Best Levels in Gaming History - Volume 23

It's been over four years since we've last seen this special series of posts, so why don't we gently ease it back out of hibernation and its hiatus with an all-new entry? Best Levels in Gaming History certainly is a subjective list that holds some of the most enjoyable, entertaining, and exhilarating video game levels, areas, racetracks, and missions for me within gaming's illustrious history.

We've built quite the collection together of levels, and no doubt you may require a refresher or maybe you would like to fondly stroll down memory lane. Fortunately, you can easily do both with these following 22 (wow!) volumes:

Volume One
Volume Two
Volume Three
Volume Four
Volume Five
Volume Six
Volume Seven
Volume Eight
Volume Nine
Volume Ten
Volume Eleven
Volume Twelve
Volume Thirteen
Volume Fourteen
Volume Fifteen
Volume Sixteen
Volume Seventeen
Volume Eighteen
Volume Nineteen
Volume Twenty
Volume Twenty-One
Volume Twenty-Two

Now, let's begin Volume 23 of Best Levels in Gaming History!

Downsize Surprise - Astro Bot (PS5)

Let's begin with something big... or small... or both, really! Astro Bot was without question my favorite game of the ones I played in 2024, and it reminded me so much of Super Mario Galaxy in how the game constantly brought new, fresh mechanics and ideas into each level it presented players. Much like with Galaxy, it took lots of willpower to stop myself from playing marathon sessions in Astro Bot, as I wanted to play "just one more level" to see what wild and wacky concept Team Asobi would showcase for the next level.

So, we've settled on the fact that for me, Astro Bot is oozing with creativity in its levels, but what is one of the levels that best presents this? Well, me listing the level name above and spoiling that answer notwithstanding, one of the most impressive levels within Astro Bot's story comes within the second major cluster of levels.

Downsize Surprise is unassuming enough at first. Nothing really stands out apart from the massive building in front of Astro. It's only until our hero slams open a block of cheese that he finds himself seemingly stuck within a cage! Curses--a trap! However, a chest inside said cage reveals the solution and the main, crafty mechanic of this stage. Forming mouse ears from the special item in the chest, players can shift into tiny mouse size to pass through the bars of the cage. What is revealed, then, is that players are able to switch between small Astro and regular-size Astro at will. 

This, as you can imagine, opens up incredibly clever level mechanics and creates situations where Astro must switch sizes to pass certain platforming obstacles and challenges. A door to small for regular-sized Astro? Switch to teeny, tiny Astro! If it's a matter of not being able to reach a platform as small Astro, switch to his bigger self! 

The fact that all of this is done seamlessly without any discernible loading is just awe-inducing. How the level is built to take advantage of this mechanic and how said mechanic wouldn't really be possible without major sacrifices on lesser hardware than the PlayStation 5, really makes for an incredibly impressive technical feat of a level. And heck, it's also--like so many other levels in Astro Bot--just a dang pleasure to play through in general!

Piranha Plants on Parade - Super Mario Bros. Wonder (NSW)

I brought up Mario earlier, but rather than speak of the 3D games, we're delving into the most recent 2D entry of Mario, and the one that brought back some much-needed freshness to the franchise. Well, at least that of the 2D Mario games. 

The "Wonder" in Super Mario Bros. Wonder refers to each and almost every level possessing a Wonder Flower that turns the level into quite a trip. Some levels result in an abrupt freefall, another turns Mario and our playable cast of characters into different enemy types, while another transforms pipes from being stagnant and resting to ones that bend and inch along the ground as if they're doing "the worm"!

However, at least early in the game, nothing comes close to the sudden surprise of the second level's Wonder Flower transformation. Piranha Plants on Parade is the name, and it sort of tricks you into thinking with the first Piranha Plant that you see in the level, that that is the stage's gimmick. This Piranha Plant doesn't stay stationary in its pipe. Instead, it pops out and marches along. 

Of course, this isn't actually what the level name references. Upon touching the required Wonder Flower soon after, the real fun begins. Piranha Plants from their various colored combo of pipes pop out and begin singing. Some march, some just peek out to say hello, but they all do so in rhythm to the new song that plays. It's almost a fever dream--seeing this sort of ode to Little Shop of Horrors in the Flower Kingdom happen. All the same, it's a darn enjoyable fever dream!

