I kinda get the people being disappointed because they prefer either PM64 or Super (I myself am a Super Paper Mario fan), but come on, obviously it was going to be this one first lol, this is the one that most of the fanbase have been asking for a remake for about 8 years or so now. It wasn't even a question.
I feel like starting with the original instead of the second isn't that weird, especially when it's the most aesthetically out-of-line with the rest (though I like that about it).
I think the original coming to NSO and having been on virtual console before was the bigger reason it was skipped.
Just my two cents, but I think the backlash against the pacing/backtracking in TTYD is so loud because that is literally the only thing you can legit complain about with this game. You rarely hear anyone complain about anything else with that game.
Personally I give it a 9.5/10. It is that great.
I'm one of the weirdos that feels everything added to the combat makes it worse, largely just due to how easy the game becomes (though it seems
@Dardan Sandiego agrees). Between partners having HP bars, badge stacking, super guards, SP regeneration getting crazily buffed, etc. being added, the player is a lot more powerful in this game. But it feels like the enemy design was only balanced around one or two of those things being added.
The backtracking is also
way more prevalent than I feel it's given credit for, even from the normal detractors. People point at chapter 4 and 7 the most, but it starts in chapter 1 and never really goes away, with only chapters 3 and 6 having structures that make it feel natural. It's hard for me to handwave it when it's an issue throughout the entire game until halfway through chapter 7. If it was just Twilight Town, I'd feel it was a neat artistic choice, but it's not. By the time you're in chapter 5 it's just tiresome. 64 by comparison had much more varied level structures chapter to chapter that was interesting to engage with and explore, and I finish much more of my replays of that game as a result.
That said - it's something that gets worse for me every replay, and I like the game enough to replay it lol. For someone just playing the game once, it may not be a big deal.
I noticed that guy too and wasn't sure if he was replacing something else. Really curious as to what his function is, and whether it's part of a larger trend or perhaps just part of a new mechanic added to the game.