When i first started playing Pepper Grinder, i was concerned that the Drill mechanic of the game would get old quickly, but i was gladly proven wrong. Throughout the game, they hit you with different movement options, enemies, and types of ground to dig through, which really freshens up the gameplay. There are some mechanics that only appeared for a select few levels, and while i wish the game utilized them further, i’m glad that the levels they were featured in were a lot of fun (especially in some of the later stages). Bosses were alright for the most part, but the first 2 are easily the weakest ones. The best bosses were the last 2 which gave me an actual challenge, and the final boss in particular was so sick. After the final boss, i decided to go back and play through the optional Time Attack mode for all the levels, and it was a blast. Trying to optimize all the levels in the game was a really nice challenge, and some of them in particular were so satisfying to get the gold medal on. Before Time Attack, this game was probably a good 7/10 game for me. After Time Attack, i’m gonna have to raise it up to 8/10, it really made me appreciate the game a lot more. If you’re a fan of platformers, i recommend giving this game a shot!

Going into Super Mario Bros Wonder, didn't think it could top Mario 3 and World, but it absolutely does. Super Mario Bros Wonder is easily my favorite 2D Mario game, no contest. The game has so much character in every little bit of the game. From the artstyle, to the smooth animations, Mario Wonder has tons of love and care put into it. As for the feel of the game, i think it feels fantastic to play. Its a near-perfect blend of the snappy movement in SMW, and the modern movement of NSMB games. You can also give mario new abilities with badges, which were so much fun to mess around with. The challenge levels based around badges are purely platforming, which i really enjoyed. Speaking of levels, Mario Wonder's levels are great! Almost every level has a Wonder Flower inside of it, and all of the weird Wonder effects were a joy to discover for the first time. Levels almost never reuse wonder effects, but the ones that did return later on were still a fun surprise. Wonder effects felt like a part of the levels, not something slapped in there after the fact.

Overall, i really enjoyed my time with Super Mario Bros Wonder. If i have any complaint, its that the bosses were kind of boring outside of the final boss, but even these bosses are better than most bosses in older games like Mario 3 and World. If you like Mario games, hell, platformers in general, Super Mario Bros Wonder is absolutely a must-play title.