Pikmin 4

More than marvelous, Pikmin 4 is a game that takes the franchise to new heights in terms of scope and gameplay variety. Never before has the saga felt this big, and that is achieved not only via more collectibles and more areas to explore, but also thanks to how this is a package that contains multiple interesting takes on the series’ real-time army-management gameplay. As such, whether players are exploring beautiful open natural environments, tackling tight multi-floored caves, doing tower-defense in nighttime missions, dueling in an arena against a rival captain, trying to sweep a level clean of foes and treasure before the clock expires, or going through an extra adventure with tight time constraints, it is almost certain they will be having a blast. And by presenting these facets in a mixture of mandatory and optional content, Pikmin 4 should be able to please both crowds it draws in: those who want a more relaxed experience and those who crave to have their multitasking skills tested. In the end, then, the forty hours it will likely take for one to fully complete the quest are likely to come off as the franchise’s finest and most meaningful stretch so far.

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by Matt

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals

Though problematic, then, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is not to be dismissed, and deciding whether or not it is worth a shot comes down to how much one has enjoyed the prequel, especially because playing through it is essentially mandatory to fully grasp what is going on here. Those who loved the paranormal adventure of Alex and her teenage friends will likely be enthralled by what the two starring adults of this sequel will face, even if the whole package will ultimately emerge like a case of diminishing returns due to how it fails to shake up its foundation strongly enough to keep the journey fresh and surprising. Meanwhile, the few who were unimpressed by the original or those who are not into the walking simulator genre had better stay away, because there is little here to convert the unfaithful.

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by Matt

Mega Man 3

It is understandable why Mega Man 3 is not as beloved as its predecessor. Where that game was a blatant evolution, this one is a mild expansion. Furthermore, the new elements it brings to the table have mixed results: the additional stages are overly hard and the fresh mechanics are not as impactful as they could have been, perhaps as a consequence of the project’s tight development schedule. Yet, since it overall comes off as a continuation of the ideas and great characteristics exposed by Mega Man 2, this third chapter in the saga could not really be anything other than an excellent game; one that may not be for everyone due to its difficulty, but an effort that will nevertheless be admired by those who can endure its gauntlet.

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by Matt

The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is not just huge, excellently designed, extremely polished, and thoroughly engaging. It is a game so bent on and successful in its ideals of freedom, experimentation, inventiveness, and density of content that it feels like a miracle in various regards. Link’s abilities are so open-ended and powerful that they could have been game-breaking. The absurd scope of its world should be way more than the Switch can handle. And it would be very easy to compile a long list of big-budget games that crumbled while emulating much simpler physics systems. As if all of that was not enough, under all these qualities lies what is pretty much the most complete The Legend of Zelda entry released until this day, because – in the end – that is what Tears of the Kingdom is. It might be insanely inventive, ambitious, and enormous to the point that two hundred hours are likely not enough to fully complete it, but it is ultimately a The Legend of Zelda game; one that, like its predecessor, fully realizes the freedom envisioned in the saga’s NES debut, but one that had the advantage of having nearly six years to polish the framework that had been put in place by Breath of the Wild.

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by Matt

Mega Man

In spite of how the classic Mega Man series would greatly evolve in the future, it is astounding to see how many of its essential building blocks were in place here. The freedom of choosing which stage one wants to tackle, the fantastically designed robot masters, the thematic variation of the levels, the seamless mixture of shooting and platforming, the thrill of discovering which weapon works against which boss, the colorful visuals, the iconic soundtrack, and – although it goes overboard at times – the high level of difficulty: all of these elements are strong signatures of the Mega Man franchise and, even if not in a fully mature state, they define this debut and propel it to ranking among the system’s highlights. The best was still to come, but the beginning was already rather bright.

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by Matt

Metal Gear

Metal Gear has a big list of problems and due to how some of the most serious ones were born during the porting process, it is easy to see why Hideo Kojima himself is not too keen on the NES version of his greatest work’s first chapter. Nevertheless, in the end, just like Snake somehow manages to survive a daring journey into a compound filled with hostile enemies, the game shrugs these problems and comes out on the other side as a fantastic experience. Truth be told, that achievement is not some inexplicable magic trick; it is a deed perfectly understood once one takes a look at what Metal Gear gets right. After all, aside from featuring a totally unique gameplay style for the time, it is also able to nail it in multiple ways, be it via complex non-linear exploration or thanks to satisfying stealth that paves the way to polished level design. Therefore, even if it is not the definitive edition of the operation, it has more than enough quality to be an 8-bit classic.

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by Matt

Castlevania

Castlevania is by all means a wonderful achievement. To put it simply, action-platformers of the era were never able to reach the level of cohesion and thematic perfection that is seen here. Although it is a linear quest with the standard division into levels, it puts a great degree of effort towards making Dracula’s Castle emerge as a unified whole; and it undoubtedly succeeds in that task via graphical touches, musical greatness, presentation details, and enemy design. Additionally, it fills that haunting atmosphere with solid gameplay, introducing a hero with an iconic set of skills as well as a subdued speed that is perfect for an adventure whose levels thrive in a meticulous pace, be it because danger is always around the corner or because there is so much for one’s sense to take in. Together, these qualities cause Castlevania to hold a rare feat on the NES; as rather than landing as a product that has clear room for improvement, it arrives as an almost fully matured package.

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by Matt

Crystalis

Crystalis is without a shadow of a doubt one of the greatest moments of the NES. In spite of the fact the system has no shortage of grand RPGs, what the title manages to pull off is in a category of its own due to how it throws adventure elements into the usual mixture of the genre, replacing turn-based battles with action combats and linearity with exploration. The blend clicks not just because of its inherent value, but also thanks to the game’s ability to excel in multiple areas, such as the telling of a great story, the building of a fantastic world, the designing of engaging maze-like dungeons, and – surprisingly – the avoiding of some dated elements that tend to heavily harm products of the era in the eyes of a modern audience. Consequently, Crystalis is one of the most enjoyable and epic experiences on the console, as it transcends hardware limitations to the point it feels ahead of its time.

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by Matt

Ninja Gaiden

Saying that Ninja Gaiden is not enjoyable would be a lie. As far as action-platformers go, it presents one of the most original set of gameplay mechanics of the era thanks to how it matches Ryu’s wall-climbing ninja abilities with basic but satisfying combat. Additionally, the way it balances good storytelling with action is a very rare sight for the genre, especially when the library of the NES is considered. Yet, it has to mentioned that the amount of satisfaction one will be able to get out of the game is strongly related to their tolerance for irregular enemy-spawning, which often threatens to undermine the great work that was done in terms of level design and vaporize it into sheer frustration. If players are able to look at that problem as a rough edge of the era, they are sure in for a treat. If that is not the case, Ninja Gaiden is still worth a look for its originality, but the journey may not last long on account of perceived unfairness.

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by Matt

Inscryption

Inscryption may have its flaws, but none of them come close to erasing the fact this is one of the best indie titles ever made. More significantly, the product manages to achieve great uniqueness in the crowded field of rogue-like gameplay, and it does so by imbuing that abundantly explored loop in a brilliant card game that is straightforward, addictive, and deeply strategic. Part horror movie, part interactive storytelling, and part deck-building goodness, Inscryption is mysteriously engaging from the start, and it ought to make players feel a whole lot like the protagonist into whose shoes they will step: desperate to finally succeed in getting out of a cabin inhabited by a hypnotizing threatening monster, but at the same time curious to stay around for a little longer to further get to the bottom of what is happening and, of course, play some cards.

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by Matt