Tag: nintendo-switch

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) Movie Review- Saved By Yoshi

AdamLeave a comment

When The Super Mario Bros Movie came out around this time in 2023, I was generous enough to give it a free pass. Yes, it was fan service galore and had as much substance as a happy meal from McDonalds but it was cute and a faithfully surface level adaption of the gaming plumber bros we all know and love while working well enough as a simple story about the powers of brotherhood and how being small can actually be cool sometimes. And with the way the post credit scene gave a glimpse of the potential arrival of Yoshi for the sequel, you would think Illumination would follow through on that teaser by continuing to expand upon this cinematic world with yet another basic and direct adaption of the classic 2D Mario games (most notably Super Mario World) and call it day. However, it seems as though Nintendo and the Minions company had other plans.

Instead, the cast and crew are looking to take things 10X further and jump straight to Super Mario Galaxy! Not only acting as an adaption of some of the most beloved video games of all time but also introducing many more fan favorite characters such as Yoshi, Bowser Jr. & Rosalina (We’ll get to here LATER!), double down on all of the easter eggs, callbacks, references, and even some surprise cameos from not just Mario but also other known Nintendo franchises, AND also acting as a celebration of 40 years of the Super Mario Bros franchise. Oh, and also are looking to do all of this in the spam of just 90 minutes because….god forbid we let children watch a movie that’s more than 90 minutes in the year of our lord and savior 2026!

If what I just told you makes the movie sound too crowded and overstuffed and gives the impression that the actual Galaxy elements feels like an complete afterthought, you would be 100% correct. If this all sounds like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is nothing more than one brief sugar rush that feels more like a collection of cutscenes, gameplay videos, and YouTube shorts of the very best Mario games compiled together than an actual feature film, you would be 100% correct. If that all sounds up your alley, then it will be up your alley. If that sounds like a miserable nightmare to you, then this will be a miserable nightmare for you. But there is one thing everyone will agree on, at least it has Yoshi in it! And Yoshi makes EVERYTHING better!

Premise: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie follows Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day), Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), and newcomer Yoshi (Donald Glover) as they journey into outer space to rescue Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) from Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie). Bowser Jr. captures her to harness her power to fuel a super-weapon, free his imprisoned father Bowser (Jack Black), and conquer the galaxy.

Now, I know what everyone and their Yoshi is about to type away in the comments, “IT’S A MARIO MOVIE! OF COURSE THE PLOT IS GOING TO BE SIMPLE AND STRAIGHT FORWARD! WHAT WERE YOU EXPECTING, FAM?!” But, I have a PERFECT counter argument to that!

While, YES, the first Mario movie (and most Mario games in general) did have a very simple and straight forward plot, you could at least follow what’s going on and mostly can summarize what happens in the story in one or two sentences. It was a classic Mario tale with a few new modern tweaks to it about a plumber from Brooklyn going on a journey with a powerful princess to save his brother from the clutches of an evil dinosaur and save a magical kingdom on top of that. Was it great storytelling? Heck no! But it was easy enough to understand and get behind without too much hassle!

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie doesn’t so much have a simple and straightforward plot but rather no plot to speak of. It’s jampacked with so many different characters, coincidences, and contrivances strung together, trying desperately to gloss over any glaring structural issues and give you the impression that it’s perfectly acceptable storytelling…..just because it’s Mario. There’s no coherent end goal, no fully realized character arcs are given time to flesh out, and there’s not a single moment where you will find something you didn’t already find in any other form of Mario media. It’s all about getting certain characters from Point A to Point Z and checking off all the boxes that the filmmakers believe they need to check or else they will get hate mail thrown at them from hardcore Nintendo fanboys for the rest of eternity.

And even if you look at the film from an adaption of the much beloved Super Mario Galaxy, it’s not a very good one. While the Galaxy features does help showcases some of the most gorgeous animation and impressive set pieces that Illumination Animation has EVER shown on the big screen, it’s only faithful on the surface level and NOWHERE else. The Lumas don’t serve much purpose other than being cute little star children that will make for great merchandise to sell and the traveling through planets sequences only exist to get characters from one location to another, almost feeling like you could’ve replaced it with any other detour from any other game and there wouldn’t be much difference.

