If you're still reading this pre-amble instead of hopping straight into the games, I want to say that I appreciate you, and I hope you like my games.

Anyway, let's get into it!

The Games

60. Marvel's Spider-Man

Spider-Man wasn't a game I was particularly excited for, I didn't watch much pre-release coverage, and while I like Spider-Man, I'm not a huge superhero fan. But, the night before this game came out I had an awful time, and was feeling very mentally unwell.

So, the day Marvel's Spider-Man released, I took off of work, and drove to GameStop to pick up a new game for my Playstation 4, and ended up accidentally driving home with the brand new release.

I spent my entire day on my best friend's couch, playing Spider-Man while he and his boyfriend were at work. And, god, I couldn't stop. They got home and said "Are you hungry?" and I said "I'm so hungry, I forgot to eat lunch" without taking my eyes off the TV.

I don't know if Marvel's Spider-Man would've hit to so hard if I wasn't in a bad place emotionally, but the game helped cheer me up, and I will always appreciate it for that.

Miles Morales and Spider-Man 2 could also occupy this spot on the list, I love all 3 games, but I thought the anecdote about the first game made for better reading.

59. Dark Souls 2

The "black sheep" of the series, Dark Souls 2 will always be special to me. It introduced so many things to the formula, but it changed "too much" from Dark Souls 1 to be considered "good" by so many fans.

I love Dark Souls 2 though, it has some blunders, sure, but Scholar of the First Sin fixed most of those (and introduced a few others, whoops). We have been left with an excellent game, with an excellent (unfortunately flawed) co-op system, that probably has the best story in the series.

Dark Souls 2 excels at being non-linear, playing the most like a traditional Metroidvania. The amount of build variety is also excellent, even if the power scaling can make you feel a bit weak at times. However, if you engage with the systems the game provides (NPC summons and multiplayer) it can shore up those weaknesses. Don't let the mind virus get you, you do not need to solo Souls bosses for them to count.

58. Phantasy Star Universe

Okay, I know the offline campaign isn't particularly good. And I know that the mechanics aren't particularly compelling. And I sure do know that this game is a pale imitation of Phantasy Star Online. But, I love it, so here it is.

In the offline campaign you play as Ethan Waber, a teenager who gets caught up in an alien invasion of the starship he lives on. It's a fine enough campaign, but the real reason PSU is on my list is the online multiplayer.

The Xbox 360 Era had me missing Phantasy Star Online, but it gave me Phantasy Star Universe, and even then I knew it was not as good. Despite that I sunk hundreds of hours into it with my friends, and I will forever cherish those memories. I wouldn't recommend going back to it these days, though.

57. Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage

One of the greatest 3D platformers of all time, Spyro 2 brought me a lot of joy as a kid. The Playstation era of Spyro was incredible, but 2 was my standout favorite.

Playing as the little dragon who could, Spyro 2 has you facing off against the dinosaur Ripto and his minions, as they try to take over the world. Ripto's Rage introduces most of the recurring characters to the franchise, like Hunter and Elora, and they are a great addition to the cast.

The voice acting is campy, but it was the 90's, and this was a kids' game. There are a bunch of levels, fun stuff to collect, and insanely fun cheats to play around with (big head mode, anyone?)

56. Final Fantasy V

Final Fantasy V is one of those games you either love or hate, and I will go on the record as loving it!

Rocking one of the best soundtracks in the series, and my favorite iteration of the job system, Final Fantasy V is an incredible experience. You set out as Butz (in the original Japanese translation, and gosh darn I will not switch to Bartz) and make some friends, and eventually try to unravel the grand conspiracy behind the elements failing.

Excellent turn based combat, and the modularity of the job system, definitely keep me coming back for more.

55. Pokemon Black/White 2

It is debatable whether Pokemon or Final Fantasy is my favorite franchise, but honestly I could've had more of both games on this list, I refrained. Pokemon White 2 is an incredible game though.

Objectively I think Gen 5 is the best the series has ever been, although it's not my favorite. I think Black/White 2 refined the formula from Black/White in a way that is more appealing to most audiences. You get to travel the US (kind of), collect Pokemon from all sorts of regions, and continue the story from the first games nicely.

You don't need to play Black/White to play 2, honestly many people prefer 2, and I do highly recommend giving Gen 5 a shot.

54. Metal Gear Solid 3

Kojima is responsible for so many things, and one of the greatest is Metal Gear Solid 3. An incredible prequel to Metal Gear Solid, you get to watch the original Snake figure things out, in the thick Russian jungle.

The gameplay contains pretty excellent stealth sequences, and enough freedom to play how you like. Guns ablaze? Silent murder? Non-lethal? Whatever feels right at the time? The game affords you that choice.

The plot to the Metal Gear Solid franchise can seem a bit difficult to understand at first, but MGS3 is a great starting point, and one of the most fun games I've ever played.

53. Guild Wars 2

This episode's second MMO inclusion, Guild Wars 2 means a lot to me. I played it fairly heavily for a decade after it released, and only really slowed down because I had kids.

The combat is probably best in class for MMOs, only held back by some legacy actions on some classes, and the lack of viable build variety that exists. Yes, every class is viable, but the open world combat is difficult enough once you start getting into the expansion content that you need a somewhat focused build to succeed.

The world of Tyria is vast and the story is great, and every expansion adds something excellent. The mounts that Path of Fire introduce are industry changing, even forcing World of Warcraft to step up their game.

Guild Wars 2's base game is free to play, and honestly I couldn't recommend any other MMO to a new MMO player more than this one.

52. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

Ezio comes back in his second iteration. He's more mature, and now he needs to fight his greatest enemy yet. The Pope!

You heard me right, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is all about exploring Rome, infiltrating the Vatican, and killing the hell out of one Pope. All with your regular Assassin's Creed trappings. Oh, and I guess Desmond does some stuff too, outside of the Animus.

It's just Assassin's Creed II but better, and that's enough for me!

51. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Many people would put this game at #1 on their lists, so how did it manage to get so low on mine? The answer? Every game on this list is legitimately excellent (except for a couple, shh).

The Witcher 3 really brought The Witcher franchise into the mainstream. The open world is gorgeous, the storylines are incredible (including the side quests), and the gameplay is still deliberate like earlier entries but a lot more accessible.

If you want to play one of the objectively best RPGs ever written, you need to try the Witcher 3. However, if you're a sicko like me, you may find that another game in the franchise suits you a bit more…

Outro

After this week we are half way through this series! That's crazy to me. To everyone who has been reading along this entire time, I truly thank you. I do this all for you.

If you've read this far you're probably very cool, and should join my Discord and chat with the incredible community! Every month we have two games to play as a community, sort of like a book club! It's called the Lunar League, and July's games are Mega Man X, and Shadow Hearts! Come on in!

My Patreon supporters make this all possible, and if you'd like to join my Patreon it would mean the world to me. Supporters get an exclusive article each month and a Discord role, and higher tiers of support get a hidden Discord channel in addition to different vanity roles. I love you all!

If you know me, it'll be of no surprise that I have owned a substantial number of devices, that are manufactured in China, where the primary purpose is to use software to emulate old video games. "Retro handhelds" as they are affectionately referred to by the community, not to be mistaken with the website/YouTube channel "Retro Handhelds" which covers these devices.

All that to say, here is my top 10 list of software emulation focused handhelds!

The Top 10

10. Retroid Pocket Mini v1

Ugh, what is there for me to say about the Retroid Pocket Mini? It could've been perfect. It makes it into my top 10 purely because of all I dreamed it could be.

Retroid really dropped the ball on this one, shipping it with a screen that was purposefully damaged by them. They did this to be the first to market with a 4:3 OLED display, but at far too great of a cost. Scaling didn't work properly, which made 3D renders and shaders on 2D games look bizarre. I wasn't even well versed in shaders back then, and I could tell something was off.

Their response was to repeatedly gaslight the consumer-base until they finally fessed up, the screen was actually a 31:27 display, and they offered to send replacement DIY screens to people who had already purchased the device. But only in a black front plate. And I ordered the white/orange one for a reason. You'll find this same 31:27 display in other handhelds (on this list even) but I sold my RP Mini before I even had a chance to swap to the new screen.

I really wanted to love this one. And I thought I did for a time. I thought I'd never need anything else. Now here we are, almost 2 years later, and I truly despise Retroid for their deception. I'd have bought it anyway, with the 31:27 screen, and probably would've been satisfied forever, but unfortunately it did not work out that way.

9. Anbernic RG35XXSP

The RG35XXSP (I know, a mouth-full) was really where I started to dive head first into this hobby. I had owned the original RG35XX for a while when the SP released, but the SP grabbed me by the nostalgia and tugged hard.

I love a clamshell, and the SP was an improvement in almost every way. It was more powerful, the screen was a bit brighter, the clamshell form factor was great, and it had more custom firmware options. I really did like the 35XXSP. But, it had some downsides which would ultimately lead me to giving it away to a friend. Well, one downside really.

For some reason, the buttons on the SP were just awful feeling, far too difficult to press down, and incredibly loud to boot! I wish this didn't effect my enjoyment of the device, but it really did. The colors weren't great for me, either. Also, at the end of the day, it just wasn't powerful enough for me. This isn't truly a "downside," it is a budget device, I shouldn't expect the world. But, I wanted more power, for higher demand games, and higher demanding shaders.

