrel roll) and then the U Turn where the space ship can reverse course on an angle which is most useful for pursing enemies that are tailing you. It is very much like an arcade game. And the game is designed and centered around playing for high score and branching paths like a cockpit arcade game at the mall. Fully featuring a tron style spaceship aim cursor and epic lazer effects. Graphically and frame wise it handles well and is a fully fleshed out flying game.
I guess my only issue with it, is it ends quicker than a Kim Kardashian relationship. It feels like all the effort they put into making the game so intricate to master is wasted by simply being such a little spectacle. The final boss feels like a mid game boss because of this. It's a grain of sand. No matter how perfect a grain of sand is. It falls short of being a beach. But surprisingly my craving for brevity makes me enjoy that about it. But I can't imagine the average gamer especially at the time paying 40+ for this game could honestly say this game gave moneys worth. It's shorter than most movies. And also because of this. It feels like so much of It's climatic cinema is just left without substance. It could have tripled it's run time and been even better. And while it does gave replayability with branching methods of beating it. It is just boiled down to the same overall looping level grid.
The few bosses it does have are typically killed by locating weak spots and the final boss in particular was extremely memorable and entertaining. As Nintendo has mastery of doing.
The game certainly needed more meat on the bone. But it was damn good meat for what was there to eat....
Rating - 86/100
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I think at this point there are no more undiscovered retro gems,
There certainly are, such as games that never released in the US that don't have English language options alongside titles for older PC systems. Although, maybe you specifically said this in reference to the US home console market which is probably more true than it's not.
With how long YouTube and various other large online spaces have been around, any game you can possibly think of has been discussed to death at this point. There are some fairly obscure PC games I grew up with and even those have at least a handful of dedicated reddit threads (sometimes whole subreddits) or there's a few videos on YouTube discussing them to some degree. Sure, there are probably unreleased games that have never seen the light of day that no one but the original devs know about, but if it's been released, it's known about and the internet has fully thrust it into the gaming community consciousness by now.
Anything can be discussed, but whether people actually have the means to engage with something is another, completely separate, matter. For the kinds of games that I'm referring to, the hurdles to play are difficult in the modern era without specific, outdated, and now-limited hardware of working condition to the point where it's overwhelmingly inaccessible, or they are lost as so much time has past and items were simply discarded or rendered unusable. This doesn't even factor in games that are quite literally unplayable now but previously were, or even games that weren't sold in consumer markets. There is no way to know the sheer number of games of all these kinds there may be, which is reason enough to say that an unexaggerated use of the "hidden gem" term can still be said in good faith, and especially so as people in the modern era actually do gain the means to play them.
Even if we disregard the above—at what point does the term "hidden gem" lose its meaning? Based on the way you're presenting your position, it seems that it takes few people to make it negligible.
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I'm allowed to start late
green games are games that have been beaten/endless in 2025
blue games are in progress.
standard games are games I am not currently trying to beat or have been beat in previous years.
red games are games that have been abandoned.
1. Major League Manager (PC)
2. Dropsum 2.0 (browser)
3. Diablo III (PC)
4. Civilization V (PC)
5. Mincraft [Nomifactory, Mechanical Mastery] (PC)
Totals
played: 5
beaten: 0
abandoned: 0
demo: 0
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30. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Fuse/Emilia
I had to do some reloading of New Game Plus in order to make Emilia recruitable for future Fuse files. It was fun seeing Fuse's perspective on Emilia, Gradius, and Ren. It was a really short campaign; much shorter than I thought it'd be. Along with Fuse (who's actually name is Roster - who knew?!) I had Blue, Liza, Gen, and Lute. The final boss fell easily so hopefully I'm ready to take on the final challenge and get my last trophy for the platinum. Wish me luck!
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31. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Fuse/Asellus
*victory music plays* 150 platinum trophies! (According to the PSN website I have 149, but my PlayStation account and my PlayStation app on my phone says 150 so we're going with that.) I'm glad I chose such a celebrated and favorite game to get the trophy. Most folks know I adore this game, and it's baffling that I continue to learn new things about it with each playthrough. The last trophy I needed wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, but that might have been because I overprepared. But, that's better than the alternative. If there's one thing that this series has taught me it's that there is no "just prepared enough" middle ground. You're either overprepared or underprepared. Thus, the gauntlet of final bosses went by without a hitch. I got to learn more about Asellus, too. Final party of parties was: Fuse, Gen, Liza, Lute, and Blue.
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32. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Fuse/Blue
I mean...I simply had to see what my favorite MC's campaign looked like with Fuse. Right? Right. Okay for real this time. I think I'm done with the Remaster for a good while.
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33. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Fuse/Lute
34. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Fuse/Red
I guess I'm in it to win it. These are much, much shorter than I thought they'd be. So, despite getting everything in terms of trophies, I still want to see other things I haven't seen before.
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*victory music plays* 150 platinum trophies! (According to the PSN website I have 149, but my PlayStation account and my PlayStation app on my phone says 150 so we're going with that.)
From my understanding, the likely issue is that, whether intentionally or not, one of your game trophy data is set to be hidden. I found a thorough series of steps to reverse that action (https://forum.psnprofiles.com/topic/126748-hidden-trophies/?do=findComment&comment=2559423), because apparently it's different to accomplish the task when using different consoles, and it may be required to use a specific console to reverse the action.
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Speaking of Platinum trophies, I just got it for Prince of Persia: The Last Crown. I hadn't intended to, but I made it to the last boss and I only had like 4 left and they were all pretty easy. Great game. Terrific map, great movement, combat was mostly solid (but it sometimes had issues getting your character to face the right direction). Just had a lot fun with this.
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17. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories | 2006 | PlayStation 2 | 3/27:
(https://imgur.com/C4Gu1PE.png)
It's felt like forever since I last played a GTA game, especially one from the PS2-era. The 'Stories' games were seen as an afterthought by a younger me because I had no idea what they were supposed to be. I thought they were extra challenges or bonus missions to their original games; I never knew Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories were full-blown GTA games! Since I'm more familiar with GTA III, I wanted to trudge through Liberty City Stories first and save the other one for later in the year.
LCS is pretty much a 'GTA III Deluxe', with more extracurricular content than the original and some gameplay features borrowed from the later PS2 titles -- such as motorcycles, drive-by shootings, and a less restrictive player-controlled camera. In terms of presentation however, Liberty City Stories is somehow weaker than its father game. I've run across multiple weird glitches: like having one of my allies in one mission shoot at me for no explained reason and having to use the RPG to blow up an enemy stuck in a wall -- the kind of glitches I would never come across in GTA III. Maybe it's just my nostalgia or I'm just unlucky, I don't know. This game also runs very poorly on original hardware, like it was made for the PSP in mind and was ported over to the PS2 last minute. It's like whatever framework they borrowed from the original GTA III to build on with the PSP version, to then port later to the PlayStation 2 has made it more unstable.
I can see it with the way the NPCs act on the streets: constantly getting stuck on cars or running into walls whenever they get spooked. Even during the credits when you are watching pedestrians drive around Liberty City, they are crashing into walls and other civilians. There's a level of polish from even GTA III that's not completely shown here. It has the same pop-in problems and there are still loading screens in-between islands (but now the music cuts out while you're loading for some reason). In half of the mission cutscenes, there's no lips moving and lots of static cinematography. Some missions feel too brief for what they are. There's a major character from Vice City that returns just to get gunned down for some papers; no dialogue from him or a special cutscene, you only get his likeness.
The story is not that interesting either. Many of the original GTA III cast end up returning through a majority of the game's missions. Toni Cipriani, the main character you play as, is one of them. Unfortunately for me, I didn't care for most of these people. They've all had a complete personality change and come off as bizarre caricatures that follow the series' trademark humor more so than their original appearance. Maria in this game devolves into a hardcore drug addict and is never mentioned after leaving the first island. Sal came off as shady in GTA III but here, he's a large megalomaniac. The cutscene dialogue can be funny, but most of the time I'm wondering why I'm doing missions for these people that have no respect for you. It makes doing missions feel kind of pointless. Claude is a more involved, developed character in the GTA headcanon than Toni -- and Claude doesn't speak at all! I read from a positive review on Reddit that doing missions is supposed to feel pointless, and that the main theme of the story is the pointlessness of crime and the consequences of chasing it. I can definitely see it, but it doesn't make playing through Liberty City Stories more compelling to me.
(https://imgur.com/h3G2xWv.png)
Grade: D-
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18. BALL x PIT | 2025 | PC | 3/28:
(https://imgur.com/NIfPOha.png)
I played the demo for this during the Steam Next Fest last summer, and I was pretty excited to start playing it now. It's a roguelike where you shoot balls at encroaching opponents to eliminate them, similar to Arkanoid. It helps if you can get the balls to the back wall so they start bouncing between there and the opponent's back. You don't have to do that though, and it may not even be feasible depending on what build you're running. You have 20ish characters to pick from, with each one having their own unique ability. There's one character that bounces the projectiles you fire back with a shield, one that lobs projectiles, even one that turns BALL x PIT into a turn-based game. You can even choose a character that just plays the game for you and makes their own decisions on what upgrades to get.
