DoctorIssa
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Looks like this was just an excuse to fill out the DLC Kickstarter quota. It's a generic 2D twinstick platformer that has nothing to do with W101. No charm, nothing unique about or fun about it. Even the Captain Quark missions from Ratchet and Clank 3 has more charm and is way more fun than this. Quite disappointing because they could've used that stretch goal to add one more level to the actual main game rather than something an inexperienced dev can make in a month.
2010
After almost 15 years, Konami brought back one of their most underrated IPs, but killed it straight away. The latest and last Rocket Knight game in the series, this feels like more of a sequel to the really shitty Genesis version of Sparkster, rather than a successor to the masterpieces that were Rocket Knight Adventures, and Sparkster (SNES).
To be fair, Rocket Knight is not as bad as Sparkster (Genesis) as it has actual decent level design and the controls feel very tight. It's just that it's painfully mediocre when you compare it to RKA. There are basically zero setpieces that made the originals stand out- just levels that are somewhat enjoyable.
While the controls are tight, you don't get that cool Sonic like momentum that was present in RKA/Sparkster (SNES). Rather than having that cool charging rocket boost those games had, you have the unsatisfying boost on demand that the Genesis version of Sparkster had.
Bosses are just... meh. They used to be the most enjoyable aspect of these games but here, they just are too gimmicky and inconsistent with how they work.
It's just everything about this game feels stale and lacks any charm the previous games had. Something to do with this bland western artstyle it now has, going for a more Saturday morning cartoon look, which is not a bad artstyle to go for in general, but makes Rocket Knight look really ugly and generic compared to the gorgeous charming art of the previous.
It's sad that this is the last Rocket Knight we got. Hopefully the new collection that comes out re-sparks interest in the franchise and we get an actual good modern game this series deserves.
To be fair, Rocket Knight is not as bad as Sparkster (Genesis) as it has actual decent level design and the controls feel very tight. It's just that it's painfully mediocre when you compare it to RKA. There are basically zero setpieces that made the originals stand out- just levels that are somewhat enjoyable.
While the controls are tight, you don't get that cool Sonic like momentum that was present in RKA/Sparkster (SNES). Rather than having that cool charging rocket boost those games had, you have the unsatisfying boost on demand that the Genesis version of Sparkster had.
Bosses are just... meh. They used to be the most enjoyable aspect of these games but here, they just are too gimmicky and inconsistent with how they work.
It's just everything about this game feels stale and lacks any charm the previous games had. Something to do with this bland western artstyle it now has, going for a more Saturday morning cartoon look, which is not a bad artstyle to go for in general, but makes Rocket Knight look really ugly and generic compared to the gorgeous charming art of the previous.
It's sad that this is the last Rocket Knight we got. Hopefully the new collection that comes out re-sparks interest in the franchise and we get an actual good modern game this series deserves.
1997
Was really excited to get into Kirby's Dream Land 3 right after having played all the prior mainline Kirby titles, hearing a lot of praise for this one. Unfortunately it didn't hit as well for me as it did for others.
Right off the bat just after having played Kirby Super Star, you immediately feel how sluggish and unresponsive Kirby controls in this title, compared to it's other SNES counterpart. With an open mind, I didn't immediately let this sour my taste as I took in the factor that this could just be a slower paced Kirby by design. Eventually though, I really did not like how Kirby controlled and that is a huge minus for me considering KBL2 on the Game Boy controlled better than this.
The game is basically an evolution of KBL2 in both title and design. Everything introduced in KDL2 is brough back and expanded upon, from the same copy ability convention, to the mix and matching with the animal buddies. But is slightly more copy abilities as well as new animal buddies introduced, allowing for much more mix and matching abilities. Initially, I gave this system a pass in KBL2, but did not enjoy it as much in KBL3 due to how sluggish and underpowered all the mixed copy abilities felt in this game. Most of the time you're better off just as Kirby by himself as it feels like the copy abilities are the most effective solo.
Now comes the biggest flaw that really brings this game down for me, the level design. If you want to really enjoy KDR3, you have to go for the 100% completion. All levels have an "optional" mission that grant you a star at the end if you fulfil it's requirements. Unfortunately, to me, fulfilling those requirements are not fun due to the fact that if you miss something while playing a level, most of time you have to restart it. Another big issue with this is that the game does not tell you what the requirement is, so if you're not using the internet or a guide, you'll need to constantly retry the level to figure out what the mission requirement is.
If you try to play the game without doing these optional missions, like I initially did, every level is a boring barren wasteland. Just a left to right stretch from point A to B with a few blocks an enemies in between, but no proper design. I gave KDL2 some slack for not having as good level design as KDL1, but the level design in this game makes KDL2 levels look great by comparison. So yeah, the levels are designed around these optional missions, otherwise you won't have as much fun.
