ElectroBiscuit
This game is... not awful! I expected this to be the worst of all the Metroid games (except for maybe NEStroid) but with the help of the colorization ROM hack and a map it ended up being surprisingly decent.
The music (or lack thereof) helped add to the atmosphere of the areas, and the super-cramped screen made it pretty tense when you were exploring with the possibility of a Metroid suddenly appearing at any moment. This definitely isn't a traditional Metroid, though, as there is zero backtracking whatsoever. However, I think the overall difference in its formula makes it that much more charming!
As someone who's played through AM2R and Samus Returns I like to see how differently they interpreted this game. AM2R is very faithful to the original, while Samus Returns takes the ideas and makes it into its own thing.
If you're a big Metroid fan I'd suggest giving this game a play, ESPECIALLY with the colorization ROM hack.
The music (or lack thereof) helped add to the atmosphere of the areas, and the super-cramped screen made it pretty tense when you were exploring with the possibility of a Metroid suddenly appearing at any moment. This definitely isn't a traditional Metroid, though, as there is zero backtracking whatsoever. However, I think the overall difference in its formula makes it that much more charming!
As someone who's played through AM2R and Samus Returns I like to see how differently they interpreted this game. AM2R is very faithful to the original, while Samus Returns takes the ideas and makes it into its own thing.
If you're a big Metroid fan I'd suggest giving this game a play, ESPECIALLY with the colorization ROM hack.
1986
I played this as a part of my Classicvania journey and, all said and done, it's not bad! One of the better NES games that I've played and has aged pretty well. Although the difficulty kind of gets unfair eventually, the first few stages are a good time.
While I wasn't too impressed with Castlevania III on my first run through, I had the sudden urge to replay it this week. This time, I played the Japanese version, which features a plethora of small little difficulty tweaks and other changes, alongside an improved soundtrack, and it changed my opinion of this game A LOT. This might be my new favorite Classicvania, with how much it improves on the formula of the first game.
A lot of the bullshit difficulty in the international release isn't found in the Famicom version, which makes for a much more pleasant experience. You can typically survive one or two more hits on later levels, one of the sub-characters has infinite ranged daggers, Dracula's final phase isn't stupidly difficult, and dying to Dracula sends you back to the beginning of the stairs leading up to the boss fight instead of in the middle of the level. Whether it be the game's lesser (but still quite present) challenge or my experience from a previous playthrough, I found myself using save states and rewinding nowhere near as often.
In addition, just playing through the game a second time really highlighted how unique this game is. All of the music (except the obligatory Vampire Killer) is original and quite catchy, and many tracks would go on to be used in a bunch of other Castlevania games. The ability to choose what path to go on makes for really cool repeat playthroughs, allowing you to see completely new areas and even bosses! The ability to play as multiple characters is also pretty cool, and although I played as Trevor 95% of the time the other characters are a great addition to the Castlevania formula.
Of course, it has a handful of flaws, but for a game on the NES (or Famicom, I suppose) you have to give it credit. If you're going to emulate it, find the Japanese copy and enjoy.
A lot of the bullshit difficulty in the international release isn't found in the Famicom version, which makes for a much more pleasant experience. You can typically survive one or two more hits on later levels, one of the sub-characters has infinite ranged daggers, Dracula's final phase isn't stupidly difficult, and dying to Dracula sends you back to the beginning of the stairs leading up to the boss fight instead of in the middle of the level. Whether it be the game's lesser (but still quite present) challenge or my experience from a previous playthrough, I found myself using save states and rewinding nowhere near as often.
In addition, just playing through the game a second time really highlighted how unique this game is. All of the music (except the obligatory Vampire Killer) is original and quite catchy, and many tracks would go on to be used in a bunch of other Castlevania games. The ability to choose what path to go on makes for really cool repeat playthroughs, allowing you to see completely new areas and even bosses! The ability to play as multiple characters is also pretty cool, and although I played as Trevor 95% of the time the other characters are a great addition to the Castlevania formula.
Of course, it has a handful of flaws, but for a game on the NES (or Famicom, I suppose) you have to give it credit. If you're going to emulate it, find the Japanese copy and enjoy.
