Category: Zelda

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up: September 2019

~ Game Over ~

Final Fantasy X HD Remaster (PS4) – I’ve never really played FFX before, and I have to say… This is an excellent game! The story was fun and surprisingly emotional, and the battle system is really something else. Definitely a top tier FF. At least if you’re playing casually or maybe even speedrunning. The most important thing I took away from it is that going for 100% or really any of the post-game is a fool’s errand and nobody should ever bother trying. I don’t think I’ve ever spent so much time grinding in any other single video game. Post-game content is not fun here.

Bastion (Switch) – This is another game that has a very good reputation but I’d never played it until now. I am less excited about this one. Not that it isn’t good… I just think I would have got more out of it back in 2011 before indie games got real big. I liked the unique storytelling, though the gameplay felt a little hollow and I can’t really articulate why.

Spyro the Dragon (PS4) – I guess September is like “discover beloved older games month” for me. And I’ve listed them here in descending order of how much I like them. Honestly I don’t really get why people dig Spyro so much. It’s fine, I guess. But really you mostly just walk forward and gather gems and dragons. It’s like if Super Mario 64’s power stars were just sitting out for you to collect at your leisure. Also the bosses are all really terrible. I really grew to enjoy the flight levels, at least. And it’s a spectacularly pretty remake.

~ Progress Notes ~

Pixel Puzzle Collection (iOS) – 90.2%

Super Kirby Clash (Switch) – Levelled to 59

Astral Chain (Switch) – Currently on File 07

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (Switch) – Up to the Acidic Glavenus quest

Yoshi’s Island (SNES) – World 2-8

Pic-A-Pix Pieces (Switch) – 14/20 panels complete

Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! (PS4) – About halfway done, as the gems fly.

Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Switch) – Cleared Level 8

Nintendo Direct – Sept 4/19

Overwatch – Wait, people still care about Overwatch? I kid, I kid. But seriously, I wonder how this will go over. It seems like it’s coming too late, but the Switch is still hot, so who knows. I won’t be playing it, that’s for sure.

Luigi’s Mansion 3 – I skipped this whole segment because I do not want to know any more about this game before I actually play it.

Super Kirby Clash – I spent months playing this freemium game on 3DS and now it’s back and with a ton more content and more multiplayer options. Here we go again…

Trials of Mana – Having played the original many times… there wasn’t much “news” here for me. Your characters’ costumes change when you change class. Imagine that! Still, I think this is currently my most anticipated game of 2020.

Return of the Obra Dinn – The video locked up while this was playing but it was fine because it didn’t seem like anything I cared about.

Little Town Hero – I was already provisionally excited because Original RPG by Game Freak, but then they say that the soundtrack was done by Toby Fox and I’m like Hell Yes Mexicans!

Smash Ultimate – Banjo and Kazooie today! Hooray! Also I know lots of people wanted a more… diverse SNK rep, but I’m super happy for Terry Bogard. White guys gotta smash, you know?

Link’s Awakening – Skipped this too because it’s two weeks out and I want any new content to be a surprise.

Dragon Quest XI S – Skipped this too because I’m not buying it again. It’s a really excellent game, but a double-dip just doesn’t fit into my time or money budgets. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: DQXI is the last game that needs more content.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions – I won’t lie, I’m interested, because I never played it on Wii U. But, I do own it on Wii U, so I’ll probably just continue to never play that copy.

Deadly Premonition 2 – Speaking of games that I own for other consoles but have never played, I have the first Deadly Premonition on Xbox 360 and I still hope to make time for it one day…

Deadly Premonition Origins – Aww man, I’d definitely be more likely to make time for it if I had it on Switch. 

Divinity: Original Sin 2 – I kind of hate the title, but my boss has told me many good things about the first game, so I’m interested. Though I likely still won’t buy this, it’s nice that it’s on Switch.

Doom 64 – I was very excited by this announcement, even though I have gone on record calling Doom 64 “poop from a butt”. I don’t know why I remember it so fondly.

Rogue Company – Online team-based shooter? Nope. Not for me.

