Krabby
12 reviews liked by Krabby
Illusion of Gaia
1993
First GOTM finished for May 2024. After playing Terranigma, and quite enjoying that one, I was excited to finally get around to Illusion of Gaia. It's...alright. Nothing in it blew me away, the music wasn't terribly memorable, and the writing felt stilted and off. The character transformations were fun, and some of the boss fights were entertaining, but often the actual gameplay mostly devolved into poking stuff with a flute. Level design wasn't all that great, but there were some interesting puzzles thrown in that I enjoyed. The story was sometimes just all over the place, and even having beaten the entire game I still feel like a chunk of lore is missing. Glad to have finally gotten around to this one, but overall a pretty average experience.
Maybe the number going away was all it ever needed. Something clicked with this game, and it was the beckoning glimpse of what Sonic could really be in the handheld space. Sonic now finally truly has its own Super Mario Land. Like Super Mario Land though, this is by no means attempting to compete with its contemporaries over at the home-console arena. This is a miniature Sonic game still, and the game won't let you forget that. Even the penultimate level is shorter than the shortest levels in the home-console games. Was this really the limit of what was possible?
I played the Wii version on Dolphin emulator, using a Gamecube controller.
The game has 2 storylines, and you have to make a choice when you begin your adventure. You either start playing as the Princess Momohime, or the Ninja Kisuke.
I completed the entirety of Momohime's story, and then played about half of Kisuke's story, but I grew tired of the game before I could finish it and get all the endings. So I watched the rest on YouTube.
Muramasa is a Hack and Slash set in feudal Japan, with an absolutely gorgeous artstyle.
The characters all look so pretty, and the animations are extremely stylish whenever you run or swing your sword around in battle.
Slashing hordes of enemies from left to right, sending them into the air, and cutting through all of them at the same time using the quick draw is so exhilarating.
It would have been great to have more enemies with different patterns to make the combat less repetitive. Some of the environments & layouts are also recycled, stressing even more the repetitiveness of the game.
That's weird how they handled the regular encounters.
When you die during a fight, you respawn immediatly, but the enemies don't. So the game deprives you of all this exp, which is required to earn spirits & souls to unlock more weapons.
I'm still not sure how to feel about it. On one hand, it's a bummer to miss out on this exp, but on the other hand, it allows you to progress in the story more rapidly.
I really dig the use of japanese folklore. Muramasa is full of those myths & traditions, with kitsunes, spirits and onis.
There's an evil spirit taking ownership of Momohime's body during most of the game. The NPCs often mention ghost apparitions, possessions, and you even travel through Heaven & Hell. There are also mentions of Buddha and Amitabha.
All these legendary elements made for a really fascinating adventure.
The soundtrack is pretty nice overall, and it does have some heavy hitters. I loved "Womanizing", "Dim Twilight" and "Deep in Mountain and Valley"
Now that I've seen the 2 storylines more or less, I think I enjoy Kisuke's story more. I wonder if I would have prefered starting the game with him. There are more interesting moments during his storyline, and I liked the encounters with Torahime a lot.
I'll try coming back to this game later on to do the DLCs š
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Started on January 22th & stopped on February 3rd 2024]
Playtime: 12 hours
I finished Momohime's story and stopped halfway through Kisuke's story, at Sayo Boss fight. I watched the rest of the game including the endings on YouTube.
The game has 2 storylines, and you have to make a choice when you begin your adventure. You either start playing as the Princess Momohime, or the Ninja Kisuke.
I completed the entirety of Momohime's story, and then played about half of Kisuke's story, but I grew tired of the game before I could finish it and get all the endings. So I watched the rest on YouTube.
Muramasa is a Hack and Slash set in feudal Japan, with an absolutely gorgeous artstyle.
The characters all look so pretty, and the animations are extremely stylish whenever you run or swing your sword around in battle.
Slashing hordes of enemies from left to right, sending them into the air, and cutting through all of them at the same time using the quick draw is so exhilarating.
It would have been great to have more enemies with different patterns to make the combat less repetitive. Some of the environments & layouts are also recycled, stressing even more the repetitiveness of the game.
That's weird how they handled the regular encounters.
When you die during a fight, you respawn immediatly, but the enemies don't. So the game deprives you of all this exp, which is required to earn spirits & souls to unlock more weapons.
I'm still not sure how to feel about it. On one hand, it's a bummer to miss out on this exp, but on the other hand, it allows you to progress in the story more rapidly.
I really dig the use of japanese folklore. Muramasa is full of those myths & traditions, with kitsunes, spirits and onis.
There's an evil spirit taking ownership of Momohime's body during most of the game. The NPCs often mention ghost apparitions, possessions, and you even travel through Heaven & Hell. There are also mentions of Buddha and Amitabha.
All these legendary elements made for a really fascinating adventure.
The soundtrack is pretty nice overall, and it does have some heavy hitters. I loved "Womanizing", "Dim Twilight" and "Deep in Mountain and Valley"
Now that I've seen the 2 storylines more or less, I think I enjoy Kisuke's story more. I wonder if I would have prefered starting the game with him. There are more interesting moments during his storyline, and I liked the encounters with Torahime a lot.
I'll try coming back to this game later on to do the DLCs š
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Started on January 22th & stopped on February 3rd 2024]
Playtime: 12 hours
I finished Momohime's story and stopped halfway through Kisuke's story, at Sayo Boss fight. I watched the rest of the game including the endings on YouTube.
This review contains spoilers
This game is a masterpiece, clearly a hidden gem considering how little spotlight it had and how poorly it sold. Really a shame!
Phoenotopia looks amazing, I couldn't help myself but take dozens of screenshots while I was playing. Last time I did that was when I played Gris.
The gameplay is simply fantastic, there are tons of smart interactions in the game design, the puzzles really test your spatial perception: whether it's activating a switch by angling your slingshot the right way, using projectiles to knock moonstones off their platform, piling up boxes and bombs to gain barely enough height to reach a platform, or completing parkour sections full of arrow traps with well synchronized jumps.
The puzzles where you need to play the correct song with your flute gave me Zelda Ocarina of Time vibes. I liked how musical notes were often hidden in the background, and I had to spot them to know what I would need to play with the bandit's flute.