This game is very underwhelming after playing through Dread. The enemy variety for such a combat-focused game is abysmal, the areas are way too damn big, Gamma Metroids suck major ass, and the entire tone of the ending of the game is ruined by making the baby Metroid required for certain items AND adding a new boss fight at the end which makes no sense, given what happens in Super Metroid. The controls for switching beams/ammo were also kind weird, especially if you play it on an emulator (which I totally, definitely didn't, by the way.)
However, this game isn't all bad. I think having the map on the bottom screen was REALLY helpful with exploring, Aeion abilities are cool, the chase scene with the Diggernaut is great, and the non-Gamma Metroids are actually pretty fun to fight.
I'm on the fence about recommending this one. It was very disappointing for me, but overall I feel like it's not a BAD game. It's just... not my thing. Just play Dread.
However, this game isn't all bad. I think having the map on the bottom screen was REALLY helpful with exploring, Aeion abilities are cool, the chase scene with the Diggernaut is great, and the non-Gamma Metroids are actually pretty fun to fight.
I'm on the fence about recommending this one. It was very disappointing for me, but overall I feel like it's not a BAD game. It's just... not my thing. Just play Dread.
2022
I'm not a huge battle royale guy, but after seeing a few videos of this game I was hooked and wanted to try it for myself. Surprisingly, Rumbleverse lived up to my expectations after playing it for a while!
+ Mixes fighting games and the battle royale genre really well
+ Combat feel much more visceral than gunfights do in traditional BRs
+ Getting KOs always feels cathartic
+ Really cool combos that you can pull off
+ Perk system encourages you to fight other players as much as possible
+ Variety of special moves which allow for several playstyles
- Game has no tutorial (that I could find at least)
- Netcode gets on your nerves sometimes (moves miss when they should hit, others hit when they should miss)
- The game kind of looks like ass
- Battle pass system is to be expected in a BR game, but I still don't like it
Overall, if you have experience with fighting games or want a great entry into the genre, I'd recommend playing Rumbleverse for a few rounds.
+ Mixes fighting games and the battle royale genre really well
+ Combat feel much more visceral than gunfights do in traditional BRs
+ Getting KOs always feels cathartic
+ Really cool combos that you can pull off
+ Perk system encourages you to fight other players as much as possible
+ Variety of special moves which allow for several playstyles
- Game has no tutorial (that I could find at least)
- Netcode gets on your nerves sometimes (moves miss when they should hit, others hit when they should miss)
- The game kind of looks like ass
- Battle pass system is to be expected in a BR game, but I still don't like it
Overall, if you have experience with fighting games or want a great entry into the genre, I'd recommend playing Rumbleverse for a few rounds.
2018
Easily one of my favorite "roguelikes". While it is technically a roguelike, it mostly takes a back seat to compliment one of the best strategy/puzzle games I've ever played. Every squad is unique in their playstyle and strategy and each turn is a series of chess-like thinking. The "aha" moments when you figure out a perfect solution for a seemingly impossible puzzle make this game a treat to play, alongside the great soundtrack by my boy Ben Prunty.
The free and newly-added "Advanced Edition" content make this game even better, adding a bunch of new squads, mission types, objectives, and more. The Bombermechs are insanely fun and well-designed, and if you haven't played this game in a while, give them a try!
The free and newly-added "Advanced Edition" content make this game even better, adding a bunch of new squads, mission types, objectives, and more. The Bombermechs are insanely fun and well-designed, and if you haven't played this game in a while, give them a try!
2022
As someone who has beaten every Dark Souls game and Sekiro this continues FromSoftware's streak of making banger after banger. This game is superb from start to finish and even though it's their longest game so far I never felt like I was wasting time. There's so much to do on your first playthrough and the sheer amount of weapon and build variety is enough to encourage further playthroughs of the game.
My only qualm is that I found most the bosses to be pretty underwhelming in terms of difficulty. Besides a handful of stand-outs, most didn't prove to be that difficult of a challenge to me. However, I understand that this is a very personal complaint; as stated before I have a good amount of experience in the genre so I'm not surprised that the fights weren't too difficult.
This game is both a treat for Souls veterans and newcomers to the genre, and is worth all of the hype it built up. I strongly recommend it, even if you've never played a soulslike before.