The best thing about KDL3 is the artstyle and soundtrack. This one of the most beautiful looking games on the SNES, making the crayon looking world KDL2 on the Gameboy come to it's full realization on console. These don't look like sprites, they look like actual hand drawn images.
Although the general consensus of this game is very positive, I think this is probably my least favorite mainline Kirby game that I've played. I'm glad the future titles went more for the Super Star route than it did the Dream Land route.
Right off the bat just after having played Kirby Super Star, you immediately feel how sluggish and unresponsive Kirby controls in this title, compared to it's other SNES counterpart. With an open mind, I didn't immediately let this sour my taste as I took in the factor that this could just be a slower paced Kirby by design. Eventually though, I really did not like how Kirby controlled and that is a huge minus for me considering KBL2 on the Game Boy controlled better than this.
The game is basically an evolution of KBL2 in both title and design. Everything introduced in KDL2 is brough back and expanded upon, from the same copy ability convention, to the mix and matching with the animal buddies. But is slightly more copy abilities as well as new animal buddies introduced, allowing for much more mix and matching abilities. Initially, I gave this system a pass in KBL2, but did not enjoy it as much in KBL3 due to how sluggish and underpowered all the mixed copy abilities felt in this game. Most of the time you're better off just as Kirby by himself as it feels like the copy abilities are the most effective solo.
Now comes the biggest flaw that really brings this game down for me, the level design. If you want to really enjoy KDR3, you have to go for the 100% completion. All levels have an "optional" mission that grant you a star at the end if you fulfil it's requirements. Unfortunately, to me, fulfilling those requirements are not fun due to the fact that if you miss something while playing a level, most of time you have to restart it. Another big issue with this is that the game does not tell you what the requirement is, so if you're not using the internet or a guide, you'll need to constantly retry the level to figure out what the mission requirement is.
If you try to play the game without doing these optional missions, like I initially did, every level is a boring barren wasteland. Just a left to right stretch from point A to B with a few blocks an enemies in between, but no proper design. I gave KDL2 some slack for not having as good level design as KDL1, but the level design in this game makes KDL2 levels look great by comparison. So yeah, the levels are designed around these optional missions, otherwise you won't have as much fun.
The best thing about KDL3 is the artstyle and soundtrack. This one of the most beautiful looking games on the SNES, making the crayon looking world KDL2 on the Gameboy come to it's full realization on console. These don't look like sprites, they look like actual hand drawn images.
Although the general consensus of this game is very positive, I think this is probably my least favorite mainline Kirby game that I've played. I'm glad the future titles went more for the Super Star route than it did the Dream Land route.
This is THE quintessential Kirby game. If someone wants to try just a single Kirby game, you point to this one. Everything that pretty much becomes a mainstay in the franchise most likely stems from this one.
It just plays so well. The difficulty is JUST right and there is the added bonus of drop in Coop. Almost every copy ability is satisfying to use and the artstyle is gorgeous. Level design is some of the best in all of Kirby.
I love how levels are presented as "episodes" each with their own gimmick. Like the the tutorial episode is called Spring Breeze, which is a modern homage to Kirby's Dream Land. Then you have a more traditional Kirby episode like Dynablade. Then the Great Cave Offensive episode which is exploration based, encouraging you to find all treasures before completing the level. My personal favorite is Milky Way Wishes which kind of plays like a Kirby metroidvania that has you exploring planets to find copy abilities as permanent upgrades. All of these episodes hit and absolutely do not miss. It also has the benefit of keeping the game feel fresh all the way through.
The original Super Star is a 9/10 (4.5 stars) as it was almost perfect, but just fell short of having enough content to completely satisfy me. With Kirby Super Star Ultra, it not only comes with better QoL features and visuals, but you have FOUR extra hard hard mode episodes - which easily elevates this game to a perfect score. Having a nice extra CHALLENGING post game with cool unlockables after beating the main game gives Super Star so much more life and is the definitive way to experience this game.
It just plays so well. The difficulty is JUST right and there is the added bonus of drop in Coop. Almost every copy ability is satisfying to use and the artstyle is gorgeous. Level design is some of the best in all of Kirby.
I love how levels are presented as "episodes" each with their own gimmick. Like the the tutorial episode is called Spring Breeze, which is a modern homage to Kirby's Dream Land. Then you have a more traditional Kirby episode like Dynablade. Then the Great Cave Offensive episode which is exploration based, encouraging you to find all treasures before completing the level. My personal favorite is Milky Way Wishes which kind of plays like a Kirby metroidvania that has you exploring planets to find copy abilities as permanent upgrades. All of these episodes hit and absolutely do not miss. It also has the benefit of keeping the game feel fresh all the way through.
The original Super Star is a 9/10 (4.5 stars) as it was almost perfect, but just fell short of having enough content to completely satisfy me. With Kirby Super Star Ultra, it not only comes with better QoL features and visuals, but you have FOUR extra hard hard mode episodes - which easily elevates this game to a perfect score. Having a nice extra CHALLENGING post game with cool unlockables after beating the main game gives Super Star so much more life and is the definitive way to experience this game.