The most wasted element however has to go to Rosalina. Despite being a fan favorite character and casted by longtime Nintendo superfan Brie Larson (THE MVP of the film’s marketing btw), she barely has any presence in the actual movie. She only exists to be a plot device and be a driving force to motivate the main characters (mostly Peach) throughout the entire movie….and nothing else. There’s even a SUPER long stretch in the movie where the character doesn’t even get to appear on screen. If it wasn’t for the fact that the characters kept mentioning Rosalina by name during that long stretch, I would’ve COMPLETELY forgot she was even in the dang movie until the last 20 minutes.

While some would argue that Rosalina’s role in the Galaxy games were also in small doses, you at least felt her presence throughout the entire experience. You still had Mario checking in on her every now and then with friendly exchanges once you completed each world that made you remember she’s still around whenever you might’ve forgot where she was. Because The Super Mario Galaxy Movie doesn’t seem to be that interest in the Galaxy elements that it’s suppose to incorporate (until it suddenly does towards the tail end of the film), Rosalina ends up being casted away harder than even Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away!

It makes me wonder why Illumination thought they had to make Princess Peach a “girlboss” in the first movie because the damsel in distress trope is so problematic and outdated….only to then turn around and make Rosalina a damsel in distress in the very next movie. It’s like they just swapped the characterizations of Peach and Rosalina just because one might be more marketable than the other. (And don’t even get me started on the bizarre retcon between them that gave me the same reaction I had when it was revealed in the Wade Whipple show that Knuckles now has the flames of destr…..I mean disaster!)

On the other hand, at least they did my boy Yoshi justice. (And I’m not just saying that because I’m the biggest Yoshi shill in the world!) He has a very unique and welcome presence on screen with a surprisingly good vocal performance from Donald Glover (Easily the best “WTF!” casting in any movie since Vin Diesel as Groot!). He’s not treated like a dumb animal or an incompetent dog that Mario and Luigi has to take care off. He’s cute, funny, useful, resourceful, gets plenty of great moments, and he constantly proves throughout the movie that there is NOTHING he wouldn’t do for his friends. If there’s one thing that even the worst of Mario franchise gets right, it’s Yoshi and that is no exception here.

If we are to go more into the positives. The visuals are as amazing as they were the last time around, if not even better. There’s so many stunning sequences that you can tell the animators went to hell and back for to make them look as good as they did. The best moments are easily the ones where the characters are flying through outer space and any scenes that take place on the other planets separate from the Mushroom Kingdom. There’s so much love and care put into every single detail throughout the film that it makes you wish there was anywhere near as much passion from the writers of the film as there was from the animators.

The soundtrack from Bryan Tyler is still as stellar this time around with plenty of new and unique remixes to classic Mario toons, helping give the film it’s own unique beating heart and theme that you wouldn’t expect from a composer. The licensed music is (thankfully) used much more sparingly this time around and only when the scene absolutely calls for it, the voice cast are as adequate as they were before, and there is one surprise extended cameo, while gaining more screentime than Rosalina (Seriously, Illumination! WTF!), that makes me SLIGHTLY curious to see them in their own future film in the hands of a more capable studio (Please DreamWorks! Find a way to make it happen!).

Say what you will about the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movies from Paramount but at least those films work perfectly well from a “have your cake and eat it too” perspective. They stand well enough as not just faithful adaptions of the games but also as cinematic experiences for mainstream audiences who are not aware of prior Sonic material. It’s got filmmakers who clearly have a huge passion for the speedy blue blur, doing everything they can to make each new installment better than the last one while addressing fan feedback and criticism in satisfactory ways.

