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2019. As a kart game it is cool because it is challenging and mechanically dense in a way that's very distinct from Mario Kart. Certain other design decisions, like the CPU never using the Blue Shell equivalent against you in the singleplayer, was also very appreciated. I spent a lot of time grinding the microtransaction currency that was for unlocking additional characters and kart looks, and there sure is a lot in there. As varied visually as the tracks are, and on a more powerful console to boot I still feel like Mario Kart has it beat in visual splendor, strangely enough. Either way an excellent game.
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It's F2P Yu-Gi-Oh! Played some single player to unlock some stuff and have spent the rest of my time opening packs with login Currency. The systems for dueling and making decks seems to have gotten a bit of an upgrade since the last Yugioh game I played, so that was nice, and the presentation seems to be trying to lean into a "slick, minimalistic" style, which is funny because that is very far from what Yu-Gi-Oh! usually presents as. The game itself just kinda feels too dense for me to actually want to get into right now, and playing against other people wasn't that enticing either so I'm not expecting to put any more time into it.
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There's a lot that was changed here and a majority for the better. First off, getting into battle is now more than twice as fast compared to Sword & Shield. Having quests and an evolving town is not that new for a RPG but it really did spice up Pokemon. The controls for moving, dodging or riding the different mount Pokemon also felt surprisingly good. The quality of life stuff that removed all the usual prompts of a Pokemon game were a particular highlight. Now there's no prompts for leveling up, no prompts for learning new Moves, no prompts for Evolution, no prompts for giving a catch a new name. All that has been relegated to be done "at your own time" which was a change I didn't even know I wanted. The battle system is also simplified, with a lot of what was important competitively, slow build-up or set-up moves, have been purged or rebalanced. It fits the single player game that it is much better, I felt, though towards the end of the game I found myself missing some of the variance between Pokemon that came through from those Moves, or the Pokemon's now absent Ability's. As a foundation to be built upon I still appreciate the cuts, even if I hope they make way for more complexity in future entries.
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Having fun with it so far. It feels similar to yet different from Dark Souls 3 and I'm even enjoying learning patterns in the bossfights that require it. I think that was the case for me in most of Sekiro, but probably wasn't in Dark Souls 3 so I'm curious what has changed, if it's me or the game. Summonable enemies definitely help out during some encounters that might otherwise have tripped me up for way longer, so their contribution shouldn't be understated.
Either way it's always fun to wander about and find new things. Whether that is reshuffled versions of what I've already seen with a new twist put on it and a unique reward at the end, or actual new environments and enemies that you can marvel at. Being able to jump and sneak has also increased my enjoyment a ton.
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I finally understand what's good about early Sonic games. A mix of platforming that focuses on momentum, with fun gimmicks that launch you further in the level. Making use of all of 2D Sonic's moves; rolling into a ball, the drop dash and the spin dash really helps the flow too, so adding some of those to all the games was a good move. The games being widescreen likely helps you react as well, when necessary, but I also came to realize that having to react quickly is very seldom part of the design. Running into a stop isn't an actual problem, 'cause you don't always gotta go fast. Lastly, compared to some later 2D Sonic's I've played, there is almost never a drop down into a bottomless pit. I chalk that up to more thoughtful level design, and not having to worry about death when jumping or launching into a big void just does a ton for my enjoyment.
Now the whole "reach a special zone to get a chance at the Chaos Emeralds" is to me, still a bit contentious of a design. I don't like a lot of the minigames, as succeeding at them feels like it requires either luck or brute force memorization. In that regard being able to redo them in these versions is a blessing, even if it takes almost all of the stakes out. Likewise, infinite lives and time in the Anniversary mode also helped me enjoy the levels without too much stress.
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2017. After enjoying the classics a lot I gave this one a shot. It's more Sonic 3 pretty much, only remixed. Old levels that get a twist in Act 2, and some completely new ones that are about as good. Having the Checkpoints put you into a progression of the Emerald mini-game from Sonic 3 was a twist I wasn't a big fan of. I like that mini-game but here it just gives you medals for some bonus unlocks. I preferred getting the opportunity to get power-ups or extra lives instead of this separate progression. Once you get a Gold medal on every bonus stage you do get such a mini-game, but it takes a lot of work. The Chaos Emerald mini-game took me a long time to learn, which was a bit frustrating, but once I did get a grip on the controls it felt like a fair skill test, preferable to most of the classic Special Zones.
