The Tuesday 10s - Best 2D Platformers of the Past Ten Years

It's been quite a while since their last appearance on SuperPhillip Central, but The Tuesday 10s are back for a new edition! This time we're checking out the best 2D platformers of the past ten years, similar to how we looked previously at the best 3D platformers of the past ten years over a year ago. Will you be surprised at some of the picks? Well, let's run and jump straight into the list so you can find out!

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (NSW, Wii U)

Let's start with the great gorilla, the massive monkey, the awesome ape--Donkey Kong! His most recent adventure from 2014, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, saw him teaming up with the rest of the Kong crew, specifically Diddy, Dixie, and new to the playable roster Cranky Kong--each with their own unique platforming abilities--and taking on the evil Snowmads who took over Kong Island. Bad for the Kongs, great for us, as we got to enjoy Retro Studios' amazing artistry and level design throughout the six world (technically seven, counting the bonus world) adventure. Whether playing solo with your choice of Kong-panion riding on DK's back, or playing with the Kongs separate from one another in local co-op, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze brought a banana slamma' to the Wii U and then eventually the Switch with added Funky Kong as a playable character.

Hollow Knight (Multi)

Caution: Your gaming and platforming skills will be put to the ultimate test with this next game. Our first Metroidvania on this list is also the most challenging of the games listed on The Tuesday 10s this time around. It's none other than Hollow Knight, an open-ended Metroid-esque adventure. Offering a punishing difficulty, vast world to explore and become lost in, exciting and brutal boss battles, plenty of side quests and secrets to uncover, and loads of longevity and replay value, Hollow Knight delivered one of the most unexpected but welcomed indie surprises of 2017. We eagerly await Silksong, wherever it may be in its development since going AWOL after being announced during a Nintendo video presentation two years ago.

Metroid Dread (NSW)

Speaking of difficult Metroid-style games, how about we give props to the originator of the sub-genre of platformers with Samus Aran's latest and arguably greatest, depending on your stance? It's Metroid Dread, released this past October exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. Samus Aran has never felt better to control in this game, offering an unrivaled since of agility, mobility, and overall movement, at least in the Metroid series. I love the way the game subtly points you and directs you around its otherwise easy-to-get-lost world with smart power-up placement and through its level design. The game is challenging, too, more so than any other Metroid game, in my opinion. Thankfully, Samus possesses her move set from Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS), including that spectacularly swift counter ability, as well as picks up several new moves to make for a fresh, awesome, and exciting Metroid game from start to finish.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (NSW)

While the original New Super Mario Bros. U released alongside the Wii U in 2012 and a DLC platforming expansion starring Luigi called New Super Luigi U launched the summer after, the two games would receive a splendid compilation on the Nintendo Switch that only left out the Wii U GamePad-controlled challenges and asymmetrical multiplayer options. Both New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U offer the same excellent level design of the original games, and really, some of the best designed levels in 2D Mario history. Not even speaking hyperbolically here. The aesthetic and overall presentation is indeed sterile and bland, but gameplay and design-wise, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a masterclass.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps (XBS, XB1, PC, NSW)

We took a quick detour from Metroidvania-styled games for some Mario, but now let's briefly return to the sub-genre of platformer with Ori and the Will of the Wisps. The game is as breathtaking in design as it is utterly gorgeous to look at. The story is equally heartfelt and heartwarming, and the world is a joy and delight to explore. The addition of side quests didn't feel like filler to pad the length of the game; instead they felt organic and enjoyable to complete. The various locales Ori could explore were filled with impressive sights, sounds, and platforming challenges that really utilized Ori's move set in truly innovative and clever ways. And those intense escape sequences and boss battles? Phew, dear! I need to sit down just thinking about them, as they were totally tense and awesome in all the right ways. 

