A few thoughts on the six games I've finished so far in 2020

I came up with what I thought was a brilliant (if also unoriginal) idea for this blog about six months ago: I'd write and publish micro-reviews of all the games I finished in 2019.

Coming up with the idea proved a lot easier than following through with it, though, as I finished 19 games last year. Producing the pair of posts I just linked to took loads of work despite the fact that I limited each write-up to just a handful of sentences.

So, I'm doing things a little differently in 2020. Rather than cram all of these pithy critiques into the last few weeks of November or December, I'm spacing them out a bit.

As such, here are some thoughts on the six games I've managed to beat in the first three months of this year. Look for a similar post to appear in late June or early July--assuming I complete at least a couple more titles between now and then. (That's not a given considering Animal Crossing: New Horizons is doing its darndest to take over my life.)



Alice in Wonderland (DS)--Every single time I ask people to recommend DS games, a handful of them implore me to play this 2010 release. Did their vociferous advice prove accurate in the end? I'd say so. Although this iteration of Alice in Wonderland has its fair share of flaws, overall it's a gem. Truth be told, I'm not sure what my favorite aspect of it is: its Tim-Burton-by-way-of-Okamiden aesthetic, its Metroidvania-plus gameplay, or its near-perfect length. Regardless, I'm glad I finally got off my lazy butt and gave it a try.

Detective Pikachu (3DS)--Here's another game I dragged my feet on playing for far too long. Per the usual, I can't really tell you why. I guess I assumed it would be so "kiddie" it would be boring? Well, it's definitely aimed at a younger audience, but that didn't keep me from having a blast with it. I especially liked how it tweaked the adventure-detective genre in some surprising and intriguing ways. Oh, and it gets bonus points from me for looking great and not overstaying its welcome. (I finished it in less than 20 hours.)

Heroland (Switch)--I don't know about you, but I often have a better time with games I begin with low expectations than I do with games I dig into after anticipating them for months or years. Heroland fits into the latter category. Given that, I shouldn't have been surprised when I didn't immediately love it. It did surprise me, though--probably because the bulk of it (including its adorbs graphics, its jaunty OST, and its quirky gameplay) is my cup of tea. I came around to this weird mashup of a board game and an RPG in the end, but I'd still have a hard time recommending it to others--particularly at full price.

Hey! Pikmin (3DS)--I know everybody and their brother seemingly loves to shit on this portable Pikmin spinoff, but I'm not one of them. On the contrary, I adored the nearly 13 hours I devoted to Hey! Pikmin early this year. Oh, it's far from perfect, that's true, but it's also true that its pros far outweigh its cons--or at least they did for me. Chief among the former, by the way, are Hey! Pikmin's painterly art style and the puzzle-heavy nature of its side-scrolling action.



Pokémon Shield (Switch)--I've had a real hit-and-miss history with the world-conquering Pokémon series. After adoring, and finishing, the very first game way back when, I responded to almost every subsequent release with a shrug and a yawn. Or I did until I played, and beat, Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! in late 2018. As much I as loved that remake, I loved Pokémon Shield even more--so much so I've already put over 80 hours into it. The highlight for me: the thrilling and endlessly explorable "Wild Area." No joke: probably half of my Shield playthrough has been spent in this sprawling region thus far.

Raging Loop (Switch)--Although I had a feeling I'd enjoy this horror-tinged visual novel, I never dreamed I'd fall head over heels for it. What changed between when I first became aware of it and when it dug its claws into me? I got pulled into its Groundhog Day-esque story, for starters. I also got to know its curious cast of characters. Even its initially off-putting art eventually grew on me. Still not convinced? How about this: despite the fact that it took me about 30 hours to reach its end credits, I'm already looking forward to playing through Raging Loop again. If that's not a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is.

Have you finished any games this year? If so, which ones? And what did you think of them? Let me know in the comments section of this post.

Five Nintendo 3DS games I want to play in 2020

I know I had the Nintendo DS on the brain in 2019, and I'll probably still have it on the brain this year, but that doesn't mean there's no space in my noggin for that dual-screened system's immediate successor.

In fact, I'm currently scheming as to how I can fit the following 3DS titles--and maybe a few more--into my 2020 gaming schedule.

Bravely Second--Unlike some folks, I loved Bravely Default. Yes, even "that part." So why haven't I played its sequel? I have no idea. The only reason I can come up with is that the urge to start my way through Bravely Second always seems to hit me around the time I finish some other RPG. I guess this means I need to get out in front of such obstacles in 2020. So, the next time I feel like playing an RPG, I'll reach for my long-ignored copy of Bravely Second and then put it through its paces as quickly as possible.

Detective Pikachu--I'm not the biggest Pokémon fan around, but I bought this spinoff anyway early last year because it was on sale. OK, so another reason I bought it is I've developed a soft spot for adventure games in recent years--especially ones that seem quirky. I'm guessing Detective Pikachu also is a bit simplistic given its target audience, but that's fine by me. I'd much rather deal with that than deal with a mystery that forces me to search the internet for assistance every few minutes. (Yes, I'm looking at you, Touch Detective.)

Hey! Pikmin--The staff at developer Arzest, previously responsible for Yoshi's New Island, really went out on a limb when they decided to turn the Pikmin franchise into a strategic side-scroller with this portable release. By most accounts, their risky maneuver didn't pay off, but I don't care. I already own a copy of Hey! Pikmin, so I might as well play it. Who knows, I may end up liking it. It certainly wouldn't be the first time I enjoyed a game everyone else seems to hate.

Persona Q--True story: I didn't own Persona Q when I bought Persona Q2 last summer. Once I had a copy of the latter game in my hands, though, I felt a bit weird about not also having its predecessor. So, I kept my eyes on Amazon, and when it put Persona Q on sale a few months ago, I snapped up a copy. To the surprise of no one, I've yet to boot up either title. I hope to do that and a bit more--OK, a lot more--at some point in 2020.

Project X Zone--I know a lot of people have a rather low opinion of this strategy RPG that's packed full of Capcom, Namco, and Sega mascots. I also know a couple of people who like it quite a bit. That glimmer of hope combined with the inclusion of characters like Darkstalkers' Morrigan Aensland, Space Channel 5's Ulala, and Valkyrie from Valkyrie no Bouken, has me itching to give Project X Zone a try in 2020--even if it proves to be a turd after all is said and done.

See also: '10 Nintendo DS games I want to play in 2020'