CosmicMonkey

Bio: Hi! I like movies. I also like things that aren't movies. Like Cupcakes. and Corgies.

I don't review short films.

For increased precision and accuracy, I'm only ranking films I've seen since around early 2007.

Letterboxd: CosmicMonkey

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93 _96%

Super Mario Odyssey (2017) - Rated 16 Dec 2024

Playing this for the first time brought me the same feeling I had playing Super Mario 64 for the first time in '96. There's just so much joy and wonder from simply running and jumping around a 3D environment, it's incredible. My only 2 nitpicks are that there's too probably many moons, almost diluting the thrill of finding them sometimes, and that some kingdoms are better than others (Metro, Wooded, & Sand being the stand-outs, while Snow & Lake could have been cut without losing anything).

80 _49%

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004) - Rated 14 Dec 2024

I'd call this the "Best JRPG for people who don't like JRPGs". Most of the genre's most annoying mechanics/tropes are gone or minimized: No grinding, a streamlined leveling and party management system, a more engaging twist on turn-based combat, relatively short (30-35 hours). I still didn't love it, though I understand it's appeal. It's world and characters are unabashedly weird and quirky and at times there's a dark humour rarely found in Nintendo games.

88 _86%

Inside (2016) - Rated 22 May 2024

An eerie, unsettling yet beautiful meditation on the dehumanizing effects of authoritarianism and the enduring spirit of collective struggle against it.

75 _30%

Star Control II (1992) - Rated 19 May 2024

Haven't played more than an couple of hours, but wanted to let everyone know that there's a free open source HD remake available here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/urquanmastershd/

78 _38%

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017) - Rated 19 May 2024

Second-best Mario Kart after Double Dash, and has great online multiplayer system. It's a well refined iteration of a familiar formula.

85 _78%

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (2010) - Rated 19 May 2024

While I'd go short of calling it a masterpiece, it is very good, with a unique and charming visual style, a catchy score, and an engrossing plot that expertly replicates the intrigue and twist-filled plots of film noir. A relatively unique experience in gaming, even over a decade after it's release. I'd love to see what other ideas Takumi could come up with if Capcom ever let him work on something other than Ace Attorney.

80 _49%

Super Mario World (1990) - Rated 04 May 2024

70 _19%

Mario's Super Picross (1995) - Rated 04 May 2024

I think picross is my favourite of the crossword/sudoku/games-to-play-while-you-listen-to-the-news genre. But how on earth do you rank it, when it's fundamentally the same experience every single time?

83 _64%

Okami (2006) - Rated 25 Apr 2024

Highly recommend playing on the Switch, touch-screen controls are absolutely the best way to play Okami. I enjoyed the world, aesthetic and story, although the third act felt rushed and incomplete. There's a level of charm, artistry and creativity that still makes the game stand out so many years later.

60 _5%

Ghosts 'n Goblins (1985) - Rated 12 Apr 2024

Would absolutely be willing to call this the hardest game ever made. I would have a better chance becoming an Olympic Athlete than ever finishing this.