CottonSwab
2017
1994
2011
2017
2022
1988
2006
2008
1994
This one was a bit disappointing, I was expecting a lot more, especially because the reboot games are so good.
EDIT: Let me go a bit more in-depth about why I think this game doesn't hold up too well. First off, the positives: the sound and graphics are stellar. By far one of the most impressive, ground-breaking, and breathtaking games ever released, both visually and audibly. The music is enchanting, the sound effects are satisfying and immersive, and the visuals look impossible for the system it was released on.
With that all being said, this game has some AWFUL level design at some points. The weird 2.5D aesthetic makes it really hard to tell where you're landing, which doesn't help when you're trying to make super precise inputs. There are also just a lot of cheap enemy placements that are difficult or sometimes impossible to see coming. It just feels unfair most of the time. This game is way easier than TF, but in that game it's always very clear what killed me, how it killed me, and what I should have done. It never feels unfair, it never feels stupid. This level design issue doesn't come up too much but it's often enough for me to not consider this game excellent by any means. It's good and absolutely still worth playing, but has been obliterated by its successors in nearly every way.
EDIT: Let me go a bit more in-depth about why I think this game doesn't hold up too well. First off, the positives: the sound and graphics are stellar. By far one of the most impressive, ground-breaking, and breathtaking games ever released, both visually and audibly. The music is enchanting, the sound effects are satisfying and immersive, and the visuals look impossible for the system it was released on.
With that all being said, this game has some AWFUL level design at some points. The weird 2.5D aesthetic makes it really hard to tell where you're landing, which doesn't help when you're trying to make super precise inputs. There are also just a lot of cheap enemy placements that are difficult or sometimes impossible to see coming. It just feels unfair most of the time. This game is way easier than TF, but in that game it's always very clear what killed me, how it killed me, and what I should have done. It never feels unfair, it never feels stupid. This level design issue doesn't come up too much but it's often enough for me to not consider this game excellent by any means. It's good and absolutely still worth playing, but has been obliterated by its successors in nearly every way.
2016