My only qualm is that I found most the bosses to be pretty underwhelming in terms of difficulty. Besides a handful of stand-outs, most didn't prove to be that difficult of a challenge to me. However, I understand that this is a very personal complaint; as stated before I have a good amount of experience in the genre so I'm not surprised that the fights weren't too difficult.
This game is both a treat for Souls veterans and newcomers to the genre, and is worth all of the hype it built up. I strongly recommend it, even if you've never played a soulslike before.
This game is good for the first half but falls off REALLY quickly for the second. I liked it quite a lot, but the final stretch really left a sour taste in my mouth.
+ As usual, the exploration is very well-done, and the soul system allows for some really cool synergies and playstyle opportunities.
+ A lot of neat "quirky" details that sweeten the experience and make the castle feel interesting
+ The music is pretty good
+ Visuals are very pretty, and are a serious step up from the other games
~ Bosses are quite the challenge and can often be pretty frustrating, but that makes it more satisfying when you finally beat them
~ Touchscreen "seal" mechanic is kind of stupid, but I respect it. I like the idea of making the player do something very precise in a frantic situation, but it usually just creates frustration when you get it wrong.
- Far and away, the most grind-heavy of the series so far. You have to grind for a variety of things: getting the true ending, leveling up the souls themselves, and making stronger weapons.
- Terrible final boss. I skipped it and watched the ending online because it was NOT worth it.
- Story might as well be nonexistent
+ As usual, the exploration is very well-done, and the soul system allows for some really cool synergies and playstyle opportunities.
+ A lot of neat "quirky" details that sweeten the experience and make the castle feel interesting
+ The music is pretty good
+ Visuals are very pretty, and are a serious step up from the other games
~ Bosses are quite the challenge and can often be pretty frustrating, but that makes it more satisfying when you finally beat them
~ Touchscreen "seal" mechanic is kind of stupid, but I respect it. I like the idea of making the player do something very precise in a frantic situation, but it usually just creates frustration when you get it wrong.
- Far and away, the most grind-heavy of the series so far. You have to grind for a variety of things: getting the true ending, leveling up the souls themselves, and making stronger weapons.
- Terrible final boss. I skipped it and watched the ending online because it was NOT worth it.
- Story might as well be nonexistent
2021
Is this game the most intellectually challenging game out there? No.
Is this game fun as hell and is watching hundreds of enemies die every second satisfying? Yes.
Is this game fun as hell and is watching hundreds of enemies die every second satisfying? Yes.
2013
Risk of Rain is an interesting view into the design of its critically-acclaimed sequel, but doesn't offer anything that other roguelikes don't already have.
I liked the soundtrack (Chris Christodoulou's work is top-notch), giant enemies and bosses providing a sense of scale, and the insight into Risk of Rain 2's 2D roots.
I disliked the high skill floor, item imbalance, heavy reliance on RNG and AoE attacks, the boring early game, and how my boy Bandit is MUCH worse than in Risk of Rain 2.
I recommend this game if you're a big RoR2 fan and either have this game already or can get it extraordinarily cheap.
I liked the soundtrack (Chris Christodoulou's work is top-notch), giant enemies and bosses providing a sense of scale, and the insight into Risk of Rain 2's 2D roots.
I disliked the high skill floor, item imbalance, heavy reliance on RNG and AoE attacks, the boring early game, and how my boy Bandit is MUCH worse than in Risk of Rain 2.
I recommend this game if you're a big RoR2 fan and either have this game already or can get it extraordinarily cheap.
Despite being a "souls-like" Nioh does a lot to distinguish itself from others of its genre - when it's not being stupidly frustrating.
I liked how unique each weapon class was, the complexity of the combat, the Living Weapon system, some of the bosses, the overall aesthetic, and the loot system (especially during the DLCs).
I disliked most "bullshit" mechanics: getting stunlocked and dying in one inescapable string, projectiles that are annoying to dodge, almost every gank boss, and on occassion just straight-up getting one-shot. Some non-gank bosses also felt unfair.
I also think that the game goes on for too long - especially since the side missions often reuse maps, the game starts to become repetitive. However, I found the DLCs to be a lot better-paced.
I recommend this game if you crave a souls-like with loads of content to sink your teeth into, or maybe if you just want to play as a ninja with guns.
I liked how unique each weapon class was, the complexity of the combat, the Living Weapon system, some of the bosses, the overall aesthetic, and the loot system (especially during the DLCs).
