i approached this game expecting that fun Sly 2 mission design i enjoyed so much, but was underwhelmed by the linearity of levels. i find it strange that conceptually, this game is what it is and not what Sly 2 is. they had the concept for a thief sneakin around doing stuff yet restricted themselves to hallway platforming. what we do have is well made, i will admit that, but how do you come to the conclusion the best kind of gameplay for a character and style like this is a level based platformer. this game should not be punished because of its successors, but even if Sly 2 didn't exist, this issue would still be there. it is the urge for more. and i am glad we got more, this game is brimming with style and great characters that it would have been a crime if they weren't fleshed out. looking forward to Sly 3 eventually.

nintendo's answer when prompted with the question: "what is an evil mario game?" slow, methodical movement yet immensely powerful powerups. the player's greed is enabled and exploited with treasures that are lost at a game over and the option to gamble your hard earned cash. interestingly enough the end game reward system would get reused for Luigi's Mansion, which now that I think about it Luigi's Mansion could have totally been a game starring Wario about him cleaning up his Mario Land 2 mansion, but i digress. definitely my favorite of the Mario Land trilogy, levels work so well here at this resolution, whereas Land 2 could have had more space to breathe, and i just don't find Land 1 fun. leave the fast games on the SNES and also at the door, because we mosey in this household.