Upgrading your character works by picking up gems dropped by eliminated opponents. You can then choose from either passives or special balls with signature abilities like Burn, Charm, or Lightning. Eventually, an opponent will drop a power-up that will let you fuse certain balls or passives together. This is where the magic of the game happens. You can have -- for example -- a Laser ball shooting horizontally and another one vertically fuse to make one ball that shoots in both directions simultaneously. You can then fuse that one with the Ghost ball so that it passes directly through opponents now, while firing lasers every time it touches someone new. It's easier to make a powerful build in this game versus a lot of other roguelikes just from playing casually. By experimenting and believing in what you think would work, you could make something amazing.
(https://imgur.com/JHtx7I4.png)
There's also the home base: from which you farm resources like wheat and stone to construct buildings that will either grant you stat boosts or unlock a new character. After every match, you harvest by picking a direction to fire all your unlocked characters towards and seeing them ping-pong and bounce in various directions like the balls you fire in the main game. It's a fun gameplay loop of placing structures and harvesting crops, then attempting to beat the next level with slightly better stats and more information to work with. This game does run out of steam towards the end as it stops introducing new ideas to you, but the first 80% of BALL x PIT is very engaging to play. It's well worth the base $15 asking price for a one-week gaming addiction. Grade: A-
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35. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Fuse/T260G
36. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Fuse/Riki
For real-real, not for play-play this time. The game can be wrapped up in a bow. But this isn't a true ending. It's just taking a breath. It's my favorite game of all time. Of course I'll be back for more. The ending scene that was shown was really heartwarming. Almost heartwarming enough to make me want to do another file but there are other games I want to focus on.
*victory music plays* 150 platinum trophies! (According to the PSN website I have 149, but my PlayStation account and my PlayStation app on my phone says 150 so we're going with that.)
From my understanding, the likely issue is that, whether intentionally or not, one of your game trophy data is set to be hidden. I found a thorough series of steps to reverse that action (https://forum.psnprofiles.com/topic/126748-hidden-trophies/?do=findComment&comment=2559423), because apparently it's different to accomplish the task when using different consoles, and it may be required to use a specific console to reverse the action.
It's worth a shot. I think I know which game it's for (the original Dark Souls on PlayStation 3).
Update: the above method only works for PlayStation 4/5 games, unfortunately.
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*victory music plays* 150 platinum trophies! (According to the PSN website I have 149, but my PlayStation account and my PlayStation app on my phone says 150 so we're going with that.)
From my understanding, the likely issue is that, whether intentionally or not, one of your game trophy data is set to be hidden. I found a thorough series of steps to reverse that action (https://forum.psnprofiles.com/topic/126748-hidden-trophies/?do=findComment&comment=2559423), because apparently it's different to accomplish the task when using different consoles, and it may be required to use a specific console to reverse the action.
It's worth a shot. I think I know which game it's for (the original Dark Souls on PlayStation 3).
Update: the above method only works for PlayStation 4/5 games, unfortunately.
There are different steps depending on which console someone may need to use. I haven't actually tested any of these methods with any console, but I imagine they're correct unless system updates have changed them. From the link:
ON PS3
If all of your games are hidden on this website, go to the PSN section of the PS3's main menu, then go to Account Management, then select Privacy settings. It will ask you to verify by typing in your PSN password. Then where it says "Show Trophies", you need to select 'Anyone' from the drop-down menu. Now go to step 8 below.
If only specific games are hidden and you want to unhide individual PS4, PS3, and Vita games, follow these steps:
Go to your trophy collection.
Note: Make sure your trophy collection is in "online mode" (Press triangle over the trophy collection icon and then select online mode).
Select your trophy collection and your list of games should populate the screen.
Find a game that doesn't show up on your list on PSNProfiles. Do not press X to select the game though, instead press triangle.
A few options should show up, press privacy settings.
At the top it should say "Show Trophies for This Game" - make sure the box has a check-mark! (If the box is left without a check-mark, the game will stay hidden).
When the box has a check-mark, press OK. Then do the same for all of your other games that don't show up on this website.
Now you'll need to earn at least 1 new trophy in any game to see your changes show on this website (PSNProfiles), it can be any trophy on any console.
After you've earned a new trophy, then update your profile here on this website by entering your name on the homepage and everything should be fixed!
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I think the issue is that the game that's hidden is a PlayStation 3 game and those can't be accessed or shown on a PS5.
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I think the issue is that the game that's hidden is a PlayStation 3 game and those can't be accessed or shown on a PS5.
That's not true—at least, it's not true for me and my own account as I'm able to view all trophies that I've earned for PlayStation 3 games while using a PlayStation 5. Regardless, we know it's not a problem related to your console choice as trophy information for Dark Souls also isn't available on public websites such as PSN Profiles (most easily evident by your forum signature which states 149 Platinum trophies despite your reporting of 150 while using the PS App.) For some reason, the hidden option settings don't sync from one generational console to the next, which is why you'll need to actually use a PlayStation 3 console to adjust the setting.
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15. Ratcheteer || Playdate || 03.28.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/N93Dnf5.gif)
After two years, I've finally reached the end of Playdate's season one of games that were included with the handheld. And, fortunately, the last game Ratcheteer is one of the more premium offerings with a full action-narrative campaign.
Over the course of the game's events, players are slowly introduced to Ratcheteer's story that involves the human population having been largely decimated after a meteor impacted the planet that resulted in an unceasing winter. At the start, we're introduced to a surviving population of people referred to as Freezers who have manufactured some semblance of a society and normalcy by mostly living underground in cryogenic sleep and only awakening every ten years to conduct routine maintenance. Here, everyone seems to be either a master or apprentice in a various craft, as the player-character and townspeople are all mechanics, engineers, smiths, or the like to ensure their people's survival as they wait out the arctic climate above. To a higher degree than I was anticipating, the plot elevates the game's overall experience as it does provide reason and motive for why the player-character protagonist sets out on an adventure alongside alongside the unexpected path it takes. At the same time, there is actually a considerable amount of optional narrative information and dialogue to uncover, including one-half that's hidden behind a foreign language that can be deciphered if willing to be thorough while exploring.
Overall, the game offers a commendable sense of world exploration as various locales are not only presented, but the means to navigate them are seldom simple. Multiple regions are further separated into many individual, top-down screens that interconnect with another, and the game can be fully explored from the beginning to end in an open-world fashion without interruption. To help players, a map system is available that is filled out with each room that's explored; it's obviously helpful to figure out which specific rooms have yet to be found, though it's not particularly detailed as to illustrate where certain barriers and obstacles exist—something that is fine to me as this decision only provides a more fulfilling exploratory experience. Unexpectedly, there is also a fast travel system of sorts in the form of wells and cave systems, though the map doesn't mark them nor are they fully connected with another. While the game features a connected overworld, it's also charcterized by well-crafted dungeons. There is always a small detail to pay attention for, such as one specific platform that permits further progress or an opening in a wall that a tool can unlock. Another unexpected but welcome feature of the game is its emphasis on top-down platforming that is precise and regularly requires combining multiple tools available to the player to be used.
On that note, players will notice that some sort of tool is being used for one reason or another at nearly every moment, including a crank lantern that provides some light in an otherwise overly dark environment. To the game's benefit, the need for every one of the tools acquired throughout the course of the game is mostly balanced, aside from one which does eventually become obsolete. Another one in particular is also comparatively less important, as I believe it's only required for two different situations, one of which is optional. Nevertheless, tools are constantly being swapped, which does require the inventory menu to be opened. Two tools can also be set as active equipment, which is something that is certainly helpful as the game continues and varying actions must be taken in quick succession. How tools are equipped is an imperfect system as a result of the Playdate system's limitations, but it's efficient in spite of it. Yet, even when recognizing this, I did find myself toggling back-and-forth between game and menu far more often than I'd have liked. The equipment screen is actually only accessible as a sub-menu despite being used far more often than the mostly static inventory screen that I really never referenced, so the UX for swapping tools is something I do think could have been better slightly better.
With all this said, Ratcheteer is a top-down 2D action-adventure game that is quite reminiscent of certain older titles. While platforming and puzzles are quite pronounced, action combat is also a main feature, though it's an element that feels tertiary to the former two. Fodder enemies routinely appear that do require tools to be used (at minimum, the wrench sword which acts as a weapon), but they're generally easy to defeat or avoid. Meanwhile, bosses only accessible by obtaining the dungeon boss key are opposite—that is, until the player is able to figure how exactly they're to be damaged. Because of that, boss battles are their own kind of puzzle, and they're the only segments where I would lose all health and be sent to the start of the area. Generally, though, combat isn't particularly robust but it complements the game well. Something else worth mentioning is that the game's world is free to explore at any point so long as it's been unlocked, but it's only in dungeons where significant progress will be made. What I mean by this is that, once a dungeon has been unlocked, players will already have everything that's needed to clear it or will gain what's needed inside. However, this isn't to suggest that everything in a dungeon can be accessed at first, as optional collectibles are present in every dungeon that require returning at a later point with later-acquired tools.
Throughout my time playing Ratcheteer, I had a lot of fun from beginning to end (despite the game's final boss that's more annoying than not.) It's familiar in a way that players experienced with this kind of game will recognize, but it stands out for its strong use of the system's crank feature that's integrated successfully and not just as some tacked-on component.
