#darius cozmic collection arcade

[smbhax]

Sagaia Version 1 and Version 2 Zone Maps - from Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade (PC/Steam)

Session: https://youtu.be/t1V6w6JHBR4

[hardcore-gaming-101]

Ray’z Arcade Chronology

After re-releasing the Darius games as the Darius Cozmic Collection and G-Darius / G-Darius HD, M2 has returned to Taito’s other big shoot-em-up series with the Ray’z Arcade Chronology. The “Ray’z” name seems to be Taito’s official designation for the 90s-era trilogy consisting of RayForce, RayStorm, and RayCrisis, which all feature the same incredibly satisfying lock-on laser game mechanics as well as the usual spacey soundtracks from inhouse band Zuntata. This collection offers ports of all three games, based on the original arcade versions, developed by M2 as part of their ShotTriggers line of shoot-em-ups. Beyond their incredible emulation accuracy, they also include gadgets on the side of the screen, which let you know your current stage, the difficulty rank (if applicable), and status of your lock-on lasers. A particularly amusing option features background noise recorded from the Hey arcade in Akihabara, Tokyo, if you want to further immerse yourself in the action.

Read more...

[postgamecontent]

Super Darius (TG-16 Mini)

As if the console needed more shoot 'em up feathers in its cap, the PC Engine CD-ROM played host to the first console port of Taito's Darius. Super Darius is a give-and-take port. On the positive side, you get some new bosses that were cut from the arcade original. You also pick up right from where you died instead of starting back at a checkpoint, but you don't get any continues at all so you'll really need to be skilled to reach the end of the game. Ends? In terms of presentation, this is a very faithful port in terms of how it looks and sounds. There's a noticeable flicker if you're playing on the PC Engine, but the SuperGrafx mitigated that and the version on this Mini benefits from those improvements. Even with the flicker, it's an impressive port for the era.

Of course, there's one aspect of the arcade Darius that this version simply could not replicate. The game was famous for its three-screen display, and here we're obviously limited to one. That can make things feel a bit crunched at times, with some levels being considerably harder as a result. I can't really fault the port for this as there wasn't any feasible alternative way to deal with this that wouldn't involve similar sacrifices. The developers did their best, and then somehow managed to get a downgraded but similarly impressive HuCard port out of it on top of that.

It does beg the question of what Darius has going for it without that widescreen razzle-dazzle, though. This series got a lot better as it went on, and I don't think I'm saying anything controversial when I suggest that the original Darius didn't exactly trouble the best of the genre. The branching paths are a nifty idea, and the multiple endings are fun conceptually even if the game doesn't do as much with them as it could have. The soundtrack is incredible, and I think it manages to elevate the atmosphere of the game almost on its own. The fishy enemies are interesting, and we all love the warning when a boss is incoming. It's a decent enough game, one that at least built a foundation for some amazing follow-ups.

It's a nice game to have on the mini-console, too. As mentioned before, this game is enhanced when you play it on a SuperGrafx. Even if you own the original game you probably don't own one of those. This is also one of the few games not included in the Darius Cozmic Collection releases, so the TG-16 Mini is pretty much the only way to play it now short of tracking down an original copy. And even if it doesn't have quite the same impact as the arcade original, I'll never say no to another way to play Darius.

[44gamez]

‘Knights of the Rogue Dungeon’, Plus Today’s Other New Releases and the Latest Sales – TouchArcade

Hiya mild readers, and welcome to the 12 months 2024. In as we speak’s thrilling New Yr’s Day version of the SwitchArcade Spherical-Up, we now have… not a complete lot. However I had some spare time, and any trash I take out as we speak is trash I don’t must take out tomorrow. We do have one respectable recreation to take a look at as we speak, and we’re going to just do that. The Bin Bunch has lots to supply as we speak, as you would possibly count on. We even have some respectable gross sales to take a look at, and that’s one of many causes I made a decision to place fingers to the keyboard as we speak. Let’s get to it! New Releases Knights of the Rogue Dungeon ($9.99)

