This game was really, really fun up to a point.

Charming and compact levels are what I love to see in a platformer. The boundless creativity of the Mario games is on full display here, and it makes for some short but captivating levels.

However, that same boundless creativity does not extent to the gameplay. Captain Toad's adventures worked very well as a side-mode in a bigger, more varied experience, but on it's own, it's too minimal and repetitive to span an entire game. Still, if you enjoyed the Captain Toad sections in 3D world, you'll have some fun here.

Buy this game on sale and play it in short bursts, you'll have a good time.

The hub world is AWESOME! The rest of the game is ok.

I just got done playing Gex 3, and decided to play another game starting a smart-mouthed green lizard which is mostly average despite one major redeeming quality which relates to the game's levels. Impossible Lair's hub world is one of the best I've ever seen. The plethora of hidden collectables is endlessly satisfying, the environmental effects are really neat and make the whole space feel alive, and the visual signs of your progression are really captivating. The hub is so great that it is almost a disappointment when you need to play the actual levels.

The core gameplay of Impossible Lair is fine but a touch too simplistic and unvaried to span the game's lengthy campaign without feeling tedious by the end. The level design is serviceable and the exterior conditions on the book(magic books are portals to levels in this game) which effect the levels are really creative, but the levels aren't distinct or memorable enough for these changes to have the impact they could. The Impossible Lair itself it a really strong core challenge to base the game around, but most of the other levels are pretty forgettable.

I think anyone whom is curious should at least give this game a fair shake; I imagine plenty will like it even more than I did. This game was a huge improvement over the original Yooka-Laylee in my opinion, and if the next game sees the same jump in quality, we could have a new platforming masterpiece on our hands.

It would inspire much better games, and that's the best thing I can say about it.

I don't hate this game: I loved it when I was younger, but it just got worse every time I came back to it. The level design, is solid, it controls well enough, the soundtrack fits the aesthetic, and all-in-all the game is still playable.

However, the original Ratchet and Clank has a generic and badly-told story, the selection of weapons is easily the worst in the series, the main character sucks, the tone and pacing are inconsistent, and I'm not a fan of most of the writing.

As I said, the game is still playable, which is more than I can say for some other two-decade old games, but I don't see myself revisiting this one any time soon. Fortunately, there are some much better R&C games I'll get to revisit soon.

I just played this game twice, and I'm tempted to go back for a third.

11 manages to add so much variety to the Mega Man experience without overwhelming the player. From classic moves like the charge shot and slide, to awesome new boss weapons(Tundra Man and Block Man's weapons were my favorite), to the addition of the double-gear system, which I hope is in every mega man game from now on. The bosses all look great, complimented well by strong voice work and thematically appropriate levels. The fact that they can also use double-gear adds so much to each boss encounter, making these the most memorable bosses of any classic Mega Man game.

However, even with all these new tools to play with, the game can still provide challenge to those who seek it. Several levels in this game can feel overwhelming on a first playthrough, but I found most of the level design fair and rewarding after sticking with it for a while. There is a frustrating or unfair level hazard every so often, but it was rare.

Not much more to say, except that I'm excited for Mega Man 12.

My feelings about this game, especially with regards to the other two, are pretty easy to sum up: I like it quite a bit more than the first game, and quite a bit less than the second.

The whacky, unconventional story and memorable side characters from Going Commando are mostly gone. Up Your Arsenal instead opts for a pretty generic story with plenty of plot holes and mostly re-used characters I didn't even like that much in their first appearances, echoing many of my problems with the first game. Most of the new cast is either totally forgettable or memorable for the wrong reasons. Thank goodness this game brought us Dr. Nefarious and Lawrence, otherwise I'd have nothing positive to say in the writing department.

With that said, Dr. Nefarious is a perfect antagonist for a Ratchet and Clank game: walking a perfect line between being genuinely hilarious and a legitimate threat. His vocal performance is excellent, he has most of the best lines in the game, and his range of motion and animations are very impressive for the PS2 era. Also, Lawrence is underrated. His lines and vocal delivery are also excellent, and the schtick between him and Nefarious is gold: Nefarious wouldn't be the legend he is without his butler.

Still, the quality of the game's humor is very inconsistent, for every genuine laugh, there is a painful groaner, and the humor has a mean-spirited tinge I really don't care for. There are a few character moments that sound good on paper, but the game's conclusion is so rushed, none of them are able to resonate the way they should.

