JordanZZ
33 reviews liked by JordanZZ
It’s frustrating but also kind of fascinating to see how one simple technical limitation can outweigh all the expanded content this port has going for it. Most of the aesthetic and gameplay additions are good and should easily make this the best version to experience the first Super Mario Bros. – except that screen crunch is real and truly crushing in this case. The degree to which the perspective was zoomed-in seems almost absurd in direct comparison to the NES original. Nothing more than a fraction of the screen remains in the frame, even the clouds in the sky had to be pulled down to keep them visible at all. The game somewhat tries to mitigate this drastically reduced field of vision by making some tweaks to the camera placement. For example, Mario is positioned to the left of the screen instead of in the middle. While certainly a necessary adjustment, this doesn't change that you still can see significantly less of what lies ahead of you than on the NES. You are also now able to slightly move the camera to the left when turning backwards, but only as far as the screen size from the original would have allowed for, which feels weirdly unintuitive. The rules of the NES code still apply, only that you are unable to see them now.
But the most awkward addition must be the new option to scroll the screen up and down. Not only does the ability to move the camera independently from the character completely interrupt the flow of movement in a 2D platformer like Super Mario where perception and mobility are so tightly interwoven. It also is poorly implemented, again stemming from the root cause of screen crunch. Because the frame is so tiny to begin with, every camera movement feels too fast and abrupt. At the same time, the range of possible camera movement is also too small because the camera remains tied to Mario, who has to stay visible at all times.
Consequently, the level design loses one of its most defining features: verticality. Gone is the active decision-making of choosing between multiple paths, since the consequences of each option are barely foreseeable. If anything, this illustrates just how perfectly placed the camera was on the NES. A big reason why the platforming in Super Mario Bros. feels so satisfying is because of how intentionally you are able to execute your movement. You always know where Mario is going to land when you press the jump button, but every forward movement still reveals enough of the stage to force you to stay alert and adjust to the new situation. This dynamic between proactive and reactive gameplay is almost gone in Deluxe. The experience here is more akin to playing an infinite runner, where you simply try to avoid the next obstacle in front of you. The only reliable way to make your playthrough less distorted is when you are already familiar with the levels from the original; but in that case, there is even less of a reason to play this version.
While every level is more or less negatively affected by these changes, nowhere is it more apparent than in the Cheep Cheep stages. On the NES, you can see, or at least anticipate, the complete jumping arc of the enemies and try to adjust your own movement accordingly. In Deluxe, these stages feel like you are being subjected to some kind of heavenly punishment as you are relentlessly bombarded from all sides by those goddamn fish.
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More Super Mario reviews
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Land
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Mole Mania
But the most awkward addition must be the new option to scroll the screen up and down. Not only does the ability to move the camera independently from the character completely interrupt the flow of movement in a 2D platformer like Super Mario where perception and mobility are so tightly interwoven. It also is poorly implemented, again stemming from the root cause of screen crunch. Because the frame is so tiny to begin with, every camera movement feels too fast and abrupt. At the same time, the range of possible camera movement is also too small because the camera remains tied to Mario, who has to stay visible at all times.
Consequently, the level design loses one of its most defining features: verticality. Gone is the active decision-making of choosing between multiple paths, since the consequences of each option are barely foreseeable. If anything, this illustrates just how perfectly placed the camera was on the NES. A big reason why the platforming in Super Mario Bros. feels so satisfying is because of how intentionally you are able to execute your movement. You always know where Mario is going to land when you press the jump button, but every forward movement still reveals enough of the stage to force you to stay alert and adjust to the new situation. This dynamic between proactive and reactive gameplay is almost gone in Deluxe. The experience here is more akin to playing an infinite runner, where you simply try to avoid the next obstacle in front of you. The only reliable way to make your playthrough less distorted is when you are already familiar with the levels from the original; but in that case, there is even less of a reason to play this version.
While every level is more or less negatively affected by these changes, nowhere is it more apparent than in the Cheep Cheep stages. On the NES, you can see, or at least anticipate, the complete jumping arc of the enemies and try to adjust your own movement accordingly. In Deluxe, these stages feel like you are being subjected to some kind of heavenly punishment as you are relentlessly bombarded from all sides by those goddamn fish.
