Like my review for the Final Mix version of the original, this review is only going over the added content in this version. I will link the review for the base game for those interested.

Base game review: https://www.backloggd.com/u/BrightGalaxy/review/570304/

Like the first game's Final Mix, this game adds more cutscenes, additional weapons for Sora & the gang, color-swapped heartless, and etc. However, there is a lot more additional content that is added this time.

Similar to proud mode in KH1 Final Mix, KH2 Final Mix adds a new difficulty that is supposed to be even harder called critical mode. This difficulty is one of the few flaws I have with the version it doesn't really feel like the step up in difficulty from proud mode that it was intended to be. Every time I play critical I swear I have an easier time with it than I do with proud mode. Later games do improve upon critical mode's difficulty and make them noticeably harder like it is intended to though, but its still weird they didn't make it less forgiving.

Sora gets a new drive form that brings back some of the iconic moves from the first game such as Sonic Blade, Ares Arcanium, and Ragnarök. Not only is this drive form a blast to use but it is almost as busted if not more so than final form.

Mushroom XIII are new heartless that act very similar to the heartless that were added in KH1 Final Mix. Some of the members function as more refined versions of those and some of them add new gimmicks like that mushroom in the Mysterious Tower that made me want to tear my hair out when I was going for the record needed to complete Jiminy's journal. Minus the few annoying ones, I really like Mushroom XIII and the minigames they bring to the table. Major improvement from the enemies added in the first game.

Unlike KH1 Final Mix, KH2 Final Mix adds a brand new area to Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden called the Cavern of Remembrance. This area will require you to level up most of your drive forms and will really test your mobility and skill with the number of powerful enemies that also appear as you venture deeper into it. At the end lies a room containing 13 data replicas of each member of Organization XIII.

Onto the main course, the boss fights. They added a lot more this time compared to KH1 FM which only added Xemnas. You get to fight Roxas in the main story which is not only a fun, challenging boss fight but also one of the most kino moments in the series. You get to fight the absent silhouettes of the Organization members that were only in Chain of Memories too which are all pretty easy if you're around mid-level. Then when you're at max level you'll be ready to take on the Organization XIII replica data. The data battles are essentially just more difficult versions of the same boss fights you fought in the story and post-game but more difficult and with a lot more health. These are easily the best part and addition to this version. Lastly, there is the Lingering Will who is basically a teaser for a future game like Xemnas was in the Final Mix version of the first game. He is easily the hardest boss in the game and one of the hardest bosses in the series who requires you to learn his moves and master this game if you want to beat him.

The secret ending added in this game is amazing to watch and a fantastic teaser to Birth by Sleep. With the added theater mode, you are free to enjoy it and any other cutscene you like as many times as you want too.

Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix elevates an already fantastic game to easily being one of the greatest games of all-time. If you have a PlayStation console, PC, or even an Xbox One, PLAY THIS MASTERPIECE!

This review covers only the new additions and changes made in this version. I will link the review for the base game below.

Base game review: https://www.backloggd.com/u/BrightGalaxy/review/564994/

Before this version existed, Square added a bunch of extra post-game bosses in the western releases that consisted of Sephiroth, a handful of heartless, and the Ice Titan. Since Japan never got these bosses, Squaresoft decided to release this version not even a year after the base game in Japan was released. That one adds a handful of new changes and a canon boss fight with a mysterious hooded man who would eventually play a large role in the series story.

First off, the game throws in a few extra cutscenes that give a little bit more context to the game's story as well as new Ansem reports that add to the game's lore. This game's story is pretty simple in comparison to the wild ride Nomura has crafted over years of sequels and "spin-offs" but a little extra context is never a bad thing. There is a new version of the ending, which like the added boss I will eventually go into, serves as a teaser of what was to come.

In this version, all of the heartless get a color change. Since this is the version of KH1 I've played the most, I've gotten used to the color swaps. I don't think they are ugly, but they don't replace the charm that the iconic, original designs have. Plenty of new heartless were also added with each of them having some sort of gimmick that makes them a bit more interesting to fight compared to the generic shadows and soldiers. These heartless also drop new materials which you can use to synthesize new items.

Something that I think gets glanced over a lot are the major quality of life changes that were added to Final Mix. Among the new abilities added were slapshot, sliding dash, and leaf bracer. The former two make the combat a little less clunky and leaf bracer is a game-changer in that you can still heal while being attacked. Another small QoL improvement that makes a huge difference is that you can now skip cutscenes after watching them. This makes a certain few bosses in this game MUCH more bearable in comparison to the base version that did not allow you to do this.

Proud mode is also a new addition that was not in the base game. Proud mode is essentially the game's hard difficulty and significantly boosts the game's difficulty. It's a good challenge and from my experience the best way to play the game even if it gets frustrating during some parts.

