Pros:
+ Cute, catchy music available in both PSG (chiptune) and FM formats

+ Colorful sprites and stages

+ Has a variety of special items

Cons:
- Frustrating range/hitbox from standard attack

- Slow character movement

- Bosses have cheap attacks that are sometimes impossible to avoid

- Dying requires you to redo the entire stage from the start

- Useless partner system

- I fucking hate lions now

Final Thoughts:
Having grown up a Sega Master System child, Aztec Adventure was one of the games my dad and I were never able to finish, even in the 90's by the time I was a teenager. Usually when I'd reach the third stage, frustration would set in after taking a death or two and I'd just give up. Fast forward nearly 30 years later from when I originally played it and thanks to emulation/countless save states (not ashamed to admit it!), I finally finished it and I'm not sure I feel any differently about the game as I initially did as a kid.

The game has a lot of unfair moments, with many parts requiring memorization and/or trial and error. Attacking with the sword (or is it a knife?) is clunky and awkward, which makes fighting bosses a chore and harder than it really needs to be. The game has a variety of special items but almost all of them are worthless, as a lot of monsters are actually invulnerable to some and nearly all bosses are unaffected by them. The partner system also barely serves a purpose, as all they do is get bumped around by enemies until they die.

On the bright side, I always found the music to be catchy and the character designs were cute and colorful. It felt good to finish the game but I doubt I'll ever see myself playing the game again, unless it was to show someone what one of the most frustrating Master System games I owned was.

ENDING SPOILERS: I thought the final boss and ending were kind of lame by the game's perspective but the message the ending gets across was surprisingly deep and very sweet when you consider what most console game endings were like at the time.