06/03 - Momodora III (6/10)
06/06 - Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (9.5/10)
06/12 - Spyro the Dragon (7.5/10)
06/23 - Batman: Arkham Origins (8.5/10)

Most Favorite: This one absolutely goes to Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment for creating a style of gameplay that, in my opinion, outdoes the orignal base game's. It features a stronger story, characters, and, unlike Plague of Shadows, is actually canon.

Least Favorite: It feels odd to criticize Momodora III so harshly seeing as it is a small game by a small dev, but when compared to Momodora II, nearly everything in this game feels like a downgrade, step back, or like it cut corners.

Personal Recommendation: I do not understand the disdain by some for Batman: Arkham Origins. Yes it has issues, yes it has flaws, but I'd argue that the core gameplay is stronger here than in both Asylum and City.

Another good month.

05/02 - Demon's Souls (8.5/10)
05/03 - Pokémon Trading Card Game (7.5/10)
05/09 - Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (8.5/10)
05/09 - Astro's Playroom (9/10)
05/11 - Katana ZERO (9/10)
05/29 - Final Fantasy V (8.5/10)

Personal Favorite: This one's gonna go to Katana ZERO. The gameplay is polished and snappy and I really was interested by the story.

Least Favorite: This one's tough since I didn't dislike any game I played this month. I guess Pokémon Trading Card Game would be my least favorite due to the repetitive nature of it. It's still a really good game though.

Personal Recommendation: Definitely have to recommend Astro's Playroom. Wasn't expecting such a cute and fun game from a tech demo showcase of all things.

Lots of good stuff this month.

03/04 - Shining Force II (8/10)
09/04 - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (9/10)
15/04 - Psychonauts 2 (9/10)
17/04 - Mega Man X2 (7/10)
21/04 - Touhou Luna Nights (8.5/10)
22/04 - Momodora II (7/10)
22/04 - Entropy: Zero (5/10)

Most Favorite: This one goes to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, just barely beating out Psychonauts 2. It was such a fun action romp with borderline nonstop action and great constantly changing set pieces. Better than the first game in every conceivable way.

Least Favorite: For a mod, it has fantastic production value and is full of unique and creative ideas but Entropy: Zero earns this spot. It's fun for one half of the game and then becomes a slog of escort missions and bullshit bosses by the end.

Personal Recommendation: Touhou Luna Nights is not the best MetroidVania ever made but it's a beautiful action romp with fantastic controls and incredible bosses. The exploration is lacking but this is one of the highest quality fan games ever made and if you're a Touhou fan like myself, this is a love letter to the franchise.

Small completion month with a lot of good stuff. Been lacking on my 2024 completions overall this year.

03/03- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations (9/10)
03/05- Pac-Man World 2 (6/10)
03/15- Rise of the Tomb Raider (7.5/10)
03/28- The Ultimate Doom (8.5/10)

Most Favorite: This one definitely has to go to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations. I will refrain from spoiling anything, but it is such a fantastic conclusion to an excellent trilogy of games. The villains are consistently great, whether they be entertainingly over-the-top or blood-boilingly despicable. Even the worst case in the game is still good.

Least Favorite: Pac-Man World 2 has a lot to like about it and a lot to dislike. It feels like the best possible game made based off of all the worst aspects of Crash 1. 100%-ing this game is awful but ignoring all collectibles renders most of the game worthless. Not a great outing, but not a completely terrible one.

Personal Recommendation: I had my reservations about The Ultimate Doom going into it but I was beyond pleasantly surprised to find out that the game is still extremely fun to this day. Aside from Thy Flesh Consumed, I'm not sure if the version I played is one-to-one with how it originally released but it is a marvelously fun game that aged like a fine wine.

A pretty decent month overall.

02/03-The Room Two (7/10)
02/06-Crash Bandicoot (7/10)
02/07-Earthworm Jim (5.5/10)
02/09-Goof Troop (7.5/10)
02/12-Call of Duty: World at War (9/10)
02/26-XCOM: Enemy Unknown (7.5/10)

Most Favorite: I can't believe I'm saying this, but Call of Duty: World at War was easily the best game I played this month. The length is perfect, the level design is solid, and the music is incredible. Also, people who say every CoD game glorifies war and the military have never played nor seen this game. This game glorifies nothing but life itself. It's dark, miserable, depressing, and gritty, everything a WWII game should be.