__________________
More Super Mario reviews
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Land
More Game Boy reviews
Mole Mania
Starfield
2023
They really took that AMD partnership seriously with how shitty the performance on Nvidia is, huh.
Anyway, literally in the first minutes of the game:
You meet nonchalant Barrett, who's just arrived and is going to give you his ship. But he doesn't tell that space pirates were actually following him
Yara yara dialogue, and then the pirates ship appear
Barrett: "I REALLY thought I lost them..."
Supervisor Lin: (angry) Barrett!
Pirate ship start landing
Supervisor Lin: "Weapons! Everybody get ready!"
A gunfight starts between your people and the pirates
You kill them, they kill a few of yours
Supervisor Lin: "Of course Barrett was being followed... Every. Time."
Barrett: (all happy and smiling) "Now that was some fine work under pressure."
Barrett goes on being cheeky and cracking jokes like nothing happened
...
I guess he doesn't care that he just got a bunch of people killed? LMAO.
I know I'm being a little bit of a cunt, but come on... it's the very first minutes. Bethesda writing, baby!
Game's feeling really boring atm. Doesn't do anything better than the games they're trying to copy. What's the point of the spaceship if I'm going to fast travel everywhere I go? And what the FUCK is that map? It actually does a disservice to the player by existing. How come Skyrim, a game that came out in 2011(!), has a better map? This doesn't feel like a game that's been in development 8 years.
I'm going to try it again in a year or so... or whenever the modders finish its development.
Anyway, literally in the first minutes of the game:
You meet nonchalant Barrett, who's just arrived and is going to give you his ship. But he doesn't tell that space pirates were actually following him
Yara yara dialogue, and then the pirates ship appear
Barrett: "I REALLY thought I lost them..."
Supervisor Lin: (angry) Barrett!
Pirate ship start landing
Supervisor Lin: "Weapons! Everybody get ready!"
A gunfight starts between your people and the pirates
You kill them, they kill a few of yours
Supervisor Lin: "Of course Barrett was being followed... Every. Time."
Barrett: (all happy and smiling) "Now that was some fine work under pressure."
Barrett goes on being cheeky and cracking jokes like nothing happened
...
I guess he doesn't care that he just got a bunch of people killed? LMAO.
I know I'm being a little bit of a cunt, but come on... it's the very first minutes. Bethesda writing, baby!
Game's feeling really boring atm. Doesn't do anything better than the games they're trying to copy. What's the point of the spaceship if I'm going to fast travel everywhere I go? And what the FUCK is that map? It actually does a disservice to the player by existing. How come Skyrim, a game that came out in 2011(!), has a better map? This doesn't feel like a game that's been in development 8 years.
I'm going to try it again in a year or so... or whenever the modders finish its development.
Devil May Cry 5
2019
Fun game if you are new to the series. Fantastic game if you are a veteren. Some of the most transformative combat that becomes more fun with more time sunk into understanding the mechanics the game throws your way. The story isn't anything too deep but if you have been following or played through the series in release order. it's very fulfilling.
Bully
2006
Bully is a game that really surprised me. I really admire how Rockstar was able to create a pretty unique spin on a formula quickly gaining traction in early 2000s gaming, rather than just slapping a school uniform on top of it and calling it a day.
There are so many aspects of this game that are so well thought out:
- The varied minigame aspect with classes, and the in game rewards that going to class gives you, while not completely stunting you if you decide to skip.
- Small school things implemented into the gameplay like how you use the controller to open lockers, bikes/skateboards/buses in exchange for cars in quick travel, and forced stealth aspects (being able to be bad as a kid involves A LOT more sneaking than for adults lol).
- Popularly stereotyped high-school cliques, with unique challenges based on their individual aspects: having to get a video game high score for access to the nerd base, beating the preps in their country club sports for their respect, etc.
