i do think this game can be a lot of fun and has great platforming and i tried to play as many levels as i could no warp whistle or anything. i was thoroughly enjoying myself from like worlds 1-4 because the game just genuinely felt a lot of fun to play. but god by world 5 and onward there were just some levels that took a lot out of me and made me wanna stop playing for a little because of how annoying they were to play, especially when they love doing the puzzle levels that go on forever because you cant find a single block with a p switch or the right door to walk through because the level has 15 to choose from. there were still good levels from that point in world 5 and on, and i know i could have just skipped levels that werent required that i didnt like, but i felt like trying to experience as much of the game as i could. it just felt like at a point for every 2 or 3 levels where i was having fun there was one level that drove me insane whether it be because it was a puzzle level or just something with enemy placement or level design or whatever that i wasnt a big fan of

played through yakuza 0, probably my least favorite of the arcade games offered in that game. it's an enjoyable play for a little while when you aren't aiming to beat it and it was a really pretty game that surprised me for its time, but i feel like the sheer amount of shit on the screen at once and how much you have to keep track of drives me insane when my eyes are on an enemy im shooting and a random bullet or obstacle i wasn't paying attention to ends up killing me. i only managed to get to the first bonus stage once and its nice to know that the game at least has a way to get extra lives, but like shit man after learning this game has 18 stages i feel like that may be the most torturous learning experience of trying to get through this game with minimal enough error just to be able to beat it once that i just don't think i have in me to do

now this is a real ass game. i played without save states at all and it made everything feel so much more rewarding and fulfilling, and even if i game overd i wasnt even that mad because i just got to keep playing this game lol, it's just that fun. there are a couple of really difficult levels that got me a little frustrated but it was in the stubborn way where you wanna do one more run because you just know you can beat the level. then by the time you memorize the attack patterns and youre in The Zone and everything falls into place perfectly the feeling of beating a level feels so good. especially the last level, it will rock your shit but when you beat it feels so so good

don't really need to rate this one as this version seems near identical to the ps2 game which is an all time favorite game for me. i will give some thoughts on the game though as i imagine my initial review of this game was probably a nothing review.

on this playthrough i was really thinking the whole time about how this was a game you felt like you could tell was made by people if that makes any sense, just all the deliberate placement of objects big and small. it almost feels like the video game equivalent of those model train sets that people make with all the little additions like a town or people and animals hanging out in a vast grassy field. all the little things that you maybe take at face value when you first look at them, but when you inspect closely you realize how much thought went into where something goes and why it may be there, and i think that's really really cool. then on top of that there are some other great aspects that are easy to appreciate. visuals that are pretty timeless and made me think yeah this is a game someone could make today, an ost that had me singing along as i played through levels, and just an overall vibe that's not afraid to be a little more out there and whimsical. it all adds up to a package that makes for an experience that you can get through in a day that leaves you with a big goofy ol smile on your face and the sense that you're happy you played this game even if it's your first time or your tenth