One of the biggest flaws in PN03 is that they chose to make the first level what they made it. The general idea of the game is similar to an old-school schmup with a new-age presentation; but the first part of the first level is outdoors, and fools the player into thinking that the game is some free-range action shooter. It's not. Most of the game is played in narrow hallways, where the challenge is to balance your itchy trigger finger and the need to dodge or take cover from enemy fire.

That said, I wouldn't say that it's a good, misunderstood game. It is misunderstood, but I still don't think it's good. There are dramatic control issues, and I can see how keeping them in the game could maintain a level of challenge, but I think the game would be better served with a smooth, svelte control system. Rather than having to stop in my tracks to turn more than a few degrees, I'd rather have a more nimble character, even if it had to be balanced out by more dangerous situations.

The fire-dodge dynamic can get pretty hectic in later levels, and that makes it pretty cool. But, sometimes it just gets too hard. Outside of Easy mode, being killed is a rather simple affair even if you are on your toes.

It's the kind of game they could improve if they made a sequel; but I don't think they're going to, and to be honest I wouldn't really be disappointed if they never did.

Progress: Complete

Sands of Time had dazzling acrobatics, tests of timing, and great room-based puzzles. Warrior Within also has these.

Sands of Time had simple, fairly uninspired combat. Warrior Within has a deeper combat system with more abilities and moves, but still has room for improvement.

Sands of Time had a compelling and interesting story. Warrior Within has an interesting story, but also pokes some holes in itself.

Sands of Time had a very moody (good) soundtrack. Warrior Within has a very angry (bad) soundtrack.

Sands of Time had a spectacular presentation and good graphics, but fairly non-diverse environments. Warrior Within has better graphics and cool environments, but the presentation tended to agree too much with the soundtrack.

Sands of Time had some glitches signifying that the release was slightly rushed, specifically with camera movement and collision with certain objects. Warrior Within has more of these same glitches, and also has occasional fun messing up during mission-critical moments, e.g. time reverses for the Prince but not for the breakaway platform he was standing on.

Summarily, Warrior Within has some good components, but is not a great experience. It's certainly playable, but there are some mistakes that perhaps unduly impact the experience of enjoying the game. I really hope that PoP3 swings back toward SoT, but they say they're going to work even more on a combat focus, so, I don't know.

And if you want to learn what happens in Warrior Within without having to endure playing through it, you can go ahead and watch the cutscenes.

Progress: Complete

I have to give them credit for trying, but in the end this walks the line between boring and frustrating. The battle system is innovative, but not fun. The story is ... well, not interesting. The characters are bland at best. But, they took their chances.

Progress: Complete

Based on a popular European comic book of the same name, XIII follows the story of a man with amnesia immersed in a violent political plot, trying to figure out who he is and what's going on, all the while doing his best to stay alive.

The game is not only cel-shaded, but highly stylized with sound effect bursts on-screen and picture-in-picture panels to show simultaneous events. The soundtrack is jazzy and gives the game a very 'cool' feel. With voice actors Eve, David Duchovny, and Adam West, XIII's presentation is impeccable.

But it's more than just style, there's substance, too. Aiming and avoiding enemy fire makes up the bulk of the challenge, which is done very well. There are also environmental elements, mainly impromptu weapons like beer bottles, shards of glass, and broken chairs! Sometimes stealth plays a part too, and you must sneak rather than run, knock out guards rather than kill them.

Staying alive can be hard at times, but checkpoints are frequent enough that the game's difficulty is never excessive. All in all, XIII is a challenge that's greatly fun.

Progress: Complete

A lot like Super Bomberman. Maybe a little too much? It's very old fashioned, which has its advantages as well as its disadvantages. In any event, it's not a bad travel toy.

Progress: Gave Up -- Can't Remember

Really, really hard.

Progress: Gave Up

Hectic, but not as good as F-Zero GX.

Progress: Gave Up -- Barely touched

A collection of large, interconnected game worlds gives Amazing Mirror a very Metroid-like feel, which is good. The immersive game world isn't the only new feature: there isn't just one Kirby, but four. In a usual game, the player will take pink Kirby off adventuring, and the other three will meander around, probably getting themselves killed. But you can call them to your aid, either to solve a puzzle that requires them or just to give a boss a hard time. Multiple players can split the control of the Kirbies, if you're so inclined.

There are also a few new abilities, like a UFO, and Smash (which replicates Kirby's moves from Super Smash Bros.). It's also got a handful of minigames, and replay-intensive collectible items to keep the fun going for at least a little while longer. It's a fairly short game, but incredibly fun while it lasts.

Progress: Complete

I wouldn't say it's revolutionary in terms of plot by any means (unless you do some obsessive geography analysis), but the gameplay mechanics and elements it uses and introduces are very enjoyable. I liked it a lot.

Progress: Complete

Some fun new features, but more or less the same Super Mario 64 with worse controls.

Progress: Beat Bowser