Review #589: Nintendo 64 Memories: Flying Dragon

 Two games, one cart. Almost.

Part 1: The Flashback
 Easily one of my two most wanted games on the N64 ever. I think I only managed to rent it once, because the only place that had it up for rent was far away from home. Everything about this game piqued my interest, how it had two ways to play it(SD or virtual) and the character designs.
 Sadly, the game was incredibly hard to find, not once did I find it up for purchase. Luckily, that's all in the past, and finally, this game has reached my hands!

Part 2: Today
 Let's start with what makes the game so unique: You have both SD and Virtual Modes. Both modes play pretty much identical, but do have their own unique thingies. For starters, each mode has its own character roster, most characters are shared, some have widely different designs, others look the same(But in chibi/super deformed looks) and others are exclusive to either mode. Before starting each mode you can also customize the ruleset, turning attack-cancels on/off or even deactivating sidestepping. There's another mechanic, the Mind's Eye, which makes it so that repeatedly hitting an enemy on the same body part will eventually yield critical damage that can also be turned on or off, as well as turbo speed. Basically, there's a lot you can tune to your liking.

 Both modes offer an Arcade Ladder, a VS CPU Tournament, VS Player and a VS Player/group mode. There're a few hidden characters that can be unlocked by fulfilling certain conditions or using a password hidden behind the 'Treasure Box -> Status' menu of the SD mode.

 Virtual Mode was my favorite, featuring normal-looking characters. A and B are your punch and kick buttons, R guards, L sidesteps(If activated) and Down-C is a third attack button. There're command special moves, attack strings and even super moves that can be used once you fill your power gauge. The fighting is fast and fun, and I had a lot of fun stringing moves together.

 SD Mode is a bit simpler, A and B and normal attacks, while the Down-C button is used exclusively for special moves. There's also a Super move relegated to the Left-C button. What makes this mode so unique is that you can equip your character with items that you find and level up as you go through the VS CPU modes. Sadly, the framerate suffers a lot in this mode, and I'm not too big on the super deformed character proportions.

 I've no doubt in my mind that if I had owned this game when I was younger, it easily would've ranked on my favorite games on the system. Sadly, when you compare Flying Dragon against the fighting games you could find on its rival, the PS1, it falls short where it counts. It's still amongst the best fighters on the N64... not that that is saying much.

 7.5 out of 10

Review #588: Nintendo 64 Memories: Dual Heroes

 HENSHIN!... feels like I've used that one before.

Part 1: The Flashback
 Yet another crappy N64 fighting game that I wanted to own! I've always loved Super Sentai/Kamen Rider-esque characters. I knew the game was bad, magazines told me so, but... I loved fighting games and I loved the designs!
 I know for a fact that I managed to rent the game once or twice, although it definitely wasn't one of the most memorable experiences I had.

Part 2: Today
 Well, I think the character designs have held up if you're into the whole Sentai shebang. The game is fairly simple, A attacks, B guards, Z allows for free movement and Down-C kicks. This is yet another button masher, there're no special moves(Kinda), just attack strings. Pressing Guard twice and then holding the button down will have your character do his Sentai pose and enter a special mode that grants his or her attacks special properties for a short while. You also get access to super moves by tapping Guard, Guard and Punch or Guard, Guard and Kick. This Super Mode can only be used once in a match though, and you need to find an opening since it takes a while for your pose to take off!

 In a weird change of pace, blocking attacks actually recovers your health. It's not something common in fighting games, and I don't think it's the best of mechanics, since it could make battles needlessly long. Despite how rigid the game can be, I felt like the movements and combat had some grace to it, and you can even juggle enemies on the air! Some stages feature walls on which you can deal extra damage, while others allow winning(Or losing!) by ringout.

  As far as modes go, you have your usual Arcade Ladder, VS Player and VS-AI. VS Ai is kinda interesting because you select an opponent based on various different AI types. As a matter of fact, there's yet another mode, 'Robot', in which you can 'train' Robot's AI by fighting it with various characters. It's nothing more than a gimmick, really. Lastly, you can unlock 4 bonus characters, but you need a controller pack in order to save your unlocks.

 So, Dual Heroes.... it's bland. It really is. Even on the N64 you could do better with games like Fighter's Destiny. Still, I think that the game is worth a look if you are into Sentai characters, because these characters really do look cool, and the animations are flashy enough as to make up for the lack of depth.
 4.0 out of 10

Review #587: Nintendo 64 Memories: Dark Rift

 The darkest rift isn't bad enough for this one.

Part 1: The Flashback
 Dark Rift was one of the first games I rented and one of the first I purchased. Alright, so I was a dumb kid and I loved fighting games, so of course, I loved this game. I don't have many memories of me actually playing this game with other people, but my father was probably one of its many victims, since he'd be forced to play crappy N64 fighting games with me.
 On the other hand, I know for a fact that I played this game by my lonesome a ton of times, and I used to main Zenmuron, I mean, what kid doesn't love edgy robot ninjas?
 ...he was still my go-to guy this time around though.

Part 2: Today
 Fun fact: This is the second game in the 'Trilogy of Terror' I've played for my blog! The fist one being Cardinal Syn. Fun fact two: There's a reason this game is part of the Trilogy of Terror. Dark Rift simply isn't very good... although it's probably not as bad as you've been led to believe.

