Release: 2017- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Developer: BioWare

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Summary

Mass Effect: Andromeda is set after a 600-year journey to the Andromeda Galaxy, as the crew begins searching for a new home for humanity. Instead of the expected paradise, worlds are viewed as wastelands or filled with enemies. Included is an online-multiplayer mode where players must work together to take down enemy forces.

Issues

The feeling most get when playing Mass Effect: Andromeda is emptiness. In a plotline and universe that has so much potential, BioWare failed to create a story, set of characters, and open-world that made the player feel important. In previous games, the protagonist was shaped by the player in both initial customization and throughout dialogue choices. However, in Andromeda, players are forced into a pre-determined personality. Missions, both main and side, pretended to be important. At their core, there was little difference they made the overall story and were merely, “go to this place, do this thing, then repeat.” And that’s if you could even complete them with technical glitches. Enemies and NPCs phase in and out due to their failed pathfinding, and lines of dialogue would sometimes overlap one another or get cut off.

My dislike for Mass Effect: Andromeda, is not to be confused with Mass Effect 2 which is a great game!

Writer’s Note: As a game completionist, I was able to complete all but one mission in this game due to a glitch that caused a door to never open. It haunts me to this day.

Release: 1991- NES

Developer/Publisher: Mindscape

Summary

Conan embarks on another quest to gain the throne of Aquilonia. To do so, he must find and return the Four Urns of the Early Kings. This is an action-adventure video game that lasts six levels, but is also a puzzle game, as the player must find the hidden locations of special weapons to defeat bosses.

Issues

The biggest complaints about Conan have to do with the control scheme. In most NES games at the time, each button had a different purpose. In the case of this game, however, the character can jump using five different buttons or button combinations. The control scheme isn’t intuitive and requires the player to either memorize the manual or give up. Other issues include low reaction time between the player hitting the button and the character following through, as well as lackluster immersive settings.

Release: 2010- Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Nintendo Switch

Developer: Access Games

Publisher: Ignition Entertainment, Marvelous Entertainment, Rising Star Games, Toybox Games

Summary

Deadly Premonition is an open-world survival horror video game set in the fictional, rural American town of Greenvale, Washington. The plot follows FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan as he investigates the murder of an eighteen-year-old woman, which bears similarities to a series of murders across the country.

Issues

We’ll preface this by saying that Deadly Premonition is a polarizing game. While it received many negative reviews with its first release, the re-release Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut became loved for how terrible it was. While it has a cult following, the issues can’t be overlooked. Most complaints include Resident Evil-like clunky controls, being unable to move when using a weapon or reloading, repetitive fights, and bad music that tends to be played louder than a cut scene’s dialogue.

If you fail a mission, you can’t restart it, merely replay it and be forced back to the main screen after. You can also only have one save file. Overall, the ambitions of this game were above the skill set and budget of the development team. Still, I can’t let go of how humorously bad this game is. Watching a car drive in circles and then fade into the road itself will do that to you.

Release: 2020- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia

Developer: Crystal Dynamics

Publisher: Square Enix

Summary

Marvel’s Avengers is a third-person, action-adventure game that combines an original, cinematic story with single-player and cooperative gameplay. Players assemble a team of up to four players online, customize a roster of Heroes, and defend the Earth from threats.

Issues

The single-player campaign isn’t where players and critics felt the game failed. The failure came from the multiplayer aspect and post-campaign missions. The first patch of the game included fixes for over 1,000 bugs. But that didn’t help much with a player base that is bored with battling in the same places, with the same enemies, and mechanics over and over. The game didn’t live up to the title, and the single-player campaign was the most playable and enjoyable piece of Marvel’s Avengers.

Release: 2017- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Developer: EA DICE

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Summary

Star Wars Battlefront II is an action shooter video game based on the Star Wars franchise. In a single-player campaign, players experience the story of an Imperial elite special forces soldier. In the multiplayer mode, players battle and pilot a First Order TIE fighter through intense space, and play as ground troopers or iconic heroes and villains. The single-player campaign takes place in the 30 years between the destruction of Death Star II and through the rise of the First Order, introducing Iden Versio, the leader of Inferno Squad, an elite special forces unit of the Galactic Empire. In addition to Iden, players also encounter and play as other iconic Star Wars heroes and villains like Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren during the campaign.

Issues

The ball was dropped in Battlefront II with the story of Iden, as it was less a typical storyline and more like disconnected missions slapped together quickly. Instead of developing the Imperial soldier’s character, the focus is more on being able to witness well-known Star Wars characters. Consider the campaign to be more of a tour through space history rather than an actual plotline.

In fact, the players were harsher than the critics in the reviews. Microtransactions make the game more of a pay-to-win cash grab and riddled with game-crashing bugs. Since release things have improved in terms of the glitches and technical issues, however, players still struggle to avoid having to pay to get improvements to their equipment or progression.

Release: 2016- PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Developer/Publisher: Hello Games

Summary

No Man’s Sky is a survival game built around exploration, survival, combat, and trading. Players are free to roam through the entirety of a procedurally generated open world universe, which includes over 18 quintillion planets.

Planets have their own ecosystems with unique forms of flora and fauna, and various alien species may engage the player in combat or trade within planetary systems. Players advance in the game by mining and trading while following the game’s plot by uncovering the mystery around the Atlas, an entity at the center of the galaxy.

“Procedural generation is two big words for one simple thing: the creation of data by computers. Procedural generation is usually used to create content for video games or animated movies, such as landscapes, 3D objects, character designs, animations, or non-player character dialogue.” – Jessica Van Brummelen and Bryan Chen, MIT

Issues

Even though the worlds were randomly generated by a computer, players found that after exploring a few planets, everything seemed uniform. The controls are unintuitive no matter if it’s played on PC or console. The tasks are repetitive and frustrate players when dealing with their NPC counterparts. For a game that’s meant to be unique, it’s incredibly boring and often found to be quite safe, despite the dangers that developers promised.

Release: 2019- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Developer: BioWare

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Summary

Anthem is an online multiplayer action role-playing video game set on an unnamed planet. Players assume the role of Freelancers, heroic adventurers who wear powerful exosuits to defend humanity from the threats beyond their cities’ walls.

Issues

Let it be known that even though developer BioWare stated they’d planned to overhaul the game, as of February 2021, all development has ceased. The first few minutes of Anthem gameplay are incredibly deceiving, as players soon realize how unfinished the game is. The NPCs found in the home base are interesting, however, they don’t do anything other than tell you what you need to do. With excessively long load times, Anthem players are frustrated with the time they waste traveling versus actual combat time.

Release: 2014- PC

Developer/Publisher: Nether Productions, LLC

Summary

Nether is a first-person, multiplayer, survival game, where the player must survive in a landscape based loosely on Chicago. Players must scavenge the world for supplies and fight off the evil monsters that are hunting for them, known as the Nether. There are various NPCs around to trade money for supplies, and other players in the server whom they can choose to trust or not.

Issues

The most common remark about Nether is that it has potential but feels unfinished. Players suffer from being vastly under-equipped in an unforgiving world. They commend the graphics and look of the open world, however, it’s difficult to enjoy when all they have to fight off a Nether monster is a weak knife. That knife might not even be hitting the target when they are trying to fight due to terrible hit detection. One of the bigger complaints, however, is the dependence on microtransactions for loot that would help the player survive longer.

Release: 2020- PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Xbox One

Developer: CD Projekt Red

Publisher: CD Projekt

Summary

Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure story set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour, and body modification. Assume the role of V, a mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-a-kind implant that is the key to immortality. Players can customize their character’s cyberware, skill set, and play style, and make choices that can shape the story and world.

Issues

Aside from typical release-day bugs, Cyberpunk 2077 is known for how many promised features that weren’t delivered (and weren’t disclosed as being scrapped in development). AI that directed enemies, citizens, and NPCs, a wanted system, immersive police activity that changed based on the player’s crime choices, and smooth gameplay are just a few of the features that went undelivered.

Release: 2021- PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One

Developer/Publisher: Frontier Developments

Summary

Elite Dangerous is a space flight simulation game where the player takes the role of a spaceship pilot, and explores a realistic 1:1 scale open-world representation of the Milky Way galaxy. Odyssey is a paid DLC that allows players to explore worlds on foot, undertake ground missions, find work, assistance, and shops in social hubs and meet fellow pilots in person rather than peering at them through the cockpit window.

Issues

Considering the Odyssey DLC spent over a month in alpha, you’d think most of the bugs would be handled before release. Many of the issues with the DLC revolve around bugs rather than the content or controls. Bugs include being unable to invite friends because the game doesn’t register they’re online, players not able to see each other due to being on different “instances” of the game, and servers kicking players off for no apparent reason.

Release: 2020- PC

Developer: Relentless Studios

Publisher: Amazon Game Studios

Summary

Crucible was a free-to-play multiplayer third-person shooter developed and published by Relentless Studios, a subsidiary of Amazon Game Studios. Teammates need to work together to take down alien creatures, capture objectives, and pursue opponents in pursuit of victory. As of October 2020, development has discontinued.

Issues

The execution of Crucible seemed to lack focus. It wanted it to be like Overwatch or Team Fortress 2, but it failed to be a completed system that players could enjoy. It lacked important features of any multiplayer game; such as team chat, voice chat, and a vote-kicking system. Those are all necessary for the players who were lucky enough to even be placed in a match.

Release: 1989- NES

Developer: Atlus

Publisher: LJN

Summary

Players take the role of any one of six camp counselors, switching between them as needed, while exploring the Camp Crystal Lake area and being attacked by Jason. The player must avoid the deaths of all counselors or the children they’re taking care of. To win the game, the player must survive for three days, depleting Jason’s life bar each time to move onto the next day.