The GEO dungeons especially had really different kinds of puzzles. One time you'll have to solve a jigsaw puzzle, the next time it'll be a sliding picture puzzle, then it will involve switching lights in the correct order. There's even a puzzle similar to sudoku.
The game always managed to hold my attention with all its brainteasers.
Cooking mechanic is based on reaction time, it's simple and engaging. I noticed there was a frying pan on display in the Antique Shop near Daea city, but I never managed to obtain it during my playthrough. I suppose it would have modified the cooking minigame in a certain way?
Btw, I like how we immediatly drop cooked meat when we kill a mob/animal with an explosion (bomb or spear). Pretty cool that they thought about that!
The Gear Ring allows you to quickly switch up between 8 different items, it's always a good thing to have a weapon wheel in any game I play. It's very ergonomic and it saved me a lot of time from navigating through the menus.
And I'm thankful that we can use all our weapons as much as we want, without having to worry about ammo.
It's very satisfying when you struggle while exploring an area for the 1st time, having to use your gear in a clever way, dealing with all the enemies and barely surviving. And then when you revisit the same area later in the game with a new ability, you can make it through in a much simpler way. The abilities that you get for traversal exploration are really game-changing. I was so excited to backtrack everytime I got a new one.
Phoenotopia Awakening is very charming, and has a lot of light-hearted moments. I never got tired of listening to "Merry Fellowship" everytime Gail came back to her hometown after a mission, checking in with her brothers & sisters to see if they're okay. The game even manages to be funny sometimes. For example, when Gail and Fran use the teleporter for the 1st time, and Gail thinks Fran died during the teleportation as she watches the pile of dust on the ground, only for Fran to reappear out of nowhere with a big smile on her face.
The game also managed to do the exact opposite on several occasions. I was very anxious during that moment in EDEN's Lab, when you're quietly exploring the rooms and reading notes about those harpys in their stasis chamber. As you progress, you suddently hear glass breaking, and when you turn around, you notice all the harpys broke out.
Those moments, whether tense or joyful, are always accompanied by excellent music. My personal favorites are "Merry/Mellow Fellowship", "Boss battle", "The White Towers", "Katash's theme", "Wheat Road" and "Caves of Mul".
You can't put markers on a map to remember points of interest. So I had to write down informations on a notepad regularly to not get lost and not forget things like treasure chests, entrances to dungeons, or song stones. There are tons of stuff to do and optional content, so having a quest log and a map available at all times would have been useful, but it was definitely manageable without it.
I loved the last part of the game that consists of 3 Boss fights back-to-back. The first one against Mother Computer was the most challenging fight in the entire game. Then you have this amazing showdown with your own shadows, and finally the duel vs Katash.
I have to say this last battle felt a bit anticlimactic. I had encountered Adam earlier in the lab, and I thought I would have to fight this thing, but instead it was a second duel with Katash.
I'm pretty sure (and I hope) that I will have to fight Adam when I'll come back to this game to get the true ending, and I can't wait for it.
I unlocked the first ending after 60 hours with a completion of 62%. I played enough and I don't want to push myself, so I won't go for 100%. However, I will surely come back to this game in a few months to do some more things. Notably exploring Aurantia, beating Katash' 2nd encounter, and accessing the locked room at the top of Pristine City to fight Phalanx.
I don't know how they did it, but the game was never boring, never frustrating, never too hard, never too easy, never repetitive, never bad. There was the right amount of everything: fights, exploration, puzzles and platforming.
Really, as I said earlier, the only thing that people could have a problem with is that it can be difficult to keep track of everything. But it's really not that big of a deal if you pay attention, and of course if you write things down on a notepad or a piece of paper.
This is why I give this game a perfect score. This is one of the best games I've played this year! I'm still a bit salty that this game is so unknown...
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Started on September 25th & finished on October 8th 2023]
Playtime: 60 hours
I stopped after getting the first ending, when Gail manages to free all the Phoenix so they can help Humans defend themselves against the alien invasion.
I got a 62% completion.
Phoenotopia looks amazing, I couldn't help myself but take dozens of screenshots while I was playing. Last time I did that was when I played Gris.
The gameplay is simply fantastic, there are tons of smart interactions in the game design, the puzzles really test your spatial perception: whether it's activating a switch by angling your slingshot the right way, using projectiles to knock moonstones off their platform, piling up boxes and bombs to gain barely enough height to reach a platform, or completing parkour sections full of arrow traps with well synchronized jumps.
The puzzles where you need to play the correct song with your flute gave me Zelda Ocarina of Time vibes. I liked how musical notes were often hidden in the background, and I had to spot them to know what I would need to play with the bandit's flute.
The GEO dungeons especially had really different kinds of puzzles. One time you'll have to solve a jigsaw puzzle, the next time it'll be a sliding picture puzzle, then it will involve switching lights in the correct order. There's even a puzzle similar to sudoku.
The game always managed to hold my attention with all its brainteasers.
Cooking mechanic is based on reaction time, it's simple and engaging. I noticed there was a frying pan on display in the Antique Shop near Daea city, but I never managed to obtain it during my playthrough. I suppose it would have modified the cooking minigame in a certain way?
Btw, I like how we immediatly drop cooked meat when we kill a mob/animal with an explosion (bomb or spear). Pretty cool that they thought about that!
The Gear Ring allows you to quickly switch up between 8 different items, it's always a good thing to have a weapon wheel in any game I play. It's very ergonomic and it saved me a lot of time from navigating through the menus.
And I'm thankful that we can use all our weapons as much as we want, without having to worry about ammo.
It's very satisfying when you struggle while exploring an area for the 1st time, having to use your gear in a clever way, dealing with all the enemies and barely surviving. And then when you revisit the same area later in the game with a new ability, you can make it through in a much simpler way. The abilities that you get for traversal exploration are really game-changing. I was so excited to backtrack everytime I got a new one.
Phoenotopia Awakening is very charming, and has a lot of light-hearted moments. I never got tired of listening to "Merry Fellowship" everytime Gail came back to her hometown after a mission, checking in with her brothers & sisters to see if they're okay. The game even manages to be funny sometimes. For example, when Gail and Fran use the teleporter for the 1st time, and Gail thinks Fran died during the teleportation as she watches the pile of dust on the ground, only for Fran to reappear out of nowhere with a big smile on her face.
