u/Ordinary_Chemical596

The grand, nostalgic, orchestral score accompanied by the team riding off into the sunset has me feeling deeply attached to the journey of these characters as I remanence about the journey I just went on.

Then, it ends on "The game is dedicated to our wingman who fell in battle," and my heart melts. This is a clear tribute to Iwata, who wasn't alive to see the end of this game's development. It is clear that Iwata and people at Nintendo felt deep passion to the creation of this game and did everything they could for it. From what I remember this game was an act of passion for almost 2 years straight. They wanted to do right by the fans and release a Star Fox game with traditional gameplay with new mechanics that expand upon what was already there. Iwata spent some of his last days on earth with Star Fox Zero to make a Star Fox game that fans would love. Iwata's love for games and making people happy will never go unnoticed. May he rest in peace.

I think what makes this even more depressing is the reputation that this game has after release. This was clearly a game made with a ton of passion, yet people can't look past some elements of this game and can only see it for its flaws when I don't think that is fair. Many people who criticize this game have likely never played it for more than 3 hours or not at all. I can never think about this message without thinking about the surrounding culture around this game specifically and that is what truly makes this depressing for me. The depression I feel about the ending is multi-faceted.

Mario went in for a handshake, while both Bowser and Peach were wanting a hug. What does it mean? Maybe Peach and Bowser are more alike than you think? Or maybe, Mario is more emotionally unavailable than he should be? lol. That is Mario's arc: he gains the ability to hug instead of handshake.

I think it is genuinely cool that Nintendo acknowledge their failures like this, instead of pretending they don’t exist.

The second image shows the Wii U Gamepad just above the Switch; perhaps the placement is just a coincidence, but the image seems to show how the Switch took inspiration from the Wii U’s tablet design.

I swear if I hear a single question about my legs.

(I will answer when I get around to it. Also, this is the 2026 version, with maybe a few exceptions. 2026 Falco is easily the most fleshed out version of this character.)

I that second section with all of the skewers, somehow, my gang managed to hit every single one on both sides. There were like 8 of them. You would think that on one of the attempts we would make it past the rest, but no. We had to hit every single one! There were like 6-8 skewers. It was way more funny and shocking than annoying. What are the statistics of that happening!?

I was just playing through Sunshine 100% for the second time and beat the Watermelon Festival on my first try! The trick was to just launch myself into the watermelon and watch my momentum transfer into the melon and aim for the boardwalk. Doing that avoids all of the chaos of the cattaquacks and trees. From there, it was just a simple walk to the finish.

Is this mission really that bad if we can adapt like this?

These are the two shows that I am putting on to chill to as of the last few days and I have been choosing Dan VS over The Boys. How weird is that? Be honest. Honestly though… Dan VS Homelander. Who wins? I skipped to the season finale of The Boys… Lemme just say Dan easily.

No matter what side you stand on, you can't win. Let me explain...

If you love Star Fox 64, but hate every game that came after, then you are obviously disappointed with the whole state of the franchise. If you don't like games like Adventures, Assault, Command, or Zero that is valid, as people are entitled to their opinions and I can imagine that being annoying if you were dissatisfied with a game.

Then, there are these entitled people in the fandom that absolutely hate games like Star Fox Adventures or Star Fox Zero who take their hatred for these games on a whole extra level. As I said, it is valid to not like these games, but the problem is that these people or "fans" will make your problem if you genuinely enjoy the games. For example, I am a huge fan of one of the "controversial" Star Fox games and is actually my favorite game in the series, and I can't just say that without having to defend myself. My question: What do you want out of a new Star Fox game? It is clearly not another Star Fox 64, but whenever the series strives to do something different, you are incapable of meeting the game where it is at. No wonder why there isn't a new game in the series, Nintendo can't seem to accomplish appealing to Star Fox fans and as they can't make the same game again nor can they innovate.

History keeps repeating itself. I think the most harmful example of this was when Star Fox 64's 2026 remake was announced and the fans who adore this game go out to NOT publicly celebrate the return of their dormant franchise but rather COMPLAIN about how unoriginal and outdated the game is. Yes, you can feel unhappy about a game, but if you present yourself in such a manner to newcomers then you will scare people from also becoming fans. It will be just like Star Fox Zero all over again, where people trust the words of content creators rather than spending the money to actually buy the game and form their own opinions on it.

