Video Games – Wizard Dojo

Wrecking Crew ’98 Review

One of the few Mario games that never saw release outside of Japan was Wrecking Crew ’98, the third (and so far, final) entry in the Wrecking Crew sub-series, and the last Mario game released on the Super Nintendo in Japan (in the west, Super Mario RPG holds that distinction). As the title implies, the game was released in 1998, and by that point, the Nintendo 64 had been on store shelves for two years, thus Wrecking Crew ’98 missed out on a western release (Japanese gamers seem to better appreciate the joys of the games themselves, no matter the hardware, whereas western gamers have a tendency to only care about what’s new and has the best graphics). That all changed in April of 2024, when Nintendo finally released Wrecking Crew ’98 to the western world via the Nintendo Switch Online service (though all of the game’s text remains untranslated). It’s a shame it took so long for Wrecking Crew ’98 to see a release in the west, because it’s a joy to play, and one of the SNES’s best puzzle games.

That’s right, Wrecking Crew ’98 is a puzzle game, in contrast to the more arcade-style gameplay of its more famous NES predecessor. But that’s kind of what makes Wrecking Crew ’98 so brilliant, it takes the blueprint from the NES game, and shifts it into another genre. In doing so, it makes the Wrecking Crew series’ gameplay deeper and more fun.

The basic gameplay of the NES Wrecking crew title remains intact: you control Mario (or one of a number of other familiar and obscure characters) around a single screen, climb ladders, and break objects with a hammer. Whereas in the previous game Mario simply had to destroy every breakable object to complete a stage, here the player is up against an opponent, giving things a competitive edge. Clearing a stage of breakable objects isn’t good enough, now you need to chain combos together to empty your playing field, while bombarding your opponent’s with more blocks and enemies. If one row of objects reaches the top of the screen, the player (or opponent) has five seconds to start breaking it down, otherwise the game ends.

That may sound like typical falling block puzzler fair, but as stated, combining it with the Wrecking Crew formula makes for a uniquely engaging experience. The fact that the player moves a character around the board (as opposed to simply flipping the blocks) already makes it one of the more distinct puzzle games of its time.

Colored blocks replace the breakable walls from the NES game, with the player being able to destroy the blocks by simply hitting them, or by strategically lining up three to five blocks of the same color to start flooding their opponent’s board. Along with running and jumping, the player can use an action button to hit the block the character is standing in front of or use the same button to pull the switches on the left side of the board, which moves the corresponding row of blocks. There are also “brick blocks” that hide one of the color blocks inside (whack it once to reveal the color block, and a second time to destroy it if need be). The player also has access to what I call the “Drop Button” (the X button on the basic setup on a Switch controller). The drop button will drop a few extra blocks on the player’s own board. That may sound counterproductive, but it’s actually a clever mechanic for two reasons: the first is that, if you’ve cleared your board, you can press the drop button to add more blocks in hopes of building more combos. The second reason is that more difficult levels will feature iron blocks (both by default and sent by the opponent) which the hammer can’t break, and can only be broken by bomb blocks, which only appear via the drop button. Adding another creative layer to that, a single bomb block will appear only every other time the drop button is pressed, meaning the player shouldn’t be using the drop button too liberally.

“If you happen to feel nostalgic for the NES game, Wrecking Crew ’98 also includes its predecessor in its entirety right out the gate.”

These simple mechanics all come together to form a puzzle game that’s easy to learn, but difficult to master. Which are the best kind of puzzle games, really. My only real complaint with the gameplay is that, when your opponent starts sending enemies to your screen, it can be tedious to eliminate them. You can’t hit them with the hammer (remember the blocks you hit are technically in the background, the enemies share the same space as the character), and bomb blocks don’t destroy them. The only way to get rid of enemies is for them to make their way to the bottom of the screen. You can speed up the process by jumping on their heads, but the jumps have to be a bit more accurate than in most Mario games, and if you don’t hit the enemies just right, they hit you, which leaves your character bouncing out of control for maybe a few seconds too long.

Honestly though, that’s a small complaint for what is otherwise a wildly engaging, competitive puzzle game. The game is so deceptively complex, that you may find some rounds can go on for much longer than you’re used to in falling block puzzle games (my longest game, set on one of the higher difficulties, lasted over a half hour).

“The areas marked with numbers are the standard story mode stages, the ones marked with letters house the secret characters.”

Wrecking Crew ’98 features a story mode which – from what I can tell – revolves around Bowser constructing a large building for the simple reason of denying a bunch of cute flowers the sun, thus preventing them from growing. So Mario sets off to best Bowser as to knock down the building and feed the flowers some much needed sunshine. It’s a simple and cute plot, and it stands out in the Mario series.

Before he can face Bowser though, Mario has to defeat a Koopa Troopa, and returning Wrecking Crew characters Eggplant Man, Gotchawrench and Foreman Spike. Defeating each opponent also unlocks them as playable characters in the game’s other modes, and defeating Bowser not only unlocks the Koopa king, but Luigi and Princess Peach as well. There are four additional characters hidden away in the story mode, three of which are fought by beating the second, third and fourth stages within a few short minutes (easier said than done). The hidden characters are also playable once defeated, and besting the first three reveals the final secret character.

At the expense of spoiling the surprises (for a decades-old game), the four secret characters are arguably the most bizarre lineup of characters in Mario history (which is saying something). The first is simply “Onigiri.” As in a literally onigiri, the Japanese rice ball that Pokémon’s Brock so affectionately referred to as ‘doughnuts.’ Not an anthropomorphic onigiri with a cartoon face, mind you. Onigiri the character is simply an onigiri that can move and talk. The next two secret characters are relatively less weird, one is the ghost of a girl named Onnanoko, and the other a middle-aged construction worker wearing traditional Japanese garb named Oyazi. The final secret character is Dogu, a Japanese clay doll that comes from another world.

Honestly, the unlockable characters may be the most out-of-left-field character roster in Super Mario history (and that’s including those weird human characters from Mario Golf). I’m not complaining though, I actually think it’s pretty unique that the secret characters are kind of their own thing, without prior ties to the Super Mario or Wrecking Crew series. It gives the game a bit of its own personality, while the presence of Mario, Bowser and Princess Peach keep it connected to the greater Mario franchise (essentially doing the same thing Super Mario RPG did with characters like Mallow and Geno). And being able to play as them – along with the familiar faces – in the versus and tournament modes is pretty cool.

Being released so late in the SNES lifecycle means that Wrecking Crew ’98 looks great. Though it uses lighter colors and more “kiddy” character designs than most Mario games (looking closest to Mario & Wario, another Japanese-exclusive on the console), it all looks really impressive and is more proof that the SNES is the most visually timeless console. The music may not be anything special, but it’s fun and bouncy and does what it needs to.

“Onigiri for Smash! Hey, it makes more sense than Dark Pit.”

Wrecking Crew ’98’s release on Nintendo Switch Online is one of the best examples of “better late than never” gaming has seen in quite some time. It may be a bummer that many of us didn’t get the chance to properly appreciate it in its day, but it sure is great to experience it today.

Add Wrecking Crew to the lineup of Nintendo series that desperately needs a revival.