The game also managed to do the exact opposite on several occasions. I was very anxious during that moment in EDEN's Lab, when you're quietly exploring the rooms and reading notes about those harpys in their stasis chamber. As you progress, you suddently hear glass breaking, and when you turn around, you notice all the harpys broke out.
Those moments, whether tense or joyful, are always accompanied by excellent music. My personal favorites are "Merry/Mellow Fellowship", "Boss battle", "The White Towers", "Katash's theme", "Wheat Road" and "Caves of Mul".
You can't put markers on a map to remember points of interest. So I had to write down informations on a notepad regularly to not get lost and not forget things like treasure chests, entrances to dungeons, or song stones. There are tons of stuff to do and optional content, so having a quest log and a map available at all times would have been useful, but it was definitely manageable without it.
I loved the last part of the game that consists of 3 Boss fights back-to-back. The first one against Mother Computer was the most challenging fight in the entire game. Then you have this amazing showdown with your own shadows, and finally the duel vs Katash.
I have to say this last battle felt a bit anticlimactic. I had encountered Adam earlier in the lab, and I thought I would have to fight this thing, but instead it was a second duel with Katash.
I'm pretty sure (and I hope) that I will have to fight Adam when I'll come back to this game to get the true ending, and I can't wait for it.
I unlocked the first ending after 60 hours with a completion of 62%. I played enough and I don't want to push myself, so I won't go for 100%. However, I will surely come back to this game in a few months to do some more things. Notably exploring Aurantia, beating Katash' 2nd encounter, and accessing the locked room at the top of Pristine City to fight Phalanx.
I don't know how they did it, but the game was never boring, never frustrating, never too hard, never too easy, never repetitive, never bad. There was the right amount of everything: fights, exploration, puzzles and platforming.
Really, as I said earlier, the only thing that people could have a problem with is that it can be difficult to keep track of everything. But it's really not that big of a deal if you pay attention, and of course if you write things down on a notepad or a piece of paper.
This is why I give this game a perfect score. This is one of the best games I've played this year! I'm still a bit salty that this game is so unknown...
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Started on September 25th & finished on October 8th 2023]
Playtime: 60 hours
I stopped after getting the first ending, when Gail manages to free all the Phoenix so they can help Humans defend themselves against the alien invasion.
I got a 62% completion.
Outer Wilds
2019
This review contains spoilers
At first, I was worried that the 22 minutes cycle would stress me out more than anything. But it turns out it was barely an inconvenience.
The first moments of Outer Wilds when you explore your home planet really set the mood for the rest of the game. From the get go, there were a lot of intriguing dialogues. The NPCs talk to you about this ancient civilization, the Nomai, from which you need to decipher their language. And you learn that some of your more experienced comrades are already wandering around the galaxy making their own researches.
It got me excited to start exploring the different planets straight away, to follow in their footsteps.
It took me a few minutes to have a good grip of the spaceship's piloting, but I quickly got used to it.
By the way, I had no idea about the death loop when I started the game, so my first death was quite surprising. It really happened out of nowhere.
The very 1st planet I visited was Giant's Deep. I had fun finding data left by the Nomai, inspecting the ruins and solving little puzzles, all while being soothed by the music and quiet atmosphere.
After that, I went to Dark Bramble. It took me a while to progress on this planet with all the deaths caused by the Anglerfishes, and all the crashes. So it was satisfying to eventually find my way through the fog and meet Feldspar. The space-bending properties of this planet were fascinating.
It's interesting how the rewards in this game are not bonus items or better gear to make you more resistant. The only things you'll ever find are data & recording left by the Nomai on each different planet. And there's no combat either. It's purely a game of exploration, investigation & puzzle solving.
And I have to say I got really engaged in the story after some point.
Earlier, I said that the cycle didn't bother me, but having to rush my way through Ember Twin before the sand engulfs everything was a bit underwhelming. Yet another mechanic that completely caught me off guard when I first visited this planet. Waiting for the sand level to decrease on Ash Twin was equally annoying.
I don't know how to put it exactly, but the atmosphere was somewhat unsettling at times. Being all alone in the quietness & emptiness of Space, finding vestiges of ancient civilizations, recollecting their memories through their texts & recordings, and learning about their tragic fate... You just feel like a powerless witness.
There's also the fact that most of the people you find are unaware of the time loop you're all stuck in.
I appreciated the scientific aspects in the gameplay. Whether it's the things shown in the observatory, like the explanations about supernovas and the tidal effect; the fact that you can communicate from one planet to another sending radio signals; the gravity being slightly different on each planet due to their mass; White Hole's teleportation violating Causality... It gave a sense of realism to the game which I found quite appealing.
It surprised me a lot when Brittle Hollow's blackhole sucked me in, and sent me at the other side of the galaxy. I was so confused for a few seconds. "This game even has wormholes? I love it!"
By the way, Brittle Hollow looks amazing, especially underground where you can cross bridges right above the blackhole.
There were many more beautiful places, like Brittle Hollow Southern Observatory; Interloper's ruptured Core; the Sun Station; or even the Quantum Moon sixth location. The game has a beautiful artstyle!
Some places were so well hidden, I really had to go out of my way to find some of the locations required to progress in the story. It took me quite some time to find the access to the Anglerfish fossil in Sunless City, or the Tower of Trials inside Giant's Deep huge cyclone.
The trials in Tower of Quantum were so fun to figure out. Having to use the camera to prevent the archs from teleporting was clever. There's also that little puzzle in Ember Twin's caverns where you need to turn all the lights off to be able to teleport with the quantum shards. I enjoyed those puzzles a lot.
Another fun moment is when you have to go through Interloper's core, going down those slides & dodging the ghost matter.
I loved the process to enter the Tower of Quantum Knowledge on Brittle Hollow. This was one of the last important locations I visited because I couldn't figure out how to enter it for the life of me.
30 hours into the game, I had an epiphany after watching the meteors crash on Brittle Hollow, and I finally understood that I needed to wait for the Tower to fall down in the blackhole and get teleported to the other side.
It was very clever, and it's one of the many moments where I was fascinated with how ingenious the game design is.
I was constantly rewarded for my curiosity, and it incentivized me to explore more & more. It felt rewarding to realize that there was indeed a hidden place inside Giant Deep's massive cyclone; inside the volcanos on Hollow's Lantern; or when I entered the Quantum Moon for the 1st time.