8. Miyoo Flip v2

I have a full written review of the Miyoo Flip v2 already, so I will spare you the details here. Long story short, I bought a Miyoo Flip v1, felt the hinge, got scared, and sold it before I even played a game on it. Recently my friend Brend shared his Miyoo Flip v2 with me, and I actually really enjoyed it.

The buttons feel better than the RG35XXSP, the form factor is a little more pocketable, and the custom firmware options are about as good. It is also technically slightly more powerful, but not in any sort of noticeable way. The colorway options are also significantly better.

This is probably my favorite device in the Gameboy Advance SP form factor, but it's still not the forever device for me.

By the way, I'll be giving away the Miyoo Flip v2 soon, so check out my Discord; I will have details posted there soon.

7. AYN Thor

It will be considered blasphemy by many that the AYN Thor only makes number 7 on this list, but I just have to be honest, it didn't end up being the "ultimate handheld" that I wanted it to be.

While it's not my "ultimate handheld" I still believe it could be that for some people. There are no devices more competent at DS and 3DS emulation than the AYN Thor, and its gorgeous screens do a great job for every other console as well. Switch? No problem on the top screen. GBC? Great on the bottom screen. PC Gaming? Use the top screen for GameNative, and chat on Discord on the bottm. So many excellent use cases.

I didn't love emulating DS and 3DS on it, however, but I know that I am a special case. I have much preferred a 2DSXL for 3DS games, and a DSi XL for DS games. This is privilege I have, I understand, to have original hardware and cartridges to play on, so I won't knock anyone who wants the Thor to get 99% of the way there.

The physical build quality takes it down a few notches for me personally, but it doesn't feel cheap. It just doesn't feel like a $400+ device. And those price hikes right now are killing it. I bought the 1tb Max model in round one of pre-orders, and that model has gone up almost $200 already. The screens are incredible though, that bottom screen being the same as the Retroid Pocket Mini v2, and is incredible in its own right.

I liked the Thor, but did not love it, which means I did not keep it. And with the price increases, I'm not sure I'd recommend it any more either.

6. Ayaneo Pocket Micro

Gosh, the Pocket Micro was almost the perfect GBA handheld for me, if not for those damned sticks I would've kept it. And, funny enough, they released one later without sticks, the Pocket Micro Classic! I didn't buy it though, I already moved on from the Pocket Micro.

The screen is a gorgeous LCD with a 3x integer scale for the Gameboy Advance, and I do love Gameboy Advance games. The buttons felt great, and I really loved the candybar style for fitting into my pocket, except for the damned sticks! It's also so stylish, I adored it.

Another thing that I need to mention is that Ayaneo devices usually have a fingerprint sensor. As someone who largely pockets my devices, this thing is a godsend. I can have a password set to unlock the device so that it doesn't start running in my pocket, but also have quick access to it every time I want to use it. Why don't more manufacturers do this? I have heard that AYN does on some devices though, kudos to them for that.

Unfortunately it didn't fit into my life at the time, and I wouldn't buy another one, but if you're the type who likes dedicated devices, I think the Pocket Micro Classic is probably your best bet for a dedicated Gameboy Advance device.

5. Ayaneo Pocket Air

Here's where you'll start to see a pattern emerge, I really enjoy Ayaneo's devices. Call me a shill, tell me I have bouji taste, whatever helps you sleep at night. What helps me sleep at night is dreaming about an upgraded Ayaneo Pocket Air.

The Pocket Air is the most comfortable 16:9 handheld I've ever used. The only reason it isn't higher on this list is that I don't care much for 16:9 handhelds. But if I had to have one, it would be this one. The ergonomics are just excellent.

The OLED panel isn't as crisp as on the Thor, but without a side by side it isn't a panel to scoff at. The fingerprint sensor is, again, an excellent touch. The Dimensity 1200 is the weakest part of the device, offering some issues with PS2 and Gamecube emulation that similarly priced devices like the Odin 2 handled with ease.

4. Ayaneo Pocket DMG

Another Ayaneo device that I would've kept if it didn't have a stick, the Pocket DMG is an excellent machine. Incredibly capable, with the gorgeous 31:27 screen mentioned earlier, the Pocket DMG might've been my endgame device. Unfortunately, that damned stick once again prevented the device from being truly pocketable for me.

With a screen that excels at playing Super Nintendo and Gameboy Color games, the amount of power in the Pocket DMG may seem offputting. However, most Playstation 2 games don't even use more than one stick anyway, and widescreen hacks allow them to fill up the whole screen. The GameCube is a similar story, if you're okay with mapping the c-stick to the touch panel.

I don't have room for emulation device in my life that I can't pocket, so the DMG ended up being a fancy coffee table decoration, but my god I loved using it when I had it. The remappable scroll wheel is such an excellent touch. And I still have never used a better d-pad.

3. TrimUI Brick (Hammer)

Moving into "the most pocketable" territory, the TrimUI Brick (Or hammer, honestly they're interchangeable for me) is my favorite vertical emulation handheld. The Brick is made of high quality plastic, and the Hammer is made out of incredibly comfortable metal.

With enough power to play everything PS1 and below, and an incredibly high resolution screen for the size, the Brick just looks and plays incredibly. Not to mention that it is the home of my favorite Linux firmware, PakUI, it offers an absolute value if the 3.2" screen doesn't turn you away.

The face buttons and d-pad feel clicky, but quiet, and very precise. I love the addition of the extra programmable face buttons as well! The shoulders can be a little rattly on the Brick, but the Hammer mostly fixes that.

If I were to recommend a budget device, it would either be the Brick, or the next on the list, depending on use case.

2. Ayaneo Pocket Air Mini

Remember how I said I would love an upgraded Ayaneo Pocket Air? Well, the Pocket Air Mini is sort of that.

It has a (in my opinion, other reviewers frequently disagree) very pretty 4.2" 4:3 display, and enough power to play N64 and Dreamcast quite competently. It can also handle shaders for the PS1, Dreamcast, and all of the 2D systems that blow everything else at this price point out of the water.

The Pocket Air Mini also ranks as my most comfortable emulation device, the weight feeling incredibly balanced with the ergonomics. The buttons are all great, and it's a joy to use. Ayaneo truly hit it out of the park with this one.

If the supposed LCD ghosting (which I've never seen or noticed) isn't a problem for you, I would never recommend anything else in this price bracket (and you don't want a vertical).

1. Ayaneo Pocket S Mini

And, what is essentially a more powerful Pocket Air Mini (with admittedly worse ergonomics), the Pocket S Mini is by far my number one device.

I am in love with this thing, and I wanted to make sure the "new device honeymoon period" wore off before I reviewed it. The full review will be out in a couple of weeks, but it certainly places at the top of this list. I am a sucker for premium build quality, and the Pocket S Mini has to be the best feeling device I've ever held. If it had ergonomic bumps similar to the Pocket Air Mini, it would be perfect, and honestly it's close to perfection without it. Controversially, I love the glass on the front panel, and I think the metal edge feels incredible in my hands. The plastic on the back is matte, but soft, and feels great.

Every button on this device also feel incredible. The d-pad is my second favorite on any device, the face buttons all feel great to press, the bumpers and triggers are perfect. The sticks are my biggest complaint, but they work well and this device at least has the power to use them effectively (Looking at you, Pocket Micro). It also has two extra programmable buttons on the top, and one on the side, which I use to great effect.

I've made the Pocket S Mini my device for everything from NES to PC emulation, except for Gameboy and Gameboy Color, those still go to the one true queen, the Analogue Pocket.

Outro

Thank you so much for reading my silly little emulation device round up, I have really owned too many of these. Emory and Glen have articles coming out today as well, so please take a look at their lists!

Over in the Discord we have a lovely community, and I would appreciate having you there as well. Things get a bit unhinged at times, but it's all for the best.

My Patreon is optional, paid members get one exclusive article per month, as well as Discord roles and some hidden channel access, but the support I get is incredible.

Many people love the NES and its library. Unfortunately, I've never been a big fan. However, this month's Lunar League game, Little Samson, may have made me appreciate the console a bit more! Today we'll talk about that, and also hear what our league member friends have to say about the cult classic: Little Samson.

My Thoughts

What is Little Samson?

Released in 1992 in Japan and the US (and 1993 in Europe), Little Samson is a platformer in the vein of MegaMan. The studio Takeru's previous game Cocoron was worked on by MegaMan designed Akira Kitamura, however Little Samson itself doesn't seem to have any direct ties to Kitamura. Regardless, the similarities to MegaMan are apparent. Particularly to the life bar, and the death animation, which feel like they are lifted straight out of MegaMan.

At the start of Little Samson you play through 4 tutorial levels, each one teaching you the mechanics for one of the four characters. Samson (referred to as Lickle in game for some reason, but is Samson in the manual), Kikira the Dragon Lord, Gamm the Rock Lord, and K.O. the Mouse Lord. They each own a legendary bell or some such that allows them to help save the kingdom. After the four tutorial levels, Samson has to face against Kikira for dominance (I think?). The game is fairly plot-light, and while the manual explains a lot more, I'm not here to rephrase the manual. After this you proceed into stages, where you are able to switch between all four characters at will.

The Gameplay

Each character performs a unique role through the course of the levels. You've got Samson, a young boy who can climb walls and ceilings, and throw balls (rocks?) at enemies. Kikira is a dragon who can hover, and has a 3 tiered charge shot (similar to, you guessed it, MegaMan). Gamm, the golem, is incredibly slow and bad at jumping, but has a lot of health and has a powerful attack. K.O. is a little mouse, who can also climb walls and ceilings, but has very little health and an awfully weak bomb attack. The platforming sections and bosses can be fairly difficult, but are made substantially easier by paying attention to which character you are trying to use.