Rayman Legends (Multi)

Whether playing solo or in co-op, Rayman Legends is a brilliant 2D platformer, especially the Wii U original version, offering its Murfy levels being controlled by the Wii U GamePad. These Murfy levels had one player using said GamePad to move around and interact with obstacles and objects in levels via the touch screen to help the other players through them. Things could get rather dicey rather quickly if players didn't work together well! Not only did the Wii U version offer one of the best uses of the Wii U GamePad, but even on other platforms, the game was just phenomenal a platformer. Colorful, crisp graphics, terrific control and feel, creative levels, and a superb soundtrack all added up to make Rayman Legends a marvelous game.

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (Multi)

The original Shovel Knight released in 2014 from Yacht Club Games. Since then, the game has become its own series of spin-offs featuring bosses from the game seeing themselves as the main characters, complete with unique move sets and more. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is a compilation of all of these adventures, including King Knight's and Plague Knight's, and the package is well worth the price of admission. The original Shovel Knight was a retro-inspired platformer with dashes of Mario, Mega Man, and even DuckTales somewhat in its gameplay and design. A masterful game if there ever was one, and the addition of even more Shovel Knight goodness via the aforementioned expansions make for a package that is absolutely irresistible. Seriously, if you "dig" platformers, you'll most likely love Shovel Knight as well, if you haven't already!

Sonic Mania (Multi)

The Sonic the Hedgehog series perseveres after decades of ups and downs in quality of the Blue Blur's games, but Sonic Mania stands (or rolls around at the speed of sound, I guess would fit better) as one of the hedgehog's greatest titles, not just in the modern era of Sonic (that's not too difficult a task) but overall as well. It rivals the Genesis games, if not simply just surpassing them in multiple areas. After SEGA's multiple failed attempts at bringing Sonic back to basics (looking at you, Sonic the Hedgehog 4, you utterly contemptible pile of vomited-up chili dog), Sonic Mania absolutely succeeded where those games failed, delivering tight controls, excellent physics that mirrored the Genesis classics well, astounding level design with multiple paths to explore, and a stellar soundtrack from Tee Lopes, like a cherry on top. Sonic Mania is the gold [ring] standard of 2D Sonic the Hedgehog games.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (Multi)

From some of the developers and designers of the original Donkey Kong Country games, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair brought so much excellence and creative ideas into its DKC-styled adventure. From the clever 3D overworld to explore--complete with environmental puzzles to solve, to the genius that was the Impossible Lair, where players built up a collection of "hits" by completing the other levels in the game, Yooka and Laylee's second outing was a fantastic one. The ability to use Tonics to alter the play experience to make the game as easy or as hard as you wanted (also rewarding a quill multiplier for doing so) made it so you could enjoy the game however you desired. The way levels had two different versions based on how they were altered in the overworld, was also a brilliant idea and implemented wonderfully, too. All in all, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair was a treat to play with exceptional controls and feel, sensational levels, and well executed ideas.

Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U) 

I might get grief for this, but I will stand by my argument that Yoshi's Woolly World is a better and more enjoyable game than the original Yoshi's Island from the Super Nintendo. I know, I know. It's blasphemy for some of you out there, but consider this: not only is the game lovingly made with a wool and yarn aesthetic, even going as far as to be implemented into its level design and puzzles, but it also doesn't require you to collect everything in one go to get 100% in a level. Thank YOU, Good Feel! Not only this, but I enjoyed the levels more, the grander variety of music, and just the adventure from beginning to end, as both a player and a completionist. Yoshi's Island is a fantastic game as well, but Good Feel's magnum opus just outpaces and outshines the SNES classic by a thread.

The Tuesday 10s - Nintendo Switch Platformers

Whether 2D or 3D, Nintendo systems are generally the home to the highest number of platformers. With this in mind, the Nintendo Switch continues this trend, which makes choosing ten platformers for one "best of" list--again, whether 2D or 3D--that much more of a difficult task to do! Even when it's on an unordered list such as this, selecting ten out of the countless excellent platformers on the Switch proved to be quite the herculean task. For this edition of The Tuesday 10s, SuperPhillip Central lists just a sampling of the greatest platformers on the Nintendo Switch with only one real caveat: a limit of one game per series on this list. Otherwise, our main man Mario would hog a lot of the spots here.