Fun fact: I landed on the Quantum Moon BEFORE finding the Quantum Moon locator on Ember Twin š
The exploration on Quantum Moon was captivating, the atmosphere is very eerie. It took me till the end-game to finally reach the 6th location. Finding Solanum was a shock, I was so surprised to meet a Nomai face to face. And I was happy to learn more about the Eye of the Universe.
At the end of the game, when you finally reach the inside of Ash Twin, all the informations are gathered together, and you finally understand the bigger picture.
It was so satisfying to solve those mysteries about the Nomai's extinction, the time loop and the Ash Twin project.
Removing the core tugged at my heartstrings. It was such a compelling adventure... I haven't played ANYTHING like Outer Wilds. It's so different from everything else. I had great moments with it, and I'll probably remember it for a long time.
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Started on July 11th & finished on September 12th 2023]
Playtime: 40 hours
I got the first ending by removing the core inside Ash Twin Project, and I unlocked almost every log inside the space ship.
I still need to unlock the true ending by solving the mystery of the Eye of the Universe, but I'll do it later, along with the DLC "Echoes of the Eye"
The first moments of Outer Wilds when you explore your home planet really set the mood for the rest of the game. From the get go, there were a lot of intriguing dialogues. The NPCs talk to you about this ancient civilization, the Nomai, from which you need to decipher their language. And you learn that some of your more experienced comrades are already wandering around the galaxy making their own researches.
It got me excited to start exploring the different planets straight away, to follow in their footsteps.
It took me a few minutes to have a good grip of the spaceship's piloting, but I quickly got used to it.
By the way, I had no idea about the death loop when I started the game, so my first death was quite surprising. It really happened out of nowhere.
The very 1st planet I visited was Giant's Deep. I had fun finding data left by the Nomai, inspecting the ruins and solving little puzzles, all while being soothed by the music and quiet atmosphere.
After that, I went to Dark Bramble. It took me a while to progress on this planet with all the deaths caused by the Anglerfishes, and all the crashes. So it was satisfying to eventually find my way through the fog and meet Feldspar. The space-bending properties of this planet were fascinating.
It's interesting how the rewards in this game are not bonus items or better gear to make you more resistant. The only things you'll ever find are data & recording left by the Nomai on each different planet. And there's no combat either. It's purely a game of exploration, investigation & puzzle solving.
And I have to say I got really engaged in the story after some point.
Earlier, I said that the cycle didn't bother me, but having to rush my way through Ember Twin before the sand engulfs everything was a bit underwhelming. Yet another mechanic that completely caught me off guard when I first visited this planet. Waiting for the sand level to decrease on Ash Twin was equally annoying.
I don't know how to put it exactly, but the atmosphere was somewhat unsettling at times. Being all alone in the quietness & emptiness of Space, finding vestiges of ancient civilizations, recollecting their memories through their texts & recordings, and learning about their tragic fate... You just feel like a powerless witness.
There's also the fact that most of the people you find are unaware of the time loop you're all stuck in.
I appreciated the scientific aspects in the gameplay. Whether it's the things shown in the observatory, like the explanations about supernovas and the tidal effect; the fact that you can communicate from one planet to another sending radio signals; the gravity being slightly different on each planet due to their mass; White Hole's teleportation violating Causality... It gave a sense of realism to the game which I found quite appealing.
It surprised me a lot when Brittle Hollow's blackhole sucked me in, and sent me at the other side of the galaxy. I was so confused for a few seconds. "This game even has wormholes? I love it!"
By the way, Brittle Hollow looks amazing, especially underground where you can cross bridges right above the blackhole.
There were many more beautiful places, like Brittle Hollow Southern Observatory; Interloper's ruptured Core; the Sun Station; or even the Quantum Moon sixth location. The game has a beautiful artstyle!
Some places were so well hidden, I really had to go out of my way to find some of the locations required to progress in the story. It took me quite some time to find the access to the Anglerfish fossil in Sunless City, or the Tower of Trials inside Giant's Deep huge cyclone.
The trials in Tower of Quantum were so fun to figure out. Having to use the camera to prevent the archs from teleporting was clever. There's also that little puzzle in Ember Twin's caverns where you need to turn all the lights off to be able to teleport with the quantum shards. I enjoyed those puzzles a lot.
Another fun moment is when you have to go through Interloper's core, going down those slides & dodging the ghost matter.
I loved the process to enter the Tower of Quantum Knowledge on Brittle Hollow. This was one of the last important locations I visited because I couldn't figure out how to enter it for the life of me.
30 hours into the game, I had an epiphany after watching the meteors crash on Brittle Hollow, and I finally understood that I needed to wait for the Tower to fall down in the blackhole and get teleported to the other side.
It was very clever, and it's one of the many moments where I was fascinated with how ingenious the game design is.
I was constantly rewarded for my curiosity, and it incentivized me to explore more & more. It felt rewarding to realize that there was indeed a hidden place inside Giant Deep's massive cyclone; inside the volcanos on Hollow's Lantern; or when I entered the Quantum Moon for the 1st time.
Fun fact: I landed on the Quantum Moon BEFORE finding the Quantum Moon locator on Ember Twin š
The exploration on Quantum Moon was captivating, the atmosphere is very eerie. It took me till the end-game to finally reach the 6th location. Finding Solanum was a shock, I was so surprised to meet a Nomai face to face. And I was happy to learn more about the Eye of the Universe.
At the end of the game, when you finally reach the inside of Ash Twin, all the informations are gathered together, and you finally understand the bigger picture.
It was so satisfying to solve those mysteries about the Nomai's extinction, the time loop and the Ash Twin project.
Removing the core tugged at my heartstrings. It was such a compelling adventure... I haven't played ANYTHING like Outer Wilds. It's so different from everything else. I had great moments with it, and I'll probably remember it for a long time.
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Started on July 11th & finished on September 12th 2023]
Playtime: 40 hours
I got the first ending by removing the core inside Ash Twin Project, and I unlocked almost every log inside the space ship.
I still need to unlock the true ending by solving the mystery of the Eye of the Universe, but I'll do it later, along with the DLC "Echoes of the Eye"
This is the first time I'm writing a negative review, so I hope I'm not going to hurt anyone's feelings.