 The C-buttons are used for Kick, Horizontal Attack, Vertical Attack and Blocking, the L and R buttons are your sidesteps, B is your grab button and A is your... special button? Holding A and moving the directional pad in certain motions performs special moves, but characters have, at most, two A button attacks, most have a single one, which makes me wonder just why this was needed. Why not have the projectile attack as the A button and have a few characters have a second A attack by tapping it while moving or something? Attack strings are surprisingly smooth, but moving around feels very clunky.

 There're 10 different characters(Counting the secret bosses), and something I found rather neat back then, and still did today, was how your character's look depended on whether you were the first or second player. Being allowed to choose between each costume would've been, probably, a better idea, but I thought it was a neat touch then and I still think so today. Kinda. The music has a mixture of a few really GOOD song and a lot of very bland tunes. Regardless of which song you get, none of them fit a fighting game, which is kinda hilarious. The game is a bit light on modes too, all you get is an Arcade ladder, VS Player and Practice.

 Dark Rift is a button masher through and through, with very little content and very little depth to be found. That said, I think it can be fun for a few minutes if you can turn your brain off and enjoy a simple battle of weirdos, because, honestly, characters have very different and weird designs, and attack animations are surprisingly smooth, for the most part.
 3.5 out of 10

Review #586: Nintendo 64 Memories: Jet Force Gemini

 Did anybody call for the exterminator?

Part 1: The Flashback
 I followed this game for a long while, y'know before the characters' designs were finalized and Juno was still sporting the red helmet. As a matter of fact, I think I was surprised when I saw the cover art and Juno and Vela looked nothing like they did on the few screenshots I had seen.
 I think I finally got this game on Christmas, and boy oh boy, did I play the hell out of the game. I never managed to complete it, and I didn't this time around either, but it's not because the game is bad, au contraire, but rather because despite how GOOD the game is... I just don't feel like searching for every Tribal.
 I think the upgrade-mid game was one of the neatest surprised in a game yet, suddenly all your characters got cooler-looking armors, more abilities and the ability to go to any previously explored planet. It was freeing and, well, fun. It's a shame that the game hides the true ending behind having to rescue every Tribal!.
 The game also had a multiplayer component, I dabbled a bit in Co-Op, but found it very lame, but spent a lot of time in the VS. modes. Fun times, fun times....

Part 2: Today
 Surprisingly, the game has held up quite well. As with most N64 games the camera is an issue, no doubt about it, but you can work around it with the R button to quickly, and awkwardly, snap it behind you. Aiming is a bit tough, but it might be my old analogue stick, and moving is a bit more slippery than I would've liked, but it's alright.

 As a third-person shooter, Jet Force Gemini delivers in high octane action by spades. You can play as any of the three heroes(Juno, his sister Vela or their dog Lupus) and they each have a unique ability. Vela can dive underwater, Juno can resist lava and Lupus can hover for a while. Initially, each character has their own set of levels before arriving into Mizar's Palace, once they meet up and you defeat Mizar, for the first time, you can pick any character and travel back to any previously visited planet, even planets that were visited by other characters.

 The shooting is where the game really shines: few shooters are THIS gratifying. You'll have to face an army of alien ants, and nothing feels as good as landing shots. The audiovisual feedback is just so perfect, shoots feel squishy when they hit flesh, and metallic when they hit walls and the copious amounts of blood and dismemberment just add to how rewarding it feels. You'll do yourself a great disservice if you don't play the game with the rumble pack! The only area where the shooting falters is on the bosses, which are very poorly designed. You have to shoot at specific parts during specific motions while being restricted to moving either left and right. They aren't very fun.

 I'm quite tolerant to backtracking, I do love metroidvanias. And, initially, this game does it quite well. You defeat Mizar, and now you get neat jetpacks, the ability to turn into ants while stepping on certain panels and the ability to go anywhere. And while you're not given any hints, now you can gather the five-colored keys with every character and go through doors that used to be locked, into new areas and even new planets(Even if they are a bit on the smaller side). It's great, and I had fun going back into new areas. What isn't very fun is being forced to rescue every single Tribal, cute bear-like aliens enslaved by the ants. If you're close to the end of a stage and you accidentally kill or get a Tribal killed... you have to redo the entire stage. Some areas require a specific character in order to rescue every Tribal, since it has to be done in one go. Best part about it? There's no way to know on which areas or planets you've already rescued the Tribals on, so you have to keep track by yourself. It's just not fun.

 Even if you're not planning on rescuing every Tribal, the game is very easy to recommend thanks to how well it has aged. The shooting is fun and feels better than in most shooters you can find nowadays, even if you have to come to terms with the aiming.
 8.5 out of 10

Review #585: Nintendo 64 Memories: Deadly Arts

 No move is deadlier than developing a bad fighting game.

Part 1: The Flashback
 I never owned this game, and finding a place where I could rent it was tough, but dangnammit, that cover was badass and I loved fighting games at that time, so I needed to try the game. And I can clearly remember renting it once. I don't remember how I felt about the game, but the fact that it didn't leave an imprint in my mind and how I never cared about it afterwards... I think I didn't like it too much.

Part 2: Today
 It's horrible. The 10 playable characters are as uninspired as they come, while the cover artwork is pretty darn decent, the game's engine does the art no favors. Add to that how poor the animations are and how stiff everything feels, and you've got one bland looking game.

