Brie Larson as Rosalina is a good choice (funny how she played both Captain Marvel and Rosalina). I don't know much about Benny Safdie tbh, but he sounded pretty good as Bowser Jr.

It's also really cool that they're taking some SMB Wonder inspiration (Ninji Dance Party, Jr.'s appearance, etc.)

The movie looks really fun. The first movie was more of a fun movie for Mario fans, and honestly I expect the Galaxy movie to be more of the same, but i'm ok with that. As a lifelong Mario fan, seeing the franchise get this kind of love on the big screen makes me pleased.

Yes, for multiple reasons. It reduces the number of times the E and M Trains need to merge with other lines (3 -> 2 and 4 -> 3, respectively), reducing delays on the E, F, M, and R Trains as a whole. It will also reduce crowding at certain stations because the M gets less ridership than the F.

The problem I have with microtransit in higher density areas is that service gets worse the more people use it, which is the inverse of most other modes of transit (because of the increased wait times from more people using it). For late night hours, 24/7 bus service makes more sense imo.

I agree that a lot of the Inti games since BMZ3 have either been underwhelming (LAiX 2, GV Records, GG: Servants of the Dark), or good but not great (GV3, Umbraclaw, GG: Demon Purge). Card-en-Ciel was a fantastic game but was a wholly different genre. Majogami is the 2D Action Inti is known for.

Yeah I was going to say, publically owned rideshare as you're describing is ostensibly microtransit. I think it has interesting applications but it only really works in very low density areas where effective fixed-route transit is basically impossible.

I think this is their best game since Blaster Master Zero 3 (which is saying a lot, that's one of my favorite games of all time), and one of their best games since 2010 when they stopped making Mega Man games.

Do I recommend Majogami? If you love action games and especially the Mega Man-alike action games that Inti Creates is known for, absolutely. Shiroha's journey through Ochesgra is fast, frantic, and fun, with a lot of heart, be be forewarned: that T Rating for Suggestive Themes is there for a reason.

I also don't understand why you can't upgrade this game's Switch 1 version to the Switch 2 version, it's a bizarre choice that punishes players who don't own a Switch 2 but want to get one in the future. I chose the Switch 2 version, so I have no idea how the Switch 1 version runs, YMMV.

I don't want to get too far into it because I try to keep my social media profiles pretty clean, but some lines in this game made me physically squirm with the suggestive implications. It's a shame because I love these characters and their eccentricities, but some of the dialogue is just not cool.

So why is this not my favorite game of the year? Well...comfort. The story is great, but Inti Creates has really been pushing the envelope with the suggestive themes in its games recently, and I think Majogami takes it too far. Some of the dialogue in this game made me feel very uncomfortable.

Oh, and make sure you stick around after the "credits", because the postgame is the absolute best part of this game. I won't spoil it, but the story and level design really ramp up after you think the game is over, culminating in one of my favorite final bosses this year.

I adore the papercraft graphical style of Majogami, and the game takes full advantage of the Switch 2's enhanced capabilities. Gameplay never slowed down for me once despite the high graphical fidelity and objects on screen, I was immensely impressed. The music also had a great ethereal feel to it.

The boss fights are also stellar. Each Craft Witch is paced perfectly with just the right amount of attacks and with enough health that fights feel difficult until you understand them, at which point defeating the Craft Witches feels incredibly satisfying.

In particular, Majogami's levels are immaculate. Gameplay is lightning fast as Shiroha zips around the levels taking out the papercraft enemies. While the gameplay is similar on the surface to Kirin's Arc Chain in Gunvolt 3, the focus on angling your Setsuna strikes gives the game a different feel.

Game #78: Majogami

Developer/Publisher: Inti Creates
Release Year: 2025
Played On: Nintendo Switch 2

Excellent news, happy to see a win from PA as well.

I just hope PA can provide a more sustainable transit funding strategy in the future too because SEPTA and PRT are currently operating with what is essentially negative budget at the moment due to the state not funding them 😬