Pokémon Sword & Shield – Uninteresting new features, but Galar pokémon continue to be excellent. I am a big fan of Cramorant, and Polteageist is my new favourite pokémon ever.

Tetris 99 Version 2 – Cool. I wish I played more Tetris 99. Maybe now I will?

Mario & Sonic 2020 Olympics – Skipped. I just don’t care.

Daemon X Machina demo 2 – Skipped. I do care, but I don’t need another demo. The first one already sold me. (Although this may have to wait for Xmas or something.)

Jedi Knight II – I rented this for GameCube once, and it was really fun. I didn’t finish the story mode, but I played a lot of multiplayer against the AI. Don’t feel the need to revisit it, though.

The Witcher 3 – Skipped. I know this is a very popular and acclaimed video game, but it does absolutely nothing for me.

Assassin’s Creed Rebel Collection – Speaking of popular games that do nothing for me…

Dauntless – I played it a bunch on PS4 and liked it, but decided to break it off after about a month. It does a lot of neat things to differentiate itself from Monster Hunter, but also it’s really buggy and the monster designs are kinda bland. A Switch version isn’t gonna reel me back in.

Sizzle reel – Skipped because it seemed to be a lot of generic racing and Just Dance.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nope. I’m not going through that again. Never again. Never, never, never.

Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition – Yes, I will buy this game a third time. Xenoblade is probably my favourite Wii game, and now it’s got good character models and new content. Though, like DQXI, it really doesn’t need any more content…

Nintendo @ E3 2019

It’s that time of year again, E3 time. The time when all the big video game companies (and small video game companies too) come out to show off their upcoming wares. The most hyped week of commercials in all the year.

Like I always do, I’m going to write up a list of my thoughts on all the stuff that Nintendo showed off in their big presentation. “Why just Nintendo?” you ask. Because that’s where my heart is. Other companies show off neat stuff from time to time, but when it comes down to it, I always get the most excited about the new Nintendo games. And I find that this gets more true with each passing year, as video games in general become less and less exciting to me.

To be 100% honest, the most exciting non-tendo announcment for me so far has been the FF8 remaster. Because of course it is. So let’s get on to the show.

Smash DLC – YES DQ HEROES

DQXIS – I have it on PS4, no need for a re-buy. Even if there is more content. The last thing DQXI needs in more content.

Bowser Mix-up – That was a fun skit

Luigi Mansion 3 – Down To Play… You can never leave…? is it the Hotel California? I like the Gooigi angle. King Boo is in the trailer… So is he not the main villain? No release date is weird.

Dark Crystal Tactics – I like the look of this strategy RPG, but man I strongly dislike The Dark Crystal

Link’s Awakening – Just hook it to my veins! Releasing in September!?!? Whaaaaaat I had it budgeted for December! And it now has some sort of custom dungeon builder? Weird, but it could be cool.

Trials of Mana – HOLY FARTS all I wanted was an official translation of Seiken 3 and SquareEnix gives me THIS instead? What have I done to deserve something so beautiful??? I’m not worthy!

Collection of Mana – Oh hey it’s that official translation of Seiken 3 that I wanted. Plus two other games. Neat! Wait what… AVAILABLE TODAY!?!?

Witcher 3 – I want to care, but I don’t have the time (see the last three bullets)

Fire Emblem Three Houses – I don’t even want to care about this one. Sorry, Fire Emblem. You’re not for me.

Resident Evil 5 & 6 – Neat. I might buy 5 again, when it goes on sale. I really like RE5. Six, less so. I don’t know why there was a bit about making some actors play RE1 in a spooky house, though. Why should we be more excited to play RE on the go than anything else?

No More Heroes 3 – YESSSS  (less so to the 2020 release date, but I can wait)

Contra Rogue Corps – I’m happy that there’s a new Contra game… But it’s not for me. Because it looks bad. Really bad.

Contra Anniversary Collection – Meh. But I would rather have this than Rogue Corps.

Daemon x Machina – Yep, still hype for this. Even after the demo failed to impress most other people. But how can this also come out in September?

Panzer Dragoon – You’re not Star Fox. Looks lame.