With The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it’s clear that Illumination cares more about milking as many sequels and spin-offs to beloved Nintendo properties as they can before the will runs dry instead of making movies that work in every way a video game adaption should. I will most certainly NOT say that the passion from the cast and crew aren’t there or they didn’t at least have a huge amount of fun in making these films, you just don’t get the sense that the higher ups at Illumination see this series as anything more than water down jokes and paper thin storylines for little kids and key jingling and nostalgia bait for grown adults. And….that kinda sucks.

But again…it does have Yoshi in it!

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is not trying to win anyone that wasn’t won over by the first film nor is it trying to make a new Mario fan out of anyone. It’s just trying to scratch the nostalgic itch out of longtime fans and scratch the easter family movie for kids that will drag their parents to see the film this weekend and nothing else. I just wish we can expect better from not just one of the most popular characters in all of gaming but children and family films in general. And considering, we currently have two other very good animated kids films in GOAT and Hoppers that are still playing in theaters right now, there simply shouldn’t be an excuse for this.

Still, I can’t say I was bored by the movie nor found anything overly offensive from it. And with all the chaos and mayhem that is going on in the world right now, it never hurts to be drowning in pure cartoon delight as pure escapism. And again, it has Yoshi in it! And Yoshi makes EVERYTHING better!

I sure can’t wait though until Sonic The Hedgehog 4 sidelines Amy Rose for 90% of the film and reveals she’s actually Sonic’s *SPOILER*, while giving more screentime to Ryo Hazuki of all characters. **

Unfortunately, Yoshi will NOT be there to save the day! (Or will he?!)

** That’s actually gonna happen in Sonic 4, isn’t it?! F**K!

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2023

AdamLeave a comment

Well, better late than never I suppose! This list took me a long time to put together because I had to to actually play through all the games I wanted to that came out last year in order to make this list. And I also wanted to take my time with each one of these games so I can properly enjoy them without the need to rush through them in order to get the list out at a certain time. I currently don’t work for any big new sites that requires me to have a end-of-the-year list out by the end of the year so why not just take my time and make my list when I’m good and ready! In this case, I am ready now to share my picks of my top 10 favorite games of 2023.

There has been much controversial surrounding the gaming industry as of late, particularly with the amount of layoffs that are happening, developers and designers being overworked and crunched to death, and a good majority of video game making staff could be replaced with A.I.. All of those are MAJOR problems that I have brought up in the past and will continue to do so as long as it remains a problem. However, in this case, I would like to take a break from all of that and celebrate the best of what gaming had to offer in 2023.

2023 was an AWESOME year for games, the most exciting year for new games in quite some time. It was a year that had just about of everything for every kind of gamer out there. I did my best to play as many games as I could and particularly played through the games that actually peaked my interest. After all, if I’m gonna be spending 70 dollars on a game, it better be something that I know I’m going to play the HELL out of and enjoy. Thankfully, there were at least ten games that did just that for me!

A full disclaimer, there are certain highly acclaimed games that I did NOT get around to either because I didn’t have the budget for at the time they came out or they just didn’t interest me in general. These include games like Alan Wake 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, and Hogwarts Legacy. I didn’t play those games because I couldn’t make time for them and they didn’t interest me enough for me to buy them. I might get around to those in the future whenever they come out at a good discount but they will not be on my list.

And before we get to the main top 10, I do have a couple of honorable mentions:

  • Mortal Kombat X

Even though I’m FAR from the best at fighting games, I always enjoy playing them. As far as this game is concerned, it gave me all that I crave for a fighting game. The combat and fighting is fun, the new mechanics work well, and there’s plenty of variety in terms of maps and the incredible roster of characters. The only downsides are the needless microtransactions and costing a few extra pennies in order to play as certain characters such as Peacemaker. It doesn’t revolutionized the Mortal Kombat series or fighting games in any way but if you find a reasonable price, you will have a good time with this one.

  • Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake

After reviving the best SpongeBob game to date with Battle for Bikini Bottom, THQ Nordic followed that up with a highly original game of their own with The Cosmic Shake. This put an interesting multiverse spin of the underwater world of SpongeBob SquarePants, fighting your way through each wish world as SpongeBob, along with Patrick as a balloon, in order to save their friends and bikini bottom. It’s heartfelt and colorful, the combat and platforming is incredibly enjoyable, there’s plenty of well-earned fan service throughout, and this might be the most I’ve laughed at a children’s game in a long time. Perhaps if you got to play as the other characters aside from just SpongeBob, this would have made it on the list. Even so, in an era where Nickelodeon has been making plenty of questionable decisions with our favorite yellow sponge, it’s nice to see THQ Nordic show true respect to the character, perhaps the best that the sponge has been treated since the passing of Stephen Hillenberg. I hope he is still resting in peace.

  • MLB The Show 23

This was actually the game I put the most hours in throughout 2023. That is because whenever I feel lazy and want to play a game without thinking to much, I either play through my team on season mode or find someone online to play an exhibition match with. It’s just something I like to past time with until I get bored. There’s not much to say here other than it’s basically what the MLB The Show games have been since forever. If you love baseball and/or sports games, you likely loved this one too. If not, then I don’t know why you even bothered.

But yeah, those were the honorable mentions. Now onto to the main top 10!

10.) Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2

Are my nostalgic googles completely on for this one? Yes, and I have no shame in it whatsoever. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is able to fully live up to its name and proudly does justice to the numerous franchises from our childhood that is being celebrated here. It’s able to improved upon the shortcomings of it’s predecessor along with providing enough new and unique elements of it’s own to make this a genuinely great platforming fighter. The single-player experience is fun with a good amount of challenges, the fighting system is giving much more depth than before, the new slime mechanic evaluates the combat to a whole new level, the roster of characters could not be more impressive, and even the campaign, while very minimum, makes for an enjoyable nostalgic trip down memory lane. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is able to deliver exactly what it says on the package and it could not be any better for it.

9.) The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog had quite a handful of games that came out in 2023. However, between Sonic Superstars, Sonic Dream Team, and the New Horizon DLC for Sonic Frontiers, I found The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog to be the most satisfying. This game came out on April 1st last year on the PC, strictly as a April Fools Day prank. Little would I know that this would be one of my favorite games of 2023 and one of my favorite Sonic games in a while. To put it simply, it’s Sonic and his friends in a murder mystery party. I would tell you more but that would spoil all the fun to be had with this game. Just know that this is a very well done visual novel and point-and-click adventure made with a lot of love from the SEGA Social team, who clearly loves Sonic as much as the fans do. If that sounds like your jam, then please go download this game right now on your PC if you haven’t already. It’s 100% free!

8.) Super Mario RPG

The remake of the original Super Mario RPG does exactly what a video game remake is suppose to do. It’s able to take everything that worked about the original game, expand upon it’s concepts and gameplay, and updated in a way that it feels like a fresh and unique experience, almost as if you are playing it for the very first time. Thanks to keeping the great gameplay, fun story, breezy pace, and charming characters that the original had, it is able to show it’s age incredibly well, translating near perfectly to the Nintendo Switch. Some might argue it could have used a bit more new content along with it, but for newcomers, Super Mario RPG should be able to delight them the way it was able to delight fans of the original back in 1996.

7.) Final Fantasy XVI

It’s incredible how after over 16 mainline installments and a slew of remakes and spinoffs, the Final Fantasy franchise is still able to feel as fresh and different as it is. Final Fantasy 16 is able to take this long-running series to the next step, a step forward in terms of the franchise’s overall narrative and technical achievements. The combat is simplistic but it’s still fun to slash and dice your way through enemies, the graphics are at a whole new level of impressive, the RPG elements is still top-tier for it’s genre, the soundtrack is one of the best of 2023, and the story delivers some of the best emotional moments and characterization in this entire franchise. Even if the side quests left a bit to be desired, the overall main campaign could not be any stronger. Final Fantasy 16 is proof that this franchise still has yet to lose any steam and still continue to find ways of delivering quality games.