My Favorite Game(s) of 2023 (and 2021 and 2022)

Boy, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? It’s been a little over two months since my last post, which once upon a time would have been an unheard-of dry spell for the Dojo, where once the posts grew and flourished by the multitudes every week, like the flowers of springtime. What now?

Sadly, the last few years things have been less consistent here at Wizard Dojo. Oftentimes finding myself not posting anything for weeks and (as is the case now) even months.

The reason for this is largely due to life simply getting really busy, and on a heavier, sadder note, because of my depression and OCD. I don’t want to turn this into a post of sad-sackery, so I won’t go into specifics, but these past few years haven’t been the easiest for me in these regards. These issues and my increasingly busy schedule have seemingly grown to feed off each other and create a cycle of making it difficult for me to find the time to write, with my falling behind in writing further feeding into my issues. So my apologies for the slow updates. I am trying my best to work towards getting back to where I was back in the day, with multiple posts every week. And I’ve kept a list of the video game and movie reviews I need to catch up on (as great as it would have been to write these while the iron was hot, as the site’s paraphrasing of Gandalf reads, “A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He reviews stuff precisely when he means to.”).

With that out of the way, let’s get on to the point of this post: My (not at all overdue) Game of the Year for 2023! As well as mentions to my Game of the Years for 2021 and 2022. Because, believe it or not, I actually haven’t done my annual Game of the Year Awards since 2020 (in which I named Animal Crossing: New Horizons Game of the Year. Because it was the best game of that year).

2023 was one hell of a year for video games (2024 will really have to fire on all cylinders in its second half if it has any hopes of catching up). There were a lot of great original games, as well as plenty of stellar remakes and remasters. In fact, if it counts, my absolute favorite game of 2023 was a remake…

Game of the Year 2023: Super Mario RPG (Nintendo Switch)

Yes, this is the ‘cheating’ choice. Because Super Mario RPG on Switch is an honest-to-goodness, loving recreation of Square-Enix’s SNES masterpiece, which I’ve often touted as my personal favorite game ever (though there’s a small handful of other contenders). I’ve never been more hyped for a video game than I was for a remake of a title from 1996. From the second that June Nintendo Direct kicked off that beautiful, sexy trailer, up until the game’s November 17th release, the Super Mario RPG remake was like a beautiful dream (in fact, it often felt surreal even when playing it). Just ask my Instagram followers, they’ll tell you I reminded them of the game’s impending release every single day from the announcement onward.

“My honest-to-goodness reaction of the Super Mario RPG remake announcement. Pardon the hair. Wearing headsets always messes with my glorious locks.”

It wasn’t just the hype though. The Super Mario RPG remake was everything I could have hoped for, and more. The gameplay was as fun as ever (with a few new tweaks and modernizations that improve the experience), it’s one of the best-looking games on Switch, and the music – stunningly recreated by Yoko Shimomura – is my favorite of any game that doesn’t have the words “Donkey Kong Country” in the title (I would award the remake “Best Music” if I were doing my full awards right here).

The game is simultaneously a faithful remake of the original 1996 masterpiece, and a loving tribute to it and its fans (who have waited ever so patiently for Nintendo to acknowledge it again after almost thirty years). It was only the second game I gave a standing ovation to as the credits rolled (Super Mario Odyssey was the first). Yes, I know it doesn’t make sense to give a standing ovation to a video game in your living room. But that’s how sublime it was.

A 10/10 remake to a 10/10 game. So good I finally made an exception to my unwritten rule and named a remake my Game of the Year.

But if that’s cheating…

Best ORIGINAL Game of 2023: Pikmin 4

It truly breaks my heart that Pikmin 4 is among the game’s whose review I’ve backlogged for so long, because it was one of the most joyous games I’ve ever played.

While every other gamer couldn’t stop gushing over The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (a game I’ll probably rate an 8/10 when I get around to reviewing it) and Baldur’s Gate 3 (a title I felt was more of a technical achievement than a great game), and Super Mario Bros. Wonder ended the year on a high note, Pikmin 4 was the 2023 game I had the most fun with, that brought me the most joy, and best expressed the ‘magic’ only video games can provide. Like the Super Mario RPG remake, it rewarded its impossibly patient fanbase (it was released ten years after Pikmin 3) with an experience that brought the best of everything the series has to offer. It took the best bits of the first three Pikmin titles, trimmed some of the fat, and introduced new ideas of its own (the ‘Space Dog’ Oatchi, Ice Pikmin, night stages). It’s a Pikmin fan’s dream, and quite possibly the “that moment” that the series has been looking for. The title that will (hopefully) move it to the upper echelon on Nintendo franchises like Mario and Zelda, where it has always deserved to be.

Zelda and Baldur’s Gate are cool and all, but they ain’t got nothing on Pikmin 4. I was never once bored with it, it was constantly throwing something new at me, it celebrated its franchise by embracing the best aspects of each entry. Pikmin 4 was the peak Nintendo release of 2023, and the best Switch game since Super Mario Odyssey.

Just please don’t make us wait a decade for Pikmin 5, Nintendo!

Alright, so I finally managed to write my Game(s) of the Year for 2023, both my choice for an original game made for that year, and my admittedly cheating choice of a remake (hey, if it ain’t broke…make it better). And now is a good time to finally reveal what my Game of the Years would have been for the preceding two years.

Admittedly, 2021 is a bit of a harder choice, and I may have to go back and replay some of that year’s games to be more definitive. But as of now, there are two games from 2021 that stand out in my memory (both from Nintendo again. The 2020s have been very kind to the Big N’s output): New Pokémon Snap and Metroid Dread. Part of me is tempted to go with the Pokémon Snap sequel, because it’s a more original choice, was another sequel fans had to wait waaay too long for, and it would actually be the first Pokémon game in my life I’d award Game of the Year to if I went with it. But, at least for now, I’m going to go with the more obvious choice.

Game of the Year 2021: Metroid Dread

Although I don’t think Metroid Dread is as much of a through-and-through brilliant experience as Pikmin 4 (the “Emmi” sections, ironically the most marketed aspect of the game, could have used a lot more work to make them feel more like a horror aspect and less like a chore, in my book), the title is nonetheless one of the best games on the Switch, and one of the best in the revered Metroid series.

Dread was yet another Nintendo game fans waited years and years for (I’m sensing a theme here). Originally planned as a Nintendo DS follow-up to Metroid Fusion back in the 2000s, the game saw a start/stop development that lasted well over a decade before becoming the acclaimed Switch title that served as a kind of ending to the series’ story up to this point.

Metroid Dread was a return to the series’ roots, a 2D Metroidvania that put an emphasis on exploration and atmosphere. In this day and age, when more and more games can be summed up as “move the character and listen to the story,” the deep gameplay of Metroid Dread felt like a godsend. Metroid Dread may not be perfect, but it was a perfect return for the series after the 2010s had been rather unkind to Samus (*Insert comment on my disdain for Metroid: Other M here*).

Who knows where the Metroid series goes from here, but fans should at least be happy that Metroid Dread gave the series another classic that it had been starved of for much too long.

Game of the Year 2022: Elden Ring

Now this one wasn’t even a contest. Though I loved Kirby and the Forgotten Land, 2022 belonged to Elden Ring (and before you ask “what about God of War Ragnarok?” I direct you to my above remark regarding “move the character and listen to the story” type of games. I am not a fan).

