Festo rules and it's nice to see a rhythm game not really have a decay state like bemani's old gen big three. Held notes are finally really diverse in how they're used and there's so many phenomenal new and old classics brought in with festo. The look of the menus is a delight as usual but the the cycle of post game meters going has been very very fun. Idk if my local will be able to upgrade jubeat anytime soon but I don't fucking care because festo is so so good.

The jubeat controller is by far the most intuitive arcade rhythm game controller ever. The jubeat library was finally getting to a great place by the end of clan as it's size and variety was a bit of a problem until this release. It's exquisite tap the squares.

My first Beatmania. Song library was in a really great place but I think the UI and theme for this one isn't my favorite. I think Beatmania isn't really fun for me but the library teaches you well and the customization options are very kind once you know what they are.

All over the place and not particularly good at expressing its more adventure game-y logic, but getting and having all the guys to fight or do RPG stuff is very fun. Particularly emboldened by there being no wretched small brain politics. Played via the Abnormal Mapping gameclub podcast.

It's pop'n music! Hold notes don't really make sense yet but eclale looks very very good.

A perfectly fine arcade rhythm game that doesn't really do what I want from arcade rhythm games and their controllers. Probably the best large touchscreen rhythm game around with really interesting songs, but I would like a button or something more exciting to press.

Games can just be many episodes of anime and it'll be good. Stubbornly haven't watched the ending yet despite how unplayable the actual ending is.

I'm a huge Suda fan but I just have not spent enough time to understand what this specific approach to moving does for the game. This is the loudest he's ever been about mentally ill people being murder sickos because of the shitty DID shit. I want to understand and I actually really enjoy the way Kill the Future pieces together so I'll be coming back, but this one's always rubbed me the wrong way.

They're starting to reign in the daily life passage of time stuff here and while the dungeons have gotten better, the part where you're constantly running along every single non-dungeon area between new set pieces of just as bad as having bad dungeons.

The Battle Network system fucking rules but it's not super polished here and holy shit is this some of the worst dungeon making and game plotting ever. The writing is great and this game brought me around in deck builders when I was younger but this game is painful to continue.

The weapon variety is fucking sick while there's a lot of fun map connections despite the linearity. The heightened antagonism is largely overstated because the game makes you feel greater loss on death in ways that 1 never did. It's so weird that in a franchise about learning a very specific logic to proceed, people throw their arms up at this one for having a different logic for progression.

Surprise, Arenas is still good. Less atmospheric and kind of a falling action for first gen, but it's more first gen so who cares. They didn't really know how to balance for save import so it feels strange from jump if you're doing all that.

They finally get plotting and stage design right. 1st Gen is good, fuck the Analog stick. Nothing really changes other than the container but nothing really needed to change! Arenas are good, no more platforming.

Literally everything that sustains the franchise for like 8 more years is here except for the level design and routing. The mech feel is sublime and the overwhelming sense of dread and pointlessness in being a mercenary, it's fucking pinned down already. Couldn't tell you about a single stage.

I like the outfits and the social sim minutia, but the loop is too messy and there isn't a great early hook.