Super Mario Odyssey

Speaking of, let's begin with who else but gaming's most famous mascot in one of his biggest, boldest and best platforming adventures yet with Mario and Super Mario Odyssey. I've gone into great detail multiple times in the past already about how fantastic Odyssey truly is, so bear with me as I go through the whole production again. Between Mario's marvelous and humongous move set that allows players to tackle the huge, sprawling worlds in myriad ways, and the ability to capture various enemies and objects via Mario's traveling companion Cappy, Super Mario Odyssey delivered a globetrotting adventure that shouldn't be missed. With literally hundreds of Power Moons to collect (though one can easily just find the bare minimum to make progress--perfect for those less skilled at platformers), the fun doesn't end for a long, long time.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy

From one 3D platformer to the next, Spyro Reignited Trilogy encompasses not just one of Spyro's adventures, but all three of his original PlayStation platformers and puts them through the remake ringer for a remarkably done trilogy of games. The games--Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon--were lovingly restored and given a new lease on life. They've never looked or played better, offering gorgeous visuals, heightened personality and charm, and just a grander sense of wonder. 100% each game will definitely give players a run for their money--or gems in this case--as well, as these titles hide secrets well and require good sleuthing to uncover and accomplish all that they have to offer.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

We move from 3D to 2D now with a relic from the Wii U era of Nintendo consoles that saw new life breathed into it with its arrival on the Switch. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was initially bombarded with boos from a certain section of Nintendo fans for being Retro Studios' next project over a new Metroid Prime game. Those boos quickly turned to cheers when gamers finally got their hands on the game, as it is one of the finest, well crafted 2D platformers ever made. Levels are expertly designed, offering myriad set pieces, platforming challenges, and clever gimmicks, making players eager to see what's next. Secrets are smartly placed, as well, and the challenge is just right. You won't breeze through this game. Retro Studios made a magnificent game with Tropical Freeze, and it stands with the absolute best in both Rare's original trilogy and 2D platformers in general.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair

A 2D platformer that shares a lot with Donkey Kong Country in its design is Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. Similar in mechanics to Rare's trilogy with how Yooka and Laylee move and handle, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is more than just Playtonic's ode to DKC. It is its own beast, and a mightily impressive one at that. Everything from the creative and ultra clever 3D world map where puzzles are solved to make progress and reach new levels, to the eponymous Impossible Lair, which can be tackled at any time in the adventure (though your chances are better the more levels you complete), Playtonic showed un-bee-lievable mastery with their game. Levels, like Donkey Kong Country, showcase one major idea or theme and both implement and build upon brilliantly. It's my hope that more players jump in on Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, especially now that the game is coming to Xbox Game Pass.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Speaking of Xbox Game Pass, we have Ori and the Will of the Wisps, a game that is available not just on that service, but also on the Nintendo Switch as well. It receives a physical retail release on Nintendo's hybrid system later this month alongside Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition. Will of the Wisps improves upon its already stellar predecessor with a meatier, more marvelous game. The addition of side quests, a town-rebuilding mechanics, combat trials, speed runs, and quality of life improvements make for a better experience overall. While I still found issue with the chase sequences still being a bit too trial and error for my tastes, other than that, I adored my time with Ori and the Will of the Wisps and can't recommend it enough--regardless of what platform you can play it on.

Hollow Knight

We go from one gorgeous Metroidvania to another with the hand-drawn, animated delight that is Hollow Knight. Despite its beauty on the outside, on the inside is one challenging game that will put players in their place if they aren't prepared. Hollow Knight can be quite difficult, for certain! What I especially appreciate about Hollow Knight is the openness of the world map. You aren't limited to a linear path that the designers want you to go on. There's multiple points and areas where you can explore, some more difficult than others, but you're essentially given a great deal of freedom. I didn't appreciate this at first because it meant that I got lost rather quickly in my first attempt at playing the game, but on my second, I found a fresh, challenging, and mysterious world to explore and an overall terrific Metroidvania to play. It's one in Hollow Knight that is a great title in its genre.