The levels all have sections which favor some characters over others, and if any of them die, you restart the level. You can also collect potions for each character (which you can use from the character select screen) that refill each life bar, and you collect powerups to increase the size of their life bars.

The boss fights are genuinely challenging, and you'll want to fight most of them with Kikira or Samson, to be able to have the most maneuverability, and deal the most damage. The bosses have patterns that you need to learn or you will not survive, you cannot take many hits at all. I would say they are more difficult than most of the MegaMan bosses.

The stages are all visually distinct, some with very trippy aesthetics and enemies. Overall the level design feels good, if not a little unfair at times, until you figure out which character to use. Unfortunately I spent too long trying to push the square peg into the round hole.

The Visuals

I have to lead with the fact that Little Samson may be the best looking NES game I've ever played. The colors are bright, the levels are detailed, and the sprites are all excellent. The overworld map is more detailed than I expected to be possible! You could convince me this was an early SNES title and I would believe you (maybe).

There were a couple of levels I thought were particularly arresting. As an example; this ice castle. The animations of the enemies calling lightning down from the sky are great! The effect of the lightning as it crashes genuinely surprised me.

The Audio

The game primarily features four primary musical tracks, and they're all okay. Repetitive and weirdly short, the best thing I can say is that they are catchy. The boss music has a bit more going on, but overall still pretty mediocre.

The League's Thoughts

Overall I liked Little Samson quite a bit. It's a game that I would've scrolled past on a list without blinking, but it definitely holds up. Definitely ranking near the top of my NES games list (which isn't very long but, hey, I did enjoy it a lot). I'm not alone though, here's what our League Members over on the Discord (free to join and participate, by the way) have to say!

Emory was the lucky duck whose game was chosen by the wheel for June, and he says:

Little Samson is proof that the NES was an absolute power house for its time. Wonderful pixel art, catchy music, and most importantly tight controls. The character selection is a bit clunky but if that’s the only fault I can find in a game then I’m perfectly fine giving it a 10/10

I'm glad Emory loved the game he put on the wheel!

You should read Glen's full review on his Substack, but he has provided a short response for our article here:

Stunningly pretty, and pretty challenging. Cartoony and fun. Music is eh. Little Samson is a top ten NES game for me now, but still not worth $20k NIB.

I forgot to mention earlier in this review, due to the late nature of Little Samson's release, and poor sales, it has become an expensive cult classic, Glen was not joking about that price!

Lomion had this to say:

Little Samson is finally complete. Nostalgic action platformer gameplay, with the unique twist of having four different characters to choose different routes or solve puzzles in different ways. Loved the use of color throughout the game. My only criticism is that I felt lost through most of the game. I could never tell who could use the health increases or not and end up wasting several of them and I really had no frame of reference to where I was progress wise right until I hit the very end and it became obvious. 8/10

I do think the health increases were a fairly confusing mechanic

The Lord of Crumbs weighed in on Little Samson too:

Beautiful backgrounds, funky boss designs, clever (if a little clunky) mechanics and platforming. Read the manual and spend a few hours enjoying a pretty old game that is both pretty and old!

Funky is a great word for Little Samson, and reading the manual is definitely required.

Brend chimed in with:

A platformer with excellent variety in character design and gameplay! This NES game has no right having animations this good, and I wish it was at least twice as long as it is. 🩵

The animations are seriously good!

Finally, Mel B said:

I enjoyed Little Samson! A vibrant, fun, short platformer. I’m so glad that I gave it a shot!

I think her sentiment is shared by us all, and a great way to wrap up this discussion.

Outro

So, what did you think of Little Samson? Have you played it? Did this article spark a desire to play it within you? You should let me know! Also, you should join the Discord to chat about it, and it's certainly not too late to hop into July's Lunar League games: MegaMan X for the SNES, and Shadow Hearts for the Playstation 2! If you participate, your quote will be included in next month's article, you don't even need to finish the game!

Patreon members get extra roles on the Discord, and at Astronaut tier or higher get to join a hidden chat; where you get to say mean things to me in a place where most people won't see. All of that said, thank you very much for reading, I am so happy that I get to write silly little words about video games, and people actually read them. I love you all!

Friends, gamers, countrymen, we're here for Episode IV of my top 100 games of all time! This is the first episode releasing exclusively on Tuhat, and I appreciate y'all following me here! Go take a look at Emory and Glen's articles going live on Substack right now as well!

The Games

70. Gone Home

This title's popularity was oddly contentious, because people want to shout that it's not a "real game" because you play as a woman, and there's no violence? Gamers are an odd bunch.

In Gone Home, you play as Katie, who has is returning to her family home after a stint abroad. She finds the home empty, and searches the home for clues as to why nobody is there. The gameplay consists of searching around the house finding assorted notes containing pieces of the story which led to Katie's family being gone.

The story you piece together is excellent, and more of the house opens up to explore as you find parts of the lore. There is a point where the story is mostly told, but when you play Gone Home, I encourage you to find the whole story, it is worth it!

69. Monster Hunter World

Monster Hunter World is the peak of the Monster Hunter series for me. All of the games preceding it were fun, as were the games following it, but World is the one that captured my heart.

Hunting monsters as never felt so good, and you create a character to explore the "New World," which is unfortunately written with an incredibly colonial mindset. There are people already living there. But, as this expeditionary hunter, you get to choose a weapon and start learning how to use it against monsters. The learning curve of Monster Hunter is steep, but once you bond with a weapon it begins to feel like second nature.

Monster Hunter World has a huge emphasis on online multiplayer, so I'd get some friends together and go for some hunts, it is an incredibly fun time.

68. SUPERHOT

Part first person shooter, part puzzle game, SUPERHOT is something unique. Time only moves when you do, allowing you to plan your attacks, and watch as bullets fly in slow motion. The VR version feels especially incredible, but does not have the breadth of the PC release.

It's hard to say much more about SUPERHOT without spoiling the story, which is exceptional albeit sparse, but it left me wanting more. Mind Control Delete is a fun roguelite follow up, but it does not compare to the original. Play SUPERHOT! It's short and cheap and an incredible work of art.

67. Mirror's Edge

Speaking of unique first person games, Mirror's Edge is a gorgeous game about parkour, family, and the criminal underworld.

The point of view character, Faith, is a part of an underground group called "runners" who are parkour specialists. In a "post crime" society, everything is a stark white. Objects highlight in bright colors when they can be interacted with, which adds a great contrast to the world.

An interesting story and great parkour mechanics make Mirror's Edge a great experience, worth playing. It only takes a few hours, but they're great hours. Except for the shooting sections, they certainly knocked the game a few pegs down on my list. Skip the sequel/reboot though...

66. Warcraft III

My introduction to the iconic world of Azeroth, Warcraft III is the only strategy game that you will find on my list. A fantastic and tragic story, especially when you add the Frozen Throne expansion, it compelled me to play a genre that I otherwise would not consider.

A real time strategy game that focuses on a smaller number of units, lead by a series of different "Hero Characters" it just felt easier for me to understand than any other strategy game I've ever tried. In the campaign, it plays more like a top-down RPG with base building, than something like Starcraft.

The RTS multiplayer never appealed to me, but the modding scene and custom games kept me playing for hours. DotA was a big one, I spent many hours playing that with friends. The "Reforged" remake didn't land properly, but it's still an incredible game worth playing! Especially if you're a World of Warcraft fan.

65. Resident Evil 4

Leon Kennedy's second game, but by far his most popular one, Resident Evil 4 just got everything right. I'll confess though, I enjoyed the Wii version the most. Something about pointing guns as Leon just felt right.

He has been tasked with finding Ashley Graham, the U.S. President's daughter, who has been abducted by the Ganados cult in a fictional region of Spain called Valdelobos. You quickly run into the cultists, and horror ensues. Leon starts shooting them in the head, but they sure don't stay down. Turns out being infected with a parasite makes you a bit tough to kill.

I haven't played the remake yet, but it is fairly high on my list. I had a playthrough of the VR version right before the remake came out. It wasn't my favorite way to play, but I enjoyed it a lot. If I were to play it for the first time today, I would probably play the remake, Ashley's AI has reportedly been significantly improved.

64. Limbo

Another indie darling, Limbo is haunting and beautiful. I've played through it at least 4 times over the years since its release (it's not particularly long).

A side scrolling horror themed puzzle-platformer, you take the role of a small boy, seemingly lost in the woods. The puzzles start fairly simple, and get significantly more devious in the second half of the game. The atmosphere really carries the game, though, as you really do feel the sense of melancholy and "Limbo" come through.

I don't want to spoil the game, as the atmosphere and story are the main selling points, but I will say that it was one of the most popular Xbox Live Arcade games for a reason.

63. Assassin's Creed II

People will be mad Assassin's Creed made it so high on this list, and they'll be even angrier that there's another one even higher up.

Assassin's Creed revolves around the idea that people can access their latent "genetic memory" and embody their ancestors in some form of virtual reality. The first 5 games in the series have you playing as Desmond, playing the role of all sorts of different ancestors. II is the first of three games in the "Ezio Saga" where you play as the initially lecherous yet charming Ezio.