This recreation comes from Atooi, who you would possibly know because the developer of Mutant Mudds and Xeodrifter. Extra related to this recreation, it is usually the developer of Totes the Goat, a Q*Bert homage that provided respectable arcade motion. Knights of the Rogue Dungeon appears to be like quite a bit like that recreation, with the dungeons taking the type of Q*Bert-style pyramids. It's important to “paint" all the block surfaces by stepping on them, with combos incomes you armor upgrades that aid you defeat the enemies that litter every stage. There are completely different characters to make use of, six dungeons to discover, and quite a few upgrades to earn. If you happen to loved Totes the Goat or are simply searching for one other recreation with obscure similarities to Q*Bert, you would possibly wish to look into this. The Bin Bunch Ski Simulator: Winter Sports activities ($9.99)

MisBloody ($9.99)

Fantasy Blacksmith Store Simulator ($7.99)

Warzone Chronicles: Digital Warfare Shooter ($11.99)

Gross sales (North American eShop, US Costs) We see Taito/ININ gross sales pretty continuously, however there are just a few video games right here that I wish to name some consideration to. Particularly, the Darius Cozmic Collections are at new low costs. At their regular costs these are a bit powerful for lots of oldsters to swallow, however now you can successfully get the total set for a mixed whole of simply over thirty bucks. If you happen to’re feeling fancy, you possibly can seize G-Darius and Dariusburst to spherical out your Darius set and get away with a complete value not far off from Cozmic Assortment Console‘s common value. Different attention-grabbing gross sales: Yggdra Union with its greatest value since launch, No Man’s Sky matching its lowest, and Cannon Dancer being on the Arcade Archives-adjacent value it in all probability ought to have launched at. Over within the outbox, the Jurassic Park Traditional Video games Assortment is ending up its sale, and so is Kao the Kangaroo. Verify each lists to see what grabs you. Choose New Gross sales

To The Moon ($7.19 from $11.99 till 1/12) Discovering Paradise ($7.19 from $11.99 till 1/12) Yggdra Union ($19.99 from $24.99 till 1/15) The Grasp’s Pupil ($11.99 from $14.99 till 1/15) Cogen: Sword of Rewind ($12.49 from $24.99 till 1/15) Cannon Dancer: Osman ($8.99 from $29.99 till 1/15) Umihara Kawase BaZooKa! ($2.99 from $29.99 till 1/15) Taito Milestones ($15.99 from $39.99 till 1/15) Bubble Bobble 4 Buddies ($15.99 from $39.99 till 1/15) House Invaders Invincible Assortment ($17.99 from $59.99 till 1/15) Darius Cozmic Assortment Arcade ($13.49 from $44.99 till 1/15) Darius Cozmic Assortment Console ($17.99 from $59.99 till 1/15) G-Darius HD ($11.99 from $29.99 till 1/15) Dariusburst: One other Chronicle EX+ ($15.99 from $39.99 till 1/15) The Ninja Saviors ($7.99 from $19.99 till 1/15) No Man’s Sky ($29.99 from $59.99 till 1/16) The Forest Quartet ($3.99 from $9.99 till 1/19) MisBloody ($1.99 from $9.99 till 1/20) Figment 2: Creed Valley ($11.24 from $24.99 till 1/22) Gross sales Ending Tomorrow, January 2nd

Aireo FlightSimulator ($19.99 from $24.99 till 1/2) Bomb Rooster ($5.99 from $14.99 till 1/2) Born of Bread ($23.99 from $29.99 till 1/2) BroodStar ($4.40 from $11.00 till 1/2) Crash Drive 3 ($1.99 from $19.99 till 1/2) Full Quiet ($4.99 from $9.99 till 1/2) Gem Crash ($1.99 from $5.99 till 1/2) Golf With Your Buddies ($9.99 from $19.99 till 1/2) Gunbrick: Reloaded ($5.99 from $14.99 till 1/2) Headbangers: Rhythm Royale Deluxe ($22.49 from $29.99 till 1/2) Howl ($11.99 from $14.99 till 1/2) Invasion of Alien X: Earth in Disaster ($1.99 from $9.99 till 1/2)