Issues

Considered one of the most difficult horror games, it’s the mechanics of the gameplay that cause the most issues. Between unavoidable hits, unhelpful weapons, and baffling enemies, you also have to worry about Jason randomly appearing and killing you. The battles with enemies and Jason are viewed as repetitive and downright boring. The ending is underwhelming too. After you’ve managed to defeat Jason multiple times, the screen merely says “The End” with no closure for the counselors or children.

Release: 1993- MS-DOS, NES, SNES

Developer: The Software Toolworks, Radical Entertainment

Publisher: The Software Toolworks, Mindscape

Summary

Mario Is Missing! is an educational game. The player controls Luigi, who must travel around the world to find and return stolen treasures as part of a quest to find his brother, Mario, who has been captured by Bowser. The computer version is a point-and-click adventure, while the NES and SNES have platform game elements. In the game, Bowser has relocated from the Mushroom Kingdom to the real world, where he has set up his headquarters in an Antarctic castle. Bowser’s plan is to steal the Earth’s treasures with the use of the Passcode-Operated Remote Transportation and Larceny System (PORTALS), which allows his Koopas to teleport anywhere in the world. Bowser plans to sell the treasures to buy enough hairdryers so that he can melt the ice of Antarctica.

Issues

Because Mario is Missing! was an educational game, reviews were mixed upon its first release. The locations were nearly identical-looking and the gameplay repetitive. The age group for this game is very specific. If you’re older than seven or eight years old, then it’s a very easy game to play. If you’re much younger than that, then gameplay becomes quite difficult. Not to mention that the use of hairdryers as a plot device to melt Antarctica is just random.

Release: 2003- PC, Playstation 2

Developer: Core Design, Beenox

Publisher: Eidos Interactive

Summary

A series of grisly murders brings Lara into conflict with a sinister Alchemist from the past and a secret alliance of powerful individuals. At the center of these mysteries are the Obscura Paintings – five 14th century pieces of art that the Alchemist is desperate to repossess. Accused of the murder of her one-time mentor, Werner Von Croy, Lara is pursued by the police while trying to go up against the Alchemist.

Issues

The developer’s hope for The Angel of Darkness to bring a new era of Lara Croft failed. Not because it attempted to add more storyline to the action-adventure series, but because the gameplay was so terrible that, in some cases, players couldn’t finish the game. Controls were difficult and unresponsive at times, and the camera was unruly as it panned around without the player’s consent. The game was so poorly received that the developers were never given a Tomb Raider project again and shut down in 2010.

Release: 2018- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Summary

Fallout 76 is an online action role-playing game set in 2102, twenty-five years after a nuclear war that devastated the Earth. The player character is a resident of Vault 76, a fallout shelter that was built in West Virginia to house America’s best and brightest minds.

Issues

In the words of a GameSpot review, Fallout 76 is “a soulless husk of an experience.” Because there are so few interactive NPCs in the world, players feel alone and bored quite easily in the open world. Even with other players on the server, it’s a massive map that the only places players will happen upon each other is at quest locations. Most voices heard are from recordings from dead NPCs, robots, and AIs who are merely there to give information. The Fallout games are known for their moral triggering decision-making, but there’s none of that in Fallout 76. Frame rate lags, freezing frames, and even game crashes make up most of the players’ experiences in the game too. There were even quests that players couldn’t complete. Overall, critics and players felt let down by the hype and promise created by the developers.

Release: 2021- PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

Developer/Publisher: JanduSoft

Summary

Evil Inside is a first-person psychological horror game. After the death of his mother and the arrest of his father, Mark decides to contact her using an Ouija board. Mark will have to face his greatest fears to discover the truth.

Issues

Evil Inside is harshly criticized for being a terrible ripoff of P.T., an interactive teaser for the Silent Hill game franchise. Not only does it have a similar premise, but the mechanic of a looping hallway is nearly identical (including furniture placement and decorations). The only trope of scary games that frightens players are the jump scares. Rather than well-placed sounds or atmosphere, Evil Inside is riddled with sudden loud screams or ghostly apparitions appearing on the screen. The acting is just as poorly executed as the storyline, which thankfully only lasts for an hour’s worth of gameplay.

Release: 1982- Atari 2600

Developer/Publisher: Atari, Inc.

Summary

Pac-Man is a maze video game developed and published for the Atari 2600 as an adaptation of the 1980 hit arcade game of the same name. The player controls the title character and attempts to consume wafers while avoiding four ghosts that pursue him.

Issues

While the game itself had a commercial success, it’s the prime example that revenue isn’t everything. Even though it had 7.2 million copies sold in its first year, Pac-Man is still heavily criticized even today for its poor graphics that barely resembled the original. Take one look at the original arcade game versus the later video game, and you’ll see the quality of graphics differ. However, it should be noted that the Atari 2600 was released in 1977 causing this Pac-Man video game to have different, and slightly outdated, technological abilities.

Release: 2017- PC, iOS, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One

Developer: NEKCOM Entertainment

Publisher: Coconut Island Games, Oasis Games

Summary

DYING: Reborn is a dark, horror-themed puzzle game that creates a first-person room escape experience. Players will encounter a mysterious fish-head nemesis, a grudge, and a series of never-ending trials.

Issues

The point of horror games is that there’s a sense of urgency and fear of consequences. DYING: Reborn is missing both. For one, the player can’t die, merely get stuck on a puzzle. Most players didn’t feel any connection or need to keep going due to lackluster characters and plot. Plus, if the player had the VR game, they only get to play half the game as the developers cut out most of the content.

Release: 1994- Philips CD-i

Developer: Philips Fantasy Factory

Publisher: Philips Interactive Media

Summary

Just like with the CD-i Zelda games, there originally were plans for multiple Mario games on the platform, however only Hotel Mario was released. Players control Mario, who must find Princess Toadstool by going through seven hotels in the Mushroom Kingdom. Like most Mario games, each hotel is divided into stages and the objective is to close all doors in each stage. Each hotel ends in a boss fight with one of Bowser’s Koopalings, leading up to a battle with Bowser himself.

Issues

While Hotel Mario was viewed as better than the CD-i Zelda games (listed below), it wasn’t viewed completely positively. It was enjoyed up until the player started feeling bored from the repetitive levels. Not to mention that the whole goal of the stages were to close doors, which wasn’t all that enticing for players to keep playing. The cutscenes were filled with acting that just doesn’t fit with the rest of the playful Mario series. And if you thought the animation of them looked similar, that’s because they’re created by the same company as the Zelda games.

Release: 2014- Wii U

Developer: Big Red Button

Publisher: Sega

Summary

Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric is an action-adventure game where the Sonic franchise characters must work together as they face the deadly snake-like ancient villain, Lyric, and his army of robots. Sonic and his team will travel around the world through ancient ruins, the depths of the ocean, and even back in time to save the world from Lyric’s evil plan.

Issues

To put it into perspective, on the first day of release, players discovered a glitch that allowed them to infinitely go higher while using Knuckles’ jump. This is another title trying to be multiple games at once, and it fails at all of them. Most battles are the same, but what makes them unbearable are the times when you’re forced to fight an unbalanced grouping of robots.

Controls are called sloppy due to them being either unresponsive or as if the characters had too much to drink. The biggest aspect and skill of Sonic is his speed, but when the player uses it (either forced by the level design or choosing to) the frame rate suffers. Not only do sound effects not load, but even whole sections of the world will be missing if the player doesn’t do a precise movement. Rise of Lyric is so bugged that it would even cause Wii U systems to fully crash, causing the player to hard reset their system.

Release: 2016- PC, Xbox One

Developer/Publisher: Snowrunner Games

Summary

Soda Drinker Pro is a video game that simulates the act of drinking soda. That’s it. That’s the game.

Issues

Spend one minute watching a gameplay video of Soda Drinker Pro and you can understand why this game is so polarizing between critics and players. The drawn graphics and sound effects make you think the game was made in a day…and you’d be correct. Sound levels need to be lowered once you start the game because of how obnoxious the music and sound effects are. What confuses even me is whether this game was a complete parody of simulation games or not. Either way, critics rate this game as a fail because of how boring and basic the levels are.

Fun Fact: Creator Will Brierly has recently created an AI named Merrill Grambell that’s the first show completely hosted by artificial intelligence as it interacts with guests.

Release: 2003- GameCube, Xbox

Developer: Lucky Chicken Games

Publisher: TK Mediactive

Summary

After a long absence and being presumed dead, Aquaman’s mortal enemy Black Manta has returned. Manta intends to terrorize and ultimately destroy Aquaman’s kingdom of Atlantis. Little does Aquaman know that there is an even greater enemy waiting, who will attempt to take the Throne of Atlantis right out from under him. Duh, duh, duh!

Issues

The biggest complaints revolve around how basic and bland the game is as a whole. The enemies are the same, the battles are the same, and the environment is just as boring. Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis seems more like an underwater wasteland with a lack of neutral beings, aquatic life, animated backgrounds, or ground objects. Cutscenes consist of comic-like slides instead of animated scenes and there’s no voice-over, let alone a variety of sound effects.

Release: 1990-2013- Arcade, 3DO, DVDiOS, PC, Nintendo 3DS, Philips CD-i, PlayStation Network, Sega CD, Wii

Developer: American Laser Games, CapDisc, Digital Leisure, Engine Software

Publisher: American Laser Games, Atari Games, Capcom, Philips Media, Digital Leisure, Majesco Entertainment

Note: For the sake of this review, we’ll focus on the 3DS version since it’s the most recent version that hasn’t been altered greatly from the original game released in 1990 for the Arcade.