The humor is very 2000s Rockstar, with many of the jokes still able to stick the land, while others are just straight up uncomfortable. I think the biggest thing I couldn't stand was all the vomit and piss in the game, but again, it's a 2000's Rockstar game, I knew what I was walking into. The greasers were the only clique in the game that had me scratching my head on why the hell they added them, but the game itself even pokes fun at the choice with comments like, "Do those guys know it's not the 50's anymore," towards it. I personally think a group like "The Emos" would have been more fun to have, but that might have been just a bit too underground for Rockstar to pick up on yet.
The ending for Bully was really fun, with all the cliques in complete chaos. My only nitpicky complaint would be not seeing Gary for a fairly long time (think he's last seen with the greasers at the half-way mark), only for him to reappear as the ultimate villain, because I mean, did you expect the kid that dressed as a Nazi for Halloween to NOT be? His final boss battle is great though, building up the suspense and drama of FINALLY being able to beat up the kid that acts like all the worst people on online forums, and man, it feels fucking AMAZING when you finally do beat the snot out of him.
I had a lot of fun with Bully, and could see it being a game I try and 100% at some point! Some of the humor and relatability is a bit of a miss for me, but that's just something to expect not being the target audience for the game. Even then, I really enjoyed it, and think it works great as an example of some of the PS2's best of the bests.
4/5
There are so many aspects of this game that are so well thought out:
- The varied minigame aspect with classes, and the in game rewards that going to class gives you, while not completely stunting you if you decide to skip.
- Small school things implemented into the gameplay like how you use the controller to open lockers, bikes/skateboards/buses in exchange for cars in quick travel, and forced stealth aspects (being able to be bad as a kid involves A LOT more sneaking than for adults lol).
- Popularly stereotyped high-school cliques, with unique challenges based on their individual aspects: having to get a video game high score for access to the nerd base, beating the preps in their country club sports for their respect, etc.
The humor is very 2000s Rockstar, with many of the jokes still able to stick the land, while others are just straight up uncomfortable. I think the biggest thing I couldn't stand was all the vomit and piss in the game, but again, it's a 2000's Rockstar game, I knew what I was walking into. The greasers were the only clique in the game that had me scratching my head on why the hell they added them, but the game itself even pokes fun at the choice with comments like, "Do those guys know it's not the 50's anymore," towards it. I personally think a group like "The Emos" would have been more fun to have, but that might have been just a bit too underground for Rockstar to pick up on yet.
The ending for Bully was really fun, with all the cliques in complete chaos. My only nitpicky complaint would be not seeing Gary for a fairly long time (think he's last seen with the greasers at the half-way mark), only for him to reappear as the ultimate villain, because I mean, did you expect the kid that dressed as a Nazi for Halloween to NOT be? His final boss battle is great though, building up the suspense and drama of FINALLY being able to beat up the kid that acts like all the worst people on online forums, and man, it feels fucking AMAZING when you finally do beat the snot out of him.
I had a lot of fun with Bully, and could see it being a game I try and 100% at some point! Some of the humor and relatability is a bit of a miss for me, but that's just something to expect not being the target audience for the game. Even then, I really enjoyed it, and think it works great as an example of some of the PS2's best of the bests.
4/5
Genshin Impact
2020
No anime woman is worth it
Chrono Cross
1999
This review contains spoilers
How beautiful humanity is, in being given the opportunity to take and to give with no real repercussions. At least in the animal kingdom, where we can successfully wipe out and destroy homes of entire species. To be given the opportunity to have the world and all its possibilities given to you to use as you please. For good or for evil. But how can we appreciate what is good without ourselves committing evil, most painfully when we thought what we were doing was best.
Chrono Cross is a truly beautiful experience. It’s a game that really wants to push boundaries and ask uncomfortable questions. What is it like discovering evil in what only has brought you good? What lengths are you willing to go to help the ones you love? Can you blame those that choose to follow in your footsteps?
Serge and cast go through these difficult questions with the inability to look away from them. Serge sees the ugly in a world he had only seen beauty in before. He experiences hate and racism received from Lynx’s eyes in the hometown Serge had only known for providing him comfort and safety; he goes to help a friend escape death only to create total environmental warfare; even when saving a child from a literal burning building, Serge unfortunately has no other option but to abandon her afterwards, resulting in her having only two pathways: burning to death in the fire, or growing up forever traumatized and hurt.