This transformation sets the scene for Super Mario Bros. Wonder's campaign and essentially tells players, "expect the unexpected" for the rest of the adventure. While future levels and their Wonder effects may surpass the craziness and awesomeness of Piranha Plants on Parade's effect, it's this very level that sets the expectations--or lack thereof--for the entirety of the game, being quite memorable and a fantastic early highlight of Wonder in the process.

Kingdom Valley Act 1 - Sonic X Shadow Generations (Multi)

This next level comes from a recent release from last year: Sonic X Shadow Generations, chiefly the entirely brand-new Shadow Generations portion of the game. Like Sonic Generations, Shadow's half of the game sees the brooding hedgehog play through various levels, old haunts, and highlights from his gaming career. There's the Space Colony Ark from Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes' Rail Canyon, and yes, even a stage from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)--that of Kingdom Valley.

To say 2006's Sonic game was rough around the edges (ow, the edge) would be an understatement and underserving just how much of a radical trainwreck the game was. That said, Shadow Generations takes Sonic 2006's stage representative and much like every other past stage it references in the game, it improves upon it in pretty much every way.

Kingdom Valley (specifically Act 1, which stands as my favorite of the two acts in Shadow Generations) takes much of its references from the original Sonic '06 level, including the eagle that Shadow can cling onto to take him to higher areas, smashing his way through pane glass windows of castle towers, speeding through the water whirlwind tunnel where Sonic's Mach speed section from the 2006 game took place, and also adds new touches, too. One of these is introducing a new Doom Power to Shadow, that of Doom Surf, allowing Shadow to automatically bust out a surfboard made of Doom energy to coast along watery channels and corridors within the level. 

It says a lot about a game with mostly stellar designed stages that one could easily pick any of them to represent Shadow Generations, but for me, my highlight for Shadow the Hedgehog's half of Sonic X Shadow Generations no doubt had to be Kingdom Valley. Proof that you can polish what I considered in 2006 to be a turd into something truly magnificent when enough TLC has been put into it.

The Raging Sea - Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Multi)

From riding the waves as Shadow the Hedgehog to walking the waves as the Prince, the Raging Sea is one of the most impressive areas within Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's amazing Metroidvania world. The concept of the area is that it's completely frozen in time, so the Prince can literally run along the top of the water itself. Within the sea is a series of ships, a fleet, frozen solid, where the Prince can enter into the various vessels and explore. Lightning strikes, too, are forever documented as snapshots of the weather phenomenon, but also quite painful to the touch and resulted in frozen fires burning as well.

While the area itself is rather flat, the map reveals itself as essentially one straight horizontal line from left to right, there is a fair amount of variety to be found. The aforementioned ship fleet lends itself to having plenty of places to perform proficient platforming, enemy types are numerous, and secrets abound indeed. The boss fight that takes place at the far right edge of the map also brings the heat and is quite challenging for unprepared players. Hell, even seasoned action-platforming vets may find themselves having to redo this fight multiple times.

All in all, it's not every day that an area or zone from the Metroidvania genre delights and delivers in concept and execution. Nowadays, the genre is a dime a dozen seemingly, but Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown made its case for one of the top titles in the genre last year--and just one of the best games of 2024 as well.

A Trip to Alivel Mall - Kirby and the Forgotten Land (NSW)

Let's shift away from dark, stormy, and brooding with something more cute and cuddly to wrap up this volume of Best Levels in Gaming History. Kirby and the Forgotten Land brought the long-running Nintendo / HAL Laboratory franchise into full 3D, and the experiment was an absolute success. 

One of the early levels of the game remains one of my favorites within the entire campaign--that being A Trip to Alivel Mall. Kirby and Forgotten Land, as the name implies, features Kirby running and jumping through a dilapidated land, once bustling and teeming with life. It's decidedly reminiscent of a world humans left behind, and this concept is no clearer early on in the game than Alivel Mall.