Summary

The player must stop the ruthless outlaw Mad Dog McCree along with his group of fugitives. Mad Dog McCree and his band of cutthroats has ridden into town, kidnapped the Mayor and his daughter, and taken them to his hideout. It’s up to the player to save the town and the day.

Issues

Gameplay is very limited as Mad Dog McCree is more of an interactive movie than an actual video game. The storyline is poorly acted and meant only as the reasoning behind equally poorly made gunfights. On the 3DS, there’s little correlation between where you place the stylus and where the bullet fires upon. When the player finally figures out the controls, thankfully it’ll only take about 15 minutes to complete the game. There are plenty of other issues, including sound quality, that are consistent throughout its many releases on various platforms.

Release: 2001- PC

Developer: Magic Lantern

Publisher: Infogrames

Summary

Based on the American version of the TV series Survivor, this PC game was published by Infogrames (now known as Atari SA). It allows players to play as any of the original Borneo or Australian Outback cast members, the first and second seasons of the show, respectively. The game also included a character creation system for making custom characters.

Issues

If you’ve ever wanted a game that has exactly the same challenges every time, then this one’s perfect for you. While critics didn’t mind seeing live-action scenes from the actual show, the animations that make up most of the game are horrendous. There’s a severe lack of variety in the challenges through the game’s “season” and the only voice actor in the game is the host. To sum it up, PC Gamer wrote in their February 2002 issue, “Getting voted off THIS island makes you a winner, not a loser.”

Release: 2014- Nintendo 3DS

Developer: Delta Arts

Publisher: Bandai Namco Games

Summary

Fight evil robots as the heroes of the anime series in Tenkai Knights: Brave Battle. The game involves the group Guren, Ceylan, Toxsa and Chooki, who accidentally fall through an inter-dimensional portal. They find themselves in another world and have assumed the roles of Bravenwolf, Tributon, Valorn and Lydendor; otherwise known as the legendary Tenkai Knights who protect the dimensions.

Issues

This game struggles with deciding what it wants to do. In cutscenes between characters, some will have voice lines while others just have text the player has to read. There’s a lack of logical progression in the level stages. You could spend an hour easily defeating enemies and missions, then suddenly end up restarting the same level multiple times because of how difficult it suddenly becomes.

Release: 2012- Xbox 360/PlayStation 3

Developer: VectorCell

Publisher: Lexis Numérique

Summary

AMY is a survival horror game where players must protect and escort Amy, an eight-year-old autistic girl with unknown powers, as they try to get her out of a city overrun with wild creatures and enemies. The story follows Amy and the player character, Lana, as they work together to fight or flee in the hope of saving not only each other, but also the future of humanity itself.

Issues

Having to handle the child Amy and not have her run off into a hoard of zombies when you leave her for a few seconds isn’t the worst part of this game. Instead, it’s a combination of bad controls, repetitive and boring puzzles, and frustrating gameplay. Lana can’t engage in unarmed combat, but the game doesn’t add in easy-to-find weapons for her to use. There are limited checkpoints and no auto-save, causing many players to rage-quit before finishing the game. The game seems to have been released for an outdated console and not the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360. In fact, the game was meant to release for PC but was canceled due to such a negative response.

Release: 2003- GameCube/PlayStation 2

Developer: Neko Entertainment

Publisher: Ubisoft

Summary

Charlie’s Angels is based on the first and second film in the series. It continues the plot line of private investigators Alex Munday, Dylan Sanders, and Natalie Cook as they attempt to solve the mystery of a series of missing national monuments. While the heroines don’t use firearms, but they can attack with blunt weapons and certain environmental objects.

Issues

Much like other movies made into a video game, this one disappoints. The character models are blocky and movement is clunky. Navigating around the world frustrates players because suddenly walls or obstacles will appear in the way. There’s also an on-screen arrow that guides the player to the next objective, though it has a nasty habit of leading players into barriers or stairways that seem insurmountable. With minimal variety in both enemies and fight moves, the character models glitch around the screen. Even the player’s chosen character will start randomly moving without the player’s instruction.

Release: 2010- Xbox 360

Developer: AMA Studios

Publisher: Ubisoft

Summary

Utilizing Microsoft’s Kinect technology, Fighters Uncaged is a single-player fighting game. The player controls the protagonist of the game, Simon, through his attempts to win an illegal fighting tournament to help get his father out of trouble with a crime lord. Simon can do a range of different actions, and the player can execute special moves by shouting in the direction of the Kinect.

Issues

The biggest issue of Fighters Uncaged was the controls. Not only were they unintuitive, but they were barely recognized by the Kinect. With unflattering graphics, the players were forced to repeat the same fights to even progress in the game. In the summary above, it’s assumed there’s a storyline to the game. There isn’t. In fact, the information about Simon’s father is only mentioned in the instruction manual. As IGN put it, “It looks and plays like it was rushed.”

Release: 1993-1994- Philips CD-i

Developer: Animation Magic, Viridis Corporation

Publisher: Philips Interactive Media

Summary

This is a trilogy of action-adventure games produced by Philips for their CD-i format as part of Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda video game series. The first two games were released simultaneously and were side-scrolling, while Zelda’s Adventure, was released 8 months later and was top-down and included live-action scenes. Link: The Faces of Evil puts the player in control of Link, who goes on a quest to defeat Ganon and rescue Princess Zelda. Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon changes the roles and has the player control the princess, who goes out to save Link and defend her kingdom from Ganon. Both must travel to a new world to thwart Ganon’s plans. Zelda’s Adventure follows the non-traditional Zelda-saves-Link storyline, in which Link has been captured by Ganon. She must collect the seven celestial signs scattered all throughout Tolemac in order to rescue him.

Issues:

While positively viewed at first release, decades later many have harshly criticized the trilogy for its early ’90s graphics. The Faces of Evil and Wand of Gamelon were highly anticipated and originally praised for its unique animated cutscenes. Even in modern reviews critics have complimented level backgrounds taking the poor hardware design of the CD-i into account. The acting is meant to be taken seriously, but it’s laughable to hear (or watch in the case of the third game). In fact, Zelda’s Adventure couldn’t play sound effects or music at the same time. The controls are the biggest complaint from players and critics, especially for the third game, Zelda’s Adventure. Take all that, add in long loading times when walking from one screen to the other, and be ready for an infuriating gaming session.

Release: 2013- Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, PC

Developer: Firebrand Games

Publisher: Activision

Summary

Fast & Furious: Showdown takes some of the franchise’s iconic characters (everyone except Dominic Toretto) on a “high-stakes” adventure around the globe. Players can switch roles with their AI partners or team up with a friend for a two-person local co-op. The story begins with a cut scene featuring Monica Fuentes finding Riley Hicks digging around through files in her office. Riley introduces herself and states she is going to meet Luke Hobbs in 24 hours, and needs to know everything Hobbs has been up to. The missions are the events told by Monica to explain what Hobbs had been dealing with. Through this, various events from the movies, like the safe dragging scene from Fast Five, or the hijacking scene from Fast & Furious are presented.

Issues

A game for a big movie franchise always has more expectations, and Fast & Furious: Showdown doesn’t meet them. Many comment that the game felt as if they took a prototype of another and added in the Fast & Furious elements. Aside from its terrible graphics, the game is incredibly quick to finish compared to other games in its price point at the time. In only 2.5 hours, players finish a game filled with bugs, sometimes impassable, and missions that end for no reason at all.

Release: 1992- Sega CD

Developer: Digital Pictures

Publisher: Sega

Summary

In Night Trap, the player takes the role of a special agent tasked to watch over teenage girls having a sleepover. Unknown to the girls, the house is full of danger. The player watches live surveillance footage of the house and triggers traps to capture anyone seen endangering the girls. The player can freely switch their view between different cameras to keep watch over the girls and eavesdrop on conversations to follow the story and listen for clues.

Issues

While it was praised for its smooth video animation and humor, it was heavily controversial for its shallow gameplay. In 1993, the US Senate held hearings on the violence of video games, which claimed Night Trap promoted aggression towards women and had gratuitous violence. The game was even removed from store shelves in Toys “R” Us and Kay-Bee Toys, after both received numerous complaints. Still, the game was released on multiple consoles (most recently the Nintendo Switch) even though many continued to dislike the game. We can’t forget to mention that the game is so fast-paced that you can barely keep up, let alone enjoy the game. To sum up how people feel about this game, here’s what Next Generation magazine had to say in a 1995 issue, “Just forget it. Leave it alone. Let it die.”

Release: 2005- Playstation 2, PC, Wii

Developer: Data Design Interactive

Publisher: Metro3D Europe, Data Design Interactive, Conspiracy Entertainment

Summary

Ninjabread Man is an action-adventure platformer with a total of three levels in the game. In order to proceed to the next level, players must collect eight power rods to activate a teleporter. The Ninjabread Man can attack enemies with a samurai sword or throw shurikens.

Issues

Perhaps, if this game was published a decade earlier, its rudimentary gameplay could be excusable. The enemies are barely aggressive, the controls barely responsive, and excitement barely existent. One reviewer wrote they’d rather play E.T. (discussed later) than play this short-lived game. If you want to try the same game but with a different theme, then try out Anubis II, Myth Makers: Trixie in Toyland, or Rock ‘n’ Roll Adventures since they’re all exactly the same!

Release: 2009- PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Developer: Team17

Publisher: Codemasters

Summary

Box Office Bust features Larry Lovage, the main character of Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, whose uncle Larry Laffer, asks for his assistance at his movie studio. Throughout the game, he does odd jobs while trying to uncover a mole from a rival studio that is attempting to sabotage Laffer Studios.

