Weekend Gaming Playlist
Greetings and salutations, everyone! It’s been a minute since I’ve written, but like some of you can likely relate, life has not been super kind as of late. That said, things are on the upswing, and I am finding more time to pick up my Switch and relax! If you are having a rough time, you’re not alone. Feel free to reach out to me via Discord if you ever need an ear. I get it, I really do — but let’s get into the fun stuff!
Mario 3D All Stars

Finally seeing the HD release of some of the best Mario entries ever, 3D All Stars has three massive adventures to complete, and as a first time player of Sunshine, I know I’m in for a real treat. Mario 64 was my first game for my Nintendo 64 as a kid, and really lit up that Christmas for me. That’s still one of my best memories as a kid to this very day, and I’m so happy to be able to play the game on a modern console! Galaxy happens to be a Wii favorite, so I know I have tons of collecting to do across all three of these massive games, and I feel like I’m up to the task! Luckily, my game is already in hand, so I’m ready to start from 64 and keep collecting coins and stars and whatnot until my thumbs fall off.
Nexomon: Extinction

I’ve had a very interesting time with this game. As a person who has played monster taming games from the time they could read, I’m very happy that Nexomon exists on Switch. From my earlier days of Pokemon Red and Dragon Warrior Monsters, Nexomon has shown that new things can still work with an old formula and can make the genre itself evolve — something that I think it’s needed for some time. While Nexomon isn’t from a well-known developer or publisher, the game is a very polished experience with a great story, funny dialogue, and creatures that you can’t help but appreciate for their coolness, cuteness, quirkiness, and other loveable features. My team right now is full of cats and dragons, and I’m super happy to raise them up to brutalize the creatures handled by other tamers.
CrossCode

CrossCode has been in my hands for a while now, and since I started it I have had a lot of things go on. The game was patched a few weeks back, which seems to have made my adventure a little better. Admittedly, I am struggling with the action combat, but the story that I’m experiencing is on another level. I can’t give up on this, and there’s always something pushing me to succeed, like helping an NPC friend or pursuing even a little bit more information about my character’s backstory. I NEED to know, and that’s what pushes me to continue playing, even when I hit a rough patch, kind of like my real life lately.
What’s on your radar this weekend, readers? Will you be tossing bowsers, cleaning up an island paradise, catching creatures, or grinding EXP? Let me know in the comments below, and let me know how you’re doing today!