Jurassic Park Traditional Video games Assortment ($26.99 from $29.99 till 1/2) Kao the Kangaroo ($11.99 from $29.99 till 1/2) Kao the Kangaroo A Properly Good Bundle ($13.19 from $32.99 till 1/2) Kao the Kangaroo Anniversary ($20.34 from $36.99 till 1/2) Kao the Kangaroo Bend the Roo’les DLC ($5.19 from $7.99 till 1/2) Kao the Kangaroo Oh Properly DLC ($2.74 from $4.99 till 1/2) Nora: The Wannabe Alchemist ($4.99 from $19.99 till 1/2) Paper Sprint: Ghost Hunt ($4.99 from $9.99 till 1/2) Undead’s Constructing ($1.99 from $5.99 till 1/2) Wingspan ($9.99 from $19.99 till 1/2) WorldWide FlightSimulator ($11.99 from $14.99 till 1/2) That’s all for as we speak, mates. We’ll be again tomorrow with a extra ordinary article, that includes some new releases, opinions, gross sales, and maybe some information. I hope you all benefit from the first day of the 12 months, no matter chances are you'll be doing. As at all times, thanks for studying! Source link Read the full article

[clickbliss]

Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade Review

by Amr (@siegarettes)

Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade

Developer: M2

Publisher: ININ Games

Switch, PS4

No matter what half of the Darius Cozmic Collection you start with, it’s impossible to get away from the feeling that it’s only part of a whole. That was true of my time with Cozmic Collection Console, which not only felt incomplete without the arcade games that gave it context, but even lacked key console entries itself. The arcade collection feels even thinner--giving you what’s basically a few variations on three games. But even with the smaller lineup it’s clear which of the two collections is the headliner here. Between the novelty of the absurdly wide playfields, the previous lack of arcade accurate ports and the iconic soundtracks, the Cozmic Arcade Collection easily makes a case as the best of the two parts. 

Of the three games on the collection, the original Darius is the weakest. It makes a strong impression with its three screen wide playfield and quality soundtrack. The boss themes in particular stand out, with a mix of intimidating high energy tracks and more ominous ambient tracks. Each boss design is excellent as well, even more intimidating on the three screen setup as you can get a great sense of scale for how large they are compared to the environment. 

Despite that it’s hard not to get the sense that it's more than a rough sketch compared to its sequels. The harsh checkpoint system removes all upgrades and kicks back your progress each time you die, and the small sprites make it difficult to make out enemy fire, especially when playing in handheld mode. Even with some of the balance changes in the included arcade revisions, it can be nearly impossible to complete the final stages without a powered up arsenal from earlier stages. 

Darius II sees all the promises from the first game fulfilled. The music is even better, with higher quality instrumentation and choice vocal samples, while leaning harder into its ambient tracks during certain stage themes. The sprites are larger, giving a more detailed and zoomed in look that makes it easier to play and more suitable to handheld mode. 

Stage design has improved a lot from the cave-like corridors of the first game, and bosses are even more detailed, with multi-phase fights and several destructible parts. Some of the mid and late game bosses are genuinely astounding and provide a great sense of narrative progression. The various overseas releases speed up the pace and remix the stage orders, but muck up the atmosphere in the process, even if they provide fun diversions. 

Darius Gaiden ditches the widescreen aspect ratio for a more traditional 4:3 playfield, but trades it in for some of the most imaginative stages and bosses in the series, with detailed backgrounds, psychedelic use of colors and a haunting soundtrack that mixes a cosmic opera and infectious synths. Mechanically it ups the complexity, adding a much welcome screen clearing bomb--which saturates the screen in psychedelic colors--and a new system that lets you recruit mid-bosses by blowing off and capturing their weak points. 

