amphibious_ReViews

I first tried playing the original Super Mario RPG on my SNES Classic years ago. I was actually really enjoying myself, but I bungled the state-saving functionality and lost hours of progress in one disheartening swipe. After that, I put the game down with only a vague intention of returning. Fast-forward to the June 2023 Nintendo Direct and a full remake of the game was announced for Switch, opening up the door for me to try the game again without feeling too much like I was rehashing all of my lost effort. It seemed a little weird to be buying the game again, but playing it on Switch with this shiny new coat of paint was definitely worth the entry fee. As the progenitor of both the Mario and Luigi and Paper Mario series, Super Mario RPG obviously does something very right. This is evident in its solid formula that uniquely combines RPG tropes and Mario's more action-oriented roots. This combined DNA pervades the whole game, but is most clear in two key elements of the experience.

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

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

I stopped playing Fire Emblem Heroes around the same time I stopped participating in the Microsoft Rewards program. Those two things were starting to take over all of my free time, and I needed some reprieve. While I have a history of gacha-style games latching themselves to my daily routines, I foolishly didn't expect this one to manage that. I've never been able to get into tactics games before, and I assumed the same would apply here. In fact, the only reason I started playing it was for the My Nintendo rewards points! However, the game's story and the greater Fire Emblem lore that it draws upon started drawing me in, and before I knew it, I was hooked. Now, while I'm shelving Heroes, I have a new, genuine interest in trying out some of the mainline games. For an aggressively monetized mobile game to be the thing that finally helped me enjoy the tactics genre, it must be doing something very right. Part of that may be its simplicity. In other tactics games that I'

I don't think 2D Metroid could be in a better place than it is right now. Thanks to the Switch's massive install base and the excellent work done by the team at MercurySteam, Metroid Dread has sold better than any other game in the series, potentially introducing tens of thousands of new players to the series. While there were a few things that kept it behind Metroid Fusion as my favorite entry, the transition to 2.5D started by Samus Returns has been fully realized here, and it's absolutely glorious. I know this kind of game won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I think Metroid Dread is exactly what we needed to make sure that people who might fall in love with the series actually get a chance to do so. Picking up after the events of Metroid Fusion, Samus, still genetically fused with Metroid DNA, and ADAM, now integrated into the ship's computer, receive a distress signal from an unfamiliar planet. Within the distress call was an image of an x-parasite, prompt

I have been thinking about playing the original F-ZERO for a while now, but I keep getting distracted by other games that I have even more interest in playing. I usually prefer to start a series with the first game before any others because it helps me to appreciate the franchise's legacy. However, the surprise announcement of F-ZERO 99 that followed the shuttering of PAC-MAN 99 seemed like too exciting of an opportunity to ignore. While it isn't exactly how I would've planned it, I played the newest game in the F-ZERO series first, just to make sure I experienced it during the height of its popularity. With how much it is inspired by the original, I think I would've appreciated F-ZERO 99 more had I played the SNES classic beforehand, but as it stands, I still had a great time! Following the template of the 99-series games that preceded it, F-ZERO 99 pits you against 98 other players. However, your play area is no longer independent of your opponents where you can only

Oh my goodness. I've really enjoyed all of the Metroid games that I've reviewed thus far, but Metroid Fusion? This one is my favorite. I know that can be a pretty controversial position, especially thanks to some of the formula changes that Fusion introduced, but those changes are actually why I love it! As much as I enjoy the magic of discovery, my general preference with video games is for them to actively direct me to such a degree that I would rarely, if ever, need a walkthrough to maintain my pace. Each of the other three Metroid games that I've reviewed didn't quite achieve that, and many people love them for it. I still really enjoy them anyway, but Metroid Fusion did exactly what I wanted and pivoted away from the "explore to progress" mindset to the "explore for extra goodies" approach that I prefer. In terms of mechanics and its general aesthetic, Fusion feels very similar to its direct predecessor, Super Metroid . Samus still moves with th

Not only did I find Kirby Tilt'n'Tumble to be one of the most intriguing Kirby spinoffs, but also possibly the most intriguing Gameboy-era game in general. An 8-bit handheld game from the turn of the century that uses real motion controls and is actually playable? I absolutely had to try it for myself. Unfortunately, it wasn't very accessible for the longest time. With the secondhand price being way too much for me to consider, and the emulation options being subpar, I didn't really have much of an option to play it. When Nintendo announced it was coming to the NSO Gameboy app though, I was ecstatic! I would finally have the opportunity to emulate a motion-controlled game on a machine designed for motion controls in an official capacity, so I was confident this would be the best way to play outside of the original hardware. After playing, I'm confident that it's outright the best way to play this game. Kirby's Tilt'n'Tumble is a motion-controlled mar

