Spencer Botine
@spencerbotine.bsky.social
Pokémon Legends: Z-A. I like to play a Pokémon game once a year or so and decided to jump in on the new hotness. Some good stuff going on in the Legends outings, but suffice to say I still find this series more a guilty pleasure than a legit fulfilling gaming experience.
November 16, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Pokémon Legends: Z-A. I like to play a Pokémon game once a year or so and decided to jump in on the new hotness. Some good stuff going on in the Legends outings, but suffice to say I still find this series more a guilty pleasure than a legit fulfilling gaming experience.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. YO. Unsurprising to no one gaming in the 90s, this is a stone cold classic. Incredible combat system and a story even more relevant today than before, this is an easy recommendation for anyone noting historic revisits.
October 24, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. YO. Unsurprising to no one gaming in the 90s, this is a stone cold classic. Incredible combat system and a story even more relevant today than before, this is an easy recommendation for anyone noting historic revisits.
Good time of year
October 14, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Good time of year
The fucking BARS in this game dude. What a banger.
October 11, 2025 at 7:54 PM
The fucking BARS in this game dude. What a banger.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. What a banger. Impeccable art style, smooth, fluid combat, and power up moves charged by going super saiyan. 2D character action doesn’t get much better than this.
October 4, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. What a banger. Impeccable art style, smooth, fluid combat, and power up moves charged by going super saiyan. 2D character action doesn’t get much better than this.
**sigh**…I miss Japan
September 30, 2025 at 7:09 PM
**sigh**…I miss Japan
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. Year of the Ninja continues, this time with an excellent throwback 2D experience from the Blasphemous gang at The Game Kitchen. Excellent soundtrack, fun puzzle combat, and gorgeous 2D pixel art. Fun one for the old heads.
September 30, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. Year of the Ninja continues, this time with an excellent throwback 2D experience from the Blasphemous gang at The Game Kitchen. Excellent soundtrack, fun puzzle combat, and gorgeous 2D pixel art. Fun one for the old heads.
Hollow Knight: Silksong. I think this is the hardest game I've ever played in my life. It's also the best Metroidvania I've ever had the pleasure to experience. Can't recommend it to everyone, but those who persevere will discover an unbelievably crafted world.
September 22, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Hollow Knight: Silksong. I think this is the hardest game I've ever played in my life. It's also the best Metroidvania I've ever had the pleasure to experience. Can't recommend it to everyone, but those who persevere will discover an unbelievably crafted world.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. A faithful and well executed remake of a beloved classic. I actually think Konami did a great job maintaining the integrity of Kojima's original work while bringing game visuals and mechanics up to a more modern standard. Hope they continue with other entries.
September 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. A faithful and well executed remake of a beloved classic. I actually think Konami did a great job maintaining the integrity of Kojima's original work while bringing game visuals and mechanics up to a more modern standard. Hope they continue with other entries.
Death Stranding - Kojima stands as the most interesting game director of my time, but we end this one again with such a massive dump of exposition I couldn’t help but get annoyed. Still a recommended experience and I’m excited to try the sequel some day.
September 3, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Death Stranding - Kojima stands as the most interesting game director of my time, but we end this one again with such a massive dump of exposition I couldn’t help but get annoyed. Still a recommended experience and I’m excited to try the sequel some day.
Donkey Kong Bananza. First party Nintendo excellence is back, baby. Crushing levels to dust is very fun. Could have used a bit more of that curated Nintendo charm here, but this is an easy pickup if you have a Switch 2.
August 7, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Donkey Kong Bananza. First party Nintendo excellence is back, baby. Crushing levels to dust is very fun. Could have used a bit more of that curated Nintendo charm here, but this is an easy pickup if you have a Switch 2.
Fractone: Hello! Welcome to my home
DK: Banana
Fractone: Uhhh yeah don’t got any of those, anyway - oh, you’re an Elephant now? Interes - oh FUCK WHAT ARE YOU DOING
DK: Banana
Fractone: Uhhh yeah don’t got any of those, anyway - oh, you’re an Elephant now? Interes - oh FUCK WHAT ARE YOU DOING
August 6, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Fractone: Hello! Welcome to my home
DK: Banana
Fractone: Uhhh yeah don’t got any of those, anyway - oh, you’re an Elephant now? Interes - oh FUCK WHAT ARE YOU DOING
DK: Banana
Fractone: Uhhh yeah don’t got any of those, anyway - oh, you’re an Elephant now? Interes - oh FUCK WHAT ARE YOU DOING
Lies of P: Overture. More Lies of P is good. Boss fights were very well done - especially the final one. I’m happy to say one of the best Souls-likes is not made by FromSoftware.
July 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Lies of P: Overture. More Lies of P is good. Boss fights were very well done - especially the final one. I’m happy to say one of the best Souls-likes is not made by FromSoftware.
Metaphor: ReFantazio. Fantasy game about an election with the Persona calendar system, not shockingly, hits incredibly hard. Atlus' perfected their gameplay loop here and I was able to see everything I wanted in a single playthrough. Still very long, but shorter than 150 hours!
July 7, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Metaphor: ReFantazio. Fantasy game about an election with the Persona calendar system, not shockingly, hits incredibly hard. Atlus' perfected their gameplay loop here and I was able to see everything I wanted in a single playthrough. Still very long, but shorter than 150 hours!
Bayonetta. I was dying to play something on my new Nintendo console. This was fun - story is completely unintelligible but the combat holds up immensely. I'll be getting to 2 and 3 at some point.
July 7, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Bayonetta. I was dying to play something on my new Nintendo console. This was fun - story is completely unintelligible but the combat holds up immensely. I'll be getting to 2 and 3 at some point.
Mario Kart World. Idk how you label this "completed", but credits rolled for me at some point so count it as a basket. MKW is fun and all, but this series' will always just be a party game to me, meaning I get very little enjoyment out of it playing by myself. Anyway, it's fun I guess.
July 7, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Mario Kart World. Idk how you label this "completed", but credits rolled for me at some point so count it as a basket. MKW is fun and all, but this series' will always just be a party game to me, meaning I get very little enjoyment out of it playing by myself. Anyway, it's fun I guess.
Went to Portugal last week. They use a bunch of mosaic tiles in the outside of their buildings. Here is a church almost entirely covered in them.
June 28, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Went to Portugal last week. They use a bunch of mosaic tiles in the outside of their buildings. Here is a church almost entirely covered in them.
Ummmm I’m sorry but the #NintendoSwitch2 ‘s setup music is straight fire?????
June 6, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Ummmm I’m sorry but the #NintendoSwitch2 ‘s setup music is straight fire?????
Steam Deck kitted, Metaphor: ReFantazio loaded - ready for 3 back to back weekends of travel 💪🏼
June 2, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Steam Deck kitted, Metaphor: ReFantazio loaded - ready for 3 back to back weekends of travel 💪🏼
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. GOTY. One of the best games I've played probably since Elden Ring. Incredible combat, incredible realized world, incredible story. 10s across the board.
May 22, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. GOTY. One of the best games I've played probably since Elden Ring. Incredible combat, incredible realized world, incredible story. 10s across the board.
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Good, but not as good as its successor. Don’t like the dual world mechanic, it was confusing to navigate. Getting the screw attack in a 3D Metroid is sick. Don’t play it on GC or Wii…*hint hint* 👀
May 15, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Good, but not as good as its successor. Don’t like the dual world mechanic, it was confusing to navigate. Getting the screw attack in a 3D Metroid is sick. Don’t play it on GC or Wii…*hint hint* 👀