Pokemon Sword and Shield – Pokeball Plus functionality… I don’t care. Nessa is cute tho.

Astral Chain – Extradimensional attack.. That’s enough for me, I’m sold. It looks so sweet. I absolutely can’t wait for this one. So it’s good that it comes out in August!

Empire of Sin – Nothing about this is appealing to me

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 – I’d like to play this, but I think the rest of my 2019 video game budget has been allocated already. And it seems like it would lose a lot to play it all by my lonesome.

Cadence of Hyrule – It looks cool, but I’m going to wait on reviews for this one.

Mario and Sonic Olympic Something – Feh.

Animal Crossing – I was done with Animal Crossing after New Leaf. This isn’t looking like it’s going to change my mind. So I really don’t mind the delay.

Sizzle Reel – I think the only thing in there that I’m legit interested in is Doom Eternal. And I am VERY interested in Doom Eternal. Maybe the Crystal Chronicles remake. Stranger Things 3 still looks lame 🙁

MORE Smash DLC – Banjo and Kazooie! This is ALMOST as good as the DQ heroes! It just makes me sad that there are no BK games on Switch.

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up: May 2019

~ Game Over ~

3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (3DS) – I don’t really know what to say. It took me probably just as long to get through Chemical Plant Zone as it did every other level combined. Plus, despite all my efforts, I just don’t find Sonic very fun. Almost thirty years I’ve been trying to like Sonic games, but I can’t get there. Sonic 2 in particular has excellent art and great music, but it’s just not fun. #SonicWasAlwaysBad.

METAGAL (Switch) – A blatant Mega Man ripoff, but it’s actually pretty good! While the key art is a bit ugly, the in-game visuals are really nice, and the controls are surprisingly tight. METAGAL is also a few stages short of a full Mega Man, but makes up for that by being unexpectedly difficult and ranking you on your performance to encourage replays. My only major complaint is that special weapons are all tied to the same (very short) energy bar, and while it refills automatically, it harshly limits your use of anything but your basic shot.

Picross S3 (Switch) – It feels like ages since the last Picross (it was October of last year), so it was nice to have a new set of puzzles to hack away at. It’s more or less exactly the same as the last two in the S series, but this one has a cool new Colour Picross mode where you solve puzzles with multiple colours. And it comes complete with animated solutions! I don’t think Jupiter has done those since the Super Famicom days! Though why they’re only in Colour Picross mode, I’ll never know.

Mutant Mudds (Switch) – I bought the Mutant Mudds Collection. Again. For $4. And then I proceeded to play through all the first game’s original content in a single sitting. Then I did all of the “Deluxe” version content in another (Ghost and Granny levels). I really like Mutant Mudds, but I hate those few jumps where you have to fall then jetpack in under an overhang to a tunnel that is exactly your character’s height. I don’t know if I described it very well, but if you’ve played the game, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

My Lovely Daughter (Switch) – A game about giving life, and then taking it away in the most macabre ways imaginable. Well, sort of. I wrote a whole big thing. Go read it maybe?

~ Progress Notes ~

Final Fantasy IX (PS1) – Cleared Ipsen’s Castle (w/ gold chocobo!).

BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! (Switch) – Up to World 12.

Castle of Heart (Switch) – Finished Chapter 1.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch) – Handful of shrines, started Zora quest line.

Pixel Puzzle Collection (iOS) – 18% complete

Dauntless (PS4) – I don’t even know how to gauge progress here.

Mutant Mudds Super Challenge (Switch) – Completed World 2

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up: April 2019

~ Game Over ~

Pokémon Ultra Sun (3DS) – I took to playing this on the very long bus rides home from school, and finally finished up the main story. Let me tell you: limiting your team to poison-types makes the game much harder than it needs to be. There’s a bunch of post-game content to play, but I may just put a bow on it here, as I wasn’t even really feeling the main game to begin with.

Yoshi’s Crafted World (Switch) – While it seems like everyone I listen to on the internet thinks this is the best Yoshi game since the original Yoshi’s Island, I still like Woolly World more. You can’t have Yoshi wear a Mega Man costume in Crafted World. But Crafted World is great! I played it far longer than necessary, breaking my rule of not attempting to go for a 100% clear in a Yoshi game. It’s just so much more possible than ever before.

