52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

[dhaabi]

09. Witch and Hero II || Nintendo 3DS || 02.17.2026



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.

[marvelvscapcom2]

12. Plants Vs. Zombies: Replanted [PS5] - finished Feb 22nd, 2026




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

[marvelvscapcom2]

13. Color A Dinosaur [NES] - Finished Feb 22nd, 2026




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

[kamikazekeeg]

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.

[bikingjahuty]

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]

[Cartagia]

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.

[marvelvscapcom2]

14. Melatonin [PS5] - finished Feb 24th, 2026



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

[dhaabi]

10. Reanimal || PlayStation 5 || 02.19.2026



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.

[marvelvscapcom2]

15. Kirby's Dreamland 3 [SNES] -  finished Feb 25th, 2026



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

[supremeusername]

10. Ghost in the Shell | 1997 | PlayStation 1 | 2/24:



     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.



Grade: B+

[marvelvscapcom2]

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.

[bikingjahuty]

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.

[realpoketendonl]

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!

[marvelvscapcom2]

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.

[marvelvscapcom2]

16. Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock [PS3] - Feb 26th, 2026




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.