Adventure Time (Season 2)

In my review of Season 1, I said the show wasn't really all that great yet but the potential was there for something truly special. Did Season 2 realize that potential? Sure... eventually.

Outside a surprisingly fantastic first two episodes, the first half of Season 2 is pretty much more of the same if not even worse than Season 1. In particularly, the stretch of episodes from Storytelling to Crystals Have Powers delve into Adventure Time's worst indulgences, from disgusting grossout humor to cringe-worthy torture sequences to Tree Trunks being even more disgusting than she was last season. Thankfully, around halfway through the season, the show managed to properly pick up in quality, with some genuinely fun and creative episodes in close succession like Guardians Of Sunshine, Death In Bloom, Mystery Train, and Videomakers. It feels like the writers suddenly became more confident, and shifted focus from the aimless random adventures that the show started with, to telling inventive, weird, and wonderful stories in this setting and with this cast.

Season 2 also actually manages to progress the lore a bit, though just a little. Halfway through this season, we learn that Finn is actually the last human in Ooo, a plot point that actually gets followed up on in a later episode when he thinks he meets some episodes. In general, this season leaned a bit more on the post-apocalypicness of the show's setting, like how Finn and Jake started a movie club where they watch old human movies. It all culminates in an absolute lore bomb of a finale, which introduces a new villain, pays off a bunch of plot points from the last two seasons, and changes the status quo in a pretty huge way. After two seasons of purely one-offs, seeing an actual serialized plot was pretty cool, and I really hope Season 3 keeps it up.

Highlights:

Mystery Train: I love detective stories, especially when they're set on a train, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that this was easily my favorite one-off this season.

Mortal Folly/Recoil: As I mentioned earlier, this was a wild finale. I actually think Mortal Folly was the slightly better episode for how well it introduced the Lich and how action-packed it was, but Recoil was also nothing to scoff at for how much it changed the series. The Lich is now free and out and about, Princess Bubblegum is 13 years old, and Finn and the Ice King had to team up for once. Pretty great stuff.

Overall, Season 2 was certainly an improvement over the last one. While its first half was generally pretty horrible across the board, its second half finally showed a big jump in quality with more interesting one-offs, a stronger focus on lore, and a slam-bang finale that hopefully marked a new shift into serialization.

2/5 Stars

Why I Love F-Zero X

 What makes F-Zero special? What makes it so different from the countless other futuristic racing games that have released since, from Wipeout to FAST Racing to Redoubt? That's a question that took me a long time to answer. If you asked an average person, they'd probably say the speed and proceed to call F-Zero GX their favorite game in the series. But I don't like F-Zero GX all that much, so that's probably not why I like F-Zero. Eventually, I figured it out. I like F-Zero because it's aggressive. It's not just that it's fast, it's that it's brutal. The entire game philosophy is about bashing your opponents into the wall while not crashing yourself, it's a combat racer without any items, only pure, raw guts and adrenaline. And the F-Zero game that best encapsulates this philosophy for me is F-Zero X (side note: prepare for a lot of GX bashing, sorry to those who really like it).

F-Zero X is a simple racing game at its core. You race slick futuristic-looking cars through simple futuristic-looking courses at blisteringly fast speeds. There aren't any items like in something like Wipeout or Mario Kart, the only way to win in an F-Zero race is to master the course and play aggressively. Where the original F-Zero kept things pretty simple, only really allowing you to accelerate, brake, steer, and lean into turns, X makes a bunch of fundamental changes that the rest of the series, even F-Zero 99, would continue to use. First off, there's the boost system. In the Mode 7 games, you get a boost after every lap which you can use to get ahead. In F-Zero X, your boost is tied to your car's energy. If you lose all your energy, your car explodes and you automatically lose the race. This forms a brilliant risk-and-reward system where you have to weigh if you want to take the risk and lose some of your energy for some additional speed, or play it safe even if you may not make it to first. GX and 99 bring back this system, and they're all the better for it. F-Zero X also adds a spin move that, if well-timed, can allow you to bash enemies out of the way. This is really your only form of combat, meaning you have to get up close and personal with your opponents to excel. Both of these mechanics feed into F-Zero's central philosophy incredibly well because they both force the player to be aggressive and take risks. In comparison, GX is more focused around simply being fast and never stopping your momentum, while X feels more built around that combat side of F-Zero which I'm way more of a fan of.

However, F-Zero X wouldn't work as well as it does if its controls aren't spot-on, but thankfully they feel incredibly tight. X makes it easy to pull off turns with confidence even at fast speeds, and the tracks feel perfectly built around the controls. I really like X's lineup of tracks, the difficulty curve is spot-on as they progressively get more complex at a steady pace. There's also quite a solid amount of gimmick variety, as tracks will throw it half-pipes, pipes, cylinders, huge jumps, and weird banks that play around with gravity. It all culminates in a brilliant final cup with some absolutely devious and wild turns, along with a throwback of Mario Kart 64's Rainbow Road that actually plays better than the track it was originally based on, and a deceptively brutal and endlessly memorable final course shaped like a giant hand. Seriously, Big Hand may look super silly on the surface but it does not mess around. As far as difficulty goes, I think X strikes the perfect balance between being tough but fair. It's a very fast and challenging game, but thanks to the perfect controls and difficulty curve, it feels manageable and accessible. Compared to GX which goes way too far by requiring high level play from the get-go and locks a ton of content behind its horribly unbalanced Story Mode, X's difficulty feels far more satisfying.

On a content level, F-Zero X also offers a lot that keeps me coming back. With 24 tracks and 30 racers to play as, it's a pretty beefy racing game especially for the N64, but there's also a ton of side modes. There's the usual fare like Time Attack and VS multiplayer, but there's also the stellar Death Race mode where you have to take out all the other racers on an exclusive course. It baffles me that we never got anything even similar to this outside of maybe F-Zero 99, because it fits F-Zero's gameplay loop to a tee. But my personal favorite game mode in F-Zero X, and one of my favorite game modes in any racing game period, is the unlockable X Cup, a fifth cup that is entirely procedurally-generated. This means that every time you play the X Cup, you will get entirely different tracks with unique layouts and gimmicks, essentially giving F-Zero X an infinite amount of content. I'm going to be honest, the X Cup is a big element of why F-Zero X is my favorite. It makes X such an easy game to replay because I can just play a round of X Cup and experience something entirely new. Granted, there is a lot of jank involved as sometimes the turns can be kind of ridiculous, and the AI isn't always well-equipped to handle these random tracks, but that's part of the appeal. You'll never know what you're going to get, you might get something on par with Nintendo's official tracks, or you might get the F-Zero equivalent of a Little Timmy level.

But if that all still isn't enough content, F-Zero X actually got an add-on exclusively on the Nintendo 64DD. Of course, that means I haven't been able to play it, but it's still really cool and I still want to talk about it. Probably the best game on the 64DD was the F-Zero X Expansion Kit, which came with 12 new courses that are even more complex than the hardest base X tracks, culminating in a sequel to that game's final track called Big Foot. Brilliant. It also added a rock remix of Rainbow Road to that track based on Rainbow Road, so that's neat. But the real boon is that the Expansion Kit added both a Car Maker and a Course Maker. The car maker let you design your own vehicles with a bunch of parts, something that GX would also add in the form of the Garage. But even cooler was that Course Maker where you could make your own tracks, and pretty much all of X's mechanics were there. You could make loops and sharp turns, add in gimmicks like the pipes and cylinders, change the background, all with an incredible level of control over how it all looks. F-Zero Climax would also get a track editor and that was amazing too, but 3D track editors are incredibly rare outside of Trackmania which makes the F-Zero X Expansion Kit feel incredibly impressive and special for managing to do this when it could.

