Thankfully, Jump Start cuts the loading times in half, but there's still at least a five-second pause for practically everything. This would be bad enough by itself, but on top of the incessant loading, the game constantly stutters and even crashed on me countless times when entering battle after resuming from sleep. Any amount of freezing is unacceptable, but when combined with the entire package, makes Mana Khemia feel like an extremely unstable, rushed game.

In the end, is Mana Khemia: Student Alliance worth it? For those missing their PS2s and equipped with iron-clad patience: yes. Its story is light-hearted and enjoyable; its music and setting feel spot-on; and the in-depth alchemy system is perfect for those who love to tinker around in their workshops. Still, it's a love of labor as much as it's a labor of love, and it's hard to feel like a lot more time was needed to fully optimize it for the PSP.

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