After playing IC's first MM game, MM9 and 10's "figure it out or die" mentality makes so much more sense. MMZ really pushes you to learn patterns and optimal movement. The Cyber Elves (though tedious to feed) are great rewards for exploring levels and beating enemies.

Baller. The reworked Cyber Elf system is the best iteration yet. Loved Secret Disks. About half of the bosses either try to aggressively secure a part of the arena (which makes them very punishable) or are unusually slow for an MMZ boss. They're still fun, but they feel catered to Classic/X fans.

Bruh

Strange, but really good. The combat, though a bit unconventional, is solid once you get used to it. Levels can get long, but they never feel like they're wasting your time. My only two major complaints is that a few enemies are too tanky, and that the Flamethrower is useless in most scenarios (save for killing the bug enemies).

Great movement and snappy combat. My only issues are the secret skulls which really hurt the game's flow, the enemies looking too similar to each other, and the content being a bit bloated. Sadly, I'll be on-and-off with this game, because getting good at Warstride genuinely hurts my hands (which isn't the game's fault).

A superior sequel. The open-ended world structure combined with quick levels and unique themes makes this a fresh and fun experience. This game further affirms my belief that Mario games are much better when their stages are short. My only 2 gripes is that Mario feels a bit floaty, and every boss is too straightforward.

RPG that copies Final Fantasy VI in a LOT of ways. I've heard the game is solid, but the start is unbearably boring. There's a reason why most RPGs try to get you a second party member ASAP, because fighting a bunch of enemies one-at-a-time is just not fun.

I'm still getting acquainted with how much faster the X games are, but X2 is still so much better than the first game. I'm not sure if I'd put this on par with some of the better games in the Classic series (4-11, World 3-5, and MM&B put up a solid competition), but for a new series, going this hard by the second game is still huge.

Solid platformer. Incorporates the fundamentals of 3D Sonic and 3D Mario. Perfecting the whole game was satisfying. Having logs that detail the story is a great way convey a narrative in an otherwise arcade-style game.

A guilty pleasure. TWoGR's pacing and progression is far better than TFoER. Sidequests open up at reasonable points to make rewards valuable. The sword beam isn't made redundant by projectile items. NPCs move around based on the status of certain objectives. Surprisingly, the story and worldbuilding are superior to TFoER.

Very fun combat, but the game has a nasty habit of stringing cutscenes back-to-back, meaning that it's difficult to truly enjoy the experience.

Disappointing follow-up on X2. Levels feel like they're twice as long. Long boss death animations. Very vertical levels. Boss fights aren't as fun. Item progression is more strict. Not the worst game I've played, but it feels like it loves to waste your time.

Superb. Unlike the other World games, MMW5 is completely original, while borrowing the strengths of MM6. Because of this, MMW5 has levels with exploration elements, bosses that are significantly better, and all around higher polish. This is not only the best MMW game, but one of the best in the series by a mile.

Can't say I hated it. Surprisingly good replay value. I'm sure the remaster cleans up a lot of things I would have otherwise picked at, but outside of some mandatory grinding, jank, and occasionally vague sequences (which is helped by a hint system), the experience itself plays like a passable - albeit brisk - tribute to Zelda II.

The meanest of the four. The Cyber-Elf's give-and-take philosophy is dope. The recipe system is restrictive, but rewarding. While not necessarily harder than previous entries, MMZ4 has the lowest tolerance for mindless play: from levels having spikes and pits in meaner locations, to bosses quickly following up after each attack.