Mega Man 11

As we leap closer towards the end of our look at fantastic platformers on the Nintendo Switch, we survey a series that has a grand old history on Nintendo platformers dating back to the NES and the series' birth. I'm talking, of course, about Mega Man. For a long time there, not too long ago, Capcom pretty much stopped making Mega Man games, and it wasn't until some new collections of old games came out followed by their sales success that Capcom finally opted to create a new entry in the series. That new entry was Mega Man 11, and it boldly added a brand-new mechanic to make the Blue Bomber's latest far from just a rote sequel. The Double Gear mechanic allows Mega Man to temporarily slow down time or power up his shots as long as he has gear energy. Run out of energy, and Mega Man overheats, making him more vulnerable to damage. It's a stupendously creative and well executed mechanic that takes what was a somewhat stale series and injects it with new life. Mega Man 11 is a splendid entry in the series, and I couldn't be happier that the Blue Bomber is back.

Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition

Although our next platforming star didn't first appear on a Nintendo platform with his debut game, the limbless wonder Rayman has been a big part of Nintendo consoles and handhelds afterwards. Rayman Legends was meant to be a Wii U exclusive, but the early failure of the system sales-wise may have spooked Ubisoft in to bringing it to more platforms. Since then, Rayman Legends has sort of become the new Rayman 2--i.e. the Rayman game ported to every platform Ubisoft can possibly port to--but like Rayman 2, when Legends if this good, who can really complain? Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition arrived on the Nintendo Switch with easy-to-setup co-op thanks to the split Joy-Cons, touch or controller support for the smartly made Murfy sections, and has all of the content and fun of the original game, only now on the Switch. Sure, Rayman Legends isn't too drastically different from other platforms, but a great platformer is a great platformer, and it still remains one of the Switch's bests.

Sonic Mania Plus

This platforming mascot didn't just not debut on a Nintendo platform, he was an actual rival to both Nintendo and Mario. Sonic the Hedgehog sped onto the scene in 1991, and celebrates his 30th anniversary next year. I would personally love to see a sequel to this particular platforming pick on the Nintendo Switch, Sonic Mania and its Plus edition, for the 30th anniversary, but when has SEGA or Sonic Team ever done anything I have wanted? Rhetorical questions aside, Sonic Mania saw the return of Sonic the Hedgehog in his 2D splendor, and it rivals his best outings ever. The attention to detail to physics, to the creative level designs with multiple paths and mixture of moments of speed and slowness, all adds up to a brilliant 2D Sonic that I continue to return to, much like the classics seen on the Genesis (or Mega Drive, depending on your region).

Yoshi's Crafted World

We've gone through some difficult platformers, some super speedy platformers, but now let's slow down the pace and relax a little with Yoshi's Crafted World. That isn't to say that Yoshi's latest is some overly simple, easy, breezy game. That would be folly. Instead, what players get with Yoshi's Crafted World is a sharply designed (or should I say... "crafted"?) platformer with genius and creative level design housing an abundance of secrets, lots to uncover AND discover, a beautiful art style where everything in the world is made of crafts, and some rather tough late and post-game challenges for those who wish to take them on. It may not be everyone's cup of tea or ball of yarn, but Yoshi's Crafted World overflows with creativity, personality, and charm, making it a terrific and pleasurable platformer to play.

Review Round-Up - October 2020

Despite the collection feeling phoned in by Nintendo, the trio of games featured in Super Mario 3D All-Stars was
 more than worth the price of admission for SPC's Featured Game (or in this case, Games) of the Month.

Hey, all. Here's hoping your Halloween was a spooky and ultimately safe one! October was a scary good month of video game reviews here at SuperPhillip Central. What else can you say when the lowest grade handed out this past month was a B-! Before we say "goodbye" to the month that was, it haunts SPC one last time with the Review Round-Up!

We began entering into the hell that was unpaid internships with the abundantly clever and creative take on the rogue-like, Going Under. It received a B- with notes in its personnel file for needing some slight improvement. (See what I did there?) Moving on from there, we went old school with a retro review of the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive cult classic Decap Attack, digging up a B- grade as well.

