MAGMML3 #91 - Mega Slug J: Joe Big Or Joe Home 

This is the only level I skipped a token on, I played it twice and got an A rank but I didn't bother trying to get an S, if the token was locked behind a hard puzzle or platforming section I would probably just keep trying it, but this score gimmick just feels more redundant, and also more rng based, anyways respect to anyone with the patience to get an S rank.

I got slightly spoiled to this level a bit earlier than I played it (thanks a lot YT recommends, though I only saw like up until the first powerup pickup, so not too much) and when I finally got to play it for myself 3 tiers later, I was super stoked to see a level that's designed kinda like a Metal Slug level. Needless to say I forgot that we're not even at the halfway point yet. Firstly, I do like that they mimicked the system of having to pick up your weapons and being able to only use them one at a time. Plus having the buster always on standby means you can keep it until there's an area you actually want to use it, or you can just burn all your ammo on whatever comes up ahead. What I don't like is how a lot of them are kept out of reach unless you specifically keep Ice Wall. I suppose that's a way to make it actually useful, but it locks a majority of the weapons out of reach for most of the stage, which is something I find pretty agitating (especially since the arcade MS games keep you loaded on weapons pretty consistently, so you constantly have options). It also feels kinda counterintuitive to keep Ice Wall, due to many of the sections being action-oriented places where you're meant to build your score (so you'd be more incentivized to keep a stronger weapon like Thunder Beam or Spark Chaser). Speaking of those sections, they feel pretty unorganized. Not in the way that an action piece/area would feel where you'd want to shoot at every enemy with reckless abandon, in a way where it feels like it's not completely functional but at the same time where it doesn't feel like there's enough happening to really justify the space used. Like... "messy" instead of "hectic". I feel like the enemies don't spawn fast enough to justify how quickly your score multiplier drops, which is especially apparent during the Rush Jet section. Like Mick said in his review: there's too much but at the same time not enough happening. I think the areas with the giant cannons are probably the few exceptions to this, as I don't even feel like the bosses have that much action going on. Also if what the description says is true, then that's a really dangerous (in a manner of speaking) way to go about level design, and I can't think of any good reason why you would do that. (Maybe some trauma carrying over from the last contest?)

Really fun stage imo, but also really buggy. And yes, Zatsu did not let anyone playtest the stage. I asked Zatsu if I could playtest and he rejected my offer.