Oswinner

Wow. Didn’t realise you were from Leicestershire. Same here 🦊 small world - Happy birthday! 🎂

Wow. Didn’t realise you were from Leicestershire. Same here 🦊

Mario Golf and Mario Tennis on n64 were my jam.

Adored them so much that I never bothered to get the GameCube versions.

Wish I did now. Bought Power Tennis for the Wii the other day and was so disappointed with the motion controls.

Having said that, also played Strikers Charged for the first time and wow, what good gameplay. So with that in mind I will go with;

1) Mario Tennis (n64)
2) Mario Golf (n64)
3) Mario Strikers Charged (Wii)

Really want to try the GameCube versions of Golf and Tennis. And maybe the Switch games too but they are overpriced. Mario sports games should be a little less pricey I think.

Yooka-Laylee

I’m replaying this underrated game because I don’t have a Switch 2 yet. Just opening up the 3rd world.

Hades

Was my main game last week but having a few days break to recharge but will be back playing it shortly.

Sam & Max: Save the World

Just got to episode 4. Max for Prez!

Zelda: BotW

My missus dusted this off after a one year and one day gap. So I’m helping her out as she’s crap at games. I never finished this game myself as I prefer old skool Zelda but I’m having much more fun playing thru and watching thru with my partner.

No.

I never got Galaxy on the Wii due to my games playing time dwindling in my 20s.

However, I got Galaxy with the 3D all stars pack when I purchased my Switch in late 2020. Enjoyed it so much and was hoping for a Galaxy 2 re-release for a couple of years but folded in 2023 when the missus bought it me for the Wii for Xmas. Still not got around to playing it but feel I should at least play it on the Wii first after it was bought for me.

Put 10 hours into it on PS4 in December 2020 but then cancelled my PS account.

Really enjoyed myself so bought it on Switch and 30 hours or so in until I stopped playing about 15 months ago.

The announcement made me boot it back up but I’m stuck atm. Hopefully I can get out this funk but it’s hard after 15 months with no play time and I don’t really want to start again…

As for Metroidvanias I have beaten? I’d have The Lost Crown as number one followed by Ori.

1) Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
2) Ori and the Will of the Wisps
3) Ori and the Blind Forest
4) Super Metroid
5) Metroid Dread
6) The Messenger
7) Guacamelee 2
8) Guacamelee

All great games. Blasphemous and Hollow Knight I’m about 75% in I should imagine but stuck in both lol.

Not beaten it yet. Maybe it’s too tough for me lol.

Beaten both Ori games and Prince of Persia as well as Metroid Dread and Super Metroid. Add in the two Guacamelee games and that makes 7 Metroidvanias I’ve completed.

Going to jump back into it shortly and eventually beat it…!

I don’t want any games I’ve already got in my small GameCube collection (unless they are going to be enhanced in some form). So I’d say;

Luigi’s Mansion
Pikmin 2
Viewtiful Joe 2
Star Wars Rogue Squadron 3
Resident Evil 4
Super Monkey Ball 1 and 2
1080 Avalanche

They would be nice to have that I haven’t played before or that I already own.

Previous years top three games below. If you had these 21 games you’d have a decent Switch collection for sure…

2017
Gold: Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Silver: Super Mario Odyssey
Bronze: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

2018
Gold: Super Smash Bros: Ultimate
Silver: Hollow Knight
Bronze: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

2019
Gold: Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
Silver: Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Bronze: Luigi’s Mansion 3

2020
Gold: Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Silver: Hades
Bronze: Animal Crossing: New Horizons

2021
Gold: Metroid Dread
Silver: Monster Hunter Rise
Bronze: Super Mario 3D World + Bowsers Fury

2022
Gold: Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Silver: Persona 5 Royal
Bronze: Kirby and the Forgotten Land

2023
Gold: Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Silver: Metroid Prime Remastered
Bronze: Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Please no, they are already ruining golf and football.

The games I own and their ratings;

(8.9) Sonic Mania
(8.7) Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
(8.6) Celeste
(8.4) Super Mario Maker 2
(8.4) Rayman Legends
(7.7) Super Mario Bros U. Deluxe
(7.7) Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
(7.7) Super Meat Boy
(7.7) Horace
(7.5) Kaze and the Wild Masks

Conclusion? Kaze and the Wild Masks and Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair are massively underrated and Super Mario Bros U. Deluxe is slightly underrated. Sonic Mania, while a great game, is slightly overrated.

I’d have my list as;

1) Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
2) Celeste
3) Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
4) Super Mario Bros U. Deluxe
5) Super Mario Maker 2
6) Rayman Legends
7) Sonic Mania
8) Kaze and the Wild Masks
9) Super Meat Boy
10) Horace

All great games tbh.

@SpecialT I concur. Kaze is brill.

Wow. I’ve gone from wanting it to giving it a miss rather quickly.

I’ve been playing through normal difficulty on Quake for a while after beating it on Easy a couple of years ago and Quake 64 on easy a month or so ago. On the last episode now, Hell’s Atrium level I believe. Such a good game.