6.) Pikmin 4

I have never played a Pikmin game before this one. As a matter of fact, the only reason I bought this game at all was so I had a new game to play while I went on vacation last year. That turned out to be a very smart decision because Pikmin 4 was an absolute blast of a game that makes me want to check out the other ones. It’s just hard to NOT get sucked into this colorful world of charming creatures that will always follow your command to get the objective done. I like using my army of animal minions to counter any enemy that gets in my way, discovering any hidden treasure, and finding my way to cross certain paths. I loved all these Pikmin so much that it was hard for me to choose which one was my absolute favorite. Even if I’ve not played the other games, I can only imagine that is the charm and formula that fans have come to love about the series. Some might consider the game too easy but for a newcomer like me, Pikmin 4 was able to win me over big time, providing yet another great entry to a stack of quality games for the Switch in 2023.

5.) Star Wars: Jedi Survivor

After delivering the 2019 galactic surprise hit that was Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, Respawn was able to make lightning strike twice with their latest follow-up, Jedi Survivor. This was able to build upon it’s already impressive predecessor in just about every way it possibly could. It furthered the characters, it expanded upon the gameplay and the Star Wars universe, it moved at a faster frame rate, it took a step forward in terms of graphics and technical achievements, and it contained some of the best set pieces in any Star Wars video game to date! While it wasn’t as tight narratively as the first one and the worlds were a bit too big for some, Jedi Survivor was able to deliver more in terms of it’s gameplay, graphics, and presentation, perhaps more so than any Star Wars game up to this point. This was one of the first games I got for my PlayStation 5 and I was not disappointed in the slightest. If the third game is able to deliver just as well as the first two Jedi games from Respawn, then this series will stand strongly as one of the best Star Wars media out there, along with one of the best Star Wars crew out there with Cal, Merrin, Greez, Cere, and the LOVABLE BD-1.

4.) Super Mario Bros Wonder

Just when you think that the Mario series has run it’s course after so many different Mario games release over the past several decades, Nintendo proves yet again with Super Mario Bros. Wonder that they in fact have plenty of more tricks up there sleeves. This is yet another superb and quality Mario game, making for perhaps the plumber’s finest 2D outing since Super Mario World. It’s able to expand on it’s level design, worlds, and power ups further than any prior 2D Mario game while acting as one that can stand perfectly on it’s own two feet. The levels are fast paced and fun, all characters are a delight to play as, the music is amazing, the graphics are beautiful, the new voice cast does a find job, and the Wonder Flower power-up stands out as one of the best and most unique power-ups in any Mario game. I don’t know why it took Nintendo this long to put out a new and fresh 2D Mario game or just a new Mario game in general but it was absolutely worth the wait. Even I can’t live to see the Super Mario Odyssey 2 that I so desperately want, I can at least say I had Super Mario Bros. Wonder which will make me die not only happy but trippy!

3.) Resident Evil 4

Yes, this is another remake. No, I do not care whatsoever because it still manages to be excellent. Resident Evil 4 is able to provide an upgrade that is more than worthy of the original’s reputation, which is quite an accomplishment considering the original RE4 is considered by many to be the best out of the franchise. Capcom is able to delivery another quality RE remake and makes RE4 the best one out of the bunch so far. It’s more action-driven gameplay is able to translate very well to next gen consoles, the updated combat that allows Leon to move and fire his weapon at the same time as well as block is a genius move, Ashley is giving a lot more to do this time around and doesn’t just feel like a distraction, and it’s able to provide all the improvements and additions needed to make this remake feel like a brand new experience. Like most Resident Evil games, you do have to “get” the level design and structure in order to enjoy the full experience. If you are able to do that, then Resident Evil 4 will satisfy you in ways you wouldn’t even expect. There’s been plenty of video game remakes out there and Resident Evil 4 is easily up there as one of the very best.