So, I didn't care for the story, characters, or writing. Thankfully, the gameplay is still up to standard. The game has an excellent selection of weapons, strong enemy variety, and an addictive gameplay loop that does its predecessor justice. In addition to satisfying combat in story missions, there is also an addictive arena section, a decent hacking mini-game, and a surprisingly-fun video-game-within-the-video-game that add welcome variety without overstaying their welcomes. With that said, there were a number of curious downgrades: the crystal collection mini-game is much worse due to the lack of visibility and repetitive enemies, most levels lend themselves less to exploration than previous games, and the sheer number of enemy-wave shootout sequences in the game can become tedious after a while. Still a strong gameplay loop, just lacking the polish and variety of Going Commando.

In summary, Up Your Arsenal is a really good podcast game: Strong gameplay with occasional hiccups and weak writing with occasional brilliance. I certainly wouldn't call it Insomniac's best, but I would call is a really fun time.

Worth the wait.

9 is a hard game that still feels very fair. The boss fights and level designs are wonderfully distinct and creative, but what really boosts this game for me is the boss weapons. This is probably the only mega man game where I regularly make use of all the boss weapons; They are so damn fun to use I didn't even miss the charge shot and slide.

A few nonsensical side-objectives and some frustrating endgame levels don't come close to ruining the blue bomber's ninth outing, this is an easy one to recommend.

When I revisited the main line R&C games, I was convinced my least favorite would either be the first game or the 2016 remake... HOWEVER:

Dreadlocked was appropriately dreadful to play. The side characters were all either completely forgettable or actively frustrating; the levels are banal, repetitive, and washed-out; the story is relentlessly downbeat and unpleasant but still has the occasional tone-killing joke; and any sense of exploration or puzzle-solving from the previous games is completely gone. The weapon selection is a big step down from the previous two games, and the only new weapon I particularly liked was the flail: I don't even remember the rest. The villain is just Chairman Drek without any of the charm or charisma. Ace Hardlight, the game's only potentially-interesting new character doesn't get enough screen time to leave an impression, and his actions don't always make sense in context. This is a really bad game.

True, the game still has R&C's trademark strong gameplay, even if it is watered down and unvaried compared to previous games. There were a few strong character moments, and I did count three funny moments (two were at the end). The gameplay is still adequate whenever the game isn't glitching or crashing. And, as stated previously, the flail is really fun to use. So, is all that enough for me to recommend this game? Oh, hell no.

Dreadlocked is the purest example of a bad Ratchet and Clank game: tone problems, no variety, taking itself too seriously, bad side-characters, and having no sense of wonder or fun. This game makes me feel bad that I complained about any of the games in the original trilogy: If there's one reason to be glad I played Dreadlocked, it made me appreciate those games more. Still, if that's the best thing I can say about Dreadlocked, then I have no problem calling it my least favorite in the series.

Timeless

The charming designs and fantastical levels of Spyro are as magical now as they were twenty years ago. The game is very impressive for an early PS1 game. The simple, streamlined control scheme ensures that players can be hooked in minutes, and soon they'll be charging through imaginative levels, fighting distinct enemies, and listening to one of the best soundtracks on the PS1.

Admittedly, the game can be rather basic by today's standards. The gameplay lacks variety, rescuing dragons is repetitive, the voice acting isn't great, the boss fights are embarrassing, and the game is over much too quickly. I think the game works best as a serene, relaxing journey be played in short bursts; those looking for something more substantial may find themselves disappointed.

This game is delightful for those going in with reasonable expectations, even if I do prefer the Reignited version. Perhaps, if the core gameplay of this game could be improved, it could go from one of my favorite platformers on the PS1 to my favorite. Maybe that could happen nudge nudge wink wink

I really like Spyro 3, but I consider it a weaker game than its predecessor.

It feels almost pointless to talk about what I love in this game: Of course I love Spyro 3, everyone does. I could talk about imaginative level design, charming characters, wonderful music, and strong core gameplay; However, I feel like I would mostly just be rehashing my Spyro 2 review if I did that. So, this will be less of a review of Spyro 3 and more of a detailed explanation of why I prefer Spyro 2.

Let's not beat around the bush and instead just dive into Spyro 3's biggest problem, a lack of focus. There are seven playable characters in this game and 150 main collectables. The fact that you only play as Bentley four times in the entire game, and one of those four times his gameplay style is radically different shows how scatterbrained the experience can be.

