I'm doubtful any one on this site is gonna talk about this game. So I guess I will. I never played Columns before so I was really surprised with how fun it was. When it comes to puzzle games I'd say I like this better than say Dr. Mario or Tetris. While I think those games are fun. I can easily get bored with them with in a few rounds I can not say the same for Columns. Gameplay wise it's just Columns if you played any other version of Columns before you'll know what to expect, this is just a Sakura Wars skin to it. If your unfamiliar with the game play it's a falling block match three puzzle game. It's a game that's pretty simple to understand, a pick and play kinda game. The more you play it however the more strategy and nuance you realize the game has making it pretty addictive to play.

For what it is. I'm surprised with how great Sakura Wars Columns 2 is. The story mode while nothing special, I found it amusing. It was a series of 12 side stories with fun interactions. The puzzle gameplay itself was fun. And the art is incredible. It's a good thing the game has an unlockable gallery mode...so I can admire the art. Anyway, unlike the first game on Saturn none of it is compressed. It could be because of the emulator but the game was a very clean 640p x 480p. And that's pretty cool. Considering this is a Dreamcast title, I do find it somewhat disappointing that the soundtrack is in a midi format rather than regular audio but the tunes themselves are pretty good and they grew on me the more I played. The fan translation for this game is excellent and feels like a continuation from the Sakura Wars 1 translation. I commend Derek Pascarella and his team they deserve a huge thank you for bringing over more Sakura Wars content to the west.

Overall I found it way better than I expecting it to be. And possible hot take but I'd say it was better than Shin Sakura Wars on PS4. I prefer this cast, game play more, and the art more.