Least Favorite: Earthworm Jim had a lot to love about it: the phenomenal spritework, the music, the style; but the gameplay just doesn't hold up. The level design is garbage and the "combat" is clunky. I really wish I could love this game more than I do but I just cannot.

Personal Recommendation: Did not expect Goof Troop to be so fun. While it would have benefitted from being longer and having more puzzles, it's a lighthearted and swift gem from the golden-era of licensed games. It almost feels like a partial inspiration for Stardew Valley of all games, in both sound design and small parts of the gameplay. Extremely underrated, check it out.

Nothing but good stuff this month. Really fucking good stuff in fact.

01/09-The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (10/10)
01/15-Super Castlevania IV (7/10)
01/17-Momodora I (/10)
01/27-Black Mesa (9.5/10)
01/31-Plants vs. Zombies (Replay) (10/10)

Most Favorite: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is not only one of the greatest Zelda games ever made, not only one of the greatest games ever made, but I'd contest that it's one of the greatest pieces of art ever made. To fully appreciate it, I would recommend playing Ocarina of Time first (another masterpiece) but Majora's Mask is one of the most emotionally raw, strange, and enchanting games ever made. A rare case of a game being incredible because of its rushed development cycle.

Least Favorite: Momodora I isn't a bad game and I don't think it deserves the score it has on this website, but compared to a litany of 10s and 9.5s, it was the weakest game this month. Do check it out though, it is free after all.

Personal Recommendation: I'd recommend everything from this month but special mention needs to go to Black Mesa for being a masterful remake of Half-Life. It turned Xen, debatably the worst section of the original game, into debatably the best section of the remade game. Definitely play it, it's fucking amazing.

Less games than last year (and less interaction on this site in general). Finally finished university and got my teaching degree though! :)

January
01/05-Darkest Dungeon (9/10)
01/12-Halo: Combat Evolved (9/10)
01/22-Banjo-Kazooie (10/10)
01/25-Operation C (6/10)

February
02/04-Cut the Rope (8/10)
02/18-Monster Prom (5/10)

March
03/03-Monster Prom: Second Term (5/10)

April
Nothing

May
05/01-Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition (7/10)
05/03-Wario Land 3 (7.5/10)
05/10-Metal Gear Solid (8/10)
05/12-Pokémon Snap (8/10)
05/15-Metal Slug 2nd Mission (6.5/10)
05/31-inFAMOUS (5.5/10)

June
06/06-Splatoon 3 (8/10)
06/12-Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening - Special Edition (9.5/10)
06/14-Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All (8/10)
06/21-Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (9/10)
06/21-Mega Man & Bass (3.5/10)
06/22-Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (7/10)
06/28-The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (8/10)

July
07/03-Final Fantasy III (8/10)
07/05-SteamWorld Dig 2 (7.5/10)
07/10-Paper Mario (9/10)
07/12-Contra III: The Alien Wars (8/10)
07/12-New Super Mario Bros. 2 (4/10)
07/17-Kirby's Dream Land 3 (5/10)
07/18-Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows (8/10)
07/20-Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs (3.5/10)
07/28-Half-Life: Blue Shift (7/10)

August
08/08-The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (9.5/10)
08/24-Crystalline (7/10)
08/26-Super Mario 64 (9/10)
08/27-Journey to Silius (7/10)
08/28-Air Combat (6.5/10)
08/30-Mario Superstar Baseball (6/10)
08/31-Mega Man X (9/10)

September
09/01-Earth Defense Force (5/10)
09/01-Dragon Warrior (1989) (4.5/10)
09/04-999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (8/10)

October
10/01-Trine 2 (6.5/10)
10/08-Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (7/10)
10/09-Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (8/10)
10/18-LISA: The Painful RPG (9/10)
10/20-Streets of Rage 4 (8.5/10)
10/21-LISA: The Joyful (7/10)
10/23-Metal Slug X (7.5/10)

