JSRF is a pretty substantial step up over it's predecessor, but I unfortunately still had a number of issues with it.

To start with the positives (which there are plenty of), it controls pretty well, and a lot of the level design can be pretty varied and challenging, with a lot of cool platforming sequences and interesting gimmicks. The presentation is an obvious plus, and is basically the whole reason these games are even remembered. Visually it hasn't aged a day, the lighting is excellent on top of a great sense of style and character design that just oozes "cool." The music is consistently great as well, but that probably goes without saying.

Now for some stuff I liked less. A good handful of levels are a pain to play through. The skyscraper district is convoluted and falling often results in getting sent very far backwards. The bosses are often tedious, and combat feels clunky. There's a lot of particular moments that just don't make a lot of sense or get in the way of the game's sense of flow.

Overall, this is a tightly paced, fun game with excellent presentation and personality. While some moments can be pretty annoying, the good elements are more than enough to outweigh the negatives.