2.) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Just when you thought that Nintendo couldn’t do any better this year than with Super Mario RPG, Super Mario Bros Wonder, and Pikmin 4, they were able to reach that new level of peak with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Following up with the masterpiece that was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, this will able to match those incredibly high expectations and in many respects, surpassed it. It’s never been more satisfying to control as Link in this incredibly massive open world, exploring more caverns and sky islands than ever before. The fluidity of both Link’s movement and combat, along with new powerups, makes playing through all these islands an absolutely worthwhile experience. Even in the parts where you may get lost and the pace slows down, there is always something to do in both the side stories and the main campaign, with it’s incredibly strong narrative being able to stick with you the whole way through. It’s debatable as to whether or not it surpasses Breath of the Wild entirely but Tears of the Kingdom is still an excellent follow-up, showcasing the power and quality of games that the Nintendo Switch has provided over the past several years.

1.) Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

I was looking for every reason to NOT put this at #1. However, when it comes to the game that I played through the most, thought about the most, and had the most fun and excitement with, I can’t think of any other game from 2023 that fit those criterias for me than Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. This is as good as as a Spider-Man game to get and just how good a superhero game can get in general. This is Insomniac Games reaching a new level of peak, being able to achieve the kind of greatness they always tend to reach but also find new and satisfying ways to do so. The story is incredibly engaging and worth following the whole way through, the gameplay is as polished, perfect, and RIDICIOUSLY fun as ever, the combat and web swinging has never been more satisfying to use, the graphics have never been more of a treat to the eyes, the soundtrack is a new definition of peak, and the voice work is some of the best performed in any video game. Whether it’s the very best superhero game of all time is still up for debate (I still have Batman: Arkham City as my #1) but no doubt, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was able to hit all the right buttons for me and gave me everything that I crave for as a massive Spider-Man fan. It’s games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 that remind me why Spider-Man has always been my favorite superhero and one of my favorite fictional characters in general. I can’t wait for the next game, Marvel’s Wolverine, and whatever else that Insomniac has cooking for the future.

Ranking The ArkhamVerse

AdamLeave a comment

With Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League now out, why not rank it among the other installments in the Batman: Arkham gaming series, since it has been confirmed canon to that same universe whether we all like it or not.

I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that this is probably considering the best superhero gaming franchise out there with the possible exception being Insomniac’s Spider-Man series. This is a series that not just revolutionized the character of Batman to a new generation but superhero triple A games in general. And the fact that these games are still being talked about and played to this very day despite beginning 15 years ago, with the latest installment coming nine years after the previous one, just goes to show you the impact and pure staying power that these games have had.

A big disclaimer here, I’m only doing games that were released on the main consoles and are generally considered the main series installments. I was considering trying to secure a copy of Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate and Batman Arkham VR before doing this list but a.) I couldn’t find the charger for my Nintendo 3DS and b.) I couldn’t find a PlayStation VR that was super cheap. So because of that, those games will be off the list.

This will cover the four main series Batman: Arkham games along with the newest addition, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League. Let’s get right down to it!

5.) Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League

Do I have the hate boner for this game that the majority of the internet has? Not really. Does that mean this game was worth the near decade long wait from Rocksteady? Again, not really. Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League feels like a game that was basically doomed from the start. Not just because this was a game nearly a decade in the making and following Rocksteady’s previous track record with their successful Batman: Arkham games but it was basically by design made to chase the worst kind of trends in modern gaming imaginable. It certainly does it better than most (at least compared to the likes of say Marvel’s Avengers) but like most, it’s own restrictions holds it back for it’s true potential.

It may get the job done by offering a typical action and shoot-them-up game for the Overwatch and Fortnite crowd, and at least has the decency to make the majority of content free (if not free to use offline) but it really doesn’t bother to be anything much else, which goes against what Rocksteady had stood for years now. The plot feels more like a 12-year old’s “What if?” edge lord fan-fiction than it does as being a true continuation of the Arkhamverse, giving the clear indication that this is only in the Arkham name for the sake of boosting sales rather than because anyone thought this truly belong in the same canon.