 But, hey, beauty is only skin-deep, right? Sadly, the game plays as bad as it looks. A is a punch, B is a kick, R blocks and the C-buttons are used to sidestep. Stringing attacks feels all kinds of wonky, and the occasional no-reason-camera-flip is a dumb, dumb addition.

 As for modes, you've got your traditional Arcade Ladder, Team VS, Tag-Team VS(It's not what it sounds like, you form a 3-man team, by defeating the other two in combat, and then proceed to fight the remaining characters) and, finally, practice. It's only noteworthy feature is the create-a-character, it's not too in-depth, but you can have your character learn any move from any playable character, and thus create your own warrior. It takes a ton of battles to be able to learn everything you want, though.

 No. Don't even think about it. Deadly Arts is worth nobody's time, just go play Fighters Destiny or Smash Bros. and let this game be forgotten by time, it's the only kindness this game deserves.
 2.0 out of 10

Review #584: Nintendo 64 Memories: Fighters Destiny

 Hit the mat, loose the match.

Part 1: The Flashback
 You know that game? Y'know, the one you always used to rent, always wanted but never got? That game, for me, was Fighters Destiny. I don't think there was a game I rented more times than Fighters Destiny, it was, and still is, one of the most original fighting games I've ever played. Characters were, for the most part, fairly forgettable. I could only remember Ryuji, Ninja, Ushi the Cow, Master and the Joker, the last three only because of how tough it was to unlock them. On another note, I was hoping that buying this game used would come with the secret characters unlocked, but alas, it was not to be.
 Unlocking characters was so tough! I only got to see Boro, Rob and, I think, Ushi one time. On yet another note, I just managed to unlock Ushi this morning which makes me feel all kinds of happy and fulfilled. I don't think I'll be unlocking the other characters however.

Part 2: Today
 Well, it's certainly an old game. It's stiff, slow paced and somewhat clunky. But it's also really, really fun. Controls are simple: A is a high attack, B is a low attack, A+B is a grab, L dodges or sidesteps and R blocks and that's it, and that's all you'll need. Attack strings and movement isn't as smooth as we've grown accustomed now a days, but I think they aren't too bad and they sorta fit the game.

 You see, this isn't your traditional fighting game with life bars, it's more of a sparring match competition. Once you deplete your opponent's life bar he doesn't just drop down, no, he gets dizzied, which makes him easier to put down or allow a free throw. For, you see, the point of a match is to earn points. Knock down your opponent? Three points. Throw him down? 2 points. Make him drop out of the ring? 1 point, etc etc. How much points anything is worth can be changed at will, as well as how many points players need to earn in order to win. There's also a time limit, and if neither player felled each other, the 'judge' will grant 1 point to whoever did better. This is what makes the game so unique and so much fun, something you can't find on any other fighting game.

 The game features 8 base characters as well as about 5 secret characters. Unlockable characters are... well, they are rather tough to unlock, so good luck. Every character has a small, but unique, moveset and you can expand it by playing Master Mode and beating the Arcade Ladder.

 There's a neat amount of modes, besides your Arcade, VS and Practice mode, there's also Record Mode, which has Survival, self explanatory, Fastest(Time Attack against the secret characters) and Rodeo, in which you must last as long as you can against the never-tiring Ushi the Cow, last more than a minute without knocking him down(Or getting downed yourself!) and you can unlock him... provided you've beaten the game with Abdul already.

 I'm happy to report that Fighters Destiny does hold up, albeit entirely on the merit of its originality. It's not the N64's answer to Tekken or Virtua Fighter, both franchises blew it out of the water(Tekken 3 was out one year earlier!!), but what it does it does quite well.
 8.0 out of 10

Review #583: Nintendo 64 Memories: Chameleon Twist

 Slimy tongue action.

Part 1: The Flashback
 Ah, Chameleon Twist, one of the first N64 games I purchased. I hadn't even rented it first, but I liked the cover and that was enough for young lil me. I LOVED this game, with capital letters. I used to play as Fred, every day, every time.

 I had completely forgotten about the VS Battle Mode, but as soon as I entered the stage select and then all the memories came flooding in: I actually played the VS mode, and I actually enjoyed it. I don't remember against who I played it, however.

Part 2: Today
 It's bad. I can applaud the game for its creativity with the mechanics, using the tongue is great fun, it's just so enjoyable twirling and twisting it around in order to eat every you can. And those that avoided your tongue can simply be done with by shooting the aforementioned eaten enemies.

 You also get to use your tongue in order to vault or make your way to a pole over a pit, as a matter of fact, once your tongue snaps to a pole, your character will fly directly towards the pole, following whatever twisted form you shot your tongue in, but at any time you can press the A button to spin around it... something you can only do once and your chameleon will instantly let go after you let go of the A button or you complete a 360 spin. This could've lent itself to some fun platforming, and it was fun when I was a kid, but stage 5, Kid's Land, is a perfect example of how wonky it can be. Being limited to a single spin sucks, and you have get the right length of distance between yourself and the pole in order to perform the necessary spins onto moving platforms. Great on paper, annoying in practice. I think more freedom, like being able to continue your way towards the pole after spinning or being allowed multiple spins, could've helped alleviate it.

