for such an oddball game as Metroid 2, this remake absolutely succeeds at preserving the original’s charm while making it generally more fun and polished. what’s really admirable, though, is how AM2R still has an identity all its own. the graphical shaders, sprites, music, and all-around vibe find themselves rooted in the GBA Metroid titles but ultimately leaning towards something more like Terraria, an angle that you’d likely never get from an official Nintendo product. Metroid Prime-style logs are added, slotting the game into the existing lore of the series even better, there are tons of options from difficulty to aesthetic, endings have several unique pieces of art depending on your performance like the GBA games before them… in terms of flaws, yes, it does introduce some slightly irritating darkness sections and Metroid fights can become repetitive as in the Game Boy game, but it really is such a meticulously crafted fan work, and one that deserves to be celebrated.

(Review of the Noise Update) What an insane way to do a second character, my god. Fully takes the Shovel Knight approach of a really fun new moveset that lets you tackle the same levels in new ways, but goes off the wall with how those new ways are implemented, at times almost feeling like a parody of the original. Without spoilers, I can also say that the story somehow doubles down on the themes of the main game and subverts your expectations of what kind of POV you're even viewing the events through. Highly recommend.

i have to admit that playing this with my now-girlfriend probably affected my perception of this game, but my god is this such an interesting and fun puzzle platformer. the movement is snappy, fluid, and versatile, the levels implement tons of interesting new gimmicks alongside bringing back almost everything from the arcade original and its sequel, the music is surprisingly varied and catchy, there’s a climactic final encounter, it’s really got it all. my only complaint would be that its length does start to drag on in its later stages, but i wouldn’t say it overstays its welcome if you play it in multiple sessions, which thankfully even the original cartridge allows due to battery saving. honestly, a game boy classic that anyone should try.

as someone who genuinely likes modded FNF gameplay and has a sort of spectator-sport type interest in creepypasta, this project’s release, popularity, and cancellation feels like it was a Pandora’s Box that can never be closed, and that makes actually analyzing the game itself sort of difficult. what i know for sure is: it’s stuck with me since its first version, Triple Trouble’s chart is somehow still fun to replay, i’ll never get Endless out of my head, Starved is honestly the best horror Sonic content out there and Fight or Flight can still give me chills; and despite its shortcomings and the many questionable or outright bad people who worked on it, this thing has inspired incredible art and introduced thousands to creators they otherwise wouldn’t have ever considered. so idk i think it’s at least okay