Yes, the upcoming seasonal content could fix the majority of the complaints and have this game get a resurgence later on down the road (similar to EA’s Star Wars Battlefront 2) but the fact we might have to wait over a year to get all of that says more about this game chasing trends for the sake of chasing trends and not much else. I don’t know whether this was Rocksteady or Warner Bro’s doing but both are capable of much more than this. Is it at least a playable game? Sure! Is it the weakest of this entire series? Without a shadow of a doubt!

4.) Batman: Arkham Origins

For years, Batman: Arkham Origins had the reputation of being the black sheep of the Arkham games. Nothing but the forgotten step child of the bunch and some even like to pretend doesn’t exist. On the surface, it’s easy to see why. This is the only one of the main four Arkham games to NOT be developed by Rocksteady, it doesn’t have the legendary Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill in their roles as Batman and Joker respectively, and was basically the one that acted the most as a “filler” game that was basically made to buy time between the releases of Arkham City and Arkham Knight. There were also multiple reports of bugs and glitches that plagued the game for most people, which I was NOT one of them. However, when looking at the game itself now time has past and updates of the game have been made, Arkham Origins is actually a really damn good game in it’s own right and is highly underrated.

The gameplay is as fluid and fun as it is in the other Arkham games, the addition of the shock gloves is a neat one, seeing Bruce Wayne in his younger, more reckless stage as Batman is engaging and perhaps the most interesting in the entire series, the voice work from Roger Craig Smith’s Batman and Troy Baker’s Joker is great, and it has hands down has the best boss fights in the entire Arkham franchise, with the Deathstroke one in particular being an all-timer. Not to mention, even Alfred gets his time to shine here, including that great scene where he tries to stop Bruce from going out as Batman, showing he truly sees Bruce as his son and not just as his butler. Sure, it does feel like a pre-heated meal compared to the three Rocksteady Batman games and it did suck to see them pull a switch-a-roo with Black Mask not being the actual villain to make room for the Joker but those flaws are no where near a deal breaker for this game.

While not the best, Arkham Origins easily remains the most underappreciated game in the Arkhamverse. To this day, I don’t understand the scorn that fans have with this game or even why both Rocksteady and WB Games Montreal feels so obligated to pretend this game never happened. I understand being critical of this game when looking at it from a business and commercial standpoint (with it being a “filler” game and all) but looking at it’s own thing and the limited amount of time that WB Games Montreal was given, Arkham Origins is a really solid game with gameplay features and story elements that are among the very best of the Arkham games. I remember playing the hell out of this game when I got in on Christmas Day back in 2013 and enjoying it all the same and still do this very day.

3.) Batman: Arkham Knight

The (original) ending of the Arkhamverse divided Batman’s fans everywhere when it arrived in 2015. While plenty found it to be a worthy send-off for this iteration of Batman, others were frustrated by it due to the new elements that the game itself included. However, as the dust settles and in the wake of lesser superhero games that are somewhat Arkham related such as Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, there seems to be more appraisal towards it. While I did feel a bit cold of this game upon my first playthrough of it, Batman: Arkham Knight has only gotten better with age and easily grows on me each time that I play it.

Yes, there’s too much of the Batmobile that gets more tedious the more the game progresses. Yes, the Arkham Knight reveal is very obvious if you know the Batman lore. Yes, the final showdown with Deadshot is underwhelming. And yes, those goddamn Riddler trophies can go to hell! However, there’s plenty of greatness to be found here! We finally have a fully realized Gotham world that’s fun to explore, the gameplay is the best and more polished than ever before, the voice work is superb, the story is the most stake-heavy with resonating themes that feel very Batman appropriate, the graphics is some of the best in any video game, and is able to find a fitting end to a character that isn’t very well known for having definite endings. Yes, the flaws are still presented and prevent it from being as good as it’s main predecessors from Rocksteady but so are the overall strengths for it.

Do I think Arkham Knight is as good as Asylum or City? Not quite but I do feel there are plenty of instances where it comes pretty darn close. So much so that I wouldn’t be surprised if one day, it would surpass at least Asylum for me. Regardless of the quality of the new Suicide Squad game, I do love how it has encourages fans to look back on this series and see the amazing accomplishments that these games have turned out to be. Showcasing how superhero and license video games don’t have to suck. When you have the right amount of right people who want to create something special, it’s then you will have a gaming series as successful as the Batman Arkham series. Had this been the last true game we got in this universe, I would have been more than okay for how satisfying of a game it truly is.