The last thing worth mentioning is the new boss fight. The hooded man who is totally not inspired by Darth Vader is a challenging but fun addition to the lineup of post-game bosses who will put your skills and ability to spam Ars Arcanum to the test. In terms of difficulty, I would put him above the heartless bosses and Ice Titan but below Sephiroth. Even with that in mind, he is still satisfying to beat and a perfect teaser for KH2.

This is easily the definitive version to play and thanks to the many rereleases can be played on almost every modern platform and for a pretty cheap price too, so I strongly suggest playing this masterpiece.


The real final boss is the camera.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is the sequel to an already great kart racer that is an improvement in almost every conceivable way. It takes inspiration from Mario Kart 7 and Diddy Kong Racing with the additions of planes and boats and combined with this game's high speed action manages to handle those mechanics in a way that gives them a run for their money. The game does also add some customization options for each racer's vehicle that accommodate different playstyles. The physics feels much tighter and a bit refined compared to its predecessor. You really feel the weight of your vehicle as you race with it whereas, in the first game, it felt a bit lighter most of the time until you finished your power drift. In comparison to other games in the genre, I will say that the story mode is rather lackluster. You don't get any fancy hub world to explore, but instead you pretty much just click whatever race you have enough stars to do. The last gameplay bit worth mentioning that is actually a positive is that it is much harder than its predecessor. Despite the increase in difficulty, rarely did my losses ever feel cheap and it truly tests your skill in the more advanced difficulties. Every boost, turn, and item will count if you want to win and beat some of the later levels and unlock everything in the story mode.

Now onto the other aspects this game has to offer, the roster and tracks. Losing Billy Hatcher, the ChuChus, and the Bonanza Bros were definitely a big loss but they are replaced with better options such as Vyse, Joe Musashi, and Nights & Reala. I do wish Banjo-Kazooie came back for the 360 version and that we got more DLC characters like Ristar, Kiryu, and Toejam & Earl but overall I'm satisfied with what we got even if some of the guest choices were strange like Danica Patrick and Wreck-It-Ralph. AGES was also a really cool callback to Sega's older games and the Dreamcast that I figured was worth mentioning. In terms of tracks, there is a lot more variety in this entry than in the original where you had 3 casino tracks, 3 final fortress tracks, and 3 seaside hill tracks. Every track is unique in this one and that's something I greatly appreciate.

In conclusion, it is a kart racer that not only is a worthy rival to Mario Kart & Crash Team Racing, but also an amazing game that serves as a love letter to Sega's history. I would normally recommend playing this on any version, but PC has by far the most exclusive content so if you do pick this up I'd go with that one. Either way, it is still fantastic and very much worth playing.

This game came out at a pretty awkward time in Japan. Not too long before the release of Smash 4 this game got announced and released a little after the 3ds version first launched in Japan. Despite Smash being all the craze both on my mind and in general, I also started watching One Piece not too long ago as well so this game caught my interest. Time passes and during that time they even did a crossover promotion with Smash in the form of amiibo costumes for some of the roster, but this game's localization never came. Naturally, I was pretty disappointed even though the US never got the 2 Gigant Battle games on the DS. I did casually try this game out a couple of years ago, but I didn't extensively play or finish it until now.

Gameplay-wise, it is similar to Smash Bros and even copies its score-based and coin collection modes. However, it looks pretty much identical to the Gigant Battle games and Jump Ultimate Stars which also take a lot of influence from Smash. This time though they went with the more chibi-looking art style of the older Grand Battle games that were released on the PlayStation 2 and GameCube. Each of the characters have a different feel to them and a moveset that showcase their powers and abilities. The game also adds a sizable cast of assist characters that allows for some popular, iconic characters that didn't make the cut into the roster to have a chance to shine. Speaking of the roster, there are a handful of unique roster choices such as Shiki, Zephyr, Kin'emon & Momonosuke, Trebol, and Diamante. All of whom with Kin'emon being the exception, I am certain will never be playable characters in a One Piece game again. Some of those oddball choices like Trebol may not have been the best choices especially when fan favorites like Eneru or Lucci could have been picked instead, but I see them as something that makes the game stand out a little and worth visiting. My biggest flaws though are that the story mode gets repetitive rather quickly and I did not appreciate that there are branching pathes that require you to play through some of the chapters twice if you want to unlock everyone. Overall, the core gameplay is very fun, and the uniqueness of almost every character makes them all worth trying at least once. If you're a One Piece fan and either have a modded 3ds or Citra then I highly suggest playing this.