November
11/10-Mario Party 3 (7.5/10)
11/12-Blaster Master (8/10)

December
12/04-Final Fantasy IV (8/10)
12/11-Half-Life: Opposing Force (8.5/10)
12/11-Mario Tennis (7.5/10)
12/12-The Room (8/10)
12/16-Resident Evil (8/10)
12/22-Ace Combat 2 (8/10)
12/31-MediEvil (7.5/10)

Total Games Completed: 55
Total Games Retired: 5

Top Five Favorite Games:
1. Banjo-Kazooie
2. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening - Special Edition
3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
4. Darkest Dungeon
5. LISA: The Painful RPG

Top Five Least Favorite Games:
1. Mega Man & Bass
2. Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs
3. New Super Mario Bros. 2
4. Dragon Warrior (1989)
5. Monster Prom

Missed November but oh well. Got some good stuff done this month.

12/04-Final Fantasy IV (8/10)
12/11-Half-Life: Opposing Force (8.5/10)
12/11-Mario Tennis (7.5/10)
12/12-The Room (8/10)
12/16-Resident Evil (8/10)
12/22-Ace Combat 2 (8/10)
12/31-MediEvil (7.5/10)

Most Favorite: This one goes to Half-Life: Opposing Force for being just a fantastic expansion to the original Half-Life that brings so many new weapons and mechanics. Also, Valve, free my boy Adrian c'mon now Valve like let him out.

Least Favorite: This one is tough as I played nothing but good stuff this month. I think I have to put Mario Tennis in this spot due to how lacking the singleplayer content is. Playing against the AI borders on being complete horseshit and it's needed to unlock both extra characters. Still a really good game though, leaps and bounds above whatever schlock Nintendo puts out for Mario sports games these days.

Personal Recommendation: Man, I literally recommend every single game here but I wanna talk about the last four specifically. The Room is a short but really neat and fun puzzle game that isn't too hard but just challenging enough to feel rewarding. The original Resident Evil is still surprisingly enjoyable after all these years. Sure some parts are dated like the controls but it's still fun even as a first-time Resident Evil game. Ace Combat 2 may be really easy but damn if it isn't so much fun as well as a massive improvement over the first game. Lastly, MediEvil may be clunky in many areas but it has so much charm and personality that it's hard not to like it. Plus it has a lot of surprisingly great level design too.

Exceptionally late, started my new teaching job and haven't had much time for gaming.

10/01-Trine 2 (6.5/10)
10/08-Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (7/10)
10/09-Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (8/10)
10/18-LISA: The Painful RPG (9/10)
10/20-Streets of Rage 4 (8.5/10)
10/21-LISA: The Joyful (7/10)
10/23-Metal Slug X (7.5/10)

Most Favorite: This one has to go to LISA: The Painful RPG. This game is the lynchpin to any discussion about games being made poorly on purpose as it embodies exactly how to make things that would seem terrible in most games somehow work within its own rules and world. The story is also heart-wrenching and maturely told. Most Earthbound-inspired games fuck up their dialogue but LISA takes pages from Mother 3 in how to make your audience cry. It's fun, full of heart, and tells a deeply moving story, definitely play this one.

Least Favorite: Trine 2 isn't a bad game, I just got super burned out on it too quickly. The levels are way too similar and the gameplay is a still minimalistic like the first one. I'm glad the magic meter is gone but there needed to be more than just a new (and frankly terrible) story on top of nigh-identical gameplay. Maybe a fourth character or more distinct gimmicks. Overall, I think I'm maybe just not a very big fan of the series.

Personal Recommendation: Obviously I recommend LISA but I also really was taken by surprised as to how much fun I had with Star Wars: Rogue Squadron. Aside from the one snow level towards the end, the game is a nice short burst of fun that feels like a "baby's first Ace Combat" game but with Star Wars and it was quite a pleasant surprise.

08/08-The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (9.5/10)
08/24-Crystalline (7/10)
08/26-Super Mario 64 (9/10)
08/27-Journey to Silius (7/10)
08/28-Air Combat (6.5/10)
08/30-Mario Superstar Baseball (6/10)
08/31-Mega Man X (9/10)

Most Favorite: While there were some stellar games this month, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild takes the cake for being the best. Never has an open world game felt so jam-packed full of things to find, explore, or experiment with. Hope the sequel's just as good if not better.