Issues

In most games, it’s not a negative thing for there to be an open, sandbox world. In the case of Box Office Bust, however, it is. Players are forced to find golf carts from around the setting if they want to avoid long walking times to get to their goal. If a player fails in a side job, they are then forced to restart the whole mission and not from a checkpoint. Also, if you end up attracting the attention of the studio security, you don’t get to evade them or bribe them off, you instead have to restart the whole mission. Other issues include hard controls, a camera that gets wonky, and mediocre writing.

Release: 2012- PC

Developer: Hammerpoint Interactive

Publisher: OP Productions

Summary

(Formerly known as “The War Z“) It has been 5 years since the outbreak, giving rise to a post-apocalyptic nightmare with 95% of the human race wiped out. To survive, the player will require food, weapons, and other supplies which can be scavenged throughout the world or from other players. All the while, they must encounter and battle both zombies and players.

Issues

Firstly, let’s address the name change. Originally called The War Z, the United States Patent and Trademark Office suspended the request to trademark the name, most likely due to the upcoming World War Z movie. Executive Producer Sergey Titov refuted the claim, even though the USPTO website confirmed the suspension. This is one of many unprofessional remarks and actions in the history of the Infestation: Survivor Stories game from the OP Productions team. In fact, the day after release, the developers tried to implement unreasonable wait times which could be ignored for in-game currency (aka microtransactions).

Bad business practices aside, the promised gameplay in the alpha and press release was missing upon full release. With a high spawn rate for weapons and fear of hackers, players felt punished rather than enjoyment in the challenge of a PVP game. There were plenty of missing features that are standard to video games, such as skill points and missions. In April 2013, just five months after release, the game and its forums were taken offline.

Release: 1982- Atari 2600

Developer/Publisher: Atari, Inc.

Summary

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is an adventure video game based on the film of the same name. The main objective is to get the character through various screens to collect three pieces of an interplanetary telephone that will allow him to contact his home planet.

Issues

E.T. is another game famous for a great release until people started actually playing the game. It was rushed to be retail ready for the 1982 Christmas season, which meant only 5 weeks of production was possible. The main complaint about the game is the world itself. Howard Scott Warshaw, the creator of the game, wanted a unique world from the movie. So he created a wraparound world that returns the player to the same screen without any explanation.

The pits that players had to avoid were sometimes impossible when going from one screen to the next. Overall, players found the game to be boring and instructions confusing. While marketed as a game for kids, players had to memorize different power zones and what E.T.’s powers were in those specific zones (and they were all randomized for each game). While many ridicule the graphics of the game, they weren’t much different from other Atari games at the time.

Release: 2017- Nintendo Switch

Developer/Publisher: Poisoft

Summary

Vroom in the night sky is a magical bike action game where the player controls a magical girl who rides on a flying scooter. She collects items called “Stardusts” while shooting missiles at giant circles to open a portal.

Issues

This game is the perfect example of how Nintendo is slacking to gatekeep the Switch’s eShop. Ignoring the poor translation from Japanese to English, the game lacks in magical graphics to match the magical girl players control. With no storyline, the game is incredibly easy to get through. The most amusement players get is from the random dialogue between the main character and a random flying companion that’s poorly translated.

Release: 1999- Nintendo 64

Developer/Publisher: Titus Interactive

Summary

In Superman: The New Superman Aventures (yes, that is how it’s spelled on the box), Lex Luthor has trapped Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, and Professor Hamilton in a virtual reality version of Metropolis, created with the help of Brainiac. It’s up to Superman to save them and break apart the virtual world. The game switches between outdoor levels where the player flies through rings while saving civilians, and indoor levels where the player looks for access cards, activates computers, and fights well-known Superman franchise villains such as Brainiac and Parasite.

Issues

Overall the game, also known as Superman 64, was ridiculed for its repetitiveness, difficult and confusing objectives, poor controls, numerous glitches that interfere with gameplay, and poor graphics. The game also has an introductory ring maze sequence that is notorious for frustrating and surprising new players and leaves nearly no room for error. The game’s developers, Titus Interactive, was harshly criticized for the poor quality of the game even though they kept pushing it as a financial success. Titus also stated that they had bigger plans for the game and blames Warner Bros as the two were having creative differences throughout the game’s development.

Release: 1993- PC

Developer: United Pixtures

Publisher: United Pixtures, Kirin Entertainment

Summary

Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties is a romantic comedy visual novel/dating sim. The player makes storyline choices in a DVD menu-style manner. The game stars Edward J. Foster and Jeanne Basone as John and Jane; two people who are being pressured by their respective parents to go out and find a spouse. The goal is to get John and Jane together.

Issues

Many initial negative reviews were due to original advertising showing the game as a full-motion video game (FMV) but actual gameplay was presented as a slideshow using mostly still images instead of full-motion graphics as well as random, out-of-place color filters. The game is noted for its unbelievable storyline and poor acting. As written in the July 1994 issue of PC Gamer, this game has, “the wit and charm of an elephant’s arse.”

Release: 2012- Wii U

Developer: Art Co., Ltd.

Publisher: D3 Publisher

Summary

Family Party is a party game with two modes of playing the mini-games available: Challenge Mode and Freeplay Mode. Despite the name, there are 35 mini-games in total which are spread across five different worlds, with each world having five Wii Remote games and two games that use the Wii U Gamepad.

Issues

Criticisms target every aspect of this game, even its long-winded title. Graphics appear outdated compared to other titles released on the Wii U, the voice acting was obnoxiously loud and repetitive, and the game barely utilized the Wii U Gamepad features. Metacritic reviewer Jrwchil said it best, “If you think of this disc as a coaster to put your coffee on it’s a great game, it comes with a free box to wedge your door open on a hot summers night too.”

Release: 2003- PC

Developer: Stellar Stone

Publisher: GameMill Publishing

Summary

Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing is a racing video game where the player controls a semi-trailer truck (aka big rig) and races an opponent through checkpoints on US truck routes. The player chooses from four playable semi-trailer trucks and five truck routes and the player navigates their truck through checkpoints using the arrow keys.

Issues

Although the game states the objective was to race, deliver cargo, and avoid the police, neither cargo nor police were featured in the game. Selecting the fourth route in the menu will cause the game to crash and there is no collision between the player’s truck and the opponent. In fact, before a patch, the opponent didn’t even move. Now the opponent will stop before reaching the finish line, meaning guaranteed wins for the player. There also is no time limit to complete a race, so if you wanted to drive off the road and view the poorly textured landscape, you could.

Game: Resident Evil 3

Release Date: 1999

Nemesis is the main villain of Resident Evil 3 so, of course, he is the main boss of the game. Players encounter him throughout the game numerous times but he mutates after each attack, getting progressively harder to defeat. By the end of the game it’s just you, Nemesis, and a railgun. If you think you can take him on, that’s your decision and we wholeheartedly wish you the best.

Game: Ori and the Blind Forest

Release Date: 2015

This boss isn’t exactly a fight in the traditional sense but players must complete rounds of puzzles before escaping the Ginso Tree. It’s the escape that has become infamous for its brutal guidelines. If you touch the water as it rises, you’ll have to start the level over which takes several minutes to complete. If you can’t get by, try easy mode which includes checkpoints, but don’t expect any bonus points from us.

Game: Metroid Prime 2

Release Date: 2004

We could hear the collective groans from here of all the players that endured this battle in Metroid Prime 2. The Spider Guardian is arguably the worst fight in the whole game and we challenge you to fight us on that one. Not only does this monster zip around unpredictability but you’ve also got very specific moves to pull off in order to be effective and not much time to do it. If you want to kill this boss, don’t let it touch you!

Game: Shovel Knight

Release Date: 2014

The Enchantress is the main antagonist of Shovel Knight and this boss is far from optional. Defeating the Enchantress is necessary to save Shield Knight but we won’t go into details here to avoid spoilers. Dealing damage in this boss fight is a serious pain as the Enchantress is only vulnerable in one location and hurls dangerous projectiles throughout the fight. Our advice? Keep trying!

Game: God of War

Release Date: 2018

Thankfully, this boss is optional, so beating it is for nothing but brownie points! You must defeat the Valkyrie Queen Sigrun’s Valkyries before she can be summoned and there are nine of them to take down. The rewards for this fight are totally worth it, though. You get more than 5,000 experience points, a trophy, and plenty of powerful gear to equip.

Game: Mass Effect 3

Release Date: 2012

Mass Effect is well-known for its huge, space-themed universe and numerous alien characters, but the most powerful boss in this series is none other than a human from Earth. Kai Leng is one of the toughest baddies in the game and one of the toughest battles we’ve ever seen. Many attacks aren’t effective in this battle save from Cryo powers that can slow him down. If you aren’t ready for this fight, you’ll find out soon enough.

Game: Pokemon Red, Pokemon Blue

Release Date: 1998

I won’t refer to Mewtwo as a villain but he is definitely an opponent in the Pokemon franchise and a notably powerful one at that. If you remember playing Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue, chances are you remember the encounter with Mewtwo. If you aren’t ready to face him, your team will be wiped out in no time. Our suggestion? Save your Master Ball for this guy.

Game: Mortal Kombat 3

Release Date: 1995

The main villain behind Mortal Kombat 3 is Shao Kahn so it makes perfect sense that this battle would be the toughest in the game—we just didn’t know it would be one of the toughest fights of all time! You’ll spend a lot of time dodging his attacks in this battle, but if you can catch him in the middle of a Shoulder Ram, you can intervene with an uppercut and follow up with your favorite combo move to do some damage.