The first time I started this game was on the Vita back in 2016. I remember JSR getting a good amount of representation in the Sonic & All-Stars Racing games and I thought this game looked fun so it caught my attention. Then when I got around to playing it, I dropped it immediately after the tutorial. Partly because of the jank and me just being lazy with games in general. Got the game on Xbox 360 to see if it was any different and the rest is history.

Is the game as janky as I remember it being? Yes, but this time I'm playing it on a much better controller, the Xbox Series X controller, so it's a little bit more bearable. Everything else about the game is great though. The music kicks ass, the art style pops and still looks great to this day, and the characters look pretty cool with Beat being my favorite. The final boss was also pretty unique and stood out to me despite how annoying the last phase of it was. However, what keeps this game from being a truly great one is constantly fighting with this game's physics to get my character to move how or do what I want them to. It's a frustrating experience and it made me nearly drop the game a couple of times, but luckily I prevailed and made it to the end. Despite my rating, I will still say it is good, but a deeply flawed game. I hear Jet Set Radio Future is a major improvement so I hope it either gets added as a backwards-compatible title on Xbox or gets a remaster in the near future.

2016

I've always been fond of the ocean and its beauty for as long as I can remember. It's one of the main reasons why I love it when games have good-looking water graphics, why I can tolerate most water levels, and why Jolly Roger's Lagoon is my favorite world in Banjo-Tooie. So when I saw this game was on sale, I was intrigued enough to buy it at a cheap price it was at. Now having finally finished it, I can say it was a small purchase worth the money I bought it at.

The main and really only issues I found with the game are that the game is a bit too linear and there isn't much that you can do and your character doesn't always move the fastest. Sometimes you're able to move but half of the time it feels a little bit on the sluggish side. Back to the linear complaint. Given this game is really about just exploring around and witnessing the visual spectacle around you, I think this is one of the cases where it would have benefitted from having a more open-ended world to explore that would have added to the experience. Instead, you're just moving from one corridor to the next.

Onto to what we really played this game for, the atmosphere. In Abzu's case, I think it nails it in the atmosphere department. In each area you can swim around and the soothing music used really capture that whimsical charm of looking at an ocean full of sea life and swimming in the beautiful, deep blue water. It may not have a lot of gameplay but it more than makes up for it in the artistic department. Abzu is a perfect example of how video games are a form of art and I think the industry can use more games like this.

If I had to place a bet between Half-Life 3 or this game getting finished first, I'd put my money on Half-Life 3.

DuckTales Remastered is another example of how remasters and remakes should be done by going out of their way to deliver an experience that surpasses the original. Not only does it look much better than the original, but they also got most if not all of the old voice actors from the cartoon to reprise their roles for the added in-game cutscenes that enhance the experience and make it feel like an authentic continuation of the old TV show. Another addition added that the original did not have was a prologue level that serves as a way to get comfortable with the controls and how the game plays. You can even dive and swim in Scrooge's money bin like he does in the old cartoon. I haven't played many of WayForward's games but if the Shantae games all have the dedication & care that they put into this remaster then I'm definitely in for a great time.

Deadly Premonition is a game that I've heard is very divisive and you either love it or hate it. I'm on the camp that absolutely loves it. It's a game that is just oozing with personality. All of the characters have their goofy quirks and that is one of the many things that made me fall in love with this game. York quickly became one of my favorite protagonists since I took a liking to his character and how he is the perfect blend of serious and comedic. The story was great and kept me hooked the entire time. The ending was pretty weird but also really captivating and satisfying that gives the game a proper conclusion. I hear the other versions of the game add sequel bait which sucks since this is one of those games where I can safely say it didn't really need one.

Gameplay-wise, it's discount RE4 but even with that in mind, I still had fun shooting down enemies as I explored areas for clues. The driving sections were also enjoyable since hearing York interact with Zach and sometimes a few of the other supporting characters made for some funny moments and we get to see some of York's personality shine too. The only times I was really annoyed with the driving was when you had to drive long distances or when you made a wrong turn and had to go back to a place where you are familiar with. Maybe it's because I played this on an Xbox Series X, but I had very few framerate issues or technical problems during my playthrough. The worst I dealt with was the framerate dropping during the sections where you run from the Raincoat killer but even then it may have been designed that way.

Deadly Premonition was one of the few games I played over the course of 2022 that I absolutely fell in love with and I would definitely recommend it, specifically this version since I hear the other versions perform worse or add unnecessary stuff like the sequel bait. Speaking of the sequel, I really want to get around to playing it and I hope it doesn't disappoint.

Bonus: My favorite cutscene in the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-41YUSZ9VAg

The first time I saw this game was at a GameStop inside a mall and thinking to myself that it was "just another shovelware game" on the Wii and either bought something else or nothing at all. How wrong 10-year-old me was. It doesn't surpass the charm of the original game but it is still a quality remake that has its own charm to it.