Least Favorite: Mario Superstar Baseball is disappointing not in the sense that I find it to be a poorly made game, but rather a game that is lacking in content. The core mechanics of playing the game are fine but there felt like there needed to be more to it for them to have a satisfactory application. Additionally, some characters are blatantly overpowered whereas others are woefully underpowered.

Personal Recommendation: While it's far from fair at times, Journey to Silius felt like the biggest surprise of this month. I was expecting a throwaway Contra clone and what I got was a decently competent run n gun with absolutely stellar music. Sunsoft really knocked it out of the park back in the day.

Small amount of games but played some good stuff this month.

06/06-Splatoon 3 (8/10)
06/12-Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening - Special Edition (9.5/10)
06/14-Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All (8/10)
06/21-Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (9/10)
06/21-Mega Man & Bass (4/10)
06/22-Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (6.5/10)
06/28-The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (8/10)

With the exception of the two NES games and maybe Link's Awakening, I'd say you can start from anywhere. It all depends on what you're looking for. A great beginner game would be Twilight Princess in my opinion.

05/01-Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition (7/10)
05/03-Wario Land 3 (7.5/10)
05/10-Metal Gear Solid (8/10)
05/12-Pokémon Snap (8/10)
05/15-Metal Slug 2nd Mission (6.5/10)
05/31-inFAMOUS (5.5/10)

Most Favorite: This one would have to be Metal Gear Solid. While not perfect, it was a game years ahead of its time and revolutionized the industry.

Least Favorite: inFAMOUS is a game with cool and fun powers but absolutely dogshit mission design. Imagine a game that consists of 95% trailing, escort, and defend the point missions and you'd have this game. Add in the fact that the game is in dire need of polish and has an extremely boring and empty world that arbitrarily makes getting around needlessly difficult. I've heard the sequel is better though.

Personal Recommendation: Pokémon Snap is what I would call the perfect length. It's a little sluggish and the final level sucks but the rest of the game is pure creative fun. Definitely try this one out.

The best Zelda, I will not be taking questions at this time.

(Also thinking about it more, it's a toss-up between TTYD and Hades for #10.)

Woah there friend, you got a license to be that based?

But seriously, glad to see I'm not the only one here who loves the shit out of Twilight Princess. :)

This list constantly changes but here it is today.

1. Banjo-Kazooie

3D platforming perfection. There is a reason as to why this game has stood the test of time and endured so long.

2. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Every single level of this game is its best level. The sheer creativity, challenge, and feel of this game is unmatched by any other 2D platformer.

3. Mega Man 9

One of my favorite OSTs in all of gaming and the most fair Mega Man game in its challenge. Every weapon rocks and every level is memorable.

4. Portal 2

Every puzzle game has been playing catch-up to Portal 2 after it came out.

5. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

While it may not be the best Zelda game, Twilight Princess will always feel the most like an "adventure" to me. Midna's the best character in the series and the dungeons are all perfection.

6. A Hat in Time

My all-time favorite indie game. The game is jam-packed with so much charm and personality that it's impossible not to be affected by it. It is reminiscent of the GameCube era while still forging its own strong identity.

7. Metroid Dread

This was between Super Metroid, Dread, and Prime but ultimately I do think Dread takes the cake for how well it evolved the series in terms of gameplay, bosses, characterization, and storytelling.

8. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

The absolute fuckery of chapter 3 aside, this is one of my favorite stories in all of gaming. Literally everything is either improved from or on par with the first game.

9. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Platinum Games' magnum opus. This game will never not be a blast to play. From its dialogue, to its action, to its bosses, to the likes of JETSREAM SAM and SENATOR ARMSTRONG, this game is as everlasting as the memes it discusses.

10. Terraria

The best sandbox game. Progression feels so good in this game and the lack of hand-holding is especially welcome.

Honorable Mentions:
Hollow Knight
Inscryption
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Odyssey
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Muse Dash
Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion (I know it's DLC but it's good enough to be put here)
Team Fortress 2
Super Metroid
Metroid Prime
Rayman Legends
Silent Hill
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising

Only finished two so this month will be shorter than usual.

02/04-Cut the Rope (8/10)
02/18-Monster Prom (5/10)

Cut the Rope still holds up well despite some annoying levels. Do not play it on PC if you can avoid it. Monster Prom is an interesting concept but woefully undercooked and extremely shallow. The hooks to continue playing it are not worth the needless repetition and dialogue.

As someone who is about 5 years younger, I understand where you're coming from. It's hard to have faith in the AAA video game industry because of all of the bullshit that's become commonplace (monetization within games, expansion passes, cut content saved for DLC, UNFINISHED GAMES AT LAUNCH).

Hell, that's what the indie market helped circumvent initially, being a place for creative independent devs and publishers to create games but even that area of gaming has its own share of issues these days (kickstarter failures, copy-and-paste assets, oversaturation of shovelware, games attempting to emulate other games instead of being their own thing).

Genre oversaturation has become a problem too. Open world games are a dime a dozen but rarely do any of them utilize the world they create. Elden Ring and Breath of the Wild are what I'd consider to be well-done open worlds, being jam-packed with endless stuff to do that feels befitting of an open world. Every indie game and its mother seems like it's trying to be a rougelike or metroidvania these days and even as a massive Metroid fan, it gets tiring. Why do so many games need RPG-like elements too? God of War 2018 was great but did it really need a stat-based system for gear?

Frankly my friend, just do whatever you wanna do for entertainment. That goes beyond gaming. If you wanna not play a game and watch an anime or TV show, do it. I used to treat game completion like a mechanical task and sucked a lot of the enjoyment out of gaming for myself. For me, gaming became more about "beating games" rather than "playing games". I'm just now learning to retire games I don't enjoy or to not play games I'm not interested in at the moment.

If you'd like some suggestions on unique games that ooze with originality and that I find super engaging, I'd recommend the likes of: A Hat in Time, Pizza Tower,
Hollow Knight, Hi-Fi Rush, Darkest Dungeon (you sound like you'd really enjoy this one), Hades (you'd REALLY like this one), and Cuphead just to name a few.

Hope you enjoy Greek Mythology, that stuff gets crazy. :)

Didn't match my completions last year but that's okay, played a bunch of stellar stuff this month.

01/06-Darkest Dungeon (9/10)
01/12-Halo: Combat Evolved (9/10)
01/22-Banjo-Kazooie (10/10)
01/25-Operation C (6/10)

Most Favorite: Play Banjo-Kazooie. I don't care how, everyone needs to experience this game. Still the 3D platformer/collectathon king after all these years with one of gaming's greatest soundtracks to boot. It's a mastahpiece baybee.

Least Favorite: Operation C felt like a downgrade of Contra in almost every way. While I'm sure part of it is due to the Game Boy limitations, the jumping is so much slower than literally everything else that it significantly impacts the game. Leaps and bounds better than Castlevania: The Adventure though.

Personal Recommendation: You need to try Darkest Dungeon. No other game has gotten me addicted to it quite like this game has. Learning the systems of how things work in this game has been one of the most rewarding feelings I've experienced from a video game as of late. It's much more fair than some might make it out to be. I do recommend not trying out the DLC on your first playthrough however, it creates a very different and sometimes less enjoyable experience than the base game does.

Probably some cleavage at worst.

Yes, there's no (strong) nudity in Danganronpa, for a Japanese title. Cleavage, upskirt, but nothing else. No need to Alt F4. ;)

There's significant embarrassment potential regarding the spin off Danganronpa Ultra Despair Girls. But that game is anyway not as good as the main titles in the series and should only be played after at least DR1.

Yeah, Ultra Despair Girls had some interesting ideas but is really gross with the handling of several serious topics.

I managed to get around 100 games beaten this month which I'm fairly proud of. I played so many excellent games that figuring out my favorites is gonna be tough.