This is my 2nd PokƩmon game. I started with the 1st generation which was PokƩmon FireRed, and now I continue with the 2nd generation. I really wanted to give this franchise another chance, after being disappointed with FireRed.
Firstly, everything takes too much time: the text speed; the animations when you start and finish a fight (yes I disabled the attack animations); opening your inventory and navigating through the menus... Those games are REALLY testing your patience to the absolute limit.
I knew this problem would persist in HeartGold, but just like in the previous game, there are way too many random encounters, and it ruins the pace of the game. You can't walk 2 meters without getting attacked... I understand that they did it so that the player would keep getting experience regularly and wouldn't become under-leveled, but it was extremely annoying regardless.
I hate how you need to keep one or two useless PokƩmon with you at all times to have all HMs available (Cut, Rock Smash/Climb, Fly, Surf, etc...). This is such a waste of place, and a bad game design.
The fact that you can't quickly teleport from one city to another makes you waste even more time, especially when you've already gone through several towns, and Professor Elm suddently asks you to come & show him your Togepi...
I did notice that there was a subway in Goldenrod City, but I couldn't use it. I guess it's a feature that becomes available later in the game.
At some point, I was so done with this game that I installed cheats (xp multiplier, fast-forward setting, etc...) but I realised it was already too late because I didn't give a shit anymore, so I stopped the game anyway.
I still played the game for 14 hours, which is incredibly long when you're not enjoying something. So yeah I really tried to give the game a fair chance. But it just didn't click with me despite all my efforts.
To the game's credit, I was playing on an emulator, so I didn't have access to many of the features offered by the game. Whether it's trading PokƩmon and battling other players on WiFi; getting some PokƩmon that can only evolve by doing trades; sending recordings of my battles; etc... It's frustrating that I can't experience the game to the fullest, with many of its features now inaccessible in 2023... The social aspect of the game would have been really appealing to me.
EDIT: I also just learnt about the PokƩwalker. It's really a shame that I couldn't play the game with that device. It must have been so much fun playing that as a kid, and trading PokƩmon with people irl.
I spent like 2 hours playing Voltorb Flip in the Casino, this is the best minigame ever. This was legit more fun than the game itself.
I was able to earn enough tickets to trade a Dratini early in my adventure, and I was really excited to evolve it into Dragonair and Dragonite, but I got tired of the game before I could do it.
Something that frustrates me a lot is that the game seems to have really cool PokƩmon & Boss fights in mid/end-game. PokƩmon like Alakazam, Gengar, Ninetales, Rapidash, Snorlax, Ho-Oh, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Lugia, Mewtwo, etc... But I always get tired of these games before I can get myself a really cool team.
I don't know if I'll try another game in the franchise. Most people were telling me HeartGold is a fan's favorite, and I still didn't enjoy it. So who knows...
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Started on September 16th & stopped on September 24th 2023]
Playtime: 14 hours
I stopped after defeating the Gym Leader in Ecruteak City and reaching Olivine City.
This is my 2nd PokƩmon game. I started with the 1st generation which was PokƩmon FireRed, and now I continue with the 2nd generation. I really wanted to give this franchise another chance, after being disappointed with FireRed.
Firstly, everything takes too much time: the text speed; the animations when you start and finish a fight (yes I disabled the attack animations); opening your inventory and navigating through the menus... Those games are REALLY testing your patience to the absolute limit.
I knew this problem would persist in HeartGold, but just like in the previous game, there are way too many random encounters, and it ruins the pace of the game. You can't walk 2 meters without getting attacked... I understand that they did it so that the player would keep getting experience regularly and wouldn't become under-leveled, but it was extremely annoying regardless.
I hate how you need to keep one or two useless PokƩmon with you at all times to have all HMs available (Cut, Rock Smash/Climb, Fly, Surf, etc...). This is such a waste of place, and a bad game design.
The fact that you can't quickly teleport from one city to another makes you waste even more time, especially when you've already gone through several towns, and Professor Elm suddently asks you to come & show him your Togepi...
I did notice that there was a subway in Goldenrod City, but I couldn't use it. I guess it's a feature that becomes available later in the game.
At some point, I was so done with this game that I installed cheats (xp multiplier, fast-forward setting, etc...) but I realised it was already too late because I didn't give a shit anymore, so I stopped the game anyway.
I still played the game for 14 hours, which is incredibly long when you're not enjoying something. So yeah I really tried to give the game a fair chance. But it just didn't click with me despite all my efforts.
To the game's credit, I was playing on an emulator, so I didn't have access to many of the features offered by the game. Whether it's trading PokƩmon and battling other players on WiFi; getting some PokƩmon that can only evolve by doing trades; sending recordings of my battles; etc... It's frustrating that I can't experience the game to the fullest, with many of its features now inaccessible in 2023... The social aspect of the game would have been really appealing to me.
EDIT: I also just learnt about the PokƩwalker. It's really a shame that I couldn't play the game with that device. It must have been so much fun playing that as a kid, and trading PokƩmon with people irl.
I spent like 2 hours playing Voltorb Flip in the Casino, this is the best minigame ever. This was legit more fun than the game itself.
I was able to earn enough tickets to trade a Dratini early in my adventure, and I was really excited to evolve it into Dragonair and Dragonite, but I got tired of the game before I could do it.
Something that frustrates me a lot is that the game seems to have really cool PokƩmon & Boss fights in mid/end-game. PokƩmon like Alakazam, Gengar, Ninetales, Rapidash, Snorlax, Ho-Oh, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Lugia, Mewtwo, etc... But I always get tired of these games before I can get myself a really cool team.
I don't know if I'll try another game in the franchise. Most people were telling me HeartGold is a fan's favorite, and I still didn't enjoy it. So who knows...
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Started on September 16th & stopped on September 24th 2023]
Playtime: 14 hours
I stopped after defeating the Gym Leader in Ecruteak City and reaching Olivine City.
Despite how awkward it feels to control at times, as well as the length and weirdness of the game, the original Super Mario Land was still a decent enough game, and it proved that a Mario game could work just as well on a smaller system as it does on a console. So, as one would expect, a sequel was going to be made, and for this sequel, the development team wanted to create something much more unique compared to the other Mario games that have been made so farā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ only to then go back on this decision to create a game very similar to that of Super Mario World. However, some of this uniqueness would carry over, not just with the game itself, but also with the plot being changed from what players were used to seeing from these games. So, after almost a year of development, they then released the sequel to the original Mario Land known as Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.