 There's a bunch of collectible crowns peppered throughout all six stages, but they do pretty much nothing, albeit if you collect 50 of them you can enter a bonus billiards game on stage 6. There're only six stages, you only need to play 3 of them and you can finish all six stages in little more than an hour.

 Still, the game's biggest issue is the camera. There are two modes: Static and Dynamic, both suck. Static has horrible angles, and pressing the C buttons moves the camera but on the same fixed angle, which won't help you any, while Dynamic moves all over the place and can be a chore to get it to move how you want it to when you need it most. The camera kills most of the enjoyment you can get out of the game. Thank god for infinite lives.

 Despite how much I lambasted the game... I think it's still worth a look, if only because of how original it is. Your mileage may vary on how fun the mechanics are, but I think anyone would get a kick out of fooling around with your Chameleon's tongue. At least for a couple of minutes.
 4.5 out of 10

Review #582: Klonoa - Door to Phantomile

 A $150 classic.

 Klonoa on the PS1 is more than just a 2.5D platform game, it's an investment. Having become a bit of a rarity nowadays, Klonoa commands a hefty price, and, as luck would have it, it just might be one of Playstation's best platforming games.

 As with other, future Klonoa games, the story is a bit hard to decipher, but it amounts to Klonoa and Huepow, a round, sprite-like entity that inhabits Klonoa's wind ring, are the best of friends and on a day like any other come to find out about Glahdius and Joka, two miscreants up to no good. Klonoa is a good pupper-thing, so of course he jumps at the opportunity to stop them. The story will take them through 6 worlds, 2 stages each, as they go through the various lands of Phantomile. Something I did not see coming was the game's tone, it's not as whimsical and quirky as Klonoa 2, but rather, bittersweet, with a plot that isn't afraid to delve into some rather depressing themes. I think this is the first time I can say that I enjoyed the plot of a Klonoa game.

 By now you know the drill, Klonoa is a simple game with two basic mechanics: Jumping and Capturing. With one button Klonoa jumps and with the other one he shoots a wind bullet a few meters in front of him, any enemy that gets hit by it gets captured by Klonoa, who can then use it as a platform to perform a second jump upon or as a projectile. The entire game is built upon using both mechanics in increasingly more complex situations, just as jumping from enemy to enemy or figuring out how to use enemies in order to reach a certain part of the level.

 The game's puzzles are never as complex as they would get in future installments, but I can appreciate the simplicity. While Klonoa can take 6 hits in this game, as opposed to 3, this game definitely felt more challenging than Klonoa 2 or Klonoa Advance 1. I think that while the other games tried to come up with more interesting puzzles, this one was content with putting your platforming skills to the test, so it's not as much about figuring puzzles, but rather, having to overcome platforming sections with challenges that can kill you if you don't have the ability or reflexes needed.

 Klonoa isn't worth the $150(And upwards!) price it commands nowadays, but then again, which game does? Despite that, and sadly, Klonoa- Door to Phantomile is a fantastic game filled with charm and fun gameplay. If you ask me, I think Klonoa 2 is a teeny, tiny bit better and cheaper, so it's a better alternative, but it's not like it's a complete substitute, as both games have slightly different flavors. The game is a bit short, probably around 4-5 hours long if you try to collect everything and unlock the bonus stage, so you might want to think twice about taking the plunge with this one, even if the game is oozing quality.
 9.0 out of 10

Review #581: Klonoa 2 - Lunatea's Veil

 Jump and grab.

 Klonoa 2 is the cutest platformer you'll ever play. This is a 2-D platform game that keeps it simple and fun all the way through, which will test your proficiency with two things: Jumping and Grabbing.

 The story is a nonsensical mess. Klonoa appears in a dream world, Lunatea, and gets assaulted by two mysterious characters, but as luck would have it, Lolo, a priestess, and her pet-friend aid Klonoa in defending himself, by restoring Klonoa's Wind Ring's powers. What follows... is a silly, nonsensical story about Klonoa and friends trying to ring some bells before the shadowy characters destroy Lunatea. Some people might read to much into the story and how it's supposed to be an allegory about Klonoa dealing with the first game's aftermath, but I think that's giving it too much credit. What I can say, however, is that the game is beautiful, and the world of Lunatea and its inhabitants are a colorful, creative and quirky bunch. It's a pleasure just to look at this game. That said, while they can be skipped, the game has too many cutscenes for what amounts to a very uninteresting story.

 The game is entirely in 3-D, but you play on a 2-D plane, with the game being as simple as simple can be. One button jumps and the other one shoots the wind bullet a few steps in front of Klonoa. Any enemy hit by the wind bullet will get capture by Klonoa, and then he can use them as projectiles or as platforms to get a second jump from. The entirety of the game is based upon these two mechanics, with puzzles coming in the form of figuring out how to use enemies and their quirks. For instance, electric enemies can be used for a electrified dash upwards that breaks anything on top of Klonoa. Yellow enemies change color upon hitting other enemies, and you must figure out the correct order to hit enemies so that you get the correct color to break the right obstacle. It's delightfully simple, and the game makes excellent use of its mechanics, always having some new obstacle that requires a bit of thinking. Enemies respawn upon death, so you can't get stuck if you mess up.

