A couple (major) grievances I need to air about this season, before I get into why I think it's still their best since SS1 - firstly, this signifying the death of new themed seasons is a heavy effin' blow which can't help but feel like the beginning of the end, in a way. Sure not every past season was a mega-hit, but at least they all had their own distinct identity which lend themselves to greater variety mix during play. I mean I loved this digi-polygon theme at first but now it's feeling stale - even a lot of the creator rounds feel samey. Though taking that into account, general gameplay is better than it's felt in what seems like YEARS. The vaulting bullshit that plagued this game heavy since 2022 feels almost totally muted here; with a ton of underappreciated and sorely missed games being put back into the cycle on a nice schedule. No more getting Stompin' Ground or Speed Slider every single fucking match anymore (though boring Blastlantis still shows up too frequently for my tastes)! And while team games can be fun on occasion, I'm glad they've lessened their appearances which before would totally derail any progress you made that match seemingly at random. The creative mode itself here is honestly also a hoot for what it is, though it still feels like its missing key developments. Still can effortlessly boot this back up and have a good time.