2013
Is it Platinum game to end all Platinum games? A lot of people think so depending on who you ask. The Wonderful 101 feels like a celebration of Platinum games (incl. Clover) as a studio, as well as a homage to all the mechanics that made them who they are today.
The artstyle/writing of Viewtiful Joe. The crazy fast-paced + witch time combo based combat system of Bayonetta. The insane setpieces of Metal Gear Rising. The drawing system taken straight out of Okami. The skill ceiling of God Hand. The almost endless replayability of like 90% of their games. Platinum really looked at some of the best concepts in their previous games and decided to put it all into one wonderful game. And rather than being a mess of ideas, everything works perfectly together to make something beautiful.
In the past, I've always shrugged off W101 because it looked like some kind of Pikmin clone with some action mechanics. However after recently playing some Platinum titles such as God Hand and Bayo 3, I was in the mood to give W101 a try. It shocked me to find that W101 is a game that has everything I love about Platinum titles and more, and not some kind of Pikmin clone (lmao what was I thinking).
It is an action game, but also a puzzle of some sorts. The action is what you expect from Platinum titles. Good quality satisfying punchy fast paced combat, and it is done well here like any other Platinum title. It is balanced well in both offence and defence, and if you are playing anything above Normal mode, you can win by just being offensive. The puzzle aspect of the game is actually also in the combat. In order to change weapons, you need to draw (Okami Style) the weapon formation. e.g. for the fist weapon, using the right analog stick, you draw a ciricle, or for a sword you draw a straight line. You get a whole different weapons to choose from so drawing the formation is part of the charm. Each enemy has certain weapons as weaknesses you'll need to use in order to destroy them. You can't just go around using your fist or blade weapon destroying everything in your path, you need to actually think about what you need to do, making this my favorite Platinum combat system. It is a great balance of need good action game skills, but also being clever with how you need to exploit enemy weaknesses. I could play so many games with this sort of combat system, it is seriously so good.
Everything else in the game is just a solid 10/10 from the story to writing to level design and set pieces. Some of the most insane moments I've ever seen in gaming is in this game. Like some serious Asuras Wrath shit. It isn't deep or thoughtful in the sense that most games try to be, the deepness is all in the gameplay - and I love it for that. The game knows it's nothing but absolutely fun and prides itself with that. This is an insane video game, and does the type of shit that can only be accomplished in this medium. This is what I play videogames for.
The artstyle/writing of Viewtiful Joe. The crazy fast-paced + witch time combo based combat system of Bayonetta. The insane setpieces of Metal Gear Rising. The drawing system taken straight out of Okami. The skill ceiling of God Hand. The almost endless replayability of like 90% of their games. Platinum really looked at some of the best concepts in their previous games and decided to put it all into one wonderful game. And rather than being a mess of ideas, everything works perfectly together to make something beautiful.
In the past, I've always shrugged off W101 because it looked like some kind of Pikmin clone with some action mechanics. However after recently playing some Platinum titles such as God Hand and Bayo 3, I was in the mood to give W101 a try. It shocked me to find that W101 is a game that has everything I love about Platinum titles and more, and not some kind of Pikmin clone (lmao what was I thinking).
It is an action game, but also a puzzle of some sorts. The action is what you expect from Platinum titles. Good quality satisfying punchy fast paced combat, and it is done well here like any other Platinum title. It is balanced well in both offence and defence, and if you are playing anything above Normal mode, you can win by just being offensive. The puzzle aspect of the game is actually also in the combat. In order to change weapons, you need to draw (Okami Style) the weapon formation. e.g. for the fist weapon, using the right analog stick, you draw a ciricle, or for a sword you draw a straight line. You get a whole different weapons to choose from so drawing the formation is part of the charm. Each enemy has certain weapons as weaknesses you'll need to use in order to destroy them. You can't just go around using your fist or blade weapon destroying everything in your path, you need to actually think about what you need to do, making this my favorite Platinum combat system. It is a great balance of need good action game skills, but also being clever with how you need to exploit enemy weaknesses. I could play so many games with this sort of combat system, it is seriously so good.
Everything else in the game is just a solid 10/10 from the story to writing to level design and set pieces. Some of the most insane moments I've ever seen in gaming is in this game. Like some serious Asuras Wrath shit. It isn't deep or thoughtful in the sense that most games try to be, the deepness is all in the gameplay - and I love it for that. The game knows it's nothing but absolutely fun and prides itself with that. This is an insane video game, and does the type of shit that can only be accomplished in this medium. This is what I play videogames for.
1995
Kirby's Dream Land 2 feels like an alternate universe of what Kirby's Adventure is, taking a direction of a more crayon/drawing inspired world rather than the cartoon/anime inspired world of Kirby's Adventure.
