More people need to talk about Kirby's Return to Dreamland. Seriously.
Kirby Super Star was not only my favorite Kirby game but probably my favorite Super Nintendo game period, and this is pretty much a bigger version of that. I really like the Kirby games where you can do different kinds of attacks with the same power (Example: usually the Spark ability is just an electric field around you, but here, you can also shoot lightning upward or downward), and this game delivers in droves. Plus, some of the new power-ups that Kirby can gain are incredibly fun to use, like Water's ability to ride waves over enemies, or the Spear's ability to let you hover while you spin it above your head. There are also times when Kirby can gain Super Abilities (or "Superstar Powers", as I liked to call them until I found out their actual name). When Kirby gains these, he WRECKS EVERYTHING IN SIGHT (as long as it has a Star mark showing) with massive swords, or fiery dragons, or giant snowballs.
The first night I was playing this game, I just felt so happy. There was nothing really complicated about this: I was breezing through it getting pretty much every Energy Sphere in sight. But still I pressed on: slashing, whipping, burning, splashing, and eating pretty much anything in my way. It's a kind of joy of messing around in a colorful, cartoony toy box that stays with you for at least an hour after you stop playing it. :')
Oh yeah, and I'll second... third... fourth (I guess) Pokemon Black and White, too. For the main story, it feels like it moves faster than a lot of the older games, using faster battle graphics and certain mechanics in the game that make it easier to level up than in the past. However, it does feel like opponents hit a bit harder than usual. I'd say this is probably the best Pokemon game you can get for someone new to the series, since it actually teaches players about the basic mechanics of the game pretty quickly and easily, unlike some past games of the franchise (the original Red and Blue can suck Misty's Starmie 'til it rips their faces off!). It'll be a little bit before you start finding wild Pokemon worth using, but there are some cool ones around Nacrene City (fourth town in the game); once you reach the desert (one city later), you'll either be loving the monsters because you're using them to wipe out everyone around you or hating them because they're beating you badly. I still prefer Platinum and HeartGold, personally, but Black and White are nice ways to get your feet wet in Pokemon (and probably what most Pokemon players will be raising monsters on now, anyway).
![[Kira Must Die]](https://eg-forums-escapist-data.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/data/avatars/l/68/68539.jpg?1620622912){kind=avatar}