Ezio travels around renaissance Italy, making friends (and enemies) with some of the era's most famous celebrities (Leonardo DaVinci is like, his BFF). Oh, and you kill people, and jump into haystacks.

I think Assassin's Creed II holds up today, but I understand that the Ubisoft Open World formula has been done to death. And if you were only going to play one Assassin's Creed game, I'd save it for the next one on this list. Anyone want to guess in the Discord? (hyperlink)

62. Vampire Survivors

My wife says Vampire Survivors is the best game in this set of 10, and while I love the next game, she may be objectively correct.

Vampire Survivors defined a new roguelite genre, you play as a variety of (clearly Castlevania inspired) characters, with all kinds of weapons and abilities (also clearly Castlevania inspired), and you attack automatically as you walk around. As you kill enemies you get experience, and unlock more weapons or abilities, or level up the ones you already have. It sounds simple, but it ramps up quickly, and is truly addicting.

This game launched a million clones, but the OG is still the one I would recommend most. But who am I kidding? You've definitely already played this one.

61. Bayonetta

I'm a big fan of the character action genre, and Bayonetta is something special. Stylish action has never looked this good.

Created by Hideki Kamiya, one of the creators of Devil May Cry, Bayonetta stars a tall witch, who is all legs, and has horrifying magical hair based powers. Her outfit? Hair. Her powers? Hair. And she kicks the heck out of demons and angels with these powers. The story is surprisingly compelling, and Bayonetta is genuinely one of the most fun games I've ever played. Getting a new weapon to mix and match around is fun every time.

If you're a Devil May Cry fan who has never tried Bayonetta, you owe it to yourself to try.

Outro

Another week down, I think we're getting into an excellent flow! It's a holiday weekend, so I appreciate you finding time to read this nonsense.

Over on the Lunar's Landing Discord, we're having a lot of fun chatting, as well as we've just started July's Lunar League games! Please join us in playing MegaMan X and Shadow Hearts for July!

As always, thank you for reading, if you want to support me I have a Patreon! All Patreon members get one exclusive article per month, and higher tiers come with a few other perks. But honestly, the biggest perk in my mind is just helping to support me, and I love you all for even considering it.

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is a game that is special to me, hell, it made it to my top 100 games of all time! I decided I wanted to play the rest of the series, but in chronological release order. Between Klonoa: Door to Phantomile on the Playstation 1, and Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil on the Playstation 2, sits Klonoa: Empire of Dreams.

What in the Hell Is a Klonoa?

Klonoa is the name of a non-specific anthropomorphic mammal, who can jump and hover. With the power of his "Wind Ring" which shoots "Wind Bullets" he can grab enemies and blocks. While holding an enemy or block, he can double jump by throwing them beneath him.

Along with Klonoa, you get Huepow, the being inhabiting and powering the Wing Ring. If you've played Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, this makes no sense, but hey, it's a spin-off, I guess it doesn't need to make sense.

Where in the Hell Is a Klonoa?

Klonoa: Empire of Dreams takes places, well, in the Empire of Dreams. Who would've guessed? At the opening of the game, Klonoa and Huepow awaken in this land for the first time, and are captured by the Emperor, Julius. Julius tells them that they will be executed, unless of course they can defeat the four nightmare monsters (our bosses at the end of each world.). In this land dreams are illegal, and Klonoa and Huepow were dreaming!

The plot is simple in premise, and also simple in execution, but I'm happy with how it worked out. I don't need a puzzle platformer to have a complex and deep plot. However, I am sad that the plot doesn't address the ending of the first game. And I am not sure that Klonoa: Empire of Dreams2 will address an of them either!

What in the Hell Do I Like About Klonoa: Empire of Dreams?

Klonoa: Empire of Dreams switches up the gameplay, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile often feels like a platformer with some puzzle elements, but Klonoa: Empire of Dreams is a puzzle game first, and a platformer second. This is a great change of pace for the portable spin-off, as you can do a level or two and then put the game down, quick and easy. Well, they start easy.

I am fairly bad at puzzle games, and when I say "fairly", I really mean "notoriously." Long time readers may remember that Wario Land 3 almost drove me insane. I can say, thankfully, that Klonoa didn't drive me insane, I had a very pleasant time with the puzzle difficulty! I can also say that I did not look up a single puzzle solution, something that is very rare for me. Now, the puzzles do get hard, and some of the platforming timing gets… trying, to say the least.

However, the puzzle levels in each world are broken up a bit! Each world contains an optional hoverboarding level, in addition to an optional auto-scrolling level. These were some of the highlights for me, really emphasizing the platforming nature of this game, more so than the puzzle nature of the game.

Looking at the game's visuals independently, I believe that Klonoa: Empire of Dreams ranks among the best games on the GBA. Gorgeous spritework, excellent backgrounds, cute animations. The music was fitting enough while playing, but nothing that stuck out to me to re-listen to after the fact.

What in the Hell Don't I Like About Klonoa: Empire of Dreams?

Honestly, not much! I really enjoyed this game. It's not perfect though. For one, the boss fights can feel a bit annoying, with the "Mode 7" attacks that come from the background. Second, while the puzzle difficulty wasn't too much for me in the main game, the post-game level EX2 absolutely broke me.

Outside of the minor mechanical complaints, I am genuinely upset that Klonoa: Empire of Dreams doesn't address the prior game in the series at all. I understand "it's all a dream" but it's frustrating to me!

Outro

Overall I truly enjoyed my time with Klonoa: Empire of Dreams, and I am excited to move onto Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil in a couple of months!

Thank you all for your support and for finding me over here on Tuhat. I am so glad that I was able to move away from Substack and still retain your readership. If you desire supporting me financially, please check out my Patreon, and if you want to chat with me and this wonderful community, take a look at my Discord!

My Current Library

Hollow Knight

While I haven’t finished Silksong yet (so far it is excellent, and a good deal at $15.99), the original Hollow Knight, at $7.50, is in my top 10 games and is the pinnacle of the “Metroidvania” genre in my eyes. I’ve been a fan of the ambiance and quiet exploration, since the game released, and the weighty platforming paired with the challenging combat really shines. Plus you get to be a cute little guy who fights bugs. The soundtrack is incredible for another $5, I have it on my iPod. (I’m listening to it as I write this post, actually)

Terraria

Another game I bought on day one and can always recommend on a sale, is Terraria. It has brought me immense joy over the years, playing both single player and online with friends. Often derided as a 2D Minecraft clone, it is truly another “Metroidvania” with digging, building, and crafting as featured elements. The worlds you create have such depth, and a wide variety of aesthetics and content, all for $5. I’m a sucker for the pixel art.

Coffee Talk & Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly

First, these games have an incredible soundtrack on these games, so keep that in mind. I’m a big Coffee Talk fan, as long time readers will know. Great visual novel type games, with a fun drink making minigame to break things up. The story and atmosphere are to die for! The combo pack is $13.98 right now, and I definitely would recommend you get both for the full experience. Plus the third game, Coffee Talk Tokyo, will be out in a couple of months!

Chained Echoes

I haven’t finished Chained Echoes, but it is one of the first games I bought after owning my Steam Deck, and I really should get back to it. $10 gets you one of the best modern turn based RPG experiences, and it shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s great looking, has a very fun gameplay loop without grinding, and I truly recommend it.

Donut County

I’ve played Donut County 4 times, on 4 separate platforms, and it never gets old. For $3.89 I’d be kind of offended if you didn’t buy it. I mean, just look at it, it’s cute, and you get to play Katamari with a hole. It’s so charming, and tells a compelling story with its brisk runtime.

I could recommend dozens more games, but for now I think these indies are excellent pick ups for the Deck, or Steam in general, if you don’t already own them.

New Games for the Backlog

Let’s have a short rundown of the games I bought. As a disclaimer, I haven’t played any of these much yet, if at all.

Persona 3 Reload

I’ve been waffling on getting back into Persona recently, and after trying Persona 3 Portable, and Persona 4 Golden on my Vita, I decided to sink my teeth into the new version on Deck.

Wytchwood

It looks cute, and cozy, and I really wanted it. I feel like it has been on my wishlist forever.

Gravity Circuit

I’ve been a lifelong fan of Megaman X, and this seemed to be a great addition to that genre.

Frogsong

Again, cute. I love frogs, I haven’t even tested if it runs on Deck, it is not verified. But it was too cute for me to pass up.

Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Chill and Match-3 To

I’ve wanted a chill Match-3 game on my Deck for a while, and this one looked perfectly suited to me. I love the aesthetic, and I love Lofi Hiphop.

Guild Wars: Reforged

I’ve been missing the world of Guild Wars, but don’t have the desire to jump back in to another MMO right now, with World of Warcraft: Midnight being so enjoyable. I’ve never played the original Guild Wars, so this seemed like a nice game to check out on Deck to scratch that itch.

(Editing note: Due to an issue with accounts, I had to refund Guild Wars: Reforged)

Shadow of the Depth

A friend recommended this one to me, and I made a blind purchase. It looks cool though, I think I’ll enjoy it.

Cult of the Lamb

My wife has been loving this one on Apple Arcade, and I thought it looked cute. It’s been on my wishlist forever. I picked it up in the dual pack with the expansion!

UFO 50

UFO 50 looks like a fun experiment of a game (games?) and I think it’ll be nice to unwind with on late nights.

And that’s it! Thank you for putting up with such a long post, I hope this helps shed some light on the games I enjoy, and I truly hope you take some of my recommendations into account!

