Class of '09: Puzzle Showdown

I would have preferred another visual novel. But I have found the puzzle showdown enjoyable and its much better than the flipside though that is a rather low bar to pass admittedly. This game has very good voice acting and dose a good job staying true to the OG class of 09 characters!

refund this if u got it u can still play it in the files

Having just finished Class of '09: Puzzle Showdown, I can't help but come away with mixed feelings. The dialogue is entertaining, and the characters (the main reason I keep coming back to this franchise) mostly stay true to their original personalities. The exception being Nicole and Jessica, who seem like they've either undergone lobotomies or fried their brains on narcotics. Their actions in the opening cutscene are so dumb that it's hard to imagine them with as capable of the things they did in previous games. As for the gameplay, I may be a little out of my depth. My only real exposure to this style of puzzle game was watching someone I was dating play HuniePop, so I'm hardly an expert. Even so, I can confidently say this was the least fun I've had playing a Class of '09 game. Progressing through the story felt like a complete slog. Whatever people's opinions were of the previous games, I could always crack open an alcoholic drink and breeze through them no problem. I can't really say the same here. I’m not even opposed to a shift from the previous visual novel format, but the gameplay here is genuinely the worst thing ever. The main story itself and even the Kelly side story is actually pretty decent, if a little goofy. Most character interactions happen before each battle, leading to some genuinely funny exchanges and the added bonus of playing as characters we have never played as or seen interact by themselves before. It almost reminded me of the pre-fight banter in Mortal Kombat, though it's a shame there aren't any post-battle interactions to complement them and that some characters didn’t see an appearance in this game. Unfortunately, again; the gameplay had me repeatedly returning to the feeling that "This is so stupid," while continuing the story. Thankfully, the ending is at least semi-interesting and adds another layer to the ongoing mystery surrounding the player character [spoiler] (or God as they call you) [/spoiler] from across the series. Overall, Class of '09: Puzzle Showdown succeeds in preserving the series' signature humor and charm, but it's held back by gameplay that makes you want to [Ari] yourself. If you're already a fan of the series, there's still enough worthwhile dialogue and lore to justify giving it a shot. Just be prepared to spend a lot more time matching colored tiles than you probably expected.