Coming back to the gameboy, KDL2 takes the idea of copy abilities from it's console counterpart KA but gives it it's own unique spin. In the wake of having much less abilities than KA, we have the introduction of Kirby's animal buddies which kind of act like a Super Mario powerup. The key difference here is that that copy abilities Kirby gets are now modified with the animal buddy you have equipped. e.g. if you have the hamster buddy and the spark ability, it turns the ability into a fusion of spark and beam from KA. This is a really cool idea, and mixing and matching powers with animal buddies to see what you get is fun. But at the end of the day, I still prefer to pick and choose exactly what copy ability I want, rather than having to find the right animal buddy to get it.
The game is still so much fun just like it's previous counterparts, however I felt somehow the level design wasn't as strong. Like it was designed by a more inexperienced team (maybe this is the case). Especially towards the end where there were some buillshit sections. Even some of the bosses are the weakest in the series so far. To be fair though, for a Kirby game it was pretty challenging, but not for the best reasons.
Cool ideas held back by some questionable level design decisions and bossfights. I feel like this is the only Kirby game I've played so far that I've still enjoyed, but don't feel the need to ever replay it.
Coming back to the gameboy, KDL2 takes the idea of copy abilities from it's console counterpart KA but gives it it's own unique spin. In the wake of having much less abilities than KA, we have the introduction of Kirby's animal buddies which kind of act like a Super Mario powerup. The key difference here is that that copy abilities Kirby gets are now modified with the animal buddy you have equipped. e.g. if you have the hamster buddy and the spark ability, it turns the ability into a fusion of spark and beam from KA. This is a really cool idea, and mixing and matching powers with animal buddies to see what you get is fun. But at the end of the day, I still prefer to pick and choose exactly what copy ability I want, rather than having to find the right animal buddy to get it.
The game is still so much fun just like it's previous counterparts, however I felt somehow the level design wasn't as strong. Like it was designed by a more inexperienced team (maybe this is the case). Especially towards the end where there were some buillshit sections. Even some of the bosses are the weakest in the series so far. To be fair though, for a Kirby game it was pretty challenging, but not for the best reasons.
Cool ideas held back by some questionable level design decisions and bossfights. I feel like this is the only Kirby game I've played so far that I've still enjoyed, but don't feel the need to ever replay it.
Review applies to both this game and Kirby's adventure which this is a remake of. This is an extremely solid follow-up to Kirby's Dream Land. Taking everything that already works from the first game and giving Kirby the new iconic copy ability that changes everything, and makes Kirby who he is today.
A great platformer with a relaxed but fun difficulty. Kirby's (Adventure) knightmare in dreamland keeps you on your toes offering you new copy abilities to play with until the final levels. Copy abilities offer some good replayability due to the fact that it offers you mutliple ways to play.
Nothing here reaches the heights some other parts of the series do, but it is consistently good the whole way through. I like to consider Kirby's Adventure the original Super Mario Bros of the franchise where it is a great foundation to the rest of the series, but still has potential to reach the great heights it eventually does.
A great platformer with a relaxed but fun difficulty. Kirby's (Adventure) knightmare in dreamland keeps you on your toes offering you new copy abilities to play with until the final levels. Copy abilities offer some good replayability due to the fact that it offers you mutliple ways to play.
Nothing here reaches the heights some other parts of the series do, but it is consistently good the whole way through. I like to consider Kirby's Adventure the original Super Mario Bros of the franchise where it is a great foundation to the rest of the series, but still has potential to reach the great heights it eventually does.
2022
It's a fairly simple Star Fox clone that feels uninspired, but is serviceable. Feels more like an alpha proof of concept more than anything. If you want a really good indie Star Fox clone, go play Ex-Zodiac.
Goddamn I have never felt like an absolute APE banging on drums like a bloody raged gorilla. This brought out an inner PRIMEPAE dormant within my soul. One of the best stress relieving games I have played.
DKJB is definitely one of those games you NEED the bongo peripheral is was made for. The option to play with a controller is there, but you'd be absolutely robbing yourself of one of the most amazing experiences on the gamecube. Or at least, try to find way to play the wii motion control version, even if you are playing on an emulator, please hook up some sort of motion control gimmick to make this game what it's worth.
It is a platfomer that is controlled by banging the bongos. Bang the left bongo, go left. Bang the right bongo, go right. Bang both at the same time and you do a jump. Clap to grab and punch things. Simple and it works because it's so satisfying when translated to gameplay.
There are 32 very fun levels that have you running, sliding, bouncing and swinging all around while keeping combos up. The name of the game is to collect as many bananas as you can till you get to the end of the level. The more combos you keep up by not touching the ground, the more bananas collected will multiply. The more bananas you have collected, the more health you will have when facing the boss at the end of the level. A really good system that rewards you with medals depending on the amount of bananas you have, thus creating a great replayable game.
