GIPL 3.0

Sup B-holes! It's been about 10 months since I've done one of these, which is nuts. Here's some of the games I've played lately, and when I say lately I mean throughout most of 2016.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA)

S/o to Mickey for hooking me up with the Vania side of Metroidvania with this one. This is an incredibly fun entry in the genre. The progression through the interconnecting map is natural, but not hand-holding. The RPG aspects of leveling up and equipping weapons and armor separates it from the Metroid side of the genre. But there are three things that really make this game stand out. First, the heavy metal gothic horror rocks (applies to most games in this series I think). Second, the random ability drops from enemies make for tons of interesting strategies to get through the game. Finally, this game showcases some of the best pixel art and animation. Like, ever. 

My GIPL Rating: A

140 (PC)

I went through this thing where I wanted to play "rhythm platformers". Many sources cited this minimalistic game as one of the best. Basically, the game required you to identify the rhythmic patterns of the various obstacles in order to successfully navigate them. Turns out that's actually already a genre...platformers. Normal platformers, from Mario to Sonic to Crash Bandicoot, have used this concept for years. This game is forgettable at best.
My GIPL Rating: C

Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land (GB)

I've talked about both Wario Land 2 and 3 at length on this blog. This is simply the predecessor of those amazing games. This game is fine in its own right. With focus more on combat and exploration as opposed to platforming, this game clearly is the point where Wario-style platforming found its roots. For that, the game deserves credit. However, the over-the-top wackiness and mechanical/design ingenuity found in later games in the series isn't quite here, which makes it somewhat less enjoyable to play through for the first time with the later titles already under my belt.
My GIPL Rating: B-

Bastion (PC)

I expected this game to be fun based on recommendations from friends (again, Mickey's da real MVP here), but never expected to love it as much as I did. What's honestly a pretty simple action game elevates itself to greatness through several outstandingly unique weapons and a sneakingly catchy narrative delivered by the suave yet gravelly tones of the old man Rucks. I couldn't stop playing this game once I started it, and I'm sure I'll revisit it on multiple occasions. 

My GIPL Rating: A+

Fire Emblem: Fates (Birthright, Conquest, & Revelation) (3DS)

Like many Americans, I was unfortunately ignorant of this series for most of my life, until the high-profile release of Awakening. Also like many Americans, I loved it immediately. Awakening made my top 25 fav games list mostly on the basic Fire Emblem pillars alone. But I had nothing to compare it to. Enter Fates, which released at a great time for me. There have barely been any releases of major Nintendo IPs in 2016, so FE Fates had little competition for my money or time. What I found were three games that built on everything I loved about Awakening. Playing roughly the same story from three different perspectives allows a level of immersion not usually found in gaming narratives, and it really makes the player feel attached to the characters as both friends and foes. Conquest stood out among the three titles for having the most creative scenarios and likable characters, but it was balls hard. After playing Awakening, I felt like I had experienced this franchise and thoroughly enjoyed a solid title. After playing Fates, I felt a compulsive need to now play every internationally released game in this series. More on that later.

My GIPL Rating: A+

Nihilumbra (PC)

Another platformer that popped up on my Steam recommendations. The aesthetic is interesting, and this is another one of those games that is narrated as you play it. Nihilumbra has kind of a story book quality to it, and it carries a simple enough message. Unlike most PC platformers, this game was optimized for keyboard-and-mouse inputs, using the keyboard to move and jump and the mouse to paint the environment with different colors, each that gives the main character various abilities. This game was just innovative enough in story, style, and gameplay to be memorable, but didn't knock it out of the park to really rise to greatness. 

My GIPL Rating: B-

Super Mario Bros (3DS Virtual Console)

Yep. This one. Turned out I have never finished it, so I decided to. It's Super Mario Bros, so

My GIPL Rating: B-

Sonic CD (PC)

One of the only classic 2D Sonic games I've never played. Like the above entry, I decided to change that. The game itself felt a bit too clustered compared to the previous 4 Sonic games in the series. The levels could be as easy as you wanted them to be. The busy visuals just made everything look trippy (not in a good way) and therefore I had no desire to explore the deeper secrets of the game. I got through it, and don't really have a desire to play it again. 

My GIPL Rating: C- Eh, we'll give it a normal C for that bomb animated intro

AM2R (PC)

I'm not gonna belabor this game, since I already wrote a whole thing on it. TL;DR This game was incredibly necessary, this game was incredibly good, and I have a copy of this game if anybody missed it.

My GIPL Rating: A+

Fire Emblem (GBA)

So here began my quest at playing all the international FE games. I can't imagine a more solid game in the series. The pixel art and animation is incredible, the difficulty curve was perfect, and there were no unnecessary frills or mechanics in this entry. The story was good, and the cast of characters rivaled Conquest for the best I've experienced. And it gave us Hector. (Butt-head voice): "Yeah...Hector rules."

My GIPL Rating: A

Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows (3DS)

So I love Shovel Knight, as I've mentioned at least twice on this blog. I finally got around to playing the outstanding free DLC campaign, and it stood up at least as well as the original. Like many people before me have said, the brilliance of this expansion is playing the same levels as the original, but having to think about tackling each screen in a completely different way. The team at Yacht Club Games also wrote a whole new story just as heartwarming as the first that took place behind the scenes of Shovel Knight's adventure. This expansion is pure gold, and I'm beyond hyped to play the next expansion as my favorite member of the Order of No Quarter: Specter Knight (\ <---a scythe i guess
My GIPL Rating: S

EarthBound (3DS Virtual Console)

My friend Chad recommended this one to me, and I finally got a chance to play an official version of this game when Nintendo released it for the New Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. While the gameplay is pretty vanilla RPG, this game soars into S territory for just being so friggin' adorable. And also for being messed up. See, most games (or media in general) that try to blend those two and up making it look like they're trying too hard. Not EarthBound, which will have the player confront cult kidnappings and human sacrifice in one scene, and a few hours later, will have a friend help his other friend escape the gates of a boarding school by letting him climb on his back (this is way more heartwarming than it sounds). One moment will have a character volunteer to have parts of his body removed to prove his dedication to saving the world, while another has you pass time stuck in a traffic jam by reuniting two sesame seed companions that have been separated from each other in the middle of a desert. Most impressively, this game masters the difficult question of how to include the player in a video game story. Some games, mostly Western RPGs, encourage the player to project their identity into the game with extensive character customization options. JRPGs tend to suggest that a player empathize with a pre-made generic hero whom they control. EarthBound makes the player empathize with Ness, but also acknowledges the player as a separate entity. If I explain any more, I'll be venturing into spoiler territory, so I'll just leave it at that and insist you play it if you ever get the opportunity. 

My GIPL Rating: S

That's all for now. I'm gonna go join the movement of rabid Mother fans trying to convince Nintendo to officially give us an English translation of Mother 3. Deuces!