Why in the fuck did I like this DLC when I first played it, this is ROUGH.

The Arctic Cruise is without question the worst chapter in the game. Its nothing but tight spaces, awkward platforming, and the worst camera in the history of platformers. There are only 3 levels too and the second one has you going through the exact same areas as the first except on a timer, a really stress inducing timer at that. The best thing I can say about this chapter is that the seals are funny, I like them. They SHOULD be annoying because they speak in uwu, but I always wanted to hear what they had to say.

The other new addition in this DLC is Death Wish, which is...not fun, but that's kinda by design. It's mainly super difficult versions of pre-existing levels. Most of them aren't a fun challenge either, they're just irritating. There are also tasks you'll be given that you can do in any eligible world, and these always suck, they're a pointless grind just to make the mode take longer. I have never finished this mode and I probably never will. Those new boss themes are bangers but that's about all I can say in terms of positives.

So uh yeah in conclusion this DLC sucks it's terrible I don't like it but it did introduce Bow Kid so points for that I guess

This and its sequel are where Pokemon peaked. Fast paced battles with great looking animated sprites, a beautiful combination of 2D and 3D visuals, a story that's actually in-depth and engaging, memorable characters (N 😳), it's all fantastic. The game even uses the legendaries in an effective way here, the villain having one to defeat the league with raises the stakes. It feels like your journey actually matters in the context of the world itself.

I love the ambition of including 150 brand new Pokemon, and not only that, making them the ONLY ones you can encounter throughout your journey. It really forces the player to learn what these new Pokemon are and how to effectively use them and counter them. My one complaint though is that just like gen 1, you'll be seeing the same handful of Pokemon in the early game, which can get a little old.

I don't think Pokemon will ever be this good ever again. They put everything into this and the sequel. I would do anything for an HD 2D game that just takes this style and enhances it, but I guess we're stuck with these lifeless 3D games now, hooray.
All I'm saying is nothing in the modern games will leave as much of an impression as the Reshiram and Zekrom confrontation in this game.