Graphically, F-Zero X is one of the biggest technical achievements on the N64. While the car and tracks models are quite simple and the backgrounds don't have too much going on, that's all because Nintendo wanted this game to reach a smooth, uncompromised 60fps. Keep in mind, as I said in my Sin & Punishment post, this is an N64 game. This is a console that struggles to consistently hit 30fps, and the most blisteringly fast racing game on the system manages to reach a consistent 60 with no lag and zero stutters. I'm not even a frame junkie, I couldn't care less most of the time, but it's hard not to admire what Nintendo accomplished here. Outside of the simple models though, F-Zero X easily has my favorite aesthetic out of any game in the series. GX may look really stunning for its console, but its clean sleek futuristic look feels increasingly generic as time goes on. F-Zero X goes for a gritty, death metal aesthetic to it instead, and it rocks so hard. I love the comic book look of the menus, how aggressively the cars slam into each other during a race, and of course, that phenomenal soundtrack. F-Zero X's music is entirely death metal, which is kind of unusual for Nintendo, but fits the game's energy so well and is easily one of the best soundtracks on the N64. Filled with badass riffs, chill-inducing guitar wails, stellar remixes of SNES tracks, and sometimes just straight-up thrash metal, every single tune in F-Zero X is phenomenal and gives the rock fan in me so much serotonin. GX has some good tunes, but it doesn't come anywhere close to being this raw. Honestly, I don't think anything else Nintendo's made is this raw.

Overall, F-Zero X is easily my favorite game in the series and one of my favorite racing games period for how well it's aged. With its aggressive gameplay loop, wild track designs, comic book aesthetic, and banging death metal soundtrack, X has a grit and chaotic vibe to it that none of the other entries in the series have really been able to capture. And with a wide array of tracks, racers, and modes, not even getting into the X Cup and Expansion Kit, F-Zero X still offers so much years down the line.

Why I Love Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that there's going to be a bunch of Zelda games on my Top 100 list, it's just that good of a series. With so many iconic and legendary entries, it may seem a bit strange that the relatively unambitious The Minish Cap ranks as one of my favorites in the series. It's a game that focuses on getting a few small things right, but nails those things to near perfection. It's also one of the comfiest gaming experiences I've ever had to this day.

The Minish Cap is the third and last Zelda game made by Capcom. Their first two games were the also great Oracle duology, in which one game focused more on combat and the other focused more on puzzle-solving. Minish Cap strikes the best of both worlds, capturing everything that I love about the Zelda series, starting with the story. In The Minish Cap, there's a society of tiny creatures that live amongst Hyrule called the Picori who only show themselves to children every 100 years in a festival. During one of these festivals, an evil sorcerer shows up to destroy the Picori's sword, petrify Zelda, and take over Hyrule Castle. Being a kid himself, it's up to Link to find the Picori to repair the Picori Blade and stop Vaati, with the help of a Minish-sage-turned-hat named Ezlo who can help him shrink down to the Picori's size. It's a pretty straightforward story especially by Zelda standards, but there are two elements that really elevate Minish Cap's narrative. 

For starters, Ezlo is a stellar partner, one of the best in the series up there with Midna, Tatl, and Spirit Tracks Zelda. He starts off as a bit of a snarky jerk, but he warms up to Link over the course of the game in a very sweet way, and he also has a really interesting past with Vaati that slowly gets unveiled. He's everything you want a good companion to be, with a fun personality, entertaining banter with Link, a tangible role in the gameplay (helping you shrink, I'll get to that), and a compelling backstory. In addition, Minish Cap excels when it comes to its world-building and theming when it comes to the Picori. There are a lot of tiny Minish settlements that you get to visit throughout the game, and the way they incorporate real-life objects is consistently inventive and magical. I especially love the Hyrule Town settlements which use stuff like a bookcase, rafters, and a cobbler's desk as a place to stay. The whole concept of the Picori evokes this feeling of childlike wonder, taking that naive idea of a tiny civilization living among us and just running with it. 

Right from the get-go, The Minish Cap controls incredibly well. While I love the fast movement speed of Link Between Worlds, I think Link's core moveset in Minish Cap is the best in any 2D Zelda game. As usual, you can run around, attack, and use a variety of items, but Minish Cap also introduces rolling like in the 3D games, helping you get around faster and dodge attacks. It's quick, snappy, and feels great to use. Minish Cap also introduces combo moves that you can learn by finding hidden dojos, not unlike the Hero's Shade in Twilight Princess. By the end of the game, you get quite the arsenal of attacks, making for easily the most fleshed-out combat in a 2D Zelda game. Link also gets the Four Sword, which he can use to split himself to solve puzzles, and it's used in some pretty neat ways in the second half of the game. 

Then there's the items. Every Zelda game needs a good item roster, but I think Minish Cap might have my absolute favorite just based on how creative it is. Capcom has always been great at coming up with unique Zelda items but they went off here. There's the usual fare like Bombs, Bow, and the Lantern, but there's also the Gust Jar that lets you suck stuff in and blow them out, or the Cane Of Pacci that lets you flip pots to solve a variety of puzzles, or the Mole Mitts that let you dig through piles of dirt Dig Dug style, and the Roc's Cape which takes the feather from previous games and fleshes it out by giving Link a glide. It's really great stuff.

The big new hook is that you can shrink down to a smaller size using treestumps to solve puzzles and enter certain areas you couldn't otherwise. It's a quintessential Zelda mechanic, forcing you to jump between two different worlds and use spatial reasoning to figure out how one world affects the other and vice versa, and there are plenty of great puzzles that'll have you size-hopping to get through dungeons and even parts of the overworld, but what really makes the shrinking special are all the unique setpieces it allows for. There's entire small dungeons that you remain shrunken in culminating in standard-enemies-turned-towering boss fights, giant barrels to roll around in, leafs to use to travel across water, rainy areas where you have to dodge giant waterdrops, and as mentioned above, being able to uncover all of the secret Picori hideouts in Hyrule Town. And that's not even getting into all the other applications I mentioned, like how it allows Ezlo to affect the gameplay, and how the aforementioned Cane Of Pacci can create impromptu shrinking spots. It's simply a brilliant mechanic that's utilized super well and inventively throughout the game.

The world design is also top-notch, fairly small but incredibly tightly-knit. Every single screen feels purposeful, it feels like there's something new to discover, and the world feels compact without feeling cramped. As you progress through the game, you discover tons of shortcuts that make navigation increasingly easier, only aided by the welcome addition of fast travel. The dungeons are stellar too, all of which taking one or two central gimmicks and fleshing them throughout, from Deepwood Shrine's mushrooms to the Cave Of Flames' minecarts. The latter few dungeons even play around with the structure of a dungeon yourself. Temple Of Droplets starts you in the boss's chamber with the boss frozen, and you have to find a way to unfreeze it to get the element you need. The Palace Of Winds has an entire first half that takes place outside before the dungeon begins proper. 

I'd also be remiss to talk about Minish Cap without mentioning the Kinstones, the game's most divisive element. As you play through the game, you collect Kinstones that you can use to trade with NPCs to make stuff happen in the world. Chests appear, doors open, secrets are uncovered, with a whopping 100 Kinstone trades to make, it feels like you're constantly getting new things at a fast pace. Of course, not everyone loves these things, some find trying to get the right Kinstones to trade tedious, and others only care about the important collectibles like Heart Pieces. Personally, though, I love the Kinstones. There's just something so satisfying about slowly unveiling all of the world's secrets and pleasing every single NPC in the game. And with a world as small yet dense as Minish Cap's, I think this is one of the few entries in the series where this mechanic could've even worked to begin with. They also do a lot to give The Minish Cap its replay value. Many seem to deride this game for being short as it only has six dungeons, but between the 44 Heart Pieces, Kinstones, Gacha sidequest, trading sequence that actually contains a postgame (one of the few Zelda games to have one mind you), and all the aforementioned upgrades, the side content more than makes up for it. (Then again, I think Minish Cap is actually around the same length of most other 2D Zeldas because there's more going on in between each dungeon, but that's just me).