With a quaint and cozy theme, Kirby runs up escalators, enters the food court, and passes by abandoned, shuttered stores in this once-thriving and happening location. Though, it's far from lacking occupants inside, of course, as enemies and caged-up Waddle Dees have taken up residence--the latter against their will. 

It's a setting that we don't see too much in games--that of a mall, sure, but also one that's been virtually abandoned and allowed itself to be eroded by the sands of time. Between solving puzzles on which hall to enter based off of cleverly-hidden signs as hints, and battling the pink puffball's way through the bright and bouncy level, A Trip to Alivel Mall is a standout early stage within Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

Astro Bot (PS5) Review

A new review presents itself for this Tuesday evening. It's a game that many have bumped up to the top of Game of the Year rumblings and talks: Astro Bot. Well, it's managed to do the same thing for me here at SuperPhillip Central, too! Here's my review!

Fun and charm off the charts in Astro-nomical levels.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the PlayStation brand, which of course, as someone a little bit older than Sony's gaming empire, makes me feel ancient. That notwithstanding, one way that PlayStation celebrates 35 years, as well as one way that it attempts to appeal to a wider audience, is with the sequel to what I consider one of the best pack-in games of all time, Astro's Playroom. This full-fledged sequel, Astro Bot, takes some concepts and ideas from Playroom as well as the PlayStation VR-exclusive Astro Bot: Rescue Mission and creates one of the most compelling reasons--in this reviewer's opinion--to own a PlayStation 5.

Bumming around in the emptiness of space with nothing but their PlayStation 5-shaped ship and some toe-tappin' tunes, we start Astro Bot's story with our eponymous protagonist moving and grooving with myriad other Bots inside the safety of their shi--oh, shoot! An alien UFO attacks said ship and sends the entire vessel, including all occupants, all hurtling towards parts unknown. A crash landing results in our hero Astro waking up in a barren desert wasteland. With a nearby satellite which bestows the coordinates to some of his friends and the desire to repair their broken vessel, yet another rescue mission is on for Astro! Charm pours from every part of Astro Bot, and you'll get an immediate sense of that through the opening cutscenes. What is of the story is rather basic to start, but somehow, someway--and without spoiling anything, of course--the ending managed to pull my heartstrings a little bit. Not too shabby for a platformer.

With lasers shooting from Astro's shoes, does that mean these foes have just been... de-feet-ed? 

As for the said platforming of Astro Bot, our little droid dude does not have the acrobatics or move set of, say, Mario (and how can you not compare a 3D platformer of this scope and size to Nintendo's portly plumber?), but what he has to work with works well. He can jump (which to be fair, is expected of a platforming mascot), he can punch, players can hold the attack button down to perform a spinning punch that can turn on various interact-ables like platforms, lifts, and more. He also has lasers on his feet when he hovers--which has a dual purpose: one for extending the duration of his jump, and the second being to defeat foes underneath him. That's pretty much all there is to Astro's kit, which makes for an accessible lineup of moves, but also for veteran platforming fans, it doesn't bring much of a high skill ceiling either.

That said, in various levels, Astro stumbles upon a chest, when opened, grants him a new power-up ability for use only in that level. It essentially becomes an extension of his move set, adding further utility to Astro. Generally, a given power-up only adds one extra button to remember to press, and when combined with Astro's base move set, you have a complete package that doesn't overwhelm players. 

Whether it's an elephant backpack that causes Astro to inflate himself to fly high in the air and bounce around, a backpack in bulldog form that serves as a means for Astro to rocket his way upwards or forwards, breaking through glass like it was nothing, or green retractable boxing gloves that can pummel obstacles and enemies alike with ease, these extra abilities and power-ups add to Astro's repertoire. They certainly make for even more compelling platforming gameplay than what's already present and accounted for in Astro Bot.

Great for pulverizing baddies, pulling switches, and even knocking projectiles back at enemies,
these gloves have just the right amount of "punch" for the job!

Whereas part of the star is the platforming, which feels phenomenal and one always feels in control of Astro, the other part that the platforming shares the spotlight with is the immaculate level design. Between constantly throwing new ideas at the player in a way that I haven't experienced since Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, and bringing for the engaging and inventive platforming challenges on a consistent basis, Astro Bot definitely does not disappoint in the level design department. 