Yes, I understand the problem with Star Fox 2026, I have been a fan of the series since 2016 or so, but I also understand why this game is the way it is. Making a new game is a risk especially when it can turn out like how Zero did, and Star Fox 64 is a game every Star Fox fan can collectively agree is the best game. Not many people have played Star Fox 64 nowadays, so this was perfect for them. Yet rather than seeing this as an opportunity for the franchise, Star Fox "fans" only saw this as purely a regression of the series, which it really isn't.

I can't think of another fandom like this. I am genuinely at a loss, where no matter where you stand in the fandom you are scrutinized for actually liking it and have to defend it in the own fandom OR are just disappointed with everything that came out in the last 30 or so years, and that isn't even invalid.

I don't think we talk enough about this, but being a general fan of the Star Fox games is such an unheard-of concept because someone in the fandom will be there to invalidate you and try to convince that the game isn't actually good when that is all a matter of preference at the end of the day. There are tons of games I don't like that others enjoy, but I don't make it their problem that I don't enjoy them. Like, idgaf about GTA or CoD, yet if someone tells me that they are a huge fan I am not going to discourage them. I think it might be this disconnect in the fandom and the reputation of actual Star Fox fans that alienates people from actually wanting to play the games even if it is a subconscious thing. I was telling my friend that I was actually a huge Star Fox fan, to which he said, "I didn't know Star Fox fans exist," which is actually really funny, but also very sad. Like, we are at a point where people don't even think Star Fox has fans. I think I agree, Star Fox is a series that likely has more haters than fans. How do you become a fan if even the fans are telling you to not be a fan? That is a genuine question.

I think we need to make compromises as Star Fox fans and come to an understanding of not only what each game in the series represents, but also where these fans who like games you hate are coming from.

Super Mario Sunshine has one of the most immersive worlds out of any 3D platformer I have played. The intentional design and cohesion between locations does a lot to make Isle Delfino feel more alive than any other Mario location. Each level feels like such a natural extension of the general environment, making this general beach setting more appealing than anything else. From harbors, windmill villages, amusement parks, underwater ruins, and so-on, this world never ceases to amaze me with its imagination and cleaver world-building. Every level is absolutely amazing and beautiful in their own way, that literally any of them can be someone’s favorite while in something like Super Mario 64, no one has Dire Dire Docks or Rainbow Ride as their favorites. The world is chalk-full of environmental storytelling. Even these strange locations that take place far in the sky or some otherworldly locations make this world feel more mysterious. The dream-like aesthetic is a wonderful part of the Mario series and it’s captured very well here!

Just existing in Sunshine is a beautiful experience! What helps that is Mario’s movement in this game. Mario’s movement just feels incredibly fluid as I can pull off whatever moves I feel like at a moment’s notice very intuitively. The way Mario’s momentum works in this game as you have the ability to manipulate your momentum also makes Mario super fun to control. The game just gives you a ton of different tools too from tightropes, rocket nozzles, turbo nozzles, missiles, etc that elevate Mario’s interactions with the world.

The level structure of this game though linear, also feels much like it also tells a storyline, making each level feel like a journey as you continue to explore it in new ways. Never in any of the levels did I feel like I was retreading old ground in the exact same way, and I appreciate that considering how each level has over 8 missions. Even though it is a more linear game than 64 or Odyssey, the blue coins and bonus shines make exploring the world feel rewarding. Oftentimes, by experimentation and trying stuff out, you are rewarded with something for your efforts that is actually meaningful. For example, in Pianta Village there is a rumor that there is a secret coin stash in the moon, and when you spray it, you get a blue coins. Another example is Gelato Beach, which has the blender taunting you with a shine sprite in every mission, but the blender isn’t just foreshadowing. If you blend a piece of fruit that isn’t a watermelon such as a coconut, you would be rewarded with a blue coin.