Top lists are fun (and great for engagement), so when Emory mentioned writing his top 100 games in this format, I tagged Glen so we could all jump in! That means, after you read mine, you really should go and read theirs too, I am sure we do not align on games.

I will preface this with the fact that I made this list in a pretty mundane fashion, and positions could be malleable depending on the day.

With that being said, let’s get into my top 100 games!

The Games

100. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2

Starting at #100, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 barely squeaked its way into my list. I played far too much of this, as it was one of the only single-player friendly Dragon Ball games that actually felt fun. Creating my own characters was super cool, and the progression was really interesting as a Dragon Ball fan.

The game has you taking the role in the “Time Patrol” where you have to intercede on Dragon Ball Z’s canon events and prevent them from being sullied by other time traveling ne’er-do-wells. It’s a lame excuse to let you play through the series’ highlights, but it is a blast nonetheless. My OC beating up Frieza with Goku because some time traveling idiot powered up Frieza 10x? 10/10, no notes. Or, #100 on my top 100 games.

99. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

I will hold true to my belief that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is the best action-oriented Star Wars game ever released. They got the power fantasy of being a dark Jedi on lock, you feel incredibly powerful against regular enemies, but can still find a challenge against bosses and the like.

The opening sequence is iconic, because you don’t start off as Starkiller. You begin the game as Darth Vader, massacring Wookies on Kashyyyk, until you find the Jedi you are hunting down. But, spoilers, he is protecting an incredibly force sensitive child, who Vader kidnaps. I don’t want to spoil any more of the story, but it is something to behold, you play as Starkiller (the child from before) who has become Vader’s apprentice, kept secret from the Emperor. I wish that Disney left this canon, as Starkiller is one of the most interesting characters in the franchise, and an incredibly powerful force user in his own right.

98. Chivalry 2

I don’t think many competitive multiplayer games made it into my top 100, but Chivalry 2 managed it.

Honestly I don’t have too much to say about this game, other than the fact that running around chopping heads off of people with a giant sword is a lot of fun. The game looks great, and was an excellent evolution from Chivalry: Medieval Warfare. It has its share of problems though, that prevent it from being higher on this list.

Like most multiplayer games, hit detection delays due to ping are an issue, but because of the up-close and personal nature of Chivalry 2, it feels significantly more frustrating. You’ll find yourself missing a perfectly times parry or strike, simply due to a minor amount of network delay. The game also has some issues with cheating online, and poor matchmaking.

Outside of those issues, Chivalry 2 is a fun, dumb time, with a lot of progression options to keep you coming back.

97. Alan Wake

I am surprised Alan Wake didn’t make it higher onto the list, but I suppose this list is fairly stacked. Alan Wake is a mediocre third person shooter, with a few ambitious mechanics, and an incredible story tying it all together.

You play as the titular Alan Wake, a famous horror author, and you are on a trip with your wife to a remote town in the Pacific Northwest, inspired heavily by Twin Peaks, where Alan intends to get out of his writer’s block. Unfortunately, his wife is abducted, and it is your job to get her back. The story goes all kinds of places, and I recommend watching a YouTube video about it if you have no intention of playing the game yourself. It ties in incredibly to Control, one of Remedy’s other games.

Mechanically, Alan Wake has you exploring levels with fairly narrow corridors, shooting enemies that can only be hurt if they are in the light, and surprise surprise, the game takes at night or in the dark. The flare gun is fun and satisfying to use, but the shooting overall doesn’t feel great.

Alan Wake’s American Nightmare is a “standalone” game, which is a direct sequel, and I am sort of lumping into this entry. It is very important to the story of Control and Alan Wake II, so I would recommend playing it.

Alan Wake II has unfortunately sat on my shelf for a long while, I hope to get to it soon.

96. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

Morrowind is not the only Elder Scrolls game on the list, but it certainly deserves a spot. Foundational to what Bethesda’s formula would become, it is only held back by combat that seems like it should be physics based, but unfortunately relies on hidden dice rolls.

These issues are fixed by mods, and if I were including this game with mods it would be significantly higher on the list. However, I am not, so here it sits at #96.

Now, Morrowind’s world, atmosphere, and story are incredible. It is the Elder Scrolls game that gives the player the most freedom to change the story and the world. It takes place on Vvardenfell, an island inside of the country of Morrowind, and it gets into the lore of the gods of the Dunmer, their society, and interactions with other races from across Tamriel.

If you haven’t played Morrowind but you’ve enjoyed Oblivion or Skyrim, you’re missing out. Just, maybe add some mods to smooth things out a bit.

95. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Some would say that placing this above the prior games on the list is a sin, and to that I say, call me a sinner because Lego Star Wars is sick as hell. I love Star Wars, and being able to play through the original and prequel trilogies is a great experience.

One of the things I prefer about this era of Lego games is that they do not rely on voice acted cut-scenes, instead the characters mime everything out. I think the later Lego games feel significantly less charming due to the existence of voice acting.

Free Play is where the game really shines, exploring levels with a plethora of different Star Wars characters, and using their unique abilities to find collectables. Add in full co-op support, and you get to have an incredible time. Did you ever want to fight Darth Maul as Darth Vader? Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga lets you do just that.

94. Persona 3: Portable

A lot of people will say that your first game in a franchise is usually your favorite, and this holds true for Persona 3: Portable. Although it is the only Persona game I’ve ever finished, it managed to find its way into my list.

One of the reasons I feel like Persona 3 grabbed me when others didn’t, was the time period I was playing in. I was a suicidal edgy high schooler, and I got to play as an edgy, yet sociable, high school student who got to fight monsters in their spare time.

Mechanically I found Persona 3 to be fairly difficult, however I didn’t let that stop me. I’ve always been bad at monster fusion, and unfortunately that is the main key to success in Persona.

Musically Persona 3 stands out, I still get tracks from it stuck in my head. What I’ve heard of the soundtrack from Reload is also excellent. I’m still upset Reload didn’t include the female main character from Persona 3 Portable, but I would recommend it over Portable if it is your first time playing, especially if you’re coming to it after Persona 5.

93. Darksiders

I love this era of Character Action games, and Darksiders is no exception. A goofy story about the Apocalypse has you playing as War, of the four horsemen, as you try to track down the villain who started Apocalypse ahead of schedule. I’m not a Christian, so I do not know how biblically accurate this is, but I assume the bible did not include throwing cars at angels.

A lot of the action in Darksiders is over the top, very much wanting to be Devil May Cry. I saw a lot of comparisons to God of War upon release, but it has never felt much like God of War to me. The puzzles are very reminiscent of Zelda, but turned down to the lowest difficulty.

Darksiders isn’t a perfect game, but I like it significantly more than it’s sequel, and would definitely recommend playing the “Warmastered Edition” if you were to pick it up.

92. Hotline Miami

Wow, what to say about Hotline Miami? An absolute hair puller, it is both tense and incredibly cathartic once you figure it out. You play as a masked hitman, entering buildings to slaughter everyone inside. The kicker is: everyone, including you, dies in one hit. One bullet, one swing of the crowbar, or one knife to the face. While it may look like an action game, Hotline Miami is very much a fast paced puzzler, don’t let it deceive you.

While the gameplay is fun, Hotline Miami really makes this list due to its unique music and aesthetic. I owned the soundtrack on Google Play Music (rest in peace sweet prince), and it is full of synth electronic bangers. They hype you up during the levels, and really add to the game’s frenetic vibe.

Visually, it’s a fever dream. The grotesque horror of human slaughter is framed in an almost psychadelic fashion, so intriguing while also disgusting.

I wouldn’t recommend Hotline Miami 2, as it felt worse to me in every way, but if you haven’t played Hotline Miami, I think it is worth trying.

91. Castle Crashers

One of the first Xbox Live Arcade games I sunk my life into, Castle Crashers is full of “flash game charm” from The Behemoth, at this time of Alien Hominid fame.

A 2-D side scrolling beat-em-up at its core, it contains plenty of RPG elements and dozens of characters to unlock with varying magical abilities. I have such a soft spot in my heart for Castle Crashers. I spent dozens if not hundreds of hours re-playing the game with new characters, with friends on Xbox Live.

The humor probably hasn’t aged will, filled with dated internet references and “potty jokes” but honestly I don’t care. I love Castle Crashers, and always will. And I think you would too.

I’ll leave this brief as we have 90 more games to cover next week, so check back in for Episode II, one week from today. Thank you to all of my friends for reading, and I am excited to see how and handle their first 10 games!

If you like my work, please consider joining my Discord to have a chat! Emory and Glen are in there too!

Discord

You all know the drill by now! If you don’t, read Episode I here before jumping into the sequel. Or don’t, I’m not your mom.

The Games

90. Slay The Spire

This game kicked off my love of “Deckbuilding Roguelites”, and for that it will always have a special place in my heart.

You pick one of three (or four now?) classes and get a standard deck for that class. You proceed up the titular Spire, and through battles and random events, build your deck and passive trinkets, in order to try to climb to the top.

The game gets deeper every run you succeed, and I had plenty of fun in Early Access with this game. Unfortunately, I’ve never played much of the full release. I am waiting for Slay The Spire 2’s full release to dive into that one, so I do not make the same mistake.

89. Fable

As a kid I didn’t get to hear any of Peter Molyneux’s infamous false-promises, and when I was gifted Fable for Christmas 2004, I fell in love.