January
01/02-Mario's Super Picross (8/10)
01/04-The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (10/10)
01/05-Wario Land II (5/10)
01/06-Shadow Dancer (4/10)
01/06-Super Tennis (5/10)
01/06-Smash Tennis (7/10)
01/10-Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor (8/10)
01/12-Jack Bros. (7/10)
01/13-Sonic 3 & Knuckles (9/10)
01/17-Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (8/10)
01/19-Super Metroid (9/10)
01/19-Joe & Mac (6/10)
01/20-Half-Life 2: Episode One (5/10)
01/21-INVERSUS Deluxe (8/10)
01/23-Super Smash Bros. (7/10)
01/23-Super Smash Bros. Brawl (8/10)
01/23-Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (8/10)
01/25-Rayman Legends (9/10)
01/27-People Playground (7/10)
01/27-Mario Kart 64 (8/10)
01/31-Metal Slug 3 (8/10)

February
02/02-Mario Kart Wii (5/10)
02/03-Inscryption (10/10)
02/04-SIM - Sara is Missing (3/10)
02/04-Simulacra (5/10)
02/06-Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (8/10)
02/07-Super Mario Kart (6/10)
02/12-Castlevania: The Adventure (3/10)
02/12-Contra (7/10)
02/13-Psychonauts (9/10)
02/15-Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (10/10)
02/18-Garry's Mod (9/10)
02/18-Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (7/10)
02/19-Diddy Kong Racing (7/10)
02/19-Mario Kart 7 (8/10)
02/21-Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force (6/10)
02/27-Shadow Warrior (2013) (7/10)

March
03/01-Celeste (9/10)
03/02-Bonanza Bros. (6/10)
03/03-Donkey Kong (1994) (9/10)
03/06-Super Mario 3D Land (7/10)
03/07-Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (7/10)
03/07-Mario Party DS (6/10)
03/08-Rygar (5/10)
03/09-Sonic 3D Blast (5/10)
03/09-Viscera Cleanup Detail: Shadow Warrior (5/10)
03/09-Super Mario Strikers (9/10)
03/13-Milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk (9/10)
03/20-Mario Party (7/10)
03/28-Tales of Symphonia (8/10)
03/31-Metro: Last Light Redux (8/10)
03/31-Psycho Waluigi (8/10)

April
04/01-Touhou Blooming Chaos (8/10)
04/08-Mega Man II (Game Boy) (3/10)
04/09-Alan Wake (7/10)
04/10-Alan Wake: The Signal DLC (5/10)
04/10-Alan Wake: The Writer DLC (8/10)
04/10-Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics (8/10)
04/11-Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - Jetstream DLC (9/10)
04/12-Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - Blade Wolf DLC (6/10)
04/15-Kirby's Dream Course (7/10)
04/15-Wild Guns (8/10)
04/16-Light Crusader (5/10)
04/17-Amnesia: Justine (4/10)
04/18-Half-Life 2: Episode Two (/10)
04/19-Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (6/10)
04/27-Silent Hill (9/10)
04/27-Metal Slug 1st Mission (7/10)
04/28-Timesplitters (6/10)
04/29-The Hex (8/10)
04/29-Star Fox (7/10)
04/29-Panel de Pon (7/10)
04/30-Mega Man III (Game Boy) (6/10)

May
05/02-Sonic Adventure (7/10)
05/03-Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (7/10)
05/04-Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown (7/10)
05/04-Dishonored (9/10)
05/04-Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall (7/10)
05/05-Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches (6/10)
05/05-Kirby Super Star (9/10)
05/06-Mega Man 10 (6/10)
05/08-Metroid Fusion (8/10)
05/16-Kingdom Hearts Final Mix (6/10)
05/19-Guacamelee! 2 (7/10)
05/22-New Super Mario Bros. Wii (7/10)
05/25-MadWorld (8/10)
05/25-Vectorman (6/10)
05/25-Mega Man IV (Game Boy) (8/10)
05/30-Mega Man 11 (8/10)
05/31-The Red Strings Club (6/10)

June
06/02-Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (9/10)
06/06-Bioshock (9/10)
06/11-Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (9/10)
06/14-No More Heroes (8/10)

July
07/05-God of War (2018) (9/10)
07/06-Super C (5/10)
07/11-Metroid Dread (10/10)
07/12-Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue (8/10)
07/14-Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course (9/10)
07/20-F.E.A.R. (8/10)
07/25-SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom (8/10)
07/27-Mario Party 2 (9/10)