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I think the issue is that the game that's hidden is a PlayStation 3 game and those can't be accessed or shown on a PS5.
That's not true—at least, it's not true for me and my own account as I'm able to view all trophies that I've earned for PlayStation 3 games while using a PlayStation 5. Regardless, we know it's not a problem related to your console choice as trophy information for Dark Souls also isn't available on public websites such as PSN Profiles (most easily evident by your forum signature which states 149 Platinum trophies despite your reporting of 150 while using the PS App.) For some reason, the hidden option settings don't sync from one generational console to the next, which is why you'll need to actually use a PlayStation 3 console to adjust the setting.
I see them when I access the trophy menu. But, I'm not seeing them in the hide/unhide area of the console.
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I think the issue is that the game that's hidden is a PlayStation 3 game and those can't be accessed or shown on a PS5.
That's not true—at least, it's not true for me and my own account as I'm able to view all trophies that I've earned for PlayStation 3 games while using a PlayStation 5. Regardless, we know it's not a problem related to your console choice as trophy information for Dark Souls also isn't available on public websites such as PSN Profiles (most easily evident by your forum signature which states 149 Platinum trophies despite your reporting of 150 while using the PS App.) For some reason, the hidden option settings don't sync from one generational console to the next, which is why you'll need to actually use a PlayStation 3 console to adjust the setting.
I see them when I access the trophy menu. But, I'm not seeing them in the hide/unhide area of the console.
From what you've described, are you referring to the Trophies›Privacy Settings›Hidden Games›Hide your games from other players sub-section while using a PlayStation 5? If so, that will not solve the problem as I'll reiterate that a PlayStation 3 must be used to alter these settings to obtain the desired goal, should the problem you're experiencing be what I'm suspecting. With that said, adjusting any of the privacy settings while using a PlayStation 5 will not solve this specific issue.
I decided to validate the steps I shared before while using a PlayStation 3 console, and I was able to go through the process exactly as described without any hurdles. And to clarify, those specific steps are here. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211682.html#msg211682)
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I think the issue is that the game that's hidden is a PlayStation 3 game and those can't be accessed or shown on a PS5.
That's not true—at least, it's not true for me and my own account as I'm able to view all trophies that I've earned for PlayStation 3 games while using a PlayStation 5. Regardless, we know it's not a problem related to your console choice as trophy information for Dark Souls also isn't available on public websites such as PSN Profiles (most easily evident by your forum signature which states 149 Platinum trophies despite your reporting of 150 while using the PS App.) For some reason, the hidden option settings don't sync from one generational console to the next, which is why you'll need to actually use a PlayStation 3 console to adjust the setting.
I see them when I access the trophy menu. But, I'm not seeing them in the hide/unhide area of the console.
From what you've described, are you referring to the Trophies›Privacy Settings›Hidden Games›Hide your games from other players sub-section while using a PlayStation 5? If so, that will not solve the problem as I'll reiterate that a PlayStation 3 must be used to alter these settings to obtain the desired goal, should the problem you're experiencing be what I'm suspecting. With that said, adjusting any of the privacy settings while using a PlayStation 5 will not solve this specific issue.
I decided to validate the steps I shared before while using a PlayStation 3 console, and I was able to go through the process exactly as described without any hurdles. And to clarify, those specific steps are here. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,13134.msg211682.html#msg211682)
Correct. That's what I was referring to. I'll need to hook the PS3 back up to deal with that stuff, which is slightly annoying.
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30. Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
Up until today, I've never once played 2011's Mario Kart 7. After doing so and beating it several times, I was left a bit surprised by how much this game feels like a prototype to Mario Kart 8 than its own distinct Mario Kart game. Don't get me wrong. MK7 dos have enough of its own unique stages, music, and visuals to set it apart from 8 or any of the other Mario Kart games, but I guess I was surprised by how similar the gameplay mechanics were between 7 and 8, as well as most of MK7's better tracks being included in MK8, many of them within the vanilla game. While Mario Kart 7 was certainly a very appealing and attractive game for its time, particularly with it being a handheld exclusive, it still begs the question as to whether MK7 is still worth playing or if you should just immediately play MK8 Deluxe on the Switch instead.
For a 15 year old game (God, saying that makes me feel super old) and even mostly by today's standards, Mario Kart 7 is a good looking and sounding game. While it didn't have the best 3DS graphics, they'e still no slouch in MK7. Stages, characters, animations and everything else your eyeballs can absorb look so vibrant, colorful, and creative. That trademark Nintendo charm is absolutely on full display here, and if you like other Mario games and other first party Nintendo titles, you're bound to love the visuals here. Audio is also great with some very good tracks in this game, yet overall, I wouldn't necessarily say it's the best in the series when it comes to music and overall sound design.
Where I feel MK7 shines the brightest and leaves its most noteworthy mark is in its gameplay. Having spent hundreds of hours playing Mario Kart 8, I felt right at home with the mechanics and gameplay of MK7. However, it must be said that compared to its younger brother, 7's controls do feel a tad more floaty and imprecise. That's by no means a massive ding on this game either; controls are still good as is being able to place your racer where you want them and have them do what you want as well. MK7 and MK8 mostly share all the same power ups and as mentioned earlier, many of the same stages.
Stages are split 50/50 between tracks introduced in MK7 and ones that are from previous Mario Kart titles, albeit with a 3DS coat of paint. While I did say earlier that many of the better stages in Mario Kart 7 where recreated a few years later in 8, not all of them are. And what I found was many of these still MK7 exclusive courses are actually better than the majority sent over to the WiiU and Switch. And going one step further, some of the tracks that are shared between 7 and 8 actually flow and work better in the older game. I'm looking at you Neo Bowser City. But yeah, tons of great tracks in this game across 8 different cups will keep you occupied for some time.
So is MK7 irrelevant? No, it is not. However, if you are coming back to this game after spending a lot of time with MK8, or maybe you're like me and have never played 7, you will find a lot of redundant tracks and gameplay that just worked way better in MK8. Still, those stages that MK7 did better combined with the ones that will likely always remain locked on the 3DS alone make a playthrough of Mario Kart 7 worth it. (4/2/26) [37/50]
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24. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest [SNES] - finished - March 27th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/tgd222JH/IMG-20260404-123253-(405-x-344-pixel).jpg)
"Don't be K.Rool. Girl Id Never Be that K.Rool to you" - Bobby Brown
Donkey Kong Country 2 is a masterpiece, it is also the hardest platformer I have ever beaten. I didn't know going in that it was constantly mentioned among difficulty giants like Super Ghouls and Goblins on people's top 10 lists for hard SNES games but halfway through I quickly realized that we are dealing with a different beast than the first game. Packed with tons of new ambitious power ups, level gimmicks and systems to master. It truly gives you a world of adventure in just 50mb of grey plastic housed software. And for it's difficult journey it rewards you with jest, mockery and beratement. Oh the glory days of Nintendo.
Where as most of the game derives it's challenge in exciting and adreanline thumping ways. Some of the levlels garner is from abuse. Web woods is an outlier In that the level web woods, the game sets you upon the mighty endeavor of using a red spider with tiger stripes on it's ass to build webs to traverse around enemies small and large. Sounds fair enough in concept. But it is something I'd liken to chinese water torture with how mundane and repetitive it is. For whatever reason it is one of the longest, most tedious and annoying levels in donkey kong country history. Not deriving it's challenge from adrenaline pumping tests of pure skill and reactionary wit. But instead it's this long winded, blindsiding nonsensical grabasstic bafoonery level that garners it's challenge from being annoying and unfair. It really did a whole lot to kill my mood coming into the final leg of the game. But it humbles you to slap you back awake with insane pace in future levels. This level was where beating it felt like a triumph of attention span rather than skill. It's rage bait. It really is. To put random npcs in sky fall locations that the player can't see or possibly predict AFTER about 20 minutes of shooting webs. So unless you can predict the next 7 wavelengths of the future to know exactly what the game intends to throw at you. You die. You die. Over and over. It Is cringe. To make webs that were just fired disappear yet ones that have been around for 20 seconds stay makes it hard to find a pattern to the spiders abilities. It feels reactionary to spite you. And I'd prefer solid rng. It was a brutal level where Diddy and Dixie arent even playable through most of it. Truly it's annoying. It's a miracle I even stuck it out.
But what is left after the ashes of insanity. Is fun. Pure unadulterated fun. The same fun pilots must have felt using untameable jet aircraft in the prototype phases of aviation. It's living on the edge when you play the game. Yes it is hard. But when you finally conquer it or learn it's levels. It feels like you are worthy. Like you made something happen. You are no longer a product of the games environment. The game's environment is a product of you. These thorn sequences where you get like 1 nano meter, 1 8th of a nat's testicles to traverse. It feels so good when you nail it. It's rewarding in that design and 98 percent of its challenge is never at the expense of fun. It keeps the fun at the forefront. And for that I admire it. Because i'm typically not one for brutal games but this series is Rareware at their best pumping out pure gold.