The breadth of the world of Fable was awe inspiring, the world reacted to my choices in a way that I had never experienced prior. NPCs would comment on my (mis)deeds as I walked by, I could flirt with and marry any citizens, I had the ability to choose the outcome of peoples’ fates by taking different quests! My character growing or shrinking based on my stat distribution and how healthy he ate was novel in retrospect, but I was astonished that my character got fat.

You play as a Hero, starting as a child and growing while you learn the ways of Heroism from the Hero’s guild. Being a Hero doesn’t solely mean being good, however. Many of the Heroes introduced in the game are morally evil. The RPG elements were genuinely fun, although there was no true way to specialize, by the end you were a master of all.

I know Fable was sold on a pile of lies, but I still loved the hell out of it. I am excited for the new game, which was recently revealed to be releasing in February of 2027. But, as you’ll see further down the list, I did enjoy another Fable game more.

88. Devil May Cry 3

One of the defining games of the character action genre, Devil May Cry 3 perfected the combat formula that Devil May Cry introduced, and Devil May Cry 2 failed at. We don’t talk about DMC 2, it’s just not a good game.

In this prequel, you play as Dante, son of the Demon Lord Sparda. He runs a demon slaying, bounty hunting shop, which would eventually become known as Devil May Cry (and eventually Devil Never Cry but god what a piss-poor rebrand). After his shop gets attacked, he travels to a tower which contains the sealed portal to the Demon World, and has to try to stop his brother Vergil (one of the coolest characters in fiction) from re-opening it and unleashing havoc upon the world.

An excellent story, with incredibly stylish and fun gameplay, I would whole-heartedly recommend Devil May Cry 3 to anyone interested in the series or genre.

87. Path of Exile

You won’t find any Diablo games on this list, however I’ve had a long-standing love for Path of Exile despite never really enjoying Diablo.

The systems in POE feel unique, starting with the currency system. POE lacks a standard currency system like gold, and instead opts for an ever-more convoluted series of consumable items. The economy is balanced around the desire to use them to augment your equipment, and the ability to trade them to NPCs or other players for different goodies.

This economy is an incredible part of the magic, simulating a barter economy. You can’t throw exorbitant amount of money at something, you need to find the materials that other people want, or the equipment that other people want, and make trades.

The gameplay is also fairly unique. Path of Exile has a sprawling skill tree for each of the seven classes, with further specializations within each one. This skill tree is generally passive, augmenting your stats and adding effects to your active skills. You gain active skills by socketing skill gems into pieces of equipment, that can have a number of slots, as well as linked slots that you can use to socket gems to augment your other active skills.

Path of Exile is a buffet of options, and finding and tuning a build you love playing is part of the joy. Almost every character can feel unique, and that is a massive selling point. I own Path of Exile 2, but have not comitted time to it yet, but I am excited to when I find the time.

86. Hearthstone

Another online competitve game has made the list, and Hearthstone is certainly special to me. Combining a franchise I love (Warcraft, as you will see later on this list) with a collectible card game really compelled me to try it.

The game started out fairly simply, and it was a very fun experience. You’d build your decks, play matches to level your classes and unlock cards, and do quests to gain gold to buy packs for even more cards. The dopamine rush in Hearthstone is real. The mechanics of the card game became more and more complex as years went on, and while it is still fun, it is a unrecognizable experience for players who tapped out early.

I don’t play Hearthstone anymore, and that’s not because I don’t love it, but because it is a gaping maw of time consumption. If I want to get anything done with my life, or play any other games, I need to ignore the existence of Hearthstone. Not to mention that as the years went by, the micro-transaction model for the game became far more hostile, and I am the sort of mark that falls for it, hook line and sinker.

I can’t recommend Hearthstone as anything more than a casual experience, and I lack the capability to keep it as a casual experience. But it is still one of my favorites despite our toxic relationship.

85. Journey

I can’t say too much about Journey, because it is all about the vibes. A multiplayer game that doesn’t even tell you that it’s multiplayer, you are traversing gorgeous stages, doing some light puzzle work, and finding out the story of the world you are inhabiting.

It’s a one-of-a-kind experience, and I can’t spoil it further. Everyone should play Journey at least once. Yes, that means you. Go play it, right now. I played it in one sitting.

84. Dead Space

Dead Space was the adrenaline shot in the arm that the survival horror genre needed in the late 2000’s, and what an incredible game it is.

You play as Isaac, an engineer aboard a deep space mining vessel. You arrive at a space station to find it abandoned, and filled with horrifying creatures, made from the twisted remains of the ship’s inhabitants, called Necromorphs. The gimmick is that unlike zombies, a la Resident Evil, you can’t kill them with headshots. Rather, you must use mining tools to rip their limbs apart.

The game is genuinely scary, and the 2023 remake does an incredible job.

83. Sonic Generations

It is a surprise to me that Sonic Generations made my list, because I am not a Sonic fan. I don’t particularly enjoy any of the other games in the franchise (Colors gets a nod on occasion) but something about Sonic Generations’ gameplay loop really appealed to me. Not to mention the fact that the soundtrack is an incredible list of Sonic’s best songs (and Sonic always has very good soundtracks, not even I can deny that) and you’ve got an experience that I somehow loved.

Sonic Generations has its problems, it is incredibly linear, many of the levels feel the same, and the boost mechanic in the Modern Sonic levels can be annoying sometimes. Not to mention the fact that the game decides to give Modern Sonic some side scrolling bits as well, which are infuriating.

As a non-Sonic fan (you could even call me a Sonic hater) Generations did something special, and I truly can’t put my finger on it.

82. Okami

Speaking of special games, Okami. What a visual delight. The atmosphere is top notch, and the story feels grand in a way that many others don’t. And don’t get me started on the hand-painted aesthetic.

Mechanically Okami is special because you have to draw in order to do special moves in combat, or solve puzzles in the open world. While this can get frustrating on a system that relies on the right thumb stick, it is such a fun experience to play on the Wii, where you are pointing at the screen to draw.

You play as the sun Amaterasu, embodying the form of a wolf, to help seal the evil Orochi. Amaterasu plays similarly to Wolf Link from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, except for the drawing mechanics.

A very excellent Zelda-like, it has enough flourishes that I think anyone who liked 3D Zelda games would love it.

81. Far Cry 3

Before Ubisoft repackaged the Far Cry formula to sell the same game year after year, Far Cry 3 felt like a fresh entry to the shooter genre. You play as Jason Brody, an annoying rich kid who is captured by criminals on the Pacific Rook islands, and you watch your military trained brother get killed in front of your eyes.

What set Far Cry 3 apart initially was its villain, Vaas. Vaas is cruel, and crazy, but in a way that makes your skin crawl because it is eerily realistic. After you free yourself from his clutches, you explore the Rook islands, taking down outposts, and gathering materials to improve your arsenal.

I know this formula is very overplayed now, but it was a ton of fun on release, and I wish Ubisoft hadn’t run it into the ground. If you aren’t turned off by the formula, I would definitely say you should see where it all started, Far Cry 3 is a master class in single player FPS design.

Also, shout out to the very linear, but very fun standalone expansion, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

Outro

Well, that’s it! Next Friday night you’ll get to find out what beat out all of these games for slots #80-71! I hope you all enjoy, or hate me for my opinions, whatever floats your boat.

Join my Discord to yell at me about my taste in games!

Discord

Another review unit was sent to me graciously by my dear friend and supporter Lomion, and for that I am very grateful. I wish I had better things to say about the Anbernic RG 477M, but unfortunately I did not vibe with the device. It came with GammaOS pre-installed, and the “Better Shoulders” mod as well.

I considered buying the 477M for myself, and long story short, I am glad I didn’t. I chose the Pocket S Mini instead, and while we await that review, let’s dive in to why the 477M just didn’t hit for me.

Are There Any Positives?

Yes, actually. The device feels premium, worthy of the minimum $250 price tag that it commands. The metal has a nice finish, and I do enjoy the bronze color. The d-pad and sticks feel excellent, and as this is a device that I would intend to play Gamecube, Playstation 2, and maybe some PC games on, that is far more important than the budget devices I have tested prior.

The other major positive is the screen, which I believe is the same as the screen on the RG 476H. 4.7 inches is very large, and at 4:3 retro games look stunning.

Power wise it is very capable of Playstation 2, handling demanding games such as Champions of Norrath and Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition Remix. PS2 games play very smoothly at a 2.5x internal resolution, on OpenGL, without many hacks or tweaks. GameCube was a breeze even at a 3x internal resolution, and anything older than that runs as well as you could expect for any device over $100.

And Now, Everything Else

To put it simply, it is far too heavy for me to use. I found my hands cramping after 4 or 5 minutes of playing a game, and after 15 minutes it became unbearable. The metal feels premium, but the weight and somewhat sharp edges really make it painful to use.

I have two complaints about the face buttons. First, aesthetically, I do not like that they put colors on the letters. This is something I could overcome, however there is a significantly more damning issue. They do not feel good to press, they have a surprisingly long travel, and are weirdly heavy to press. I found myself missing jumps in Super Mario World, just because I didn’t press down on the button hard or fast enough. Holding down Y to run also did not go well for me. The buttons were fatiguing for me to use, which is not an experience I’ve had on a handheld before.

The screen, while beautiful, is also just a bit too large for my purposes. The device is pocketable, barely, but I don’t find myself enjoying the screen as I can’t find a proper distance from my face to hold it. It is also fairly dim, I needed to play games at 80% brightness in a regularly lit room, which leads to the battery draining fairly quickly.