We continued our frightful look at some scary, Halloween-themed games with the incredible force that was Resident Evil 3, which had its own unstoppable force inside with the hulking menace known as Nemesis. The game strong-armed its way to an A-.

Following up Resident Evil 3's remake was another game--well, trio of games in one collection--that tied the highest grade given this month, Super Mario 3D All-Stars. It, too, ran, jumped, and slid into its deserved A- score. 

Wrapping up the month were two more games fitting of the Halloween spirit and festivities. The first was Hollow Knight, a long awaited review that saw me rewarding the game with an A- as well. Last and certainly not least, Crown Trick was another rogue-like game that brought something new to the table, and it earned a satisfying B- grade due to how much fun I had navigating its nightmarish dungeons.

As is customary for the conclusion of each Review Round-Up (well, at least since last December or so), here are some excerpts of each review along with a link to the full reviews themselves. Finally, this is your reminder to check out the SPC Review Archive for all of the reviews ever published on this site.

Going Under (NSW, PS4, XB1, PC) - B-

Unlike actual internships, I enjoyed my time at Fizzle. Combat is a bit loose and clunky, lacking a lot of variety that will keep most players from coming to back to the game, but Going Under otherwise keeps an elevated level of quality throughout its relatively short campaign. The optional added accessibility and assist options makes for a game that while still challenging, offers a game that can be custom tailored to a given player's skill level. Thus, anyone with a love for Roguelikes but not necessarily a love for their general difficulty can enjoy this game. Overall, Aggro Crab has done a good job with their first game.

Decap Attack (GEN) - B-

It was a thrill (in more ways than one) returning to the macabre world of Decap Attack and once more taking control of Chuck D. Head in his adventure to save the world, defeat Max D. Cap and yes, get the surprise ending of him becoming human as reward for his good deeds. While there isn't too much here that pushes the platforming genre forward--and it would otherwise be lost in a sea of similar platformers without its unique atmosphere and vibe--Decap Attack remains a solid 2D platformer right down to its bones. 

Resident Evil 3 (PS4, XB1, PC) - A-

Resident Evil 3 brings a welcome return to Raccoon City, delivering a more action-oriented romp than the previous Resident Evil remake from last year, yet remaining a tense (and intense) game all the same. Though there isn't as much longevity in the base campaign, that made for me a campaign that could be enjoyed multiple times in various ways without a sign of burnout on my end, quite unlike my experience with the otherwise excellent Resident Evil 2. All in all, revisiting the horrors of both Raccoon City and Resident Evil 3 made for a gloriously gruesome and great gaming experience.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars (NSW) - A-

All of this notwithstanding, it says a lot about how excellent the games included in this otherwise ho-hum package are in that I still recommend Super Mario 3D All-Stars. The games are just as good as, or in some cases, better than they've always been. The lack of Super Mario Galaxy 2 is certainly a bummer and very much missed, but ultimately, Super Mario 3D All-Stars' trio of games is some of the best games in this industry. That alone puts it as an easy recommendation for me, not because of Nintendo's decidedly lazy approach to packaging these games--but despite it.

Hollow Knight (NSW, PS4, XB1, PC) - A-

Hollow Knight is the definition of a modern classic, and it takes its inspirations from games like Metroid--with its world structure--and Dark Souls--with its penalty for dying--and expands upon them in brilliantly clever ways. The ability to not be bound to a set path and instead be able to explore the vast world freely, offers a fresh, welcomed take to the genre, and the added Focus ability is one of the smartest additions to a Metroidvania that would otherwise be impossible to complete. At the same time, it's no "win" button either with how it makes you vulnerable upon using it. Hollow Knight is a fantastic Metroidvania, and if there's one true gripe I have, it's that I waited all this time to finally play it.

Crown Trick (NSW, PC) - B-

When it's all said and done, Crown Trick is a mostly well made and well executed rogue-lite that allows for plenty of opportunities for planning and strategy with its turn-based movement and combat. Our heroine Elle's ability to Break enemies' defenses and Blink around rooms to evade attacks and better position herself in battle are smart, worthwhile mechanics. Add in pleasant and stylish visuals (though not without performance problems on the Switch version), and you have a rogue-like that's easy to recommend but absolutely hard in both how difficult the game is, and how hard it can be to put it down.