BOSSES AND MUSIC
The main advantage 2 has over 1 is the bosses. The bosses are deliciously entertaining this time around. The patterns so varied. The ideas so fresh and cute. Some bosses are defeated by tossing items into specific hit areas to cause the boss damage. This is stereotypical 90s game stuff. Some are beaten by jumping atop classic style. Some are flying, some are racing, some are firing canon balls. But most of all. ALL of these bosses are drenched in these vicious noises, soundtracks and effects that feel like a real collosal movie sequence. The music really pumps you up. Some real John Williams level stuff. From monotone ghoulish tones, to these energetic redbull adreanline peaking guitar rifts everytime Dixie finishes a level. It's rock n roll. It's 90s. It's sex and Camaros. The whole thing is BAD ASS. Truthfully. I think it's much better than the first game in all of these regards. And that's a tall act to follow.
DIXIE
Ah, our beloved Dixie. What would we do without her. Die 2000 more times most likely lol. Dixie is a new addition. Diddy Kong's main squeezes. Her head is a helicopter essentially. Pony tail carries you in a float for far further than any other characters jump. Think Peach's float ability in Mario games. It's like that. And in some of the trickier sequences. It makes up so much ground. It allows for more precise navigating mid air. And it looks so cool. Having 2 similar sized characters was a daring and bold move coming of donkey and diddy tag teaming as the classic "brute/speedster" combo. This was a refreshing change of pace.
DIDDY
Diddy however is made to be essential so brilliantly by the developers. Diddy scales ropes faster, has a slightly smaller hit box so he can jump between barage attacks more accurately and hes faster in general. Jumps higher. So in speed or rope climbing sequences. He is usually the best bet. And dixie takes the back burner. This was a brilliant way of making the more overpowered character not take over the entire game. So smart to design the levels to challenge each of the two characters. You can feel where and why the devs intend you to swap. And you almost always are inclined to do so. I love that both of these two contrast beautifully and both are needed. In the end despite Dixie's hair powers being so praised by the community. I am unsure which character I ended liking more.
Diddy Kong quest is a stained glass window to peer into a simpler and more magestic time of platformers. It is one of the best games of the franchise but tough as absolute nails. Be warned.
Rating - 91/100
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16. Ꙩ || Browser || 03.30.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/8qUkpxD.jpeg)
As I looked for something to play among a list of itch.io games I have saved, I found myself settling on Ꙩ. I think the game initially caught my attention several months ago from its name, so I began playing really based on that aspect alone.
While I did know that Ꙩ features some sort of shoot-'em-up gameplay, I really didn't know anything else beyond that. Since my experience with the broad genre is limited, I often forget that multi-directional shooters exist which is the kind of game Ꙩ is. By design, its gameplay is arcade-focused with no other objective beyond besting one's own high score, so I really wasn't sure how long my interest would be maintained since that's a style of play that doesn't usually captivate me. Utilizing a combined use of WASD and mouse controls, the game is all about clearing unending waves of enemies that skirt across the small field and can even be pushed back when shot. I generally found it best to cling to the outer edge which seems obvious, though I never really practiced full 360° coverage that would have been far more beneficial had I become more comfortable with the controls. Regardless, I generally maintained my position at the bottom edge of the field, though players will quickly discover that they can actually depart the field altogether. However, this comes at the cost of losing ship visibility alongside the ship's rate of fire being greatly lessened. At the same time, veering too far from the field will result in losing one unit of health and then being respawned at the field center, which inevitably will be populated by enemy ships.
So with the above description in mind, one may assume that gameplay is without much depth. And that would be true, were it not for the implementation of a randomized boon system that significantly impacts the success of each run. Once each wave is cleared, players will be required to choose one of two boons presented to them. There are several types that are temporary or semi-permanent, including changes relating to damage output, current health total, score multiplier, and total enemy count. Some are straightforward without any caveat, but a significant number of them are designed in a risk-and-reward type fashion such as higher damage output in turn for a higher number of enemies to spawn. Of course, certain selections will grant players a higher success of longer runs, but Ꙩ remains fun to play even when chance isn't in one's favor since runs are often short (for me, anyway.) There are some elements that I'm actually unsure if they're implemented correctly or not, such as the score multiplier being able to be set to 0, meaning players won't be able to accrue any points at all until another boon overwrites it. Also, while a certain level of luck is necessary to attain longer runs, a large portion of that possibility ultimately lies in skill.
As mentioned above, the only real objective is to reach greater milestones in the form of a high score. There are no timers implemented in a traditional sense beside the player's health that needs to be maintained, so runs have the potential to last indefinitely. And though there are screenshots from others on the game's store page that display almost unfathomable scores that show a skill level I doubt I'd ever be able to achieve, my time playing even only ever once clearing six figures after playing off-and-on for nearly a week was enjoyed.
Something also worth mentioning is the game's presentation. Including its simple three-color scheme, everything is refined in a way that's impressive when recognizing the game's original 36-hour development cycle. Perhaps it's because of the simple gameplay loop that allowed other aspects of the game's design to have been given much-needed attention that's evident—regardless, it's sleek and is eye-catching. Very little information is needed to be conveyed visually beyond the actual gameplay, and the game's developer demonstrates that. The only constant UI element is the player's score total at the bottom, although other elements such as the scores being awarded by each downed enemy also constantly appear. Meanwhile, both level progression and the player's current health total is integrated into the field design without any text or icons involved. A high level of tension is also frequently conveyed with a dynamic free-moving field that ebbs and flows with a fluid circle outline that has the capability to spike while the screen subtly shakes as players are inundated with enemies.
Even though I have little experience with shoot-'em-ups, I feel that Ꙩ demonstrates a higher level of polish than most of its contemporaries with similar arcade-focused play. It's objectively a simple game, but I find the gameplay loop to be exceptional and more than capable at maintaining player interest.
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25. The Simpsons Wrestling [PS1] - finished - April 5th, 2026
(https://i.postimg.cc/Wz9pGyrB/IMG-20260407-144154-(405-x-311-pixel).jpg)
THIS GAME GETS WAY TOO MUCH FLACK
I remembered this game being hated by all kinds of influencers but I was unaware that IGN literally gave this game a 1 out of 10. Which is not surprising considering that the integrity of that company just is abysmal. But it's unfair a tad. I'd like to play lawyer or devil's advocate to the game today lol. Is The Simpsons Wrestling a technical tribute of puzzle solving interconnected within a flushed out picture perfect fighting game like Punchout is? No. It's not Tekken 3. But sometimes it seems the sheer amount of hatred this game gets is perhaps overblown and I dare say hive minded from the opinions of YouTubers who are not only critical of this game but all Simpson's IP games or just go in ready to hate games based on other media. I get the criticisms but not the amount or direction of some of them. I played it unbiasedly. I am not even that huge on the fighting game genre. I don't know what people are seeing with this one. Maybe it's me and that's fine. But I will lay out the reasons why the game is not a 1. And why I feel it's a worthy addition to a backlog.
Perhaps a show as idealogically stimulating and revolutionary as The Simpsons was, maybe the expectations are set higher. But if i'm being honest. The game is labeled as this unintriguing dumpster fire of shovelware slop that has no depth and broke controls. Considering each character has it's own individual powers and specialities, considering each character is voiced and includes catch phrases, and factoring that there are multiple changing challenges within the matches themselves already makes the game worth a play. And imo it's totally servicable. To say a game can have all that yet be a 1 is just lazy reviewing imo. And it annoys me a bit. Disliking a game heavily and calling it a 1/10 are two different things. Parappa the rapper is just as broken if not more mechanically (I say much more) and just as limited in depth yet is revered. But I will give the game it's fair just dues from my own subjective POV. Keep in mind. I may be the only human who likes the game. Maybe it's like the movie Shalllow Hal where I am seeing beauty in the ugly.
THE MEAT AND POTATOES
You have 3 championship tournaments to enter. One unlocks the next. The first is the new comers challenge which then evolves into more major titles and the defenders cups ect. You pick your favorite Simpson... for me that was the loveable Lisa. And you just go match to match kicking wholesale Springfield ass. Now what is striking is that the game has unique character abilities that are pretty cute and novel. Barney the local bar fly wields an encompassing noxious belch that essentially provides a toxic film over the ring that continuously hurts the opponet like a poison status effect in pokemon. During matches special items enter the ring. Collect all 5 letters of the word TAUNT and you can then taunt your opponet which creates invincibility cloak. Then some food items have aggrandizing health effects that boost your life to handle more blows. Which is cool. I found myself leaving combat to seek the letters to try to gain upper hand. That's literally rpg elements.
Most of the fights can be won by trampolining off an opponets head over and over which is an actual strat that opponets also try so it's canon to what the devs intended. I would call this a broken part of the game but some characters intentionally defend against it by jumping when you jump or have outside forces to stop you. Pogo pouncing, it feels a lot like a wacky mall arcade. The physics are essentric. But there. The game functions.
Then you also get a special attack which is powered by your special meter. In Lisa's case this was biting the opponets arm and you can keep chewing until the enemy fully depeltes their counter meter by mashing shoulder buttons which is the same way you kick out of a pin. Thumb tapping serenity becomes adreanline when you play in the tougher levels.
Characters like Mr. Burns has a sort of outsider effect where he will throws nukes into the ring to hurt you. Makes for a challenging match againt his butler Smitthers.
So 1/10 equates a unplayable game with not a single good thing to it's credit.