But ultimately, I think what really solidifies Minish Cap as one of my favorite entries in the series is actually its presentation:

The GBA has always been one of my favorite consoles and I've always adored its chunky detailed 32-bit spritework, but it's no wonder many point to Minish Cap as the peak of this aesthetic. It takes the already phenomenal Wind Waker artstyle and translates it to 2D pretty much perfectly, with all the cute character designs and distinct effects recreated in beautiful lush pixel art. The visuals in Minish Cap have aged absolutely wonderfully, and the spritework and art direction is still some of the best I've seen in any game period. The color palette is so warm and soft, the character animation is fluid and expressive, the way sprite detail is used to indicate scale remains super impressive, 3D-esque effects are weaved into the 2D world super seamlessly, it all makes for a game that just looks and feels inviting and comforting. It's easy to claim that gameplay always comes first, but the fact is that sometimes the right visual style can heighten a game's appeal and The Minish Cap is a perfect example of that. The soundtrack is pretty amazing too, blending some great remixes of classic Zelda tracks with a ton of truly outstanding original themes, all with that lovely GBA fuzziness that fans of the console will get a kick out of. Highlights include Minish Woods, Minish Village, Hyrule Town, Temple Of Droplets, and Cloud Tops. Once again, it's just a really comfy soundtrack for me, that Zelda vibe in its purest form. Listening to any of Minish Cap's tracks is going to be enough to hit me hard with nostalgia.

Overall, I adore The Minish Cap. It's an incredibly tight Zelda experience that may not break any new ground, but it nails all the fundamentals, refining the 2D Zelda formula to a glowing sheen. It's short but dense and rich with content for those willing to engage with all of its systems, and the stellar presentation uses the GBA's capabilities to its absolute fullest. With fluid gameplay, compelling and creative puzzles, stellar dungeons, a series best item roster, an enthralling sense of wondrous adventure, and a heap load of collectibles, The Minish Cap is everything I want from a Zelda game and then some.

Adventure Time (Season 1)

Adventure Time is one of those shows that I never saw as a kid. I knew of it, but I was always more of a Nick and Disney Channel kid (Phineas & Ferb my beloved). But with Fionna And Cake airing right now and everyone talking about the show again, I thought now would be a better time than ever to finally give Adventure Time a watch. So, how's its first season? Ehh, not great... but I can see the potential.

Adventure Time follows two brothers, Finn the human and Jake the shape-shfiting dog, as they go on adventures in the postapocalyptic Land of Ooo, all the whlie meeting other characters and exploring Ooo's secrets. This sounds cool, but the adventures are kind of the weakest part of the show for me? A large chunk of this season are just Jake and Finn doing random stuff, and the series' comedy just isn't really enough to carry that simplicity in the plot. Adventure Time's sense of humor is very surreal and unpredictable, and to give it credit, sometimes the show manages to catch me off guard. I particularly like how surprisingly dark and crass some of the humor can get, to the point where I wonder how this is even a kid's show. More often than not, though, I can go entire episodes without letting out a single chuckle, and there's an abundance of fart and grossout humor that I just never find all that funny. And with how many episodes in this season are purely comedic silly adventures with just Finn and Jake, yeah, there was a lot in this season I didn't enjoy all that.

Despite that, however, I kept watching. Part of that was because episodes are only 11 minutes which made it super easy to watch. But even more, I kept watching because I saw the potential in what this show could be. I'm always willing to give a slow first season the benefit of the doubt as the showrunners try to find the show's tone and this absolutely feels like it applies. For starters, I like the characters, especially the side characters. Finn and Jake are a solidly charming duo, Princess Bubblegum's interest in science is a fun twist, Ice King is a super entertaining antagonist, and of course, Marceline the Vampire Queen is a scene-stealer in all of her two episodes. Whenever the season does rarely focus more on its characters, it's pretty great. I like how Memories Of Boom Boom Mountain explores Finn's desire to save everyone, I like how existential What Is Life? gets, and I like the silly moral dilemma of What Have I Done? It also helps that the voice cast is stellar, genuinely perfect. John DiMaggio as Jake is one of those roles where Jake could read a phone book and it would be hilarious, Tom Kenny as the Ice King makes him so much more fun to watch, and Starfire (Teen Titans) as Princess Bubblegum and Vanessa (Phineas & Ferb) as Marceline are matches made in heaven.

Highlights: Umm... honestly, nothing really stood out to me. Sorry.

Overall, Season 1 of Adventure Time was not anything particularly amazing. Episodic storylines were often pretty aimless, the humor missed more than it hit, and even the best episodes really blew me away. That being said, the show still has a lot of great qualities that I'm willing to stick with it and see how it grows, from the strong characters, stellar voice cast, charming animation, and interesting world. And to give the season credit, the last few episodes were certainly a step up already.

1.5/5 Stars

Episode Rankings: Assassination Classroom

Assassination Classroom was just a really pleasant and satisfying anime in pretty much every sense of the word. It boasts a vast and stellar cast that managed to impressively all get enough screentime and development, it has an inventive premise and a compelling plot that feels really well-planned out, it's long enough to feel like I didn't get short-changed but not too long that it overstays its welcome, and while it stumbles every once in a while, it absolutely sticks the landing. It's just such an easy show to watch, and an easy recommendation for anyone who somehow hasn't seen it yet. Here's my ranking of its episodes:

1. Graduation Time (S2.24)
2. Outcome Time (S2.18)
3. Secret Identity Time (S2.14)
4. Action Time (S1.18)
5. Discord Time (S2.15)
6. Karma's Time, 2nd Period (S1.20)
7. Confession Time (S2.16)
8. School's Out, 1st Term (S1.16)
9. Future Time (S2.25)
10. Happy Birthday Time (S2.22)
11. Nagisa Time (S1.22)
12. Past Time (S2.16)
13. Pandemonium Time (S1.19)
14. Let Live Time (S2.13)
15. Talent Time (S1.13)
16. Spinning Time (S2.04)
17. XX Time (S1.21)
18. Trust Time (S2.21)
19. School Trip Time, 2nd Period (S1.08)
20. Final Boss Time (S2.23)
21. Island Time (S1.17)
22. School Festival Time (S2.10)
23. Grown-Up Time (S1.04)
24. End-Of-Term Time (S1.15)
25. Think Outside The Box Time (S2.12)
26. Transfer Student Time (S1.09)
27. Leader Time (S2.04)
28. Ball Game Tournament (S1.12)
29. School Trip Time, 1st Period (S1.07)
30. Karma's Time (S1.03)
31. Reaper Time: Part 2 (S2.08)
32. Vision Time (S1.14)
33. End Of Term Time, 2nd Period (S2.11)
34. L And R Time (S1.10)
35. Valentine's Day Time (S2.20)
36. Kaede Time (S2.02)
37. Assassination Time (S1.01)
38. Assembly Time (S1.05)
39. Reaper Time: Part 1 (S2.07)
40. Itona Horibe's Time (S2.03)
41. Transfer Student Time, 2nd Period (S1.11)
42. Baseball Time (S1.02)
43. Summer Festival Time, 1st Period (S2.01)
44. Test Time (S1.06)
45. Before & After Time (S2.06)
46. Outer Space Time (S2.19)
47. Round Two Time (S2.09)

Assassination Classroom (Season 2)

Season 1 of Assassination Classroom was a very pleasant surprise, and everyone I know says the second and final season is even better. So that means Season 2's gotta be an unconditional improvement, right? Well, not really, but it was still really good. 

The first half of Season 2 of Assassination Classroom was honestly really mixed in terms of quality, arguably the weakest stretch of episodes across both seasons. Where Season 1 felt purposefully crafted to introduce and develop each class member at a good pace, and even the early episodes set up plot points that would get resolved by the end of the season, Season 2A jumped between inconsequential standalones and important plot episodes at an almost disjointed pace and an uneven level of quality. There were absolutely some high points throughout the first half, like the hilarious codename episode and the finals arc that capped off the cour, and the fact that the cast had all been introduced meant the show could play around with fun combinations of characters. However, there were also plenty of low points, most notably the way some antagonists were forgiven way too easily. Both Nagisa's mom and Asano Sr were let off super quickly like they hadn't been committing constant abuse to their respective kids and it really left a bad taste in my mouth.

Thankfully, the moment Season 2B started, the season took a massive spike in quality as all of the show's biggest plot points finally reached a head. The moment the second cour starts, we get a wild three two-parters in rapid succession, each progressively pulling back the curtain on the series' backstory, irreparably changing the viewers' perceptions of certain characters, and completely shifting the course of the series from "kill Koro-Sensei" to "save Koro-Sensei". It's a truly stellar streak of episodes that bring back that feeling of everything being meticulously planned out that the first half of the season had been missing. While the rest of Season 2B wasn't quite as intense and mind-blowing, it brings the series to a really satisfying and emotional conclusion that wraps everything up on a nice bow and even corrects some of 2A's issues like giving Asano Sr the proper comeuppance. While it had some bumps getting there, Season 2 of Assassination Classroom very much sticks the landing.