Klonoa may look like a mix between a Sonic and Kingdom Hearts character in this version, but I still really like his design. The game still looks pretty good even with the graphic overhaul and while the voice acting is reminiscent of a mediocre anime dub, it also gives the remake a little extra charm that helps it stand out from the original. They even took the time to add a few extra costumes too which include his appearances in the original version, Klonoa 2, and an original costume. After playing this, the newer remaster feels a bit lackluster in comparison since in that version there is no option for an English dub, worse graphics, and costumes locked behind a paywall. This remake is a perfect example of how a remake should be done and feels like a labor of love from the developers.

Good game with a great story but definitely not a game without its flaws. I enjoyed the soundtrack and exploring Lospass Island, but I did not get that DS feeling when I had to constantly go back and forth across the island to do fetch quests. Pretty sure the joke Suda wanted to tell is since video games are considered to be just time wasters, the game decides to literally waste your time by doing the former and with having to do like 30 basic math problems at the end. As annoying as some of the gameplay can be, I still had a good time with the game but think it would have benefited from having more of a visual novel style like The Silver Case did.

This is probably the game in the series I've put the most hours into. I put 150+ hours on the 3ds and around 100 hours on Ps4 and Xbox combined. On 3ds, I grinded both Sora & Riku to level 99 just for the hell of it when I first beat this game.

Compared to Birth by Sleep, this game is not perfect, but an improvement in most aspects. The worlds do look a bit better compared to it and it has my favorite world in the entire series, Symphony of Sorcery. It's a beautiful world and the music choices for it also elevate its enjoyment to me. The combat is more fun in this game too. Flowmotion is an absolute blast to use and the different minigames you can use against enemies are a cool way of using the stylus but also was able to carried over in the console versions without it being clunky. While it is somewhat better balanced than Birth by Sleep, its still pretty broken since Balloon exists and you can endlessly spam flowmotion. Despite this, if you want to be able to beat Julius or some of the harder story bosses without cheese, it is still entirely doable compared to Mysterious Figure who is far more difficult without cheese.

The story in this game is where it jumps the shark for the series' whole story. The time travel aspect is a cool way to bring back past villains, but its where it starts to make things confusing for people who would be interested in the series.

Another huge aspect of the game I really enjoyed were the dream eaters. Unlocking everything on a spirit board was kind of annoying but overall a minor complaint since your dream eaters are useful companions and petting and playing with your dream eaters is also super fun too. Flick Rush is a solid minigame too that I found to be pretty enjoyable. Naming dream eaters was another aspect that is simple but goes a long way in customizing them. Speaking of that, I named my Tyranto Rex on my Xbox playthrough Sexy Rexy. Out of my entire time of playing through Dream Drop Distance, he was the only one I was sadly not able to save because he died just moments before I got the last achievement on there. Can we get an F in the comments for Sexy Rexy?

Out of all the handheld Kingdom Hearts games, I'd say that this one is my favorite despite its flaws. It's no console Kingdom Hearts but it's a step-up from Birth by Sleep.

I have very mixed feelings about this one. It is definitely one of my least favorites in the series for a variety of reasons I will go into, but there is still some fun to be had playing as each character and going through their stories. The Wayfinder trio all have different playstyles that focus on different aspects of the game's combat that make them unique from one another which is something I can appreciate. Xehanort is also a good villain and the game does a really good job at making you hate him for everything he does over the course of the game. I'd also like to add that Lenard Nimoy's voice-acting skills really bring Xehanort to life. They couldn't have picked a better person for the role. I also enjoyed playing the command board, it may be dollar store Mario Party without the minigames but it is still pretty fun to play.

Onto what I don't like about the game. The story for the game isn't the worst it could be but isn't quite as well-written as the other KH games were before it. The world choices themselves aren't bad, but the worlds in this game are pretty bland compared to KH1 and even KH2 standards. The Disney Town minigames are either tolerable or just downright boring. Ice Cream Beat is the only good one, but even that one can suck if your tv has input lag (which happened with me on the Ps3 version). The super bosses are the worst in this game too and the fact you will more than likely need to spam broken commands to beat them (looking at you Thunder Surge) just points out how badly designed the bosses themselves were and even the game's combat as a whole. It also is by far the longest game in the series 100% and get the platinum trophy for but that's just if you're a trophy hunter like me or a completionist.

That being said, it may be one of my least favorite games in the series and I have a lot of criticisms of the game and some bad memories with the super bosses, but it doesn't mean I completely hate the game. I still had fun going through each character's story and playing the command board, but it is a game that could have definitely been better.