BubbleRevolution
A great revival of a classic platformer that stacks up with the original games in a lot of ways. I like the difficulty options making the tough-as-nails gameplay a bit more accessibly, while still allowing people who want something just as difficult as the original titles to be able to have their way too.
A really stylish superhero-themed fighter with character designs by Masami Obari, who also worked on the Fatal Fury OVA series and a litany of mecha shows.
Arc System Works currently owns the rights to the IP and I REALLY want to see them revive this, it'd look great with their visual flair.
Arc System Works currently owns the rights to the IP and I REALLY want to see them revive this, it'd look great with their visual flair.
A very cute and charming puzzle game that's a lot of fun.
The art and music are well done and the gameplay is as solid as the original arcade title. It feels a tad lacking in terms of content, but otherwise I don't have any issues. Hope to see more retro revivals like this from the developer in the future!
The art and music are well done and the gameplay is as solid as the original arcade title. It feels a tad lacking in terms of content, but otherwise I don't have any issues. Hope to see more retro revivals like this from the developer in the future!
1991
A classic platformer that still holds up pretty well. The level themes are some of my favorites in the series still, and the art and visuals have that early SEGA Genesis charm that I love.
If it had a Spin Dash I wouldn't really have any major complaints about it.
If it had a Spin Dash I wouldn't really have any major complaints about it.
2003
Better than it gets made out to be, but also just not that good.
It's mostly just a bit jank and inoffensive until you get to the handful of really annoyingly designed sections, which pushes it into "not great" territory.
The enemy designs are good, which is a highlight, but otherwise it's just kind of forgettable.
It's mostly just a bit jank and inoffensive until you get to the handful of really annoyingly designed sections, which pushes it into "not great" territory.
The enemy designs are good, which is a highlight, but otherwise it's just kind of forgettable.
2001
A damn solid game with a lot of cool touches to it. Mallet Island is a really cool location to explore around and I love the game's atmosphere and enemy designs. There's a bit of jank to it due to the game's age, but it overall holds up pretty well.
Fun, but a tad short. I'm happy to see another Bubble Bobble game and hope it leads to more entries in the series in the future. The inclusion of the original arcade title is a nice touch as well. I just wish it was longer, mostly.
2005
Has some interesting ideas and isn't wholly bad, but parts of it are almost unbearable to play.
The base gameplay is actually pretty fun, but where the game suffers is through its mission structure, where if you want to unlock certain levels you have to defeat every single enemy of a certain type in the level. Missed one of them? Guess what, you have to replay the entire level again except it's totally empty and boring now until you find the single enemy you didn't kill. The level design is also pretty poor, with Mad Matrix and The Doom standing out as two of the most frustrating stages to play through, the latter taking me almost two hours to complete due how badly laid-out the level is combined with the fact that the game forces you to search every last corner of the map without giving you any indication of where you've been or where you need to go.
There's a lot of Sonic Team charm to it even amongst the gritty attempt at making a mature Sonic game, and there are certainly things I like about it (the soundtrack is arguably one of the best in the series), but overall, it's not very good.
The base gameplay is actually pretty fun, but where the game suffers is through its mission structure, where if you want to unlock certain levels you have to defeat every single enemy of a certain type in the level. Missed one of them? Guess what, you have to replay the entire level again except it's totally empty and boring now until you find the single enemy you didn't kill. The level design is also pretty poor, with Mad Matrix and The Doom standing out as two of the most frustrating stages to play through, the latter taking me almost two hours to complete due how badly laid-out the level is combined with the fact that the game forces you to search every last corner of the map without giving you any indication of where you've been or where you need to go.
There's a lot of Sonic Team charm to it even amongst the gritty attempt at making a mature Sonic game, and there are certainly things I like about it (the soundtrack is arguably one of the best in the series), but overall, it's not very good.
2016
Given the game's reputation, I went in expecting a mediocre game at best and a trainwreck at worst, but it's a surprisingly competent Mega Man-style platformer with some solid character design work and some neat details that I enjoyed.