One level thrusts Astro high above the clouds with skyscrapers jutting out from them in a construction zone, complete with running and jumping along swinging girders before summoning a wrecking ball to demolish the entrance to a building in a phenomenal display of destructive physics (and just plain coolness as well). Meanwhile, another early and extraordinary level that really showcases the power of the PlayStation 5--even more so--has Astro able to switch between tiny and regular-size forms with a press of a button. Astro needs to shift between both forms to solve environmental puzzles and make progress, too. Seeing Astro shrink to the size of a mouse, with camera following in tow, and with another press of a button, instantly grow to his normal size without a loading screen in sight is immensely impressive. 

Time to ironically deconstruct some baddies here at the ol' construction yard!

Levels aren't just one and done linear affairs either. You can rush through them, for sure, but you'll not only be missing out on the superbly placed secrets such as Bots to rescue and Puzzle Pieces to obtain (seriously, some of these are truly hidden in some genuinely crafty and clever locations), but in order to face each boss in the game's six unique galaxies, you'll need to satisfy the amount of Rescued Bots required to open the level's lock. 

Thus, it behooves you to explore as much as possible. Not just to make general progress, but if you're anything like me (and let's be honest, in most cases other than this one you would hope to God you're nothing like me), you'll greatly enjoy thoroughly exploring each and every level to your heart's content. Even if there wasn't something major collectible-wise like a Bot or Puzzle Piece hiding off the beaten path, I'd usually find that my curiosity was rewarded by discovering a secret cache of coins or a photo op location, for instance. 

The level variety and design on display in Astro Bot is nothing short of amazing.

Each galaxy contains two levels that house secret exits in them, warping Astro to a place called the Lost Galaxy. Here, more levels present themselves, a single level opening up for each exit found. Galaxies also contain bonus levels, such as quick battles against a plethora of foes, obstacle-laden bonus courses, and much more. With 300+ Bots to optionally acquire, numerous Puzzle Pieces to collect, and dozens of secret exits, there is a great deal of goodies to be discovered and obtained within Astro Bot.

As stated, rescuing Bots (some, not all) is needed to make headway in the game to fight Astro Bot's bosses. These showdowns are without exaggeration, terrific and massively epic encounters. From the very first one where Astro deals with a King Kong-like goliath of a gorilla, avoiding the beast's held bells as he creates shockwaves while having Astro rocket himself into them, and later the gorilla's teeth to deal damage, you're in for a good time. Unlike the standard levels where it's one hit and Astro's KO'd (though thankfully standard levels contain copious amounts of checkpoints so death is seldom a frustration), boss battles allow Astro three hits to take before our heroic bot is busted. 

Ask not for whom the bell tolls. (Even though we know it tolls for Astro here!)

Without much need to say (yet I'm saying it anyway), Astro Bot is a celebration of PlayStation and its 30th anniversary, and with that, there is a comprehensive amount of references thrown in. Everything from each world--or in Astro Bot's case--galaxy concluding with obtaining one of the stolen parts from a PlayStation 5-shaped ship, to the majority of Bots that are rescued being modeled after characters from games that have graced the PlayStation across its seven major platforms, including handhelds, is an ode to PlayStation and its rich history. 

Aside from these references, each galaxy's conclusion brings with it a level based off one of many PlayStation franchises. These aren't just based off the levels in aesthetics, they pretty much play like an Astro Bot-ified--as it were--version of the games, too. Without revealing anything not seen in official marketing for the game, the level based off Kratos's Norse adventure, has Astro borrowing the God of War's axe, being able to toss it at foes and switches, and call it back to his hand, just like in the more modern versions of the God of War games. Needless to say, there are more levels than just well-known and high-selling goodies. The first themed level had me absolutely giddy as a fan of an early 3D PlayStation platformer, and a certain PlayStation Portable series found its way to Astro Bot as well--lovingly made into a level by Team Asobi. You can tell the team really did its homework when designing these odes to PlayStation in ingeniously crafted level form. Par for the course, really, considering the rest of the game is just as smartly made.