Elden Ring – like the Super Mario RPG remake – is a definite 10/10 game. It takes the best bits of every previous Soulsborne entry, removes (most of) the jank, and drops it into an open-world. A real open-world, mind you. Not like all those western games where the game keeps telling you exactly where to go “because story.” It’s an actual open-world the player can explore as they see fit.

And what a world it is. The Lands Between create one of the great video game worlds. A sometimes beautiful, usually horrifying land of warring gods, mad beasts, and those damn Rune Bears. The story and lore is there for the players who want to seek it out, but it’s never a burden on the gameplay (thank God). And those who do wish to seek out the story details are rewarded with the kind of unique worldbuilding that can only exist in a video game, as opposed to something desperately trying to be a movie (like God of War Ragnarok…and basically every Sony exclusive these days, come to think of it).

The gameplay is a refinement of every Souls game that came before, with one of the best (the best?) boss lineups in video game history. A number of Elden Ring’s boss encounters would have been fitting final bosses in any other game. But in Elden Ring, the hits keep on coming (quite literally, unless you’re one of those Soulslike savants, you will get hit a lot!). That Elden Ring is currently my only Game of the Year of the 2020s that isn’t a Switch exclusive is a testament that FromSoftware is one of the few developers left that knows how to make a classic video game. Not a mo-cap movie on the PS5 where the player pushes forward and watches cinematics. An honest-to-goodness, full-fledged, tough-as-nails, fun-as-hell video game.

A masterpiece.

Well hey, it looks like I’ve finally caught up on naming my Game of the Years! Ain’t that dandy?! Please, no applause, just throw money. Now here’s hoping I can begin chipping away at my review backlog.

I hope you enjoyed reading this. And even if you didn’t, you read the whole thing if you’re reading this last bit so the joke’s on you!

*Ahem!*

I’m happy to have finally caught up with my Game of the Years (or, at the very least, acknowledged them in short bits). Here’s hoping that I can continue to push forward in the coming months. And here’s hoping 2024 gives these brilliant games a worthy GotY successor.

“Elden Ring also had a Turtle Pope. So yeah, easy win.”

Battletoads in Battlemaniacs Review

*Review based on Battletoads in Battlemaniacs release as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Service*

Few names are as infamous in the world of video games as Battletoads. Rare’s riff on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles provided a game that was not only considered the most difficult in the NES library, but even today many people will point to it as the most difficult video game ever made (and not always for the right reasons). Despite its ludicrous difficulty, Battletoads was popular enough to warrant a franchise for a time (even being rebooted in 2020 by Dlala Studios). The series made the jump to the Super Nintendo in 1993 with Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, which serves as kind of a sequel to, and kind of a remake of the NES game. Strangely, while the original Battletoads has seen numerous re-releases over the years (even Battletoads Arcade made it into Rare Replay), Battlemaniacs didn’t see any form of re-release until it launched on the Nintendo Switch Online Service in late February 2024. Though I have to admit, we weren’t missing much in its absence. While Battlemaniacs definitely looks better and has (relatively) smoother controls than its predecessor, it still suffers from the same callously unfair difficulty of the original.

Battlemaniacs sees two of our disgustingly named heroes, Rash and Pimple, travel to a virtual reality world called “the Gamescape” in order to save the third Battletoad, Zits (the Battletoads aren’t cool enough to ever have all three available for the adventure, as Pimple was kidnapped in the original). The Battletoads’ nemesis, the Dark Queen, has teamed up with another baddie named Silas Volkmire in order to take over the Gamescape and the real world (they also kidnapped some CEO’s daughter. Though why that was necessary to the story, I’m not sure). So Rash and Pimple have to fight their way through six stages in order to defeat the Dark Queen and Volkmire, and save their friends.

I have to say, Rare really got the look, feel and tone of the Saturday morning cartoons of the time down pat. The anthropomorphic animal heroes, the “extreme” attitude, outlandish baddies, and even more outlandish character names all feel ripped straight out of the kind of cartoons that were airing at the time. They even had the gross-out humor of the 90s checked off with the names of the Battletoads. The 16-bit overhaul means that the Saturday morning cartoon mentality of the series even shines through in the game’s visuals this time around. And the music (partly composed by David Wise) includes some real bangers that help liven things up.

Sadly, that same attention to detail was not applied to fine-tuning the game. On the surface Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, despite having half the stages of the NES game, features a good deal of variety, with each stage playing differently than the last. The first level is a straight-up beat-em-up, while the second combines that with descending down a giant tree and avoiding hazards. The third, meanwhile, is the infamous Turbo Tunnel, where the toads ride on speeders while avoiding oncoming obstacles.

Wait a minute! These are the same stages as the NES game!

Yes, despite being the big 16-bit sequel to Battletoads, Battlemaniacs ultimately feels more like a remake. Its six stages recycle the framework of half of those from the original, albeit expanded upon and with more visual splendor. Though lacking in originality they may be, at least every stage is distinct from one another. It’s a shame more developers can’t squeeze in as much variety in the lengthy games of today as Rare could in just six levels on the Super Nintendo.

Battlemaniacs can also be played with two players in two different modes. One of which, like the first game, allows the players to injure each other, while the other mode (the only sane option) turns that feature off. At least this time Rare gave players an option, but given how insanely difficult the game already is, it shouldn’t even have the team attack option at all. It makes the game unplayable.

That difficulty is the game’s great flaw. I’m all for difficult games, being a fan of titles like Dark Souls and Elden Ring and what have you. But there’s a distinct difference between a game that’s difficult because of how it was designed, and a game that just feels unfair and comes across like none of its developers ever playtested it. Considering I keep bringing up the difficulty of Battletoads, I think you know which category I think Battlemaniacs falls into.

The Battletoads series is one of the few instances where a game’s difficulty doesn’t simply seem hard, but feels like the developers were playing some kind of sick, cruel prank on the player. While one would hope Rare would learn from their mistakes when making the sequels, sadly, Battlemaniacs feels like it’s pulling the same pranks as its predecessor, only now in 16-bits! The six stages of Battletoads in Battlemaniacs all have the potential to be something great, but each of them ultimately stumbles because, rather than design these stages carefully so players can gradually learn from their mistakes, here the mistakes are all on Rare, as their idea of difficulty when designing this series seemed to be to throw everything and the kitchen sink at players (often at a split second’s notice) and then faulting the player for not knowing what was going to happen ahead of time.

“The fourth stage, where the player hops across and climbs giant snakes, is my personal favorite.”

Take for example, the second stage. There’s a moment where fans try to blow the player into spiky logs as they descend, with the player having to push the character forward to fight the gust of the fans. Then all of a sudden, one of the fans pulls the player into the spikes, with no visual distinction between this fan and any of the others. It’s one thing to change things up, it’s another to outright give the player the middle finger by changing the rules the game itself established without any indication.

Then we have that damned third level, which requires absolutely perfect reflexes and complete memorization of the stage’s obstacles. That may sound standard for games at the time, except that the level drags on and on for so long – and with so few checkpoint – that asking players to memorize it, let alone have perfect precision every time, is just ridiculous. Oh, and you only get three lives and three continues to beat the whole game. If those run out, it’s back to the beginning of the whole game for you (because why not punish the player for the game’s own poor design?). There is a cheat code you can enter at the title screen (hold down, A and B and press start), but all that does is increase the lives and continues to five. It helps a little, but so little it just feels like another means for the game to mock you.

