Finally got around to this in preparation for Mario Wonder. I've been meaning to play this for ages and knocking this off my backlog has meant I've finally got around to all the 2D Zelda's and Mario's I've got access to (apart from 2 and SMW2).

The overworld design in this one is great with the amount of secret exits and levels. The sprites are great, the new powerups like the cape are awesome, and the controls are tight. I don't think the individual levels are as good as 3 and 3's worlds have more of a clear theme (desert/big and small world etc). There are also one too many fortress and ghost house levels that reuse a lot of the same assets, lessening the variety of levels.

The game is generally a lot easier than 3, which is fine, but there are still some pretty challenging levels especially in the special zone and the later fortresses. The level design never feels as punishing or unfair as 3 with the exception of some of the special zone levels.

Other than that its pretty much exactly what I expected and wanted. The platforming is fun and beating bowser feels like an achievement. As a console launch game, this is probably tied with Halo for the best of all time. Can't really go wrong with Mario.

- Stardew Valley-lite with adult themes
- More gathering than farming
- Still very fun without adult theme
- The base game is 18+ while the free dlc would cater to dad jokes
- Playable on Steam Deck

Good:

- Engaging puzzles that require clever thinking
- Unique and innovative storytelling approach that adds depth to the game
- The atmosphere is excellent for the game setting.

Bad:
Quality of Life Complaint
- Lack of cloud save and manual save options, relying solely on autosave functionality
- Limited input options, with the game only supporting mouse controls and not accommodating keyboard or controller inputs. The claim of being playable on Steam Deck is misleading.

Gaming experience
- Lengthy loading times, particularly noticeable on the Steam Deck
- Writing style is excessively casual and conversational, lacking consistent engagement and interest
- Slow pacing in terms of story progression, potentially impacting the overall momentum of the game. However, the game still has its moments.
- Inclusion of filler content that extends the gameplay without adding significant value or enjoyment.

While I initially had high hopes and enthusiasm for this game, I found myself lacking the motivation to continue and eventually gave up during Chapter 2.

fun, janky FPS combat paired with some of the most embarrassing writing ever seen in a video game. two women follow you around who are both SO desperate for your boring actionman fantasyguy dick and never shut up about how cool and sexy you are the entire time. like they're not even characters outside of how badly they want to fuck, it's so overbearing that it's funny. it's on that anime mobile phone horny gacha advertisement shit. i don't think i've ever cared less about the story in a video game, it's the lamest kind of tabletop nerd fantasy, but i don't think anyone who's played this cares about it either. the game's encounter design and the way you, inevitably, end up using the arena's to score environmental kick kills is the core appeal. and it's fun!!!! i like kicking nerds into: pits, oceans, spikes, fire, and more! most of it feels pretty rough, though. movement and regular combat are very clunky and awkward, stairs are a nightmare, and it has some questionable collision at times - but the time you'll spend with your foot up a dude's rear end is good.

It’s not groundbreaking in terms of story and combat but still interesting nonetheless. From what i could see, the dev really put lots of love and attention into making this game.

What stands out for me:
- the battle music is really well used. I felt the weight and force when attacking the enemies!
- the general aesthetics is simply brilliant. Arts are sooooooo beautiful to look at.
- QoL and accessibility in this game is perfect for me. As for bugs and errors, I didn’t encounter any, meaning the game is really well polished.

Conclusion: if you want a short jrpg game around 8 hrs or less and a chilling experience, i guess this is the one.