Game: Cave Story

Release Date: 2004

The true antagonist of Cave Story is Ballos and it definitely shows in his nearly impossible-to-win boss fight. Even if you get to the ending of Cave Story go toe-to-toe with this bad guy, and manage to defeat him, you have a second round to endure and it’s way harder than the first battle. Ballos is almost entirely impervious to your attacks. The trick for this battle is to shoot for the eyes!

Game: BioShock Infinite

Release Date: 2013

When you play through BioShock Infinite, there’s no easy way to get past the Ghost of Lady Comstock and even if you do, there’s a second battle to follow up the first. This fight is ruthless and she does everything to make the experience a living hell. It doesn’t help that her ghost has a tendency to bring the dead back to life around her, so you’ll be managing a horde of zombie foes throughout the duration of her fight.

Game: Jackal

Release Date: 1988

Konami’s Jackal was known in the ’80s as a fun multiplayer game, complete with tanks and plenty of bad guys to take down. But if you want to win the game, you have to take down the final boss. Playing might seem easy at first, but by the end, you’re low on resources, and surviving gets harder and harder. To make things worse, the final boss has waves of stages to complete before the final giant tank appears.

Game: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Knuckles

Release Date: 1994

The final stop for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Knuckles is one of the most frustrating Robotnik bosses of all time. The Great Eggman Robo is exactly what it sounds like. It’s great in size, it looks like Egg Man, and it’s definitely a robot. This boss fight takes place right after the defeat of another, so you’re going into it without a break. And just when you think you’ve made progress, there’s another stage to endure.

Game: Metal Gear Solid

Release Date: 1998

This was one of the most difficult and frightening bosses we’ve ever seen. This guy has some crazy mind powers. At one point, he asks the player to place the game controller down and uses his mind to move it (or maybe it was just rumble settings). In another feat, he reads the mind by tapping into your memory card save data and commenting on select Konami games. He can recognize Castlevania Chronicles, Vandal Hearts, Azure Dreams, and Suikoden.

Game: Final Fantasy XI

Release Date: 2005

In Final Fantasy XI, players can encounter a type of enemy known as a Notorious Monster, or NM for short. Absolute Virtue is so difficult to defeat, it’s regarded by the Final Fantasy community as the longest-running NM, having taken players the longest to defeat through legitimate means. This boss is hard enough to fight but you better be careful when he first appears. Absolute Virtue spawns with a special buff that can instantly KO players with one hit.

Game: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Release Date: 2004

Paper Mario is anything but fragile–this game had some seriously tough baddies to take down. The one we can’t get out of our nightmares is The Shadow Queen. She might be one of the most powerful foes Mario has ever encountered next to Bowser. This boss has multiple phases and over 350 hit points to eliminate. She has an attack power as high as 17 on some attacks—making this battle far from a walk in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Game: Doom (2016)

Release Date: 2016

Doom had remained a beloved, quotable title over the years and seems to have evolved into a benchmark for low-spec screens. In 2016, we saw the release of a new game in the Doom franchise, and it was Spider Mastermind that whooped the collective booties of gamers around the world. This boss is mean, and his attacks are serious. If you want to get past him, aim for the face!

Game: Tekken 6

Release Date: 2007

Tekken is one of the most well-recognized fighting games of all time, but Tekken 6 has arguably one of the most notable boss battles we’ve ever seen. Azazel isn’t just any random foe. Azazel is the main antagonist of the entire game. There’s only one way to master this title, and Azazel is standing in your way. If you want to emerge victorious, you’ll need patience, skill, and maybe a few hours.

Game: Final Fantasy VIII

Release Date: 1999

This is the main villain of Final Fantasy VIII, so of course, the final fight is difficult—it just happens to be so difficult it stands out against other games. Ultimecia is toxic. She can kill Guardian Forces in an instant and even take away a given character’s spell stock, robbing you of critical offensive and defensive maneuvers. You have to be strong and swift to see her go down. Just one Hell’s Judgement spell takes every party member’s HP down to 1.

Game: Mega Man 2

Release Date: 1988

Mega Man has been more than mega for decades, but even he struggles against foes now and then. If you remember playing Mega Man 2, then you remember the incredibly frustrating arborous creation known as Wood Man. This is another robot created by the supervillain determined to stop you with an incredible arsenal of attacks. Players need to land 14 normal shots to take him down but need to break through his Leaf Shield while avoiding hazardous, falling leaves.

Game: Undertale

Release Date: 2015

There’s more than one way to complete Undertale, and for those familiar with the Genocide Route, nothing hits harder than the final boss fight with Sans. His attacks are ruthless and accompanied by gaster blaster skulls. You’ve got a lot to juggle just to avoid damage—let alone deal any. It takes a merciless gamer to end up face to face with Sans in this battle which is hands down the toughest battle in the entire game.

Game: Street Fighter IV

Release Date: 2009

In Street Fighter IV, Seth is responsible for aggravating players and delivering a steady stream of damage. According to Street Fighter lore, he’s the CEO for SIN, a weapon division of Shadaloo. He first appeared in 2009 and proved to be one of the most formidable foes in the entire franchise. You can still find copies of Street Fighter IV on Amazon for the PlayStation 3.

Note: Pictured is the latest redesign of the character which has much more hair than the Seth encountered in Street Fighter IV.

Game: Super Mario 64

Release Date: 1996

It’s no surprise that the big boss battle in Super Mario 64 is none other than Bowser. He’s always been a tough foe to face, but this time he’s notably fierce. He has three big moves, including a stomp, headbutt, and fire breath. If you pay close attention, you can recognize when a particular attack has begun to steer clear of incurring damage. Get around those attacks, and you might stand a chance at winning.

Game: Donkey Kong 64

Release Date: 1999

Donkey Kong 64 brought our favorite Nintendo primate to an entirely new dimension (3D, to be exact). Anyone who’s played through this game knows it’s bananas and can’t forget the main antagonist—King K. Rool. If you want to defeat him for good, you have to go toe to toe with King Krusha K. Rool, his boxer persona, in one of the hardest battles in the whole game.

Game: Chrono Trigger

Release Date: 1995

The final boss of this game is named Lavos. He’s an evil alien parasite and a serious threat to the world. If you want to take him down, it’s not going to be easy. This boss was saved for last for a reason. If you want to beat Chrono Trigger, be ready to take out this boss for good.

Game: Earthbound

Release Date: 1989

The main villain of the SNES game Earthbound, known in Japan as Mother, is a big baddie named Giygas. This boss is beyond tough, and he comes in three aggressively dangerous forms. If you want to take down Giygas for good, all you can do is pray for a victory. No, literally! If you use Paula’s prayer ability and manage to squeeze in 9 prayers, you can beat Giygas and complete Earthbound.

Game: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Release Date: 2000

The final boss in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is none other than Majora. And what a final boss it is! Players have to face off against Majora, who has three forms to defeat: Majora’s Mask, Majora’s Incarnation, and Majora’s Wrath. Taking out all three nets earns you some serious bragging points and the completion status you need to finish the game.

Game: Metal Gear Solid

Release Date: 1998

Without giving too much away, let’s just say your character has a lot in common with this boss. If you want to take down Liquid Snake, you have to act fast. He gets tougher as the battle progresses, and the pressing time limit doesn’t do you any favors.

Game: Shadow of the Colossus

Release Date: 2005

Shadow of the Colossus was released in 2005, and the fanbase is still going strong 15 years later. This boss is referred to as Dirge by the fans. It can be found in the Forbidden Lands around quadrant B4. This worm-like boss is seriously destructive, but its glowing eyes are a weak spot that can be exploited.

Game: Guitar Hero 3

Release Date: 2007

Battle of the bands is totally on the table for this boss battle list. If you’re a fan of the mid-2000’s classic Guitar Hero, you may remember this carpal-tunnel-inducing ballad by DragonForce known as Through the Fire and the Flames. If you’re a sucker for rhythm games, this song is the hardest goal worth tackling on the greatest difficulty.

Game: Minecraft

Release Date: 2011

There’s an ending to Minecraft? That’s right—there is a way to beat this classic sandbox game. There’s only one way to get the Ender Egg, and it involves facing off against the Ender Dragon. He is the biggest monster in the game, and it takes a bit of patience to see through. We recommend starting this fight with quality armor and plenty of friends!

Game: Mortal Kombat

Release Date: 1992

It’s hard to imagine Mortal Kombat without Goro. Not only is he regarded as a staple character to the series, but he’s also often recognized as the toughest boss in the first Mortal Kombat. He’s a secondary boss next to Shang Tsung.

Game: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Release Date: 1996

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars brings all the best features of an RPG to the imaginative world of the Mushroom Kingdom. There are plenty of battles to complete, including optional ones like Culex. This boss is arguably the toughest in the game and even harder to beat than the main villain, Smithy.

Game: World Of Warcraft

Release Date: 2004

Until the release of new expansion packs, C’Thun was regarded as the toughest boss in Word of Warcraft. If you wanted to max out your character and beat all the bosses, this guy was your last stop. He can be found in the temple of Ahn’Qiraj.

Game: Mega Man

Release Date: 1987

The only weakness this giant yellow boss has is his little red eye. The Yellow Devil is from Mega Man. It’s known for its gooey body that can split into pieces and fly around the screen. If you want to defeat him, dodge his body, and shoot for the eye!

Game: Final Fantasy VII

Release Date: 1997

The Final Fantasy series is known for its occasional inclusion of optional bosses. This powerful boss, from 1997’s Final Fantasy VII, is known as Emerald Weapon. It’s featured alongside four other weapons: Ruby, Diamond, Sapphire, and Ultimate.