Not one to let an ample opportunity go to waste, Astro even dresses for the part sometimes!

Would stumbling upon and rescuing the same, generic, nameless Bots throughout Astro's adventure have the same impact as discovering a hidden Solid Snake-inspired Bot, or an Alucard from Castlevania? Most likely not, but the references also don't create the pretense that Astro Bot wouldn't be able to stand on its own two feet with just its engaging gameplay, immaculate level design, and immense charm. The references only add to that spark of joy, and your mileage on that will vary depending on how deep your PlayStation knowledge and fandom goes--and also decidedly how well you know and appreciate some of the real deep cuts pulled in Astro Bot, too!

Monkey-see, monkey-climb. This level uses the tilt and shoulder buttons
of the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller to scale these banana-shaped ledges.

When you're not exploring levels and out and about in the galaxy, you're in the Crash Site, the hub of Astro Bot. This hub world is absolutely one of my favorites in a 3D platformer. It consists of the main circular sandy area where all of the rescued Bots congregate, and in a Pikmin-like fashion, there are points around the hub where you can call upon the help of your Bot army to create makeshift ladders, platforms, and swings out of themselves. They can also help you push and pull objects to create new pathways as well. The hub is also where the Gacha machine is, where all of those coins accumulated throughout Astro's adventure may be spent on randomized prizes, such as new costumes for Astro, actions for the Bots in the hub, and different colors for Astro's ride, not-so-coincidentally a DualSense controller. 

Astro Bot is one of the more technically impressive and jaw-dropping games on the PlayStation 5. That goes for aesthetics as well as seeing just how much the physics system gets a workout too, between glass platforms shattering underneath the trail of Astro upon walking on them, to seeing oodles and oodles of beach balls tumble down the waterslide along Astro as seen in the very first level. Astro Bot is a clean, crisp, colorful game that offers a steady frame-rate, gorgeous views, and is just an utter delight to look at. Musically, Astro Bot fares well, too. The catchiness of tunes, some remixed from past Astro Bot games, while most are brand-new works, presents itself throughout each track of the game. It might not be to everyone's liking--as for some, the music might be obnoxious, but for me, it had my toes tapping and head bobbing to it as I played. 

Even the coins in Astro Bot are PlayStation themed! 

All in all, Astro Bot constantly brought me joy with its creative levels and charming presentation throughout my 8-10 hour initial playthrough. I knew I really thought the game was something special when almost immediately after beating the game for the first time and collecting all there was to collect (earning the Platinum trophy, too), I started a fresh save file to enjoy a new playthrough all over again. It takes a special game to have me do that, and wouldn't you know it--Astro Bot is such a game. 

It gave me cozy feels with its abundance of charm, it delivered rewards through thoroughly exploring its well crafted and designed levels, it presented me with "one more time" desires with its challenging bonus levels, and it kept me engaged from beginning to end, and then, as stated, back to the beginning again with a new playthrough. Astro Bot not only offers a magical gameplay experience that utilizes the DualSense controller in innovative (but fortunately for accessibility reasons, optional) ways, but also offers a game that is a shining example of pure, unadulterated fun in videogame form. 

[SPC Says: A]

The Tuesday 10s - My Most Anticipated Games for the Rest of 2024

The Tuesday 10s return this week on SuperPhillip Central. For those uninitiated, The Tuesday 10s--when they happen, at least--occur on Tuesdays and are basically unordered top ten lists. They can be about games themselves, or even game concepts like levels and characters, for instance.

Today, and with this morning's Nintendo Direct behind us, I feel we have a good idea on what to expect for the rest of 2024. That's not considering any surprises or future announcements in the second half of the year, of course. That said, these ten games are the ones that I'm most excited to play for the remaining months of 2024!

After you've peeked at my picks (and hopefully read the rationale behind each of them, too), please feel free to comment below on which games you're most hyped for to round out the year!

