I am glad i played this before FF7 Rebirth comes out even if the experience was a mixed bag. For the positives, I really grew to like Zack as a protagonist as the game went along and all the connections to FF7 were really great. Seeing events only mentioned in the original game in action and expanded on was the highlight of the game to me, as well as sections with other characters from that game which really flesh out the history of that world. As anyone who has played the OG can assume, it gets pretty emotional at times and I think they did a great job.

The big negative for me was I just did not care about the original story it was telling concurrently with the fleshing out of FF7, Genesis and Angeal did nothing for me whatsoever and the game unfortunately revolves around them so much in the first half I found my mind wandering during cutscenes. They just wouldn’t go away it was a bit painful.

The combat was also a mixed bag for me, it was pretty fun on a base level but waiting for the random wheel spin was pretty odd to me. It felt like a lot of the time in harder fights I was just stalling hoping for a good power up or move, it’s a neat idea but takes away player agency. Luckily the game wasn’t too grindy, I did a decent chunk of side missions and didn’t struggle too often in the story. I do wish it was a bit more obvious which side missions you should do, because some grant game changing rewards I wish I had realized much earlier.

I love a good arcadey stealth puzzle game, it reminded me of Party Hard in a way but it wasn't quite as in depth (or frustrating). You have to sneak by guards and clean up blood, remove bodies, and remove evidence without a way to defend yourself. You can interact with the environment to move some objects or hide in certain spots to avoid them, and it is pretty forgiving which keeps you from getting annoyed when you fail as you use trial and error to solve the puzzle of each level. There is also a simple, but interesting, story told in between missions that doesn't overstay it's welcome. I also love the art style and music in the game, it has a great unique vibe.

I didn’t play a ton of the first game but I can tell this is a big step up. The presentation is a whole lot better with the addition of the voices, and I really enjoy the roster (though of course we can all name tons more characters we would want added). I’m not a fighting game expert by any stretch, but the character platform fighter is a genre I enjoy dabbling with quite a bit in at least a surface level way, and there is a lot to enjoy for people like me. There is the usual ladder campaign for each fighter, as well as a campaign mode which is where I spent most of my time. This is a rogue like mode but very light on those elements, it has upgrades in the runs as well as some that transfer between. It is a little repetitive, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th runs out of the 5 required are exactly the same which is lame, but it does feel satisfying to play after you get a few permanent upgrades. I haven’t played online much (I know I would get destroyed) but I found this to be a solid game I would gladly put on when I have friends over just to mess around in.

I liked the changes to the campaign formula in this compared to the first R game, it is much longer (10 hours for me to 100%) and more robust. While the beat to beat gameplay is the typical Bomberman affair, they made the worlds interconnected in an almost open world way along with fast travel spots, but added 100 creatures per world to collect that act as the progression, allowing you to open gates. You also start each world at level 1, and by killing enemies and picking up enemies you will slowly level up gaining more bombs, faster movement speed, power ups, and more. This led to a nice sense of progression in the 3 worlds which I personally appreciated, even if there were a few questionable design choices. Bosses were cool but a bit tedious especially the ending, but I liked the direction they took this (and I still really like the cutscene art even if the story is just kind of there).

There is also a tower defense mode mixed into the campaign that’s a bit mixed, it’s cool setting up your own defenses but defending is a bit too easy with the AI being so dumb. Attacking on the other hand is annoying because you are racing against your 7 Bomber-siblings so if you mess up once it can be hard to regain your position with all the bombs going off constantly. It was an interesting wrinkle but it should have been thought out a bit more, at least it didn’t take up tons of the time.