Mega Man 2 (NES) – Played through during a retro gaming get-together evening. My reputation was tarnished by requiring three continues, but I did make it past the disappearing blocks in Heat Man’s stage without Item-2 for the first time in… forever? Also I had no idea that using a continue takes away any E-Tanks you’ve collected, which is super lame. Just another argument for why Mega Man 3 is a better game.

Universal Paperclips (iOS) – I was looking for recommendations on good idle/clicker games, and this is the first one I went for. Bad news first: it will not serve as a good way to while away a few minutes here and there, as I finished it in a day. Good news: It is in fact a very cool clicker/idle game. It changes up a lot as you play, and makes you think about managing your resources in different ways all throughout. I also like that it does have a definitive ending, it just came a little too soon (that’s what she said).

Labo VR (Switch) – I purchased the basic kit, which comes with the VR Goggles and Blaster. There’s only one real game there, and then a couple dozen neat little toys. The Blaster game is a fun rail shooter and it takes some applied effort to score all the gold medals. The real draw of Labo VR, however, was using it to play Breath of the Wild in VR (which is really just 3D mode).

~Progress Notes~

Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch) – Cleared Vah Rudania.

METAGAL (Switch) – Cleared the 4 initial stages.

Final Fantasy IX (PS1) – Up to the start of Disc 3.

Mechstermination Force (Switch) – 7 mechs down out of ???

Resident Evil 4 (PS4) – Up to Chapter 2.

Picross S3 (Switch) – I’ve done maybe half the puzzles?

BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! (Switch) – Completed the first 5 worlds.

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up: March 2019

~ Game Over ~

Super Mario Bros 2 (NES) – Came out on Switch’s NES Online service last month. Several months too late, I might add. Because I just like playing a little Mario 2 here and there, I took both warps to skip pretty close to the ending, and finished in like 45 minutes? Then I watched a warpless speedrun that took under 25. I felt so much shame. 

Resident Evil 2 (PS4) – Did an easy-mode Leon B practice run for S+, and actually took longer than I did on Claire A, which is weird because the B scenarios are shorter (but tougher). Clearly I needed that practice run to study and learn the remixed route.

Dragon Quest XI (PS4) – I got to the end! But then it turned out that “the end” is only the end for those who seek to put in the minimum required effort. The post-game is absolutely crammed with things to do and actual significant story content. It’s wild, and it’s where DQXI actually becomes moderately difficult. The main story is probably the easiest DQ has ever been; my party didn’t wipe once, and it was rare that any characters even died (stupid Whack). But the claws have come out and there’s still so much more to go, I guess I’ll keep at ‘er…

Deer Man (PC) – A game that I purchased for a dollar, because the promo image made it seem spooky. It was, ever so briefly, but then quickly transitioned into a short story about protecting wildlife. Not the worst way to spend a dollar and twenty-five minutes.

Blaster Master Zero 2 (Switch) – A terrific follow-up to what is still one of my favourite games on Switch. I don’t know that it’s better than the original, but it’s certainly at least as good. It feels like the top-down segments are less important this time around, but I really like the game’s overall structure and how there are a dozen little planetoids that act as self-contained challenges. I fully intend to write a review of this one too, so stay tuned for that.

~ Write-offs ~

Cosmic Cavern 3671 (PC) – It’s kinda like Dig Dug and/or Boulder Dash (full disclosure: I’ve never played Boulder Dash), but not really fun at all. I played it for literally three minutes before chucking it in the Steam equivalent of a trash bin. Although, now I am left with the mystery of where it even came from. Probably one of those IndieGala bundles.

Cloudbuilt (PC) – I last played this in August of 2016 and deduced that it was too hard for me. Also it doesn’t run quite well enough on my machine. I don’t know why I didn’t uninstall it and write it off back then. Although 2016 was a very different time. Long before Switch and the Curse of Too Many Games.