In terms of mainline handheld Mario games, this entry in particular is usually held in pretty high regards, not just with delivering the same timeless and fun gameplay that we have all grown to love, but also with implementing worlds and elements never seen in any other Mario game before or since then. And I am gonna have to agree with that general consensus, because taking inspiration from Super Mario World was definitely the right choice, rather then whatever it was that they originally had intended. As a followup to Super Mario Land, this is a MASSIVE improvement over what we were given in that game, and as a game on its own, it is fantastic. Is it anything too special compared to other titles in the series, and it is absolutely flawless? No, but for being a simple handheld Mario game, it is pretty damn impressive, especially for 1992, and it holds up very well to this day.
The story is NOT about saving any damsel in distress, but instead taking back your castle from a mysterious new foe, which is probably more important to Mario then saving a princess for the millionth time, the graphics are Game Boy graphics, with the artstyle and sprites being much better and more detailed then what we got in Super Mario Land, the music is very catchy, bouncy, and enjoyable, with some very replayable tracks out of the bunch, the control is what you would expect for a Mario game, and it is as tight and seamless as ever, and the gameplay is, again, what you would expect from a Mario game, but in comparison to the last game, it is a significant step in the right direction.
The game is yet another 2D platformer, where you go through many different side-scrolling levels, defeat many of the enemies that stand in your way, avoid dangerous platforming hazards, gather many different powerups, coins, and extra lives along the way, and take on easy, yet creative and enjoyable bosses. It is what you would expect from a 2D Mario title, but it still remains pretty fun and imaginative to this day. In terms of new features to this game, there arenāt really that many new powerups, except for one known as the Magic Carrot, which turns you into Bunny Mario, who canā¦ flutter down very slowly when you push the button. So basically, itās just like the Tanooki Leaf from Mario 3, except you canāt fly upwards or attack enemies. Thatās kind of lame, but hey, it is still fun to use. Not to mention, this game takes plenty of inspiration from, like I said, Super Mario World, where there is an overworld map, you can tackle levels in any order you want (for the most part), and there are several secret levels that you can find by reaching alternate exits in specific levels. These levels arenāt really all that spectacular, and they donāt last long at all, but they are a nice bonus for those who are wanting more out of the game.
One of the best aspects that this game has going for it, like I mentioned earlier, is the amount of creativity that was put into this game. Sure, the main gameplay mechanics arenāt changed up significantly whatsoever, but everything around the gameplay does stand out as being unique to this day, such as with the worlds and the enemies in levels. Iām sure we are all familiar with the types of worlds Mario games have you go through: Grass World, Desert World, Beach World, Forest World, Snow World, Cliff World, Sky World, and Hell World. These world themes arenāt bad by any means, but we have seen them so many times in Mario games, you tend to get sick of the lack of variety.
However, in Mario Land 2, there are plenty of interesting world themes, with some pretty unique levels to go along with them. We have the usual shit, like your regular grass levels and a world inside of a tree, but then we have a world in space, a world inside a spooky Jack-O-Lantern, a world where you get shrunken down and have to traverse through a regular house, and even one where you climb through a giant mechanical Mario robot! Sure, most of these themes arenāt too creative, but they are ones that we have never seen in any other Mario game before and since this one, and they are very memorable and fun to traverse through. And in terms of the enemies, there is a great variety of old and new ones, like ants, moles, angry stars, Cow-Fish things, Goombas wearing hockey masks like Jason Vorhees, and even a tiny little Dracula that is adorable. Again, like with the worlds, you donāt see these types of enemies in most other Mario games, making this one stand out much more, and in turn, being even more fun and memorable.
Of course, how could I forget about one of the defining features of this game, that being the brand new villain of the game. This villain was created specifically out of spite for working on a game that the developers didnāt primarily create, which is ironic, considering this character would come to be one of the best characters in the entire franchise, as well as one of the greatest and most iconic characters in video game history. I am, of course, talking about Wario. He may just be a bad version of Mario (quite literally), but he has become so much more than that over the years. He is fat, he is rude, he is insanely greedy, and he cares about nobody other than himself, stomping anyone down in his path to get whatever the hell he wantsā¦ā¦.. and I absolutely love him for all of those reasons. There is a reason why he has gotten multiple series of his own games, even all the way to this day.
I know I have been raving on and on about this game for this entire review, but honestly, there arenāt really that many complaints that I have with the game overall. It is an immensely solid title that I had an absolute blast replaying for this review, and it does still hold up very well. I guess if I did have some complaints I could give, I would say that the game is kind of short, as well as kind of easy, but considering all of the levels you can play through, with some being pretty challenging, I donāt really see this as much of an issue. This could also be said for the fact that, if you get a Game Over, any of the 6 golden coins you have gathered at that point are taken away from you, and you have to get it back. That does kind of suck, but again, the game is somewhat easy, as it gives you lives a plenty, so even then, you probably wonāt get a Game Over in the first place.
Overall, despite there being some very minor issues that I can see with it, Super Mario Land 2 is an almost perfect follow-up to the original Super Mario Land, one with a great amount of creativity for a Mario game, and one that is still very fun to blast through even to this day. I would definitely recommend it for anybody, as well as Mario fans in general, even if you didnāt like the original Mario Land at all. Trust me, it is definitely worth it. Now I just canāt wait to see what Super Mario Land 3 has in store next! someone whispers into my ear....... Whassat? Ohā¦ wellā¦ that didnāt take long at all.
Game #302
In terms of mainline handheld Mario games, this entry in particular is usually held in pretty high regards, not just with delivering the same timeless and fun gameplay that we have all grown to love, but also with implementing worlds and elements never seen in any other Mario game before or since then. And I am gonna have to agree with that general consensus, because taking inspiration from Super Mario World was definitely the right choice, rather then whatever it was that they originally had intended. As a followup to Super Mario Land, this is a MASSIVE improvement over what we were given in that game, and as a game on its own, it is fantastic. Is it anything too special compared to other titles in the series, and it is absolutely flawless? No, but for being a simple handheld Mario game, it is pretty damn impressive, especially for 1992, and it holds up very well to this day.