A couple of bonus stages are played after the second and fifth levels, in which the player has the chance to win extra lives, but of course the game uses this as another opportunity to mess with the player. As the toads ride a giant hockey puck and collect points (100 points for an extra life), enemies and obstacles litter the field – again often showing up at a split seconds’ notice – and take your points away upon contact. By the time these bonus stages are done, you’ll likely only get one or two extra lives, which will probably vanish within seconds of the next stage anyway.

“On the plus side, the bonus stages LOOK great.”

Admittedly, Battlemaniacs may not be quite as difficult as the original Battletoads, if only because it has fewer levels and because the SNES allowed for more precise movements (which the NES game demanded, but the hardware couldn’t allow). And playing it on Switch Online means you can create save states, which I highly recommend after every frustrating moment (so about every 5 seconds). But being slightly easier than the original Battletoads is like saying walking on hot coals with socks on is slightly more tolerable than walking on hot coals barefoot.

For some reason, people from my generation often look back fondly at Battletoads. I’m assuming it’s probably because the characters reminded us of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which were all the rage at the time. But actually going back to play this series again is a reminder that some things are best left in the past. Rare would later reach new heights with games like Donkey Kong Country, Goldeneye 007 and Banjo-Kazooie (before they eventually fell into one niche after another when Microsoft bought them out). But Battletoads in Battlemaniacs is not one of those Rare classics. It could have been – it still looks and sounds great, and the tongue-in-cheek nature of the series shines through – if only it weren’t so needlessly vindictive with its difficulty.

Games like Dark Souls are difficult in such a way they make you want to see the challenge through. Battletoads in Battlemaniacs is difficult in a way it makes you just want to play something else instead. And with plenty of other, infinitely better games made by Rare out there, you should do just that.

Mario Party Turns 25!

Well damn. It’s now time to really feel old, because Mario Party on the Nintendo 64 and, by extension, the entire Mario Party series, turns twenty-five years old today.*

*Based on its US release. I missed acknowledging its Japanese anniversary in December so shoosh!

It was on February 8th 1999 that players first delved into the ‘party’ aspect of the Mushroom Kingdom. Up to four players could compete to get the most stars and coins across various board games and 50 different mini-games. It was a whole lot of fun… Except when your best friend landed on Chance Time and stole all your stars, after all your hard work and blistered palms HOW COULD THEY DO THIS?!

*Ahem!*

Yes, Mario Party, for all its lighthearted fun, has also been humorously dubbed Nintendo’s ‘friendship killer’ due to how it encourages players to mess with each other’s progress, as well as its chance-based elements. But hey, that’s part of the fun.

“Boy, I miss these promotional CG N64 renders…”

Mario Party kickstarted one of the most prolific sub-series within the Mario franchise. The N64 alone saw two sequels, before the GameCube ran wild with the series, the Wii experimented with it, and the series made its way to handhelds. Mario Party is still going strong today, with two entries on the Nintendo Switch (with Mario Party Superstars in particular, taking the series back to glorious basics). You can even play the original N64 entries via Switch’s online service, and relive the fun and frustration all over again.

With the exception of the primary Mario platformers and Mario Kart, Mario Party has perhaps grown a richer history than any other sub-series in the franchise. And it all started on the Nintendo 64, twenty-five years ago today! Wahoo!

Happy 25th Anniversary, Mario Party!

400 Video Game Reviews!!

Huzzah! I have finally amassed 400 video game reviews here at Wizard Dojo! My recent review of the Switch remake of Super Mario RPG marked the big four-oh-oh milestone!

This has been a long time coming. In the first year of this site, I amassed 100 video game reviews. And about a year and a half after that, I hit 200. I reached the 300 mark after roughly a year after that. That was in 2018.

Sadly, my reviews have slowed down considerably in the years since. There was even a year long period between 2022 and 2023 where I didn’t write a single video game review! For shame.

Suffice to say I have a ton of catching up to do. And I’m hoping in the months ahead, I’ll start cranking out the reviews at a more steady pace again. I have no shortage of games to review in my collection, especially all the ones I need to catch up on from 2020 onward.

But enough about things I need to catch up on in the future, let me give myself a pat on the back for this milestone in the present! Woohoo! 400 video game reviews! Yo Adrian… I did it!

From humble beginnings launching this site on Christmas of 2014 to spending way too much time in front of a TV/computer screen playing these games to today, Wizard Dojo celebrates 400 video game reviews written by yours truly!

…Hey, I don’t have a lot to brag about. Let me have this!

I have a number of additional video game reviews (as well as movie reviews and other stuff) in the pipeline, so hopefully that can give me a head start on making 2024 a more productive year here at Wizard Dojo.

Here’s hoping it won’t take so damn long to reach the next milestone.

Thanks for reading!

Super Mario RPG Review

Mario has always been gaming’s renaissance man. Whereas most video game series fit into a particular genre and stick with it, Mario has been the vessel with which Nintendo stretches their creative muscle. Not only are the core Mario platformers ever evolving with their ideas, but Mario and his world have found their way into pretty much every genre the medium has to offer. Mario Kart is the most famous of Mario spinoffs, but the mustachioed hero has also found his way into puzzle games, party games, and virtually every sport under the sun. Mario’s versatility was put to its biggest test on the Super Nintendo way back in 1996, however, with the release of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.

At the time, the story-driven, dialogue-heavy RPG genre seemed as far removed from the instantaneous fun of the Super Mario series as you could get. But Nintendo and Squaresoft (now Square-Enix) made the oddball combination work. And work beautifully.

Though initially conceived as a more traditional RPG in both gameplay and setting by Square (Mario was originally to ride a horse and use a sword), Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto was intrigued by the concept of the game, but not the direction, and took matters into his own hands as a creative consultant to find a balance between making the game more Mario-esque, while simultaneously making it unlike any Mario game that had come before (or since). The end result is a game that subverted both the RPG genre and the Mario series, and even toyed with gaming conventions themselves. A humorous story filled with oddball characters (even by Mario standards) and completed with an interactive battle system, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars proved to be one of the brightest highlights in a series that has never had a shortage of highlights.

Sadly, despite winning critical acclaim and becoming one of the most beloved Mario games and RPGs of all time, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars proved to be a one and done. With Square and Nintendo going their separate ways shortly after the release of Super Mario RPG, everything that the game brought to the Mario series seemed locked in that moment in time, never to be revisited. Though the game’s DNA can be felt in its spiritual successors Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi (and the many indie RPGs it inspired, such as Undertale), Super Mario RPG is one of the exceedingly rare Mario games to never get a sequel. And with Square bizarrely getting the rights to the unique characters and elements Super Mario RPG brought into the Mario universe, they seemed destined to obscurity. Fans have begged Nintendo to include the character “Geno” in Super Smash Bros. for two decades now, only for their wishes to go ignored by willingly deaf ears.