Stage layouts give a better sense of place as well, enhancing the feeling that you’re traversing the galaxy as you fight the enemy, and providing more interesting stage obstacles. It’s easily my favorite of the three, and its breezy pace makes it perfect for portable play. 

Even if you don’t have the time for a full run, the added features of the collection make it easy to jump in and practice a few stages of each game. There’s the prerequisite save state features, with a decent amount of slots for each game, but the standout here is the practice mode. Practice mode allows you to jump into any area, and even tweak the number of powerups you begin with. Combined with the state saves, it made it easy to practice certain areas and routes, and even after a single day I found noticeable improvement. 

If that isn’t enough M2 has provided several gadgets for each game, ranging from arcade marquees that are mostly for flavor, to counters that display boss weak points, boss health--down to individual part health-- and even the internal ranking system that governs game difficulty. Pausing the game will even display a map of all the stages, and how many of each powerup are possible to find there. It makes a lot of the obfuscated information about each game transparent, and makes it easier to appreciate the complexities of the games and route a clear path through them. 

At nearly full price, Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade is still a hard sell, even as someone who’s paid similar prices for standalone game releases. The difference is that other STG releases often come with a plethora of alternative ways to play each game, and even more meticulous customization. You only need to look towards M2’s own Shottriggers releases to see how high the bar can be. Enough of that treatment has made it into Cozmic Collection Arcade, however, that it feels like a package that justifies continually returning to it, especially with the inclusion of Darius Gaiden. 

Gaiden is simply put, one of my favorite titles of the series and including it with the first two titles gives it more context and helped me appreciate how it iterates on ideas and bosses previously in the series. I’ll probably continue to be a little salty about the way these Darius collections were released, especially seeing how G-Darius has been held on for yet another incoming collection, but I’m glad to see these titles finally return in a modern format. 

[8bitcentral]

#Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade for #NintendoSwitch https://www.instagram.com/p/CFXlwqtHM4D/?igshid=5n9gygpty59r

[retrogaminglife]

All new loot! Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade for the Switch! It’s finally here after waiting for a millennia! #retrogaming #shootemup #nintendo #darius #dariuscozmiccollection #retrogaminglife #arcade #stricklylimited https://www.instagram.com/p/CFPNeSpnHIs/?igshid=16tvxos3rqa21

[b3crew]

Eric Kelly finds a lot to like in his review of Darius Cozmic Collection!

[ggsgamer]

Review: Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade

Review: Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade

Blast from the past

Title: Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade Platform: Nintendo Switch and PS4 (reviewed) Developer: M2 Publisher: ININ Games/TAITO Release date: Out Now tl;dr: Small package, intense action Price: £35 / $45 Family Focus: Click here for more information.

The Darius series is a shoot’em up, or shmup, which first saw release in arcades in 1987 despite copyrights stating 1986. This series is…

[hardcoregamer]

Review: Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade

Darius Cozmic Collection does offer a lot of enjoyment for fans of shmups, regardless of which version is played. It can be criticized for being a cash grab attempt for splitting the arcade and console titles into two separate collections when combining them into one would still be comparable to many other retro collections. 

Read more!

https://hardcoregamer.com/2020/06/18/review-darius-cozmic-collection-arcade/380799/

[operationrainfall]

Nintendo Download for 6/18/20

Nintendo Download for 6/18/20

Well folks, it’s time for a new Nintendo Download. This week isn’t super busy, but it does have a trio of featured titles, the usual weekly sales and a bunch of digital fun. Let’s start with 3 very different games.

If you had told me there’d be a game called Jump Rope Challengecoming to Switch, I might have laughed in your face. At least last week. This week it’s out, and it has you use Joy-Con…

[smbhax]

Darius Gaiden - in Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade (PC/Steam)

Session: https://youtu.be/OgxXD6SFo4U

[gertlushgaming]

Two TAITO Darius shoot-em-up collections are to release next week on both PS4 and Switch

Two TAITO Darius shoot-em-up collections are to release next week on both PS4 and Switch

The localised, digital, versions of one of the highest revered Shoot ‘Em Up game series in the history of video gaming are heading to the Nintendo eShop and PSN. The Darius Cozmic Collection Console and the Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade will be available on 16th June 2020.

