It's still funny to me how much I used to almost never buy games until they had been out awhile, sometimes feeling late to the party or unsure if I'd get it at all. It took awhile but that changed with playing more, which I'd say (picking up from the first post) started when I was unemployed throughout 2014. With a lot more time on my hands, I purchased Super Mario Galaxy 2, a game I wasn't real sure I would get, but was glad I did leading to a LOT of time with Mario's planet hopping adventures between this and SMG1. I always enjoyed getting 100% completion when it was possible dating back to SMW, but both games did not make that easy, leading to taking measures to make it easier, and raking in the hours on them (I'd end up coming back to both to complete after initially playing through them right up until the end of the Wii era). Gradually though I was getting behind on other Mario titles that had been out quite awhile so I finally switched gears and got 2007's Super Paper Mario, which I was pretty hyped for when it was first revealed. Gotta say, at the time, I absolutely loved the Mega Star power turning the characters giant 8 bit with the Starman remix jingle. After that I enjoyed Mario Kart Wii and then finished off the year with 2010's Goldeneye 007 remake, eventually revisiting the original '97 classic as well.
Before I get to the Switch, it's time for my history with Zelda. August 1999 through June 2000 was when I played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, my very first experience with the franchise. I can't say why I didn't get into it sooner, other than growing up pretty much with Mario, any ads/commercials I saw for A Link to the Past on SNES, I probably didn't think much of. I do remember seeing Zelda II: The Adventure of Link at a friends and probably thought it looked weird compared to SMB. Even in the 90s I'm not sure how much I knew that the hero you play as was NOT Zelda. One day my sister gave me a copy of Ocarina of Time she had been given and I soon worked by way into Hyrule Field. It was an awesome time playing through the adventure, experiencing the revolutionary time mechanic of switching between young Link/older Link, capped off with my first game ending battle with Ganon. Of course the graphics are dated now but I still fondly look back and consider Kokiri Forest one of my favorite starting locations ever. I was so satisfied, I decided to pass on 2001's Majora's Mask sequel, party due to not being interested in the 3 day clock in-game mechanic. While I was busy with Super Mario Sunshine, Nintendo took Zelda in a completely different direction, releasing the cartoon style Wind Waker. Loved it or hate it, I was happy to finally purchase a Zelda game and enjoyed playing through it in 2004. That year also saw the greatest Zelda reveal of all time, when a trailer for a not-yet titled Twilight Princess was shown at the annual E3 press conference - what felt like a true Ocarina of Time adult Link sequel. The game would come out in 2006, but as I was looking to spend time on my new Nintendo DS handheld, I decided to get Wind Waker's sequel, Phantom Hourglass in 2008 after it had only been out a few months, as sort of a companion while I played Super Smash Bros Brawl on the Wii.
By 2012, it was finally time to start catching up on Zelda after playing through Super Mario Galaxy. 1993's A Link to the Past was a fun nostalgic trip back to what I had missed in simpler gaming times and then I brokeout the GameCube again for Twilight Princess. I still kind of wish I had gotten it first instead of Phantom Hourglass, especially with it going back to adult Link and how misleading the title turned out to be. I was mind blown finding out that Midna, Link's imp-like guide in the game was the Twilight Princess in her true form. I then got Skyward Sword in 2015, more colorful and another great story in the series really getting into the lore of it all, though it wasn't quite as revolutionary and the Wiimote motion controls got annoying.
When I got the Switch in July 2017, Breath of the Wild of course had to be first with its wonderful new open world and game mechanics. I'd spend a satisfying year with it, taking occasional breaks to enjoy Mario Kart 8 (which I thought I'd have to skip entirely but was thankfully ported over from Wii U). Trying to conquer 200cc and get gold trophies wore me out so after a few months (and finishing BOTW) it was time for something else. Long overdue to get back into Donkey Kong Country, I decided to try Tropical Freeze, which turned out to be not really my thing even with an easy mode, likely marking the end of ever owning another DKC title. So it was time for Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, the all-star Zelda hack n' slash loaded with all the content you could ask for (combining the Wii U/3DS versions), with an amazing story mode and cut scenes beating anything from the main Zelda series.
Summer 2019 it was time for a break so I picked up Super Smash Bros Ultimate - loaded with EVERY fighter and stage in Smash history. I enjoyed playing through the games World of Light story, but quickly realized the replay value of smash battles Melee & Brawl had is gone, and it's not something I'd be interested in playing online with random people. Plus, I realized just how forever special Melee is to me because it was completely new concept (after skipping 1999's original Smash Bros), and I loved having an all-star Nintendo lineup to play with, going on to spend hours and hours fighting NPCs. Power Rangers: Battle For The Grid also ended up being rather short lived (something I'd much rather play with friends, like Fortnite), so it was back to Hyrule Warriors while I figured out something I'd stick with.
I got Super Mario Maker 2 - originally debuting in 2015 on Wii U - so skipping Wii U I knew I had to get in on the second version. And man, did I get a whole new respect for classic Mario, especially (as I talked about before) having fond memories in the days of the SNES with Super Mario All-Stars being the first time I really experienced playing through Super Mario Bros 3, Super Mario World being the first flagship Mario title I completed 100% (I'd still pretty much consider my favorite) and Mario Kart being an entirely new concept. Now I can play and create courses all I want, from the original SMB to the recent 3D World. Making your own courses and what mine would look like is something I never thought about before but is fun to work with, a bit of a successor to Mario Paint of yesteryear. I especially love Mario Maker giving the games a night mode and new themes not in the original games. Playing competitively against random people is also pretty fun - something I'm not that great at but always satisfying to be the first one at the goal. The concept of making your own version of Super Mario World is not a new concept thanks to Lunar Magic, the program that allows you to edit the game on PC - something I thought about trying myself over the years - but to be able to do it officially is pretty special.
I never got into using the Wii's Mii service with friends, so I'm glad to finally be in the age of connecting with friends on the Switch and having a Nintendo online service, which I've used a lot for Mario Maker and sometimes playing Fortnite with my homies. Lots of NES/SNES titles are available for instant play on the Switch as well, which is nice as the original cartridges gradually wear out. Eventually I started to hit a creative wall as working on the same courses in the editor got old, so I had to think about getting something else. Despite missing out on Super Mario Odyssey, I didn't want to just keep playing all Mario all the time (like on the Wii), so I decided it was time for something brand new and gave Animal Crossing: New Horizons a shot, which has turned out to be a very nice life simulator, especially in a time when escaping reality sounds pretty good. Plus I intend to keep playing Mario Maker occasionally to make use of the online service and finish off all the courses I started working on. And with a lot of my shows off until next year there's plenty of time for the ACNH daily routines and working on creating/shaping the island. I also gotta give a quick honorable mention to Mega Man, whose classic games I've always been a fan of, they're just not for me (though I couldn't pass up on getting 2008's Mega Man 9 throwback before the Switch came out).
Here's to the next decade with more revolutionary moments, the Mario Movie on the way, not to mention what's in store for Breath of the Wild 2, sure to be as much of a must-buy as the first keeping the Legend alive well into its 35th year and beyond.
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