Also, just bought Blasphemous and been playing thought it in Spanish for atmospheric reasons as I can’t understand Spanish. It’s really good, about 30% in according to the game.

Last but not least, after those dark, medieval games I needed something light hearted so I eventually bought Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled and had a long 2-3 hour bash last night. It’s no Mario Kart but I’m having fun.

Oh and I’m also half way through Tomb Raider II in the remaster collection. Just completed the underwater levels and now in a snowy mountain.

@Ogbert thanks for that detailed reply. Will start with the Treasure Trove collection then. Looking forward to it.

As someone that wants to delve into Shovel Knight this confuses me. Where do I start? Treasure Trove or this?

I’m having mixed feelings here. I actually enjoyed the first game (and really really enjoyed Impossible Lair) and was looking forward to a 3D sequel.

However, if this is a warm up for the sequel in a year or so after, then brilliant news.

Also, I’m not one that likes to double dip - I hope they add incentive to purchase, for those that own the original.

I think it’s quite telling that the only one I have bought is Metroid Prime at around £30.

@Mario500

Totally bat ship crazy man

Be nice if these were in order of rating. Saying that, Yooka-Laylee is underrated as. Bat ship crazy score.

As someone who was still playing n64 games up until covid (upon I bought a switch) I’m game for this one…!

The Masters is on so I’m all golf and no gaming! But maybe I’ll play Mario Golf on the Gameboy NSO whilst watching it.

Completed Guacamelee last night. Was great. Didn’t 100% it. Thought I’d go straight into playing hard mode instead. Wish me luck…!

I would absolutely love a DK Metroidvania…!

I’d also like something from Playtonic. Maybe a Yoshi 3D platformer?

I never did get Golf and Tennis on the GBC despite owning and enjoying them on the N64.

Time to make up for that bad decision when I was 13/14.

New Super Mario Bros U (and by extension U Deluxe)

Played it for the first time last few weeks and it’s probably my favourite 2D game.

U Deluxe is ranked 19th out of 23 on Nintendo Life for Mario games. Poppycock. As underrated as they come.

I’ve got 14 games on that list and my ranking of them are (with Nintendo Life’s ranking in brackets);

14) Animal Crossing: New Horizons (22)
13) Hades (14)
12) Breath of the Wild (1)
11) Tears of the Kingdom (2)
10) Celeste (31)
9) Super Mario 3D World + Bowsers Fury (18)
8) Ori and the Will of the Wisps (23)
7) Metroid Dread (4)
6) Hollow Knight (21)
5) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (10)
4) Smash Bros Ultimate (5)
3) Super Mario Odyssey (6)
2) DKC: Tropical Freeze (27)
1) Metroid Prime Remastered (3)

Taken a break from Hollow Knight to play New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe. ***** name, brilliant game. Defeated Bowser, just going back to get all star coins now…

Tomb Raider I remastered. Very dated game. Having a bit of fun but yeah, not great. Playing tank controls as that how the game was designed to play. Up to level 5.

None. I’m sulking that we didn’t get Rare Replay…!

I first played (and mostly watched my mate play) Sonic back in the early 90s. However I never had a Mega Drive so never truly played them until the Switch.

So my ranking from the games I’ve played;

1) Sonic Mania
2) Sonic 3 & Knuckles (I see it as one game)
3) Sonic 2
4) Sonic 1
5) Sonic CD

Like them all. I think Mania is such a good natural evolution from the OG games.

I feel 2 would be above 3&K if it just had better end levels as the pacing is so good until them.

1 is better than people say I’d like to add and CD has a good premise that doesn’t get truly fleshed out.

@Zach777 most obvious are Metroid Dread, Ori (1 and 2) and Hollow Knight.

Other than that Guacamelee (1 and 2), Blashphemous (1 and 2)…

Metroid Echoes on the GameCube.

Been waiting for this one to re-release since Prime last year. Couldn’t wait any longer. Dusted off the GameCube. Not played this since I completed it in 2005. Had a good two to three hours and got to the Dark World in Agon Wastes. I love just taking my time and taking these games in. Back in 2005 I preferred this to Prime. So be interesting to see if I still do…

Quake on Switch

Another game I had the OG of back in 1996. I was only 10. Didn’t get very far. More my brothers game who is 5 years older than me. Beat this remaster on easy (I suck at FPS games) last year and actually remembed a few of the early levels. Now going through it on Normal. On Episode two, The Wizards Manse atm…

Hollow Knight on Switch

Picked it his back up after a 3 or 4 months hiatus. Loving it. Love playing this whilst the missus plays Tomb Raider survivor trilogy on the PS4 once the one year old daughter has gone to sleep. Not sure how far I am…put in 15-20 hours now. Getting to know Hallownest like the back of my hand!

Shigsy, what a legend. As a huge Nintendo fan it was bizarre that my daughter was born on his 70th bday. November 16, 2022.

And now she’s running/crawling around the house playing with Nintendo plushies and watching the Mario Bros movie at Xmas.

Love ya Shigsy!