The story is NOT about saving any damsel in distress, but instead taking back your castle from a mysterious new foe, which is probably more important to Mario then saving a princess for the millionth time, the graphics are Game Boy graphics, with the artstyle and sprites being much better and more detailed then what we got in Super Mario Land, the music is very catchy, bouncy, and enjoyable, with some very replayable tracks out of the bunch, the control is what you would expect for a Mario game, and it is as tight and seamless as ever, and the gameplay is, again, what you would expect from a Mario game, but in comparison to the last game, it is a significant step in the right direction.
The game is yet another 2D platformer, where you go through many different side-scrolling levels, defeat many of the enemies that stand in your way, avoid dangerous platforming hazards, gather many different powerups, coins, and extra lives along the way, and take on easy, yet creative and enjoyable bosses. It is what you would expect from a 2D Mario title, but it still remains pretty fun and imaginative to this day. In terms of new features to this game, there arenāt really that many new powerups, except for one known as the Magic Carrot, which turns you into Bunny Mario, who canā¦ flutter down very slowly when you push the button. So basically, itās just like the Tanooki Leaf from Mario 3, except you canāt fly upwards or attack enemies. Thatās kind of lame, but hey, it is still fun to use. Not to mention, this game takes plenty of inspiration from, like I said, Super Mario World, where there is an overworld map, you can tackle levels in any order you want (for the most part), and there are several secret levels that you can find by reaching alternate exits in specific levels. These levels arenāt really all that spectacular, and they donāt last long at all, but they are a nice bonus for those who are wanting more out of the game.
One of the best aspects that this game has going for it, like I mentioned earlier, is the amount of creativity that was put into this game. Sure, the main gameplay mechanics arenāt changed up significantly whatsoever, but everything around the gameplay does stand out as being unique to this day, such as with the worlds and the enemies in levels. Iām sure we are all familiar with the types of worlds Mario games have you go through: Grass World, Desert World, Beach World, Forest World, Snow World, Cliff World, Sky World, and Hell World. These world themes arenāt bad by any means, but we have seen them so many times in Mario games, you tend to get sick of the lack of variety.
However, in Mario Land 2, there are plenty of interesting world themes, with some pretty unique levels to go along with them. We have the usual shit, like your regular grass levels and a world inside of a tree, but then we have a world in space, a world inside a spooky Jack-O-Lantern, a world where you get shrunken down and have to traverse through a regular house, and even one where you climb through a giant mechanical Mario robot! Sure, most of these themes arenāt too creative, but they are ones that we have never seen in any other Mario game before and since this one, and they are very memorable and fun to traverse through. And in terms of the enemies, there is a great variety of old and new ones, like ants, moles, angry stars, Cow-Fish things, Goombas wearing hockey masks like Jason Vorhees, and even a tiny little Dracula that is adorable. Again, like with the worlds, you donāt see these types of enemies in most other Mario games, making this one stand out much more, and in turn, being even more fun and memorable.
Of course, how could I forget about one of the defining features of this game, that being the brand new villain of the game. This villain was created specifically out of spite for working on a game that the developers didnāt primarily create, which is ironic, considering this character would come to be one of the best characters in the entire franchise, as well as one of the greatest and most iconic characters in video game history. I am, of course, talking about Wario. He may just be a bad version of Mario (quite literally), but he has become so much more than that over the years. He is fat, he is rude, he is insanely greedy, and he cares about nobody other than himself, stomping anyone down in his path to get whatever the hell he wantsā¦ā¦.. and I absolutely love him for all of those reasons. There is a reason why he has gotten multiple series of his own games, even all the way to this day.
I know I have been raving on and on about this game for this entire review, but honestly, there arenāt really that many complaints that I have with the game overall. It is an immensely solid title that I had an absolute blast replaying for this review, and it does still hold up very well. I guess if I did have some complaints I could give, I would say that the game is kind of short, as well as kind of easy, but considering all of the levels you can play through, with some being pretty challenging, I donāt really see this as much of an issue. This could also be said for the fact that, if you get a Game Over, any of the 6 golden coins you have gathered at that point are taken away from you, and you have to get it back. That does kind of suck, but again, the game is somewhat easy, as it gives you lives a plenty, so even then, you probably wonāt get a Game Over in the first place.
Overall, despite there being some very minor issues that I can see with it, Super Mario Land 2 is an almost perfect follow-up to the original Super Mario Land, one with a great amount of creativity for a Mario game, and one that is still very fun to blast through even to this day. I would definitely recommend it for anybody, as well as Mario fans in general, even if you didnāt like the original Mario Land at all. Trust me, it is definitely worth it. Now I just canāt wait to see what Super Mario Land 3 has in store next! someone whispers into my ear....... Whassat? Ohā¦ wellā¦ that didnāt take long at all.
Game #302
The turtlesā first attempt at a video game didnāt really work out so well, with it having some level of promise, but being held back by horrible level design, awkward-ass movement, and just a general lack of care, which isnāt something you would expect to see from an early Turtles game made by Konami. But hey, at least the worst is behind us, and we can now move onto the good stuff. Like I mentioned in the TMNT NES review, Konami was primarily responsible for developing a good handful of the early TMNT games for a while, and a good number of them are held in high regard, so needless to say, I was in for some good olā fashioned arcade beat-āem-up funā¦ at least, thatās what I thought going into it, and yet, I had a somewhat different experience with TMNT for the arcades.
Going into this game, I was expecting an absolute BANGER of an arcade beat-āem-up, similar to what TMNT: Turtles in Time gave me and many others. After all, it was made by Konami, and Turtles in Time was made afterwards, so surely the original arcade game has to have some sort of similar quality that Turtles in Time borrowed from, right? Well, I meanā¦ it kind of does. Donāt get me wrong, this game isnāt bad at all, as it does lay the groundwork for what TMNT back then games should be, and it does have some good qualities that hold up to this day, butā¦ it is pretty rough, for more then one reason. For these reasons, I can only say that the game is alright, and nothing more. Yes, I did enjoy my time with it (to an extent), but there are several big factors holding this game back from being great, or even that good.
