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Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition

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When I first learned about Ori, I was thoroughly impressed by its art style, but was actively disinterested in playing it for a couple of reasons. First, it was only on Xbox, a platform I had no access to at the time. Second, I knew it was a Metroidvania and my only experience with the genre thus far was a frustrating DNF of the NES original Metroid. Neither of those original roadblocks persist today, and I suddenly found myself very excited to give this series a try. After talking about it with my brother, he scrounged up a copy of the two-game collection for me to borrow, and I ended up buying both games within the next few days. While I wasn't head over heels for it like I was with other big-name Metroidvanias, I had a lot of fun with Ori and the Blind Forest and I was a big fan of its unique approach to genre staples like upgrading your character. Starting with a semi-interactive cinematic, Ori and the Blind Forest puts you in control of a little light spirit named Ori as he gr
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Daily Dadish

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I hadn't even finished the first Dadish before I started playing Daily Dadish. The allure of a new level every day preyed on my FOMO in the nicest way possible. Instead of time-limited events designed to push micro-transactions, every day of the year has its own unique level to conquer. While its nature necessitates the absence of even the bare-bones narrative structure of the series' numbered entries, the rest of the game makes up for the shortcoming in spades. Having more than double the number of levels as the previous three games combined, Daily Dadish is a huge adventure and makes for an excellent year-long advent calendar. Daily Dadish plays similarly to its trilogy of predecessors, presenting you with handcrafted platforming levels that challenge you to think quick and move with precision. Stages are filled with hazards and enemies to keep you on your toes while you run, jump, and bounce toward Dadish's truant children. All of the components used in the stages are d
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Hollow Knight

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I bought Hollow Knight shortly after it was released on Switch because I had heard good things about it, and the screenshots all looked beautiful. I don't think I actually knew it was a Metroidvania at the time, and I never got around to playing it anyway. I'm glad I waited though, because my experience with the Metroid series helped me to appreciate it way more than I would have back in 2018. I've developed a patience for difficult boss fights and backtracking that I didn't have seven years ago, and now I'm excitedly exploring a vast and rewarding array of Metroidvania games. I would consider Hollow Knight the hardest I've played yet, further convincing me that I wouldn't have liked it very much when I bought it, but the payoff for my dedication to mastering its combat and traversal mechanics is enormous. Hollow Knight starts by dropping you on the very edge of its world, controlling a little bug warrior known only as "the knight." Like any good s
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Metroid Prime Remastered

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For the longest time, I had thought Metroid Prime would be the first Metroid game I would beat. The trilogy mocked my empty wallet from its pedestal in the WiiU eShop until I got distracted by the Switch and left it behind. I would still look back on it with longing every once in a while, but one day I felt compelled to try Zero Mission and 2D Metroid consumed me. Now, having beaten at least one iteration of every game in the mainline saga, Metroid Prime once again entered my sights. Easily the definitive version, Metroid Prime Remastered graced the Switch and showed me what I've been missing after all these years. I was honestly a bit worried after having played Dread so recently because I wasn't sure how well the search action formula would translate to 3D. I had heard that the backtracking had turned a lot of people off, which was never much of an issue for me in the mainline games, but I still felt a bit anxious about it. I quickly learned that those fears were entirely u
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PAKU PAKU

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It took just two rogue headlines in my newsfeed mentioning a "one-dimensional PAC-MAN " for me to be overwhelmed by curiosity. I could only see simplifying the arcade classic as a way to make it less engaging, and yet multiple people considered it exciting enough to write an entire article about. Upon giving it a try, I realized that the new one-dimensional form factor actually made the game much easier to pick up and play, leading me to pull it up a lot more frequently than I ever did its inspiration, albeit for much shorter play sessions. PAKU PAKU follows the explosive trend, pioneered by the likes of Flappy Bird, of trimming down gameplay to its barest bones for the raw dopamine-generating power of quick restarts and high-score chasing. Just like in PAC-MAN, you'll control a gluttonous monochrome circle as it attempts to eat as many dots as possible while avoiding instant death at the hands of an ever-pursuing ghost. While said ghost moves faster than you, there are a
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EarthBound

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I was born late enough that all the discourse I heard about EarthBound described it as a hidden gem, so much so that I wouldn't even consider it "hidden" anymore. Fueled by these discussions and a curiosity about the enigmatic psychic kids in Smash Bros., I was excited to give the series a try. However, being who I am, I couldn't start with the sequel when there's a whole NES predecessor I still hadn't played. After multiple attempts over the past few years, I realized that was a losing battle and ended up playing EarthBound without finishing Mother (EarthBound Beginnings). While I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't maintain my motivation in the NES original, I'm ultimately glad I gave up because EarthBound is just so much better. The SNES is an absolute juggernaut when it comes to RPGs, but this game is genuinely unique amongst its peers, truly standing out amongst the crowd. EarthBound is obviously a JRPG, and it doesn't hide that fact f
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LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

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When The Skywalker Saga was announced, I was excited, but I was a little wary of the possibility of going back through the same levels I've played dozens of times already in The Complete Saga and the original two LEGO Star Wars games. As soon as screenshots and footage started appearing, all of those fears were gone. I still didn't know much about it at the time, but it certainly wasn't just an expanded version of the game I've played to death. Now that I've played it, I can gladly say that the spirit of those older classics remains but the play-experience carves out its own identity, creating something familiar, yet refreshingly independent. The Skywalker Saga marks a major evolution in the Traveller's Tales LEGO formula. The world is still highly destructible, studs are still the main currency, and there is still an intense focus on collectibles and unlockables, but the gameplay itself has experienced a significant shift from the previous twenty-or-so mainlin
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