After twenty-seven years and repeated disappointments, fans of the beloved RPG had understandably given up hope that Nintendo and Square would ever remember Super Mario RPG. That is until that fateful morning in June 2023, when during a Nintendo Direct, Nintendo revealed a full-blown remake of Super Mario RPG for the Nintendo Switch, an announcement that brought many fans to tears (myself very much included). Released on November 17th 2023, the Super Mario RPG remake proved to be everything fans could’ve hoped for and more. It’s the same Super Mario RPG we know and love (sans the “Legend of the Seven Stars” subtitle), only it looks and sounds better than ever, and even includes a few meaningful gameplay additions and tweaks to make this classic feel even more timeless.

The story begins the same as it always does, with Bowser absconding with Princess Peach, and Mario setting out to rescue her. Mario immediately finds himself in Bowser’s Castle (referred to here as “Bowser’s Keep”), instantly letting the player know something is different. Just as Mario defeats Bowser and is about to rescue the princess, a massive sword descends from the sky and plunges into Bowser’s Keep, resulting in a tremendous earthquake that sends the trio of Mario, Bowser and Peach into different regions of the Mushroom Kingdom.

It turns out the giant sword is “Exor,” a servant of an evil blacksmith from another world named “Smithy.” The Smithy gang – an assortment of anthropomorphic weapons created by Smithy – plan to take over Mario’s world. After the Smithy Gang take over the castle and Bowser’s army, Exor destroys the path to Bowser’s Keep, meaning Mario will have to journey across the world to find entry into the castle. Things are even more dire than Mario realizes, however, as during its descent into Mario’s world, Exor slashed through the Star Road, shattering it into seven Star Pieces. The Star Road, it turns out, is where people’s wishes go in order to be granted. With the Star Road broken, people’s wishes can’t come true.

Luckily for Mario, he won’t be alone, as he gains four valuable allies during his adventure. Princess Peach and even Bowser himself join Mario’s team, alongside two characters unique to Super Mario RPG: Mallow and Geno. Mallow is a cute and fluffy fellow who believes himself to be a frog. He possesses powerful weather-based magic and wants to become brave like Mario. Geno is an otherworldly being on a mission to repair the Star Road, taking possession of the body of a doll which makes him something of a cross between Gandalf and Buzz Lightyear. So Mario and his friends (and Bowser) go on an adventure to recover the seven Star Pieces in order to repair Star Road so people’s wishes can come true, before the Smithy Gang can get control of them to make Smithy’s dark desires a reality.

Super Mario RPG was the first story-heavy Mario game, and appropriately, it’s as charming as video game stories get. Though Mario is his usual, silent protagonist self, the game brings out so much personality (and humor) from its characters, both new and returning. Princess Peach wants to prove herself a hero, tired of being in the damsel-in-distress role. Bowser’s personality as a self-conscious, insecure bully (depicted heavily in The Super Mario Bros. Movie) was first developed here. Mallow is the sensitive kid who wants to prove he’s not a crybaby. And Geno is the sagely mentor guiding everyone through the journey. Along the way, you’ll encounter a parade of quirky characters both good and evil, from wise old frogs to would-be gangster crocodiles to a hairy, beetle-obsessed manchild named Booster. Even the Smithy Gang are mostly a bunch of weirdos. For the first time ever, Super Mario RPG gave players a peak behind the curtain of the Mushroom Kingdom and gave gaming’s best series a fairytale story to go with it.

Of course, when it comes to old school, turn-based RPGs, the genre was mainly comprised of two halves: the story, and the battle system. And much like Super Mario RPG injected a unique dose of personality and humor into its story, it similarly subverted the traditional RPG battle system with Action Commands, one of gaming’s more subtle innovations which brought the RPG genre up to pace with the action of the Super Mario series.

Preparing your characters for battle is much simpler than most RPGs. Instead of a host of equipment to keep track of, each character simply has a weapon (for attack), armor (for defense) and an accessory (which grant various bonuses). Each character has hit points, while they share a collective pool of “Flower Points” (used for special attacks). Gain enough experience points and you level up, where players can further boost a character’s hit points, physical attack and defense, or magic attack and defense (now accompanied by the best victory screen in gaming). It’s a simple format that hides a lot of depth.

While typical RPGs of the 90s saw players simply select moves and items from a menu and watch the action play out, Super Mario RPG made its battle system more interactive through Action Commands, timed button presses that, if performed correctly, make Mario and friends’ attacks stronger and reduce the damage inflicted by enemies when on the defensive. Most attacks see the player time a button press just before making a hit, while others may involve button-mashing, twirling the control stick, or holding a button and letting go at the right second. It may sound like a small bit of interactivity injected into the genre, but it ultimately made a world of difference in making Super Mario RPG more fun (and timeless) to its contemporaries.

The battle system has even been improved in this Nintendo Switch remake with a few new mechanics added into the mix. Notably, performing an Action Command correctly will cause splash damage to the other enemies on the battlefield, in addition to building up a new meter. When filled, this meter allows the player to perform brand new Triple Moves, a kind of super attack that changes depending on which three party members the player is currently using (complete with cinematic flair). These new inclusions add a whole new layer to the battle system, making it even more fun than ever before.

“Mario, Peach and Geno’s Triple Move protects each member of the party from the next attack, no matter how powerful.”

Another seemingly small (but actually quite big) change comes in the ability to swap party members mid-fight. Though you can still only use three of the five characters at a given time, and Mario must always be present as in the original, you can now swap the other two party members out at any time. This is a very important change that means the player can now alter battle strategies as necessary, instead of being locked into the team you went into battle with.

Other, smaller changes have been made, such as each party member providing a passive bonus when in the active team (Mallow provides a boost to magic attacks, while Bowser increases physical defense, and so on). The battle system of the Super Mario RPG remake should be seen as a perfect example of how to update a classic, while still retaining what made it special to begin with. The same could be said for the game as a whole, as everything fans loved about the original is still intact, but with those little added bits and pieces to make things a little more accessible to modern audiences. Players can now revisit previous locations via the pause menu instead of having to backtrack an area and traversing the world map. Players can hold more items, and there’s even a storage box present for excess items. And now there are clearer visual cues for when to perform Action Commands. Things of that nature.

Additional changes are simply done for the love of the game, such as the inclusion of an in-game journal (where Mallow and Geno log the events of their adventure) and a monster list that includes every monster Mario and company encounter, complete with their statistics, animations and ever-humorous descriptions. Additions such as these weren’t necessary, but infinitely appreciated. They’re a gift to the fans.

Another element that set Super Mario RPG apart from other RPGs of its day were the barrage of mini-games featured in the adventure. While RPGs often have sidequests, they tended to feature more of the same gameplay, but Super Mario RPG is constantly throwing fun mini-games the player’s way, each of which changing up the gameplay throughout Mario’s quest. The infamous Yoshi racing mini-game makes a return (now with those aforementioned visual cues to ease things a bit), the mine kart ride, composing music with tadpoles, and the trip through a river which looks like something out of Disneyland are all left beautifully intact. The best Mario games are the ones that are constantly introducing fun ideas up to the very end, and the transition to the RPG genre didn’t get in the way of that mentality. Super Mario RPG remains one of the most varied Mario games of all time. It’s as much a variety show as it is an RPG masterpiece.

The game has, naturally, been rebuilt from the ground-up. Though everything remains in place from where it was back in 1996, the game looks beautifully up-to-date for the Nintendo Switch. The isometric overworld and its locales are still as dreamlike as ever, but now with modernized graphics, a wider range of color, and some truly stunning lighting. You’d never know Super Mario RPG were a remake just from looking at it. It’s one of the best-looking games on the Nintendo Switch. It’s a gorgeous game.