1. Actual Voice Acting
2. RPG Elements
3. Unique Character Abilities
4. Unlockables and strategy based fighting
5. Challenging difficulty and Accurate levels
The cons
The pin mechanics seem ugly or forced which they can be. The hit boxes arent perfect sure. And the graphics are a little blocky and ugly even for the time. So with all that said. A 4 or 5 minimum would be fair. But the game just isnt as bad as the consensus. Most haven't played it objectively and I will die on that hill lol. I found a lot to enjoy here. It's even worth a laugh or two like Lisa quoting the philosopher "Homer" which is a bit profound retrospectively.
The thing is fairly rad tbh. The Alvin to my Theodore, a damn buddening sand pit pal from yesteryear that was abused by it's peers but ended up giving you his milk at lunch time. But I don't feel nostalgia goggles are causing my skew in opinion. It's far more quality than I was told. I have played much worse simpsons games and definitely much worse IP shovelware. Much worse beloved PS1 software. Simpson's Wrestling has it's dull repetitions and mundane difficulty curve that can definitely frustrate. It is clunky at times. But it's also a cute arcade style fan fare packed Jelly donut where the jelly is the fun lol. The game actually surprised me.
Rating - 67/100
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I was left a bit surprised by how much this game feels like a prototype to Mario Kart 8 than its own distinct Mario Kart game. Don't get me wrong. MK7 dos have enough of its own unique stages, music, and visuals to set it apart from 8 or any of the other Mario Kart games, but I guess I was surprised by how similar the gameplay mechanics were between 7 and 8, as well as most of MK7's better tracks being included in MK8, many of them within the vanilla game.
It's funny how playing them in this order can change your judgement on the game. It's like playing Mario Kart DS after Mario Kart 7 and pointing out how they play alike and that some of the best tracks from DS are in 7.
Not saying you're wrong. It's factually the case that 8 is an improvement over 7. But that's kinda the case for the entire series (outside of the latest entry imo).
Just thought it was funny how the order we play games can affect people's perception on games. One of the reasons I tend to play games in release order when I try a new series.
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I was left a bit surprised by how much this game feels like a prototype to Mario Kart 8 than its own distinct Mario Kart game. Don't get me wrong. MK7 dos have enough of its own unique stages, music, and visuals to set it apart from 8 or any of the other Mario Kart games, but I guess I was surprised by how similar the gameplay mechanics were between 7 and 8, as well as most of MK7's better tracks being included in MK8, many of them within the vanilla game.
It's funny how playing them in this order can change your judgement on the game. It's like playing Mario Kart DS after Mario Kart 7 and pointing out how they play alike and that some of the best tracks from DS are in 7.
Not saying you're wrong. It's factually the case that 8 is an improvement over 7. But that's kinda the case for the entire series (outside of the latest entry imo).
Just thought it was funny how the order we play games can affect people's perception on games. One of the reasons I tend to play games in release order when I try a new series.
That is true, however DS and most other MK games feel very distinct from one another. DS and 7 feel and looks completely different from one another, whereas 7 and 8 almost feel like the same game often, albeit 8 looking way better. And being similar to 8 is absolutely a good thing (8 is my favorite in the series), but it does make me wish 7 felt a bit more unique and distinct.
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RECENTLY ABANDONED GAMES
1. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2025
I was heavily disappointed with my experience of this game. The game uses a flawed and outdated version of Bing maps. I wish Microsoft would have swallowed pride and done better. I was under the impression that albeit poorly textured. The game had rendered cities across America. The cities are worse than PS2 fidelity and missing so many geographical landmarks that my city doesn't look nor feel like flying over my city even in a polygon PS1 world. It ruins immersion and is fairly trash. Wish I didn't pay launch price for this. If anyone wants it for cheap or trade for some 20 dollar game. Hmu
2. Halo 2
Again I feel like I'm kicking someone's grandfather lol. But it is shocking to me that the king of first person shooters doesn't have an allocated aim mechanic. I remember loving this game as a kid. I know it's a fan favorite. The plot hasn't gripped me and the aiming system is very dated versus modern fps. It hasn't aged well Imo
3. Cyborg Justice
I may return to this one. The concept of ripping the enemies arms off is cool and novel. And it has epic soundtrack. Is fairly customizable too. But I suck badly at this game. Like it's so brutally hard.
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13 - Retro Rewind: Video Store Simulator (PC 2026) - BEAT - Over the past couple years, these "simulator" games have become more of a thing, and not like Powerwash Simulator, but usually it's about you running a store, or a business, and you do tasks, earn money, expand your business, etc...Generally I'm not super into them, they often feel abit low effort, usually very asset flip heavy, they might have a gimmick that's mildly entertaining (The TCG card one seemed okay), and I don't know if I would say this game doesn't feel slightly similar (I think it's content is original, but not 100%), but the nostalgia of running a video store is nice enough to draw me in.
I hit Level 20 which is the games current level cap for earning anything new, so it's where I'm counting it as complete, though I still have stuff to buy, more store expansions to get, but I'm good as is right now with it. The gameplay loop is simple. Get to the store, put away movies brought back overnight, restock snacks, then check out people and help with requests, and close. You can get up to 2 employees, my main one just does movie returns so I can focus register.
I feel where the game falters is the gameplay loop is fairly basic, there's not a lot of friction or variety to events or things that could happen throughout other than if someone has a late charge fee or broke a tape, they can get upset about the fee and refuse to pay for their new rentals, pushing them off the counter, and that's mostly it. I think it could definitely use more depth and the NPC's that seem to be original as far as I can tell, don't have any designs that feel very 90's, music playing is sorta synthy, but I wouldn't say are strong 90's, though the store itself is good enough. The art is another thing that's not great, as to have lots of movie variety (Supposedly there's 14k "original" movies), all the art is kinda like cheap clip art feeling, that then can be re-used among the genres or in different ways. It makes sense, but it looks bad. New Release movies luckily get all original art and movie standees that look good at least and are usually parodies of Alien, Rambo, Star Wars, and a few others that I've seen so far.
It's not worth the 20 bucks with the content it has, but it's fine if you can get it on sale. They are planning to add more to the game with free updates, including video game rentals as it sold a lot better than they expected it too, so that'll be a fun to have.
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31. Pilotwings 64 (N64)
I feel like all gamers have those special comfort games they play when life isn't at its best or maybe they just need to be reminded of simpler times. In my case, I felt like I needed both. I found out last week I'm getting laid off from a job I've had for 8 years. I don't work from some mega corporations where layoffs are the norm and the company is certainly small enough to where everyone is fairly connected to everyone else, even the executive management team. So the fact that I was one of about 40 people that were told we're getting let go soon came as a complete shock. This unfortunate news derailed my playthrough of Chrono Trigger, a game from a genre I struggle to get into even when I'm not dealing with life changing events. When I finally did feel like doing something other than frantically navigating a terrible job market, I decided to play a game I've thoroughly enjoyed since I was a young kid, and one that reminds me of those simpler times better than most.
I've probably played and beat Pilotwings a dozen time since it came out in 1996. It honestly makes me feel ancient even thinking about this game being 30-years old this year. But over the past three decades, this game has always made me smile. Whether it's the surprisingly good, and fun gameplay, the almost perfect OST, or the fact that this game still looks fairly impressive, even with how aged N64 graphics are typically seen now. Pilotwings 64 is a legitimately enjoyable, well made, and special game.
My only gripes with this game involve the camera, some of the controls, especially when playing the unlockable modes, and yes, the graphics which are very impressive for a game in 1996, but have lost most of that luster they once may have had. However, all these issues are relatively minor in the grand scheme of things. Anytime you get frustrating trying to control the hang glider or hit Giant Hawk with a missile, playing the birdman mode instantly makes all those frustrating melt away.
I know this game isn't typically discussed when the upper echelon of N64 games is brought up, however I feel like Pilotwings 64 almost belongs in that conversation. If you grew up with this game like I did, you'll no doubt be unable to resist its mid-90s video game charms, but more than that, the game and its various modes still control and play very well, and its various areas all have a distinct charm to them, even of they are relatively small in scale. Pilotwings 64 is an absolute must play on the N64 and a game I'm very thankful to have right now. (4/10/26) [39/50]
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31. Pilotwings 64 (N64)
I feel like all gamers have those special comfort games they play when life isn't at its best or maybe they just need to be reminded of simpler times. In my case, I felt like I needed both. I found out last week I'm getting laid off from a job I've had for 8 years. I don't work from some mega corporations where layoffs are the norm and the company is certainly small enough to where everyone is fairly connected to everyone else, even the executive management team. So the fact that I was one of about 40 people that were told we're getting let go soon came as a complete shock. This unfortunate news derailed my playthrough of Chrono Trigger, a game from a genre I struggle to get into even when I'm not dealing with life changing events. When I finally did feel like doing something other than frantically navigating a terrible job market, I decided to play a game I've thoroughly enjoyed since I was a young kid, and one that reminds me of those simpler times better than most.
