Can’t say I expected this at all… I honestly don’t know what possessed me to replay this bc I hated it when I first tried it three years ago but I’m glad I did bc I feel my perspective on this game has softened a good deal. There are still parts of this game that I find unforgivably atrocious, especially in the second half, and to be honest there are very few things I find all that good either. Combat is clunky and the game is one of the mashiest I’ve ever played, level progression is arbitrarily confusing and there’s so much unnecessary back and forth in each world. But underneath all that is a game with a lot of heart, even if it’s corny and easy to make fun of. I get a strange sense of nostalgia from this game, I love the presentation and especially the soundtrack. There are small bits of the story I latch onto and find enjoyable. And while the gameplay certainly isn’t good, I can enjoy some mindless button mashing every one in a while, especially when it’s accompanied by such a fun world. I can’t bring myself to call this a good game… but I have a soft spot for it now.