One of my favorite things about this game is fighting all the enemies, especially the big one. Every enemy you defeat feels so goddamn satisfying as you grab, throw or pound the fuck out of them. ESPECIALLY the bosses as when you stun them, you get to go all in 1000 punches first of the north star style, and the faster you bang those bongos, the faster DK will beat the shit out of the fuck. And it feels SOOOO goddamn good.
This is truly one of the most unique games I have played, and offers a great experience you can't get anywhere else. This deserves some kind of port on the switch so people can play with the joycons with that HD rumble doing it justice.
DKJB is definitely one of those games you NEED the bongo peripheral is was made for. The option to play with a controller is there, but you'd be absolutely robbing yourself of one of the most amazing experiences on the gamecube. Or at least, try to find way to play the wii motion control version, even if you are playing on an emulator, please hook up some sort of motion control gimmick to make this game what it's worth.
It is a platfomer that is controlled by banging the bongos. Bang the left bongo, go left. Bang the right bongo, go right. Bang both at the same time and you do a jump. Clap to grab and punch things. Simple and it works because it's so satisfying when translated to gameplay.
There are 32 very fun levels that have you running, sliding, bouncing and swinging all around while keeping combos up. The name of the game is to collect as many bananas as you can till you get to the end of the level. The more combos you keep up by not touching the ground, the more bananas collected will multiply. The more bananas you have collected, the more health you will have when facing the boss at the end of the level. A really good system that rewards you with medals depending on the amount of bananas you have, thus creating a great replayable game.
One of my favorite things about this game is fighting all the enemies, especially the big one. Every enemy you defeat feels so goddamn satisfying as you grab, throw or pound the fuck out of them. ESPECIALLY the bosses as when you stun them, you get to go all in 1000 punches first of the north star style, and the faster you bang those bongos, the faster DK will beat the shit out of the fuck. And it feels SOOOO goddamn good.
This is truly one of the most unique games I have played, and offers a great experience you can't get anywhere else. This deserves some kind of port on the switch so people can play with the joycons with that HD rumble doing it justice.
1992
Just pure, simple good fun shit. I beat this for the first time while sitting on the toilet in about 30 mins (in one sitting) .
Being the first Kirby game and being the only mainline game without his iconic copy ability, it essentially feels like a Kirby's Adventure beta. Yet despite not having his copy ability, it's still a lot of fun to play through and makes bosses actually have some challenge and methodology as you need to wait for opportunities to attack, as opposed to spamming your best copy attacks. It makes me want to do no-copy runs of other Kirby games for that same challenge.
Good shit. Simple shit. Fun shit. Has aged gracefully and is still an excellent 2D platformer.
Being the first Kirby game and being the only mainline game without his iconic copy ability, it essentially feels like a Kirby's Adventure beta. Yet despite not having his copy ability, it's still a lot of fun to play through and makes bosses actually have some challenge and methodology as you need to wait for opportunities to attack, as opposed to spamming your best copy attacks. It makes me want to do no-copy runs of other Kirby games for that same challenge.
Good shit. Simple shit. Fun shit. Has aged gracefully and is still an excellent 2D platformer.
1994
NOTE: This is a review of the SNES version of the game which is a completely different game from the Genesis version (and much better quite frankly).
Jumping into this right after playing the atrocity that was the Genesis version of Sparkster was the most liberating feeling. This is exactly the true sequel Rocket Knight adventures deserves.
Everything we loved about RKA adventures and more is here. The controls, the graphics, the gameplay. It all feels like an enhanced version of RKA. There is also a cool new air spin move which allows you to cancel rocket boosts at any time, which in turn allows you to go crazy.
The big new difference between Sparkster (SNES) and RKA besides the console obviously is the level design. RKA had great setpieces and bossfights, but the level design was fine. In Sparkster, the level design is more thought and fun, with the compromise that there are less setpieces than RKA. It's not an improvement or a setback, it's more of a give an take sort of thing. I would've loved seeing more setpieces though.
The bosses are still the best part of this series and Sparkster (SNES) delivers on that front. Overall a good time and in my opinion a great and improved sequel to Rocket Knight Adventures.
If you loved the original RKA, you will definitely love Sparker for the SNES as it feels like a proper continuation and extension of the original.
This is straight up one of the best games on the SNES, so if you are a retro gaming fan and haven't played RKA (Genesis) and Sparkster (SNES), you are doing yourself a disservice by not trying these out.
Jumping into this right after playing the atrocity that was the Genesis version of Sparkster was the most liberating feeling. This is exactly the true sequel Rocket Knight adventures deserves.
Everything we loved about RKA adventures and more is here. The controls, the graphics, the gameplay. It all feels like an enhanced version of RKA. There is also a cool new air spin move which allows you to cancel rocket boosts at any time, which in turn allows you to go crazy.
The big new difference between Sparkster (SNES) and RKA besides the console obviously is the level design. RKA had great setpieces and bossfights, but the level design was fine. In Sparkster, the level design is more thought and fun, with the compromise that there are less setpieces than RKA. It's not an improvement or a setback, it's more of a give an take sort of thing. I would've loved seeing more setpieces though.