The Darius series pioneered horizontal Shoot ‘Em Up games and was developed by the legendary TAITO Corporation. The first…

[postgamecontent]

Another Taito Arcade Archives Sale Starts Today, Celebrating Darius Day

It seems like people appreciated the heads-up last time, so let's do this again. Hamster and Taito are having another sale on some Arcade Archives games for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, this time using Darius Day as an excuse. Don't worry, even if you don't observe that holiday you can enjoy these savings. It's ten games again, and this time it's a 50% off sale. If you're in the United States, that means these are just $3.99 each. Wow! That's a nice deal. Reminder: Arcade Archives releases rarely go on sale more than once, so if you don't buy them now the odds are good you'll never see them this cheap again. Let's look at the included games this time.

Darius (Also Seen In Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade)

The reason for the season, Darius kicks off Taito's most successful and prolific venture into the horizontal shoot 'em up genre. Well-known for its ultra-wide display and distinctive sea life-inspired enemies, Darius remains an enjoyable and challenging shooter to this day. Note this version is slightly different in terms of options and features compared to the one included in the M2-developed Cozmic Collection.

Darius II (Also Seen In Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade & Taito Milestones 2)

The sequel to Darius, sometimes known as Sagaia, delivers another heaping helping of intense shooting action. This version allows you to play the ultra-wide three-screen version of the game, setting it apart from the one found in the Cozmic Collection. More cool shooting action for those who appreciate that sort of dish. I always wanted a thing called tuna sashimi!

Megablast

Another horizontal shooter, this one somewhat lesser known than Darius. Megablast came out in 1989 and its main gimmick is that you start with four options surrounding your ship, giving you quite a bit of initial fire power. Each one can be powered up by collecting orbs, and you can eventually get quite the waves of death going in every direction. The enemies come at you just as hard, though. A little zany and not incredibly well-balanced, but amusing enough.

The Legend of Kage (Also Seen In Taito Milestones 2)

Look, some of these have nothing to do with Darius. Not much to be done about that. This is Taito's famous game about a ninja that can pretty much jump over trees in a single bound. Fling shuriken in every direction, use your sword to deflect attacks and make in-close kills, and rescue the princess until she's kidnapped again. Fight, Kage! For everlasting peace!

Sea Fighter Poseidon

This is another horizontal shooter, but it's a quirky one. Released in 1984, Sea Fighter Poseidon sees you riding an undersea sled of sorts, firing torpedoes at enemies and picking up hostages. Your sled has limited fuel, and the only way to get more is to pick off an enemy sledder without destroying their craft. You can then eject from your sled and steal theirs. That's nifty. It has that early Taito feel to it, and I always appreciate that.

High Way Race

A 1984 vertical driving game that calls to mind things like Bump 'n Jump or Spy Hunter. You need to drive as far as you can on your tank of fuel, avoiding traffic and other obstacles as you go. You can brake, and you can jump. When you reach the end of each course, you'll need to do both of those to finish it. You'll have to refuel along the way by sidling up to a fuel truck. Any collisions will cost you a bit of your tank, and once it's empty you're done. A little clunky, but decent enough.

Space Cruiser

Here's the old man of today's line-up. Initially released in 1981, Space Cruiser is a very early vertical shooter. Battle UFOs, survive asteroid attacks, dock your ship at a station to resupply, then take the fight to the alien's base. Quite a few phases for a game of its era, and if you're okay with slower-paced Galaxian-style affairs you'll probably like this a fair bit. Some real ambition on display here for a game of this type and era.

Space Seeker (Also Seen In Taito Milestones)

Speaking of ambitious space shooter games from 1981, here's Space Seeker. It's a bit involved! Guide your ship on the map to intercept enemy attacks. Red dots will bring you into a first-person view where you'll have to shoot the enemies down, while the bigger icons will have you going through a Scramble-style side-scrolling shooter stage. This is a very compelling game, especially if you have a taste for oddballs.