I got the Plus DLC with some remixed stages and 2 additional characters and they were pretty fun to use as well. Ray gives you a lot of extra control of your momentum and Mighty's defence against spikes lets you be a bit more careless about what you bumb into.
Overall it's some good classic Sonic (Which I might consider the only good Sonic).
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Remakes of the first 2 Klonoa games on Ps1 and PS2. Having played a little bit of the original Klonoa on PS1, there are some presentational differences, some probably related to the budget of the remakes, that are a bit disappointing where I recognize them. Characters are less expressive than they were in their counterpart CG and 2D sprites versions. Text is displayed all at once when a character speaks, instead of as they talk, and there's a annoying Skip & Fast Forward prompt visible in EVERY cutscene. They feel like solid remakes but those are some unfortunate blemishes that are hard to ignore.
As platformer games they are simple yet sometimes difficult. Their gimmick of having 2D gameplay in a 3D environment which twists around you and occasionally overlaps several layers of the background is still pretty unique. Some of the technical spectacle of the things its doing is maybe lost in modern times, but it's still a fun element of the games throughout. The second game introduces more mechanics to the platforming and puzzle solving and was more fun as a result. The stiffness of the movement mechanics, and the precision the games required because of it, were a bit tough to get used to. It's something I wouldn't mind them revamping a bit, were they to make another game. The core mechanics are solid though, with the second game having some very inventive and satisfying boss battles. I think its unique "2D overlapped with 3D" gimmick could work well if it was added upon further too. If a Klonoa 3 was made with a proper budget, I could see it being worthwile.
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2016. Toxicity of players aside it's been kinda fun to get into.
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2002 (2016). HD Remake of the Gamecube version. I was very fond of the prerendered background style design as well as the look of the game itself. It was very atmospheric and sometimes nostalgic, while being very detailed. Moving back and forth in a space to solve puzzles was also fun and I didn't mind the restrictive inventory and item management system most of the time.
Eventually I opted to disable the tank controls to make some encounters easier but it had its own drawbacks when it came to the weighty feeling of the controls and some issues with sudden camera shifts. Combat encounters being a bit more about resource and risk management than pure execution, outside of boss battles, made me think that a modern game in this style might work better if its battles were turn-based.
Overall I liked that it allowed me to take it slow and just stew in the atmosphere. It made me want to play some more RE games down the line.
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Violet Version. In some ways a step up from Sword & Shield. I enjoyed that entering into battle is quicker, like it was in Pokemon Legends Arceus, however the game runs kinda poorly a lot of the time and really poorly in certain areas. While your mount transportation have its moments it doesn't compare favorably to the different mounts of Arceus, who were surprisingly fun to control. The inconsistent framerate probably plays a part in hampering the gamefeel here as well.
The open world design makes the game easy to enjoy, letting you wander from place to place while setting your own goals, though trainer battles being optional removes some of the feeling of risk from the game. Wandering into a area with high level Pokemon or moving through a cave while traveling from one area to another is the closest thing to a feeling of danger the game offers.
The story and characters were a mixed experience, where I'm mostly leaning towards not enjoying it. The Team Star storyline particularly didn't have much I liked and also just took forever to hit the same bunch of notes at every single station. The one bright spot was the conclusion, which had some decent drama and cool set pieces, as well as a really fun premise. Definitely the highlight of story in the game.
Gameplay wise I feel like it'd actually be unfair of me to call the game easy at this point. I think it is actually fairly well balanced for what it is. My actual problem with it is how it prevents me from going all in nutso with its tools. I would like to be able to play the whole game in Double Battle mode so I could actually try the moves or the Pokemon that exist with it in mind. To really let loose and put some fun combos together. Instead I learn that there isn't even a post game where I can make teams and battle them against the computer like the apparently meager one I got into when playing Sw/Sh.
It's a shame because I was looking forward to it and putting in all the work to make a team just doesn't feel worth it for the gamble that is playing against people Online.
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