Speaking of battery drain, it has an awful time with it. It doesn’t get many hours of actual gaming in, and on sleep mode it loses roughly 15% every 24 hours. Most other Android devices I’ve tested do not lose more than 5% in 24 hours, and 5 % usually only happens while a game is paused while the device sleeps. The 477M manages 15% simply locked on ES-DE, no games running whatsoever.

The RG 477M also gets fairly hot fairly quickly, about 25 minutes of Playstation 2 (Devil May Cry 3) and it became uncomfortably warm. I don’t think I’m particularly sensitive to heat in these devices, but it was noticeable to me. It also gets hot to the touch while fast charging, even hotter than playing games.

Lastly, the GameNative/PC Emulation potential is low, simply due to the lack of driver support for the Dimensity 8300 chipset. Mali GPUs don’t handle things well, and the RG 477M is the rule, not an exception. I managed to get some games to run, like Slots & Daggers (which it did run surprisingly well, and at 4:3 to boot) but other games, like Cassette Beasts, simply would not boot at all, even with a few settings changes/tweaks.

Outro

Most of my complaints about this device are subjective, and I can recognize that. For people with hands and fingers a bit stronger and/or larger than mine, I am sure this is an excellent device (so long as you do not want to play PC games on it.).

I really wanted to like the RG 477M, but at the very least my choice not to purchase it has been vindicated.

If you’re the type who would like to chat with me directly about games and these sorts of devices, please feel free to join my Discord!

Discord

Honestly do I need to write another intro? We’re here for part 3 of my top 100 games list! Let’s get into it!

The Games

80. Left 4 Dead 2

This one is kind of cheating, as I am rolling the first Left 4 Dead game in. Left 4 Dead (2) is an incredible co-operative zombie experience, and it set the bar moving forward. I have never had as much fun playing a Zombie Shooter as I did playing through the campaigns of Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2.

You play as one of four survivors, the others controlled by players or bots, and your goal is to move from safe-house to safe-house across a few levels across one longer campaign. On the last level of this campaign, you are trying to escape with as many survivors as possible. The levels feature many guns, melee weapons, and grenades, which you use to mow down hordes of regular zombies. Don’t be caught off guard though, the special infected level the playing field, often with ways to incapacitate one of your survivors, requiring the cooperation of the others to survive. When a hunter jumps on you, you better hope your friends are nearby to get him off, or you are dead.

This gameplay formula is replicated across multiple campaigns in both games, with the survivors from each interacting at some points. Left 4 Dead 2 had the entire story from Left 4 Dead imported via DLC eventually, so Left 4 Dead 2 is the definitive version.

If you haven’t enjoyed a 4 player game of Left 4 Dead, get on it! It’s a great, if maybe a bit dated feeling, experience. The asymmetrical multiplayer never appealed to me much, but being able to play as a Hunter or a Smoker were still fun in their own rights.

79. Everquest 2

The world of Norrath will always be nostalgic to me, and the post-shattering world in Everquest 2 felt magical and bizarre in a way that entranced me as a kid.

Everquest 2 is a tab targeting combat MMO with a focus on group content, that had a very ahead-of-its-time combat system. This combat system involved chaining together attacks and abilities with your group in order to add special effects, buffs, or debuffs to the encounter.

The game also featured a robust class system, wherein you would pick a starting archetype, and as you level you would define who your character was. I loved this system, and I am sad it was removed.

The music, world, and atmosphere still hold up, but I cannot recommend Everquest 2 in its modern form, it is just too bloated with microtransactions and mediocre content that it isn’t anywhere close to the experience I spent thousands of hours on.

78. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

In my mind, The Binding of Isaac was part of the birth of indie darlings, along with games like Super Meat Boy and Braid. Rebirth turned the flash, keyboard only game, into a substantially deeper and more fun experience that could be played across many consoles including the New3DS (one of the only New3DS exclusives) and the Vita.

You play as Isaac, a young child who has been forced by his very religious mother into his basement, and inside you shoot your tears at all sorts of monsters. Flies, spiders, other children, etc. The game plays similarly to a twin stick shooter, but you progress your character in a rogue-lite fashion, collecting power-ups to make the run possible, but also unlocking more power-ups and variations for the future runs.

If you haven’t played The Binding of Isaac, I would say you should. The game is dark, has a great sense of humor, and is very capable of being an infinite experience if it sucks you in.

77. Warframe

Gosh, another MMO on this list already? I spent a lot of years loving Warframe, and I am surprised it made the list above Everquest 2, but when I loved Warframe it was an intense one.

You play as a Tenno, ostensibly a robot space ninja, running, jumping, shooting, and slicing your way through alienoid enemies across a variety of levels. The movement system is perfect, with jumping and gliding and crouch jumping just feeling fast and fun. It takes learning to get good at, but it is worth it. You unlock more weapons and modifications and Warframes with new abilities, and you get to explore the star chart and complete stories as you go.

The biggest reason why Warframe isn’t closer to the top of this list is simply that it has been several different games over the past decade and a half, all wearing the same trenchcoat. Originally more akin to Diablo, with lobby based missions and 4 player capacity, the game has grown to have huge open world spaces with dozens of players all running around and completing quests and missions. I didn’t really stick with the game at that point. I yearn for the days of lobby based enjoyment.

However, I would recommend Warframe if you have unlimited time, it is an excellent experience, just don’t expect to ever be able to complete everything. It is free to play, and relies on microtransactions, the same model as Guild Wars 2, and you are able to grind for the currency and trade items with other players to make purchases.

76. Halo 2

Halo 2 was my first introduction to online shooters, and boy it was a good one. The campaign was excellent, the multiplayer was something unbelievable to me on the Xbox, and Spartans are just cool, man.

The story follows Master Chief after the events of Halo 1, starting at Earth with a Covenant (a collective of alien races) invasion. You also get to play as the Sangheili (Elite) alien titled Arbiter, which was new for the series. The story shifts between the two of them as they try to unravel the Covenants plots to set off another Halo. Oh, Halos? They’re massive discs capable of destroying worlds when activated, but they’re also essentially ring shaped planets in their own rights.

The ability to dual-wield different types of guns added a lot of variety to the campaign and multiplayer, and the gun-play of Halo 2 is still regarded as top in its class.

Halo 2 is great, and the Master Chief Collection version is very accessible. I’d give the whole collection a shot, don’t skip Halo 1 (even though it didn’t make this list, sorry Combat Evolved fans)

75. Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition

I’ve never been a big racing game fan, but Midnight Club 3 enraptured me. Driving around the open-world to different races, in different classes of cars was great, but being able to roam and race online with strangers was a really wild experience.

I don’t have many ways to describe Midnight Club 3’s racing, I could call it “arcadey” but as someone who doesn’t play a lot of racers, that term is almost meaningless. Rockstar did an incredible job integrating the races into realistic cities, with traffic and environmental hazards. The police make their presence known as well, although they’re never as dogged as a Grand Theft Auto title. The characters you meet aren’t anything to write home about either. The story takes you to several different cities in order to race and advance further.

Where Midnight Club 3 really got me was the progression and car customization. Do you want nitrous oxide? How about glowing lights under your car? Sick paint jobs? It felt like the game could do it all.

Having replayed a bunch of this game fairly recently, I can confidently that that I would recommend it. It’s not my favorite racing game, but it does its job very well. The licensed soundtrack is pretty good too.

74. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile

I originally played the Wii remake of Klonoa, and didn’t enjoy it much. The game didn’t “click” for me like I had hoped. So, when I started playing the Playstation version a couple of years ago, I never expected to finish it.

Boy was I wrong, Klonoa’s aesthetic on the Playstation really caught me, and I found the original story and voice acting a lot more charming. You play as a nondescript anthropomorphic animal (a bunny mixed with a wolf mixed with a fox maybe?) named Klonoa, with his Wind Ring, containing the spirit Huepow. Klonoa can jump, do a little hover, but can’t really make most of the jumps. Rather than using your Wing Ring to fight enemies directly, the main gameplay loop involves using the Wind Ring to grab enemies, and throw them around, either at other enemies or to double jump. The game never gets too challenging, but it’s an interesting premise, and one that I really enjoyed.

The ending of the game is a huge tonal shift, and a gut punch, and really why the game has been cemented in my top 100. I would recommend trying the game, but if you don’t like the gameplay, watch the cutscenes on YouTube, I cried so hard at the end.

73. Balatro

Another game that I feel like everyone has played, and certainly a modern example of the indie darling, Balatro’s poker gameplay and aesthetic took the world by storm.

Balatro is a poker rogue-lite, where you score poker hands to earn score and progress through the game, including “boss fights” where you need to both meet a certain score, and have limitations placed on you while you’re “fighting” them. During the run you collect power-ups for your poker hands, sculpt your deck, and collect Jokers (a huge part of the game’s marketing and aesthetic) which effect your score in wild ways. Combinations of jokers can get very out of hand, which is sort of the goal.

In standard roguelite fashion, every run you complete gets you closer to unlocking more things for further runs, and Balatro has that Skinner Box nailed down to a T. You should definitely play Balatro, just be prepared to lose many hours to it, and not even realize it until you put your device down.