Chiptune Champion (PC) – Now that I have a guitar and Rocksmith, other rhythm games seem so… empty. I really like the chiptune soundtrack to this one, but my keyboard is not designed to be held and strummed like a guitar. Putting this one in the bin.

Glittermitten Grove (PC) – The follow-up to Frog Fractions that just didn’t have the same pull. If Steam is to be believed, I played this thing for ten hours, but never finished it and spent most of that time waiting for it to click for me. Better off just playing Frog Fractions again.

~ Progress Notes ~

Downwell (Switch) – I can get to level 2 now, but those ghosts are tricky and relentless.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch) – Picked up my half-complete Master Mode run.

Final Fantasy IX (PS1) – Played up to Burmecia (end of Disc 1).

Pokémon Ultra Sun (3DS) – Picked up to finally finish it. Collecting Mina’s flower petals.

Fitness Boxing (Switch) and Rocksmith (PS4) – Assume I’m always playing these.

Nindies Spotlight – Mar 20/19

Hey, a new Nindies presentation. I actually wasn’t going to bother watching this but then I heard some rumblings online that it was pretty incredible. So I pulled it up on the ol’ YouTube and WOW do I ever have opinions.

Cuphead – I’m happy, ever so happy that Cuphead is coming to Switch. What seemed impossible up until now has been made into actual reality now that Nintendo and Microsoft are BFFs. The thing is, I’m not going to buy it, at least not right away. I’ve already had my fill (ha!) of Cuphead, and I feel no need to revisit it yet. Stellar game, tho.

The Red Lantern – I don’t know if this is something I’d actually play, but the idea of a survival game set out in Alaska where you’re in command of dogsled is very interesting. Also, bear attacks. I need to know more though. If it plops you in the snow as says “have at ‘er” I’ll be all over that, but I’ll probably skip it if it’s a more linear, story-focused kind of game.

Darkwood – I’ve heard good things about this. Stories that absolutely piqued my interest. It’s a procedurally-generated survival horror dealie, but I’m not in love with the top-down perspective. I don’t know why, either, as I’m perfectly fine with it for many other games. This is exactly the kind of game that I need a demo for, just to get a feel for it before I commit my $25 to the cause.

RAD – A new Double Fine game. I’ve been down this road enough times that I know how Double Fine games work: I end up liking everything about them except for the act of playing them. And RAD… it definitely seems like it’ll fit that description. Run around in a post-apocalyptic cartoon Hellscape! Create a trail of flowers and grass wherever you go like in Okami! Mutate your guy to do cool things! And even though I like all those bullet points… it looks a little shallow and maybe boring. We’ll have to see. 

Stranger Things 3 – I’d like to start by saying that I really have no interest in playing this game; it doesn’t look very good in any way. However, the visual style is reminding me of something very specific and I cannot for the life of me figure out what it is and it’s driving me BATTY. I can’t wait for the day when I’m in the shower and randomly realize what it is.

Blaster Master Zero 2 – You remember how excited I was about the Link’s Awakening remake? Well I am almost as excited about this sequel that was announced and released during this presentation. If you’ll take a moment to recall, I thought very highly of Blaster Master Zero, and in fact pronounced it to be one of my favourite games of 2017. To be included on that list with the likes of RE7, Breath of the Wild, and Mario Odyssey is no small feat. Obviously I immediately opened my phone to Nintendo’s online store and purchased this right away. I’m sure that by the time this post is published I will have already finished BMZ2 (Future Ryan Sez: It’s freakin’ awesome!), but as of writing time I am dying to actually have a few spare moments to dig into it.

Cadence of Hyrule – I never had any intention of playing Crypt of the Necrodancer. I don’t like roguelikes. I tried. Lord did I ever try, but they just don’t work for me. HOWEVER. Now that Necrodancer is getting a Zelda-themed sequel? Yeah I’m in for giving this one a shot. And I think it’ll be a little more palatable than the scores of various Mystery Dungeons that I played, being that it’s rhythm-based. Also the Zelda branding suggests it will probably get dumbed down for the unwashed masses. Which, in this one very specific case, I see as a net positive. 