August
08/16-Shovel Knight (9/10)
08/26-Trine (7/10)
08/29-Hollow Knight (10/10)

September
09/07-Furi (8/10)
09/14-Star Fox 2 (6/10)

October
10/15-Mario Party Superstars (9/10)
10/21-Ratchet & Clank (8/10)
10/23-Mega Man V (Game Boy) (9/10)

Total Games Completed: 110
Total Retirements: 14

Top Five Favorite Games:
1. Metroid Dread
2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
3. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
4. Hollow Knight
5. Inscryption

Top Five Least Favorite Games:
1. SIM - Sara is Missing
2. Mega Man II (Game Boy)
3. Castlevania: The Adventure
4. Amnesia: Justine
5. Shadow Dancer

School's been rough, only three this month.

10/15-Mario Party Superstars (9/10)
10/21-Ratchet & Clank (8/10)
10/23-Mega Man V (Game Boy) (9/10)

Most Favorite: Mario Party Superstars is a phenomenal return to form. The worst thing about it is that it's one or two boards too short and that it relies largely on the past.

Least Favorite: Ratchet & Clank is by no means a bad game, just the lowest rated by default.

Personal Recommendation: Mega Man V (Game Boy) is literally one of the best Mega Man games ever made. It ranks up there with 4, 9, 11, X, and X4 in my eyes

School's been rough, only three this month.

10/15-Mario Party Superstars (9/10)
10/21-Ratchet & Clank (8/10)
10/23-Mega Man V (Game Boy) (9/10)

Most Favorite: Mario Party Superstars is a phenomenal return to form. The worst thing about it is that it's one or two boards too short and that it relies largely on the past.

Least Favorite: Ratchet & Clank is by no means a bad game, just the lowest rated by default.

Personal Recommendation: Mega Man V (Game Boy) is literally one of the best Mega Man games ever made. It ranks up there with 4, 9, 11, X, and X4 in my eyes

With almost practically any game for me, unless I commit to playing it until I beat it, I will eventually put it on hold indefinitely.

And then like 7 months will pass and it just doesn't feel right to just pick back up from where I left off so I just start over

I have restarted The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess around 15 times. I adore the game, it's absolutely splendid, but I never finish it for some reason.

I couldn't get into the original Fallout nor Fallout 2. I also really wanna get into the Dead Rising games but the save system kills the games for me.

Been utter hell this month with school as well as getting really fucking sick over the past week or so I've got little to show for this month. Expect similar numbers until December.

09/07-Furi (8/10)
09/14-Star Fox 2 (6/10)

Most Favorite: Furi takes this one. I don't think it's flawless but for what the game does right, it does better than 95% of its contemporaries. Plus the music is astounding, give it a listen at least.

Least Favorite: While I still like the game, Star Fox 2 was the lesser of the two games this month. I think it had great ideas that did not get explored enough in its runtime. Frankly I think the game overall was way too ambitious for its own good.

Personal Recommendation: Furi wins this spot by default. It's a brutally difficult game but also an incredibly rewarding one.

Apologies in advance if I end up unintentionally parroting other peoples' suggestions here:

- The Half-Life games have fantastic worldbuilding and greatly employ subtlety in their storytelling

- Portal and Portal 2 also have great worldbuilding and some of the most consistently funny and witty dialogue ever written (especially 2)

- Shadow of the Colossus tells a magnificent wordless story

- Spec Ops: The Line tells the best story in military shooter history in a completely horrifying way

- There's nothing quite like Psychonauts and it's unique style and writing

- God of War (2018) trounces any story told by any other game in its series

If you're an anime fan and/or don't mind a bit of craziness to your stories then I'd also recommend the following:

- Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair aren't everyone's cup of tea but I promise you'll never find another series quite like this one

- The Ace Attorney games are also extremely bonkers but also highly entertaining and well-written

- Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a total cheesefest and is insanely over-the-top, but I assure you that you will never be bored during a single story beat in this game

- Lastly, The Fault Milestone games are two unbelievably underrated visual novels that deserve so much more attention than they get currently