Highlights: 

Secret Identity/Confession Time: So you know that meme about the Top 10 Anime Betrayals? Yeah, Kaede Kayano's betrayal was voted as #1 by Japanese audiences, and it's not hard to see why. It's a great twist that was set up remarkably, and Class 3-E dealing with her turnaround and racing to save her from her own tentacle implants is both compelling dramatic and tense (and briefly hilarious when Nagisa snaps her out of it by kissing her). It also opens the floodgates for...

Confession/Past Time: ...Koro-Sensei's past finally being revealed! Like with the Kaede twist, it feels entirely planned out from the very start and everything makes sense in hindsight. Koro being the original Reaper and the one from earlier in the season being his protege, sure! The promise Koro made being to the previous teacher of 3-E (and Kaede's sister), makes sense! Koro-Sensei having to uncontrollably destroy the Earth unless he's put down, makes his original deal make all the more sense.

Discord/Outcome Time: Assassination Classroom: Civil War! In case the Kaede and backstory arcs weren't good enough, we get this fantastic storyline about Class 3-E facing off against each other to decide whether they should kill or try to save Koro-Sensei. It's the perfect blend of fun action and compelling drama, and utilizes the entirety of the cast so well that it's hard for me to care. And the big fight between Nagisa and Karma absolutely lived up to expectations, stellar choreography, banger music, and two season's worth of character build-up paid off in spectacular fashion. 

Happy Birthday Time: RIP Koro-Sensei's cake, you will be remembered.

Graduation Time: What can I say about this episode that hasn't already been said? Graduation Time is pretty much an episode-long farewell to Koro-Sensei as the students finally have to kill them, and it's incredibly sad. It took a bit to really get me but once everyone started to break down in tears by the end, even the hard-headed ones like Terasaka and Karma, it did make me tear up.

Future Time: Future Time is a good, satisfying finale that ends everything on a satisfying note, maybe even a bit too satisfying? Nagisa's parents getting back together is admittedly kind of ridiculous, but otherwise, Asano getting kicked off and starting a cram school, Class 3-E using the bounty to buy the classroom, and Nagisa becoming a teacher like Koro-Sensei are good endings. I especially like the time jump and how melancholic it feels.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Round Two Time: Why did Nagisa forgive his mother? She physically and verbally abuses him, forces him to dress up and look like a girl, guilt-trips Nagisa relentlessly, drugs him, tries to force him to commit arson, and Nagisa ends up forgiving her?! Why does anime keep doing this, man?

Overall, Season 2 of Assassination Classroom is a season with high highs and low lows. While it suffers a slow start, some poorly-executed redemptions, and some occasional weak standalones, the cast is as fun to watch as always, and it still manages to end the series on the best possible note with a truly stellar second half.

4/5 Stars

Why I Love Mega Man 3

To this day, Mega Man 3 remains the most ambitious game in the Classic Mega Man series. A space-trotting adventure with a twisty high stakes story, stunning spritework, a dramatic soundtrack, lots of gameplay improvements, complex level and boss design, and more stages than any other classic entry by a decent margin, all crammed into a single NES cartridge. Needless to say, Capcom wasn't quite able to accomplish everything they were hoping for, with an infamously rushed development that left the game unpolished, lacking an intro, and very divisive among fans. That being said, Mega Man 3 still manages to be far and away my favorite Classic Mega Man game and one of the easiest entries in the series for me to replay, refining and perfecting pretty much everything I love about Mega Man as a franchise.

On pretty much every level, Mega Man 3 feels like an expansion of the ideas and mechanics of the first two games, and that all starts with the story. The first two games mostly just had the same core plot of Mega Man taking out some Robot Masters before going for Wily himself, even with the latter's weird alien twist. MM3, on the other hand, goes far wider in its scale, even with its missing intro. Dr Wily has turned a new leaf and is pretending to team up with Dr Light and Mega Man only to predictably double-cross them, the Robot Masters are stationed on different planets forcing Mega to travel through space to fight them, and Proto Man gets introduced as an enigmatic rival who helps Mega just as much as he tries to fight him. It all culminates in that fantastic final cutscene where we go through all of Dr Light's Robot Masters before learning that Proto Man is one of them, making him Mega Man's brother. For an NES game, this twist is absolutely wild, right up there with the Dedede twist in Kirby's Adventure, and is the first semblance of lore and continuity in the whole Mega Man franchise. Is this the best story in a classic Mega Man game? Probably not, I'm partial to the Bass arc myself, but it's definitely the best in an NES Mega Man game and a big step forward for storytelling in platformers, wrapping up that original trilogy of Mega Man games in fantastic fashion.

Mega Man 3 also makes some pretty massive strides when it comes to gameplay, arguably an even bigger jump from MM2 than that game was to the first. The obvious standout was the slide which is easily my favorite addition in the whole classic series for how much it expands upon the combat and level design. I love a good quick dodge, and the slide strikes that perfect balance of helping you get out of tight situations while also not being a freebie. It still requires good timing to use properly. You can also use the slide to speed yourself up a bit and jump out of it to keep the momentum going, the levels start tossing in moments where you need to time when you slide through a gap to avoid getting hit (Needle Man being the highlight in this aspect), and the slide even allows for one-way entry points that may hide collectibles or alternate paths. It's such a versatile mechanic and a Mega Man game just feels incomplete without it to me. 

MM3 also adds Rush who basically serves as a substitute for the Items from 1 and 2, but infinitely better in every way. Where the Items previously felt kind of random and out of place, them all being implemented in a robotic dog that accompanies you throughout the adventure puts them into a stronger context while also being far cuter. MM3 also gives you items simply for beating stages rather than forcing you to find them in the levels themselves which avoids any "wait, I needed that magnet beam?" moments once you get to Wily Castle. And that's not even getting into all the little quality of life improvements like Mega Man's slipperiness being completely gone, the weapon menu letting you gauge your surroundings while you pick your weapon (a decision the next three sequels would completely regress on), the increased amount of E-Tanks you can hold, and the complete lack of bosses that straight-up require a weapon that isn't the Mega Buster. It feels like Capcom pinpointed every single issue with MM1 and MM2 and fixed pretty much all of them.

And all that isn't even getting to the levels, which stand out as some of my favorites in the entire franchise. The Robot Master stages are diverse, creative, dynamic, and most importantly, difficult. Snake Man's stage is an easy standout for its unique snake theming and high-in-the-sky final third, but there's also the brilliantly bizarre Gemini Man's stage, the slide-heavy Needle Man's stage, the magnet-themed platforming puzzles in Magnet Man's stage, and the tight but incredibly satisfying gauntlet that is Spark Man's stage. There isn't a weak link in the game, every Robot Master stage is an absolute blast. The Robot Master fights themselves are also stellar, with attack patterns that are incredibly satisfying to dodge. I love how satisfyingly Magnet Man and Top Man's homing missiles align themselves, how unpredictable Shadow Man and Needle Man are, how much strategy goes into figuring out Snake Man's moveset, and especially how Gemini Man's clones basically turn his fight into a game of jump rope. Even when you have their weaknesses, these fights also don't instantly become easy either. MM3's bosses are designed to keep you on the move and force you to think about how to best utilize your weapons to take them out, almost feeling like a dance at points. The weapon lineup itself is admittedly not one of the better ones, but something I do love about it is the fact that this is the last game in the series to have a ton of different weakness chains. From 4 onward, there'd really only be one set chain which is a real shame because the multiple boss weaknesses in 3 makes it especially replayable.

