01: Monster Hunter Rise
Still too much time spent in menus for my liking, and the enemies could have used more attacks, but otherwise enough experimentation possible to make it worth my time.
6/10
02: Age of Empires II
Because it's so easy to understand what buildings/units do, this is probably a great starting point for folks new to RTS's. It has pretty much everything you'd hope from the genre, but I prefer the armies and fluidity of StarCraft II.
7/10
03: The Last of Us
Stupid, schizophrenic, and pretentious. The mechanics are lacklustre in scope, and inhibit the game's narrative more than it supports it.
1/10
04: Spelunky HD
Having to start over and over as a mechanic does not gel well with exploration. But you can't help but admire how everything works together as a system, offering the suspense of a great platformer and the ingenuity of an immersive sim.
8/10
05: GoldenEye 007
It's fun to see how the developers went all out to simulate Bond movies. Bad level design, stupid AI, horrible controls, and confusing objectives make this a slog to play, but what a sight to behold!
04/10
06: Injustice 2
Compared to anime fighters, this one plays stiff and defensive. But it still has everything a good fighting game has. Really stupid story and edgy dark aesthetic put me off.
05/10
07: BioShock
15 years ago I gave it a shot and figured I might was well watch a Let's Play. Now that I've beaten it, yups, the combat options expand but never make a fight exciting. Really cool setting that, however, mostly only makes a good first impression.
6/10
08: Infernax
Way more than a remake of Castlevania II. The multiple characters and story options make it interesting, while the combat is an old-school good time. Ultimately, rather dumb, but gruesome without reservation.
7/10
09: Storyteller
The decade old demo was mind-blowing, so this might be a bit disappointing. Still, pretty clever, occasionally funny, and most of all, very original. It still has me wondering if this could be expanded into something greater!
7/10
10: Sega Rally Championship
Fairly unique premise, as you have to ride four races after another fast enough to win. Has way more depth to it than say, OutRun. But it's no Richard Burns Rally, either. I wish it had the pizazz of Daytona USA.
6/10
11: Pathologic 2
Outrageously sophisticated and simply unforgettable. Don't be intimidated by the difficulty because you'll want to see the 'bad' ending anyway. Aim for better endings your second playthrough. The Hbomberguy video essay is spot on!
9/10
12: Cocoon
Well balanced puzzles in a fairly interesting psychedelic world. The 'worlds in worlds' element never blew my mind, but was pretty cute.
6/10
13: Adventures of Lolo
Sokoban taken to the nth degree. Occasionally some dexterity is required, so get your emulator save states ready! Clear, punctual, and hard to put down. But it's still Sokoban.
6/10
14: Fable II
If you can bear the painful frame rate, and painfully simple combat, there's a lot of fun to be had in this lively world. Sculpting it to your whims is done better than Fable 1, but don't expect too much. Just more adventures with way more personality.
7/10
15:Dragon Quest III
In hindsight, this is an extremely generic RPG. But it throws the occasional oddball out there, the kind of thing you don't see anymore, as the NES's limits clash with the designers' intent. Often bland, at times fascinating.
6/10
16: Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blades
You can royally screw up your party if you don't level them up correctly. Expect to restart many battles, or be kind to yourself and use save states. Also way too much talking. But the fights show some creativity and are executed well.
5/10
17: Days Gone
I guess the motorcycle physics are fun to check out, as are a couple of fights against 50+ zombies. But other than that, horribly written, and just shallow gameplay, despite all the mechanics. Also, way too long.
3/10
18: A Highland Song
Majestic hike through Scotland, with many different paths to discover. You probably won't get the good ending on your first run, partially due to the frustrating controls. Don't worry, you'll probably want to play it three+ times, and by then you'll easily make it. Lovely main character, and touching revelation at the end. <3
8/10
19: Crackdown
Gets straight to the point, quite refreshing, but stupidly easy. As you mow down enemies you'll improve your stats and weaken the enemies' bases. Jumping controls are nerve-wrecking, would love to see how it's improved by air dashes in the sequels.
6/10
20: Gears of War
Terrible. If you're delighted by the idea of a gun with a chainsaw on it, perhaps this will be your cup of tea. Dull story, slow combat, amazing lack of color, low frame-rates, wonky controls... really puts into perspective why I didn't get an Xbox 360 until 2010.