I disliked most "bullshit" mechanics: getting stunlocked and dying in one inescapable string, projectiles that are annoying to dodge, almost every gank boss, and on occassion just straight-up getting one-shot. Some non-gank bosses also felt unfair.
I also think that the game goes on for too long - especially since the side missions often reuse maps, the game starts to become repetitive. However, I found the DLCs to be a lot better-paced.
I recommend this game if you crave a souls-like with loads of content to sink your teeth into, or maybe if you just want to play as a ninja with guns.
2002
I'm a super-passionate Metroid fan so I have a lot of conflicted feelings about Fusion. After replaying it yesterday I'm reminded of what makes Fusion good (and bad).
THE GOOD
Fusion's an interesting game because it takes a completely different tone than the first three. Instead of you by yourself on an alien planet, you have a robot assistant who barks orders at you (and quickly hints that it's evil). So you feel kind of trapped, trying to eliminate the escalating X threat while following the orders of someone suspicious. It's a good premise! And the moment when you start "sequence breaking," as in finding items when you're not "supposed to," feels oh-so-good.
In addition, I think the overall plot is the best of the Metroid games - but that's to be expected when there's so much dialogue and exposition.
I also found the movement and combat to be quite fun, for the most part. Nightmare is a goated Metroid boss.
THE BAD
From a beginner's players perspective Metroid Fusion's #1 problem has been, as Videogamedunkey coined them, "Metroid moments". While Super Metroid only has one or two (remember that one wall in Lower Norfair?), Fusion is chock-full of way-too-hidden secrets required for progression. The most obvious one is when you first visit TRO and have to bomb a completely random spot on the floor. It sucks a lot, and if you don't know that you have to bomb there you can spend a lot of time trying to find the "obvious way". Another one that sucks is when you revisit NOC and have to refight the BOX.
A lot of the bosses are also pretty bad - the spider, the chozo statue, and the Varia suit boss are really boring to fight.
As a veteran Metroid player, however, my primary problem lies with the item collection. As I beat my most recent Fusion playthrough, I ended up with 61%, a LOT less than I thought I would've had. Metroid Fusion's item collection has two problems: how cryptic it is, and how much endgame "cleanup" there is.
The majority of Metroid Fusion's item placement is, for lack of better words, bullshit. I applaud whoever found all of these items by themselves without Power Bombing every single room in the game or using a guide. I don't have much issue with the puzzles, though.
Secondly, the endgame item cleanup is just... annoying. While I didn't 100% the game this time I've done it before, and remember not being fond of it. Unless you want to backtrack to a sector for an item or two, you're going to end up getting a majority of the items right before the end of the game. It doesn't help that the game builds a (false) sense of urgency, making most casual players skip the endgame item cleanup.
--
In conclusion, Fusion is a pretty good devitation from the traditional Metroid formula and, ignoring some of the weird ways forward, provides a good experience for first-time players. The item cleanup still sucks, though.
THE GOOD
Fusion's an interesting game because it takes a completely different tone than the first three. Instead of you by yourself on an alien planet, you have a robot assistant who barks orders at you (and quickly hints that it's evil). So you feel kind of trapped, trying to eliminate the escalating X threat while following the orders of someone suspicious. It's a good premise! And the moment when you start "sequence breaking," as in finding items when you're not "supposed to," feels oh-so-good.
In addition, I think the overall plot is the best of the Metroid games - but that's to be expected when there's so much dialogue and exposition.
I also found the movement and combat to be quite fun, for the most part. Nightmare is a goated Metroid boss.
THE BAD
From a beginner's players perspective Metroid Fusion's #1 problem has been, as Videogamedunkey coined them, "Metroid moments". While Super Metroid only has one or two (remember that one wall in Lower Norfair?), Fusion is chock-full of way-too-hidden secrets required for progression. The most obvious one is when you first visit TRO and have to bomb a completely random spot on the floor. It sucks a lot, and if you don't know that you have to bomb there you can spend a lot of time trying to find the "obvious way". Another one that sucks is when you revisit NOC and have to refight the BOX.
A lot of the bosses are also pretty bad - the spider, the chozo statue, and the Varia suit boss are really boring to fight.