Game: Mushihime-sama Futari

Release Date: 2006

They don’t call these games bullet-hells for nothing! Queen Larsa from Mushihime-sama Futari is the main villain and final boss fight in the game. The rules are easy, shoot first and don’t get shot. If you want to mark this game off your list, you’ve got to start firing and dodge!

Game: Destiny: House of Wolves

Release Date: 2015

Destiny: House of Wolves launched in 2015. The final boss in the Prison of Elders challenge is Skolas, and he’s more than mean. This go around, he still has his ground-smashing and teleportation abilities, but he’s beefed up with a Scorch Cannon. It only takes a few shots to get knocked out by this bad guy.

Game: Castlevania

Release Date: 1986

Castlevania dropped in 1986, and who better to serve as the final boss of this vampire classic than Dracula? If you want to beat this game, you’ve got to take the old bat down. Dracula can transform into a huge monster that hops around shooting fireballs at the player. There’s a reason they saved him for last. He’s an absolute beast to fight.

Game: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Release Date: 1998

The Dark Link mini-boss can be found in the Water Temple. This is hands-down one of the biggest challenges players will face in the Ocarina of Time. Dark Link knows all of your moves, and the damage from each attack hits hard. It doesn’t help that he can also teleport right behind you.

Game: Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse

Release Date: 1989

Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse was released in 1989. What better way to see out the ’80s than to spend countless hours getting whipped by Death himself. This is one of the toughest boss battles in the entire game. Players have to dodge flying scythes and withstand two different forms of this pixelated baddie.

Game: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Release Date: 2004

There’s only one thing tougher than a sniper, and that’s another sniper who’s better than the first sniper. If you want to finish Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, you’ve got to take our The End, an old sniper that could be one of 40 hiding spots across three maps. You can use a few tricks to beat this old sharpshooting master—one of the most amusing methods is to time travel ahead two weeks by adjusting your Xbox clock. The old sniper will die of old age.

Game: Ninja Gaiden

Release Date: 2004

Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox is classic and just one decade away from being an antique—but we won’t get into that. If you want to conquer this exciting game, you’ll need to take out Alma. She’s one of the main baddies in the game and for good reason. This boss is one of the biggest pains for completionists.

Game: Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Release Date: 1992

In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, nothing stomped players quite like the Death Egg Robot from the Death Egg Zone. This is the last zone and is set on Dr. Robotnik’s Death Egg satellite. You have to defeat the robot to win the game, but this battle requires Sonic to survive the entire fight without any rings.

Game: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Release Date: 1987

If you want to get through Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, you’ll have to square up against Dark Link. He copies all of your abilities and looks just like Link, albeit a bit more shadowy. It’s hard enough to beat a monster but squaring up against a boss designed to mimic your moves is even harder. This fight is the closest you’ll get to an equally matched opponent.

Game: Kingdom Hearts

Release Date: 2002

If you have half a heart, you obviously haven’t spent hours facing off against Ansem. Wait, we mean Riku. Or do we? It doesn’t matter; what does matter is that this boss is responsible for one of the toughest Disney-themed JRPG battles you can encounter. He’s not even optional. This fight is necessary to complete the game. You can play the original Kingdom Hearts in a remastered edition for the PlayStation 4.

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Game: Street Fighter II

Release Date: 91

Anyone who grew up playing Street Fighter knows how serious the final boss fight is with M. Bison in Street Fighter II. Ever since his first appearance, his character has remained one of the most notorious baddies of the franchise. This boss fight is responsible for the transfer of countless quarters across arcades in the 90s.

Game: Punch-Out!!

Release Date: 1987

The big boss of this game is so big his name is on the box—or at least it was before the team lost rights to Mike Tyson’s name and rebranded the game as just Punch-Out!! The final boss with Mike Tyson was reworked into a new character called Mr. Dream. He might look different, but he’s the same, seemingly unbeatable boss.

Game: Kingdom Hearts 2

Release Date: 2005

It’s sometimes contested in the Kingdom Hearts community whether Sephiroth is harder to beat in KH1 or KH2. In both battles, the player is left to fight one on one without any assistance from Donald or Goofy. This battle isn’t even required, so any beatings that occur are entirely voluntary.

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Game: Final Fantasy XI

Release Date: 2002

This boss fight pushed players way beyond their limits in an incident that lasted over 18 hours with no success. Some players reportedly played until they were physically ill. Over 36 players marathoned the attempted takedown of Final Fantasy XI’s Pandemonium Warden, which ultimately led to an HP decrease of the monster along with a two-hour time limit.

Game: Dark Souls

Release Date: 2011

The Dark Souls game is a notorious beast, but even Dark Souls has to have a king of all monsters. In fact, it has two. The fight against Ornstein and Smough is arguably the toughest boss battle in the whole game. In the lore, Ornstein is regarded as one of Gwyn’s four Knights, along with Artorias, Ciaran, and Gough. You’ve got to take him down along with Smogh—be careful who you save for last as this will impact the loot dropped at the end of the battle.

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Knowing the standard storage categories can help you determine what may be taking up space in that pesky “other” storage category. Keep in mind that sometimes there are going to be exceptions. For example, some apps and/or their documents and data can end up in “other,” especially adware, plug-ins, and extensions.

The standard storage categories include (but are not limited to):

• Applications
• Books
• Documents
• Mail
• Music
• Music Creation
• iCloud Drive
• iOS files
• Photos
• Podcasts
• Trash

There is also:

• System (system mainly includes the macOS and system files, but some system files are categorized as “other.”)
• Other

The categories will vary and be dependent on both what you have on your Mac and your macOS version.

So, how do you know if you need to take action to clear up your other storage? That’s easy! If your other storage is over 50 GB or so, then consider taking action to clear it up. Most Macs won’t exceed 50 to 60 GB of other storage without a culprit taking up space.

Another issue that can occur is unstable “other” storage. Sometimes this is just the result of a computer that needs to be reindexed. Other times, there is a macOS issue occurring. I will go into the steps to fix that later.

To check and clear your other storage, you will need to first navigate to the storage settings in your macOS. To do this, navigate to the following:

1. Click the Apple logo in the upper left-hand corner of the Mac.
2. Select “about this mac.”
3. Click “storage.”
4. Click “manage.”

Jot down how much space “other” storage is taking up on your Mac. This will allow you to calculate your progress later. Here you can also view your Mac’s storage, and you can also make changes by deleting directly from this window.

Consider taking a moment to select “documents.” Deleting old downloaded movies, downloads you no longer need, etc., can help with “other” storage. Mostly, this is because of duplicate data or allocation issues. However, since we cannot click “other” storage and delete directly, we will take a slightly different approach.

In order to clear out the cache on your Mac, we need to navigate to the library folder using Finder. Here’s how:

1. Open Finder.
2. Click the “go” option in your menu bar (upper left-hand corner).
3. Press “go to folder.”
4. Type: ~/Library/Caches and click “go.”
5. Select “caches” to open the cache folder.
6. Don’t delete the cache folder itself, but delete all of the folders and files within that folder by clicking Command + A.
7. Move all those documents to the trash can (you may be asked for your password).
8. Empty the trash can.

There are still more temp and cache living on your hard drive. So, next:

1. Open Finder.
2. Click the “go” option in your menu bar (upper left-hand corner).
3. Select “computer.”
4. Click “Macintosh HD” (this sometimes is “untitled” or another name you may have given your hard drive.
5. Select “cache” to open the cache folder.
6. Don’t delete the cache folder itself, but delete all of the folders and files within that folder by clicking Command + A.
7. Move all those documents to the trash can (you may be asked for your password).
8. Empty the trash can.

You have deleted your cache. This should reflect if you navigate back to apple logo > about this mac > storage> manage. If you are not seeing a change, consider rebooting your Mac or giving it some time to recalculate before moving forward.

To get a more accurate selection of data that may be the culprit to your other storage, we will use Finder like we did above. If you have left that window, just navigate there again. Here’s another way how:

1. Open Finder.
2. Click the “go” option in your menu bar (upper left-hand corner).
3. Press and hold the “option” key on your keyboard.
4. While still pressing the option key, click “library.”

From here, your Finder window will open to the library folder. Do not make any other changes to the library folder other than what is suggested in this guide.

Next:

1. Make sure “this mac” is selected at the top of the Finder window.
2. Select the ‘+” to the far right of the window.
3. Click “kind.”
4. Click “other.”
5. Make sure “file size” and “file extension” are both checked in the drop-down and click “OK.”
6. Look through the data and delete only data what is suggested below by searching for that file type (you may be asked for your password).
7. Make sure to clear the trash can after deleting data.

Here is where you want to be mindful. Only consider deleting:

• .dmg (Apple disk images): These are absolutely useless after the corresponding app has been installed. They are initially downloaded when you download an app. After clicking a DMG, you install the app, so the DMG can be deleted as long as you’ve already installed that app. It will not harm your app to delete it.
• .pdf (portable document format): PDFs accumulate over time. Here, be selective. Open the PDFs and see what they are. Then, make an educated decision.
• .pages or .doc (documents): Be selective here as well. See what they are first. If they are just old documents you recognize, delete them. If they look like system files, or you aren’t sure what they are, don’t delete them to be safe.

These deletions should reflect if you navigate back to Apple logo > about this mac > storage> manage. If you are not seeing a change, consider rebooting your Mac or giving it some time to recalculate before moving forward. If no changes show after a couple of minutes, reboot the Mac.