A fun beat em up that is raised up by wonderful characters and humorous writing. This game lets you play as more than just Misako and Kyoko but I couldn’t bring myself to swap to anyone else because they are such fun characters. They bounce off each other really well with great comedic timing/writing, and it plays well into the plot with them fighting off the Yakuza who have taken over River City (and their school). The comic cutscenes are fun and the general presentation is great, there are so many wonderful songs that uplift the game and vibe so much. The game play is good but not the greatest beat ‘em up I’ve played, it can be a bit annoying with how often you get knocked prone, but I like the light rpg system and how having each food healing item for the first time increases your stats permanently. I do wish it kept the whole cast the same level to encourage swapping characters but that’s a small nitpick, I would like to play again in coop one day and try someone else just to see how different they play. Ultimately, if you were a fan of the first one or just want a funny adventure I think this game is well worth the time.

An immensely unique game that somehow makes checking paperwork fun and addicting, which really is an incredible feat alone. I just got totally in the zone playing this, going through the rhythm of checking all the paperwork against the constantly changing rules was both rewarding and stressful because I was really worried about getting in trouble and not having money to pay for the family to survive. There is great storytelling here too, all within the constraints of only newspapers and checkpoint visits the game is able to tell a full branching narrative with tons of side stories, it is really impressive. Will you help take down the corrupt government or just mind your own business, it is all up to you! Shout out guard Sergiu and the constant annoyance Jorji, it is cool how much you grow to care about them in so little screen time.

Lightning fast FPS where you are always on the move, running, double jumping, sliding, diving, slowing down time, and shooting holes through walls to keep your momentum. When you are in the rhythm it is a zen like experience, the most satisfying part being the instant swapping of guns. When you are low on ammo the game automatically picks up a gun at your feet or falling from the enemy you just killed, so the action is fast frantic and nonstop. There are some very light story elements but you are really here for the combat which is so highly polished I couldn't put it down.

Similar to the first game this is a hard one for me to review. The positive is this game is a huge step forward from the first. On balance it controls a lot better, the game structure is more open and free with the interconnecting levels, and you aren't being hounded by police every two seconds. Things are shaken up pretty often, you are spraying graffiti, racing, tag racing, fighting, and more. The game also has a wonderful charming style that holds up today, great art, cool designs for the different playable characters and rival gangs, and of course an awesome soundtrack (Aisle 10 was my favorite).

However this game really needs a modern remake (I am glad we are getting a reboot!) to fix some issues. The jumps are so floaty yet they have so many areas where you need to be super precise that it just leads to frustration, honestly without save states I am not sure I would have pressed onward in certain sections. The map also might be the worst one I have ever seen, it is almost indecipherable in some sections where the text is just on top of the map entirely and you have no idea what you are looking at. There are other issues but they are pretty of the time, such as a rough checkpointing system and a lack of clarity at times on what you should be doing, but I can accept a lot of that since this is a 2002 game.

Ultimately I think the back half of the game will make me think of this game a lot more fondly than I was working through the horrible sewer level earlier on, and that helps me look past a lot of the issues. Great style and I look forward to a modern take on this, I think it could be special

This wasn't entirely new for me but I only played the original once quite a few years ago so it was a welcome opportunity to revisit. The world is unique, full of original characters headlined by Mallow and Geno which gives the game it's own totally unique feel. The writing is snappy and funny, and while the plot certainly isn't intricate it is nice to have a different cast of villains than the usual (the dynamic of Bowser being an ally is a real highlight).

The combat is solid, the timing button presses for attacks and defending keeps you always focused, and all 5 of the characters feel important to the squad. I love when JRPGs allow you to swap characters in and out without wasting a turn, it allows you to give them all time in the spotlight without feeling like you are wasting time. The new additions for the remake are a nice touch, but they do make the game incredibly easy. This isn't a huge deal but it does make it feel like fighting every enemy you see is a bit pointless and tedious.

Ultimately I think this game holds up really well and you can see it's influence in all the Mario RPGs that came after it. While I think it is lesser than the original 3 Mario and Luigi games and Paper Mario (haven't played TTYD yet but I am guessing that one as well) that doesn't mean it is bad at all, just a bit simple but it is a good time.