 Bosses are very interesting, as you need to figure out how to damage them. Each boss has two different phases to go through. Interestingly, after getting hit every enemy will enter a counterattack motion, but if you're savvy enough you can actually hit them out of it! Bosses were surprisingly fun to defeat thanks to that. Another thing the game gets props for is how well the difficulty was handled, early stages are fairly easy, but they get progressively tougher in a very linear fashion. The game also features a few snowboarding/waterboarding stages that I really didn't care too much about.

 Klonoa 2 is a beautiful game that makes expert use of its two core mechanics. The puzzles and platforming challenges are different enough that they don't feel repetitive, and the game's short length may aid in that. Anyone that enjoys a good platform game will have a blast with Klonoa 2.
 9.0 out of 10

Review #580: Die Hard Trilogy

 Bad games... die hard.

 What's better than one game? Three games. That was the mindset behind Die Hard Trilogy's weird conception. One game representing every movie, with a different genre each. While I can sorta see how the game could've been good at the time of its release, as someone with no nostalgia for it,  nowadays it's less than acceptable.

 The first game, Die Hard, is based on the first movie and is a third-person shooter in which you, as John McLane, must get to the top of the Nakatomi Building. The game is 19 stages long, with about 6 bonus stages, in which you must clear the entire floor of enemies before being allowed to proceed. You can also rescue hostages for bonus points or find weapons, with limited ammo, hidden throughout the various offices. The game is fairly easy to pick-up and play, and it can be sorta fun, at times.

 Where does it go wrong? Controls are somewhat clunky, with side-stepping and side-rolling being too slow to be any useful. That said, you can use the mini-map to your advantage, and if you're planning on beating this mode you'll need to, in order to shoot at enemies from distances that go beyond their line of sight. Picking up items is sorta weird too, since first you have to walk over the container, upon doing so said container will break open and then you can pick up your bonus weapon. After clearing a room of enemies you have to find the elevator with the bomb in under 30 seconds, lest you have to redo the entire stage. Fun. I always managed to get in on time, but a few times I cut it dangerously close. The biggest issue, however, is how repetitive the game is, and to add to said repetition is the fact that the game reuses a lot of floors. It's a boring game that outgrows its welcome very early on.

 Die Hard 2 is a first-person on-rails shooter, and is easily the most fun out of the 3. Environments offer a lot of interactivity, letting you kill innocents or destroy stuff just for kicks. The game is 7 stages long and, in my opinion, the stages went on for a little longer than I would've liked.

 Die Hard with a Vengeance is a racing game, and it's the least fun of them all. In every stage, sans the bonus stages, you have to follow your compass in order to hit a bomb and prevent it from exploding. The vehicle controls like butt, so don't even think about it: Use the infinite lives cheat. Trust me. This game also suffers due to how repetitive it is. A few environments are recycled, and I was tired of the bonus round the third time I was forced to play it.

 Die Hard Trilogy is underwhelming at best and dull at worst. There's not much else left for me to say about the game. Clunky gameplay throughout tied with a very repetitive nature that does it no favors. That said, there're some redeeming qualities with the second game that might entertain someone for a few minutes. If you didn't grow up with it, I'd suggest skipping it entirely.
 3.0 out of 10

Mario Kart 1 through 8

 Well, having played every Mario Kart, it was 'bout time to rank them.


8)

 I'm always baffled by how people might prefer Super Mario Kart over the other, better, games. But I guess I can understand it, they grew up with it, I didn't. The CPU cheats by having access to items the player doesn't, the stages are as flat as the items laying on top of them and I hate having the screen perpetually divided with the map. Super Mario Kart is just no fun when you compare it with future games that would featured multi-layered tracks that just weren't possible on the SNES.

7)

 Mario Kart Super Circuit was the first Mario Kart to feature retro tracks, and that was a great bonus for when you were done with the game for the first time. I didn't expect to like Super Circuit as much as I did when I first played it, but it suffers from the worst drawback that Super Mario Kart had: Flat stages. It's the hardware's fault, yes, but it does put it behind the games that were to come, games with much more interesting track designs.

6)

 I came late to the party when it came to Mario Kart Double Dash, and that probably colored my impression negatively. The double-driver mechanic was a bit half-baked, but I really liked the concept behind characters having exclusive power-ups. I also felt disappointed with the track selection, since I had played most of them before via retro-tracks! That said, I guess it speaks to the game's quality how most of its stages have already been remade!

5)

 Yes, Mario Kart 64 was my first experience with the series. And I found it boring to death! Seriously, I remember enjoy Diddy Kong Racing much, much more than this one. Luckily, my tastes grew up with me and I learned to enjoy Mario Kart 64, even if it took me a few years. All the tracks are very memorable, and I found the 2-D sprites on 3-D stages fairly charming. Plus, Wario's first playable appearance in the series!!

4)

 Mario Kart 7 was a fun but somewhat disappointing entry into the series. Gliding and underwater racing felt so barebones, they removed bikes, the new tracks were a bit forgettable(But man, were the retro tracks  fantastic picks!) and the character roster was weird, to say the least. Luckily, gameplay was pretty fun, and kart customization added a new layer of depth to the game. I can't forgive the lack of VS CPU random-racing though, something that killed my enjoyment of the game.

