Somersaulting through bite-sized puzzle rooms in search of Mini-Marios is even more of a treat than it was back on the GBA. While I’ll miss the dialogue that didn’t make it into the remake, I fully welcome the added stages and reworked music. I enjoyed my HD revisit of Mario vs. Donkey Kong quite a bit, even to the point of earning every Star in the game. While there’s not a lot here that will appeal to those who weren’t attracted by the original game, it’s still a solid remake that adds fun new stages and HD polish.
This is a gamer’s game, and I mean that in a literal sense. It shines with brilliant game design through and through and doesn’t manipulate the player’s dopamine through gotcha microtransaction mechanics. It’s a pure, raw, game experience that respects the player’s skill and time. I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed a game as much as Prince of Persia The Lost Crown in years. If you’re even remotely interested in platformers or Metroidvanias, you owe it to yourself to play this game.
I simply loved playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder and don’t think another game this year has made me smile as much as this one. It’s a delightful platformer that continues Mario’s 2D legacy into the future with fresh design concepts and gimmicks you wouldn’t have seen a mile away. Now that Super Mario Bros. Wonder has proved that the 2D Mario format still has fresh new tricks up its sleeve, I’d love to see how they iterate on it in their next games.