I get where the backlash came from as the Kickstarter was sorely mishandled, but the game itself isn't bad. Dashing through the enemies and building up a chain of points is really fun, and the added touch of the bosses you previously beat helping you out in later levels is a really cool addition to the Mega Man formula.
I can see how it might have been a bit of a letdown if you donated to the Kickstarter and were expecting some massive, grandiose masterpiece given the amount of money it raised, but as it is, the game's fairly decent.
I get where the backlash came from as the Kickstarter was sorely mishandled, but the game itself isn't bad. Dashing through the enemies and building up a chain of points is really fun, and the added touch of the bosses you previously beat helping you out in later levels is a really cool addition to the Mega Man formula.
I can see how it might have been a bit of a letdown if you donated to the Kickstarter and were expecting some massive, grandiose masterpiece given the amount of money it raised, but as it is, the game's fairly decent.
Arguably the best Marvel game released in the past decade. Gameplay is really addicting and solid and kept me busy and invested more than any other game I had played at the time.
The visuals are almost exactly how a comic book game should look, standing out amongst a sea of uninspired superhero titles with bland visuals and dull designs like Marvel's Avengers and Injustice 2. The design work is extremely well-done and there are only a handful of designs in the game that I don't like.
Most of the issues I have with it can be chalked up to the current handling of the Marvel brand and certain characters as a whole, which aren't limited to this game alone. Also the Attilan chapter should be longer and I wish some of the NPCs like Vision, Ant-Man, and Valkyrie were playable.
The visuals are almost exactly how a comic book game should look, standing out amongst a sea of uninspired superhero titles with bland visuals and dull designs like Marvel's Avengers and Injustice 2. The design work is extremely well-done and there are only a handful of designs in the game that I don't like.
Most of the issues I have with it can be chalked up to the current handling of the Marvel brand and certain characters as a whole, which aren't limited to this game alone. Also the Attilan chapter should be longer and I wish some of the NPCs like Vision, Ant-Man, and Valkyrie were playable.
Fun and simple with a nice roster of characters.
2017
A pretty decent addition to the Sonic series.
The art direction is some of the best of the series, utilizing Lost World's style reminiscent of the Genesis games and mixing it with a bit more detail as seen in the previous 3D entries. The gameplay itself is pretty fun too, with Modern Sonic and the Avatar's levels both being fairly enjoyable to run through.
The only big issues I have with it are that the game (and levels) are too short overall and Classic Sonic's physics feel a bit off. Either way, a solid entry into the franchise, but I think it does show some of the weakness of the Boost formula as it just seems far too short and the level themes aren't as varied as I'd like.
Overall, not bad.
The art direction is some of the best of the series, utilizing Lost World's style reminiscent of the Genesis games and mixing it with a bit more detail as seen in the previous 3D entries. The gameplay itself is pretty fun too, with Modern Sonic and the Avatar's levels both being fairly enjoyable to run through.
The only big issues I have with it are that the game (and levels) are too short overall and Classic Sonic's physics feel a bit off. Either way, a solid entry into the franchise, but I think it does show some of the weakness of the Boost formula as it just seems far too short and the level themes aren't as varied as I'd like.
Overall, not bad.
2021
A really fun, whimsically charming platformer that's pretty much unlike anything else on the market right now.
It's got some jank to it and isn't perfect by any means, but it's the sort of game I love, an early 2000s-styled weird Japanese platformer, the type of which sadly doesn't get made nowadays.
The art and designs are great, and the game just oozes charm, arguably my favorite release this year on just sheer whimsy and charm alone. I had a blast with this game.
It's got some jank to it and isn't perfect by any means, but it's the sort of game I love, an early 2000s-styled weird Japanese platformer, the type of which sadly doesn't get made nowadays.
The art and designs are great, and the game just oozes charm, arguably my favorite release this year on just sheer whimsy and charm alone. I had a blast with this game.