Mega Man X is a great example of how to super charge a series. While the classic Megaman series wss feeling more and more like rehashes, Megaman X made a big splash on a big new console. With a striking, unmistakble aesthetic and a level up in every aspect Mega Man X feels like just as much of an upgrade on the classic series, s the titular character is an upgrade on the blue bomber.

Mega Man X takes a much more realistic, gritty approach. Not only is the plot a lot more in depth, the whole formula has been refreshed. Levels aren't just blocky, game-y platforms floating anymore, levels are distinct locations with cohesion. Besides the much more immersive effect this creates, it extends into the designs itself. Enemies blend into environments, aspects of stages that would be set dressing in a classic game are crucial level features in X. This enhanced by the increased interactivity and malleability of levels. Some levels will behave differently if other levels are cleared first, and upgrades are placed throughout levels, encouraging the player to explore, with some of these upgrades requiring others before being obtainable.

The presentation has been taken up a notch too. Music, while still catchy and memorable, is more atmospheric and immersive, while the game looks great with detailed sprites and amazing locales.

Gameplay has been stepped up too. While X can't slide like Mega Man, his wall jump and dash more than make up for it, creating levels and scenarios that weren't possible with Mega Man's rudimentary tool kit. X has a much faster pace and is more mobile, and being good enough to go fast is just as rewarding as clearing the stage itself. Instead of relying on iffy jumps or awkward platforms to enhance challenges, X's bigger toolkit allows for much more diverse obstacles that challenge the player's patience less, in favour of direct skill. This extends to bosses too. While some are made trivial by their weakness, their regular patterns are much more unique and are a real test of the player's grasp on the mechanics.

Mega Man X was and still is a bold new take on the Mega Man formula, and is exactly how to refresh a stale franchise

Sonic Mania is the blue blur at his best. While it leans a tad too much into old content, it still has plenty of new, and it still puts its own spin on the callbacks.

The presentation is phenomenal, with gorgeous and crisp sprite art, of both old locales that look better than ever and brand new areas that look just as amazing, with some stages having some truly remarkable set pieces. The music is up to par, with old tracks being refreshed with fantastic renditions, and new tracks fitting right in with that quality.

Gameplay is standard classic Sonic affair, but greatly refined. The new drop dash move keeps the pace going and feels really great to pull off in time woth the beats of the level. Speaking of the levels themselves, they are crafted to near perfection. Speed traps that plagued Sonic 1 and 2 are removed, in favour of energetic and memorable levels that form the perfect blend of platforming, rhythm and exhilirating set pieces. Very few levels aren't tons of fun and the ratio is heavily skewed towards the ones that are. Boss fights are the best 2D Sonic has ever managed, with genuinely unique and engaging gimmicks that test more skills than just knowing when to attack.

With the pinnacle of 2D Sonic gameplay, a presentation that oozes polish and care, and plenty of content to sink your teeth into, Sonic Mania nails it.

Getting back to form after Chain of Memories' unique gameplay system, Kingdom Hearts 2 is a fantastic sequel, building on almost all aspects of the original and being a phenomenal action game in its own right.

Having assumed that the player is familiar with the plot of both the PS2 original Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts 2 begins with a prologue that involves a new character. Though an atmospheric and fairly emotional opening at first, the prologue takes its time and can be a pace-breaker on repeat playthroughs. The remainder of the plot is fairly usual Kingdom Hearts. Its Final Fantasy mixed with Disney that takes its bizarre concept seriously. Though a bit of a double edged sword, the premise being played straight still makes for a sufficiently enjoyable story. It has good comedic appeal, good attempts at emotional moments and despite common criticism, is perfectly coherent and straightforward to follow. Though not a masterpiece of writing by any means, the story does its job well. Tense moments are tense and the Disney branding is used well.

The real meat and bones to Kingdom Hearts 2 is the combat, which is some of the finest in any action game. Sora controls like a dream. Tight, responsive and with a good weight makes for a fantastic feel, only enhanced by the vast array of versatile and viable tools and abilities Sora gets access to. Despite a seemingly overwhelming amount of options, almost all of them have good utility and are fun to use. The free-flowing combo system and general design creates incredible synergy and a massive potential for player freedom and ingenuinety. Unlike the original's deliberateness and low to the ground approach, Kingdom Hearts 2 Sora has a degree of flashiness trademark to character action, but instead of being a case of style over substance, Kingdom Hearts 2 translates this to gameplay very well, with a versatile toolkit that is delightful to use. Enhancing this is the game's excellent enemy design. Enemy variety is high and they encourage utilizing all the tools available, in particular boss fights and the 14 excellent super bosses the Final Mix version introduced. Exemplifying this is the addition of reaction commands, allowing the player to use Triangle to perform context-sensitive, enemy specific manevuers. This adds even more depth to an already excellent combat system, rewarding knowledgeable and skilled players with powerful maneuvers provided they are familiar with enemy patterns. Kingdom Hearts 2 does an excellent job of getting the player to engage and get better at the game, and it only gets more fun when they do.

The level designs of the game have often been criticised. While I agree with the observation that levels are far more simplified and straightforward than the first game, I don't agree that this is a problem. While the interactivity and fully fledged worlds of the original are a positive, Kingdom Hearts 2 is aiming for a different goal with regards to level design. By sacrificing the interconnectedness and depth of Kingdom Hearts 1's levels, Kingdom Hearts 2 is able to streamline levels and create a better pace for the moment to moment action game it clearly wants to be. On the macro level, worlds are simplistic and linear, but on the micro level they have a great amount of variety in combat arenas, and are only as big as is necessary to fit the combat encounters the game is focused on, killing downtime.

I find the PS2 version's soundtrack to be better overall than the HD remaster's, however the HD remaster's looks overhaul is greatly appreciated, running at a constant 60fps and having a crisp look that ages well.

Overall, Kingdom Hearts 2 is a joy to play, and despite taking some liberties, is a brilliant sequel to the initial entry.