Like with the last Nintendo Direct, I’m just going to round up the titles of all the things I have no interest in here. These include: Overland, My Friend Pedro, Neo Cab, Katana ZERO, Creature in the Well, Bloodroots, Pine, Super Crate Box, Nuclear Throne, Ultra Bugs, and Swimsanity!. That isn’t to say that any of these games looked bad or unworthy of my attention (although truthfully, Neo Cab seems terminally boring), but in this age of Too Many Games, one needs to know how to write things off at a glance. You’ll lose your mind if you try to take an interest in everything, because there’s not enough time in the world for that.

Nintendo Direct – Feb 13/19

Blorp. Nintendo Direct yesterday. It was baller.

Super Mario Maker 2 – Sweet! They showed off a ton of new content, and I really can’t wait to dig into it. Mostly to play levels, as I don’t relish the idea of creating them without a Wii U Gamepad. Note: There’s a Koopa Troopa driving a car on the main promo art. Like, not a Mario Kart. What is up with this guy? I don’t know! I don’t know what’s up with that!

And now, the “I don’t care” roundup. A list of all games shown that I haven’t got any interest in – Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, Captain Toad DLC, Disney Tsum Tsum Festival, Rune Factory 4, Rune Factory 5, Fire Emblem Treehouses, Dead by Daylight, GRID Autosport, Mortal Kombat 11, Assassin’s Creed 3 Remastered, Unravel Two

BOX BOY! + BOX GIRL! – So hype, loved the 3DS games. Totally ready for more.

Smash Ultimate – Big troll. They were all like “hey a big update is coming… but we’re not going to tell you anything about it” which is lame. And Joker I guess.

Bloodstained – I backed the Kickstarter campaign so I’m already onboard financially. This is the first footage I’ve actually seen, and I’m happy that it looks v good.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 – Cool, not sure if I’ll get it. Never finished the first one.

Dragon Quest XI S – I like the new Switch features, but I already have it on PS4, and don’t need to buy it again.

Starlink update – I still haven’t bought this game, despite a very strong interest. And the fact that they’re jamming even more Star Fox stuff in there is making me want it even harder.

Oninaki – I really liked I Am Setsuna, this looks even better. But I’m already in pretty deep here. There are too many games, and not enough hours in the day.

Yoshi’s Crafted World – I’ve had it pre-ordered since June 2018. All in.

Tetris 99 – As I understand it, it’s Fortnite but with Tetris instead of guns. 99 people play at the same time until 98 are eliminated. Weird, but free so i’ll try it out. Probably. I guarantee nothing. Also I am terrible at Tetris, so.

Deltarune – Free console port of chapter 1. Deltarune is really good! Like, I think that this first chapter really holds up perfectly well all on its own. I’ll play it again, sure!

Daemon x Machina demo – This is on the short list of my most anticipated Switch games. I can’t wait to try it out. Which I could be doing right now, but instead I’m sitting here typing away like an idiot!

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – Looks really cool, and I’ve only heard good things. I was on the fence, but then there was a giant monster baby at the very end of the trailer that sold me completely. I’ll probably still pick it up on PS4 instead, depending on the price difference.

Final Fantasy Stuff – Can’t wait for FFVII, I’ll play Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon with my brother, and I already bought FFIX. Yep. Been craving a replay of that for quite some time now.

Astral Chain – Looks dope. Thought it was Xenoblade, but no

Link’s Awakening – HOLY F*** DREAMS COME TRUE

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up : November 2018

~Game Over~

MGSV: The Phantom Pain (PC) – Done but unfinished. Which describes both the game itself and our playthrough. Will we go back? Only time will tell! (But probably not.)

WarioWare Gold (3DS) – An excellent game that I’d love to invest more time into, but it’s just a little tedious to try to hit a target score on 300+ micro-games, you know?

Marvel’s Spider-Man (PS4) – I spent an entire week off work doing very little other than playing this to completion. Do I feel satisfied with how I spent that time? Yes. Absolutely.

Mega Man 6 (Switch) – Rush turns into a jetpack and boxing gloves. Robot pelicans attack by spitting out robot fish. Submarines masquerade as clouds. MM6 is the hottest mess.