One of the most iconic elements of Super Mario RPG has always been its musical score, composed by Yoko Shimomura (composer of Street Fighter II and Kingdom Hearts, among others). The soundtrack has always been one of the most beloved in not just the Mario series, but in gaming as a whole (personally, I may place it second of all time, behind only Donkey Kong Country 2’s soundtrack). Much like the visuals, the music of Super Mario RPG has been made anew. All the iconic themes are still intact, only now with the advantage of a full orchestra and big band instruments. From the merry music of the Mushroom Kingdom to the dastardly themes of the Smithy Gang and everything in between, the soundtrack to Super Mario RPG soars even higher than ever. It’s Yoko Shimomura’s best work, made even better. And if you happen to be feeling nostalgic for all the tunes in their original form, players have the option of switching to the classic soundtrack at any time. It’s a win/win.

“A-Aurora borealis?! At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the Mushroom Kingdom, localized entirely in Belome’s Temple?!”

Another fun little detail is that, while the graphics and music have been updated, the majority of sound effects are the same as they were on the Super Nintendo (Bowser’s laugh and Yoshi’s more modern sounds are the exceptions). Super Mario RPG was always one of those games with sound effects that were distinct to itself, and something would have felt off if they were changed here. So to have the classic sound effects alongside modernized visuals and music was a perfect way to blend the old alongside the new.

This is everything a remake of a classic should be. Super Mario RPG on Nintendo Switch is the same game we all know and love, but it has never looked, sounded or played better. It’s one of the most legendary Mario games and RPGs brought to a whole new level (there’s even a host of post-game bosses, new to the remake, waiting for those who complete the main adventure). It’s somehow both a remake of the original game, and a love letter to it.

Super Mario RPG on Nintendo Switch feels like a dream. The one Mario game we thought would never really be acknowledged again, brought back in full force. It felt like such an impossibility for so long, that it often felt surreal simply playing through it. It’s a pitch perfect remake of one of Nintendo’s all-time greatest achievements. Aside from a few name changes to a handful of characters and items, it’s the same beautifully weird and timeless adventure we’ve always loved. Twenty-seven years later, it’s still gaming’s greatest fairy tale, one of the funniest and most charming video games ever made, and the closest thing to playing a Disney movie. Now maybe Nintendo and Square can finally get to work on a sequel! Okay, one miracle at a time…

It may no longer boast the subtitle of “Legend of the Seven Stars.” But Super Mario RPG on the Nintendo Switch is still, quite simply, a legend.

Super Mario 3D World Turns 10! + Other Nintendo Anniversaries!

I’m old! Super Mario 3D World was released on the Wii U in Japan ten years ago today, with its US release happening the day after. So I suppose November 21st and 22nd are like “Super Mario 3D World Day(s).”

Although the Wii U always had an uphill battle it never could get out of, Super Mario 3D World was one of the system’s undeniable success stories. A continuation of the gameplay introduced on the 3DS’s Super Mario 3D Land, 3D World bettered its predecessor in virtually every way. Princess Peach and Toad (and an unlockable Rosalina) joined Mario and Luigi this time around in a four-player adventure. Each character boasted their unique abilities from Super Mario Bros. 2 (and in Rosalina’s case, Mario’s abilities from Super Mario Galaxy), as they traversed levels that combined the feeling of 2D Mario levels in a 3D space. Along the way, they collected power-ups old and new, like the returning Fire Flower and Tanooki Suit, and the debuting Double Cherry (which created clones of whatever character grabbed it, and to date is the only Mario power-up that stacked with others), and the Cat Suit, which quickly became one of the most iconic Mario power-ups (even appearing in 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Movie).

I remember when the game was announced at E3 2013, many fans were left feeling a little disappointed that Super Mario 3D World was a continuation of 3D Land, as opposed to a third Super Mario Galaxy or the next step in the series’ evolution. While 3D World may not have been the most ambitious Mario game (Super Mario Odyssey would fill that “next step” role four years later), I think any and all reservations people had about it disappeared as soon as they picked up a controller (or Wii U Gamepad, as it were). Super Mario 3D World was and is one of the most purely fun and replayable games ever made (not to mention it featured the most gloriously liberal use of a saxophone in any video game soundtrack). Perhaps it wasn’t a revolution like 64 or an innovation like Galaxy, but not every Mario game has to rewrite the rules (though perhaps the series’ incredibly high standards have spoiled us to such expectations).

In 2021, Super Mario 3D World was re-released on the Nintendo Switch, this time bundled with a brand new game, Bowser’s Fury, which re-used 3D World’s assets. It was a fun experiment (and so far the closest thing we’ve had to a new 3D Mario game since Odyssey), but 3D World was still the main event. And now it even included online play!

While we wait with bated breath for whatever follows up Super Mario Odyssey, I think it’s also good to revisit the “smaller” Mario adventure that is Super Mario 3D World. Even if it’s for the one-hundredth time.

Happy tenth anniversary, Super Mario 3D World!

But wait, that’s not the only Nintendo anniversary today. November 21st also marks the anniversary of the Japanese release of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and with it, Super Mario World! Both the SNES and Super Mario World celebrate their thirty-third anniversary today, but they share their birthday with two other SNES classics: Donkey Kong Country (released November 21st, 1994 in North America) and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest (released November 21st, 1995 in Japan). Because of these anniversaries, I like to think of November 21st as Super Nintendo Day! Man, that console was the gift that kept on giving!

Happy Super Nintendo Day 2023!

…But wait, we’re not done yet!

Today also marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64 (based on its Japanese release)! The first-ever 3D title in the Legend of Zelda series, Ocarina of Time brought the world of Hyrule to life like never before. A grand adventure bigger than any seen before at the time, and topped off with sidequests and mini-games up the wazoo! Ocarina of Time also holds the (oddly specific) distinction of being the first time a non-music themed game featured music as a gameplay mechanic. At any rate, Ocarina of Time remains a classic, and is frequently cited as one of the best games of all time. Plus, it’s always nice to revisit the days when the Legend of Zelda series had a personality.

Happy twenty-fifth anniversary, Ocarina of Time!

…But wait, we’re STILL not done yet. Today also marks the thirteenth anniversary of the release of Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Nintendo Wii. That’s right, when Retro Studios took the reigns of the DKC series and revived it with Returns, they released it on the sixteenth anniversary of the original Donkey Kong Country (and by extension, the fifteenth anniversary of the second… man, DKC3 always missed the boat with these things). Donkey Kong Country Returns is a perfect example how to revive a dormant series. It took everything about the original DKC, and cranked it up to 11 with some of the best level design ever seen in a platformer. And yes, Donkey Kong Country Returns is approaching the age the original Donkey Kong Country was when Returns was released. I am so old…

Happy thirteenth anniversary, Donkey Kong Country Returns!

Also, a fun bit of trivia many may have forgotten, today would have been the tenth anniversary of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze as well, as it was supposed to launch on the hallowed date of November 21st in 2013. But, to ensure the game was the best it could be, it was ultimately delayed until February of 2014. While it would have been fun to have Tropical Freeze join in on these festivities, the delay was for the best, seeing as Tropical Freeze is the best 2D platformer of the past few decades (Super Mario Bros. Wonder comes close).