Water Ski

Similar to Alpine Ski, this is a sports-based vertically-scrolling action game. Move around behind the boat, try to score points, and avoid obstacles. A simple game by design, but one that evokes that early 1980s arcade feeling very well. If you like that, you'll enjoy this. If you don't, you might find this a little too primitive and limited.

Wild Western (Also Seen In Taito Milestones)

Another vertically-scrolling game from Taito's early years. Stop robbers who are trying to highjack trains, and then test your shooting skills in bonus rounds between stages. A 1982 game that feels it in every single way. Just like with Water Ski, if you like that simpler era, you'll enjoy this. And if you don't, then you almost certainly won't.

[nintendonext]

Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade και Console την άλλη εβδομάδα

Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade και Console την άλλη εβδομάδα

Όσοι θέλετε κι άλλη κλασική shoot ’em up δράση στο Switch σας, τότε το νου σας για τα Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade και Console σε λίγες ημέρες!

(more…)

[oneddashone]

Games of the Year 2021

Something like 90% of this was typed up in December, but I only thought to finish and post it now. Oops. Also I bought an Xbox Series S this year (hello Elden Ring!), but late enough that nothing from there really made it onto the list.

***RECENCY BIAS***

Shin Megami Tensei V

Death's Door

Loop Hero

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon

Forza Horizon 5

Sable

I got these all in the last few weeks, and so while it's too early to properly rank them in a category, I can already tell that they have a lot to offer and, with time, will likely be some of my favorites of the year. SMTV especially *very nearly* qualifies as "Essential," but I really should play it for a bit longer before making that distinction.

***SOME SHMUPS I BOUGHT THIS YEAR***

R-Type Final 2

Raiden IV x Mikado Remix

Mushihimesama

Darius Cozmic Revelation

Cotton Reboot

Espgaluda II

DoDonPachi Resurrection

Deathsmiles 1+2

I'm pretty sure R-Type Final 2 is the only properly "new" game on this list, but all of these shmups came out on Switch this year and I enjoyed my time with all of them. Special shoutout to the M2-helmed Cave ports, which feel perfect to me and are a total blast to play on my rotated monitor (with the 8BitDo arcade stick, of course—who even needs a candy cab these days?).

***RECOMMENDED***

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection

Bravely Default II

Umurangi Generation

Game Builder Garage

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus

Monster Hunter Stories 2

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs Brain

Now for the real list. Anything at this tier is absolutely worth your time, in my opinion, starting specifically with the Bowser's Fury expansion to Super Mario 3D World. It felt at the time like Mario's designers dipping their toes into a new-ish, Odyssey-inspired way to design a Mario game, and I hope there's more where that came from because it's tremendous. The new Ghosts 'n Goblins is arguably even more fiendishly difficult than the original, but it's beautiful and still feels modern in all the right places. I hope we see more revivals of dormant franchises of this caliber going into 2022 (looking at you, GetsuFumaDen). Special mention too to Umurangi Generation, a game I knew next to nothing about going into it, and one that continued to surprise me up until the very end.

***ESSENTIAL***

Mario Golf: Super Rush

Axiom Verge 2

Spelunky 2

WarioWare: Get It Together!

Castlevania Advance Collection

Metroid Dread

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut

Mario Party Superstars

A game in this tier is one of my absolute favorites of the year. Mario Golf might seem like a strange choice to some, but I found this game to be absolutely packed with stuff to do. I played through the campaign, played games online against friends, and loved the steady release of new characters and courses throughout the year.

I never quite finished the first game, but I played through and beat Axiom Verge 2 in about a week—which was great (more "short" games, please). I'm not totally sure, but I think the difference might have been the environments—most were way more open than the previous game's mostly tight, closed rooms. I've never quite followed the story in either of these games, but it didn't matter at all—if you like metroidvanias, you'll like this game.

