SquiSunTomo
So, after the absolute mess that was A Realm Reborn, I was a bit nervous to continue with the game. Yeah...turns out, they actually got their shit together. Heavensward is a massive improvement, both gameplay- and story-wise. Well, except for Bismarck, that arc just came and went with absolutely no fanfare.
Some noticeable early installment weirdness, mainly recycled microgames and the counter starting at 0 instead of 1. But it doesn't take away from the core of the game - a well-executed, super fun and delightfully weird game that would go on to become a fairly beloved and consistently quality series.
2004
Oh, hey, the first GBA game I ever owned! Not a great first impression, either. I was only 12 at the time, but even then, I could tell this was mediocre as all hell. The weird, janky physics combined with gimmicks that add nothing to the game... You can't even make eggs, for heck's sake. This is barely a Yoshi game, much less a good game.
2023
2006
2022
2001
Incredibly cheesy, in the best way possible. Combat is legitimately fucking fun; being one of the pioneers of the "stylish action" genre, I don't think I need to explain further. A bit confusing and inconsistent with its mission setup, and the camera is fucking atrocious, but generally, it's aged fairly well.