As a veteran Metroid player, however, my primary problem lies with the item collection. As I beat my most recent Fusion playthrough, I ended up with 61%, a LOT less than I thought I would've had. Metroid Fusion's item collection has two problems: how cryptic it is, and how much endgame "cleanup" there is.
The majority of Metroid Fusion's item placement is, for lack of better words, bullshit. I applaud whoever found all of these items by themselves without Power Bombing every single room in the game or using a guide. I don't have much issue with the puzzles, though.
Secondly, the endgame item cleanup is just... annoying. While I didn't 100% the game this time I've done it before, and remember not being fond of it. Unless you want to backtrack to a sector for an item or two, you're going to end up getting a majority of the items right before the end of the game. It doesn't help that the game builds a (false) sense of urgency, making most casual players skip the endgame item cleanup.
--
In conclusion, Fusion is a pretty good devitation from the traditional Metroid formula and, ignoring some of the weird ways forward, provides a good experience for first-time players. The item cleanup still sucks, though.
(Note: I played the Blue Lions route.)
Fire Emblem: Three Houses manages to implement an engaging combat system with in-depth and likable characters, but has a few issues that prevent it from being truly exceptional.
I liked the surprising amount of depth to the combat, freedom to build units however you like (although one or two classes are male specific - no War Master Catherine for you), the character design, and the story overall. I also thought the final battle was a great ending to the game.
I disliked the monotony of the various chores in the monestary, the pace of the story being rather slow sometimes, the overall length of the game (I think it could've been a few hours shorter), and the horrendous graphical quality. It's quite the nitpick, but I also feel like the marriage aspect of the game feels rather tacked-on compared to other FE games (and kind of weird). Annette is best girl.
Overall, I'd recommend Fire Emblem Three Houses for both those who are interested in strategy games and those who are veterans of the genre. Despite this game being a 40 to 50-hour commitment, I'm seriously considering playing through the game a second time.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses manages to implement an engaging combat system with in-depth and likable characters, but has a few issues that prevent it from being truly exceptional.
I liked the surprising amount of depth to the combat, freedom to build units however you like (although one or two classes are male specific - no War Master Catherine for you), the character design, and the story overall. I also thought the final battle was a great ending to the game.
I disliked the monotony of the various chores in the monestary, the pace of the story being rather slow sometimes, the overall length of the game (I think it could've been a few hours shorter), and the horrendous graphical quality. It's quite the nitpick, but I also feel like the marriage aspect of the game feels rather tacked-on compared to other FE games (and kind of weird). Annette is best girl.
Overall, I'd recommend Fire Emblem Three Houses for both those who are interested in strategy games and those who are veterans of the genre. Despite this game being a 40 to 50-hour commitment, I'm seriously considering playing through the game a second time.
2019
I think playing Loader has ruined my life. I can now only have fun when swinging across the map like Spider-Man and killing things instantly by punching them while going at the speed of sound
Portrait of Ruin is certainly a step up from Dawn of Sorrow. They experimented with a lot of new things in this game and for the most part I think they all worked pretty well!
+ Partner system is done really well
+ The story is actually good!
+ I really liked the final boss! Great way to end a game
+ A lot of weapon variety, letting you use pretty much anything
+ Paintings have their flaws, but allow for a lot of new locations like Egyptian pyramids
~ A few catchy tunes, but the music is nowhere near as good as Dawn of Sorrow
- My least favorite version of Dracula's Castle so far
- Paintings make the castle feel a lot more divided, and are mostly linear
- Obvious filler towards the end of the game where you have to go through a sublevel for each painting
- The anime artstyle from Dawn of Sorrow remains and does NOT look good. Dracula especially looks like shit
+ Partner system is done really well
+ The story is actually good!
+ I really liked the final boss! Great way to end a game
+ A lot of weapon variety, letting you use pretty much anything
+ Paintings have their flaws, but allow for a lot of new locations like Egyptian pyramids
~ A few catchy tunes, but the music is nowhere near as good as Dawn of Sorrow
- My least favorite version of Dracula's Castle so far
- Paintings make the castle feel a lot more divided, and are mostly linear
- Obvious filler towards the end of the game where you have to go through a sublevel for each painting
- The anime artstyle from Dawn of Sorrow remains and does NOT look good. Dracula especially looks like shit