The bosses are still the best part of this series and Sparkster (SNES) delivers on that front. Overall a good time and in my opinion a great and improved sequel to Rocket Knight Adventures.
If you loved the original RKA, you will definitely love Sparker for the SNES as it feels like a proper continuation and extension of the original.
This is straight up one of the best games on the SNES, so if you are a retro gaming fan and haven't played RKA (Genesis) and Sparkster (SNES), you are doing yourself a disservice by not trying these out.
NOTE: This is a review of the Genesis version of the game, which is a completely different game from the SNES version, which I will review next.
Going from playing Rocket Knight Adventures to this feels like a complete downgrade. The game looks like a Java mobile port of the original and plays so stiffly compared to the smooth Donkey-kong country-like RKA.
The boost attack, which was the main selling point of the original, feels really weak and inconsistent. In the original, most enemies would die to it in one hit. Here you just bounce off most enemies, which makes you not want to use it. Even when you try to use it for platforming, it is quite horrible as sometimes you will bounce off surfaces and other times you won't. Having your main mechanic be inconsistent like this is not good.
Levels are just bad. No proper design, just go from left to right while shit is thrown at you. The last couple of levels were abysmal and soured my taste even further. Cool setpieces the original were known for are drastically reduced. The robot boxing match setpiece played worse than the original and every other setpiece included is not fun at all.
I don't know how the visuals were messed up this badly. RKA was one of the BEST looking games on the Genesis. Here it looks like a megadrive launch title. It's seriously off putting if you're playing this right after RKA.
If you liked the original RKA and wanted a sequel, please skip the Genesis version of Sparkster and go play the SNES version that actually feels like a sequel.
Going from playing Rocket Knight Adventures to this feels like a complete downgrade. The game looks like a Java mobile port of the original and plays so stiffly compared to the smooth Donkey-kong country-like RKA.
The boost attack, which was the main selling point of the original, feels really weak and inconsistent. In the original, most enemies would die to it in one hit. Here you just bounce off most enemies, which makes you not want to use it. Even when you try to use it for platforming, it is quite horrible as sometimes you will bounce off surfaces and other times you won't. Having your main mechanic be inconsistent like this is not good.
Levels are just bad. No proper design, just go from left to right while shit is thrown at you. The last couple of levels were abysmal and soured my taste even further. Cool setpieces the original were known for are drastically reduced. The robot boxing match setpiece played worse than the original and every other setpiece included is not fun at all.
I don't know how the visuals were messed up this badly. RKA was one of the BEST looking games on the Genesis. Here it looks like a megadrive launch title. It's seriously off putting if you're playing this right after RKA.
If you liked the original RKA and wanted a sequel, please skip the Genesis version of Sparkster and go play the SNES version that actually feels like a sequel.
Another Crab's Treasure's existence is phenomenal to me. I love soulslikes so much, but also many platformers are some of my favorite games of all time. The marriage of the two genres is not something I thought I'd ever see, but here we are.
To get it out of the way, this game is closer to Sekiro more than anything. You only have one main weapon and you are forced to master it or you won't get very far (like Sekiro), however you are given many tools to also assist you alongside your main weapon (also like Sekiro) via the shell system.
The gameplay is done very well, it's super responsive and I never had any issues with the controls itself, besides some camera struggles at rare times.
The shell system is the main mechanic that differentiates the combat from souls/sekiro. There are many different shells you can find lying around the levels and they essentially act like shields that you can pick up and swap out. All shells have different properties like weight, defense and ability. The weight determines whether you are fatrolling or not, defense is defense, and ability is the thing you want to look out for the most. Each shell has a unique ability that can turn the tides of battle. There are so many abilities that they can range from simply healing you, or buffing your stats, to things like shooting magic or freezing everything around you. There is no 'best' shell here. You want to play around as some shells can benefit you more than others depending on the area you or are in or the boss you are fighting. I love this system and trying to find every new shell and seeing what they do kept the shell system very exciting all the way till the very end.
The glaring difference between this and souls games is the setting, and artstyle. We are so used to having realistic dead dark horror fantasy worlds as the backdrop for these types of games, but here we have something that feels more like a Saturday morning cartoon, and it is a very refreshing deviation to the typical backdrop of the genre.
The setting allows this game to also be a platformer at the same time, which is done very well here. Jumps cam easily be controlled through the air as you are given moves and tools to help your air control, including grappling hooks. Obviously it's no Mario Odyessy, but for a game that nails combat, it also surprisingly nails platforming too. Usually it's one or the other, and not both.
The difficulty is what you expect from a soulslike. It's not Sekrio hard, but it's not a walk in the park either. Each boss challenged me fairly and each took me a few tries, always feeling that the deaths were on me. Like Elden Ring though, if you do your fair share of exploring optional areas, you can find some stuff that can break bosses and trivialize the difficulty.