It continues the cycle of what man has always wondered. Why does so much pain result from trying to create beauty? Why weren’t my good intentions recognized, or helped in the way I intended? Why does bad still happen when I try so hard to create only good?
The answer is simple! As Cerebral Fix famously said, “Life sucks… and then you die!” Life can hurt in unimaginable ways, both physically and emotionally. Happiness is fleeting. It flies in and out of our days like a bird, singing a beautiful song that we want to revel in all our life, for one moment while the sky is blue, not to be found on the days with dark clouds and gray skies. But fullness - that is deep in our soul. When we have that, it never leaves. Fullness encompasses everything. It’s what allows us to be fully human in all the raw, real ways. How can we know true joy if we never learn to know sorrow? It’s something fairly common in Eastern religions, with the taijitu (Yin & Yang symbol) being the visual representation we most often see in the West. What is yin without yang, and vice versa. We see it poetically compared with fire and water, light and dark, a Home World and Another World.
Chrono Cross involves many elements and themes that games like Undertale get (rightfully) praised for, yet instead gets a very large amount of hatred for its incredibly interesting message and way it goes around telling it. Undertale more directly points its finger at the player, and states to them its message and 4th-wall break. Chrono Cross isn’t as direct about it, but still makes it clear its intention. At the end of the day, I guess being connected to the very popular Chrono Trigger and changing the formula as much as it did would just never be a popular choice with the fanbase.
I genuinely can understand the immediate dismissal of the new fighting system, especially if you loved the format of Chrono Trigger, but I ended up really loving the color fight system. I liked playing around with which party members to use and making good armor and weapons for the ones I used the most. The story progression was similar to parts in Chrono Trigger I really liked, such as the eventual open world aspect to exploring and finding more optional lore to party members, as well as playing around with the environment to find/upgrade weapons to insane strengths. It worked well with the story too, with Serge getting the player used to white elements, and completely getting it switched once transferred to Lynx. I always am a sucker for good story and gameplay mixtures.
Chrono Cross is a very strong and emotional experience. The graphics are some of the best I’ve ever seen on the PSX, the music is unbeatable, and the main cast of Serge, Kid, and Lynx create an unbelievable story. Chrono Cross has the player sit and internalize both the beauty and suffering that human life entails, gives, and forces onto all others. Life can be a disgusting, miserable, little thing, but in the end, if given the opportunity, should we really throw it all away?
Chrono Cross is a truly beautiful experience. It’s a game that really wants to push boundaries and ask uncomfortable questions. What is it like discovering evil in what only has brought you good? What lengths are you willing to go to help the ones you love? Can you blame those that choose to follow in your footsteps?
Serge and cast go through these difficult questions with the inability to look away from them. Serge sees the ugly in a world he had only seen beauty in before. He experiences hate and racism received from Lynx’s eyes in the hometown Serge had only known for providing him comfort and safety; he goes to help a friend escape death only to create total environmental warfare; even when saving a child from a literal burning building, Serge unfortunately has no other option but to abandon her afterwards, resulting in her having only two pathways: burning to death in the fire, or growing up forever traumatized and hurt.
It continues the cycle of what man has always wondered. Why does so much pain result from trying to create beauty? Why weren’t my good intentions recognized, or helped in the way I intended? Why does bad still happen when I try so hard to create only good?
The answer is simple! As Cerebral Fix famously said, “Life sucks… and then you die!” Life can hurt in unimaginable ways, both physically and emotionally. Happiness is fleeting. It flies in and out of our days like a bird, singing a beautiful song that we want to revel in all our life, for one moment while the sky is blue, not to be found on the days with dark clouds and gray skies. But fullness - that is deep in our soul. When we have that, it never leaves. Fullness encompasses everything. It’s what allows us to be fully human in all the raw, real ways. How can we know true joy if we never learn to know sorrow? It’s something fairly common in Eastern religions, with the taijitu (Yin & Yang symbol) being the visual representation we most often see in the West. What is yin without yang, and vice versa. We see it poetically compared with fire and water, light and dark, a Home World and Another World.