2/10
21: Bayonetta 2
Awwyeah, fast and stylish, this is peak hack 'n' slash action. Has a lot of depth for a single player game, but why delve into this when there's Guilty Gear / Soul Calibur / UNI2 / etc.?
8/10
22: Prince of Persia
There's some fascinating stuff, like the mirror image. But the slow platforming, tedious puzzles, and random combat keeps this from being worth your time.
3/10
23: Papers, Please
In retrospect, perhaps the choices are shallow, and the document checking too taxing. And yet, striving for a just society via paperwork is an unforgettable and often touching experience.
8/10
24: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
It's more Tony Hawk! I'm not sure if this one features anything that weren't already in the second game, but the levels are cute, and long strings still feel great.
6/10
25: Doronko Wanko
Within an hour, you get to totally mess up a house because you're a cute dog. And collect accessories to dress up. And it's free!
7/10
26: Deathloop
Style and substance! There's a friction between the rogue-like element of repetition, and the immersive sim element of seeking everything out. But once you embrace the cyclical nature, this is spectacular romp!
8/10
27: Banjo-Kazooie
Besides the funny characters, there's a lot of charm in seeing how 90's developers experimented with 3D physics and objectives. It still plays clumsily!
6/10
28: Animal Well
Gotta love how this game respects the players ingenuity. The most interesting parts are nevertheless so obscure and out-there, that they require an online community to figure out. Your mileage may vary on how deep you want to go.
8/10
29: Sekiro
Lacks the creativity of Miyazaki's other epics, but this lets the combat be more streamlined. The sword-fighting and grappling hook offer perhaps the best visceral experience I've ever felt in a game.
8/10
30: Radiant Silvergun
On one hand, the six weapons make this a tactical shmup. On the other, since you have to level up your weapons by shooting certain colors, you have to treat it like a puzzle. Still, plays superbly, has great patterns and bosses, and sweeping up bullets for a bomb attack never gets old.
8/10
31: Xenosphere
Fascinating concept, taken to its limit. Yes, you actually play as a Twitch streamer. Great job on the acting, and doesn't overstay its welcome. It's a one-trick pony you gotta experience.
7/10
32: Paranormasight
Highly produced visual novel, with good writing and excellent plot. The occasional puzzle requires you to follow the plot and figure out the crime, which is worth paying attention to in detail.
7/10
33: Halo 3
I hear the multiplayer was great for console players, but did it have anything that wasn't already in Quake/Unreal on PC? Anyhow, the campaign is dumb and brisk. The new weapons make it ever so slightly more fun that the first two, which isn't saying much.
5/10
34: Persona 5
Characters, plot, music, interface, and snappy combat are better than ever. Should have gone deeper with its sex-positive attitude. Ultimately, the real challenge is figuring out your schedule, which makes 'time off' surprisingly stressful!
8/10
35: Super Mario Wonder
Still lacking behind romhacks in creativity and controls, it's nevertheless everything you could hope for from a commercial product. Best part is helping other in online mode.
8/10
36: Stardew Valley
The presentation is so inviting, you just want to fall in love with the characters (which are cardboard cut-outs) and the premise (which is made of shallow chores). And yet, fascinating to see how far a single developer can go with this genre.
6/10
37: Metal Slug
My gosh, those animations go a long way to carry what is otherwise a c-tier run'n'gun. Perhaps even worse since there are context sensitive inputs. But this is a defining piece of what the Neo-Geo could do, and unfortunately, only did.
5/10
38: Mario Kart DS
Excellent performance for something on the Dual Screen. But it's still a step backwards from Double Dash. It was part of EVO 2006, so for one glorious moment, perhaps the greatest racing experience ever. But in a vacuum, nothing special.
6/10
39: Tecmo Super Bowl
Everything a football game should have, nothing more, nothing less. So good, I feel a tinge of sorrow for everyone who doesn't have friends to play this with. Or didn't have because they didn't grow up in the USA
8/10
40: Wonder Boy in Monster World
Everything in this game, besides the cute graphics, is under-cooked, from the combat, to the bosses, to the level design, to the puzzles, to the music. Final boss of the NA version might be the most frustrating I've ever had to beat.
4/10