If you have done all the above steps, and still have an “other” storage problem, consider reindexing your spotlight. This will allow your computer to reorganize the data on your Mac. If it is improperly allocating data, this can often resolve it.

This step should only be done if you either have unstable, fluctuating “other” storage, or you have a ton of “other” storage (100 GB for example) that you cannot find the source of.

Note that this step takes mere seconds to complete, but your computer will take hours to reindex. I suggest giving it overnight to complete the process.

To reindex, try the following:

1. Click the Apple logo in the upper left-hand corner.
2. Click “system preferences.”
3. Chose “Spotlight.”
4. Select “privacy.”
5. Drag and drop your Macintosh HD into the list (which is most likely empty at this point).
6. Click your Macintosh HD in the list and select “-” in the lower left-hand corner of the window.

Your work is done for now! Give your computer several hours to reindex. Think of it like your computer is spring cleaning. It takes time.

After reindexing, if you are still having problems, there is a deeper issue happening with the macOS or your data. Things like duplicate mail folders, duplicate misplaced photo library folders, old home folders from users that were deleted (but home folders that weren’t), etc., can cause this issue.

You can continue to try to look for this data using the steps in step three:

1. Click the Apple logo in the upper left-hand corner of the Mac.
2. Select “about this mac.”
3. Click “storage.”
4. Click “manage.”
5. Search “documents,” “large files,” “downloads,” and take a peek at large file types like the “Photo library” folder.

It isn’t uncommon for this issue to happen if there are duplicates of data types that are typically large like mentioned. This does take time to look through, but can be found with patience. Checking apps like Steam, games, and other apps that have a lot of data associated with them can also help. If you cannot find the culprit, or you recognize fluctuating numbers of “other” storage being taken up (the “other” storage keeps jumping and changing), more intensive troubleshooting would have to be done.

For example:

• Reinstalling the macOS could resolve a possible bug within the macOS (if there is one).
• Backing up your data, erasing the hard drive, reinstalling the operating system, and seeing if the issue is occurring before installing your backup back on the hard drive is the best way to narrow things down. If it isn’t, you may just bring the issue over by restoring your data.
• Contacting the manufacturer for assistance. Call them. See if they have a current software issue they know of, or if they can do more in-depth troubleshooting that will allow you to find the culprit without erasing the hard drive. There are often little hidden culprits like I have mentioned throughout this guide that may be easier to find with some hands-on help.

Apple’s goal with iOS 15 was to help Apple users stay connected, find more focus, use intelligence, and explore the world. With iOS 15, Apple has gone above and beyond with more streamlined features to make using your iOS products more enjoyable than ever before.

While a few of these features (check out the new and greatly improved FaceTime features specifically) are long overdue, I am still happy they’ve been released in 2021 and excited to use them, even if I do think Apple should have released them long, long ago.

Stay connected

FaceTime

Apple calls the new FaceTime, “more natural, comfortable, and lifelike,” with spatial audio to make calls feel more realistic, as if your friends or family were right next to you. FaceTime with iOS 15 includes wide-spectrum sound as well as the following features:

• Grid view- See people in the “same size tiles.”
• Portrait mode- Blurs the background and “puts the focus on you!”
• Invite links- Send a FaceTime link, make an event to add to your calendar, and include your friends who have Windows or Android products.
• SharePlay- Listen to music together, watch movies and tv shows together, share your screen with your friends, or present applications. Because iPhones allow you to have multiple apps open at once and while on a call, this feature seems easy and convenient, but long overdue. Apps like Google Meets and Zoom have been doing this forever. Of course, if you have tons of Apple products, this feature is great and more convenient than competitors since it coordinates with Apple apps. Some participating apps include HBO Max, Hulu, Disney Plus, TikTok, and more.

Messages

• Photo Stacks and Collages- Send photo Stacks, Collages, and even react to your friend’s collages or stacks. All of this and more are available with iOS 15.
• Shared With You- Organizes and catalogs recently shared articles, playlists, photo stacks, etc. What’s great about this feature is that it directs you to the apps they reference. So, for example, if a friend shares a photo collage with you in messages, the collage will appear in your Photos application. If they share a news article, you can find it in the News app.

Find focus

Working remotely is hard. Those of you who weren’t remote before the pandemic, unfortunately, learned just how challenging it can be along with dealing with a pandemic. Apple had this in mind with iOS 15, intending to help work/life balance and help iOS users “be in the moment.”

• Notification Summary- This can be delivered when it is convenient for you, scheduled for a specific time of day. Don’t worry, you can still use DND and see your friend’s messages. Now, when in DND mode, there is a status update at the bottom of the Messages app. This lets your friends know you are busy and won’t receive their message right away.
• Focus- Can choose to be notified by only certain people, for example, allow work emails in while keeping personal messages out. You can even focus based on function (like if you are working out).

Use intelligence

• Live Text- Point Camera at a whiteboard, tap the live text button, and your iPhone will turn that written text into text on your iPhone. You can even use it to look up info and get more information. It’s so intuitive that it can even recognize pictures of phone numbers so you can click and call directly from the Photo app. You can even find out more about books, flora, and an animal’s breeds this way (see a cute dog you just must have and want to know the breed?). Spotlight can even use this feature to make photos easy to find. It works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
• Spotlight- Not only can Spotlight use live text, but if you were to search for a friend, it will give you an in-depth list of information like never seen on iOS. Get their contact information, shared pictures, message threads, and more in Spotlight on iOS.
• Photos Memories- In the “for you” section, see animated title cards with relevant songs that bring the “memories to life” and are more “interactive.” You can pause by pressing and holding it anywhere on the screen. You can swipe to review a specific photo. You can even make changes by changing the “intelligent” music suggestion, filters, and more. -Wallet- Apple states their goal is to “replace your physical wallet.” With iOS 15, add Disney Park Passes, Keys (Keys came out originally with iOS 14), and more. Now, keys can include your home key, work key (corporate badge), hotel keys (Hyatt Hotels for example), and now IDs. This Fall you will even be able to scan your driver’s license to be added to Wallet. To take it one further, TSA is even working on accommodating this feature).

Discover more

Weather app

• The weather app background will be more relevant to current weather conditions, including more accurate “sun direction, clouds, and precipitation”.
• Also added are indexes so you can get more information about those weather conditions.

Maps app

• New Map is now being released to new countries: Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Australia.
• Apple built an interactive globe to view and navigate to new areas. Maps will offer more details including elevation, road colors and details, labels, buildings, landmarks, and even nighttime mode. For me, this means not passing, since landmarks will be included and I tend to be better at recognizing landmarks more than road names.
• You can pin your favorite transit routes.
• The Map app can even scan the buildings in your area to help you find your way to your destination. Totally 3D and awesome. Even better, they plan to continue taking this further in future iOS versions. Yay!

AirPods

• Conversation Boost- This feature can help you to focus on the person in front of you when chatting. You can also reduce ambient noise. This is meant to assist with minor hearing impairments or in noise-polluted areas.
• Announce Notifications- Siri will be able to “read important, time-sensitive notifications” to you via AirPods and pair this with your Stay Focused feature if you have DND turned on, etc. Siri can even read you your grocery list while shopping. Definitely using this one!
• Find My- With AirPods Find My now has a better proximity view, separation alerts, etc., much like Find My functions with Apple AirTags. They even use the same secure Bluetooth method that AirTags do in Find My. I guess Apple saw how well these features worked with AirTags and decided to apply them to AirPods.
• Spatial audio- Spatial Audio will now be available on tvOS when using AirPods or AirPods Max. It will also be used on Apple Music with Dolby Atmos, available today (June, 7th 2021)!

Extras

• Memoji- New outfit options! Hello, better dressed Memoji me!
• Safari- Voice search!

Apple announced iPadOS 15 stating their goal is to make iPadOS “even more capable and more intuitive” for Apple users. Truth is, what we really wanted was a multiuser function for iPad, so that every member in our family can use the same iPad with their own data and preferences. While we didn’t get that, I’d say some of the features were still pretty cool. Is it more capable and intuitive? You be the judge and let us know in the comments below!

iPadOS 15 features

• Widgets- With iOS 15, you can “place widgets among the apps on your home screen.” Bring up the widget gallery and add new widgets (the Find My app, for example). The “new larger format” (large-sized widgets) have been adjusted to iPadOS due to the iPad’s bigger display (versus an iPhone’s smaller display).
• App library- Now on iPad is the app library! Access to the app library is on the iPad dock with iPadOS 15. You can now hide pages, like on iOS, and reorganize them.
• Multitasking- A new “easy to use” control is available with iPadOS 15. Tap at the top of your app to bring to view the multitasking menu and enable split view (then open the other app and it will go to split view). Swipe to chose a new app, press, and hold an app to open it in the forefront without closing other apps. Tap to quickly switch apps in the app switcher (you can create a split view here also). Apple’s goal with better multitasking goals is to “be more productive and do even more.”
• Notes- Mention someone in a shared note to send them a notification. Activity view- see activity in a shared note while you were away. View tags to find a specific note. Quicknote- This feature is supposed to let you “capture information anywhere.” You simply swipe from the lower right-hand corner to make a quick note like a phone number. When done, swipe back to the same corner to close it. You can do all of this in the forefront without closing the currently open apps. Swipe through quick notes to view the most recent Quick Notes.

Translate

With iPadOS 15, you can now translate on iPad.

• Write- You can even practice handwriting in the new language you are learning! I will be using this one for sure! Languages are hard work.
• Auto translate- iPadOS 15 detects when you are speaking and in what language.
• System-Wide translations- Translate anywhere and on any product. Totally fluid from product to product.
• Live text- Translate text in a photo to help make learning that language even easier.