3)

 Mario Kart Wii was phenomenal. The new tracks as well as the retro tracks were fantastic, the addition of bikes was fantastic and the character roster was massive(For its time). It had a lot of modes, and a surprising amount of stuff to unlock. Motion controls were optional, for the most part, and it introduced the ability to get a boost from a jump, which I believe added more interactivity, and fun, to the game. Proof of this being the fact that this feature made it over every other subsequent game.
 I've fond memories of playing online, and having the option of taking another local player with you in online matches. Mario Kart Wii was a blast, through and through, and it's one of the best games in the series.

2)

 For a long, loooooooooong while, Mario Kart DS has been my favorite entry in the franchise. It was the first game to have proper Retro tracks(Super Circuit only had the SNES tracks), and boy, was it a treat to tread on nostalgia like that! The gameplay was fast and frantic, the courses were brilliant(C'mon, Bowser's Ship stage is, probably, the best course in the entire series) and the character roster had a ton of interesting surprises, like Drybones and R.O.B. the robot!.
 While Kart customization wasn't a thing, yet, the game had a ton of different vehicles, way more than Double Dash, and they were as creative as they were fun. The game was the first to have Online, even if it was full of cheaters, and you could draw your very own emblem, which was a fun diversion. Lastly, it's the only Mario Kart game with a 'Mission Mode', full of different objectives and what not. Mario Kart DS was the full package and then some.

1)

 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is brilliant. It has fantastic gameplay and a massive amount of content to go through. The new tracks are fantastic, and I never knew I wanted a racing crossover between Nintendo franchises until Link and the Inklings were brought in. I don't know when was the last time that the latest entry in a franchise was also the best, but dammit, does Mario Kart 8 deliver by building into what worked so well and adding a bunch of things that we didn't even know we wanted, like the Renegade Round-up mode or the crossovers with other Nintendo franchises.

Review #579: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

 Easily comes in first across the finish line.

 It's a weird occasion when the latest in a long-running series also manages to be the best. But Nintendo did it, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best game in the franchise they have released yet, mixing fine-tuned mechanics with a meaty amount of content that makes other Mario Kart offerings seem paltry in comparison.

 If you've ever played a Kart racer before you know what to expect: It's you against 11 other opponents on a track, and you can grab power-ups throughout the track in order to make your way to the first place. As per usual you get 50cc, 100cc, 150cc and Mirror Mode(A harder 150cc) which translates into how fast the vehicles will move and how challenging the CPU will be. But there's a new 200cc mode, which, in my opinion, is little more than a novelty, since karts move so fast it's almost unplayable. But, hey, it has its fans! The usual game modes also return: Grand Prix, in which you compete in 4-course competitions, Time Trials, in which you try for better times in a single track, VS race(Yes! VS CPU returns, so you can play random courses against CPUs) and Battle Mode. Battle Mode consists of different sub-modes: The usual balloon battle, in which you try to explode your enemies' balloons by hitting them with items, Coin Runners, in which you attempt to grab the most coins while under a time limit, Renegade Roundup, AKA cops and robbers, in which a team of cops tries to capture the other team(It's really fun!), Shine Thief, in which you try to hold on to the Shine for the most time, and Bobomb Blast, which is exactly what it sounds like. Lastly, every mode but Time Trial can be played with up to four players. Nifty!

 By now, you're probably used to having 4 cups and 4 retro cups, for a total of 32 total courses. But Mario Kart 8 Deluxe includes all the DLC from the original release on the Wii-U, which adds 4 more cups for a total of 48 different courses. That's a massive amount of stages, but you also get a massive 42 character roster to pick from. And then there's the fact that you can customize your kart, or bike, with a ton of different bodies, tires and gliders. There's a ton of stuff to see and do in this game, so it should keep you busy for quite a while. That said, almost everything but a Metal Mario variant and most kart customization parts are unlocked from the get-go, which might disappoint a few people, albeit I'm sure I'm not the only one that found it boring to start from 50cc and work my way up.... that said, I'll admit that I went all the way up through 50cc in order to amass coins to unlock vehicle parts.

 Now then, as for the tracks themselves, I'd say that pretty much every new original track is fantastic. Retro tracks however... weren't the greatest of picks. I think it's understandable, since Mario Kart 7 pretty much got the best retro tracks and there weren't as many good picks left. That said, it's not like the retro tracks are bad, far from it, and it's got a few great ones, like DS' Cheep Cheep beach. Plus, every single SNES/GBA rework is a 10 outta 10.

 While Mario Kart has always flirted with crossovers, like featuring the Blue Falcon as a customization part, but 8 went full-in. Link, the Villager, Isabelle and the Inklings are playable characters, there are Zelda, Animal Crossing and Splatoon vehicle parts alongside tracks representing them. There're also one Excitebike track and two F-Zero tracks as well as the mandatory Blue Falcon vehicle part. I didn't know I wanted it, but it's about time Nintendo went the way of Smash Bros. with Mario Kart, bring in Kirby, Pokemon, what have you!

 I went on and on with what's in the game, but not how it plays. Basically, it builds upon Mario Kart 7. Underwater racing is still a thing, albeit I think they did a better job this time around, with many tracks having two routes to pick from, gliding is back again, and there's more of it than before, so it doesn't feel as gimmicky. The new 'thing' is gravity-defying racing, every now and then you'll go over skyblue marks over the track, upon which you'll stick on the track, whether it twirls or twists. Honestly, they got gliding and underwater SO good in this game, since most of the time they amount to alternate routes, that the gravity thing felt fairly underwhelming. Most of the time you won't even realize that you are driving over other parts of the track, that said, this mechanic doesn't add or subtract from the game, it's just there.