72. Dark Souls 3

My first Dark Souls game to show up on this list (and certainly not the last), Dark Souls 3 is often lamented as the “easy one” or the “normie one”. While it is my least favorite in the Dark Souls series, it is still one of my favorite games of all time.

Dark Souls 3 is a bit gentler at the beginning than the rest of the series, but the game ramps up heavily. You play as a the Ashen One, or the Unkindled, and your goal is to re-light the First Flame to continue the cycle of the world. In the world of Souls, time isn’t strictly linear, and the world of 3 specifically is a combination of things from the first two entries.

The gameplay is… well… a Souls game. A third person action RPG with punishing combat that requires patience to learn, and then even more to master. Dark Souls 3 is the most linear of the three games, with a singular main path with few branches to follow off of it. But this linear design has a couple of advantages, one being encounter design, and the other being a more linear difficulty curve. The game uses linearity to its advantage to ensure that the scaling is a bit smoother than the previous two games, leading a lot of people to think the game is strictly easier. “Dark Souls for Babies” is what I’ve seen the game mischaracterized as, and I hate that.

Not to rant about people who think that these games are all about being as difficult as possible, and purposefully handicapping their experiences (no summoning, etc) and pushing others to, but they fucking suck, and I don’t think they’re the best the Souls community has to offer.

Souls games are a community based experience, filled with in-game asychronous multiplayer elements, as well as co-op, and the intention is to share hints and tips with each other. People who act like everything needs to be solo, and you can’t learn about anything, and can’t look anything up, are the worst.

Anyway, I would recommend playing the Dark Souls games in release order, so I would start with 1, but this one is definitely worth not skipping.

71. Control

My second Remedy game on this list, Control fixes most of the issues I had with Alan Wake, including a great third person shooter experience, and a story that impresses me time and time again.

You play as Jesse Faden, who enters the Federal Bureau of Control, seeking her missing brother. Once inside she meets an eldritch entity, who names her the new director of the FBC. With her new, very alien, modular, ammo-less “service weapon” she must fight off The Hiss to save the survivors inside the building, and look for her brother.

Control is a 10/10 recommend if you enjoy games that have deep plots and interesting settings. It also feels like the “critical nexus” for the lore in Remedy’s connected universe of games

Outro

Thank you all for being interested in my favorite games, the competition is still so tight. They’re all incredible. I can’t wait for next week’s list. As always please check out Emory’s article, and Glen’s article, as they have released at the same time! See you next week.

Next week will be switching to Tuhat, so goodbye Substack! I hope you all will follow me there, or stay in touch with me on my Discord!

Discord

The Games

10. Pokemon Pinball

Leaving out Pokemon Pinball for the Gameboy Color (and the below Pokemon TCG) were concious decisions on my part. I already had too many Pokemon games on the list. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t give them at least some love.

Pokemon Pinball is a fairly straight-forward Pinball game, with two boards, one for Pokemon Red and one for Pokemon Blue. You use the paddles to hit a Pokeball and try to catch Pokemon! It is a lot of fun! The Pokemon Sprites and music are also excellent.

The other interesting fact about Pokemon Pinball is the rumble motor! If you add a AAA battery to the cartridge, it rumbles as you play. It feels surprisingly good, even to this day.

If you’re a fan of Pokemon, and a fan of Pinball, this one is a no-brainer.

9. Koudelka

I really love the theme and atmosphere of Koudelka, but it simply didn’t make the list because it is so damned slow. It is the only game I’ve ever emulated and played primarily on fast-forward, I hate playing games with fast-forward.

The world, story, interesting combat mechanics, and even the cheesy 90’s voice acting, all make the game worth playing, however I can’t recommend it often due to the abysmally slow pacing in the combat.

You play as Koudelka Issant, a psychic woman who is exploring a monastery in order to find and quell a spirit. You get two party members, Edward Plunkett - a burglar, and James O’Flaherty - a Catholic Bishop. You get to build these characters with different (unfortunately destructible) weapons, and fight spooky monsters in a turn based battle system, with a grid.

I love Koudelka, but I just can’t re-play it. I am excited to eventually get to the sequel, Shadow Hearts.

8. Trip World

A short but memorable Japan-only Gameboy platformer that I somehow forgot about entirely when making my list. I don’t know if it would’ve made the top 100, but I should’ve at least considered it.

You play as a small bunny-like creature, and your goal is to collect a flower to solve the world’s problems. The game mostly plays as a standard sidescrolling platformer, with one caveat, you can transform! One form you can take is almost bat-like, and you can glide, the other being a water transformation that allows you to swim around.

Sometimes you find power-ups for other transformations, and it helps the game to feel fresh and unique.

I’d love to own a physical copy of this one some day, but I doubt I will find one at a reasonable price!

7. Pokemon Trading Card Game

I played Pokemon Trading Card Game for the first time on my Analogue Pocket this year, and I fell in love. It handles the mechanics of the physical trading card game so well, although the UI is hard to take in at first.

You play as a new Pokemon card battler, and have to travel between the different type gyms to collect badges and eventually take on the league. Sounds familiar, right? The game involves a lot of battling certain trainers repeatedly to get cards you want for decks. But once you have a deck or two that you enjoy, the battles are quick and fun.

Big recommend to this game, even if you don’t have any knowledge of the physical card game, it does a great job with onboarding.

6. Everquest

Everquest didn’t make the list because I already have plenty of MMOs on it, and I have more nostalgia for Everquest 2 and World of Warcraft. However, I have a lot of fond memories of Everquest, and it deserves a shout.

Truly creating the MMO genre, Everquest is a piece of beauty. You select a race, class, and stats to a character (D&D style, in fact the game was almost D&D licensed) and explore the world of Norrath. Compared to modern MMOs, Everquest is incredibly free-form.

Iconic music, an interesting world to explore, but horribly difficult mechanics to parse as a modern MMO player.

Everquest Legends is releasing soon, which is a re-imagined take on Everquest, which is releasing with the base game, and a lot of quality of life features. I will be playing Everquest Legends, I hope we can meet up in game!

5. Tetris

Is there anything I can say about Tetris that hasn’t already been said? Everyone’s played it, most people love it, and because of that it slipped my mind to add to the list.

In Tetris you move falling “Tetrominoes” to fit together into lines, to clear. That’s it. It sounds simple, and it is, but it is quite hard to master. You are trying to last as long as possible, and get as high of a score as possible.

I would recommend Tetris, but let’s be honest, you’ve played it already.

4. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance

From the jump I can say that Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance should’ve made it onto my list, and I feel shame for leaving it off.

A Diablo-like, set in the world of Faerun, specifically the city of Baldur’s Gate (in chapter one anyway) you play as a Human Ranger, Dwarf Warrior, or Elf Sorceress, and descend into dungeons, initially to get revenge on a gang of thieves who attacked you when you arrived to the city. The plot goes much deeper, much like a D&D campaign.

This game originally released on consoles, however, and it translates the Diablo style gameplay into something a bit slower. As a huge bonus, it has couch co-op, which is excellent.

You should find a Playstation 2, and a copy of Dark Alliance, and have fun with a friend or significant other. It’s a blast.

3. Wetrix+

Wetrix+ for the Dreamcast sounds like a fever dream of a score-attack puzzler, and that’s because it is. It didn’t make my list, but I honestly can’t tell you why.

At the beginning you would assume the game is a 3D Tetris, placing falling blocks on a grid. However, you slowly realize that you are not clearing lines, in fact you are building terrain. As the game proceeds water will fill the board, and your goal is to contain as much of it as possible. You build terrain, make puddles/lakes, and try not to let it spill. Every few block are interrupted by meteors, however, which you place to destroy part of your terrain.

The stress of managing your ponds while also trying not to spill water when you destroy terrain makes the game frantic and unique. I would give it a few rounds, the mechanics are arcane at times, but my god does it feel FUCKING good to get into a flow-state once it all clicks.

2. Plants vs Zombies

Before EA decided to ruin the IP (and Popcap Games in general, RIP Peggle) Plants vs zombies was an innovative take on a tower defense game. It didn’t make the list purely due to EA’s fuckery, but I have a lot of fondness for the original release.

You play the game by clicking on falling suns to collect them, and spending those suns to plant… plants! Except these plants fight zombies! From the humble Peashooter, to the devastating Winter Melon, and the sacrificial Wall-nut, these plants all serve a unique purpose, and have charming personalities. You unlock more plants as you progress through the game, even getting unique plants for the different boards, Day, Night, Pool, etc.

If you haven’t played the original Plants vs Zombies, you absolutely should, just ignore the mess EA made of the IP after the original.

1. E.V.O. The Search for Eden

E.V.O. places you in the role of a creature, tasked with moving through time periods to ensure history happens properly by the deity Eden. She grants you the power to evolve into different creatures along the way to ensure you can keep up. It is a side-scrolling platformer, but the real charm is in the evolutions. Initially you are a fish, but as you eat food, you gain evolution points, and can really change it up! The first few stages are a bit limited, but eventually you get the chance to be dinosaurs, horses, birds, and even humans!

My last playthrough I comitted to staying a dinosaur until the end of the game, and it was fun (albeit a bit challenging, especially on the ice levels). I would recommend giving E.V.O. a shot, but be warned it can be fairly hard, and the platforming can be a bit… unforgiving at times.

Outro

Hi subscribers, this is my final Substack subscriber post! I am packing up and moving to a combination of Tuhat and Patreon. I will send you a message with that information when I am ready, but for now say goodbye Substack (aside from the article releasing Friday night)