Swift

• Swift Playgrounds- Learn to code! Build apps on iPad! Code can be immediately reflected in the live preview of your app. This one is huge for developers who are new at starting out or currently in college.

We all know Privacy is a big deal with Apple. It’s something they continuously talk about each and every WWDC. Sometimes, they are concerned about privacy to a fault, making processes like account recovery harder than any password reset should ever be.

Luckily, Apple has made some much-needed improvements to, as they say, “keep your personal data under your control.” Check it out!

Prevent tracking

Mail

Marketing emails use invisible pixels to track information about your mail activity. Apple gently reminded all of us at the WWDC21, that we are being tracked without our knowledge or permission. Their goal is to give you “transparency and control over your information” with these new features:

• Mail privacy protection- Hide your IP addresses, locations, etc. that may be collected and tracked by the senders. Also prevents the sender from knowing if you have or haven’t read the email.

Safari

• Intelligent tracking prevention- Hides your IP address and helps prevent cross-site tracking. This way, sites cannot learn your location or profile you.

App Privacy Report

You can see what apps have accessed your information, when they are accessing what information (last seven days), and who your data may be shared with on 3rd party domains.

• On-device speech recognition- Prevents unwanted audio recordings and ensures that your audio recordings aren’t leaving your device. More exciting than that, on-device processing means doing things more quickly without overloading Siri. Superfast and I can’t wait.

iCloud

New Account Recovery method

This is probably the biggest announcement of the WWDC21 guys, don’t miss it:

• Recover contact list- Create a list of trusted family or friends that you can add as recovery contacts. By adding someone to a recovery contact list, they can get a code during the Account Recovery process, making the account recovery process easier and less time-consuming. This is a huge announcement that will help people avoid long waits with Account Recovery.
• Digital legacy- You can add legacy contacts so that, if you pass, information can be quickly passed along to loved ones without violating your privacy rights. This is intended to make the process much easier and faster for your loved ones after you leave them.

iCloud+

Upgrade from iCloud to “protect your privacy online” and still maintain your storage pan with iCloud.

• Private Relay-Since sites can use your activity to create a “detailed profile about you”, Apple made this feature. Browse with Safari using encryption. “No one, including Apple” can see your information.
• Hide my email- create a unique email, that forwards to your real email. This allows you to avoid having to share your email. You can delete these pseudo-emails at any time.
• HomeKit Secure Video- Connect more cameras than ever with the Home app without it counting against your iCloud storage.

Best part? The same prices that are currently offered with iCloud+ that have been offered with previous iCloud storage plans.

Extras

Siri

• Diverse Siri options- A ton of great new features (new, diverse voices that are more realistic).

Apple states they have thought of “ingenious ways to push things forward” with iOS 15, iPadOS 15, the new watchOS, and the new macOs. Check out the new Health highlights below:

The Corrie App

Medical jargon can be confusing, so The Corrie App is meant to demystify and inform patients with heart problems. It’s said to have “reduced hospital readmissions by 52%.”

Health changes

To better monitor your health, Apple created a few new Health app features.

Mobility

• Walking steadiness- Built-in motion sensors measure how fast and steady you are when walking. They can measure stability and determine if you are at increased risk of falling. This is great for those with medical concerns.

Labs

• “Detailed descriptions to help you better understand your lab data” are now available so that patients can see if they are within their “expected ranges.”
• Now, certain labs will be described and detailed in ways they weren’t before.

Trends

Get insight in long-term changes (sleep, glucose, etc).

• Trends are great for celebrating things like daily step increases or other health-related goals.

Share health data

• Share with providers- Health data can be shared with your health care provider. Including data like heart data within the health app. According to Apple, “No one else, including apple, will see this information.” You share only the data you want to share and chose to share.
• Health Sharing- Apple wants to “empower you to care for others” with Health Sharing. Sharing relationships are there so that you can view data like heart rate, activity, and recent labs. You can share whatever data you select, and do not have to share all data. You chose who sees this data and who you share it with.

watchOS 8 is really all about health this year (2021). With new apps for working out and being mindful, no doubt Apple Watch users will be more active and fit than ever. Apple also made messages easier to use, which, let’s face it, we’ve all been needing since the first Apple Watch came out!

Health

• Mindfulness- Breathe App has been enhanced to include a cool animation for during meditation. Reflect also provides meditations and affirmation prompts.
• Track respiratory rate- Changes indicate shifts in wellness, so seeing this trend will help notice possible respiratory issues.

Workouts

• Ti Chi workout- “Meditation in motion.” Try new Ti Chi workouts!
• Pilates workout- Try new Pilates workouts!
• Apple Fitness Plus- introducing a new workout series (seven total workouts) with Janet Jenkins.
• New artist spotlight series- Each workout comes with a playlist with featured artists.

Photos

• Faces- “Photos face is the most popular” according to Apple. A new portrait watch face basically puts the face at the forefront.
• Photos app- The Photos app has been redesigned to show favorites, featured photos, and memories.

Messages

• View- Dictate, scribble, and add emojis within the same view. Way easier than before!
• Share icon- New share icon in the Photos app to share with friends and family.
• Gifs- You can now share GIFs on Apple watch.

Apple TV

• SharePlay with Apple TV- Use SharePlay with Apple TV “seamlessly.”
• Apple TV app- Apple TV now has a “shared with you” row.
• For all of you- Make it easier to see what is best to watch for all your family in the “for all of you” row.
• HomePod Mini- crystal clear audio for everything you watch.

HomePod

• HomePods mini will now be available in new countries and regions within the month (June 2021): Austria, Ireland, New Zealand, and later in the year, Italy.
• Voice recognition- Now HomePod will come with voice recognition for each family member, allowing everyone in the home to use it efficiently.

Home and Matter

• Siri- Siri can be added, for the first time, to more third-party smart home accessories.
• Home Keys- Tap iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock the door
• Starting this fall, ask Siri to watch a recent episode of your favorite TV show or your favorite movie.
• Matter- You can control HomeKit accessories with the Home app and on Apple Watch with watchOS 8.
• Doorbell- Homekit enabled doorbell that can be accessed on Apple Watch.
• Package detection- know when the package you’ve been waiting on has arrived at your door.
• Multiple cameras- Display multiple cameras at the same time.

macOS Monterey is “focused on helping you do even more” work “fluidly across all devices” by way of continuity and consideration of your iOS and iPadOS products. Along with all the changes made in iOS and iPadOS, macOS Monterey will include the following:

• Facetime changes as shown above with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.
• SharePlay addition as shown above with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.
• Shared With You as shown above with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.
• Focus and Quick Note as shown above with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.

Continuity

Universal Control

• Use a single mac and keyboard to move from Mac to iPad and back to Mac again. Talk about continuity!
• This feature even works with the built-in trackpad on your MacBooks!
• It’s very similar to having an external display (or multiple).
• You can even drag and drop data this way!? Best continuity feature I have seen to date.

AirPlay

• Watch a movie or share a presentation. AirPlay to Mac. “Play present and share just about anything” with macOS Monterey and AirPlay.

Shortcuts

“Get more done. Faster” with Shortcuts on mac.

• Gallery of prebuilt shortcuts. Do more with less clicking around. Use Siri so you don’t have to click at all. Also, macOS users are still able to use Automator in conjunction with Shortcuts.

Safari

• Browser- The browser has been reorganized and designed.
• Tab groups- Tab groups have been added to save tabs such as recipes, shopping, etc.
• Tab bar- Apple’s new “Streamlined tab bar” is pretty fancy. Tab Groups are part of continuity that can be seen and used across devices.
• iOS tab bar- On iOS, tap to access the tab bar at the bottom of your display.
• Extensions- added to iOS and iPadOS for fluidity per the continuity model.

Apple is going to take a deep dive into developer tech later on in the WWDC21, but, lucky for us, they also gave us a little sneak peek. Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments!

API

• SharePlay- Making it possible to build shared experiences for iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS.
• System-level enhancements- Voice isolation, portrait mode, etc. that are used for video conferencing apps (FaceTime for example).
• New extra large widget sizes offered with iPadOS.
• New advanced rendering APIs in reality kit.

Object Capture

• Object Capture- New API to turn 2D objects into 3d in a fraction of the time. Take photos of an object with iOS or iPadOS and import them into Cinema 4D to create a 3D model of that item.
• Selling products- Able to use object capture to create a VR version of their products so customers can try out products in their homes.
• AR experiences are available to all developers with MacOS Monterey.

Swift

• Concurrency- This is one of the “most requested features” by developers. Allows you to write code that does work in Parallel. Simplified coding!

More will be shared this week at the WWDC21 about this exciting new feature!

App Store features

• App product page- Create multiple and custom product pages. Try different app icons, videos, etc. to create more ways to present your app in the App Store.
• In-App events- See events in the app store for the first time! They can be viewed on the app’s product page. Consumers can discover apps with personalized recommendations.
• Xcode Cloud- Xcode Cloud can build the app after code is created, freeing up your mac for other activities. Test results are displayed in code to easily fix mistakes. Xcode Cloud can auto-distribute to testers. Apple claims this is the “quickest, easiest way” to code and create apps. Also, Xcode Cloud will make it easier to distribute beta apps with app products and across all platforms.

Dates

Xcode Cloud

• All developers have access next year!
• Limited beta is available today (June 7th, 2021)!
• Pricing will be announced in Fall 2021.

iOS, iPad OS, watchOS, and macOS releases

• Developer betas- Today (June 7th, 2021)!
• Public beta- July 2021 release.
• Public release- Fall 2021.

Check out the Apple Keynote at the WWDC21 here: