I have an… interesting relationship with this game. See, I play it semi-competitively online(through dolphin) with a decently large group of friends, where we play each of the games 16 courses, with each placement rewarding a certain number of points(15 for 1st, 9 for second, 4 for 3rd and 1 for 4th) We even have power rankings for whoever wins the most over the course of a season! I really enjoy the social aspect of playing with my friends, and the core gameplay style and feel of this game’s driving keeps me coming back. However, I don’t think I have ever felt so much consistent despair, rage and fear than I do playing this game. When you pull back the hood, there is so much bullshit with the item mechanics and the physics that were seemingly programmed by a cat laying on someone’s keyboard, which leads to this game being an absolute clip farm above all else.

Overall, it’s really fun and a great social experience in the right contexts, but if you value your sanity DO NOT PLAY MKDD!

The single best kart racer ever made gameplay-wise, bar none in my opinion. The core gameplay of this game has led me to log hundreds of hours on servers, having the time of my life all the while. I can’t stress enough how fun and satisfying just… driving around in this game is, which is also helped the (mostly, fuck you Ganbare) amazing and beautifully retro tracks. Seriously, the social aspect of this game in combination with its gameplay leads to an infinitely replayable experience, as long as you have people to play with.

Unfortunately, that’s also the problem with it. Due to the games(current) only single-player content being time trials, if there’s nobody online on the servers you like, you’re shit outta luck. And for me, because I personally prefer vanilla gameplay, that’s lead to very little personal playtime on SRB2K for quite some time, as the community has mostly turned to modded gameplay as we await the next update/sequel, although said update/sequel will definitely rekindle the community.

Overall, the core gameplay is ultra-addicting and it’s a phenomenal social experience, but actually getting to that point may be difficult at the moment if you don’t enjoy modded gameplay.

One of the hidden gems on the stacked console that is the DS. The core of this series is its action packed mecha gameplay, and Custom Robo Arena(CRA) is no different. With millions of potential unique combinations each with their own unique playstyle to master, combined with the snappy, yet realistic controls/movement that promote thoughtful positioning, CRA always leaves me feeling like I can get better at it, even after having completed everything the game has to offer. In that regard, it’s very similar to fighting games, maybe that’s why I love it so much! But a eriously, I just can’t stress enough how satisfying and limitless the core gameplay of CRA is.

While I played through the game solo, I’d recommend playing through this game alongside a friend that you can challenge and play against frequently, as the story mode is passable at worst on its own. It does its job creating decently believable scenarios to thread each battle together, and it’s pretty obvious how much work and love went into the core gameplay compared to the story. The 2000s digimon-protag-esque character designs are quite lovable if you let yourself enjoy them(Dennis is literally me), but some people just can’t get over the… er, stylized overworld, and I don’t blame them for it, even if it’s a shame to let that overshadow the core gameplay in my opinion.

Overall, CRA is a really fun gem that always leaves me hungering for more with its addictive mech battles. While I think Custom Robo on the Gamecube has a better story mode and characters, if you’re up for some awesome mecha battle gameplay, I simply can’t recommend this game enough.