How Return to Dreamland Deluxe Reignited my Love of Kirby

Ah Kirby, a franchise that was a favorite of mine growing up. When I was young, I completed every Kirby game I could get my hands on, and considered myself a big Kirby fan.

But then, something happened: I changed. My enjoyment of the Kirby games shrunk over time, and before I knew it I was uninterested in new Kirby games, considering myself done with the series.

Yet, this past month I decided to play Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. So much was it that I've begun to reconsider my stance on the Kirby series, wondering if in fact I may still be able to enjoy these games, and return to being the Kirby fan I once was.

So, how did this happen? In this post I'll be detailing my experiences with the Kirby series, and why Return to Dreamland was so special in bringing me back to Dreamland.

A Polished yet Familiar Sequel - Octopath Traveler 2 Review

Ah Octopath Traveler, what a fascinating game. Of all the video games reviews I've written, I don't think there's one I've thought about as much. Say what you will about that game: its flaws were many, but it was one of the most unique and interesting games I've played.

So of course when its sequel released, I had such an interesting experience with it that, just like the first, I had to put the many thoughts I had down to paper, and I couldn't help but want to write a sequel review.

So let's talk about Octopath Traveler 2, and the highs and lows it took me on. Let's dive into this utterly fascinating JRPG and the unforgettable experience I had with it.

My Top 19 Anime of 2022

I decided to start doing a list of my favorite games each year for 2022, so why not do the same for anime? After all, looking back, I watched 12 anime series to completion, and 7 anime movies in 2022. So once again, I will reflect and give a brief blurb on each anime I watched in 2022.

My Top 10 Games of 2022

Greetings! I thought this would be a fun thing to do, and I might get in the habit of doing it every year. With 2022 coming to a close it is a time to reflect, look back, and remember the experiences we've had this year. So what better way to do it then by ranking every video game I've played in 2022, from my least favorite to favorite!

Origami King Review: The Triumph of Modern Paper Mario

Paper Mario: The Origami King was a game I expected to have a fun time with, but I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy it. After all, I loved Sticker Star, the fourth title in the Paper Mario series, but despised Color Splash, the fifth title. Those two games, along with Origam King, make up the "modern" Paper Mario trilogy, while the previous three titles: Paper Mario, The Thousand Year Door, and Super Paper Mario, make up the "traditional" Paper Mario trilogy. Much debate has gone on regarding which style is better. I sit as one of the few that enjoys both. Yet if I had to choose, I'd say that I prefer the formula of the traditional trilogy. As much as I loved Sticker Star, the modern Paper Mario formula simply could not compare.

Yet, after now completing The Origami King, I must retract that statement. My experience with the game was incredible, no doubt it will go down as one of my favorite Switch games. Every time I booted up the game, I felt......happy, like I was going to a magical world where nothing but fun awaited. So much did I enjoy it that I took long breaks throughout my playthrough, not wanting the magic to end. Looking back, I still can't believe how much I enjoyed it. It is one of the few games in which I can confidently say I wish I could wipe my memory of it to re-experience the magic all over again.

So for this review I want to talk about Paper Mario: The Origami King using a particular perspective. I want to explain not just why the game is special, but why it is in such a way the traditional Paper Marios could never be. For in many ways The Origami King is the modern Paper Mario formula done to perfection: think Sticker Star but better. Every area it succeeds in I long argued Sticker Star also succeeded. Every area I believed was a strength and not a weakness of Sticker Star, Origami King has and uses in even greater ways. Origami King is incredibly validating to myself as a Sticker Star fan, a game most Paper Mario fans loathe. The overwhelming positive reception received by Origami King has proved that I am not crazy, and in this review I plan to show why, and why Origami King finally lets the modern Paper Mario games stand outside the shadow of the traditional games.
 

How I fell out of love with Genshin Impact......and fell back in love again

If you've been keeping up with me, you'll know that I was one of many who fell in love with Genshin Impact. Like many, I first learned of the game during its release in late 2020, when the covid-19 pandemic was keeping many at home. I first played the game a few weeks after its release, and I was hooked like nothing else. It was my first gacha game, my first Chinese game, and so it gave me tons to think about, as evidenced by the previous write ups I've done on the game.

However, as I continued playing the game day after day, I began to experience a feeling many gacha players go through: burn out. I was losing interest in the game at an alarming rate, and before I knew it my motivation to play was at rock bottom. Around the middle of April, 2022, I decided to stop playing Genshin. And I did, for quite a while. I'd come back once a month just to do a few monthly things, but otherwise, I stayed away from Genshin and thought I might be done with it. For three and a half months I did not touch the game and had no motivation to.

However....I did come back. At the start of August I decided to give the game another chance and dove back in. It has now been a month since I've returned, and I've gotta say...I'm back.

So....what happened? Why did I fall out of love with Genshin Impact and potentially stop playing it for good? And why did I fall back in love? What brought me back, and why has this last month been so much better than the many months before it? If you keep up with gacha games, this experience of getting burnt out, taking a break, and coming back may be familiar to you. But it was a wholly new one for me, with this being my first gacha. So for any who are deep into the Genshin rabbit hole or are considering jumping in, let this be a cautionary tale for you. Here's my story of how I fell out of love with Genshin Impact......and fell back in love again

Pokemon Legends Arceus: The 'Paper Mario Sticker Star' of Pokemon

Recently I finished the latest game in the Pokemon franchise: Legends Arceus. Arguably the most ambitious Pokemon game in decades, Arceus marked a change for the series that many wanted, myself included. Inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Arceus features a world consisting of various open areas that you can navigate however you'd like. Not only that, but with it comes a brand new system of gameplay, one that offers various ways to navigate its world and interact with and catch Pokemon in all sorts of ways before you even battle them.

With such a break from the series tradition, I was excited to dig into the game. Yet the more I played it, the more I noticed a disconnect. I had four friends also anticipating the game. As we played it, all of them, from longtime Pokemon fans to ex fans who wanted to get back into the series, had a blast. They flew through it, clearing most of its content, and told me it is likely one of their favorite Pokemon games.

However, the more I played, the more I felt the opposite. My motivation for the game began to dwindle the further I got in, I began finding the overall gameplay uninteresting and repetitive, and now that I have finally finished it, while also completing the post game quest to collect all the elemental plates, I can say that this is probably one of my least favorite Pokemon games.

Yet all was not cause for disappointment. The more I played and understood Arceus, the more I came upon a shocking revelation: Legends Arceus reminded me of one infamous game in the Paper Mario series, one that most people dislike while I, ironically, love it.

Yes, the controversial title that is Paper Mario: Sticker Star, a game I could write tons on, popped into the back of my mind the more I played Arceus. Part of why I enjoyed Sticker Star so much was because I had not played a game like it, and here, now, I found an unlikely companion to it in Legends Arceus.

This begs some questions. First, is Pokemon Legends Arceus actually similar to Paper Mario Sticker Star? When I proposed this theory to one of my friends, he couldn't have been more confused. Why do these games remind me so much of each other?

Second, if they are so similar, then why did Sticker Star resonate with me, where most fans disliked it, while Legends Arceus lost me, where most Pokemon fans praised the overall package? For this write up, I plan to answer these and more. So I hope you enjoy reading why I consider Pokemon Legends Arceus the 'Paper Mario Sticker Star' of Pokemon.