Games of Halloween past and present rounded out the rest of SPC's reviews for this themed month.

Hollow Knight (NSW, PS4, XB1, PC) Review

Let's continue with our themed month of game reviews with some "Holloween" fun. It's for an older game, but one that's worth reviewing all the same. It's Team Cherry's remarkable Hollow Knight.

A truly "buggy"--and amazing--Metroidvania

I originally started Hollow Knight last October with my intention of playing through the game's mysterious and sometimes downright disturbing world in time for Halloween. That obviously didn't happen in 2019, but this year, as evident by this review, it finally has come to fruition. The last time I tried to play through Hollow Knight, I remember getting my butt handed to me so many times while getting so incredibly lost that I dropped the game after about an hour-and-a-half of play time. 

However, this time around the game clicked for me. Yes, the game still handed my butt to me on many occasions, but I persisted. With every death was a new lesson and a new motivation to get better--to better learn a boss's attacks, to better dodge and evade when necessary, and to better learn to attack when an opening finally presented itself instead of haphazardly thrusting my weapon around like it was a maraca. 

Hollow Knight throws you into the underground world of Hollownest, home to mysteries and dangers alike. The gigantic, interconnected expanses of Hollownest features an abundance of locations with an even greater abundance of secrets within them. Big, bad bugs of all types seek nothing but to stop our hero from his quest, and starting off, you have nothing but your nail and little else. As you explore the expanses of Hollownest, you'll come across a wealth of helpful items, abilities, and goodies that will not only expand your progression capabilities in Hollownest, but also increase your chances of survival. 

The latter is especially important because Hollow Knight is one seriously challenging game. Many deaths were had simply exploring the dark and dank corridors and paths within Hollownest, much more battling the bosses that can certainly take you out in short order. When death does occur and the life gets taken from your character's body (which it most definitely will), your current supply of currency and a portion of your Focus meter disappear with it. If you manage to reach the area of Hollownest where you perished, you'll find a dark specter that you must defeat to get your dropped goods back. Die before that process happens, and your goods are gone for... well, good!

Each boss presents players with devious patterns to learn, but never is the game ever really unfair.

Fortunately, while you do start out in Hollownest with but a nail and a sense for adventure, there's plenty of helpful goods to find throughout the underground world. There are Masks that serve as means to increase your health, as well as vessels that increase your Focus gauge. Speaking of Focus, this ability is paramount for your survival. With enough energy inside the Focus gauge, increased by attacking foes, you can hold down a button to restore health. When venturing through Hollownest normally, this is easy enough to do without too much of a problem. Simply retreat to a safe space, and heal thyself. However, in boss battles, using Focus to heal our hero is hardly a simple task. You can't exactly retreat that far, and bosses are always in the midst of offense. Thus, it pays to learn a boss's attack pattern, and also learn when it's best to heal our hero without being overly vulnerable.

Really, Focus is an incredibly useful and clever mechanic in Hollow Knight that serves as a terrific "risk vs. reward" proposition. Do you risk staying vulnerable for a couple of seconds to get the reward of some invaluable health back, knowing that staying still could result in taking even more damage? Or, do you do your best to soldier on in battle while contending with the risk of death from not having enough health to survive a blow from a boss or foe? 

Surrounded, but definitely not surrendering!

While Focus is indeed an outstanding assistant to Hollow Knight, so, too, are all the abilities our hero can acquire. There's a move that can charge up his nail, a move that allows our hero to dash either on the ground or in the air, as well as a double jump that assist in reaching higher, otherwise inaccessible places. These abilities serve not just as tools for progression, but help for adding more complexity to encounters with enemies. In a pinch, you can evade a baddie's attack by double jumping out of the way and dashing to safety over their unsuspecting head. 

One ability, seen here, allows our hero to unleash a charging dash
to boost across extended chasms like this crystal one.