I think that’s it for the Nintendo-based anniversaries today. Oh, who am I kidding? I know there have to be other Nintendo games that were released on this date. But I feel I’ve rambled more than enough for one celebratory post. So I’ll just tip my metaphorical hat and once again wish all these games (and console) a happy anniversary!

Happy anniversary to all of y’all!

“Yes, I am aware of the irony of ending this post with a picture from DKC: Tropical Freeze despite just emphasizing that it isn’t among the games with an anniversary today. So there’s no need to point that out.”

My Gaming Future

I come to you now on this, the twenty-fourth anniversary of the release of Pokemon: The First Movie in US cinemas, to bring you some uneventful tidings in regard to my gaming future.

I truly love video games. More so, I think, than anyone I’ve ever met. Oh sure, there are plenty of people who own more games than me or whatever. People who have more hours put into games, sure. But in terms of loving the games themselves for what they are, I often feel kind of alone there. I love video games as a creative art form, and while that may not exactly be a new concept, I will at least give myself a pat on the back for appreciating video games as an art unto themselves, as opposed to most “video games as art” people who think the artful side of video games are the games that desperately want to be movies, as a means to “legitimize” games as art or whatever (though if your idea of legitimizing your medium’s artistic merit is simply to mimic a different medium, you’ve already failed).

Anyway, what the hell was I talking about?

“That wasn’t just a joke. Today really IS the twenty-fourth anniversary of Pokemon: The First’s Movie’s US release. I saw it on opening day, because I’m old.”

Oh yeah, right. I love video games. I love them so much I would like to create my own video games someday. Video games inspire me creatively. Video games are awesome. They’re great. I loves them.

But video games have become too damn expensive. And more importantly, too damn long! While I will of course continue to play and love video games, I unfortunately feel like I will play and love fewer of them going forward because of these reasons.

Okay, okay. If you happen to be one of my long-time readers (in that case, thanks!), you may remember I’ve written about this song and dance before. Despite having felt this sting in the past, I couldn’t quite stick to my word for very long. But I feel like, going forward, I kind of have to.

Not only are games increasing in price, but the fact that it seems basically any AAA games is required to pad itself out to high heaven just to reach a minimum of a 100-hour playtime is just ridiculous. What selfish games! If I put hundreds of hours into a game, it should be because I want to replay it over and over across long periods of time, not because the game demands I pour my life into it just to see its ~~self-aggrandizing~~ epic, cinematic story play out. Seriously, that’s usually the only reason games are even so long! God of War Ragnarök was a pretty good game, actually. But you basically get the gist of everything it has to offer as a game in the first few hours. But it recycles the same ideas over the course of many, many (many) more hours, just so you can watch its story play out like a movie. If I wanted to watch a movie, I’d watch a damn movie!

*Ahem!* Sorry, getting sidetracked again.

Essentially, my point is simple: I don’t have the time, and I don’t have the money, to just buy and play through every notable game that comes out anymore. And time is money, or something. Wait, what?

The reason I’ve bought so many games these past few years in particular has been largely because of this site. I have to play the games to review them here. And now the great irony is this past year has proven to be a pretty big rut for my video game reviews. Those game reviews I wrote in September and October were the first ones I’ve written in more than a year’s time. Hopefully I won’t have another dry spell anywhere near that long again, and hopefully I’ll get to all the games I’ve been meaning to review (and even play) for far too long now.

Simply put, I’m quite backlogged in games I own that I need to review (again, a number of which I haven’t even played yet. I’m a bad person). While I still plan on picking up a few games here and there, I’m really going to have to be stingy with which games I pick and choose starting in 2024. I already have more than plenty to keep me busy and give this site plenty of content for a very, very long time. It also doesn’t hurt that, despite my year-long absence of video game reviews, I’ve still written hundreds of them, and given out each score on my rating system plenty of times. So I feel like I’m at kind of a safe point where I can be pickier with which games I review and not feel like my site is suffering too much.

Also, as I said, I would like to make my own games (and other such creative endeavors) someday. So I have to set aside the time to delve deeper into such things. Can’t very well make my own games if I’m always playing other people’s games, now can I? Plus, this also opens up more time to replay the games I really love (Elden Ring and Super Mario Odyssey are overdue for another playthrough).

By now you may be thinking “what’s different now than when you said this before?” A fair point, Kevin. But this time, I feel like I have a fitting little crescendo to end this chapter of my gaming life and opening the door to the next: The Super Mario RPG remake!

“How is this actually real? Pinch me, I must be dreaming. Actually, don’t. If this is a dream I don’t want to be woken up!”

I’ve made no secret of my love for Super Mario RPG. I adore it. Though there’s a small handful of games that put up the argument to being my favorite, if I had to pick one, that’s the one I always go to. It’s such a fun, unique and creative twist on not only the Mario series, but also the RPG genre and yes, even games as a whole, that it has to take the cake. The evil wedding cake. Reference.

Seeing as Nintendo has, for nearly thirty years, seemed to largely forget that Super Mario RPG exists despite fans’ undying love of the game (thanks for absolutely nothing, Smash Bros.), no one ever expected it to return with a full-blown remake. Now there’s even hope that the long-requested sequel could be a real possibility down the road!

With how special Super Mario RPG is to me, the it-still-seems-so-surreal remake seems like the perfect way to end my video game purchases this year. Unless Nintendo literally created that aforementioned dream sequel in secret and releases it in December, nothing can top it for me.

As I said, I will never stop playing video games. I love them too much. Like Popeye loves his spinach. I will still buy a few new games a year, but I’m really going to take into consideration which ones will actually be worth it. I will continue writing reviews for them, but there will have to be an obvious focus on reviewing the library of games I already have. That may make my Game of the Year awards less interesting moving forward. But hey, you have to make sacrifices where you can.

Besides, with the exceptions of Nintendo, FromSoftware and indie titles, it seems most games are going down the “make it more like a movie!” road. So I can’t exactly say I’ll be missing those ones very much.

And for the record, I love movies just as much as I love video games. But I also recognize they’re two different artforms. I love them equally, but differently.

So yes my lovely, sexy readership. My site will continue with its video game reviews, but don’t be surprised if the next several months feature reviews of games that came out earlier this year, the past couple of years, and retro games. As my paraphrasing of Gandalf reads at the top of this site: “A wizard is never late. Nor is he early. He reviews stuff precisely when he means to!“

Thanks for reading!

Super Mario Bros. Wonder Impressions

The newest Mario platformer, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, has finally been released on Nintendo Switch. To the surprise of no one, it’s rather wonderful.

Announced back in the June Nintendo Direct, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the first 2D Mario platformer since New Super Mario Bros. U was released on the Wii U eleven years ago. That’s just as long of a draught as there was between Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island on the SNES and New Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo DS. Suffice to say, we’ve been starved of a 2D Mario for quite a while (for that matter, we’ve been starved of a 3D Mario for quite some time now as well). Even more so, Wonder is the first 2D Mario game since the aforementioned Yoshi’s Island that isn’t part of the “New Super Mario Bros.” sub-series. With all due respect to the NSMB games (NSMBU was actually pretty good), the departure is for the best, since that particular sub-series relied more on nostalgia than it did new ideas.