Exploration is close to Dark Souls 1 and Sekiro where levels are quite linear with branching paths with a lot of collectables that can greatly help you on your journey if you explore each area to the fullest. Exploring in ACT is even more fun than it is in other souls games as there is the requirement of having to platform around. As previously mentioned there are also some optional areas you can go to to get some great abilities and upgrades.
Unlike From's games, there is a lot of dialouge and cutscenes. The writing is the typical in your face humor that you'd see in something like a saturday morning cartoon, where they replace swears with puns like "shuck off". It's pretty funny and there is a decent story here, but it's nothing too deep and the game knows to not take itself too seriously either. There are some seriously funny moments though I will say, the devs got some good sense of humor.
Playing this at launch, it's not the most polished game, but it feels up to the standard that most AA games should feel. I know the team are very dedicated to supplying the game with post launch updates very frequently so we'll just have to see how much it improves from here.
There was still a bit to be desired. The game can be completed in about 18 hours, and 100%ed in 22 hours, which is 10 hours too short of what a souls game should be. It could have used one or two more areas to feel more like a fuller game. I'm still happy with all the content and I just enjoyed the game so much I wish there was more.
Aggro Crab has created something that could be a flagship franchise. There is some room for improvement and if there is work on a sequel, there is potential for one of the best soulslikes of all time. They have something good in their hands and they just need to keep the momentum going.
I highly recommend you give this at least a try if you are a fan of soulslikes, or want to get into the genre of soulslikes and want a solid place to start. Great game, loved every second of it - just wished there was more of it.
To get it out of the way, this game is closer to Sekiro more than anything. You only have one main weapon and you are forced to master it or you won't get very far (like Sekiro), however you are given many tools to also assist you alongside your main weapon (also like Sekiro) via the shell system.
The gameplay is done very well, it's super responsive and I never had any issues with the controls itself, besides some camera struggles at rare times.
The shell system is the main mechanic that differentiates the combat from souls/sekiro. There are many different shells you can find lying around the levels and they essentially act like shields that you can pick up and swap out. All shells have different properties like weight, defense and ability. The weight determines whether you are fatrolling or not, defense is defense, and ability is the thing you want to look out for the most. Each shell has a unique ability that can turn the tides of battle. There are so many abilities that they can range from simply healing you, or buffing your stats, to things like shooting magic or freezing everything around you. There is no 'best' shell here. You want to play around as some shells can benefit you more than others depending on the area you or are in or the boss you are fighting. I love this system and trying to find every new shell and seeing what they do kept the shell system very exciting all the way till the very end.
The glaring difference between this and souls games is the setting, and artstyle. We are so used to having realistic dead dark horror fantasy worlds as the backdrop for these types of games, but here we have something that feels more like a Saturday morning cartoon, and it is a very refreshing deviation to the typical backdrop of the genre.
The setting allows this game to also be a platformer at the same time, which is done very well here. Jumps cam easily be controlled through the air as you are given moves and tools to help your air control, including grappling hooks. Obviously it's no Mario Odyessy, but for a game that nails combat, it also surprisingly nails platforming too. Usually it's one or the other, and not both.
The difficulty is what you expect from a soulslike. It's not Sekrio hard, but it's not a walk in the park either. Each boss challenged me fairly and each took me a few tries, always feeling that the deaths were on me. Like Elden Ring though, if you do your fair share of exploring optional areas, you can find some stuff that can break bosses and trivialize the difficulty.
Exploration is close to Dark Souls 1 and Sekiro where levels are quite linear with branching paths with a lot of collectables that can greatly help you on your journey if you explore each area to the fullest. Exploring in ACT is even more fun than it is in other souls games as there is the requirement of having to platform around. As previously mentioned there are also some optional areas you can go to to get some great abilities and upgrades.
Unlike From's games, there is a lot of dialouge and cutscenes. The writing is the typical in your face humor that you'd see in something like a saturday morning cartoon, where they replace swears with puns like "shuck off". It's pretty funny and there is a decent story here, but it's nothing too deep and the game knows to not take itself too seriously either. There are some seriously funny moments though I will say, the devs got some good sense of humor.
Playing this at launch, it's not the most polished game, but it feels up to the standard that most AA games should feel. I know the team are very dedicated to supplying the game with post launch updates very frequently so we'll just have to see how much it improves from here.
There was still a bit to be desired. The game can be completed in about 18 hours, and 100%ed in 22 hours, which is 10 hours too short of what a souls game should be. It could have used one or two more areas to feel more like a fuller game. I'm still happy with all the content and I just enjoyed the game so much I wish there was more.
Aggro Crab has created something that could be a flagship franchise. There is some room for improvement and if there is work on a sequel, there is potential for one of the best soulslikes of all time. They have something good in their hands and they just need to keep the momentum going.