Once you're done with the Robot Masters, Mega Man 3 introduces the Doc Robot stages, which task you with revisiting four of the stages to fight eight more Wily bots with the movesets of the Mega Man 2 bosses. For some, these stages are obvious padding that bring the difficulty up to unmanageable levels. For me, these stages are low-key my favorite part of the game. Many Mega Man games have tried to figure out how to extend their length while sticking to eight Robot Masters, and I thought revisiting modified versions of old stages was actually a pretty great idea. It lets the developers further explore many of the game's level gimmicks with the knowledge that you're guaranteed to have all the weapons and Rush abilities, while also having far more visual variety than eight castle stages in a row (looking at you, Mega Man 4-6). So we have cases like Needle Man throwing in a full Rush Jet section and Spark Man mixing in new gimmicks like the rotating wheels with all the ones from the original version of the level. On top of that, MM3 even throws in some environmental storytelling showing the passage of time, like how Shadow Man's lavaflow has decreased, Spark Man's fencing is in tatters, and coolest of all, the Giant Metalls teased in the original version of Needle Man's stage have now been deployed and are being used against you as minibosses. And the Doc Robot fights themselves honestly aren't that bad? They're not too different from the Hard/JP version of Mega Man 2, and frantically trying to figure out each one's new weakness is a fun change of pace. As for the Wily Castle itself, it's admittedly on the easy side, but for me, that still makes it a pretty fun victory lap coming off the far tougher Doc Robot stages. And as I said in my original review, I would much rather have an easy Wily Castle stage than whatever Mega Man 2 did.

On top of all of that, Mega Man 3 looks and sounds fantastic. Mega Man 2 had its good-looking moments, but from 3 onward, the series would join the upper ranks of some of the prettiest NES games out there, with detailed and colorful spritework and a clear and consistent art direction. MM3 looks so good, in fact, that it causes the original NES version of the game to lag a lot. In most cases, this would absolutely be a bad thing, but there's an official port that removes all lag in the form of the Complete Works version of the game. The soundtrack is also top-notch, up there with 5's and 8's as one of my favorites of the classic series. The music in MM3 by Yasuaki and Harumi Fujita has such a grand and epic vibe to it, and many of its themes are remarkably complex and lengthy. From melancholy tracks like the title theme and Wily Castle 2, to more adventurous tracks like Hard Man and Needle Man, to some of the series' most badass tunes like Spark Man and series highlight Snake Man, Mega Man 3's soundtrack does a phenomenal job of capturing each stage and the emotions at play in the story.

Overall, Mega Man 3 isn't without its flaws, but it's still my favorite Classic Mega Man game for managing to be more than the sum of its already great parts. It's an ambitious title with a massive scope for an NES game, tons of gameplay improvements, some of the most complex and memorable levels and bosses in the series, loads of replayability with the multiple weakness chains, stunning visuals and music, and an experimental second half that really landed for me. To this day, no other classic Mega Man feels like it's trying this much to punch above its weight, and it does one hell of a job at it.

Soundtrack Retrospective: Castlevania

Castlevania is another series I've been getting more into recently and it's really great. Even though I slightly prefer the Igavanias, the classic games are pretty stellar. As a whole, the series kept a pretty solid level of quality and the same applies to its generally phenomenal music. So it's about time for another Soundtrack Respective going over the music for the 2D Castlevania games (haven't played the 3D ones yet):

Castlevania: The first Castlevania game is incredibly solid on pretty much every level. Thoughtful level design, good difficulty curve, and consistently good soundtrack from start to finish. However, my biggest issue with CV1's music is the same issue I have with the game as a whole: It's too short. The entire score clocks in at a measly 13 minutes, and many of the songs don't even last a full minute, which just doesn't bode well compared to its many successors. That being said, for what it is, Castlevania does still have great music, and lots of catchy tunes that establish the spooky funk tone that the whole series would continue to stick to.

Highlights: Vampire Killer is the first song of what many fans call the "Big Three", the first three opening area themes that have shot up in popularity to become the most iconic tracks in the franchise. Personally, all three of them fall into Wily Castle 1 syndrome where I recognize their greatness but find them all a tad oversaturated when there are so many other amazing Castlevania themes out there... but that still doesn't mean Vampire Killer isn't the best track in this game in particular.

3/5 Stars

Castlevania II: Despite being a far worse game than its predecessor, Castlevania II's music is slightly better despite being just as short if not even shorter. The few tracks we do have though are a bit more complex and energetic than the ones in CV2, and you can really see Castlevania's rock influences start to show. Not really sure what else to say here, it's just some good music.

Highlights: Yeah, it's Bloody Tears. This is probably the Castlevania theme I find the most overrated, but I can't deny how hype it is.

3/5 Stars

Castlevania III: Castlevania III is the first soundtrack in the series to really knock it out the park, the vast majority of its tracks are absolute bangers. Vampire Killer from the first game had this fun funk vibe to it, so I guess Konami decided to make the entire soundtrack of the third game pretty much exactly like Vampire Killer, and it really paid off. There's also a bit more of a mysterious gothic vibe in some of the tracks like Clockwork, Nightmare, and Anxiety, and they play off with the more energetic tracks incredibly well. But what really elevates CV3's soundtrack is the Famicom version, which uses the console's improved sound capabilities to incredibly good use with some of the cleanest sounding chiptune on either the NES or the Famicom.

Highlights: AQUARIUS. Beginning is great and all, but Aquarius is like in my Top 3 tracks of the entire series. With an addictive melody, an energetic tone, and a nice dose of atmosphere, this is the definitive Castlevania track for me. Also, honorable mention goes to Mad Forest for being an absolute banger.

5/5 Stars

Super Castlevania IV: Super Castlevania IV is the most love-it-or-hate-it of the Castlevania soundtracks due to its more atmospheric tone. Either you love the vibes of it or you lament the lack of the classical-rock that defines the series. I was mixed at first, but SCIV's music is really starting to grow on me. The blend of experimental jazz, booming drums, and repetitive melodies is so unique for a video game soundtrack, with many tracks really sounding ahead of their time in how immersive and weird they are. Not every track is a home run, I find some of the boss themes noticeably weak, but when SCIV's mood hits, it really hits.

Highlights: Dracula's Theme in this game is absolutely transcendent. Those droning synths, the pattering notes, it's so haunting and melancholy making for a theme that's even wonderful to listen to outside of the game. And when Simon's theme kicks in halfway through the final battle, ah, it's so good!

4/5 Stars

Castlevania Bloodlines: Castlevania Bloodlines was the debut of Michiru Yamane, quite possibly the greatest Castlevania composer. From here on, she'd proceed to work on Symphony Of The Night, several of the handheld games, the two PS2 games, among several others. I don't think I can really mention her without saying she's gotten herself in a bit of... let's just say 2020-conspiracy-related controversies lately, which does make it a bit tough to just shower her with praise, so keep in mind that I'll specifically be talking about her music hear. Anyway...

With that being said, her debut with Bloodlines was absolutely fantastic. Yamane's blend of operatic goth and hard-hitting pop fits the vibe of Castlevania perfectly, it's almost like she was destined to make music for this series. On top of that, she manages to make the Genesis sound so good. While I find a lot of Genesis music to be a bit twangy and ear-grating, Bloodlines' music really plays to the console's strengths and dare I say rivals SCIV's soundtrack in sound quality. Speaking of which, Bloodlines continues the trend that SCIV of including the Big Three along with a stellar Theme Of Simon remix, but even with them, I still find the original level themes to be the highlight here. Reincarnated Soul, The Sinking Old Sanctuary, Iron-Blue Intention, and Calling From Heaven in particular being classics in my eyes. The only real weak spot in Bloodlines' music is that the boss themes aren't quite as good as everything else. Yamane's boss themes are generally pretty chaotic and frantic and she doesn't always pull it off, though they're still not bad! Just not as good as the high bar set by those amazing level themes.

Highlights: The Sinking Old Sanctuary isn't just my favorite Castlevania theme, it's one of my favorite pieces of video game music period. Bloodlines was my first Castlevania and until that point, all I really heard from the series music-wise was the aforementioned Big Three. So when I got to Stage 2 and I was hit by this absolutely stunning and ethereal track, I realized just how much musical range this series truly has. 