After six long years, the sequel to Breath of the Wild finally came out. There was a gap of four years between the game's announcement and its release that saw the launch of a remake, a remaster, and two official spinoffs from the same franchise. In fact, there was less time between the launch of Breath of the Wild and the launches of either release of Skyward Sword than there was between the Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. So, was it worth the wait? My answer would be a doubtless, unequivocal, resounding yes! When I finished Breath of the Wild, I thought "How are they possibly going to top that?" but when I first plummeted into the depths of Tears of the Kingdom, I realized "Oh, that's how." There's so much to say about this game. People who haven't played it complain that it's just a glorified DLC for Breath of the Wild, and while it may reuse assets, concepts, and much of the map, I think it's pretty clear that the two are sti

After finishing Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Future Redeemed , I knew my next big commitment was going to be Tears of the Kingdom. However, there was still some empty time to fill before I actually got the game, so I needed to find something shorter to play for a bit. The Zelda itch was strong, and I didn't have time for something like Skyward Sword or Wind Waker, but the story mode of a Musou game? That was far more plausible. I had been clinging to a deep curiosity about the original Hyrule Warriors since it first released on WiiU, and with this short window of free time, I finally decided to play it. Taking so long to commit to trying it might have even have been to my benefit because I got to play the Definitive Edition. This came with all of the extra content from the previous two releases, plus a few QOL improvements that made the whole game a lot smoother of an experience. There is so much content in Hyrule Warriors that you could play for hundreds of hours without seeing eve

Pushmo was always on my radar as an interesting Eshop title, but I ultimately ended up getting both of its 3DS sequels and never actually Pushmo itself. The closure of the Eshop pushed me to finally play it, and like its successors, it's a great mix of puzzles and platforming. I like to think that Pushmo is someone's answer to the question of what would happen if a simple puzzle was made to be the size of a house? Instead of solving these brainteasers with a pencil or a stylus, our protagonist Mallo must push, pull, and climb blocks using his own raw strength. What results is a cute puzzle game that stands out in a genre mostly known for purely logical, flat experiences. Pushmo tells you right away that it isn't going to be like those other guys. Instead of a simple tutorial,  it treats players to a little story that establishes the importance of Mallo solving every puzzle. The puzzles in question are explained to be a type of theme park attraction that little children enjo

My first experience with Kirby's Adventure was actually the remade version for 3DS. I got it as a Club Nintendo reward and really enjoyed how much it reminded me of the DS Kirby games I used to borrow from friends. I played it a lot, but eventually got stuck on the Kracko boss fight and moved on to other games. Recently though, I've been interested in going back and playing all of the old Kirby games, and Kirby's Adventure was the next on my list, so here we are! I went with the NES version this time around, purely because it's easier to pick up and play my Switch than my 3DS, and I don't mind the slowdown or flickering. Unfortunately, and I don't think this is the fault of the platform, I just didn't enjoy it as much this time around. As the first Kirby game with copy abilities, it makes sense that those would be the main draw. However, that's not really anything new anymore, leaving the whole game feeling pretty vanilla. Thankfully, even the plainest K

We had all known the standalone chapter of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was coming at some point. It was announced alongside the expansion pass with a "by December 2023" release date, and had received a teaser in February that got me very hyped. I don't think anyone was prepared though when the full trailer dropped in April that announced the release date was a mere week away! I had been holding out for the possibility of a physical edition like there was with Torna , but with no sign of such a thing in the trailer, I downloaded the DLC that same night. I was in the final chapter of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and cleaning up the side quests at that point, but I kicked it into high gear just to be ready. Even so, I was not prepared for what Future Redeemed had stored up for me. This is a game specially handcrafted for the biggest fans of the Xenoblade series, and that means it was made for me. Serving as a prequel to Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Future Redeemed answers a lot of question

I was heavily invested in Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition when Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was formally announced. Even though I had been hearing the rumors for weeks, maybe months, at that point, the Nintendo Direct still had me giggling like a toddler on their birthday. Upon seeing a game that combined the worlds of the first two numbered entries, brought back old characters, and just looked excellent in its own right, I was sold before the trailer was half-finished. I was just wrapping up Future Connected when my pre-order arrived, but I was pretty quick about starting what would become one of my favorite video game experiences of all time. It was a slow journey, as I became a dad less than a month after the game was released, and a new Pokémon game came out in the middle of my playthrough, but oh boy was this the best thing I've played in a long time. It took a good while for me to understand my feelings about this game, but I can now confidently say that Xenoblade Chron

When I was a kid, my dad scored a SNES and a pretty sizable collection of games for a price that would practically be illegal in today's market. He played that thing with me and my brother until we literally couldn't get it to work anymore. After that, even though I loved the games, they were just sitting around like paperweights. It wasn't until I was browsing GBA games at our local game shop that I learned there would still be a way to play all those SNES games again. Sitting on the top shelf behind the counter was the beautiful Yobo FC-16 Go. Allowing for both handheld and TV play (with wireless controllers included?!), our SNES library could be an option again! Needless to say, my GBA was not getting a new game that day, and I buckled down to save up the money for that shiny new handheld. As bulky as it was, that machine was one of my favorites for a very long time. I played Turtles in Time on the minivan TV with my brother, handheld Super Mario All-Stars in the living