I thought the story structure and the multiple protagonists were pretty cool, but the execution itself I wasn't big on. It took the story a lot longer to engage compared to previous games and splitting the game up like this definitely makes it suffer a bit with the wider scope story it's trying to tell. The wider story isn't even something I found particularly interesting or engaging until a bit further in when the pieces start coming together.

Gameplay is fine. I appreciate the new characters and wider variety of movesets. It's fun, but I'm not big on the engine they've used for Yakuza 3 and this game. Definitely still feels a bit jarring coming off the more polished 0, Kiwami and Kiwami 2, but that isn't a fault of the developers when they originally released these games so I mean that's more of a nitpick if anything. 3 had elements that endeared it to me, but this game I feel is still a bit lacking in some departments.

It's not a bad game, just not one of my favourites.

Penny's Big Breakaway is a pretty cool game. It seems to take a bit from 3D Mario, while also having a focus on momentum that was probably inspired by 2D Sonic. It's still definitely its own thing though overall. You'll be using Penny's yo-yo to fly through the air, hang from poles, grab unique power-ups and ride it like a vehicle down slopes along with many other uses. It can seem a bit clunky at first, but once you get the hang of the movement, it's great soaring through levels at high speeds while racking up as high a score as possible by keeping up your combo.

The level design was decent, never to the point of frustrating, but also not like too easy. There are bonus levels you can unlock with the in-stage collectibles that offer a bit more of a challenge.

The music and aesthetic were consistently great, no complaints there. I really like the style of this game.

I will say however, that it can also feel a bit janky at times. You'll encounter collision detection issues sometimes, falling through an object or sliding across it unable to move until you fall off. It isn't too bad, but it is there. A part of me also wishes there was something a bit more to this game, but it's an indie game and I'd definitely be up for them to iterate and improve upon this formula.

Out of all the 3D platformers I've played, I'd rate this pretty highly, but it's not beating the highs of Super Mario Galaxy or A Hat in Time for me. SMG is just a lot more well-constructed and consistently great game (probably not fair to compare an indie with a AAA, but still), while I feel AHIT has a movement system I enjoy a lot more. Penny isn't trying to do the same thing obviously, and I will say, this is an outstanding effort by a talented team of devs and I'm waiting in baited breath for whatever they do next. Definitely check this out if you're a fan of 3D platformers and want a fun time.

Super solid puzzle-platformer that holds up really well, even 30 years later. It's a fantastic reinvention of the original Donkey Kong that actually serves as the first entry in the Mario vs Donkey Kong series (before it became about toys). Mario's flips, jumps, leaps and throws are really fun to utilise and the game's level design and world gimmicks never outstay their welcome, making the game feel fresh. I don't know if I would call this game underrated, but I would definitely encourage more people to check it out if they want to play a great Game Boy game.

It's alright, but I just don't like it as much as Donkey '94. I'm not big on the two-screen format and having to clear two screens in a row without dying to get the gold star on a level was kind of annoying. I think it's missing some of the simplicity the original had, even if it largely retains some of the same elements and does them decently well. If I went for 100%, I think I'd do it on the Switch version instead. Not bad, but I think DK94 is just slightly better and more well-executed. I can definitely see the promise with all those extra levels and challenges though, so I can't fault it for content.