#mt24 july

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32. Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble

Release: 2024, Switch Beaten: July 30th, Switch Playtime: 5h

Banana Rumble is pretty good as far as Monkey Ball games go. It has the classic blend of levels that are moderately easy to challenging but can be accomplished in a few tries, levels that test your patience with precise rolling, and levels that feel like total bullshit which necessitate luck more than skill. It's mostly a good mix, with only a small handful of levels that made me want to tear my hair out (and which I would feel justified saying are poorly designed). I feel like that's kind of what I expect from Monkey Ball, for better or worse, and I suspect people who are bigger fans of the franchise will feel right at home.

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31. Humanity

Release: 2023, PC/PS4/PS5 Beaten: July 21st, Xbox Series S (Game Pass) Playtime: 15h 42m

Humanity is an interesting game. It reinvents itself several times throughout the story, introducing mechanics that--essentially--swap genres entirely, while still feeling familiar to the core gameplay that preceded it. It feels like the game is trying to be profound, and there is some awe to it, something clearly being said amidst the constant flood of faceless people walking off cliffs because an arrow pointed them in that direction, but mostly the game doesn't say anything particularly unique or mind-blowing. Frankly, I don't really care about whether it has something to say, and I personally think it would have been stronger as a game that lets its gameplay speak for itself re: its themes. But the story is still relatively interesting and lends itself well to the gameplay shifts and visually spectacular crescendos the game offers. Most of all, this is a puzzle game that is constantly mixing things up in satisfying and original ways. It challenged me immensely at times, almost prompting me to give up, but I'm glad I stuck it through.

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30. Metroid: Zero Mission

Release: 2004, GBA (1986, NES) Beaten: July 11th, Switch (Nintendo Switch Online) Playtime: 5h 57m

Zero Mission is a really good Metroid game. The new epilogue mixes up gameplay in a really interesting way and is executed masterfully. The main game is also really solid. Overall, just a very fun experience.

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29. A YEAR OF SPRINGS

Release: 2021, PC Beaten: July 10th, PC (Steam) Playtime: 2h 43m

A lovely series of three visual novels. Each provides a very thoughtful and kind glimpse into the lives of three women, dealing with adulthood and social/societal pressures in their own unique ways. The characters and their dialogue are well-developed and interesting, and the complexities of communication come across really well. The stories also offer really tactful exploration of things like the hardships of being transgender, as well as other ways of existing that are outside of the "norm." Overall, the stories play out in a way that reads as hopeful and optimistic, finding kindness in friendship and love even when it feels like the world can be so unkind.

Additionally, the first story is free on Steam as "one night, hot springs," so it's worth checking out.