Chrono Cross involves many elements and themes that games like Undertale get (rightfully) praised for, yet instead gets a very large amount of hatred for its incredibly interesting message and way it goes around telling it. Undertale more directly points its finger at the player, and states to them its message and 4th-wall break. Chrono Cross isn’t as direct about it, but still makes it clear its intention. At the end of the day, I guess being connected to the very popular Chrono Trigger and changing the formula as much as it did would just never be a popular choice with the fanbase.
I genuinely can understand the immediate dismissal of the new fighting system, especially if you loved the format of Chrono Trigger, but I ended up really loving the color fight system. I liked playing around with which party members to use and making good armor and weapons for the ones I used the most. The story progression was similar to parts in Chrono Trigger I really liked, such as the eventual open world aspect to exploring and finding more optional lore to party members, as well as playing around with the environment to find/upgrade weapons to insane strengths. It worked well with the story too, with Serge getting the player used to white elements, and completely getting it switched once transferred to Lynx. I always am a sucker for good story and gameplay mixtures.
Chrono Cross is a very strong and emotional experience. The graphics are some of the best I’ve ever seen on the PSX, the music is unbeatable, and the main cast of Serge, Kid, and Lynx create an unbelievable story. Chrono Cross has the player sit and internalize both the beauty and suffering that human life entails, gives, and forces onto all others. Life can be a disgusting, miserable, little thing, but in the end, if given the opportunity, should we really throw it all away?
Street Fighter 6
2023
I am very new to Street Fighter, and fighting games as a whole, but finally decided to give it a go.
Honestly. No regrets! While there is a steep learning curve, as with most fighters. I've found the key is admitting you are an absolute noob and seeing every little win or landed combo as a win. The game becomes very satisfying by doing this, even if you are mostly taking Ls.
If you're a SF veteran you don't need me to tell you it's great, and if you're a total noob to the genre looking for a new kind of challenge I recommend this one!
Honestly. No regrets! While there is a steep learning curve, as with most fighters. I've found the key is admitting you are an absolute noob and seeing every little win or landed combo as a win. The game becomes very satisfying by doing this, even if you are mostly taking Ls.
If you're a SF veteran you don't need me to tell you it's great, and if you're a total noob to the genre looking for a new kind of challenge I recommend this one!
Final Fantasy VII
1997
I love Final Fantasy 7
I played the remake first but I can confidently say I prefer the original. The music is the main standout. Every track slaps and is packed with emotion. Combat is great with the materia system being a blast to play around with as I found combos that elevated my spells. Of course the story was a fantastic journey aswell, a quest to save the planet and to find oneself. There are so many moments I can think of in the story that are just so beautiful, the gold saucer, a certain infamous scene that was sadly spoiled for me:( and plenty of others. The only aspect of my playthrough I didn't enjoy was the grind to level up my materia and party members to fight the two end game bosses, hours of time that was not spent having fun at all. Overall, I treasure my time with Final Fantasy 7 and understand why this game means so much to so many. I know a game was worth my time when I buy a copy of it on the playstation right after finishing.
Bravo Yoshinori Kitase, on to FFX
I played the remake first but I can confidently say I prefer the original. The music is the main standout. Every track slaps and is packed with emotion. Combat is great with the materia system being a blast to play around with as I found combos that elevated my spells. Of course the story was a fantastic journey aswell, a quest to save the planet and to find oneself. There are so many moments I can think of in the story that are just so beautiful, the gold saucer, a certain infamous scene that was sadly spoiled for me:( and plenty of others. The only aspect of my playthrough I didn't enjoy was the grind to level up my materia and party members to fight the two end game bosses, hours of time that was not spent having fun at all. Overall, I treasure my time with Final Fantasy 7 and understand why this game means so much to so many. I know a game was worth my time when I buy a copy of it on the playstation right after finishing.