I highly recommend you give this at least a try if you are a fan of soulslikes, or want to get into the genre of soulslikes and want a solid place to start. Great game, loved every second of it - just wished there was more of it.
One of the more under-appreciated mascots of the 16-bit era. Rocket Knight Adventures feels like it was crafted with love, being one of the best looking games on the Sega Genesis.
An action platformer with a rocket boost mechanic, the game feels like Donkey Kong Country with the ability to shoot out of a blast barrel at will. Absolutely satisfying gameplay and Konami knocked it out of the park on their first try.
Difficulty is hard but fair. If you play with unlimited continues, the challenge level is somewhere around the challenge of a souls game, maybe a little easier. Bosses are easily the best part of the game.
I remember being super impressed by all the setpieces in this game, and now having finished the game, the setpieces absolutely do not slow down until the credits roll. Quite impressive again for a Genesis tile. Pls bring this boy back Konami.
An action platformer with a rocket boost mechanic, the game feels like Donkey Kong Country with the ability to shoot out of a blast barrel at will. Absolutely satisfying gameplay and Konami knocked it out of the park on their first try.
Difficulty is hard but fair. If you play with unlimited continues, the challenge level is somewhere around the challenge of a souls game, maybe a little easier. Bosses are easily the best part of the game.
I remember being super impressed by all the setpieces in this game, and now having finished the game, the setpieces absolutely do not slow down until the credits roll. Quite impressive again for a Genesis tile. Pls bring this boy back Konami.
Hearing that Penny's Big Breakaway were the Sonic Mania dev's take on a 3D platformer had me having a keen interest for a while. Evening Star prove they don't need to ride the coattails of a big IP to produce a banger.
The game is mostly comparable to Super Mario 3D world offering a linear fixed camera level layout with optional objectives and collectables found along levels. The gameplay is something of a mix between Mario Odyssey and Sonic, with Penny's Yoyo feeling like Cappy with the throw/swing/bounce combos you can do with it, and rolling on the yoyo feeling like Sonic in ball form. It takes a bit of time to get used to, but once you get the hang of it, it feels very free-flowy.
While I did enjoy the gameplay, it felt like it was missing something. Like it kinda felt sluggish a lot of times. The physics feel a bit too tight and could have benefited from loosening up a bit, embracing the looseness of Sonic Adventure and Mario 64, but the physics feel closer to Mario Galaxy. It hindered my enjoyment a bit when I wanted to zip through levels just to get a collectable I missed, but was hit with sort of a speed limit.
The visuals are amazing. I love the pastel Sega Saturn inspired worlds, and you can tell this was originally going to be some sort of classic Sonic inspired game before they made it into their own thing.
The music is mostly meh with some standout tracks.
There is a good amount of content here for a 3D platformer, and you will be spending a good chunk of time in this game if you intend to go for the 100%, which is the recommended way to play this game.
The most enjoyable part for me were the special levels which felt like Mario Sunshines secret levels. Here the gameplay shined the most to me, where it was still doable but a bit challenging, whereas standard levels were a bit too open and bit on the easy side. I think Penny's Big Breakaway would benefit more from having linear challenge based levels like Crash bandicoot, based on my enjoyment of the special levels.
Great game with a lot of potential, will be keeping my eye on more games by Evening Star knowing they have the dog in them to deliver us a 5 star platformer one day.
The game is mostly comparable to Super Mario 3D world offering a linear fixed camera level layout with optional objectives and collectables found along levels. The gameplay is something of a mix between Mario Odyssey and Sonic, with Penny's Yoyo feeling like Cappy with the throw/swing/bounce combos you can do with it, and rolling on the yoyo feeling like Sonic in ball form. It takes a bit of time to get used to, but once you get the hang of it, it feels very free-flowy.
While I did enjoy the gameplay, it felt like it was missing something. Like it kinda felt sluggish a lot of times. The physics feel a bit too tight and could have benefited from loosening up a bit, embracing the looseness of Sonic Adventure and Mario 64, but the physics feel closer to Mario Galaxy. It hindered my enjoyment a bit when I wanted to zip through levels just to get a collectable I missed, but was hit with sort of a speed limit.
The visuals are amazing. I love the pastel Sega Saturn inspired worlds, and you can tell this was originally going to be some sort of classic Sonic inspired game before they made it into their own thing.
The music is mostly meh with some standout tracks.
There is a good amount of content here for a 3D platformer, and you will be spending a good chunk of time in this game if you intend to go for the 100%, which is the recommended way to play this game.
The most enjoyable part for me were the special levels which felt like Mario Sunshines secret levels. Here the gameplay shined the most to me, where it was still doable but a bit challenging, whereas standard levels were a bit too open and bit on the easy side. I think Penny's Big Breakaway would benefit more from having linear challenge based levels like Crash bandicoot, based on my enjoyment of the special levels.
Great game with a lot of potential, will be keeping my eye on more games by Evening Star knowing they have the dog in them to deliver us a 5 star platformer one day.