5/5 Stars

Rondo Of Blood: Rondo Of Blood is Castlevania's first CD quality soundtrack, and I cannot understate just how hard they went here. It has the same adrenaline-inducing 90s synth as Mega Man X4 (and I've already waxed poetic about how much I love that soundtrack), and pretty much every single song goes ridiculous hard. Once again, we have the Big Three here and I'd argue they have some of their finest remixes ever, but despite that, I once again think the original tracks manage to stand up right alongside if not even surpass them. Everyone loves Divine Bloodlines and Opus 13 (for good reason), but Cemetary, Picture Of The Ghost Ship, Den, and especially Cross A Fear and Slash are all fantastic in their own rights. Seriously, this whole soundtrack is that synthy Turbografx-CD sound at its absolute finest, a borderline flawless soundtrack and an easy contender for best in the series, though one other soundtrack does come pretty damn close to topping it.

Highlights: Where do I even start here? Divine Bloodlines is one of the finest opening area themes in the entire series, infectiously groovy and fun. Slash is a massive head-banger and adrenaline-pumping from start to finish. Opus 13 is just simply a massive bop. And as I said, Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears, and Beginning get some of their absolute best remixes here. But if I really had to pick my favorite, I think I have to go with Cross A Fear, which starts fun and groovy but slowly builds into one of the godliest and most powerful choruses I've ever heard. That synth lead, man, it just hits so hard!

5/5 Stars

Symphony Of The Night: Symphony Of The Night is good. It was one of the last games in the series I played though, so it and its music didn't feel quite as special as some of the games before and after, but that doesn't change the fact that it's yet another quality soundtrack from Yamane. Being the last CD-quality soundtrack we'd get for a 2D Vania, Symphony Of The Night feels like it blends Yamane's gothic and operatic stylings with the synths of Rondo Of Blood, and when it works, it works really well. Some of the best tracks in this game start off fairly simple but slowly build into a stunning climax, and there's a nice mix of genres from heavy rock to melancholic lullaby to smooth jazz. Like with Bloodlines, some of the boss themes and more atmospheric fare can be a bit more uneven, but overall, the hits far outweigh the misses.

Highlights: Lost Painting and Finale Tocatta, the two big "inverted castle" themes. They may be overused and poorly-looped within the game (especially Tocatta), but they are the two highlights of the soundtrack for me. Lost Painting is an hauntingly ethereal piece that never fails to give me goosebumps, easily one of my favorite themes in the series. Finale Tocatta, on the other hand, is a full baroque symphony that builds to one of the hardest climaxes in the franchise (shame you rarely hear in game).

5/5 Stars

Circle Of The Moon: Circle Of The Moon boasts an amazing soundtrack that takes a stellar batch of great new original themes, and blends them with phenomenal remixes of some of the best tracks in the series. And they didn't even use the Big Three this time. Along with Vampire Killer, we got Clockwork Mansion, Aquarius, and The goddamn Sinking Old Sanctuary. It's as if Konami knew what the best tracks in the series really were. While not one of the absolute best due to the aforementioned abundance of remixes, it's definitely in the upper echelon for just how quality it all is. It's definitely the best of the GBA soundtracks, and it sounds the cleanest too.

Highlights: The remix of The Shining Old Sanctuary takes one of the most beautiful and serene themes in the series and gives it a gritty rock bassline, and it works shockingly well, to the point where I don't even know if I like it more than the original. That being said, if I have to go with original tracks, I'm picking Awake, another stellar and criminally underrated opening area theme that should rank along with the best the series has to offer.

5/5 Stars

Harmony Of Dissonance: What... what happened here? Why does Harmony Of Dissonance's music sound so bad?! Circle Of The Moon's soundtrack was so good, why did this game's sound quality plummet so dramatically? From what I can tell it was because of all the visual effects on screen compared to CotM, but AoS used a similar artstyle and it sounded fine. And even if they really couldn't figure something out, how did Konami think this was okay to ship?! There are probably some good compositions here, not that I can tell when everything sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Easily one of the most accurate video game titles in history.

Update: Okay, since making this, I replayed Harmony to properly beat the true final boss, and you know what? I don't hate the soundtrack. The sound quality is certainly the weakest of the GBA games, but a game using chiptune isn't inherently a bad thing. The problem is that the composer, Soshiro Hokkai, was obviously trying to make a more atmosphere, jazzy SCIV-esque score that the console just couldn't handle, especially when Konami was prioritizing the visuals that hard. It's a shame because yeah, there actually are a lot of good compositions here and while some still manage to shine, some of them do cross the line into... well... dissonance. I don't think Harmony's soundtrack is bad or ear-grating, but I do think it was a waste of some pretty great potential.

Highlights: I gotta say, Offense And Defense is really good and I warmed up to it a lot. It's a hauntingly atmospheric track where the chiptune really doesn't hold it back all that much. It's a song that feels like what the entire soundtrack was trying to be, but was one of the few to actually reach that potential. Shame it's the track you hear the least!

2/5 Stars

Aria Of Sorrow: Aria Of Sorrow's soundtrack is good, perfectly solid Castlevania... but it's not amazing. I actually find a lot of it somewhat forgettable, which is a shame because there is a lot of really great music here, Yamane did another bang-up job. It's just that in a series like Castlevania, pretty good just isn't good enough, and it leaves Aria as the weakest of the Igavania soundtracks by quite a lot (Harmony exluded of course). The issue with Aria's soundtrack can feel quite low-key and chill, which I guess fits Soma as a character, but it makes for a decent amount of pretty forgettable themes. Aria's best music is often when it just goes full-on hard rock anyway, so I kinda just wish it did that more instead. Either way, still a good soundtrack, just not as good as it should've been.

Highlights: Despite being in an otherwise weaker soundtrack, Clock Tower is amazing. This track gets a lot of hype from fans and it's absolutely deserved, starting off mysterious and melodic before turning into a heavy metal head-banger with one hell of a chorus. The following track Underground Reservoir ain't half bad either, and neither is the catchy Top Floor theme.

3/5 Stars

Dawn Of Sorrow: Here we go! This is how it should be done! Dawn Of Sorrow's OST is everything a good Castlevania soundtrack should be. It's funky, gothic, and a consistent bop from start to finish. I'd even argue it's the funkiest soundtrack alongside Rondo which fits perfectly with Soma's cool, composed personality, but it's not too chill and muted to the point of feeling forgettable like Aria's soundtrack. Part of this is because of Masahiko Kimura who came in to compose half the soundtrack. He's responsible for the 64 games along with Dracula X, but this is easily his best work. All of his tracks rank among some of the best in the game, he nailed the Big Three remixes he was given, and he just gets Castlevania. That's not to say Yaman didn't kill it either though, she used the improved sound capabilities of the DS to great effect and the ending themes she worked on are some of her best. The DS is the peak of Castlevania musically (and gameplay-wise), but Dawn Of Sorrow's music in particular is slick and fun in a way no other soundtrack really manages to reach.

Also Amber Scenery should've been in the game, it's so good.

Highlights: Dracula's Tears is a Masahiko Kimura piece and it is one of the grooviest pieces of Castlevania music out there. It's so smooth and fun, never fails to get me bopping my head.

5/5 Stars

Portrait Of Ruin: Portrait Of Ruin is probably my least favorite of the DS soundtracks which is a real testament to how freaking good they are. Compared to Dawn Of Sorrow's more breezy tone, Portrait Of Ruin's soundtrack is heavy. The level themes are intense and hard-hitting, the boss themes are wild, and the gothic vibe is at its most unabashedly gothic. On top of that, they even brought in Yuzo Koshiro to make some tunes. Putting aside the fact that Koshiro is already a vgm legend, his soundtrack for Actraiser has been compared to Castlevania so many times that this almost seems destined. And as you'd expect, he absolutely kills it, even if he sadly didn't get to work on too much. Also, props for remixing non-Big Three tracks this time. Divine Bloodlines, Iron Blue Intention, and the Theme Of Simon Belmont are way better anyway.

Highlights: Hail From The Past is one of the best desert themes ever made. I love the ominous chime riff, the groovy melody, and that godly chorus, it's an easy Top 3 contender along with Aquarius and Sinking Old Sanctuary for me.

