38. Wario Land 3 (last year 33), first impression 7.5, replay 8, technical 8.
Pros: Direct successor to the higher-rated Wario Land 2, with much of what made that game appealing, like a difficulty that didn't come from cheap deaths, because you couldn't die. Winning was about being able to get from point A to point B, which was sometimes still incredibly difficult. This game excelled past 2 with its focus on treasure-hunting, meaning there was a lot to find in each stage. Some of the new power ups were also more interesting, like Vampire Wario.
Cons: The game was difficult to figure out at the very beginning, because of the bad design decision to have you "unlock" moves that were basic to Wario Land 2. This, combined with the necessity of these moves to advance in some cases, meant i hit a wall very early on that crunched it's "first impression" score.
Monster Hunter: pissing me off since 2010.
