SamJBarn

I get why this is widely known as the "linear Metroid game," but I'm not sure that's totally fair. The design philosophy of the world is different, but the game still gives the player just as much room to explore within a more deliberate, confined series of environments. It still feels like a big, interconnected space, even if the reality is that it's much more segmented and leads the player through. Honestly, I much prefer it this way. I don't have the time or patience to run back and forth across a wide-open world trying to find exactly what space I'm supposed to bomb, but this game still lets me have all the things I love about the franchise: elegant world design, picture perfect controls, and an empowering upgrade drip. This series has one of the most compelling design loops in history, and Fusion keeps that fully intact even if the difficulty and the length is lacking. Add in some excellent enemy and boss designs and another great soundtrack, and Fusion stands tall with the best of the franchise.

This was the first 2D Metroid I ever played, and my second Metroid experience ever after Prime 3: Corruption. And I have to say - I see what all the fuss is about! The design is elegant in that it rewards exploration and makes you feel like you're uncovering secrets, nudging you gently in the right direction without holding your hand. This of course falls snugly between the next two games I played, the overly-linear Metroid Fusion and the overly-opaque Super Metroid. The middle ground here is awesome. With fluid controls, a colorful art style, and some surprisingly scary moments, I have to say this game won me over to the franchise as a whole after a 15 year hiatus since I'd last tried to get into it. I just wish it were a longer experience. The titular Zero Mission that is appended on to the original Metroid story is some of the best stuff in the game, and so it's a shame that it ends just when it feels like its reaching its stride.

This is truly a remake that forces you to consider trade-offs. There are some changes to the original masterpiece that do somewhat dampen the original's unique, foreboding atmosphere. But on the flip side, the quality of life improvements to the camera and gameplay, the exceptional graphical makeover and steadier framerate, and a soundtrack that is spotless makes this a laudable example of respecting an original vision while trying to make something that's a bit more accessible in the modern age. Do some of the solutions to these encounters remain ridiculously obtuse? Yes. Are a few of the Colossi a bit anti-climactic? Yes. But the high highs that gave this game its stellar reputation remain as exhilarating as ever.

The combat is, in hindsight, a tough pill to swallow, but the original Mass Effect is one of the best written video games I have ever experienced, and probably my favorite sci-fi world. Its sequels definitely honed the character relationships, but the world-building in this first entry remains untouched. For what its worth, I think the combat is passable enough, and I also found myself enjoying the Mako exploration sections that so many players chafed against. But regardless, this is not a game you play to shoot up bad guys. It's about the world, the species, the factions and the intrigue that connects them all. And its unparalleled in that regard.

It's total nostalgia talking, but this is my favorite game so far in the Mario Kart series. The unique drift mechanics will definitely be polarizing, but I found that they make every single twist and turn into a satisfying gamble. The tracks featured here are some of the best in the franchise, and the music in particular stands out compared to later entries, especially that gorgeous closing credits track. Obviously the fact that the game had online features isn't relevant anymore, but at the time it was a thrilling evolution for the series. This is one of the defining DS games, and in my humble opinion it was the turning point when the series went from being a B-tier Mario spin-off to becoming one of Nintendo's crown jewels.

Probably the best arcade racer since Burnout's PS2 games, and one of the generation's best open-world experiences. Compulsively playable, with a constant flow of collectible cars providing an almost Pokemon-like addictive quality, this is a racing game for car-nuts and car-noobs alike. The only features are well thought out and bountiful, the graphics are incredible, and the handling is easy to learn but hard to master.

Look, after years of copy-pasted New Super Mario Bros platformers, it's hard to complain too much about Super Mario Bros Wonder. The entire central conceit is built around solving the central criticism: 2D Mario games have become derivative. And indeed, playing through the game is a breezy joy. The art style is top-notch, the new enemy designs are fantastic, and some of the Wonder Seed moments are truly inspired. That said, I can't help but feel like the game builds a solid foundation for Mario's future, but doesn't quite feel like the future itself. It introduces a lot of fun elements but doesn't push it to quite the next level as we might be used to from Mario's 3D games. I think a perfect example are the new power-ups, namely the elephant and the drill. Both are so much fun to use, but feel surprisingly limited in what they allow you to do. Even compared with the cape from Super Mario World, let alone the moveset from the 3D games, it just feel like the player is as empowered as they should be to play around with these new tools. I will also say that I found the Wonder Seeds to be a bit hit-or-miss. Some of them are so clever and fun that others can't help but feel like missed opportunities in comparison. For my money, the best new element are the badges that meaningfully change up the way you control these characters. This is exactly the kind of freedom of choice I wish there was more of from the other features of the game. But even here, I get the sense that the development team could have pushed the limits a bit more, perhaps peppering levels with secret paths based on which badges you used. This certainly would have helped with replay-ability, because as it is the game is too brief and most levels aren't so inspired as to compel you to go through them again unless you are already a compulsive completionist. There are other gripes here and there -- other than the final level the game is not the least bit challenging -- but it's important to restate that any fan of Mario and platformers in general should still play this game. It is a step in the right direction and a lovely experience to binge through in a weekend or two. The art style and animation in particular deserves all the praise in the world. It's just one of those experiences where I spent a lot of my playtime dreaming about what the sequel will do.