In addition to the abilities, there are Charms that can purchased with the currency used in Hollow Knight known as Geo. Charms can also be found throughout Hollownest in hidden, out of the way locations, as well as from defeating optional bosses. Of course, the fun with the "optional" part of these bosses is that during your first run of Hollow Knight, you probably will stumble upon countless bosses, not knowing if they were optional or not until after the fact! Regardless, Charms give a host of beneficial effects to our hero, from granting him Focus energy from taking damage to placing an icon on the map screen to pinpoint exactly where our hero is situated. You can only equip so many Charms at once, so it's important to be smart and equip the right Charms for the right situation. 

Hollow Knight's map is one that doesn't reveal itself until you fulfill certain conditions. In this case, you need to find the location of a cartographer within each area you explore in Hollownest, track him down by the crumpled pieces of map he absentmindedly leaves behind as a trail of figurative breadcrumbs, and purchase a map from him. This will reveal the lay of the land which has already been explored. Upon reaching new sections of areas, your map will fill in when you sit down and rest on benches, serving a second purpose as the save points of the game. Unlike other Metroidvanias, Hollow Knight's map doesn't divulge all of its secrets right away. You need to head topside to the main town of the game to purchase different markers that reveal locations of shops, benches, and other notable points of interest within Hollownest. If you want a real challenge, you can play without these markers (including the one that tracks our hero's location) entirely, using only your [hopefully] keen navigational skills. 

If you're looking for a lengthy adventure in your Metroidvania, Hollow Knight definitely fits the bill here. My initial playthrough easily lasted over 20 hours for my first play-through, and that was without getting the game completed 100% (to be fair, I came close at 96%). The amount of secrets in the form of optional content like Grubworms to find and rescue, Charms to collect, Masks and Vessels to increase our hero's health and Focus meters, and bosses to take down is amazing. It can also be a bit overwhelming with how expansive the map of Hollow Knight is to track down every little thing in Hollownest and its surrounding areas. Fortunately, there are fast travel locations via a tram and Stag Stations to get around Hollownest in a quicker fashion, though I found these were spaced out a bit too much. This resulted in copious and occasionally tedious amounts of backtracking just to get to where I wanted to go. 

A moment of repose for our hero... that is, unless this enemy turns around, of course!

Perhaps that's my main issue with Hollow Knight. The size of the world is a double-edged sword--well, in this case I guess it would make more sense to call it a double-edged "nail". While it's incredibly fun to venture into the unknown and explore a massive world, it also results in a lot of backtracking and spinning one's wheels to reach locations. I cursed myself every time I needed to return to a location where there was no tram or Stag Station access nearby.

Still, the good far outweighs the bad with Hollow Knight's impressively large world and map. The most astounding part is how open the game is. You're not locked into a linear progression. Instead, Hollow Knight's world allows you to forge your own path, uncovering secrets and exploring areas at your own pace. Yes, there are roadblocks that require certain abilities and moves to pass that do hinder progress, but for the most part, Hollownest allows an unprecedented amount of freedom in a Metroidvania game to explore at your leisure. Of course, there's an optimal path for speed-running and to simply beat the game in an efficient manner, but it's nice to know that I could venture to new places and usually my curiosity would be rewarded instead of "Sorry, you don't have this move right now. You best travel all the way back to where you came from and on the path that we, the game designers, intended you to take." Such a breath of fresh air for this genre!

Don't mind me--just trying to mind my own bzzz-ness!

Hollow Knight is the definition of a modern classic, and it takes its inspirations from games like Metroid--with its world structure--and Dark Souls--with its penalty for dying--and expands upon them in brilliantly clever ways. The ability to not be bound to a set path and instead be able to explore the vast world freely, offers a fresh, welcomed take to the genre, and the added Focus ability is one of the smartest additions to a Metroidvania that would otherwise be impossible to complete. At the same time, it's no "win" button either with how it makes you vulnerable upon using it. Hollow Knight is a fantastic Metroidvania, and if there's one true gripe I have, it's that I waited all this time to finally play it.

[SPC Says: A-]