somehow despite this pack being out for two years, i'd neglected to look at it for some inexplicable reason. i've played most other notable levels from the early 2.2 days, but somehow i never got to this one.
despite my actual real experience in this level pack, i think it has many aspects that i think are respectable enough to make it worth a play, though those aspects are *very* deeply hidden and the flaws are much more prominent. this is not a good level pack. it is filled with mostly dated levels with extremely poorly thought out level design, and i'd argue that only about 1/5th of the levels are actually worth playing, those being emerald coast, the 2.1 levels, and the hidden mystic castle rebirth and koopa kastle. those levels either have a worthy novelty reason to play them, or are just outright good stages, but it's a small percentage.
usually at that point i'd give this pack one or two stars, but i think it does have redeeming qualities that don't really go in hand with the level designs themselves. they are some great ideas, especially levels like haunted manor, and that zone specifically i'd love to see a remake or reimagining of someday, one that makes use of act 2's mechanics while also being fun to traverse. however, it's undeniable that there are a lot of dated practices that ruin the experience to some extent. it is NOT fun to be forced to defeat enemies to progress, especially if they're crawla commanders.
this is a good level anthology, showing how you've developed over the years (decades?) that you've been playing the game. sure, a good chunk of the levels are either garbage or extremely frustrating, but the good stages are quite good (sky top in particular being my overall favourite), and the dedication to porting all of these levels is commendable.
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also the egg flambe frustrated me more than i'd normally be willing to admit like how the hell was flinging three napalm bombs a good idea what