I know this game isn't typically discussed when the upper echelon of N64 games is brought up, however I feel like Pilotwings 64 almost belongs in that conversation. If you grew up with this game like I did, you'll no doubt be unable to resist its mid-90s video game charms, but more than that, the game and its various modes still control and play very well, and its various areas all have a distinct charm to them, even of they are relatively small in scale. Pilotwings 64 is an absolute must play on the N64 and a game I'm very thankful to have right now. (4/10/26) [39/50]
Sorry to hear that. I'll also be leaving my job in August, at which time unfortunately I'll also have to leave Japan. In my case though I knew it was coming as my contract is up and there was no chance of renewing it. Hopefully you are able to land on your feet with a smooth transition into your next endeavor.
On the topic of Pilotwings 64 though. it's one of those games I've been thinking of picking up but haven't pulled the trigger on. I've only recently started to collect N64 after getting an Analogue 3D last year, and so far I've basically stuck to the "sure hits" I know I want in my collection like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda titles. I think I've got somewhere around 15ish games for the system right now, but I'm basically out of games I know 100% I wanted. From now I have to be careful with what I buy so I don't waste money on something that won't stay in my collection. Once I play the games I already have, I think I'll start emulating stuff to figure out if its something I want to keep, and Pilotwings will likely be one of the first games I try.
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I found out last week I'm getting laid off from a job I've had for 8 years.. (4/10/26) [39/50]
:( I know it's not much, but I am really sorry this has happened. Seeing you around these forums for as long as I have. Feels pretty devastating to know this happened to you. Or anyone. I swear the world just keeps bleeding the good decent people for the benefit of monsters or Greed or AI. It feels like every time I wake up Its like majoras mask or something.. where it feels like you are running against the clock or preparing for an impending doom which can come in like 20 different forms.
The game I always play when I'm sad or defeated is tetris for whatever reason. Like affairs, financial troubles, breakups and fights. I find myself zoning out to tetris. It's so good at numbing my brain I feel. Like I just get lost in it. That sweet Russian Hymn, the iconic repetition. Games have a wonderful way of making everything else feel normal for a bit. It's medicinal in ways.
I really hope good news comes your way soon bikingjahuty!
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37. Final Fantasy VII
Another platinum for another classic. During this file, I did a lot of firsts. It was my first time getting a date with Barrett. It was my first time skipping the Gongaga area. It was my first time not entering Wutai to deal with Yuffie's Materia stealing antics (something I'll avoid going forward). It was the first time I got Aerith's final limit break. I think most importantly, this was the first time I fully utilized Cait Sith's Game Over slot via his Slots limit break. Specifically, I was able to knock out both Ruby and Emerald Weapon with it; no Mime/KotR combo silliness. This lead to more firsts: my first time not needing to bother with the tedious Chocobo Breeding for a Gold Chocobo. (It's been proven you don't have to race them to unlock better ones but still). And, it lead to my first time getting Master Magic, Command, and Summon Materias. There were other firsts but I won't get into them. I'll just say that I had an absolute blast with this classic despite having to really follow a guide to avoid missing certain things. As a result, I feel like I'll do a replay of this sooner rather than later. The game is still great-fun, and having the boosters around makes some of the less favored areas much more manageable.
31. Pilotwings 64 (N64)
I feel like all gamers have those special comfort games they play when life isn't at its best or maybe they just need to be reminded of simpler times. In my case, I felt like I needed both. I found out last week I'm getting laid off from a job I've had for 8 years. I don't work from some mega corporations where layoffs are the norm and the company is certainly small enough to where everyone is fairly connected to everyone else, even the executive management team. So the fact that I was one of about 40 people that were told we're getting let go soon came as a complete shock. This unfortunate news derailed my playthrough of Chrono Trigger, a game from a genre I struggle to get into even when I'm not dealing with life changing events. When I finally did feel like doing something other than frantically navigating a terrible job market, I decided to play a game I've thoroughly enjoyed since I was a young kid, and one that reminds me of those simpler times better than most.
So sorry to hear about that. I hate that you're going through something like this. Definitely play those comfort games to help punctuate the job search.
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10. Anarcute
The devs of this game were like: 'What if we take the grim reality of protestors rallying together and giving their own life to overthrow an oppressive regime, and make it cutesy?'
In Anarcute, you control growing hordes of anarchist chibi animals to fight cops, break out your friends and free areas from the evil regime. It's so stylised and light on story that I'm not exactly sure how it wants me to interpret its political message, but it's clearly not at the foreground.
Gameplay-wise it's fun enough. It's straightforward and relatively simple. Beating up the enemies and clearing levels does feel good. Its short levels make it perfect for quick bursts. I played a few levels on the train after work every day, and it's perfect for that. Towards the end I could get a little bit tired with some levels, but overall I enjoyed my time with it.
I wouldn't say this is a must-play, but it's worth a look on sale if it sounds interesting to you. Tip: the game is available on a bunch of platforms, but I got it on itch in 2020, in a massive charity bundle against racism. So if you bought that bundle, you have it already :)
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11. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Holy crap this game is fantastic! I'm completely blown away! This is the first Ratchet & Clank game I've ever played, so I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. But I had a total blast.
This game's presentation is downright fantastic. I felt like I was playing through an animated feature film. Seriously impressive stuff. The gameplay is a blast too. Shooting up enemies with a wide variety of weapons, quickly switching between them to stack attacks and control the crowds, it feels really freaking good. I honestly don't really know what to add. I just really freaking enjoyed it. May play through it again at some point (even though I say that more often and I rarely do, but still). I can genuinely highly recommend it.
Only thing I'll say is: if you want to get the most out of this game visually, I do recommend playing on PS5 or a high-end gaming PC if you have one. I played it on Steam Deck with mid graphics settings, and it looked good and mostly ran perfectly fine, but when things got really hectic it did stutter or drop frames here and there. Not a huge deal, but noticeable. I chose Steam Deck because it's the most convenient and comfortable (and I don't have a PS5), but perhaps I should try replaying this via my high-end laptop on my tv and see how that looks. I'm curious what that's like now.
I feel like all gamers have those special comfort games they play when life isn't at its best or maybe they just need to be reminded of simpler times. In my case, I felt like I needed both. I found out last week I'm getting laid off from a job I've had for 8 years. I don't work from some mega corporations where layoffs are the norm and the company is certainly small enough to where everyone is fairly connected to everyone else, even the executive management team. So the fact that I was one of about 40 people that were told we're getting let go soon came as a complete shock. This unfortunate news derailed my playthrough of Chrono Trigger, a game from a genre I struggle to get into even when I'm not dealing with life changing events. When I finally did feel like doing something other than frantically navigating a terrible job market, I decided to play a game I've thoroughly enjoyed since I was a young kid, and one that reminds me of those simpler times better than most.
Oh that sucks hard. I'm sorry to hear that. I do hope you'll find something new soon. And until then, that playing some of your favourites and sharing experiences at least helps a little bit.
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14 - Windrose (PC EA 2026) - ENDLESS - I always tell myself to not buy the Early Access games, because one of two things happen, where it's either a game that shouldn't have been released in the state it was in and Early Access feels more like "please give us money" and then the game drags on in development hell forever, or it's a really good game with a solid core, where I'll put a huge chunk of time in, hit the limit of its content and then feel abit burnt out and won't play the game again till it hits 1.0. This is the latter lol
I had never heard anything about this game until I saw some clips show up on TikTok, then I saw a buddy had it, and then I realized what it is. Basically it's survival/crafting pirate era game, with Assassin's Creed Black Flag-esque ship combat (From what I've been told, haven't reached owning my ship yet). What is here is a basic, but seemingly very decent survival game, fight, scavenge, and explore for supplies, build a base where you put your storage and crafting benches, and then eventually you'll get a big boat to sail the high seas with (You get a little boat for island hopping until then).
Everything about the game so far seems quite decent, with my only negatives being the combat. It's very...basic older hack and slash, you tap strikes for a combo, simple dodge, simple block and perfect parry, but it's surprisingly hard, because all enemies do high damage and blocks are limited with a three count block if you don't perfect parry, which will stun you on the next hit. You can stun enemies too, but it's not a guarantee and it's not the easiest to judge parry timing. It's something I hope they plan to overhaul, get something abit more satisfying if possible.
I still apparently have a long way to go for what content is available, but just calling it "endless" now, since I assume there's not an ending yet. I'm just happy to have a new pirates game that I think I'll enjoy for the first time since AC: Black Flag. Sea of Thieves was neat, but that was a multiplayer game. Skull and Bones was a flop. And Sea of Remnants, while looking incredibly cool, it's not released yet, it's unfortunately a turn based RPG, and it's F2P, so it's questionable how that one will turn out. I think this has the potential to be a solid time and it seems to be very playable right now, which I really appreciate. Sorta feels like the release of Valheim where it had all the ground work and some decent enough content to play for awhile, and now it's just about waiting for them to finish.
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5: Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection (PS5)
I had a feeling back when I played the demo that I wouldn't be able to put this one down once I started it, and I was right. This game is worth every penny of the $70 I spent on it. Rarely does a new game exceed my expectations these days, and even more rarely does it turn out to be one of the best games I've ever played, but that's exactly the case here. This is the pinnacle of creature-collecting games. This game saw everything Pokemon Legends: Arceus did right and said, "Hold my beer." It's the same basic formula, but expanded so far in every imaginable direction that it ascends to a higher form. The art style is a massive improvement over that of the previous two Monster Hunter Stories games, keeping the anime-esque shaders while thankfully ditching the chibi proportions and preteen protagonists that other games in this genre adhere to like a religion. Finally a developer understood that some older fans of the genre want huge badass monsters and not beady-eyed yellow fuzzballs. And it's so nice to have a player character who looks like they could have a driver's license.