2.) Batman: Arkham Asylum

You would be hard pressed to find a superhero or even licensed game that was able to define the seventh generation of consoles than Batman: Arkham Asylum. After so many Batman games have come and gone with mixed results, this was the first one that just perfectly capture the distinct feeling of being the Caped Crusader himself. Coming off the year after the release of The Dark Knight which helped set the golden standard for superhero movies, DC and Rocksteady was able to follow the success of that greatly with Batman: Arkham Asylum, the game which helped set the golden standard for superhero licensed games. 

Batman: Arkham Asylum is ever bit as awesome as you remembered it was back in 2009. While the boss fights are still rather weak and I don’t fully buy Joker’s “let’s create an army of Banes” master plan, nearly everything else is done rather flawlessly that it’s hard to let those minor gripes bring down the entire game. The combat is absolutely fun with plenty of inventive ways to beat your opponents, the gadgets always come in handy, the detective aspects add a ton to the experience and character of Batman, the entire Arkham island itself is cool to explore, the unlockables are so eager to collect, the voice acting is incredibly stellar, and there’s never a second which you don’t feel like you are in control of The Dark Knight himself.

This is a game that has continued to stand the test time, even 14 years later. For a studio that was relatively unknown before Arkham Asylum came out, there was no better way for Rocksteady to put themselves on the map for gamers all around after crafting this absolute achievement of a video game. If you are a Batman fan and somehow still have not checked this game out, I highly recommend it. Even if you are not a Batman fan and want a really fun action packed game, then I recommend it too. Perhaps it might even turn you into a Batman fan yourself just like I imagine it did for gamers everywhere back in 2009. If 2008 showed how good superhero films can get with The Dark Knight, then 2009 showed how good superhero games can get with Batman: Arkham Asylum! Even to this day, the Caped Crusader remains the standard!

1.) Batman: Arkham City

If you want to talk about a quintessential Batman game, look no further than this masterpiece! After the critical success of Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady knew exactly the direction where to go to top themselves and it perfectly shows throughout the game. Not only does Batman: Arkham City act as a perfect sequel to Arkham Asylum but it also acts as a perfect Batman game and just a perfect superhero game in general. It takes everything you loved by Arkham Asylum, tweaks some of the things that didn’t work about it, throws in some new elements, and is able to off a much grander and wide open world where you truly feel like Batman. If that is not the signs of a great follow-up, then I don’t know what can.

The combat is improved in every way and offers more unique and inventive ways to take down criminals, seeing Batman pushed beyond his limits is always fascinating to see, Arkham City is incredibly fun to explore, Catwoman is a great new addition, the missions from both the main and side stories are all interesting, it’s paced extremely well, the story is the best in the series, the music and voice work are outstanding, and the ending with the death of the Joker will always be an all-timer. This is a game that’s so good that even the little things you can nitpick at (such as Hugo Strange being reduced to being a background villain despite teasing to be the main driving force of the game) aren’t worth mentioning because it doesn’t feel like flaws in any way but more of a tiny little blemish you find on a flawless face. Not to say this game is 100% flawless because no game is but it just feels like that whenever you are playing it.

I don’t think Rocksteady could have followed up Arkham Asylum any better than they did here. If anything, one could make the strong argument that Batman: Arkham City basically acts as to date Rocksteady’s Magnum Opus, a marvelous achievement that every cast and crew apart of this game should be extremely proud of, even 13 years later. Batman: Arkham City is not only the best game in the Arkhamverse for me but it’s one of my all-time favorite games period. I’ve played through this game so many times and I wouldn’t be surprised if I have several more playthroughs with it in the future. As much as I love Spider-Man, when it comes to pure superhero gaming entertainment, Batman: Arkham City still remains on top!