The world just finds new ways to keep your imagination active. I think about Shadow Mario’s paintbrush and the implications it has. Paint has been a motif feature prominently in Super Mario 64 and Luigi’s Mansion, and has been tied to preserving life. Then you have E. Gadd, who is never seen in this game but secretly drives the conflict and resolution of this game in the background, giving his intentions an air of mystery behind them. That combined with the corrupt nature and brazen behavior of some Pianta’s makes it clear that there is something off about these characters. Then there is Corona Mountain, which is the final location of the game, and can be seen from every level in this game, which gives a level of significance to this mountain. Oh! The fact that this world is shaped like a dolphin too which is a nod to to Dolphin code name of the GameCube, but beyond that, several Nintendo games referenced the Dolphin which brings like this connective tissue between Mario Sunshine and Pikmin for example with the SS Dolphin. (Super Mario Galaxy even has the Hokotate Freight in Space Junk Galaxy!)

This may surprise you, but I never grew up with Sunshine. As a matter of fact, I grew up with literally every other 3D Mario game from 64 to Odyssey, aside for Sunshine (and Bowser’s Fury). Sunshine was just never released on a modern console when I was a kid and I waited a long time until I got a GameCube to finally play it. Galaxy was my first game I ever owned and though that game truly opened my imagination as an introduction to Mario, looking back, Mario’s movements feel too stiff, the level design doesn’t allow for nearly as much expression, and these worlds don’t feel as cohesive and natural as what we see in Sunshine. The closest game to Sunshine is Odyssey, but in my opinion I prefer the connection between the different worlds. Also, though I like how every collectable allows you to progress in Odyssey, I don’t like how there are so many collectibles that don’t feel meaningful as part of my main objective. DK Banaza’s structure works better as an evolution as you have to engage with the main story and every collectible is pretty much optional. Point is, from the environment, world-building, movement, level-structure, and so-on, Sunshine s just very well-crafted and excels beyond anything else in my opinion that it might be my favorite game in the series!

What are your thoughts on this game? 😊

As far as plushies go, this is a reasonable asking price! I am not too big into plush collecting, but darnit, it is not every day there is official Star Fox merch.

I honestly prefer this over the current, modern version. It’s not perfect and is missing modern features, but it just plays more like classic PvZ. It’s also hella nostalgic for me. But Reflourished is easily the best way for me to play modern PvZ2 generally, the modern modding scene reinvigorated my interest in PvZ2 100%! So, I am never playing modern PvZ2 again. lol.

As a bonus, here are some weird quirks about this version of the game:
• Pancho Zombies can be instant-killed by Coconut Cannon regardless of if they have a grate or not as long as they are still wearing their poncho, making Coconut Cannon an effective counter against them!
• Pianist Zombies can be countered with Chilly Bean despite crushing plants normally. Despite that, it makes sense to give you a counter tool against a zombie in that same world.
• Pharaoh Zombies can’t be killed by instant-use plants like cherry bomb or potato mine, nor is it effected by Chili Bean in the sarcophagus. It also just has a strange hit box and feels a little unpolished.

Pretty neat facts, huh? Are there any other obscure facts about this version of the game that I am missing?

Also, one final question I have for you: what was your first version when you started playing PvZ2? Like, what world were they at when you first played? For me, it was obviously the 2013 version 13 years ago. lol.

After playing Groove for the first time, it took me awhile to come to consensus on how I felt about the music. Now that I have had the game for over a month now, I have a good understanding of my feelings on this game's music. Overall, the music is really, really good! Some people at launch claimed to say the music was unmemorable, which I didn't even agree with at the time, but it just goes to show how much of a juxtaposition the music of this game is compared to predecessors. It's going for a different vibe than what Fever and Mega Mix were doing. Though every Rhythm Heaven game has multiple genres, I would say Fever was a bit more of a pop-focused while this game was more funk and rock-focused if I had to make generalizations. There are also more gentle songs here if that makes sense, with Synchro Wings and Remix 16, the former of which used the synth instruments to give this frutiger aero feel. A part of understanding this game's style is meeting it where it is at and not expecting Fever 2.0. So, with understanding the differences in this game, I would say that most of the music ranges from good to fantastic. I would say that the only kinda mediocre songs are in C tier and lower, the songs that don't feel as if they really want to do anything special with their main melody. But they aren't really that bad honestly. I can probably write out two sentences worth of nice things to say about Remix 4's music.

What makes this soundtrack so incredible is the amount of quality, varied tracks that make this game endlessly entertaining! ❤️

What are your thoughts on the music of the game? Where would you agree or disagree and why? 😄