Mega Man 9 (Switch) – Would it kill you to turn the health drop rate up a little? Anyway, I’ve now beaten every Classic Mega Man game in 2018. Good job, me! And Merry Megamas to all!

XC2: Torna – The Golden Country (Switch) – Maybe the best DLC expansion I’ve ever played? It’s a complete mini-prequel, as opposed to simply more quests tacked on to the base game.

MechaNika (Switch) – The sequel to Agatha Knife, which I very much enjoyed. This one’s about an alcoholic seven-year-old who wants to build a mech to destroy everything that isn’t cool. Fun!

Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS) – It was time for a replay, I thought, seeing as this month marked OoT’s 20th birthday. It’s a very short game if you ignore heart pieces and gold skulltulas!

~Now Playing~

Save Me Mr. Tako (Switch) – A rare retraux game that pays homage to the Game Boy. So yeah obviously I bought it. Only made it through a handful of levels before distractions tore me away.

Dark Souls (Switch) – Dark Souls is sure great! But man, I just don’t have the time for it.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch) – Still plugging away at this like once a week or so. G-Rank is a tough cookie, which leaves me at the mercy of online play to make progress.

Super Smash Bros for Wii U (Wii U) – Snuck in a few matches here and there throughout the month. As I post this, there are a mere SEVEN DAYS LEFT until Ultimate.

Star Ocean (SNES) – You have to wonder about a game that, two minutes into your playtime, pits you against a boss who can kill you in ten seconds flat. It’s actually not too bad, though!

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! (Switch) – I have so many thoughts about this game… But mostly it really makes me wish that I could have an actual pokémon. Pikachu is just so cute!

Minit (Switch) – A Zelda-like where you die and restart every 60 seconds. I don’t know if the experience would have changed appreciably without that particular feature.

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up: September 2018

The age of Mega Man X dominating my gaming time has ended. At least for now. Now, instead of being stuck on a series of action platformers, I’m ears-deep in massive RPGs. Super. At least I was guaranteed to finish all those Mega Mans.

~ Game Over ~

Mega Man X7 (Switch) – If you thought I was down on X5… it looks like a sparkling gem next to this turd. Not even really worth playing just to say you’ve played ‘em all.

Mega Man X8 (Switch) – It’s not amazing, but it stands head and shoulders above X7. Playing it brought back some fun memories of when I first bought a PS2. Ah, such simpler times…

The Messenger (Switch) – After my first playthrough, I think this might fall in line with the way I feel about Mega Man X: it’s as close to perfect as a video game can possibly be.

Final Fantasy XV (PS4) – I finally did it! And exactly a year after my last play session! I gave the disc back to my brother, but I kind of want to get the Royal Edition and keep playing…

The Legend of Zelda (NES) – It’s on my Switch now, so… yeah, of course I played it.

The Silver Case (PS4) – A Japan-only PS1 adventure game by Suda 51, remastered and localized. It’s pretty interesting, and I can absolutely see the genesis of Killer7 in it.

~ Now Playing ~

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch) – I just hit high rank and already there is so much more content than on the 3DS version. Purchase justified!

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (PS4) – Few things feel as purely good as playing a Dragon Quest game. And this one is so got-danged pretty!

WarioWare Gold (3DS) – Whaaaaat a 3DS game in 2018? How even? I was going to skip this, but then my parents got it for me as a birthday gift. Which is awesome because <3 WarioWare.

MGSV: The Phantom Pain (PC) – Hey it’s this again. How many more two-line blurbs am I going to have to write about this friggin’ game? (Probably only one more.)

Picross S2 (Switch) – I could be done, but this time I’m actually playing all the Mega puzzles, too. They can be quite the challenge, which is good because regular picross is too easy.

Dr. Mario (NES) – Now my Switch can play Dr. Mario, so I’m pretty happy!

Frederic: Resurrection of Music (Switch) – I’ve been long intrigued by this, then it went on sale for 65 cents. Verdict: Its heart is in the right place, but I don’t want a touchscreen piano game.