Astro Bot (PS5)

What salvaged an otherwise ho-hum (for me, at least) State of Play late last month was the conclusion of the presentation, featuring a trailer starring a lovely little robot that could named Astro Bot. The game of the same name is a major outing for the character, originally seen in different forms in The Playroom VR demo, then the PlayStation VR exclusive Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, which this new PS5 adventure seems to riff off of a teeny bit here and there. 

The PS5 pack-in game Astro's Playroom heralded in a glorious showcase of the DualSense controller, and in general was just a fantastic game to introduce players to their new PlayStation 5 systems. No doubt from the announcement trailer that developer Team Asobi has thrown myriad ideas at the wall, and in my eye, all of them seem to be sticking wonderfully. Here's hoping this ode to PlayStation's history and moreover massively captivating and charming-looking 3D platforming sticks the landing as well when it arrives on PS5 on September 6th.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (PS5, XBX, PC)

I can't think of a better tribute in game form to the late, great Akira Toriyama than seeing his Dragon Ball creations and characters comes to life in one of the ultimate 3D fighting game packages. That seems to be what we're going to get with Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, pitting a multitude of characters from Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and Dragon Ball Super against one another as a roster that calls back to Budokai Tenkaichi 3's. If you're unaware, that game featured a massive amount of characters to play as, and Sparking! Zero seems to bring with it even more high octane action, eye-melting visuals (in the GOOD way), and multiple story campaigns starring different characters, with Goku's containing the most battles, as expected. Couple this with the ability to create and share your own custom story missions, cutscenes, and battles, and you have one seriously super Dragon Ball game for fans!

Dragon Quest III: HD-2D Remake (NSW, PS5, XBX, PC)

Speaking of Akira Toriyama's works, let's rock a different kind of dragon with the illustrious Dragon Quest series, which Toriyama's art lives on through. During this morning's Nintendo Direct, Nintendo not only revealed more footage from this gorgeous HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest III and--finally--a release date (November 14th, 2024), but also the announcement of the other games in the Erdrick trilogy being remade as well with Dragon Quest I and II in store for next year. It's been almost three years since Dragon Quest III's HD-2D remake was originally announced, and seeing it with a firm release date almost feels like a fever dream, like managing to slay four Metal Slimes in the same battle without any of them fleeing. Like such a battle, the experience of playing--or for some, RE-playing Dragon Quest III will be an absolutely rewarding one. I'm certainly looking forward to it.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (NSW)

There is no shortage of fascinating RPGs arriving on consoles and PC this year. While this next game had no presence during today's Nintendo Direct, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time still is planned to release on October 10th. I absolutely adored the original Fantasy Life on the Nintendo 3DS. Its job-based gameplay where players worked to increase their skills, opted to tackle monsters and other foes in the game's fields and dungeons via action-RPG goodness, and found a nice life for themselves, made for an incredibly addicting game. With new town elements and online play in this new sequel, I'm quite eager to get my hands on Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, and have this be the game which steals all of my time when it launches as a current Nintendo Switch exclusive.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (XBX, PC)

With a less-than-stellar aura surrounding the Xbox brand in recent months--the most important being the closing of some incredible studios and letting go of some tremendous talent--and a seemingly aimless direction for the brand in general, it was important for Microsoft's Xbox to pull off at the very least a competent showing two weeks ago. I'd say, fortunately, the showcase was a success. The reveals were exciting and top-notch, but the game that will most likely release by year's end that most excited me from Xbox's show features one of my favorite fictional characters in film: Indiana Jones. 

Using Harrison Ford's likeness and Troy Baker's serviceable impression of Indy, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a first-person action/adventure game that sees our artifact-finding, temple-exploring, globe-trotting adventurer doing all those things complete with the look and feel of actually playing a film in the series. The humor is so on-point, and one of the best features--at least presentation-wise--that I've seen so far. While there's no firm release date and just a vague 2024, here's hoping Machine Games can deliver a game worthy of the Indiana Jones name--unlike perhaps for some, the last two films in the franchise...