 The item selection is pretty similar to the one in Mario Kart 7, but they did away with the raccoon tail, which arguably sucked, and added a piranha plant, which is a less-sucky-but-still-sucky version of the tail and the Horn, a power up of massive destruction.... that can actually destroy the blue shell. As per usual, holding a drift for a while will reward you with a turbo, and in Mario Kart 8 it can go up to a third level. This version of Mario Kart introduces a few more optional tweaks for newbies, such as auto acceleration and an option that slows you that does it's best to keep you on-the-road. It's a good helper, and I actually used it to finish 200cc, but it prevents you from using shortcuts, so it's a good trade off so that you can't rely on it.

 If there's one complaint I have with the game, and it's one that carries over from Mario Kart 7, is that there's no 'Retry' option. While this game doesn't feel as luck-based as previous Mario Kart games, it's still possible to have a bad-luck streak in which you get hit by everyone and their dogs, so the ability to retry a race mid-Grand Prix would've been a blessing. But there's not. If you get screwed out of first place, and thus out of the three-star ranking, you have to retry the entire Cup, which is a major downer. This was an option in some of the previous games, so it's baffling why they haven't addressed it yet. Mario Kart Super Circuit had a 3-retry limit, and it'd be a fair option.

 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the perfect mix of quality and content, featuring the largest amount of tracks, characters and modes in a Mario Kart games, as well as some of the finest tuned mechanics the series has ever had. It also features tweaks so that even people that aren't very good at racers can have fun with it. If you ask me, this is the best mascot racer you can get.
 9.5 out of 10

Review #578: The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild

 Breathtaking.

 The Legend of Zelda franchise carries quite a pedigree, despite their resistance to change. Sure, the art direction may change, but the core of the games remain the same all throughout its history. And then came Breath of the Wild which is quite the breath of fresh air.

 The story... is there. Somewhat. The game begins with Link waking up inside a mysterious shrine, and, thanks to a voice in his head, manages to get outside, only to catch the attention of a mysterious old man who begins preparing Link to brave the wilds. It's told so soon that it's barely a spoiler, but it turns out that Link was gravely injured in a fight against Ganon, and now, 100 years later, he finally wakes up in the Shrine of Resurrection. Ganon has won, mostly, but now Link must set out to destroy Ganon and save Zelda. The set-up is fairly original for the franchise, and there's a rather colorful cast of characters... which sadly don't get much development. Most backstory is optional, which comes in the form of 12 memory fragments that you can find in order to joggle Link's memories. So, characters from the past don't get much screen time, which kinda sucks since they seemed like an interesting bunch, but their modern-day successors too suffer from lack of depth. I'd have loved to have Link's present-day sidekicks to take part in the final assault against Ganon, or get some sort of epilogue... but sadly, this game isn't about story.

 Breath of the Wild is a massive game. Hyrule is enormous, and as soon as you get all your tools, you're free to explore it in any way you want. Your first task in the game is to heed the old man's advice and travel to four different shrines, which you can tackle in any order, as the game teaches you about exploration: How Link has a stamina meter that gauges how much he can climb or swim before falling. How you can interact with the environment, cutting down trees, taking fruit from trees, cooking elixirs and food when you find a campfires, and having to be wary of Link's temperature, either drink a cool-resisting/heat-resisting elixir or wear the appropriate clothes. In each shrine you'll find a different rune, this Zelda's versions of your tools, Remote-controled Bombs, to break stuff, Magnesis, to manipulate metallic objects, Cryogenesis, to create pillars of Ice on water and, finally, Stasis, which locks an object(And, eventually, enemies too) in place for a short while. These runes will be your main tool in solving puzzles throughout the entire game, no more Hookshot or iron-boots here!

 And then, after clearing all four shrines, the old-man will give you the paraglider, a tool you can use to safely hover over the air... as long as your stamina holds on. Each Shrine also rewards you with an orb, and you can trade four orbs at any of the Goddesses' statues for a heart container or a stamina upgrade. Thus, the introduction to the game ends, and now you can do the game in any order you wish. There are four main dungeons in the game to clear... and you can tackle them in any order. Would you rather explore Hyrule and climb every tower first, in order to unlock instant-travel options and the complete map? You can do that too. Or maybe just focus on finding all 120 shrines in order to fully upgrade Link? That too. That was my prerogative, as I wanted to unlock the Master Sword first, which requires 13 hearts. If you think all of this is a hassle, that's fine, just go battle Ganon. If you're good at dodging and using your bow, you can fight him right from the get-go, no need to even set foot in Kakariko Village and initiate the main quest. There's over 100 sidequests too, if that's your thing, and VERY few of them have any pre-requisite before you can engage them.

 All this freedom is very refreshing, while Ocarina of Time was a very linear game, it brought me back to how that game made me feel when I was younger, and how Hyrule Field felt endless and full of possibilities. No two playthroughs will ever be the same. The game manages to even out the difficulty by tying your power to your weapon, so if you want to explore a tougher area.... just defeat one of the enemies there and grab its weapon, now if you've a good defense you'll be able to stand against any enemy encounter. That said, the game is on the tough side, like, very tough. You'll have to bring your A game here if you want to succeed. Not even upgraded armors can protect you from tough enemies. Thankfully, the auto-save system is very lenient, so you'll be able to retry battles until you get them right.