One of the most captivating worlds I have ever experienced in a video game, with an atmosphere like no other, a world that constantly makes you feel like you are stumbling across forbidden secrets and rewards you at every turn, and a unique sense of humor that permeates everything and helps string the player along even if the narrative itself is nigh-impossible to grasp without reading up online. The amount of content here is absolutely insane, and very little of it feels like filler. The challenge ensures that the game, like all others in its sub-genre, won't be for everyone. But it's an integral part of the game's appeal and without it, the sense of discovery and accomplishment simply wouldn't come close.

These days there are all sorts of game collections, like Rare Replay, that pack an insane amount of value. But for its time, there was no beating The Orange Box, not only in terms of quality but also sheer variety. Portal was the gem in its crown, unexpectedly, and is to this day one of the better first-person puzzle games. Team Fortress 2 feels primitive in 2025 but was groundbreaking and provided breezy fun with friends. And of course, Half-Life 2 and its subsequent episodic stories were equally revelatory in how they blended in-game storytelling, exploration and a satisfying physics system. While a 10 back then isn't necessarily a 10 today, this is a momentous release in game history, and any younger players who weren't around to experience it in 2007 owe it to themselves to try out each piece of the collection to see what Valve was capable of at their creative apex.

Coming back to the first Mario Galaxy after playing its direct sequel and its later follow-up Super Mario Odyssey really puts into perspective what does and doesn't work here. Visually and musically, Galaxy still stands up to any other 3D Mario game, with a cohesive, compelling vibe that is often joyful but also surprisingly melancholy when it wants to be. The level design is inventive and, while certainly more linear than Mario 64 or Odyssey, feels like a nice middle-ground between the 2D and 3D games - more so I would say than the comparatively restrictive 3D Land and 3D World. Where this game does not age as gracefully is in its pacing, both in and out of gameplay. Moving between levels within the hub world can be tedious, and makes re-playing levels especially cumbersome. This was solved by its sequel a few years later by going back to a Mario World-esque overworld, and it's hard to go back. As for the moment-to-moment gameplay, controlling Mario is a joy... until you have to waggle the control in order to spin attack. It's not the motion controls that is the problem here, but rather the way Mario's momentum comes to a screeching halt every time you shake, and it takes a moment to gain full control again afterwards. It's this single move that really breaks the gameplay's flow and makes for a frustrating move set in comparison to the elegant, free-flowing nature of Mario Odyssey (and Bowser's Fury, for that matter). Overall, the game is still packed with beautiful sights, sounds, and level layouts. Rediscovering the various nooks and crannies of these worlds is as fun as exploring them the first time. Just be aware that, as opposed to the older 2D Mario classics, this isn't quite as timeless an experience.

To an extent, someone's enjoyment of Tetris Effect over other entries will be heavily influenced by their enjoyment of the music, which is sometimes surprisingly poppy. However, even as someone who doesn't often listen to this type of music, I found myself extremely enamored give or take a couple songs. In fact, I often listen to the soundtrack on Spotify while I work - it's great for focus and pep, considering the whole idea of the game is to lean into the deep concentration many already experience when playing standard Tetris. Music aside, I think most will agree that the lavish, particle-filled visuals and evocative backgrounds are wonderful. Fans of Rez, Lumines and other games of its kind will find that same vibe paired very well with the classic Tetris mechanics. My only gripe is that the modes feel a bit sparse - I would have liked more options for simple customization, such as being able to set up revolving playlists of my favorite songs. Overall, though, this is one of my favorite versions of Tetris if only because it uses its presentation to induce the euphoric hyper-focus that makes me seek out a game like this in the first place.