5/5 Stars

Order Of Ecclesia: Even by the very high standards of the past two DS soundtracks, Order Of Ecclesia still blows them out of the frickin' water. I truly cannot understate just how perfect OoE's soundtrack is. Every theme is great, every stage theme is phenomenal, and the sheer amount of 10/10 best-of-the-series tracks compressed into a single soundtrack is unreal. It has everything you'd want from a Castlevania soundtrack, from gothic rock to jazzy synth to elegant classical melodies, and yet it all manages to maintain that same dark and edgy vibe that perfectly fits one of the grimmest games in the series. It's also the longest of the 2D Castlevania soundtracks, and it never loses its quality through the whole thing. And the best part, it's almost all original. There are barely any remixes in sight. And look, I like all those iconic themes that keep showing up, but it says a lot about the quality of a Castlevania soundtrack that can stand up tall as one of, if not the best in the series entirely on its own. As I said above, I didn't think anything could top Rondo, but my god, did this one blow me away.

Highlights: What do I even pick here? Do I go with the heavy riffs of A Clashing Of Waves? The frantic tragedy of Lament To The Master? The banging rock of Sorrow's Distortion? Nah, it's gotta be Shanoa's main theme, the most iconic song in the game, An Empty Tome. It's so smooth, energetic, and perfectly fitting for both Shanoa's character and the scenes in which it plays. And the developers knew it was good, because they used it as the intro for the game to wet your appetite before it shows up halfway through. 

5/5 Stars

Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth: Castlevania The Adventure Rebirth is a weird game for me. It's a solid Castlevania, but I just... don't get what it wants to be. It tries to be a retro revival ala Mega Man 9 but doesn't go for any defined Castlevania artstyle. It remakes one of the least-liked games in the series, but it also changes everything to the point where it's basically a completely different game. You get the improved air control of SCIV, but you can't jump onto staircases for some reason. It's all so strange to me. 

But the weirdest element here is the music, which remixes a variety of Castlevania tunes, but most of them are either from obscure entries in the series or are lesser known pieces themselves. And even more, none of the remixes are from Castlevania: The Adventure, the game this is meant to be a remake of to begin with! Well, okay, Battle Of The Holy did get a remix... that happens to be unused. And who did they even bring in to make these remixes? Manabu Namiki, who is far more associated with shmup games, FM synth, and amen breaks, none of which have anything to do with Castlevania.

That being said, despite the nostalgic anachronistic dissonance at play, we got a Castlevania soundtrack by Manabu freaking Namiki. That man is an FM god, right up there with Yousuke Yasui for me, and he really brought his A-game with these remixes. Crazy drum fills, Turtles In Time-esque orchestral hits, a lead that sounds a lot like the Sonic ring sound effect, this entire soundtrack is a hard-hitting adrenaline rush of Genesis nostalgia. Every single remix is super punchy and memorable, from the nonstop propulsion of New Messiah, to the spot-on recreations of Reincarnated Soul and Vampire Killer, to the groovy bass riffs of Lullaby Sent To The Devil and Something Loopy, to Aquarius simply being as incredible as always. And despite being unused, the Battle Of The Holy and Lost Painting remixes easily rank alongside or even surpass all the others in quality. Like with Circle Of The Moon, despite barely having an original song, the remixes are so well-executed that I rarely even notice or care. Namiki is just that good.

Highlights: Well, they're all remixes, so...

4.5/5 Stars

To cap things off, let's rank the 2D Castlevania soundtracks:

1. Order Of Ecclesia
2. Rondo Of Blood
3. Dawn Of Sorrow
4. Circle Of The Moon
5. Bloodlines
6. Portrait Of Ruin
7. Dracula's Curse
8. Symphony Of The Night
9. The Adventure Rebirth
   
10. Super Castlevania IV
11. Aria Of Sorrow
12. Simon's Quest
13. Castlevania
14. Harmony Of Dissonance

If there's one thing Castlevania soundtracks are known for, it's the first area themes. So you know what, let's rank those too:

1. An Empty Tome (Order Of Ecclesia) - Hey, technically it counts
2. Divine Bloodlines (Rondo Of Blood)
3. Invitation Of A Crazed Moon (Portrait Of Ruin)
4. Reincarnated Soul (Bloodlines)
5. Dracula's Castle (Symphony Of The Night)
6. Theme Of Simon Belmont (Super Castlevania IV)
7. Awake (Circle Of The Moon)
8. Bloody Tears (Simon's Quest)
9. Beginning (Dracula's Curse)
10. Vampire Killer (Castlevania)
11. Pitch Black Intrusion (Dawn Of Sorrow)
12. Castle Corridor (Aria Of Sorrow)
13. Chapel Hidden In Smoke (Order Of Ecclesia)
14. Successor Of Fate (Harmony Of Dissonance)

And to give them some extra recognition, here's my favorite non-first area themes as well:

1. The Sinking Old Sanctuary (Bloodlines)
2. Aquarius (Dracula's Curse)
3. Hail From The Past (Portrait Of Ruin)
4. Sorrow's Distortion (Order Of Ecclesia)
5. Cross A Fear (Rondo Of Blood)
6. Lost Painting (Symphony Of The Night)
7. Dracula's Tears (Dawn Of Sorrow)
8. Iron-Blue Intention (Bloodlines)
9. Lament To The Master (Order Of Ecclesia)
10. Slash (Rondo Of Blood)

Why I Love Jack Bros

 I'm not much of an Atlus person. I respect them, there's a lot I like about SMT and Persona from a distance, but the complex mechanics and infamously high difficulty just don't do it for me. I don't like RPGs that much. That being said, there is one SMT game I love and it's probably not the one you'd expect: Jack Bros for the freaking Virtual Boy.

As a fan of underdog consoles, I've always had a bit of a soft-spot for the Virtual Boy. I can imagine it'd be absolute hell to actually use, but it's got some positives. Through some pretty impressive cheating, it managed to pull off 32-bit widescreen on a handheld five years before the GBA. It's got a great soundchip that sounds like that of no other console. And it's got a unique library full of weird experimental one-offs that try to make the most of what they're given. Games like Teleroboxer, Mario Clash, Space Squash, Insmouse No Yakata, and of course, Virtual Boy Wario Land, which really use the stereoscopic 3D to good use. But Jack Bros is special because it isn't just a great Virtual Boy game, it's just a damn good game that I absolutely love coming back to. It's a fast-paced and fluid dungeon crawler with thoughtful level design, a perfect difficulty curve, lots of replayability, banger music and tons of charm, while also using the stereoscopic 3D in some neat ways of its own. But that's getting ahead of myself, let's delve a bit deeper into why I love this game so much.

Jack Bros is a hybrid between a twin-stick shooter and a dungeon crawler, where you play as the iconic SMT enemies, the titular Jack Brothers, and blast your way through six meticulously designed dungeons before a timer runs out. The timer is the fundamental sense of tension here, because it's the only determinent of whether you win or lose. There are no lives or health systems here, getting hit only takes time away from the clock, though you can also find clocks to give you more time by fighting enemies and exploring the dungeons. While having to deal with a timer may sound annoying, I think this is overall an incredibly well thought-out system that gives the game a fun frantic pace, aided by the super tight, responsive, and intuitive twin-d-pad controls. There's a nice risk and reward element with taking the time to look around and engage with enemies at the cost of wasting time, and because all of the dungeons are hand-crafted rather than randomly-generated, you won't be starting from square one each time you fail a stage.

It also helps that the dungeon design itself is top-notch, probably the best thing about this game. Each dungeon brings a bunch of new gimmicks and ideas to the table that the game slowly doles out at a consistent rate, while also getting increasingly larger. There's spiked floors, blocks to push, warp pads, flamethrowers, locks and keys, lasers, ceilings that block you from seeing Jack, and my personal favorite, areas that will force you to hop back and forth between floors to solve a maze. Even the tutorials are used in giving Jack Bros a really tight difficulty curve. In the early stages, a Pixie will stop you to give you tips on pretty much every floor. But by the final dungeon, Pixie will pretty much dip out and force you to tackle everything you've learned throughout the game all on your own. And then there's the enemies, and man, what a lineup. Even as someone who isn't a huge SMT fan, it's hard not to recognize how much of a love letter this game is to that series' gallery of enemies. The sheer amount of new enemy types this game keeps throwing in is incredibly impressive, from archers, to centipedes, to ghosts that run away from you, to shielded knights, to cyclops that freeze you in place, to so many others. The game even gives a charming cast roll of all the enemies once you beat the game, it really does feel like their time to shine.