This game has a wonderfully complex turn-based battle system which forces you to take into account not only the element of your attack, but also the type of the attack (speed, power, or technical), the type of your enemy's attack, the charge gauge of your weapon, the type of attack your partner monster is using, what enemy body part you're targeting with what type of weapon (blunt, slash, or piercing), and whether or not the enemy is targeting you (which causes a clash called a head-to-head resolved by a rock-paper-scissors type alignment). This brings me to the next great thing about the game, its difficulty. This game is really freaking hard, and demands you learn the ins and outs of its battle system or else it will gladly bend you over the nearest table and ream your ass. When I first started the demo, I saw that in each battle you had three hearts that would auto-resurrect you or your monster when one of you died. I thought, "Oh cute, they dumbed the combat down for the modern audience." WRONG. This is actually a legitimate gameplay mechanic, and you will have to think hard about how many hearts you have left, whether or not you have any life essence to restore them, and whether you want to use items to heal your ailing monster's status or just let it die and come back with its stats refreshed. Unless the monsters you're fighting are the same level as you or lower, you will be dying a lot in each battle.
Like Legends: Arceus, MHS3 takes place in open-zone maps which you must explore and harvest new monsters from. These maps are a great example of how to make an open map without making it too big and empty. The method of acquiring new creatures is different from Pokemon, though. You don't capture the adult monsters, you raid their dens and steal their eggs. This often leads to comical situations where you're running out of a den carrying an egg the size of a small beach ball while the angry mother chases you down. The monsters themselves are highly customizable, as each has nine gene sockets where you can add new attacks from other monsters via the Rite of Channeling (medieval gene splicing), which is in itself a lot of fun. Want to give an extremely powerful water attack to a fire-type monster? In MHS3, you can do it. This gives you a new reason to capture monsters you already have: gene farming.
I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as a perfect game, and even though I love MHS3, it has a few minor things I think they could improve. First, the game could have used one more area, or at least the fourth and final area could have been more fleshed out. Two thirds of it are basically a FFX-style winding corridor. After the second and third areas, it definitely feels like they ran out of time here. Second, the game could use more monsters. The ones in the game are great, but I've just started MH Wilds (which came out last year), and I'm already seeing monsters like the Quematrice that I wish had made it into MHS3. Third, even though they ditched the old chibi aesthetic, there are still some minor issues with monster scaling compared to the mainline series. For instance, I was excited to find the Barroth (one of my favorites from MH World) had made it in, but disappointed to find out it was significantly smaller than it was in World. The party/riding model feels like you're just riding a big cow. The scaling issue is exacerbated by the fact that the models for monsters in your party are further reduced in size by about 25% from the ones you see in the wild. It's annoying once you notice it and makes you feel like you got a gimped monster. Fourth, unlike other MH games, there's no option to make the palicoes speak cat. This is bad because Rudy is annoying and a bit of a control freak. He's also very, very loud (at least in the english VO). But it says a lot about a game when the only flaws I can find with it are that there isn't more of it, they made my Barroth small, and the cat is annoying.
You know a game has to be amazing when I spend 110 hours in it and immediately start another playthrough after the final boss. After 90 hours in AC Valhalla last year, I felt like I needed a vacation. Yet I'm still playing MHS3 a week after beating it. I can't praise this game enough, it has replaced PL: Arceus on my list of top 10 best games of all time. Nintendo made the Pokemon game I always dreamed of as a kid, but Capcom made the Pokemon game I dreamed of playing as an adult.
Rating: 10/10 Near-Perfect.
Completed:
Tomb Raider II (Evercade)
Tomb Raider III (Evercade)
Mafia: The Old Country (PS5)
Gundam Breaker 4 (PS5)
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection (PS5)
In Progress:
Final Fantasy IV Advance (GBA)
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation Remastered (PS4)
Resident Evil: Code Veronica X (Gamecube)
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Thanks everyone for the encouraging and kind words. Yeah, it's pretty devastating and to make matters worse the job market is awful right now. Tons of people looking, but not nearly enough jobs to go around. Luckily I'm considered senior level in my field, but that only gives me a slight edge in the current economic climate. I'm also on the company payroll for another 2 months and I have a decent severance package headed my way. Still, the prospect of potentially being unemployed, or even under employed is pretty terrifying. I can hold on until probably later this year before I have to make some very hard decisions, assuming I don't find something before then. I've already applied to nearly 50 jobs and haven't even been given an interview yet. As I said, the job market is crap right now. I've never even remotely had this much trouble landing a job before.
On a side note related to this thread. I am in the middle of another game. Unfortunately, I'm not enjoying it as much as I'd hoped, but it's still the kind of game I felt like I needed right now. I'm guessing I'll beat it sometime this weekend. We'll see though.
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38. AAA Dynamic Scenes
My partner and I have been "playing" this to wind down at night. We've completed enough puzzles between the two of us on varying difficulties for me to consider it complete. Simply put, there's a variety of stunning wallpapers (many of which are animated) that you can have on in the background kind of like a bougie screensaver. With the push of a button, you can turn them into a jigsaw puzzle. You put the pieces in one at a time. Throw in some of the most chill, relaxing, haunting, captivating music (depending on the puzzle) and you have the perfect way to chill after playing something more intense. We'll be going back to this time and again, but I wanted to capture it on here.
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19. Rave Racer | 1995 | "Arcade Archives 2" Re-release | Switch 2 | 4/4:
(https://imgur.com/Jltxk9o.png)
Rave Racer -- not to be confused with Ridge Racer or Rage Racer -- is a pretty fun arcade game. Drifting around corners is never a dull moment in this game. I can't always get it right, but when I do get a good run going, I'm in a flow state. This port to modern consoles -- while expensive -- gives you multiple versions to play. Do you want to play the Japanese or English version? Standard manual driving or the DX version using the right thumbstick as the stick shift? You get all of them!
Of course, there's some annoyances I have with the arcade mode. Getting past opponents is tough, especially on the more advanced courses. There's tight passageways where you can bump into an opposing driver and lose a heavy chunk of momentum, as you can't help but do so just to make a sharp turn. Even if you bump them from the side, the game will sometimes decide that you lost speed while your opponent is not affected in any way. I also wish there was a way to turn down the announcer voices. I don't like hearing "Come on! Drive a smart race! There's a lot of racing ahead!" after I just made a perfectly normal drift turn.
Even though it's nigh impossible to play the game as it was originally intended now, you can still have much of the authentic Rave Racer experience today in the comfort of your own bed or couch. Grade: B
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20. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | 2002 | PlayStation 2 | 4/11:
(https://imgur.com/w2ujLNr.png)
Well, whether GTA 6 arrives this year or next year -- or the year after that -- we still have the original Vice City to look back on. I could never finish Grand Theft Auto: Vice City before due to complications: the first time, I forgot to save my progress after playing for 5 hours straight on the PS2; the second time, my game soft-locked every time I tried to move after saving because the game spawned me on top of the save point. Man, I love the old GTA games.
Everything about Vice City is still true today: vibrant vistas, an amazing licensed soundtrack, and a step above its prior entry: Grand Theft Auto III. While GTA III is the innovator, and San Andreas is the one to truly push the PS2 to its limit, Vice City is still just as important with what Rockstar North improved on within a shorter development window. You have more weapons to work with, properties that can be purchased, and an overall different feel and vibe compared to prior entries. Though you can tell this is an early-2000s game, Vice City still holds up visually because of the new location. I love the grit of GTA III, but the loose recreation of 80s Miami combined with subtle art direction choices like bringing back the "trails" effect, is pure nostalgic bliss.
Tommy Vercetti -- while not the most memorable protagonist in the series -- was and still is the perfect candidate for the series' 1st voiced playable character. His background isn't given much dialogue; the only detail I can remember is him mentioning being in 'Nam, but the story doesn't really elaborate further. Vercetti is however, definitely a character you can feel is a part of Vice City's world, like many of the characters you come across throughout the game. They're expressive and goofy, but don't come across as annoying like Liberty City Stories and its characters felt to me.
Missions are surprisingly varied compared to GTA III. There is the occasional aggravating mission that takes numerous trips to the Ammu-Nation to beat, but you get a little taste of everything the game has to offer. This is thanks to the varied cast of characters you get missions from. You may do one mission that tasks you with assassinating a lady for her briefcase just to help with counterfeiting money, while the very next mission requires you to keep a certain speed limit while some drunk, bumbling idiots try to disarm a bomb in the back of your car. There's enough side content outside of missions to help with earning money, but it's not so much that it becomes overwhelming or too ambitious like San Andreas can be at times. Despite showing some cracks that it's still an early open-world title, Vice City is overall a pretty well-rounded experience.
