Excellent series revival, makes the boss fights fun even without buster, and also has awesome additions like the double gear gimmick being used well, whilst still feeling optional. I used it far less for tricky platforming on this run and I find that to be more rewarding. Also some good lore here for those who care. Robot masters and their weapons all are great (I especially love how you get unique outfits rather than palette swaps), and the parts system is a fun marriage of what 8 introduced alongside 9 and 10’s minor item shops. Only complaint is the final stages are genuinely too little. There’s two full sized ones with their own bosses (though I wish we didn’t do another Yellow Devil. This is 4 classic games in a row (6 if you count &Bass and Powered Up) with a devil boss, and that is beyond tiring. Beyond that? Obligatory boss rush for a third stage, though I’m glad it’s separate from anything of substance, and a hallway that leads into the final bosses. I still adore this game, and it deserves the praise it gets, and the fact that it’s now the best selling in the series. This is how you do a 2.5D revival of your series. Breed familiarity with a unique twist, and design it meticulously. Doesn’t hurt that it’s also just 30 dollars at base, so no one’s being overcharged beyond compare by a 2D side scroller that’s short and replayable. Good as hell replay, I hadn’t revisited this since 2018 and I left loving it even more.