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (NSW)

One of the empty spaces in the Nintendo Switch catalog, at least for me, was that of a wholly new top-down 2D Zelda adventure. Little did I know that with today's Nintendo Direct that not only would we get a wholly new top-down game in the franchise, but it'd literally be a ZELDA adventure! For the first time (no, I don't count the Phillips CD-I games, sorry), Zelda is the primary protagonist in a game for the series her name is attached to. 

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom could have easily been Zelda with bow instead of a sword, and that might have made folks appeased. However, Nintendo, in traditional Nintendo fashion, went above and beyond. Zelda gains a rod that she can use to capture objects like tables, beds, boulders, and even foes to ensnare to do her bidding in what is shaping up to be a truly clever and creative adventure. From the trailer shown, we saw that Zelda can conjure blocks of water to reach higher, other inaccessible areas; she can build stepping stones with beds; and even launch boulders at baddies to truly rock on. We won't have to wait long for Zelda's first foray into adventure when The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom releases on Nintendo Switch on September 26th, 2024.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership (NSW)

Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door have seen recent releases. Now, the trifecta of Mario RPGs is complete on the Nintendo Switch with the announcement of a brand-new Mario & Luigi game! Mario & Luigi: Brothership is an isle-hopping (or is it "isle-launching"?) adventure starring the Brothers Mario with a whole cavalcade of new characters to meet, enemies to defeat, and places to visit and explore. Bros. Attacks return, as does the ability to use Mario and Luigi's unique teamwork abilities to solve puzzles in the overworld areas of the game. It's such a sight for sore eyes to see the return of Mario & Luigi, and such a delightful looking entry as well, both visually and gameplay-wise. We won't have to wait too terribly long for Mario and Green Mario to once again team up together as Mario & Luigi: Brothership sails onto the Switch on November 7th, 2024.

Sonic X Shadow Generations (NSW, PS5, XBX, PC)

While Mario will have lots of fun this year (with more to come on this list), Sonic isn't resting on his laurels. And I must admit, I did NOT expect this much effort to be put into a remaster of Sonic Generations, a game that was already a phenomenal one to begin with. This being the year of Shadow and all, SEGA and Sonic Team have opted to insert Shadow into game into his own adventure, essentially splitting the game into two parts, collectively titled Sonic X Shadow Generations. 

The incredibly well done Sonic Generations half is included, of course--this time adding the Sonic Mania's Drop Dash into the spin of things--while Shadow Generations not only gives the fourth-damn-Chaos-Emerald-seeking hedgehog a suite of remixed stages from his now-storied history in the Sonic franchise and several boss encounters (these first two things currently have an indeterminable amount, but they're immensely polished all the same), but also a Sonic Frontiers-style hub world that connects all of the content together. I'm eager to explore both pieces of this hedgehog game package when Sonic X Shadow Generations boosts onto all current platforms on October 22nd, 2024.

Super Mario Party Jamboree (NSW)

It's been a little bit since Mario last held any kind of new party with his pals (and enemies alike) on the Nintendo Switch. Well, the wait for a new party is over! Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom crew's latest soiree, Super Mario Party Jamboree, is billed as Nintendo as their biggest one yet. With a respectable seven boards (five all-new and two returning from Mario Party 1 and 2 respectively), over 100 mini-games, over 20 playable characters, multiple planned modes, and the ability to play online against up to 20 opponents in Battle Royale-style Mario Party madness, Super Mario Party Jamboree is shaping up to a bash you won't want to miss. RSVP if you'd like to be prepared to par-tay when Super Mario Party Jamboree launches on Nintendo Switch on October 17th, 2024.

Visions of Mana (PS5, XBX, PC)

Harkening back to the age of old-school RPGs while giving off a gorgeous and modern visual presentation package, Visions of Mana is, of course, the latest entry in the long-running Mana franchise. Chosen by the Faerie to revitalize the Mana Tree, a great expedition and grand journey awaits our colorful cast of heroes. The idea of facing off against foes both small and large (especially those Eidolons) sounds incredibly enticing and exciting to me. I absolutely loved the Trials of Mana remake four years ago, so to say that I'm eager to engage with more of the Mana series would be an understatement. Bring it on, Square Enix. I'm ready for some comfort food gaming when Visions of Mana starts its adventure on August 29th, 2024.