Having said that, she’s more of a Rareware fan with Banjo/Kazooie, DK/Diddy and Yooka/Laylee. Being from Leicester I must take her to Twycross Zoo…

1) Game Boy (47 hours)
2) Spyro Reignited Trilogy (46 hours)
3) Sonic Origins (37 hours)

Quite surprising really.

Always makes me laugh when they release a physical edition but one or more games are not on it and have to be downloaded anyway.

My friends and I used to hum the bolero of fire back in our school days. The best warp song in my opinion.

I love me some 2D Sonic, not arsed about 3D.

The 2D games get better with each playthrough. The games were meant to be replayed.

I have them as getting better with each offering, exception being CD, which time travels mechanic sounds good on paper but not executed brilliantly.

1) Sonic Mania
2) Sonic 3 (& Knuckles)
3) Sonic 2
4) Sonic 1
5) Sonic CD

Maybe I’m just an old fart but the badge system doesn’t interest me one bit, especially the invisibility one. Who on earth will play like that for more than 5 minutes?

Took a break from Hollow Knight and Oracle of Seasons the other week to finish up 100%ing Crash Bandicoot 2.

Since then, I’ve booted up Crash 3. Really enjoying it. Got all crystals, just going back through the levels getting the gems and relics.

So, those are the three games I’m playing currently. Very tempted to purchase Quake II. Will lay of it for the foreseeable as I work down my backlog…!

I finished SPLASHER the other day. Very good 2D platformer. Think Mario Sunshine in 2D. Not 100% it yet though, may pop back from time to time to master a level or two.

Restarted A HAT IN TIME after getting 14 time pieces last year. Up to about 8 again now. It’s an ok game but way overrated by online people. Yooka-Laylee is better. Still, I’m going to see it through to completion.

@Selim Jet Force Gemini wasn’t a platformer.

Anywho, glad Banjo won here. I’ve always thought Mario was slightly overrated. And yes, I played it around the time of release. Don’t get me wrong it’s fun but I just preferred the Rare games.

Currently just got to the Phazon Mines in hard mode Metroid Prime Remastered. Tried my first run to that first save station and got quite far before I died. This stretch of game on hard mode may be the death of me, it was hard enough on normal lol.

Other than that, I’m quite far into The Messenger. Must be nearing the end.

And Super Mario 3D World I’m still trying to get more green stars but failing lol. Around the 320 mark atm.

Shocked how high Metroid Dread is. Don’t get me wrong, I love the game. However, I think Ori (both games) and Hollow Knight do Metroid’s genre better than Metroid lol.

Not a fan of BotW but I understand it’s universal acclaim. Just can’t get into big open world games as I don’t have much free time.

Not sure what my top-10 would be but Metroid Prime Remastered may just be number 1 with Tropical Freeze a close number 2.

It’s stuff like this that makes me hesitant to pull the trigger on the game. Having a 6-month baby and a 40-50 hour work week means I only get the odd hour here and there.

Having said that, upon completing Metroid Prime (67% 17 hours) on Friday night - I must be three months behind the curve lol - I dived right back into a hard mode play through lol.

Well part of me is gutted I’ve not got Tears of the Kingdom yet. However, I’m still only halfway thru Breath of the Wild.

Finished Metroid Prime Thursday night (what a game!!) so will probably get back to Breath of the Wild. See if I can force myself to like it this time lol. Big Zelda fan but this game just cannot hold my interest for too long. Worst 3D Zelda for me. Can’t put my finger in it…

Other than that I’ve slowly been working thru getting all the Green stars in Super Mario 3D World (underrated gem) and in the second half of The Messenger.

@aresius I’ve got all three of those games. Absolute bargain that. I thought I picked up for a bargain of around £10 each but £11 for both Ori games and £4 for Yooka? Have to purchase.

Hmmm interesting. Never thought about which is my favourite Zelda dungeon before. I recently played through Majora’s Mask and loved all four (so the first line of this feature threw me for a loop) and then went straight into playing Breath of the Wild and was disappointed with lack of said big dungeons. Hopefully Tears of the Kingdom brings them back…

Anyway, without thinking too hard I’ll list my top-3 from each 3D game…

OoT
1) Forest Temple
2) Shadow Temple
3) Spirit Temple

MM
1) Stone Tower
2) Great Bay
3) Snowhead

TWW
1) Dragon Roost
2) Forsaken Fortress
3) Tower of the Gods

TP
1) Snowpeak Ruins
2) Arbiter Grounds
3) Lakebed Temple

SS
1) Sandship
2) Ancient Cistern
3) Lanayru Mining Facility

There’s a level in Yoshi’s Crafted World that is kinda creepy, especially as the rest of the game is colourful rainbows. Have people chasing you with axes I remember.

And the bottom of the well in Ocarina of Time is freaky.

I still think there should be two options to play these old games.

Subscription (NSO)
Or
Purchase (£1 NES, £2 SNES, £5 N64 games etc)…

I have a Switch. Which is kind of like a portable SNES already.