General Kai

This might be the best metroidvania I've ever played, period. Team Cherry really took their time with this one and it *shows*. First of all, Hornet is a joy to control. She feels a lot more light on her feet and acrobatic than the Knight (I don't mean to say they control badly, though), as well as her healing spell, Bind, not having you hold down the button for what felt like an absurd amount of time. I especially liked her down-side dash attack, getting an enemy hit by it feels incredibly satisfying. The game also feels noticeably more difficult. The main currency of the game, Rosaries, are in much shorter supply than Geo was in Hollow Knight. However, I am still in the early-game, so it may change later down in the line. The bossfights I have played in the game so far were top-notch and the combat feels incredibly fluid, like you and the enemy are dancing around each other, trading blows. And like any good Metroidvania, I can get lost in the world of the game and enjoy every second of it. Pharloom doesn't feel like a maze – it feels like an interconnected world, with each path leading to a new outcome.

This game *is* Super Mario Odyssey 2. EPD Production Group 8 doesn't miss! --SPOILERS FOR DONKEY KONG BANANZA-- Already with Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2, and Super Mario 3D World under their belts, they made the spiritual successor to their most recent smash hit, the incredible Super Mario Odyssey, with Donkey Kong Bananza. The mechanic of simply using your fists and destroying everything around you is insanely addictive and strangely therapeutic – it simply feels really good to romp around and smash things. Other than just punching, Donkey Kong himself also controls excellently. With the moves given in the game, like in Mario Odyssey, players and speedrunners have put them together to do insane feats, like skipping the Freezer Layer by using a precise trickjump in the Junction, and skipping SL301 and the Mad Mixer bossfight in the Canyon Layer. Before the game released, I thought Pauline being fully voice-acted would be somewhat annoying and would drag my experience down. I can now happily say I was wrong! I love listening to her little comments in every situation – some of them got a bit more than a chuckle out of me. The Bananza Transformations also feel really fun to play with! However, I do wish they were more balanced – my most used is the Elephant Bananza by far, followed by Kong and Ostrich Bananzas. The only times I used the Zebra Bananza were in the Freezer Layer during the main quest and in NDC getting to K. Rool. AND SPEAKING OF K. ROOL! HE'S BACK! AND BETTER THAN EVER! His "King of Rot" transformation looked insanely cool, and though his fight wasn't super hard, like most in this game, I enjoyed every second of it. His reveal at the end was absolutely legendary – the King has truly returned! Overall, I'd give Donkey Kong Bananza a 9.5/10. I had and am having a blast with it, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys Donkey Kong or Super Mario Odyssey – heck, I'd recommend it to anyone who's purchased a Nintendo Switch 2!

-<SPOILER WARNING>- This was... an experience, to say the least. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is easily the best out of the three prequel movies and my second favorite Star Wars movie, after Star Wars: A New Hope. The highlight for me was Anakin's descent into the dark side and rechristening as Darth Vader. He had reason to listen to Palpatine – why would he kill the only person who could save his wife from death? And why should he trust the Jedi if they didn't trust him? The duel between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader was insanely well-executed, and seeing how reluctant Obi-Wan was to fight Darth Vader and how heartbroken he was at Anakin's fate was a spectacle to behold. If you disliked the politics of Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, this movie's more action and character-focused, though the political plot-line is still there. This movie also contains the quote that I think sums up the entire political plot of the Prequel Trilogy: "So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause."