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Furukawa Speaks! We discuss the announcement of the Nintendo Switch Successor and our June Direct Predictions on the new episode of the Famiboards Discussion Club! Check it out here!
This game is really good at its highest moments, and is easily the best "weird Mario" i've ever seen. It's also an absolute slog to get through and you could cut every chapter by half and you wouldn't miss a thing. When the final dungeon was basically two dungeons with multiple boss fights I was done. Cool game but it wasn't worth my time.
Pepper Grinder was featured in a few Nintendo Direct / Indie World presentations, although it slipped under my radar until I was looking for a short and sweet game to play earlier in the week. Another game published by Devolver Digital, so it must be good... right?
Pepper Grinder's main gameplay revolves around using a massive drill to burrow through dirt (by pressing ZR), and using the momentum you gain to fling yourself through stages. There's a very satisfying sense of momentum as you jump from area to area, with the actual drill controls feeling nice and tight; you can easily manouver around obstacles and line yourself up quickly, which feels refreshing given similar games often have rather sluggish underground controls (looking at you, Sonic Superstars). You can optionally dash underground by pressing B - this lets you move faster and jump farther if timed just before you leave any dirt. Other stage gimmicks also crop up from time-to-time, including cannons, grappling hooks, machine guns, snowmobiles, and even a giant mech - all controlled using ZR. These are mostly a nice distraction to keep things fresh, with the best levels in the game seamlessly combining these gimmicks with the drill mechanics.
The level design itself is rather strong. Levels mostly follow the Mario design philosophy, with new ideas introduced, iterated upon, and combined excellently. One thing I immediately noticed was the sense of scale and environmental storytelling seen in some stages, almost akin to Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - in one stage, you ascend a mountain with the help of a big friendly giant, while in another, you dive deep into a withered forest and infiltrate a giant submarine. This helps makes the levels even more interesting, which is great. However, it does appear the game runs out steam by the fourth - and final - world; too many of the levels in W4 involve the other stage gimmicks and not enough of the drill. In particular, W4-3 is just a machine gun level with copious amounts of enemy spam; rather disappointing by the lofty standards of Worlds 2 & 3. Furthermore, while the levels are well-designed, some of the stage mechanics are ocasionally janky; in particular, the grappling hook sometimes doesn't interact properly with cannons - I'd just clip through the cannon and fly into a pit!
The other issue with Pepper Grinder is simply that it is rather short. I am all for short games, and indeed, Pepper Grinder is all killer - and mostly - no filler... but it does also only last about 3 hours. This is a shame, because I really wanted to keep playing more levels! Thankfully, there is a good amount of replayability: each level has 5 skull coins to collect, and you can also replay levels in Time Attack. The skull coins are akin to Star Coins in New Super Mario Bros., rewarding skilled gameplay and careful observation, although a lot of them are hidden in the same way. Time Attack is a good addition, with good gameplay required to meet the gold target times; most of the time, I had only a few seconds to spare. Both reward you with level music and stickers, the latter being used in the cute "scrapbook" mode where you can create your own in-game art.
Generally, the game is pleasing to look at, although it doesn't really stand out compared to most sprite-based indie games. The soundtrack is equally fine, with a few songs really reminding me of David Wise's songs more atmospheric songs from the Donkey Kong Country games - particularly in World 3, the snow world. I did appreciate the dynamic soundtrack though, with music changing in response to jumping into a snowmobile, or blowing up the entrance to the level, etc. Like the graphics and music, the game's story is equally fine - our protagonist, Pepper, finds herself shipwrecked; upon waking, she finds her treasure being stolen by some hooligans. Cue an epic chase across the game, where you eventually find out some weird cult - ran by a rather groovy skeleton - was behind it all. Surprisingly... unsurprising, given such a twist is part of the trappings of most similar indie games.
In all, Pepper Grinder is a great game. Top notch mechanics and level design - for the most part - combined with solid replayability elevate what would otherwise look like another "indie" platformer at first glance. A respectable
8/10.
Yooka-Laylee (05/01/2024, 7/10)
Buckshot Roulette (06/01/2024, 8/10)
Another Code: Recollection (19/01/2024, 8.25/10)
Saga of the Moon Priestess (24/01/2024, 7/10)
Super Kiwi 64: Doomsday [Update] (26/01/2024, 7.5/10)
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (03/02/2024, 8/10)
Mario vs. Donkey Kong (15/02/2024, 8/10)
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling (22/02/2024, 8.5/10)
And Yet It Moves (27/02/2024, 6.5/10)
Mario Golf (GBC) (15/03/2024, 7/10)
Psalm 5:9-13 (17/03/2024, 8/10)
Crypt of the Necrodancer: SYNCHRONY [DLC] (18/03/2024, 8/10)
Shining Force is basically Sega's take on Fire Emblem and borrows a lot of elements from it. However, it also adds and changes enough elements to feel unique. The most noticeable differences are two. First, Shining Force's progression is through exploring, like you would in regular RPGs. Second, the turn system is based on character speed rather than fixed "Player Phase" and "Enemy Phase". Essentially, faster characters go first so turns will constantly change between you and the enemy. There's many other small differences, like how counterattacks and double attacks are handled, but those two are the main ones IMO.
Overall, I really liked the game. The turn system is a little unpredictable but if you're patient and smart about when to push forward you'll safely clear most battles, although some can be pretty difficult. If you're looking for a fun RPG I can definitely recommend this one!
1) The Last of Us Part I (PS5) 2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5) 3) God of War (PS2) 4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC) 5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay] 6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck) 7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay] 8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5) 9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW) 10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck) 11) Jusant (XSS) 12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck) 13) Pokémon Crystal Legacy (GBC) 14) Halo: Combat Evolved (Steam Deck) [Replay] 15) Pocket Tennis Color: Pocket Sports Series (NGPC) 16) Super Mario Run (iOS) 17) The Firemen (SFC) 18) Inks. (iOS) 19) Monument Valley (iOS) 20) Monument Valley - Forgotten Shores and Ida’s Dream DLC (iOS) 21) SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (Steam Deck) 22) Animal Well (Steam Deck) 23) Donald Duck no Mahou no Bushi (SFC) 24) Alleyway (GB) 25) Rollcage (PS1) 26) Power Stone (DC) 27) Sonic Pinball Party (GBA)
28) Geometry Survivor (Steam Deck)
This is a Vampire Survivors clone in the style of Geometry Wars. As a big fan of Geometry Wars, I was obligated to pick this up when I saw it on sale for the astronomical price of two U.S. dollars.
Geometry Survivors is excellent for a few hours, right up until you clear a run. If you have played Vampire Survivors, you’ll be right at home. It’s exactly the same.
The issue that Geometry Survivors has is a complete lack of variety. Every round is played in the same arena, against the same enemies with the same attack patterns. Once you clear a run, there’s nothing left except to grind for the rest of the upgrades and unlockable ships; but since the game never changes and the permanent upgrades make clearing runs easier and easier, there’s not much of a point to committing to the grind.
Still, for those two or three hours before you get a win, this game is brilliant. It’s fast, hectic, and colorful. The Steam Deck OLED is perfect for Geometry Survivors. It stays at a locked 60fps, even during the craziest of crazy moments with thousands of enemies and particles and explosions on screen at once. On that OLED screen, it’s practically a religious experience.
Even if it’s not the deepest game in the world, I feel like I got more than my money’s worth out of Geometry Survivors. It’s a ton of fun!
Reviews were pretty spot on. Visually, incredible. There were countless times where I just stopped to stare at the what was on my screen for 2 minutes (OLED does wonders for this game). Having NPCs around for a decent amount of the duration was refreshing after the isolation of the first game. I also really like the total lack of a UI, as it does enhance the presentation (outside of one or two moments where I didn't realize I could interact with something).
When it comes to the more traditional gameplay elements, though, the combat and puzzles were pretty disappointing. They both felt very dumbed down and mundane compared to the first game, to the point where I was actually more "excited" for the segments in between those where you kind of just walk about and take in the scenery. The visual scope of the giants and environments is definitely the highlight, which kind of made this feel more like a tech demo that would launch with the system. I still enjoyed it overall, and it being pretty brief really helped its shortcomings (also helps that I basically played it for $1 using the Game Pass free trial). I'd probably put it somewhere close to a 7.
Probably going to hop into my first Switch game this year next, that being TTYD. Never played the original.
Much like with SH4, I won't cover this up into a spoiler, but this post will discuss overall tone, characters, the jokes, and some unpredictable elements of all three episodes of Night Springs DLC for Alan Wake II
Night Springs is a fun and quirky, but ultimately fillery DLC that presents 3 what-if scenarios into the world of Alan Wake II. Now, obviously, Alan Wake II is a strange story filled with multiverse stuff, so if you want it, they CAN be real, but it's easier to imagine that they are as presented: episodes of a fictional TV show.
First episode sees you as Rose saving Alan. It's fun enough, but its central hook is making fun of bad fanfiction, and while it's not without some high points and fun jokes, I've found the dialogues to be a little cringy. The subject matter of bad writing has been made fun of for a long time, so it's nothing new. That said, the fact that episode IS effectively a fanfic makes it so it has some fun details, such as an auto-shotgun that can carry like 15 shells that's likely there because Rose has no idea what weapons are.
Second episode is a mini-Resident Evil-y dungeon where you play as Jesse. It's probably the weakest of the three. While it has some fun art direction, I also feel like the premise was a little too wacky, and the tension wasn't at all there except for one small scene because all three episodes give you hundreds of bullets.
Third episode is possibly the best, featuring Alan Wake's take on Everything Everywhere All At Once. While I don't vibe with multiverse stuff at all, it's got the most interesting settings out of all of them, including some cute surprises.
I'm not sure whether I'll care about revisiting this DLC ever again. It's fun for what it is, but it's sometimes a bit too over-the-top, and the non-reality of it keeps it in the ethereal state where nothing really matters. That said, the art design is, as always, top notch, and the closing song rules.
A very interesting puzzle game with a brilliant main mechanic. You play as a bug that finds these colorful spheres that you can carry and use to solve puzzles. These spheres however are full worlds themselves that you can enter at specific points in the game. You can also enter a sphere/world while you carry another sphere so basically you put a world inside a world. It sounds confusing in theory, but makes perfect sense while you're playing it.
For the first 3/4 of the game the puzzles are mostly simple and the majority of them feel kind of independent from the world-within-world mechanism. However in the last hour the creativity explodes, the game goes full on with the worlds idea and you have to think outside the box to finish it.
This is actually my only complaint with the game, it's too short. It took me around 4 hours to finish it and it felt that it ended just when things started to get really interesting. The main idea is so cool and I feel they could have explored it more.
I'm also not the biggest fan of the art direction. It's a bit too blocky and random for my taste, sometimes it feels like there are random weird things on screen. The soundtrack was pretty good though.
Overall this is a great puzzle game that I would definitely recommend. I just wish there was more of it.
7.5/10
Neon White - 9.5/10
Little Nightmares 2 - 8.5/10
FAR: Lone Sails - 6/10
Blasphemous 2 - 8/10
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series - 7/10
Carrion - 7/10
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair - 7.5/10
Resident Evil 4 Remake - 8.5/10
House Of Da Vinci 3 - 6.5/10
Persona 5 Royal - 8/10
Toodee and Topdee - 7.5/10
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons - 7/10
Huntdown - 7.5/10
Boomerang X - 7/10
The Case of the Golden Idol - 10/10
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus - 6.5/10
Resident Evil Village - 9/10
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap - 5/10
Hotshot Racing - 7/10
Tormented Souls - 9.5/10
The Forgotten City - 8/10
Axiom Verge -6.5/10
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes - 10/10
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter - 7/10
Cocoon - 7.5/10
1. Spider Man 2 (PS5)
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
3. Kuru Kuru Kururin (GBA NSO)
4. Persona 3 Reload
5. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
6. Sayonara Wild Hearts
7. Cocoon
8. Bayonetta 3
9. Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince
10. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
11. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
12. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
13. Super Mario Land (NSO)
14. Fire Emblem: Blazing Blade (NSO)
This was my first experience with pre-3DS Fire Emblem, and it was great! It starts off kind of slow, but the game got noticeable more challenging in the last third or so. I like that it constantly gives you opportunities for new recruits, but at the same time focuses on a core cast of characters in the main story. Supports are present, but I didn't really bother because activating them seemed very tedious. I think the GBA style graphics and soundtrack worked very well for Fire Emblem; magic attack sound effects were my favorite!
I tracked a GBA copy of Sacred Stones, so I will play through that sometime this summer. It's too bad that Binding Blade never made it overseas, because it would be fun to try that as well. I'm glad I got to experience some more Fire Emblem history!
I uh... was gone for a while, not that anyone noticed. I played some games these last few months. I last left off with Kirby Triple Deluxe in February, which was aight. I think I'll make a few posts over the next week to catch up on my thoughts on games recently.
6. Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS) 3/21/24
My first Atlus game I believe. Always been intrigued by Persona and SMT games, and seeing this one on my backlog had always made me similarly intrigued. Very good overall. I opted to equip items that gave me XP boosts, which trivialized the difficulty, but near the end the battle system was interesting and necessary to progress. It runs on a grid system and you can manipulate most enemies to the same squares to deal damage to all at once during an ally turn. Some of these mechanics were required to beat the game and the true ending stuff. Overall a very interesting game with a good time travel story. I kept reading too much into the story (so I thought) and was delighted when things weren't always as they seemed at first. A fun JRPG that kept me entertained for a good while. 8/10
7. Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale (3DS) 3/25/24
I picked this one up based on several 3DS eShop must-have lists. It was quirky and clever enough, with a good enough card side game. It was like a life sim without any of the fluff. Just wander around, find some cards, and battle your friends when you feel like it. Also, there's a story about monsters in a suburb of Tokyo that's honestly pretty fun to see play out, especially from the frame of reference of a father. Though it was a bit shallow, and I didn't 100% the game, I had a good enough time with it. 7/10
1. Picross 3D Round 2 (3DS) 9/10
2, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again (3DS) 6/10
3. Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch) 9/10
4. Liberation Maiden (3DS) 7/10
5. Kirby Triple Deluxe (3DS) 7/10
6. Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS) 8/10
7. Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale (3DS) 7/10
1) The Last of Us Part I (PS5) 2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5) 3) God of War (PS2) 4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC) 5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay] 6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck) 7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay] 8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5) 9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW) 10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck) 11) Jusant (XSS) 12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck) 13) Pokémon Crystal Legacy (GBC) 14) Halo: Combat Evolved (Steam Deck) [Replay] 15) Pocket Tennis Color: Pocket Sports Series (NGPC) 16) Super Mario Run (iOS) 17) The Firemen (SFC) 18) Inks. (iOS) 19) Monument Valley (iOS) 20) Monument Valley - Forgotten Shores and Ida’s Dream DLC (iOS) 21) SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (Steam Deck) 22) Animal Well (Steam Deck) 23) Donald Duck no Mahou no Bushi (SFC) 24) Alleyway (GB) 25) Rollcage (PS1) 26) Power Stone (DC) 27) Sonic Pinball Party (GBA) 28) Geometry Survivor (Steam Deck)
29) Crush Roller (NGPC)
Splatoon meets Pac-Man. The goal is to paint the entire maze before the baddies catch you. Unlike the ghosts in Pac-Man, the baddies here are faster than you, and don’t slow down through the tunnels. Combined with the finicky controls that causes you to frequently miss turns, this makes for a frustrating experience.
Supplice is a GZDoom-engine boomer shooter that I have some reservations about. It feels like I've played two different games.
Episode 1 I can recommend with no problem. A selection of 6 maps (including a secret one) that are fairly sizeable, but also feel very detailed, where every map feels like a new facility you go into. Despite huge enemy counts, maps feel very well paced and intricately designed. Just like classic DOOM levels, they often loop back on themselves and open new shortcuts.
The weapons are good, and the enemies are all very different.
I was ready to praise this game to hell and back, but then Episode 2 happened. Even on normal, Episode 2 sapped my enthusiasm. The reason is simple: the levels are just too big. It wasn't uncommon for me to spend upwards of an hour on a single map, maybe more if you count reloads. And you should, because the game's difficulty skyrocketed, with so many ambushes and enemeis behind doors that it started feeling like a Serious Sam game. The worst parts of one, too.
After playing Selaco and Wizordum I'm also not quite convinced this game needed "episodes". Sure, the first stage of episode 2 takes away your weapons, and it's a great tense moment as you need to stealth your way through some of the level. However, traveling between episodes also erases your secret progress, which feels much more painful. The game tries to give you reasons to explore with health ups, ammo capacity ups, and armor ups, yet knowing that it's all basically gonna be erased took the wind out of my sails. I've barely hunted for secrets in episode 2 knowing that the maximum increase even from all the upgrades will be fairly miniscule.
I don't think boomer shooters with huge levels truly understand DOOM. This might sound harsh, but I honestly don't get how you can make an hour-long map with 5 secrets and expect players to explore, or how you think this hour-long marathon with like 5 enemy variants won't become boring.
Hey hey, my first post on Famiboards! (months after making my account...)
Anyhoo, I went a little crazy during the eshop sale last December, and I had plenty left to play even before that. Tagging this to come back to and keep a record of everything I finish this year. I don't have a ton of time at home, but I'm hoping I can get some good play time in during my work commutes. Just have to keep myself off Pokemon long enough to finish other stuff.
2024 Completed List: Pokemon Scarlet: Indigo Disk
Light Fall
Pokemon Ultra Sun
Pokemon Emerald
Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge
My first Mega Man game! To be honest, it's never been a series that really grabbed my attention before, but after listening to members of GVG sing the series' praises so much, I figured this was a good chance to see how I'd actually enjoy it.
And you know what? It wasn't bad. Very, very dated, and a lot of cheap deaths that would've enraged me if I didn't have access to the rewind feature (which I happily abused during my playthrough), but I enjoyed it enough to see it through to the end. I'll probably try out the second one at some point, too.
Bought Cyber Shadow last week when it went on sale and beat it today.
Just a really tight and fun action platformer that pays homage to Ninja Gaiden and other similar NES games with a soundtrack by Pentadrangle that gets your blood pumping. Seriously. Especially love the progression with very light Metroidvania elements. You start out fairly weak and by the end you're jumping and slashing through the air like a leaf in the wind and yet the game keeps up with you. I died so many times. The story is very "90s video game" but I found it surprisingly bleak and bittersweet by the end. Enjoyed this one a ton.
edit: Technically finished Part-Time UFO before Cyber Shadow but forgot to add it because it was an old save on Switch. Super delightful small game that I've praised numerous times before. I still want a 3D sequel called Full-Time UFO.
This was a puzzle game that intrigued me when it was announced so I was very happy to see it appear on Gamepass at the end of last month. The puzzles only reevolve around 2-3 different objective types (get a set number of people, a stream of people, or a special golden person to a particular tile) but they have many different tools to work with. Finishing a puzzle and watching your designed flow of people was very satisfying.
The puzzles themselves were pretty rigid or had a single "answer" most of the time. That isn't a bad thing, but it felt a little restrictive after falling in love with BOTW and TOTK's more open puzzle system. Overall it felt like a perfect length at roughly 12 hours to beat. I didn't 100% it but I imagine that would be another 5ish hours? Story-wise, there's an overarching and thematic plot, but it doesn't get in the way and feels like the perfect backdrop.
What's Next: Probably Doom Eternal DLC which I bought in January but only started a few weeks ago. I've liked it thus far but it's definitely more difficult than the base game. Otherwise back to Elden Ring for a few more attempts at the fire giant.
1) Marvel's Spiderman (PC): 8.5/10
2) Jusant (PC Gamepass): 6.5/10
3) Splatoon 3 Story (Switch): 7.5/10
4) Bowser's Fury (Switch): 8.5/10
5) Cassette Beasts (PC Gamepass): 9/10
6) Pokemon Scarlet - Teal Mask DLC (Switch): 6.5/10
7) Hi-Fi Rush (PC Gamepass): 8.5/10
8) Donkey Kong Country (SNES NSO): 7/10 - retroactively changing from 7.5
9) Splatoon 3: Side Order (Switch): 9/10
10) Starfield (PC Gamepass): 9/10
11) Star Wars: Jedi Survivor (PC Gamepass): 9/10
12) Super Mario Land (GBA NSO): 7/10
13) Humanity (PC Gamepass): 8.5/10
Super interesting to read, I've tried to stop buying Early Access games, but this, Selaco, and Wizordum have all had my eyes. Only bought Selaco though, super interested to see how these three shape up with all the community playtesting
A twin-stick shooter inspired by Zelda 1. A super cute little game that combines Zelda-like exploration and dungeons with some basic RPG elements.
Throughout its 5 hour playtime there was basically no downtime, and I've completed it in 3 sittings in the same day because I was so engrossed in it. The game completely understands what makes this type of gameplay good and despite being a little more linear than the original Zelda it has plenty to offer in terms of secrets and optional things you can find. The structure is familiar: find a dungeon, pick up an item within, kill the boss, explore further. It's nothing video games haven't done, yet I've never seen a twin-stick shooter follow this formula, which makes it feel very fresh and unique.
There are a ton of pickups, from your basic pieces of heart, to unique new powers, which made exploration a blast throughout.
If there's one thing I didn't really like is that if you're going for a 100% playthrough, the game becomes a little check-listy since you can buy an item that directs you towards any pick-ups that are still left in the world. It's not exactly possible to ignore and made maybe last 15 minutes or so of overworld progression a little basic.
There's not much to say, the game doesn't really do anything truly new, but what it does is charming and easy to recommend.
Super interesting to read, I've tried to stop buying Early Access games, but this, Selaco, and Wizordum have all had my eyes. Only bought Selaco though, super interested to see how these three shape up with all the community playtesting
Selaco is easily the best one out of them and is already basically a full game.
It's a bit of a shame that any retro FPS for whatever reason follows DOOM 1 religiously trying to come out in "episodes"
"Let's make a game about a cute fox inspired by the Zelda games even down to the green tunic and hyrule shield" said one dev.
"How about you reassemble a game manual filled with secrets?" said the other.
Another dev enters the room: "Hey guys have you heard of Dark Souls?"
This is how I imagine the initial pitch for the game happen. An interesting idea ruined by inserting the most generic combat system of the last decade.
Tunic is an isometric action adventure that at first sight looks too much like Zelda, but plays way too much like the nth Dark Souls indie copy. Basically every mechanic you had in DS is present here with zero reasoning. You have useless corpse runs, stamina based combat, rolling with i-frames, aggressive enemies with the most ridiculous aggro I've ever seen, estus flasks, bonfires that respawn your enemies, enemies that curse your health and straight up frustrating bosses. Because this is what an action adventure game need right?
It's almost funny of how disconnected the combat is from the rest of the game. The combat doesn't even feel good. It's clunky, boring and distracts from the joy of exploring the game. I would recommend to just use god mode and stop caring about it at all. I actually feel cheated that I only used it for the terrible-terrible final boss instead straight from the start.
Unfortunately the problems continue. The missing manual idea is underwhelming unless you're willing to go for 100% completion. The manual is filled with info you can decode your own like items or enemies description or maps that you don't even technically need. No exaggeration there's only one necessary thing hidden in those pages that you'll need to finish the game the
praying to activate the devices
thing.
Maybe I was expecting something different, but I was under the impression that if you don't carefully pay attention to the pages you can't finish the game which is not the case at all.
And here comes my next complaint. For a game that is obviously inspired by Zelda the game has no puzzles until the very end and only if you go for the true ending. There's not a single case in the campaign that you need to solve a "zelda puzzle" in order to continue. It's only in the end and after you acquired the last ability that you need to obtain all the pages and start the actual puzzle solving. So it becomes a puzzle game but only after the first 10 hours. Imagine a Zelda game where the puzzles are only introduced in the last hours so you can have the true ending.
There are some good things about it. The graphics are not my cup of tea, but they're cute. The ambient soundtrack is nice, but I feel it doesn't fit the adventurous tone of the game. The first 2 hours were lovely filled with adventure and mystery and the level design is mostly good although the hidden -behind the building- corridor is overused.
In the end Tunic is a game that tries to do many things at once, but fails in all of them.
Fitting time to play Donkey Kong Country Returns for the first time; after all, the Switch version was just announced! Originally released in 2010, Returns was almost akin to the New Super Mario Bros. for the Donkey Kong Country series; released 14 years after DKC3, returning to basics but with a new coat of paint and some new gameplay mechanics. We all know that Tropical Freeze is a 9/10 game... so how does Returns fare?
The game starts on DK Island. Donkey Kong is chilling, as usual, when the island's volcano erupts and releases a meteor onto the island. And thus arrives the Tiki Tong Tribe, who hypnotise the island's animals and make off with DK's banana hoarde! And thus begins an adventure set over 8 worlds, in classic Donkey Kong style. Unlike Tropical Freeze, Returns is more "traditional" - set on DK Island, with level themes drawn from the original trilogy (plus a few new ones, such as mountainous cliffs), and level ideas that feel like an evolution of those seen before. The game is pleasing to look at, with levels sporting a cartoon-y look but modelled in full 3D. This gives levels a sense of place & scale, with a touch of environmental storytelling that you don't see in regular Mario. While Tropical Freeze would go further - in part to more powerful hardware allowing for longer levels - it is interesting to see how Next Level Games constructed levels in the way they do; they don't feel like obstacle courses, but real areas on DK Island. It just so happens that DK Island is full of lots of deadly obstacles!
Donkey Kong - and Diddy Kong! - have the same moveset as the original trilogy, more or less. The physics are a bit weightier here, however; a well-timed roll jump can fling Donkey Kong forward in a more realistic way than the original games. The only issue with the controls is the reliance on motion controls - in order to roll, you have to shake the Wii Remote. This is an accesssibility nightmare and makes roll jumping a bit harder than it should be. Fortunately, I was emulating the game (due to issues with the 3DS port), so I didn't personally deal with this (I remapped ZR to simulated shaking)... but I would be remiss to not call it out. Donkey Kong can also slam the ground by shaking while stationary, or blow air by first crouching. These moves are fairly superflous and only see the occasional use - mostly for finding collectables - although you can disarm fiery enemies by blowing on them, which is neat.
Level designs themselves are mostly very strong. Mechanics are introduced and iterated upon well, as you would expect. While a lot of classic obstacles return - barrels, vines, bouncy tires, mine carts, etc. - there are plenty of new ones, such as the Rocket Barrel, pendulum platforms, ceilings you can cling on, and whatnot. As a result, the levels don't feel too similar to prior games, and feel like a fresh take on old ideas. Of course, Donkey Kong Country is known for being a more challenging Nintendo series, and Returns is no different - later levels do become genuinely very challenging. Unfortunately, this difficulty isn't always the right kind; some of the later levels rely on slightly blind obstacles, and some obstacles can feel cheap at times (e.g., attacks you couldn't see coming, or erratic, randomly-moving hazards). These are only minor issues, as they do not detract from the level design 90% of the time, although these are particularly pronounced in the Rocket Barrel levels (which is compounded by the fact you die in a single hit when riding it!)
Each level consists of KONG letters - used to unlock the extra level in each world - plus 5 - 9 Puzzle Pieces. The former are skill-based collectibles, e.g., placed in a precarious spot, while the latter are hidden and require engaging with small puzzles and other background elements. Unlike Tropical Freeze, most levels have 5 or 7 Puzzle Pieces, although most levels hide them in very similar ways - so they aren't quite as tiring to collect. At the end of the world you face off against a member of the Tiki Tong Tribe - these bosses are not the strongest, truthfully. Many last too long - looking at you, Mole Train! - with some bosses having unclear attack windows and poorly telegraphed attacks, although they are all fun and rather varied nonetheless.
Fortunately, the music is stronger. Featuring a mix of classic DKC songs and new compositions, the game strikes a good balance between nostalgia and establishing it's own identity; in particular, some classic DKC songs (such as Life in the Mines, now used as a factory level theme) are excellently remixed and re-contextualised for new areas. Furthermore, the game has great replayability - a Time Attack mode caters to speedrunners, while those seeking a challenge are encouraged to try Mirror Mode, which flips levels and gives Donkey Kong only a single hit point. I'm nearly done with Mirror Mode myself, and it has been a blast - a frustrating blast at times (it really is rather hard!), but a blast nonetheless. I do wish the post game Golden Temple was more than a single level long - this was fixed in the 3DS port! - but otherwise the game is fulfilling to 200%.
In all, Donkey Kong Country Returns is a worthy followup to the original series. Excellent level design, visuals, music, and extra content make this game a certified classic, although the occasionally unbalanced obstacles and middling boss fights are minor blemishes worth noting. The only major issue is the reliance on motion controls - an issue the Switch version will fix next year. An easy recommendation and an easy 8.25/10.
Yooka-Laylee (05/01/2024, 7/10)
Buckshot Roulette (06/01/2024, 8/10)
Another Code: Recollection (19/01/2024, 8.25/10)
Saga of the Moon Priestess (24/01/2024, 7/10)
Super Kiwi 64: Doomsday [Update] (26/01/2024, 7.5/10)
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (03/02/2024, 8/10)
Mario vs. Donkey Kong (15/02/2024, 8/10)
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling (22/02/2024, 8.5/10)
And Yet It Moves (27/02/2024, 6.5/10)
Mario Golf (GBC) (15/03/2024, 7/10)
Psalm 5:9-13 (17/03/2024, 8/10)
Crypt of the Necrodancer: SYNCHRONY [DLC] (18/03/2024, 8/10)
Completed for Pride Event on these here forums. Took me a while trying to discover a queer-themed itch.io game because, honestly, I'm not very into personal stories. Nothing against people using the medium like that, but I wanted a video game-ass video game.
It just so happens that Twitter has discovered this little relic due to an absolutely adorable character design, so I had to try it.
Mighty Jill Off is a Mighty Bomb Jack inspired vertical platformer with level design in the vein of first Kid Icarus levels. What sets it apart is basically just the theme: you play as a sub girl who has been kicked out from the tower by your dom, so you have to climb back.
You have a very high jump and a second press stops you in mid-air, while repeated presses make you glide like Tanooki Mario. It's cute, it controls well.
What's surprising is that apparently people in 2008 thought it was really hard? I've completed it in 12 minutes, dying maybe 5-6 times. The checkpoints are plentiful and the game isn't a precision platformer by any means. You have a LOT of time to react thanks to floaty jump physics.
Cute time, glad to see an adult-oriented game with sexual themes that doesn't go overboard. Wish there were more like it.
Nothing like a little jolly cooperation to warm your heart! In over seventy hours I can count on one hand the number of negative interactions I've had with my fellow Helldivers, squashing bugs and eradicating automaton scum. I usually avoid online titles because of my odd time schedule, but this is Starship Troopers: The Game with support and design ingenuity I haven't seen applied to an MMO in awhile that I've really connected with. The tone is perfect, the sessions are varied, and enemy AI on harder difficulties is the challenge I was seeking.
Thankfully it's the constant cooperation, cool explosions, and daunting survival rates that keep bringing me back for more sessions, coupled with a capable DM at the studio providing the "live campaign" aspect. Highly recommended for some very fun times.
2024 Games Completed So Far...
1. World of Horror (Switch)
2. Sengoku 3 (Switch)
3. Triangle Strategy (Switch) 4. Helldivers 2 (PC and PS5)
1) The Last of Us Part I (PS5) 2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5) 3) God of War (PS2) 4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC) 5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay] 6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck) 7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay] 8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5) 9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW) 10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck) 11) Jusant (XSS) 12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck) 13) Pokémon Crystal Legacy (GBC) 14) Halo: Combat Evolved (Steam Deck) [Replay] 15) Pocket Tennis Color: Pocket Sports Series (NGPC) 16) Super Mario Run (iOS) 17) The Firemen (SFC) 18) Inks. (iOS) 19) Monument Valley (iOS) 20) Monument Valley - Forgotten Shores and Ida’s Dream DLC (iOS) 21) SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (Steam Deck) 22) Animal Well (Steam Deck) 23) Donald Duck no Mahou no Bushi (SFC) 24) Alleyway (GB) 25) Rollcage (PS1) 26) Power Stone (DC) 27) Sonic Pinball Party (GBA) 28) Geometry Survivor (Steam Deck) 29) Crush Roller (NGPC)
30) Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000 (DC)
Reviews weren’t kind to this one back in the day. Its main competitor was Excitebike 64, which this game doesn’t hold a candle to. It’s got indoor and outdoor tracks, a stunt mode, and a track editor. And not much else. It’s also ridiculously easy; lapping most of the field is a common occurrence. Graphically it’s terrible, there’s no getting around that. This is an ugly game. But the handling is surprisingly enjoyable, and the soundtrack is fun.
If you like motocross games, play something else. There’s tons of good ones. Like Excitebike 64!
1. Spider Man 2 (PS5)
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
3. Kuru Kuru Kururin (GBA NSO)
4. Persona 3 Reload
5. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
6. Sayonara Wild Hearts
7. Cocoon
8. Bayonetta 3
9. Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince
10. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
11. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
12. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
13. Super Mario Land (NSO)
14. Fire Emblem: Blazing Blade (NSO)
15. Metroid Zero Mission (NSO)
It was great to return to one of my childhood favorites! As soon as Nintendo announced that Zero Mission was coming to NSO, I knew I had to get another playthrough in as soon as possible. It holds up really well! I never experimented with different styles of playing this game when I was younger, but I tried to sequence break as much as possible in this run. It worked out well, and it's really cool how the game allows for different styles of play. You can follow the landmarks for normal playthroughs, you can skip some things in low percentage runs, or you can try for a 100% speed run. It's not a very long game, but challenging yourself in different ways can lead to more replayability. Metroid Zero Mission is a GBA classic! If you have GBA NSO, I encourage any newcomers to try it out!
1) The Last of Us Part I (PS5) 2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5) 3) God of War (PS2) 4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC) 5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay] 6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck) 7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay] 8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5) 9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW) 10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck) 11) Jusant (XSS) 12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck) 13) Pokémon Crystal Legacy (GBC) 14) Halo: Combat Evolved (Steam Deck) [Replay] 15) Pocket Tennis Color: Pocket Sports Series (NGPC) 16) Super Mario Run (iOS) 17) The Firemen (SFC) 18) Inks. (iOS) 19) Monument Valley (iOS) 20) Monument Valley - Forgotten Shores and Ida’s Dream DLC (iOS) 21) SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (Steam Deck) 22) Animal Well (Steam Deck) 23) Donald Duck no Mahou no Bushi (SFC) 24) Alleyway (GB) 25) Rollcage (PS1) 26) Power Stone (DC) 27) Sonic Pinball Party (GBA) 28) Geometry Survivor (Steam Deck) 29) Crush Roller (NGPC) 30) Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000 (DC)
31) Super Mario Land (GB) [Replay]
I used the GBC filter this time, which I think helped make the game more enjoyable for me compared to the black and white it was when I first played it on 3DS VC.
Super Mario Land is super weird, and actually kinda really dang cool. The sequel is still a better game, but I’m glad SML exists.
Gen II is a big step up from the original Pokémon games. So many new features were added - two new types, splitting Special into Special Attack and Special Defense, berries and other held items, day/night cycle, a litany of bug fixes and design enhancenents, two whole regions to explore, and, of course, 100 brand new Pokémon! But it also has its downsides, from a very low level curve and an empty postgame to some pretty lacking new Pokémon and strange trainer rosters. Game Freak addressed some of these issues in HeartGold and SoulSilver, but what if you prefer the classic mechanics?
Enter Crystal Legacy, the first in a line of improvement hacks to classic Pokémon games. Most of the major issues have been addressed. Pokémon availability is updated to make certain species available sooner (and in some cases, available at all). Trainers and especially boss battles have been given stronger and more interesting teams. The level curve is bumped up for a more satisfying challenge without feeling ridiculous. Move and moveset set improvements help weaker Pokémon pick up the pace better.
All of these changes allow Johto to shine. I had lots of fun with my team (Meganium, Houndoom, Scizor, Misdreavus, Kingdra, and Aerodactyl), many of them being Pokémon I would never be able to use in a usual Johto run. I enjoyed squaring off against the tougher Gym Leaders, and Team Rocket (normally an easy slog in the base game) put up more of a fight this time around. At most, we have some minor annoyances left, like having to plan around time of day encounters or needing to level grind a bit to get up to a certain final boss (albeit not as much as usual). If anything, Kanto remains the weak link, even if it does offer more challenging fights. I'm very much looking forward to the eventual Kanto update to bring the postgame up to the standards of Johto.
If you're itching to replay the Gen II Pokémon games, this is an easy recommendation. Those looking for more updated mechanics may want to stick to the Gen IV remakes, but this gives it at least some competition!
Windowkill is a twin-stick shooter reminiscent of various Survivor/Bullet Heaven games.
Its main twist is immediately apparent: the game takes place on multiple actual Windows. As you control your character, they start in a small window which you can, for some time, make bigger by shooting the walls. The game's gimmick is very interesting and immediately gripping, creating a sort of a controllable fog of war on your desktop. As the window constantly shrinks, moreso behind you, you have to multitask, not only killing enemies, but also controlling the space you're on.
Unlike other Survivor games you also have constant access to the shop. Enemies do drop exp orbs, but you don't gain levels and can visit the shop any time to purchase one of three upgrades. This is where the game loses me a little. Much like every game of its genre, Windowkill is fairly luck based, but it doesn't have enough upgrades. Buying an item in the shop also doesn't refresh other two unless you refresh the shop entirely, which feels a lot more restrictive than other titles of similar nature. There are clear "better" upgrades, such as multishot, HP up, and exp boost, and if you don't want to completely whiff in the first 5 minutes you'll just be rerolling the shop over and over. The situation doesn't get better in the lategame where, upon seemingly acquiring most upgrades, the game will suggest one-time items, some of which aren't useful at all. Unlike other games, where, say, seeing Garlic will push you towards a certain build, Windowkill is very samey. There's not really builds, just lucky happenstances that push you further.
That said, the game does also have bosses which give you skill points that you can use on three upgrades which usually have to do with modifying playing field, and that's a much more interesting progression. It's still quite limited, but the upgrades themselves are much more interesting.
There are, unfortunately, not many upgrades to Windowkill. I doubt you'll spend as much in this game as you would in Vampire Survivors even if you like the genre. A few different characters and two modes are all that's here besides cosmetics. And while characters play differently and have some unique upgrades, it's still a shame there's not more to it.
The central gimmick of Windowkill is fantastic, and the gameplay has some really clever ideas. However, it doesn't really hold a candle to other rogue-like games because there's simply not enough here. I'd still recommend you try it because it's a very cheap game, but don't expect it to become your next 100 hour obsession unless it REALLY hooks you.
Fire Emblem Fates: Revelations [3DS] - 12 hours - 10/10
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth + Big Swell [PS5] - 145 hours - GOAT
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Legend difficulty) - 55 hours
Persona 3: Reload [PS5] - 80 hours - 11/10
Fire Emblem Three Houses [Switch] - 40 hours - 11/10
Fire Emblem Three Hopes [Switch] - 55 hours - 11/10
Again, just incredible. Fantastic storytelling and a perfect adaptation of FE, and FE3H more specifically, to the Warriors formula. Great characters, that grow in different ways due to the Butterfly effect of Byleth never meeting the leaders and becoming a teacher, with interesting supports and development that builds them out even more.
Gameplay is an absolute delight too, so many classes and skills, and they all tweak the way you can rack up combos in little ways, really fun. One of my all time favourites that I’ll absolutely come back to.
The finale is fantastic too, it’s nice to see a different world, and I can’t help but feel it was better for everyone if Shez bumps into the leaders instead of Byleth..
Hey, it's a game made by our very own @Clov! Since this is a story-first experience, I'm going to put my thoughts in spoiler tags.
What makes a person a person? Imagine if you had an exact clone of yourself - all of your memories, all of your skills. They would be the same person as you...right?
In Daisy Chain, you explore the story of a scientist, Benjamin Holloway, who has supposedly perfected human cloning. What started as scientific exploits has turned into a desperate mission: making a perfect duplicate can both validate his and his deceased wife's work and effectively bring her back to life. His first step: a copy of himself. The process and its aftermath are told through a series of Benjamin's documents, the clone's journal entries, and discussions between the two characters. At multiple points you are presented with multiple files or both a journal and a document, and you get to choose which revelation you receive first - or if you choose to read them at all. Of course, I wanted to read them all, and this let the audio logs hit hard. You get significant insight into both perspectives, and then they are allowed to clash.
A stark divide soon emerges between the characters. Benjamin puts so much onto his clone - the clone must be perfect. That's the only way he can bring Emily back, the only way he can prove himself and his theories correctly. At first, this seemingly works out. The clone recalls Benjamin's memories, picks up his laboratory skills, looks just like the original. But the clone is not Benjamin. The memories are the memories of someone else. The clone does not like (or overly rely on) wine the same way Benjamin does. The clone feels trapped in an incorrect body, pushed to be the man Benjamin wants, but the clone sees things differently. She wants to be free - her own gender identity, her own person, her own life.
This may be a sci-fi story about a person and their duplicate, but it is easy to see the parallels to a transgender person and their intolerant parent. Benjamin makes excuses for his bigotry, how if this were any other person it would be fine, but the duplicate not turning out the way he wanted messes up his theories and his chance to bring back Emily. Now imagine the aforementioned parent, claiming to be okay with queer people but hating their child for being queer. And just as violence and abuse have been thrown at queer people for being the "wrong" sexuality or gender, we see Benjamin use isolation and electro-shock "therapy" to "correct" his clone. Sure, he might say he feels bad, but does that stop him? Of course not. Meanwhile, the clone feels immense pain living a life that is not hers. Her not being the perfect duplicate Benjamin wants is perceived as a failure on her part. That is not her fault, she didn't ask to exist. But in her desire to transition and to live her own life, her humanity shines brighter than the man who chooses to view her as a means to an end. The sci-fi story concept lets the clone hold up a mirror to Benjamin, exposing his flawed thinking and, in the end, giving the clone the out she desperately needs.
Daisy Chain ends up as a short but riveting narrative enhanced by stark visuals and strong narrative pacing. This is a great showcase for Decker as a storytelling medium, and I look forward to more stories by Air Gong, whether in this medium or others.
Hey, it's a game made by our very own @Clov! Since this is a story-first experience, I'm going to put my thoughts in spoiler tags.
What makes a person a person? Imagine if you had an exact clone of yourself - all of your memories, all of your skills. They would be the same person as you...right?
In Daisy Chain, you explore the story of a scientist, Benjamin Holloway, who has supposedly perfected human cloning. What started as scientific exploits has turned into a desperate mission: making a perfect duplicate can both validate his and his deceased wife's work and effectively bring her back to life. His first step: a copy of himself. The process and its aftermath are told through a series of Benjamin's documents, the clone's journal entries, and discussions between the two characters. At multiple points you are presented with multiple files or both a journal and a document, and you get to choose which revelation you receive first - or if you choose to read them at all. Of course, I wanted to read them all, and this let the audio logs hit hard. You get significant insight into both perspectives, and then they are allowed to clash.
A stark divide soon emerges between the characters. Benjamin puts so much onto his clone - the clone must be perfect. That's the only way he can bring Emily back, the only way he can prove himself and his theories correctly. At first, this seemingly works out. The clone recalls Benjamin's memories, picks up his laboratory skills, looks just like the original. But the clone is not Benjamin. The memories are the memories of someone else. The clone does not like (or overly rely on) wine the same way Benjamin does. The clone feels trapped in an incorrect body, pushed to be the man Benjamin wants, but the clone sees things differently. She wants to be free - her own gender identity, her own person, her own life.
This may be a sci-fi story about a person and their duplicate, but it is easy to see the parallels to a transgender person and their intolerant parent. Benjamin makes excuses for his bigotry, how if this were any other person it would be fine, but the duplicate not turning out the way he wanted messes up his theories and his chance to bring back Emily. Now imagine the aforementioned parent, claiming to be okay with queer people but hating their child for being queer. And just as violence and abuse have been thrown at queer people for being the "wrong" sexuality or gender, we see Benjamin use isolation and electro-shock "therapy" to "correct" his clone. Sure, he might say he feels bad, but does that stop him? Of course not. Meanwhile, the clone feels immense pain living a life that is not hers. Her not being the perfect duplicate Benjamin wants is perceived as a failure on her part. That is not her fault, she didn't ask to exist. But in her desire to transition and to live her own life, her humanity shines brighter than the man who chooses to view her as a means to an end. The sci-fi story concept lets the clone hold up a mirror to Benjamin, exposing his flawed thinking and, in the end, giving the clone the out she desperately needs.
Daisy Chain ends up as a short but riveting narrative enhanced by stark visuals and strong narrative pacing. This is a great showcase for Decker as a storytelling medium, and I look forward to more stories by Air Gong, whether in this medium or others.
1) The Last of Us Part I (PS5) 2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5) 3) God of War (PS2) 4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC) 5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay] 6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck) 7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay] 8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5) 9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW) 10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck) 11) Jusant (XSS) 12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck) 13) Pokémon Crystal Legacy (GBC) 14) Halo: Combat Evolved (Steam Deck) [Replay] 15) Pocket Tennis Color: Pocket Sports Series (NGPC) 16) Super Mario Run (iOS) 17) The Firemen (SFC) 18) Inks. (iOS) 19) Monument Valley (iOS) 20) Monument Valley - Forgotten Shores and Ida’s Dream DLC (iOS) 21) SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (Steam Deck) 22) Animal Well (Steam Deck) 23) Donald Duck no Mahou no Bushi (SFC) 24) Alleyway (GB) 25) Rollcage (PS1) 26) Power Stone (DC) 27) Sonic Pinball Party (GBA) 28) Geometry Survivor (Steam Deck) 29) Crush Roller (NGPC) 30) Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000 (DC) 31) Super Mario Land (GB) [Replay]
32) Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (GB) [Replay]
Continuing with the Mario Land series, here we have the vastly superior sequel to Super Mario Land. This game is a miracle; Nintendo must have been employing actual wizards here, to be able to take Super Mario and so faithfully put it on the Game Boy. SML2 features improved visuals, better music, Mario-like physics, probably the most unique level themes in the entire franchise, and the introduction of Wario. Truly, this is one of the best 2D Marios.
Wario Land 1 is next, which is a game I’ve never played. Looking forward to experiencing the Wario Land series for the first time!
17) Super Mario 64
Doing my periodical 3D Mario revisit. Just a clear this time tho I did pass the 100 mark on stars. Delightful as always. Onto sunshine!
1) Riccchhhhhaaarrrrd Metal Wolf Chaos XD
2) Toree 3D
3) Piczle Cross Adventure
4) Macbat 64
5)Metroid Prime Remastered
6) Good Job!
7)Golden Sun
8) Crash 4
9)Star Wars Starfighter SE
10) EDF2025(ranger normal)
11) Klonoa Door to Phantomile
12) Just Cause 2
13) Final Fantasy IX
14) SW Jedi Starfighter
15)Ace Combat 7
16) Megaton Musashi Wired
Finished Metroid Zero Mission. An okay remake. The stealth section they added was very stressful. Saw some Fusion and Dread inspiration there.
1. Another Code 1
2. Another Code 2
3. Saga of the Moon Priestess
4.
5. Mario Vs. Dk
6. Apollo Justice
7. Dual Destinies
8. Spirit of Justice
9. Star Ocean 2 Second Story R
10. Princess Peach Showtime
11. Unicorn Overlord
12. Crypt Stalker
13. Little Kitty Big City
14. Mario Land GB
15. Logiart Grimoire
16. Metroid Zero Mission
There is a trick to this one! You can roll jump to the train and skip straight to the whack a mole, reducing the fight from three minutes to like one and a half.
Completed for Pride Event on these here forums. Took me a while trying to discover a queer-themed itch.io game because, honestly, I'm not very into personal stories. Nothing against people using the medium like that, but I wanted a video game-ass video game.
It just so happens that Twitter has discovered this little relic due to an absolutely adorable character design, so I had to try it.
Mighty Jill Off is a Mighty Bomb Jack inspired vertical platformer with level design in the vein of first Kid Icarus levels. What sets it apart is basically just the theme: you play as a sub girl who has been kicked out from the tower by your dom, so you have to climb back.
You have a very high jump and a second press stops you in mid-air, while repeated presses make you glide like Tanooki Mario. It's cute, it controls well.
What's surprising is that apparently people in 2008 thought it was really hard? I've completed it in 12 minutes, dying maybe 5-6 times. The checkpoints are plentiful and the game isn't a precision platformer by any means. You have a LOT of time to react thanks to floaty jump physics.
Cute time, glad to see an adult-oriented game with sexual themes that doesn't go overboard. Wish there were more like it.
I read about this one on TV Tropes years ago, went and played it after seeing this post.
In the context of 2008, this game is pretty hard. Video games in general had gotten easier and easier over time, Dark Souls hadn't happened yet, Super Meat Boy hadn't happened yet, I Wanna Be the Guy and Kaizo Mario had just come out and the idea of making platformers like this was still very new. The types of difficulty this is trying to replicate are very similar to the absolute hardest parts of old 8-bit platformers, but with the smooth controls, infinite lives, and generous checkpoints associated with this at the time new subgenre. It just so happens that without stiff controls and punishing setbacks for failure, those old games wouldn't actually be that brutal compared to what we have now.
That said, the very second sentence on the game's itch.io page points out that there are plenty of commercial games far more punishing than this one. And indeed, what struck me about this game is not exactly its difficulty, but its fairness. It's not mean, at all. There's that one bit where you have to jump up through a one block gap that felt like it required my subpixels to be aligned, but other than that it was all so... reasonable.
I'm not really into the physical components of BDSM at all, so I wouldn't say I really "get" masochism, but it was immediately interesting to me that this game is completely unlike what is normally associated with the idea of a "masochistic platformer". That is, things like Kaizo Mario and I Wanna Be the Guy, and I agree with Kieron Gillen from off of Rock Paper Shotgun on Mighty Jill Off's itch.io Page: they're not interesting. I Wanna Be the Guy is horrifically uninteresting and tedious to play, actually. Kaizo Mario is also extremely basic compared to what the scene would eventually go on to create, games that didn't just troll the player or push the execution difficulty possible in Super Mario World to its limits, but had actual artistic ambitions with aesthetic goals and new game mechanics and stuff.
So with the knowledge that the game was meant as "a meditation on the appeal of retro-style difficulty" as I was playing, I was thinking about why, I guess, and what the appeal of the game was. I'm not just not a masochist, I consider myself someone who doesn't actually really care about difficulty in video games. I'll face just about anything if I feel like it's not simply wasting my time, but I also couldn't care less about the controversy of Mario Wonder being "too easy", for example. That had absolutely no negative impact on my experience. I think low difficulty is something I've only ever seen as a negative for Super Mario 3D Land, which felt as though the level designers were being stifled by the requirement to make the whole game thoroughly toothless. Even the "hard" remixed versions of these levels weren't interesting though, because an engaging level is so much more than how many spikes it has and how fast you need to move. There are so many things I find more satisfaction in than raw difficulty.
But I can definitely say, playing a hard game feels different, in a way that's hard to articulate. There's a sense of accomplishment there, though it also kind of feels like work. I guess I shouldn't expect to get it, since like I said, I'm not a masochist, but I liked the game well enough anyway. Jill is pretty interesting to control; I've never played another platformer that reverses the usual notion of holding down the button to jump higher. It's like jumping with caps lock on. Apparently a little bit of this was in Mighty Bomb Jack, which I've never played, but I feel like the elements removed here make it a less traditional experience. The level design was interesting mainly in how it didn't seem to have a clear progression, the beginning is easier and the end is harder, but the hardest parts were mostly spread out and each "room" of the tower feels like it was designed in isolation.
...The second tower, on the other hand, that I just gave up on. I reached the spiders section about 5 minutes in, which requires a ton of waiting and kiting so the enemies move out of your way, and every time you miss a precise jump you have one chance at (which often requires you to be most of the way off the edge of a platform to make), you have to start all over. Just annoying. I couldn't even use my controller, because inputting the password apparently locked me into keyboard controls. Probably could have tried speedrunning the first tower for the other unlock condition, but eh. It had a very "second quest" sort of design philosophy, with things like invisible pits and needing to figure that you can stand on the edge of platforms entirely covered in fire despite there being 0 pixels of visible foothold. Even that stuff isn't really the sort of bullshit I would have expected though, I think there's still a little bit of a distinction to be made between this "80's Nintendo game that hates you" difficulty and modern games full of kaizo traps which originated as a parody of the way those old games felt and then developed as a thing that people... actually like playing for some reason? This game has only made that idea more confusing to me. Maybe they're turbo-masochists, I dunno.
The point that Kieron Gillen ascribes to the game is that to be a game designer is to be a sadist. I don't think this metaphor really maps to the vast majority of games very well because they don't primarily characterize their relationship to the player with adversity, but it's a perspective that would probably help a lot when designing a game like this one. The point being made here is that different styles of difficulty can make very different games, and I think the idea is that your goal should be to make the player suffer in a way they'll enjoy rather than making difficulty its own goal.
The framing of this as a relationship and something tailored for the player implies that the ideal is a more personalized experience than most games can really deliver, which is something to think about I suppose. "Sadistic" may be too narrow a framing, but the overall idea of game design as a relationship is a really good metaphor. Communication is extremely important. The most frustrating thing is to not clearly understand what is being asked of you, and understanding is a large part of the perception that what's being asked of you is fair. When presenting your game, through marketing and through its beginning, you need to set expectations for what the relationship is going to be. As the game goes on, you need to walk a line between the comfort of familiarity and the risk of the relationship becoming routine and boring.
Anyway this reminds me of that one BDSM-themed level at the end of Maddy Thorson's Super Mario World hack that says the level creator in kaizo is called the "daddy". I don't think this is true, but I have never seen any evidence that it isn't true either.
I am a long time hater of this game, originally bouncing off Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut back in 2003 and then more recently not being impressed by the modded Steam release. But this is a situation where Real Hardware Difference really matters and now I’m a believer, this game isn’t as good unless you have a DreamConn in your hands looking at the little Chao dance around.
There’s a lot to say about Sonic Adventure, but my main impression is that this is a game that really feels like a Sonic adventure. To my knowledge this seems to be the only 3D Sonic game that remembers the funnest part of 2D Sonic games is pressing down to turn into a ball without losing and momentum, and that aspect really shines in Sonic levels when you try to go for the A emblems. It’s really well done!
You can tell Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 really is a spiritual sequel to this game and understands a lot of made it work (but not the spinach sadly! Too hard to implement well?). I also saw a lot of my favorite aspects of Sonic Forces in Gamma’s story— quick levels that are mostly vehicles for a mature story to be told. I’d be interested to see a new Sonic game that channels Tails’s bonkers engine-breaking race levels or one that incorporates and expands on Amy’s hammer jump. There’s definitely a lot they can learn from this game still when making new 3D Sonic games.
One place this game doesn’t stick the landing sadly is in the cutscenes. Some characters (Sonic, Eggman, Gamma) have great voice acting and characterization, but others aren’t quite as strong. You can tell they were still figuring out how to do cutscenes in video games because sometimes the camera cuts away too quickly after a dramatic moment or music changes at the wrong time. It’s still much better than say, Chip, to be fair. Overall the individual stories are satisfying and the final true ending is iconic and badass, which would shape the next 10 years of the franchise.
All in all this is a must play for 3D platformer and Sonic fans but make sure you buy a Dreamcast first!
9. Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble (Game Gear) [4/10]
This one has a reputation for being underrated and I don’t understand why. At this point I’ve beaten all of the Game Gear games, and from what I recall this has all the same flaws as the other ones developed by Aspect. Namely stages full of bad un-fun movement gimmicks (like the springs in the first level or the pipe mazes) and cramped action. The game introduces Fang who is kind of cool, but Silver Sonic in Sonic 2 GG was kind of cool too and Fang is barely in the game. The one level I thought was good (and they wisely put on the box) was Robotnik Winter Act 1 but it is followed by Act 2 which is a bad maze. The Tidal Zone looks nice but it full of underwater pipe mazes which are consistently the worst aspects of Aspect Sonic games.
All in all I would recommend Sonic the Hedgehog Chaos over this if you really want to play an Aspect Sonic game, as at least that game has a SMS version and is a little bit quicker to get through. Hopefully Fang being in Superstars will give people less of a reason to revisit this game.
The more Sonic games I play, the more I’m realizing the truly bad ones are the 2D ones that came out after Sonic 3&Knuckles.
1) The Last of Us Part I (PS5) 2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5) 3) God of War (PS2) 4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC) 5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay] 6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck) 7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay] 8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5) 9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW) 10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck) 11) Jusant (XSS) 12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck) 13) Pokémon Crystal Legacy (GBC) 14) Halo: Combat Evolved (Steam Deck) [Replay] 15) Pocket Tennis Color: Pocket Sports Series (NGPC) 16) Super Mario Run (iOS) 17) The Firemen (SFC) 18) Inks. (iOS) 19) Monument Valley (iOS) 20) Monument Valley - Forgotten Shores and Ida’s Dream DLC (iOS) 21) SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (Steam Deck) 22) Animal Well (Steam Deck) 23) Donald Duck no Mahou no Bushi (SFC) 24) Alleyway (GB) 25) Rollcage (PS1) 26) Power Stone (DC) 27) Sonic Pinball Party (GBA) 28) Geometry Survivor (Steam Deck) 29) Crush Roller (NGPC) 30) Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000 (DC) 31) Super Mario Land (GB) [Replay] 32) Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (GB) [Replay]
33) Syvalion (SNES)
A shoot-em-up that does away with traditional auto-scrolling stages, and where you pilot a dragon ship that breathes fire. You have full control of the dragon ship at all times, and each stage is a little maze that you need to navigate to reach the boss room. The controls are fine, the graphics are fine, the music is whatever. But the difficulty is through the roof. Kinda.
Your dragon ship has a tail that is vulnerable to damage, and you’re gonna be whacking that tail on everything. You’ll die. A lot. Which would be a problem if not for two things: A) there are only five stages in this game and they’re all short, and B), you respawn exactly where you died immediately, losing no progress whatsoever, and there are infinite continues. There is effectively no penalty for death.
Making death meaningless makes for a very short, very forgettable experience. I won’t remember this one in a week.
Finally finished Paper Mario TTYD. A lot of good here but way more bad. It really out stayed it's welcome a long time ago. Glad it's over. Not sure what I'll play next. Maybe Animal Well.
1. Another Code 1
2. Another Code 2
3. Saga of the Moon Priestess
4.
5. Mario Vs. Dk
6. Apollo Justice
7. Dual Destinies
8. Spirit of Justice
9. Star Ocean 2 Second Story R
10. Princess Peach Showtime
11. Unicorn Overlord
12. Crypt Stalker
13. Little Kitty Big City
14. Mario Land GB
15. Logiart Grimoire
16. Metroid Zero Mission
17. Paper Mario TTYD
June 23rd: Animal Well (9/10)
I'm always down for a "mysterious" game. Give me burning bushes in Zelda 1, give me alternative exits in Super Mario World, give me W.D Gaster. It's an amazing feeling in a game to stumble upon something, seemingly out of nowhere, and have your curiosity sparked. Advertising a game with "a mysterious, alluring world" as a bullet point isn't anything new - but Animal Well succeeds at being a mysterious game with blazing glory. Dropped down into a dark, deep well with absolutely no exposition to guide you, your tiny blob is left to their own devices to head down into the unknown, tackling whatever waits down there.
This game confuses and discomforts you at first, but as is par for the course for a metroidvania, you slowly grow accustomed and familiar with the mess within. And it's "metroidvania" that spells out the biggest successes of Animal Well: Purely when it comes to item gating and power-ups you gain along the way, this game is nothing short of genius. Wonderful and completely mind-bending stuff, a core of sorts that keeps you motivated to see the discoveries and surprises through to the very end. But Animal Well isn't without issues. Even without the CRT filter, it's a deeply disorienting game on the visual level. I see what the developer is going for, but to me it's just a hodgepodge of luminescent pixels that fails at being functional on the most basic of levels. It's hard to distinguish what is what, and the same goes for your character, where I sometimes had to do a double-take just to see where I was. Worst of all, there's certain sequences where you're sort of forced to keep a keen eye on where you are, and as I lost track of my tiny blob time and time again, I was left frustrated. Additonally, said sequences are made even more annoying when there's no real item mapping: You have to scroll through the items manually, where you have no clue or no memory of where anything on the row is. In the end, however, this is a well worth stumbling into, a world worth exploring and a sense of wonder I'm so glad I stuck around enough to experience. (EDIT: okay, bumped the score up to 9 after seeing some more... stuff... in the game that I didn't experience. Dang.)
2024 so far
1. March 3rd: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (9/10)
2. May 12th: 1000xRESIST (10/10)
3. June 23rd: Animal Well (9/10)
Done with the first part of the Apollo Justice trilogy, so...
1. Price of Persia: The Lost Crown - 9/10
2. The Talos Principle - 7.5/10
3. Hitman: Blood Money - 8/10
4. Subnautica - 7.5/10
5. Katana Zero - 8/10
6. Hyper Light Drifter - 7.5/10
7. Hotline Miami - 8/10
8. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number - 5/10
9. Another Crab's Treasure - 8.5/10
10. Petiment - 8/10
11. Animal Well - 9/10
12. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes - 9.5/10
13. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - 9/10
14. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney - 7.5/10
I liked it, but it's definitely a step-down from the original trilogy. I think that, with most Ace Attorney games, the quality of the cases hinges on how much you can buy into the outrageous stuff that happens, and here, many times, I wasn't embracing the wackiness as much as I did in the first three games as well as in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles.
Without a doubt, this is the Wii U Sonic game. It has lots of interesting ideas but is unfocused and never really meets its potential. That being said it’s a unique concept and I’m glad they tried something new instead of endless boost Sonic sequels. This feels like a game from an alternate universe where Sonic 3D Blast and Sonic Xtreme set the tone for 3D Sonic games and it is worth playing for that alone.
The things I liked—
It has the spin dash and it’s useful!
The writing is genuinely good for the Saturday morning cartoon vibe that started in Colors and continues here. Some great lines and even better line reads.
Zavok is badass and dastardly.
Yoshi and Zelda levels are something you could only ever see in the Wii U era and they’re crazy.
The music is great!
The tunnel levels and rail grind levels are highlights worth playing the game for.
Things I didn’t like—
Not enough of the good stuff.
The controls don’t seem to work as intended in 2D segments all the time.
Spin dash still stops momentum too much.
The sound mixing for the Zeti is bad and you can’t hear them most of the time.
The wisps in general are bad and the power up/items system is very half baked.
All in all I’d be interested in a sequel that refines and expands on the good elements here. I’d rather have that than a new boost game or a sequel to Frontiers.
Very important, make sure you play on the Wii U! The steam port is sloppy.
11. Metroid Zero Mission - Before Dread this was my favorite Metroid game. I finished it with 57% completion rate, in a little over 2 hours. It’s just a wonderful, tight little experience. Crazy to see that despite the 16 years between this and Dread, there weren’t that many other games in the series between them. But Zero Mission feels timeless in a way very few games do.
I've only completed the original Doom last year, and with the release of Dark Ages I've been working on blind spots in the series.
DOOM II is a very interesting game. It's an iteration of Doom more than an outright sequel in mechanics, featuring only one new weapon and a handful of new enemies, but the design philosophy is so different that the game does end up feeling unique.
When it comes to basic design, Doom II just wants to have more enemies. Levels feature hundreds of baddies to shoot, and it sometimes gets overwhelming as neither your arsenal, nor the variety really can come close to making it feel as great as the game wants, especially if you come across two giant crowds of enemies twice per level.
The level design, however, is leagues better than the original game. I'm very much an outlier in that I loved some of the weird gimmicky levels of Doom 1 that no one seems to like, so I'm not sure whether people would agree with me or not here. However, I found that DOOM II's levels overall are more interesting, diverse, and creative. I think the middle third of the game is my favorite. It's janky and uneven, but seeing this old game trying to do a city level is hella charming.
Featuring pretty much everything under the sun: arenas, mazes, trap levels, "realistic enviroments" (as best as they could do): levels feel much more unique as opposed to the original where some of the levels really started to run together. Also none of the levels try to blind you with constant blinking lights.
DOOM II is fairly easy to recommend even nowadays, it's a real fun time.
A pretty interesting game, Metroid II has the basic gameplay of Metroid but changes up the structure in a big way. On this game, Samus is tasked with exterminating the Metroid race, so she travels to planet SR-388 and starts her quest of killing all 39 Metroids in the planet. In most Metroid games, to progress you have to acquire new power-ups that let you access new areas. In Metroid II, instead, you have to kill a certain amount of Metroids on each area to unlock the next ones. Focus is still on exploring but in a different way, so it still feels Metroid-ish.
Overall, this is a fine game. I'm not fully convinced about the map design since it's pretty repetitive but for the most part it works well. The main positive about the game is its ambience, since between the basic graphics, creepy soundtrack and (sometimes) pretty empty areas, the game can become surprisingly eeriee.
Finished Case of the Golden Idol over the course of my trip. It’s best described as a highly streamlined point n’ click. The murder scene is frozen in time and you can scour it for clues at your own leisure. The deductive and logical processes were intuitive more often than not, an example being a message left at the scene of a crime with a signature… but you would know that this is a red herring since the person the name belongs to is illiterate.. There were several times like that where I was able to piece together what happened before I found the keywords to slot into my handy dandy notebook, including the overarching mystery of the game. Recommended for anyone who wants to feel smart!
I have never played a Digimon game before this. My knowledge is just the anime and the games never seemed that great to me.
I do like VN’s and the gameplay seems like a simplified Devil Survior during the battles…. so why not try it? And I enjoyed my time with it. Storywise it’s a bit “my first videogame VN” with twists and turns that are a bit phoned in, but the way it’s handled is nice though. Especially the darker parts, which did surprise me.
Gameplay isn’t that deep and fairly straight forward; if Hyde ever want to develop a full SRPG with more depth, I’d definitely play it. Overall it’s a nice game and was cool palette cleanser.
I finally reached the true ending after 91 hours of playtime; pretty good.
Yeah, it isn’t without its flaws (especially the Kanji and Naoto stuff), but despite those parts it’s a one fun game. Inaba’s small set-up feels cozy, the social links are fun, serious, sad and uplifting too. I spent a great while on it and overall it became one of my favorite Atlus RPG’s I’ve played.
Main cast is fun: sure Teddie is annoying at times (with some endearing moments too), I do dig the struggles of the cast; Chie and Yukiko’s bond is fun, but there are aspects that keeps them back. Yosuke is conflicted about being stuck in the boonies, Kanji his interesting, Naoto too. Rise at first feels like “poor little famous girl”, but that life has its downsides too. The thirst for the MC is real though, lol.
One of the better things about the game
Is the story;
I really liked the out of left field option that Adachi was the killer. It makes sense; while I had my moments where I did not trust him, but seeing him as the culprit was “this weak stringbean? Nah man”
Didn’t recognize Jonny Young Bosh’s voice at first, but he did quite well selling Adachi
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Only bought Selaco though, super interested to see how these three shape up with all the community playtesting
I'm so happy that you liked it!