 The freedom in how you do things goes hand in hand with Link's mobility: He can climb pretty much on anything as long as you've stamina to spare. This limit, your stamina, became my biggest drive to find alternate ways to get to where I wanted. Honestly, since I was focusing on getting Health containers to pick up the master sword, I neglected Stamina until later in the game, so I had to be crafty with how I'd get where I wanted to go. Sometimes it's all about going around a tall hill... or climbing in the right angle so that Link can put his feet down and recover stamina while on a slope! That said, as fun as exploration was, nothing, NOTHING could ruin your day harder than rain... and storms. Rains make everything slippery, so if you're trying to climb a mountain, or one of the various Assassin's Creed-inspired scout-towers... you'll fall. So either wait until the rain stops or go do something else. Annoying. It could also happen that you're trying to do a quest that involves fire, and now you're outta luck too. Storms are just as bad as rain, but with the added annoyance of thunders raining down of you if you've got anything out of metal equipped.... although it can be an asset if you throw a metallic weapon against a group of enemies and watch chain-lightning do its stuff on them.

 So, if the game was just exploration it'd be a 10/10 GOTY. 8/10 on a rainy day. But fighting also takes up a big portion of the game, and it's alright... with a few caveats. Link's basic actions are slashing, block and parrying, and you can also use your bow and any of the various elemental arrows to shoot from afar. So far, so good. There's a decent variety of armors to equip on Link, most which you can dye for added customization, and Link is so frail in this game that you'll rather do your best to upgrade them as much as you can. So, what's the kicker? Swords, Shields and Bows... break. This means that you shouldn't get attached to any one piece of equipment because it will break, and rather often too. To be fair, pretty much every enemy is carrying a weapon, so if you lose a weapon defeating an enemy, at least you'll get another one back. But this means that you'll be avoiding combat with weaker enemies since you don't want weaker weapons or want to break your good weapons. Which is a bit counter-productive since you really want enemy loot. Since pretty much everything breaks, this also means that most quest-rewards are pretty much trash unless they are an armor piece.

 Add to this the fact that Link's inventory starts out pretty small. You can extend it for an increasingly higher amount of Korok Seeds, of which there are 900 hidden all throughout Hyrule, but this can take a while. In my case, I just focused on upgrading my Melee-Weapon inventory and getting the Master Sword, the only weapon that never truly breaks... but has a 10-minute cool-down after its 'power' depletes. I hated the durability system. And it had a pretty easy fix: Have Diablo-style weapons, with different affinities, elements, speeds and what have you, so that the player has to pick and choose. Maybe carry a hammer to break minerals. And you'll also want at least one weapon made out of wood in case there's a storm, etc. Much better than weapons breaking, even though, to be fair, I never once ran out of weapons.

 As stated before, there're four main dungeons... which are actually four mechanical beasts that must be freed from Ganon's corruption. These are a far cry from dungeons of old, being simple puzzle-ridden areas in which you must activate 5 terminals and fight a boss. That said, there's a small twist here... you can change the layout of the dungeon a bit, and you'll have to in order to get to every terminal. For example, you can change how the bird-dungeon is angled and thus affect slopes. You can rotate three cylinders, which make up a beast's innards, in order to to move into different rooms or platforms, etc. Clearing each dungeon, and defeating its boss, will give Link a new power. The Zora's being the most useful, being a instant-revive. But you can also get things like a free parry, from the Goron Dungeon, or the infinitely useful fly-jump from the Rito dungeon. These powers run on a cooldown, so you can't just abuse them.

 With that out of the way, another issue with the game is how hard money was to come by. The best way to earn money is by selling stuff... but you also need stuff in order to upgrade your armor at Fairy Fountains. You also need stuff to cook for food, in order to heal yourself. You also need stuff to finish sidequests. This 'stuff' is anything from monster guts, animal meat, insects, fruit hanging from trees to minerals gathered from rocks or fish caught in the water. A lot of the time you might end up hating yourself for selling all those Lizalfos' tails... since you didn't know your favorite armor piece required them for their upgrades! By the end I settled for selling minerals, since mineral rocks were pretty plentiful.

 Still, I think the biggest hump most veterans will need to get over is that the focus has changed from puzzles to exploration. Mind you, as simple as the dungeons are, there're plenty of puzzles to solve throughout most of the 120 shrines, but they are not too complicated(I might have consulted a guide one or twice, though). Puzzles are a lot more... mundane this time around too, often times having to make good use of fire and fire propagation, or finding the best way to manipulate objects around with your runes. The traditional puzzles, using the boomerang, the hookshot and the such are missed, but I think it's good to experiment every now and then. Although a few shrines require motion controls to be solve, and boy, we don't need to experiment with motion controls. They suck.

 Breath of the Wild was a fun large experiment with physics-based gameplay that succeeded in being a Zelda game unlike all others. It's a massive game, that gives players a lot of freedom in how they tackle every single challenge the game throws their way. It has a few glaring flaws: The annoying durability system, how few enemy types there are, how shallow dungeons and shrines are.... but I think, overall, it's one of the best games released on its generation, since it manages to be exactly what it wanted to: A grandiose adventure that moves at the pace set by the player.
 9.5 out of 10