Jack Bros isn't all that long of a game, only really clocking in at around an hour, but it makes up for that with just how replayable it is. Befitting the name, there are three Jack Brothers to play as, each with entirely different weapons and movesets. I usually play as the balanced Jack Frost, but there's also the slower and more powerful Jack Lantern, and the knife-wielding Jack Skellton if you want a more melee-centric playthrough. But even on top of that, there's also a Hard Mode you can access via password, and by beating that, you'll get another password that lets you play as the tutorial character, Pixie. This is an insanely cool bonus and Pixie is a super powerful character, blisteringly fast and boasting some serious firepower. And on top of all that, you skip all the tutorial messages because you're playing as the tutorial character. Just brilliant.

Visually, Jack Bros looks really nice too. It doesn't push the console like something like Galactic Pinball or Red Alarm, but the spritework is super detailed and well-done. The visual highlight of Jack Bros is the fact that you can always see the successive floor in the background, and instead of finding a staircase that just warps you to the next floor, you have to find a ledge and literally jump down to the next floor. It's such a cool effect and a great usage of the Virtual Boy's stereoscopic 3D, and the game even utilizes it in some sections where you get multiple ledges and have to figure out which one to use. I also need to give props to Jack Bros's absolutely phenomenal soundtrack. Yes, even Atlus's spinoff has godly music, and Jack Bros in particular has hands down the best music on the Virtual Boy. I already praised its soundchip, but Hiroyuki Yanada displays a mastery over the chip unlike anyone else, he really makes it sing. There's a nice variety of music too, from jazzy tunes to more atmopsheric tracks, and they're all great, particularly the main dungeon themes. The Forest Of Fairies, Temple Of Nightmare, Dragon's Belly, and especially Mecha Fortress all being particularly noteworthy. But the highlight of the whole soundtrack for me is the Stage 2 theme, Grim Reaper's Cavern, which is a banger so massive that hearing it for the first time was the point when I realized Jack Bros truly was something special.

Like with Sin & Punishment, Jack Bros is a game that I have returned to time and time again for replays and it just simply never gets old. The fluid and addictive twin-stick gameplay, the immaculately-designed dungeons, the tight pacing and difficulty curve, the endless amounts of replayability, the clean visuals that play to the Virtual Boy's strengths, the awe-inducingly good soundtrack, and the super charming roster of enemies make for a condensed masterclass in dungeon crawler design. 

Assassination Classroom (Season 1)

I'm not much of a shonen person, and I'm not entirely sure what drove me to check out Assassination Classroom. That being said, I'm glad I did, because its first season was an absolute blast.

Assassination Classroom has an incredibly weird and inventive premise. It starts with a weird-looking octopus eventually named Koro shows up and blows up the moon. He makes a deal with the government to teach Class 3-E, the lowest ranked class in a prestigious junior high school, with the ultimatum that the students have to kill him in a year or else he'll destroy the Earth too. Yeah, it's wild, and there's a lot to it, but it really is a great concept in a lot of ways. For starters, the sheer concept of an "assassination classroom" is absolutely hilarious. Seeing the students randomly pull out guns and knives in class will never not be hilarious, and all the other 3-E teachers being other assassins and government employees leads to some very fun scenarios. Karasuma and Irina are very unconventional teachers, and seeing them grow into their new positions is a blast. Of course, Koro-sensei himself is a highlight of the series. Despite being a terrifying world-ending threat, he's also super charismatic and a genuinely stellar teacher who goes neurotic over helping them learn, which just leads to a super complex and fascinating character. There's this looming feeling of confliction throughout the season, where you want the students to kill Koro-sensei to save the world and win the money prize they deserve, but you also want Koro-sensei to stay alive and keep teaching them, which in turn leads to the even more interesting element of AssClass's story.

On top of being an incredibly fun story about assassination one's teacher, Assassination Classroom is also a commentary on the Japanese education system, and a really well-executed one at that. Class 3-E isn't just the lowest ranked class in the school, it's a tool the principal uses to stoke fear into its students. He posits that if the worst performing students get shunned from the rest of the school and open to discrimination, everyone else would perform well out of fear of being like them. The saddest part is that a large chunk of 3-E's students aren't actually bad learners, as we eventually learn it's more common that they're only specialized in a single subject, or that their grades fell off for personal real-life reasons. Seeing Koro-sensei desperately try to help 3-E flourish in a school designed to help them fail is just as engaging as the assassination stuff, if not even moreso. It helps that AssClass does an incredibly job at giving the whole class equal amounts of screentime. There is technically a main protagonist in Nagisa Shiota, and a great one at that, but he never overshadows the rest of the cast. Pretty much every episode shines a spotlight on another student, and the show as a whole rarely ever isolates one character from everyone else. This is an ensemble cast through and through, and the way AssClass efficiently develops its massive 22-student class in such a short span of time is probably one of its most impressive feats. 

Another impressive thing about this first season of AssClass is how well it's structured. For a show based on a manga, it's hard to even tell with how tightly-knit Season 1 is, everything gets paid off in a super satisfying manner. Nagisa spends the season taking notes on Koro-sensei's weaknesses, and they're used in the big final assassination attempt. Irina spends the season coming off as incompetent only to show the students how good of an assassin she really is in a final arc. Many episodes focus on the conflict between Class 3-E and Class 3-A, culminating in 3-E's victory in the finals. The list goes on, it's great. That being said, I do have one pretty major criticism with Assassination Classroom, an issue that I've noticed many shonen anime suffer from: Narration. You will not go an episode without Nagisa telling you that they're assassins, they gotta kill their teacher, they have a year to do it, the weapons aren't designed to kill humans, Koro-Sensei is actually a really good teacher, he moves at Mach 20, you get the point. It's exhausting. I get that shonen anime are meant for kids, but they're not that stupid. The vast majority of the narration in this series post the first episode are either things we already know or can easily imply by just... watching the show. 

Highlights:

School's Out, 1st Term: Ending the Class 3-E storyline on a high note, this episode has the students finally manage to beat 3-A on the finals (as well as getting full marks for their assassination lessons). It's a super heartwarming finale to all the school stuff and sets up the final arc in a great way when the students learn they won a summer vacation over 3-A. Also, Karma getting a reality check when he didn't do as well thanks to his cocky attitude was a great twist.

Go Time: If I had any another criticisms about AssClass's first season, it's that it is a bit on the slow side for its first half. I praised how well laid-out it is, but that does mean that a lot of the season's best moments are all in the final arc. That being said, what a final arc. Go Time has the students pull off their biggest assassination attempt yet, and it's an absolute spectacle to watch, which also makes it absolutely crushing to watch them lose when Koro pulls yet another superpower out of his ass. The second half of Go Time tosses in yet another twist when half the students all gets poisoned, with the antidote being ransomed for a frozen Koro-sensei.

Karma Time, 2nd Period: The last four episodes of the arc has the non-poisoned half of the class slowly work their way up a hotel fighting off enemies and all getting time to shine. As you can tell by the title, Karma gets a great moment here as he shows how much he's grown since his failure during the finals. But despite that, Nagisa was just as notable. I think it's really cool that the main character of an anime has a super androgynous design, and it's finally utilized here as Nagisa has to disguise as a girl to sneak through a club. It's a great sequence that shows how much of a pure cinnamon roll Nagisa is, as despite being pulled over by a drunk rich guy, he manages to talk him out of smoking and into bettering himself.

Nagisa Time: This was a good finale. Nagisa's final battle with Takaoka wasn't super crazy choreography-wise, but it got the vibes perfect. Between the compelling drama of Nagisa having to be talked out of not killing Takaoka, and the shadow-heavy visuals, the stakes feel higher than ever. There aren't really any surprises here, but the plot is resolved in super satisfying fashion.

Overall, Season 1 of Assassination Classroom really feels like a complete package. It's funny, action-packed, filled with a very lovable cast of characters, tackles the education system in a super compelling way, and ends on a fantastic final batch of episodes. It may have a bit of a slow start, and suffers from some very ham-fisted narration, but overall, this show is an incredibly good time.

4/5 Stars