Also, the overabundance of collectables makes their collection wane in satisfaction as the game goes on. Bianca appears before you at the beginning of the game and states she's hidden the eggs in places you'll never find in 1,000 years, you then turn around and there is an egg in a clearing right behind you. This seems like a minor grievance, but it is a perfect example of how far too many eggs are far too easy to find, and they stop being satisfyingly to collect after a while.

I have other, smaller issues with the game: the level themes aren't as unique as previous games, the main villain is pretty lame, the 100% completion reward is bad, and even the game's best levels usually have at least one lousy pace-breaking minigame which hampers the experience a bit. But far more important than all that, the game's two biggest issues: the scatterbrained gameplay and excess of collectables, can lead the game to feel disjointed and monotonous by the end. When this game goes out of its way to include a skateboarding minigame, a first-person shooter, a submarine minigame, and so many other gameplay styles I could see in so many other games, I can't shake the feeling it isn't celebrating what makes Spyro unique.

I've been pretty mean to this game, so let me reiterate: I love Spyro 3. There are many things it does as well or better than its predecessors. The soundtrack is on par with the others, the levels feel even bigger and grander than Spyro 2's, the base ending and epilogue are both delightful, and the gameplay is still really fun the majority of the time even if it can feel jarring. I'm hard on this game because I've come to expect great things from the purple dragon.

I will still happily recommend Spyro 3, just make sure you get the greatest hits version.

I've played some amazing sequels in my day; this is not one of them.

Strap in yall, this one is going to be long.

Part two is a step backwards in every conceivable way. The fascinating themes, implicit characterization, haunting atmosphere, sharp writing, subtle worldbuilding, and air-tight cohesion of the first game is mostly, if not completely gone. The sad thing is that many of Bioshock 2's ideas are good, many of its characters have promise, and many of the changes made to gameplay were for the better. Hell, the game fixed my two biggest issues with the previous game(the pipe minigame and the binary endings). I feel like these ideas would have worked brilliantly in a different game, but they don't fit here.

Sophia Lamb could have been a strong antagonist, but she doesn't fit the world of Bioshock at all; she feels more like a Harry Potter villain than a Bioshock villain, and she could never compare to Andrew Ryan in terms of dialogue, presence, or ideology. Some changes to gameplay were improvements, but they take away from the atmosphere just as much as they add to the fun. It is hard to be scared when I'm this overpowered and the enemies need to be this ludicrous in order to pose a challenge. I played the game on the highest difficulty and rarely felt in any danger. I also feel the emotional connection between Elanor and Delta could have been very strong, but the two needed more time together for it to resonate, and the game's structure didn't allow for that. And, both as a follow-up to Bioshock 1, and as a story on its own, this game has far too many plot holes.

The next paragraph is just plot holes

How is the city still habitable with all those leaks from the first game? Why were Lamb, Alexander, or Sinclair never mentioned in the first game? How did all these non-splicer characters survive in Rapture for ten years? Why is Delta the only Big Daddy who can use plasmids!? How was Elanor able to revive Delta and why did she wait ten years to do it!?! How are there still so many splicers in the city eight years after Jack left!!?!! If Lamb could sever Delta and Elanor's bond by temporarily stopping her heart WHY DIDN'T SHE DO IT SOONER!!!!!? Why don't the splicers attack the little sister I take control of when I use her to gather ADAM? THEY ATTACKED EVERY OTHER TIME, AND SHE'S RIGHT THERE!!! Why... in her great wisdom... did Elanor choose to revive Delta ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CITY!!!!!!!!?!!!!!!!! You could have brought me back at the chamber right outside your room! THANKS FOR NOT SAVING ME A TRIP ELANOR.

So, it sounds like I'm not the biggest fan of this game... I'm not. You may ask the question, 'why recommend it at all? Why a score as high as even a seven?' A valid question, the answer: Minerva's Den.

This DLC campaign is everything the main game should have been. It's a bit shorter obviously, but most of Bioshock 2 felt like filler anyway, so a more concise game was a nice change of pace. Minerva's Den brings back the atmosphere and sophisticated storytelling from the first game, as well also having a plot twist that, while it certainly wouldn't rival that of the first game's plot twist, is still gripping and well-deserved reveal. Minerva's Den is also a blast to play, adding so many new weapons and plasmids to make it really stand out from the main campaign. This is honestly one of the best DLCs out there, and I enjoyed it quite a bit more than the main game. The protector trials were fun too.

I must recommend this game, just to experience Minerva's Den. Play the main campaign if you want.