A very, very good update to an already great puzzle platformer. This version does have some problems though. The hurtboxes for Shy Guys seem to be a bit messed up - it's not uncommon to jump onto one and somehow die - and this is especially prominent in the new icy world.

Speaking of: the new levels are so much worse than the others in the game. They have neat ideas but they are not executed well at all. The main reason is that the ice physics (and particularly Mario's weird spin jump) don't feel like they were properly thought out. They might work well like this in a 2D platformer but these levels are usually barely larger than a single screen; the DK boss fight using this gimmick makes it especially apparent how much of an issue this weird skating jump doesn't fit into the slower, more-methodical movement system of the rest of the game.

It's a stark reminder how Nintendo Software Technology hasn't been allowed to make a new game in over a decade besides the other Mario vs. Donkey Kong games that nobody cared about and some crossword things on the 3DS. Hopefully they'll be allowed to make new games at some point again.

i liked part i, although i found it to be way overhyped. i do understand that it was huge for the ps3 era, but i had my expectations set way too high and gave up halfway through the game until trying it again, and liking it, exactly a year later. so why not try part ii, despite the negative reviews? just to see where it goes.

this game absolutely destroyed me. it made me angry, and excited to go on the revenge spree. but what i did not expect is that the revenge spree just made me feel bad. the violence is insanely brutal and the npcs acted so realistically and on top of that, the game tells you that every single npc has his or her own story.

but the combat and gameplay were so good i couldn't stop. the atmosphere was bleak and depressing but so right up my alley. it got to the point i started waking up extra early so i could play an hour or two before going to work if i had plans later that day.

then the game made me confused, but interested enough to keep playing. and then angrier and angrier as the game makes you to do things you really don't want to do.

i liked the pacing and loved the story. i won't say whether or not i liked abby, but i really liked her part of the game.

part of me wants to replay this already, but another part of me doesn't want to go through this emotional rollercoaster again. but with the rather unnecessary yet exciting remaster coming out, i guess i have an excuse to give it another go. (unrelated but i actually see a difference in the remastered trailer - it just looks even more photorealistic and sharper, characters and environments - also, lost levels!) and the no return mode is exactly what this game needs, im playing it as soon as i finish the remastered game.

so with that said, i think this might be my no. 1 favorite game ever. assuming there will be a part iii, i will wait 10 years if i have to. i trust the team will make it good.

Revisited this to get all of the stars again as Luigi. I don't think I was fully ready to revisit this game, it certainly hadn't been long enough at 2 years. Whenever I really recognised an area my first thought wasn't "oh yeah this part is great" it was more likely "oh yeah what horrible thing do they put me through here" because those areas were the ones I remembered the most.

I'm going to leave my review at the original 4.5 and not let this playthrough harm my perception of the game because I don't think I went into it with the right mindset, and playing as Luigi I also see as a direct detriment to enjoyment.