Second GOTM finished for April 2024. I'm still not sure if this game deserves this high of a rating, but the uniqueness of the overall presentation and that last chapter/ending sequence feels like it helps elevate what might otherwise just be an average game. The polish put into this remake is stellar. The graphics are great, the music is incredible, and lots of QOL improvements and changes help to streamline and improve the experience. As with any of these "Anthology" type games, not every story is going to hit, and some are even going to be unpleasant. However, there's likely something here for everyone, and making each scenario feel different and unique really helps to keep the game feeling fresh all the way to the end. Again, that last chapter and end-game sequence (while slow in the dungeons) really made for a great finish. It may not be an amazing game, but it was a truly unique experience!

Twelfth GOTW finished for 2024. Cool concept of mixing SHMUPS with a competitive match-puzzle game like Kirby's Avalanche. I got the basic idea behind the gameplay and the controls, but I beat the entire game and I'm STILL not sure I actually knew what I was doing. Pure chaos in the later levels, and that final boss was a massive difficulty spike that I feel like I only somehow scraped through. Neat idea, cute sprites and characters, just didn't gel with this one. Maybe it's better in multiplayer.

Eleventh GOTW finished for 2024. This one absolutely clicked with me. There is no "story" in the Story Mode, which is a shame given the source material, but the gameplay alone still held up really well. The controls are relatively simple on the surface - A to dodge, B to punch, and R for special. However, the way you utilize distance and direction using the D-Pad in this game offers a lot of variety (if very poorly explained) and makes for lots of options in how you fight your opponents. Pressing opponents without a game plan can often put your ass on the mat, so identifying opponent's patterns and taking opportunities with your openings and blocking/dodging made for some surprisingly intense moments in the game. Great looking sprites as well. Great all around boxing game, very much enjoyed this one!

First GOTM finished for April 2024. Branching narrative paths and player choice sound compelling and interesting, but the short run time and somewhat aimlessness of the story beats leaves this one ultimately feeling uninteresting and without any meaningful depth. Lots of replayability, and spending time wandering around and finding different dialogue and story options would've tickled my fancy as a one-game-a-year kiddo, but as an adult with much better games around the lack of compelling narrative drivers and the short run time ultimately left this one feeling like an ambitious idea dragged down by poor execution.

Third GOTM finished for March 2024. I wasn't necessarily blow away by this game - the graphics were good and the weapon options and variety were fun, but the story was barely serviceable and some of the platforming bits and enemies were quite annoying - but I am extremely impressed by the fact that I played a PC game on a Genesis emulator. I've been hearing about this one for a while, so I'm glad to have finally gotten around to experiencing it, but there isn't enough here for me to want to come back for a better ending (mind you, I got the "Normal" ending). Music did kick ass though!

Second GOTM finished for March 2024. For the amount of effort put into this remake alone, this game is phenomenal. I can't remember the last time I played a "remake" or "remaster" and truly felt myself in awe while playing. Not only is it stunning to look at, but the QOL and accessibility features are outstanding. The gameplay loop, while easily broken, was also really fun and diving into the skills and combat mechanics was enjoyable. Top-to-bottom excellent remake!

However, this one isn't without its faults. The story felt pretty weak at times, especially since the main antagonists aren't introduced until about halfway through the game - briefly - and then you don't really see them again until the final dungeon. Some of the story beats felt truly geared towards the Claude and Rena interacting and being together, and every other interaction that might've deviated from that goal felt mechanical and forced. While I enjoyed interacting with many of the other characters (especially with the great voice acting), none of them really felt all that necessary to the plot and the story did its damndest to remind you of that fact. It wasn't a bad story, but it was certainly the weak spot of this game for me.

A really great game with an excellent remake, but when the core story of a game comes off this weak there isn't a whole lot a remake can do without fundamentally changing the game. I really enjoyed it, and will eventually play it again for the other protag's storyline, but it lacked just that little bit extra to make it something truly special.