Bravo Yoshinori Kitase, on to FFX
Metal Gear Solid
1998
I've been eyeing the Metal Gear Solid games for some time now, but have always been intimidated by the stealth action genre. I'm notoriously bad at any sort of stealth in games; when I'm given the option between stealth and combat I always go in guns blazing, and when I'm forced to use stealth I begrudgingly force my way through it to get it over with. After starting and stopping Metal Gear Solid a couple of times over the last year or two, I finally decided to sit down and play it all the way through.
The high point for me in MGS was its writing and voice performances. I had heard that Hideo Kojima was an amazing storyteller and an auteur in his field, and the story he's written here is very clear proof of that. I absolutely loved the cinematic feel here, and didn't mind the cutscene length as I'm someone who loves being immersed in a story while playing a game. For a game released in 1998, the cutscene and voice direction are incredible, and this has easily become one of my favorite narratives in recent memory.
One thing that I wish I had similar praise for was the gameplay. It's hard for me to say that the gameplay has aged poorly since this is my first time playing it, but I was pretty frustrated with it throughout most of my play-through, especially the gunfights. It felt impossible to aim, and whenever you were forced into gunfights or had to outrun groups of enemies shooting at you (looking at you Communications Tower) I felt my blood boil. I find the term "janky" reductive when it comes to gameplay and controls, but it's hard to think of another term to describe a lot of the gameplay of MGS. I'm sure it was also partly due to the fact that the game wanted you to prioritize stealth whenever possible, but I'm bad at stealth so I was forced into gunfights far more often than the game was probably expecting me to be.
I'm really glad that I finally decided to give MGS a shot. As a big fan of narrative-driven games with complex themes/plots, I had always heard great things about this series. Some less-than-stellar gameplay is very much made up for by strong writing, excellent cutscene/voice direction and a bonkers but fascinating story. I've heard even better things about MGS2 and MGS3, so I'm definitely looking forward to playing through those in the near future.
The high point for me in MGS was its writing and voice performances. I had heard that Hideo Kojima was an amazing storyteller and an auteur in his field, and the story he's written here is very clear proof of that. I absolutely loved the cinematic feel here, and didn't mind the cutscene length as I'm someone who loves being immersed in a story while playing a game. For a game released in 1998, the cutscene and voice direction are incredible, and this has easily become one of my favorite narratives in recent memory.
One thing that I wish I had similar praise for was the gameplay. It's hard for me to say that the gameplay has aged poorly since this is my first time playing it, but I was pretty frustrated with it throughout most of my play-through, especially the gunfights. It felt impossible to aim, and whenever you were forced into gunfights or had to outrun groups of enemies shooting at you (looking at you Communications Tower) I felt my blood boil. I find the term "janky" reductive when it comes to gameplay and controls, but it's hard to think of another term to describe a lot of the gameplay of MGS. I'm sure it was also partly due to the fact that the game wanted you to prioritize stealth whenever possible, but I'm bad at stealth so I was forced into gunfights far more often than the game was probably expecting me to be.
I'm really glad that I finally decided to give MGS a shot. As a big fan of narrative-driven games with complex themes/plots, I had always heard great things about this series. Some less-than-stellar gameplay is very much made up for by strong writing, excellent cutscene/voice direction and a bonkers but fascinating story. I've heard even better things about MGS2 and MGS3, so I'm definitely looking forward to playing through those in the near future.
While Birthright's story is just boring and Conquest's story is just stupid, Revelation's story is just a slap in the face to anyone who was willing to take Fates' initial premise seriously.
Do you fight for the family you were born to, or do you stick with the only one you've ever known? Neither Birthright or Conquest were able to answer either question in a satisfying way. And as for Revelation's answer? Eh, who cares! It's "Everybody Loves Corrin!"
It's a route that caps off a game filled with moronic characters and a story far too scared to have any real consequences.
Do you fight for the family you were born to, or do you stick with the only one you've ever known? Neither Birthright or Conquest were able to answer either question in a satisfying way. And as for Revelation's answer? Eh, who cares! It's "Everybody Loves Corrin!"
It's a route that caps off a game filled with moronic characters and a story far too scared to have any real consequences.