I'm no good at Spelunky 2. Pretty miserable really, just like the first game. But this is perfection on an already nearly-perfect game, so I can't penalize it just because I'm too dumb to resist throwing a rock where I know I shouldn't. I played a lot of this game co-op with my daughter, which I didn't think would work but very much did (see also: WarioWare). Kudos to Derek Yu for sticking to his vision and iterating even further on a game that would probably have seemed "finished" to almost everyone else.

The original WarioWare is one of my favorite games of all time, and Get it Together is an intriguing update to the formula—one that I didn't think would work, at first blush, but one that I am happy to say I was very much wrong about. Another great game to play with a friend, and the unlockables and weekly challenges went a long way towards keeping me playing even after the final credit roll.

The Castlevania Advance Collection is something I've been asking for for a long time, and this package is just perfect. More like this, please.

Metroid Dread is great, but I think I loved it less than almost anyone else. I was really hyped before release and even replayed Super Metroid in anticipation, but then something happened. It started out incredibly engaging, but fairly early on I became acutely aware of just how dang linear this supposed metroidvania really was. "Wrong" paths secretly close, the supposedly inter-connected map is a lie, and everything's just been so damn designed to move you forward that the whole thing kinda loses it's "metroid-ness." I think the designers probably felt like they *had* to do this in 2021, to not waste anyone's time, but for me it ended up just kind of souring the experience. It's a beautiful looking game, the movement is fluid and graceful, and the boss fights are a spectical—but for me, the experience was a bit less than the sum of its parts.

I think my favorite thing about Disco Elysium is that it taught me about psychic damage and shame. The first time I essentially died of embarrassment was really pretty shocking, looking back on it. From then on, my choices became quite a bit more meaningful and I was completely absorbed in this game's incredibly dense and layered world. Turns out I also really really love dialogue trees and dice checks—who knew? I'm also glad I waited for this version, too, because the voice acting is top notch.

***RUNNER UP***

Dungeon Encounters

This is a tiny bit cheeky, but I'm giving Dungeon Encounters a slight nod over the games in the previous category because it just came out of nowhere and clubbed me over the head with its simplicity. This has got to be one of the most purely designed games I've ever played. Everything is so perfectly tight, so meticulously edited, that it doesn't feel like one pixel could possibly be out of place. This feels like the work of someone who had an uncompromising vision and carried it through every precarious step of the way, start to finish. This is addition-by-subtraction, no frills, Dieter Rams-level stuff.

Oh, and the character portraits all look like they were drawn by Mike Mignola. A+++ from me.

***GOTY***

Monster Hunter: Rise

I can't bring myself to understand the idea that some people apparently have that Monster Hunter Rise is somehow *lacking* content. I fired up the game the other day for the first time in 2-3 months, and had something like two dozen new Event Quests to check out, most with unique rewards (hello, Akuma costume). And that's after I put over one hundred hours into the story, and still haven't beaten the final boss that unlocks at HR100. Not to mention all the time spent with friends on their campaigns. AND my personal side quest of crafting as many different Long Swords as humanly possible. If this isn't enough "stuff," I really don't want to know what is.

But "stuff" only matters if it's good stuff, and yeesh there's a ton of good stuff in this game. Monster Hunter World was already an exercise in cutting some of the crust that had accumulated over the years, and Rise goes even further and better. Getting into the fights is now as frictionless as you want it to be, thanks to the new map and the addition of the dog. The wirebug is the coolest new mechanic the series has added, possibly ever. Not only is it great for traversal, but it opens up an entire tree of combat options. A lot of what I loved about Generations returns here too, especially in those wirebug attacks, albeit less over-stuffed than in that game.

The selection of monsters is generous and varied, the locations are memorable and well-designed, and the armor and weapons are more than up to the series' already sky-high expectations. I've picked Monster Hunter games as my GOTY before, but Rise is easily my favorite Monster Hunter game. And the fact that we're getting a giant expansion/DLC this summer just means I need to find a bit of time between now and then to craft just a few more Long Swords.