That’s exactly where Wonder really sets itself apart from past 2D Mario games. The new elephant power-up has been widely advertised, and joining it are new bubble and drill-themed power-ups, as well as the mainstay Fire Flower. But the power-ups really are just the tip of the iceberg. What really makes Super Mario Bros. Wonder feel special is just how unique and different every stage is from the one that came before it, and how each one adds a new spin to the classic Mario gameplay.

This is the most creatively robust a 2D Mario game has felt since Yoshi’s Island (I feel I’ll be making that comparison a lot). Each stage brings a new idea to the table, whether big (like making the player jump to the rhythm of the background music in order to progress) to small (being able to push a pipe to find a secret exit). On top of that are the ‘Wonder Flowers’ included in each stage, which basically flip the rules of Mario games on their head once activated.

I’ve currently conquered three of the game’s seven worlds and have had an absolute blast with every minute of it. I also enjoy that the time limit for stages has been ditched this time around. That may not sit well with some speedrunners, but as someone who has always enjoyed the absent of a time limit in games like Donkey Kong Country or Yoshi’s Island (there it is again), I find it a welcoming change of pace for a 2D Mario title.

I even feel like this is the most challenging Mario game in quite some time. I haven’t even beat the game yet, and I’ve found some levels to be as tough as the post-game stages of other Mario games. Another highlight is the Dark Souls-esque online play, where you don’t directly interact with other players, but can still leave each other power-ups or help revive each other when on the brink of defeat. I have a particular fondness for the stages that work like mini-puzzles filled with invisible blocks, that basically beg you to play online to see how other players’ shadows are progressing.

If I have any complaint with Super Mario Bros. Wonder so far, it’s that I’m getting the impression the world bosses are going to be kind of repetitive. The boss fights for the first two world were both Bowser Jr., and although the fights themselves changed things up a bit, they didn’t change so much to make me ignore the fact that both fights were against the same villain. The third world, disappointingly, didn’t even feature a boss fight. And in the two airship levels I’ve done so far, they’ve been capped off with what can best be described as a ‘kinda/sorta boss’ against a mechanical Bowser head at the end of a conveyor belt. And all you have to do there is get to the switch at the end and hit it once. This is ultimately a small complaint, and who knows, maybe the more I delve into the game, the more the bosses will surprise me. But for a game that feels so creative and playful in nearly all its aspects, it’s a shame that the boss battles have so far felt pretty conservative.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder has been an utter joy so far, and I can’t wait to see what else it has in store. The gameplay is as fun as ever, and the level design is some of the best the series has ever seen. If Wonder keeps me this enthusiastic the whole way through, I might even say it’s one of the best Mario games ever. It’s a real delight. Or should I say, a real wonder?

Disney Illusion Island Review

Disney Illusion Island marks the return of the “Illusion” series of Disney games (made famous with Mickey’s Castle of Illusion on the Sega Genesis), though this newest installment separates itself from its predecessors taking the series into the Metroidvania genre. While fans of the genre may find Disney Illsion Island to be lacking in depth, it should serve as a great entryway for younger audiences to get into the genre.

The story begins when Mickey, Minnie, Donald and George Geef – better known as Goofy – are sent invitations from one another to meet up for a picnic in a land called Monoth. When they arrive, they discover that the invitations were actually sent by the diminutive Toku, the chief of a hamster-like people called the Hokuns. Toku has heard of the group’s many adventures, and requests the groups help to retrieve three magic tombs that hold the power to protect Monoth, as the tombs have been stolen, and the Hokuns are far too small to go on the adventure themselves. Mickey, Minnie and Goofy quickly agree to help the Hokuns, though Donald needs some convincing with the promise of treasure. And so begins the Disney cast’s quest to retrieve the magic tombs to save Monoth. It’s a cute and simple plot, made all the more charming through the game’s vibrant animation and cutscenes, which seem influenced by the Mickey Mouse shorts of the 2010s without feeling derivative of them.

Though each character plays identically, they all have unique animations for their actions to match their personalities: Mickie and Minnie’s moves will be presented as more practical (though still cartoonish), with things like jetpacks and grappling hooks allowing them to hover and grab onto walls, respectively. Meanwhile, Goofy’s moves are appropriately comical (and strangely all food-based), like squeezing a giant bottle of mustard to float or inexplicably using a chili pepper for a double jump. Of course, Donald is stuck drawing the short end of the stick (he gets a couple of feathers to help him float, despite already being a duck) as a fun excuse for Donald’s trademark temper to flare up. It’s cute little touches like this that add a lot of personality to the game.

As stated, Disney Illusion Island takes things into Metroidvania territory, meaning that the character’s abilities are gained over time, and the game’s world being presented as one big, interconnected level. It’s an interesting choice for a Mickey Mouse game, though it should be noted that Disney Illusion Island is far more linear than most Metroidvanias. Despite what the current gaming landscape would have you believe, there’s nothing wrong with linear games (I’d argue the majority of history’s best games would be considered ‘linear’ by today’s standards), but it does seem a little self-defeating for a Metroidvania to be as linear as Disney Illsion Island is. Most games in the genre will give the player several possible directions to go to gain different abilities and unlock new places as they seem fit. So it seems a bit odd that Disney Illusion Island essentially points the player in very specific directions throughout the adventure. On one hand, it seems like the game would have been better off with a traditional level-to-level system. But on the other hand, I do have to reiterate that Disney Illusion Island may serve as a good entry point for players who have never experienced the genre before, as it gives a good idea of what the genre holds without having players dive into the deep end right away.

Disney Illusion Island features a fun twist for the Metroidvania genre, however, in that four players can play at once. Naturally, players can take control of all four characters, and even choose how many hearts they have (there’s even an invincibility option), to set the game’s difficulty as they see fit. So Disney Illusion Island really pulls out the stops when it comes to easing players into the genre. With that said, the game does lose a little something when playing alone.

While the chaos of four players running and jumping around, collecting goodies all at once brings the game to life, playing alone kind of reveals how shallow Disney Illusion Island can be. There are enemies to be found in Monoth, but you only ever avoid them, as the characters can’t attack (possibly as a means to not depict Mickey and friends in any form of violent situation, but it seems like the fact they’re equipped with things like feathers and mustard could have presented an easy, family-friendly alternative). There are bosses, but they are few in numbers, and quickly grow repetitious as they mainly consist of jumping or grabbing onto switches repeatedly. And while the game does sprinkle in a good amount of collectibles – such as coin-like ‘Glimts’, memorabilia from various Mickey cartoon shorts, and collectible cards that give you insight into the characters of Monoth – but these collectibles are rarely difficult to find, and the only rewards for collecting them are additional hearts from Glimts, and flavor text from the cards and memorabilia.

“The various references to past Mickey Mouse shorts is a great touch (The Prince and the Pauper remains a personal favorite). Though how they failed to include the mini-masterpiece that is ‘Get a Horse!’ is beyond me.”

Disney Illusion Island may not boast the depth of most games in its genre, but young audiences and Disney fans should have a good time with it. What it lacks in substance, Illusion Island makes up for in charm. Between the character animations, good-natured sense of humor, four player mayhem and surprisingly good musical score, Disney Illusion Island has a whole lot of personality going for it. For many players, the warm and cozy feeling the game gives off may be enough to mask its shortcomings.