(https://imgur.com/uSDuZWZ.png)
Grade: A-
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2. Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (PS2 - ABANDONED
The first Klonoa game was probably one of the most surprisingly good games I can remember playing. I remember going into that game with fairly mild expectations in terms of its quality. Sure, I'd heard over and over again online how great it was, but I tend to not believe the hype when it comes to retro games getting heaps of praise thrown on them, particularly when the games are more on the obscure side. When I actually did play Klonoa on the PS1, I was blown away by how fun it was, but also how deep, and impactful the story was too. I was definitely not expecting that. So after falling in love with that first game, it's been a longtime backlog goal of mine to tackle its sequel, Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil on the PS2. Unfortunately, that game didn't hit me nearly as hard as the first game and in pretty much every way felt like a noticeably inferior game.
I really didn't care for most things in Klonoa 2. The OST, gameplay, and visuals are all okay, if not even being pretty good overall, but I guess in the end, the game just felt way less special or interesting as the first game. Levels often go on for way longer than they should. Most bosses aren't particularly enjoyable or fun. The story is a massive downgrade over the first game, at least up to the point where I stopped playing. I just couldn't get into this one as hard as I tried.
With all that said, I'm not going to discount how unfortunate events in my personal life recently might be tainting my opinion of Klonoa 2, but honestly more convinced that I just didn't enjoy this game. I'm certainly not ruling out someday trying to play this game again, but for now, the combination of me struggling to continue playing it and also me being unsure how much my personal problems are dampening my enjoyment led me to the decision to drop this game for the time being. Time will tell if I ever get around to playing this one again, but for now it's going back on the shelf. (3/17/2026) - ABANDONED
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17. Jet Set Radio || PC || 04.06.2026
(https://i.imgur.com/M7HXRdq.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/O3bd5Lz.jpeg)
For many years, Jet Set Radio has been a game I've long wanted to play. Ideally, I would have played it by using the original Dreamcast hardware and controller that it was developed for which is a significant reason why it's been left unplayed for so long, but I ultimately settled on putting my Steam Deck to good use since I've long had that option available after having redeemed a digital copy of the game through a free promotion a full decade ago.
Now, describing Jet Set Radio is a fun exercise, because, even though its gameplay is fun, it is every element that forms its presentation that is the most captivating and defining aspect of the experience offered. Upon starting, players are introduced to a pirate radio station DJ who hosts the eponymous show that covers the ongoing narrative events. Specifically, the narrative focuses on one of several inline skating street gangs whom the player controls as they clash with neighboring Tokyo rivals in turf wars and, over time, begin collecting pieces of a mysterious vinyl record. Throughout the entire playthrough, strong personality is established as a result of the game's use of its cel-shaded visual style with anti-establishment and general counterculture themes that are uniquely paired with an eclectic and memorable blend of music featuring elements of hip-hop, dance, funk, and Japanese pop that culminates into a style now commonly referred to as Shibuya punk, a Y2K-inspired movement pioneered by Jet Set Radio itself.
Demonstrating strong themes, the game is all about navigating urban environments while tagging walls, roads, billboards, and anything and everything else in the city to expand the player's turf. So to be expected, rival gangs and police forces are regular threats that, over time as more level progress is accomplished, become more and more dangerous. In each of the story missions which consist of three chapters relating to three separate rival gangs, the player is tasked with reclaiming territory that's been infiltrated while evading authorities and surviving city hazards like vehicles or falling from lofty heights. Regarding the former, police generally begin targeting the player as ground units by tackling and even firing bullets, but the extent of their efforts toward stopping you may even escalate to aircraft use. Unfortunately—and this may be due to scheduling restraints or even hardware limitations—there isn't any gameplay featuring a turf war acting out in real-time with players and CPU players alike expanding their gangs' marks while overwriting others', but perhaps that's a mechanic to look forward to in sequel entries. Nevertheless, the player's goal is accomplished by the combined effort of searching for tag locations and the act of tagging itself. There is some variability to the latter, as there are three sizes of graffiti marks that are dependent on the location. Smaller designs can be sprayed with a simple button press, but medium- and large-sized ones require a series of actions triggered by mirroring specific analog stick movements which mimic real-world actions to be completed. At the same time, paint spray cans are a finite resource and must be collected as they're scattered about.
However, other types of stages are present within the game too. Apart from the majority of stages across the story campaign, certain stages that present the player-character directly opposing rival gangs become available. How this is accomplished is that players must chase several rival members in an enclosed loop and tag their bodies with spray paint a certain number of times. The opportunity to complete this action wasn't consistent, and I'd often press the appropriate button without the action being triggered. Meanwhile, several other stage types with their own goals—Jet Graffiti, Jet Tech, and Jet Crash—are presented for players to freely choose at any point from the stage select screen. They're fine options for side content, and I found Jet Crash to be the most interesting of the three as it tasks the player to race against one CPU player all through the interconnected map area while the needed path is unmarked. There is a clear direction players must take, and succeeding ultimately requires trial-and error alongside skill. Intermittently, recruitable NPCs will also appear at your gang base challenging the player's skills. This, too, is a fun diversion from the main campaign as the goal may also be a race to an end goal or, more interestingly, a type of call-and-response type of stage structure where players must replicate a series of actions the CPU player performs first. Upon succeeding, the NPC will properly join your gang and becomes a selectable player-character with varying stats, their own dedicated graffiti designs, and different tagging inputs too.
With an emphasis on movement, general exploration within the game's sandbox level design is comprised of skating, jumping, grinding, and hitching, and it's for this reason that Jet Set Radio is more evident of the platformer genre than sports or action. These motions are all easy to perform, though it did take some time for me to become used to the controls since verticality is routinely stressed with clear gaps to cross over. At the same time, primary navigation throughout the interconnecting city sections is not made abundantly clear. While there are UI arrows that lead players to where tag targets are located, players will already need to be within a close vicinity for them to activate. So in certain scenarios, a player may feel forced to explore looking for those last few spots which can be obscured by environmental set pieces or out-of-sight due to its elevated placement. Of course, this problem is somewhat mitigated by the Jet Set Radio's dedicated map system, but it's a tedious task considering players are forced to pause the game and then view the map within a nested menu selection. Something else worth mentioning about player exploration is that players can be annoyingly removed from the stage by veering too close to the level exits. I don't know why these exits exist at all, since their only purpose is to impede player progress as all unsaved progress becomes lost. On several occasions, I was struck by the flow of traffic and somehow pushed out of the stage by a barrage of vehicles, requiring me to try again from the stage start.
To a degree, certain aspects of the game are needlessly challenging, though it's not to the point of frustration. And, I will acknowledge that a certain level of difficulty is required beyond the depleting time limit to complete stages. Nevertheless, it's common to navigate throughout a stage without much direction, and there are times when the map system becomes useless as where players may need to go is a different segment of the map and can't be accessed unless already physically there. Meanwhile, antagonistic forces have the utmost intent to leave you incapacitated without any health, utilizing fists, guns, or even explosives while you're instead left with the only option to evade them. On that note, health can quickly deplete, and desperately searching for restorative spray paint cans while an enemy encounter occurs adds another layer of stress as time ticks down. Between these two elements, first-time players or even players who simply become lost will struggle. Additionally, the map system lacks crucial information. Entry and exit ways aren't indicated, so it's a regular occurrence for anyone unfamiliar with a new area especially to hopelessly roam around looking for a specific path.
More broadly, there are various aspects of level design also worth mentioning. Across all stage types including those within the campaign, an arcade level design is integrated that I completed ignored. At the end of stages, players are scored based on a ranking system, and I can only imagine that trying to reach the highest rank for them all is a trial of patience amidst the aforementioned problems present. To help players accrue more points, optional tag locations can be found and used to bolster one's score, but using them obviously comes at the cost of depleting their stock of spray cans. Like one would expect from a 3D platformer of this era, there are collectibles to discover in the form of equippable graffiti designs for each of the three sizes. They're usually not that difficult to find, but actually getting close enough to properly collect them certainly is. Lastly, there is a major issue relating to the main campaign—that is, it seems that way to me. Unfortunately, players are unable to retry story stages until the entire campaign has been completed unless retrying them immediately after finishing but before exiting the stage. Except, players are still not given the free opportunity to select stages even once the campaign has been cleared as the full campaign restarts with the same previous limitations. So, should a players actually be interested in besting their high scores or achieving a certain rank, they'll either be forced to do perfect one stage at a time that will more than likely require a lot of practice or play throughout the entire game several times.
Even for someone who's not played Jet Set Radio, it's clear that it presents a robust and unparalleled atmosphere for a game of its time of release. However, it's certainly not a game without its faults—faults that seem simple to solve too, which is disappointing that they remained in the game's final build. But for someone like myself who played the game casually without an interest in its ranking system or collectibles, there's a lot of fun gameplay to experience even when irritating moments may occur that's strongly complemented by its design presentation. In time, I'll definitely be playing its sequel entry and other games inspired by it.
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Still chugging at the series with Mega Man X4. Looks great, with some really cool boss designs. Overall it felt much easier than other titles. Theres a little bit of a difficulty spike at the end, but nothing outlandish. The first game in the series with voice acting and it is absoultely terrible, which has its own flavor of charm.
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Still chugging at the series with Mega Man X4. Looks great, with some really cool boss designs. Overall it felt much easier than other titles. Theres a little bit of a difficulty spike at the end, but nothing outlandish. The first game in the series with voice acting and it is absoultely terrible, which has its own flavor of charm.
Did you find out what you were fighting FOOOOOR!?!