The story is your average TMNT affair: Shredderās fucking about, go stop him, which is pretty much all you need for one of the earliest TMNT games, so I will allow it, the graphics are really damn good, being very colorful, with enjoyable animations from the turtles, and extremely well done sprites for the characters, the music is absolutely fantastic, having some of the best, and dare I say, raddest tunes of any liscensed arcade game out there, the control is very solid, with all the usual actions you would expect, and the gameplay isā¦ extremely basic, which would usually be enough for me to get behind, but again, there are some issues with it that we will get to.
The game is your average 2D side-scrolling beat-āem-up, where you take control of one of the four Ninja Turtles, go through several stages of a very hostile New York (even more hostile than normal), beat up as many Foot Soldiers or other threats that attack you, grab any pizza that is lying about (which is probably all moldy and disgusting by now) to give you and edge up on your foes, and take on plenty of iconic bosses from the comics and TV show that will certainly put you to the test. Now, all of this should make a pretty incredible arcade experience, and for a good chunk of it, it does, as the presentation is still absolutely fantastic, but the gameplay does hold it back from reaching that potential.
First and foremost, the game is way too basic in terms of a beat-āem-up. Yes, that is to be expected for a game like this released around this time, but there is a way to provide a memorable environment while still sticking to the basics for your gameplay. Captain Commando is a good example of it, and even Konamiās own The Simpsons Arcade Game could also fill out these roles. Sure, those did come out later, but they both have a very unique world and energy to them that still makes them endearing, and therefore, more fun. With this game, however, it is pretty much a checklist for what you would expect to see in a TMNT beat-āem-up, and nothing more, which was all that players and fans needed back in the day, but considering the leaps and bounds that future games would take, like with Turtles and Time and even Shredderās Revenge much later down the line, it does make this one seem less preferable, and just stands as āthe first oneā as a result.
And secondly, with this being the main problem I have with this gameā¦ this game is pretty damn hard. Now, I know what you are thinking, āYeah, no shit, itās an old arcade game, of course it is hardā, but something about the difficulty of the game doesnāt feel right, and even feels somewhat unfair at times. There are many times where you can easily be ganged up on by both enemies and bosses, take a lot of damage before you can do anything about it, and your pocket full of change will quickly diminish as a result. Seriously, there were many points where I could barely get a good amount of hits on a boss before I then got smacked down for even trying to attempt to play the game. The part that fully encapsulates this unfair difficulty balance would be with the fight against Shredder. It is appropriate that he would be the hardest part of the game, as he is the final boss, but good GOD, the amount of damage he deals to you and how fast he can kill you is ridiculous, with clones that will happily interrupt your attacks on the regular, attacks that you canāt avoid too easily, and one attack that INSTANTLY KILLS YOU. Yeah, that is bullshit, and I donāt care what anyone says against my statement on that.
Now, with all of that said, it is still a good game. Like I mentioned before, the presentation is absolutely incredible, and the gameplay still serves as the basis for what all other TMNT beat-āem-ups should be, but again, itās the difficulty and the somewhat blandness of the game that makes it less than desirable when compared to other titles. Would this be sufficient enough for someone who hasnāt played any other TMNT game, as well as being one of the first games from the turtles? Absolutely, but considering where we have come since then, and the things that I mentioned earlier, it is definitely a game that I am not gonna be coming back to in the near future.
Overall, while the game has great graphics and music, while also giving off the exact feeling of what a TMNT game should be, the gameplay is basic enough and unfairly challenging enough to the point where I can only consider it alright in comparison to other similar titles. I would only recommend it for those who are either fans of the later TMNT games, or for those who are fans of TMNT in general, but otherwise, there are plenty of better options out there. Also, can we just talk about how, for the promotional illustrations of this game, the Ninja Turtles themselves are illustrated, but April āo Neil and Shredder are being portrayed by real people. The fuckās that all about? Letās just hope that those two actors got paid a hefty sack of cash for that, because they look really stupid in those poses.
Game #303
Going into this game, I was expecting an absolute BANGER of an arcade beat-āem-up, similar to what TMNT: Turtles in Time gave me and many others. After all, it was made by Konami, and Turtles in Time was made afterwards, so surely the original arcade game has to have some sort of similar quality that Turtles in Time borrowed from, right? Well, I meanā¦ it kind of does. Donāt get me wrong, this game isnāt bad at all, as it does lay the groundwork for what TMNT back then games should be, and it does have some good qualities that hold up to this day, butā¦ it is pretty rough, for more then one reason. For these reasons, I can only say that the game is alright, and nothing more. Yes, I did enjoy my time with it (to an extent), but there are several big factors holding this game back from being great, or even that good.
The story is your average TMNT affair: Shredderās fucking about, go stop him, which is pretty much all you need for one of the earliest TMNT games, so I will allow it, the graphics are really damn good, being very colorful, with enjoyable animations from the turtles, and extremely well done sprites for the characters, the music is absolutely fantastic, having some of the best, and dare I say, raddest tunes of any liscensed arcade game out there, the control is very solid, with all the usual actions you would expect, and the gameplay isā¦ extremely basic, which would usually be enough for me to get behind, but again, there are some issues with it that we will get to.
The game is your average 2D side-scrolling beat-āem-up, where you take control of one of the four Ninja Turtles, go through several stages of a very hostile New York (even more hostile than normal), beat up as many Foot Soldiers or other threats that attack you, grab any pizza that is lying about (which is probably all moldy and disgusting by now) to give you and edge up on your foes, and take on plenty of iconic bosses from the comics and TV show that will certainly put you to the test. Now, all of this should make a pretty incredible arcade experience, and for a good chunk of it, it does, as the presentation is still absolutely fantastic, but the gameplay does hold it back from reaching that potential.
First and foremost, the game is way too basic in terms of a beat-āem-up. Yes, that is to be expected for a game like this released around this time, but there is a way to provide a memorable environment while still sticking to the basics for your gameplay. Captain Commando is a good example of it, and even Konamiās own The Simpsons Arcade Game could also fill out these roles. Sure, those did come out later, but they both have a very unique world and energy to them that still makes them endearing, and therefore, more fun. With this game, however, it is pretty much a checklist for what you would expect to see in a TMNT beat-āem-up, and nothing more, which was all that players and fans needed back in the day, but considering the leaps and bounds that future games would take, like with Turtles and Time and even Shredderās Revenge much later down the line, it does make this one seem less preferable, and just stands as āthe first oneā as a result.
And secondly, with this being the main problem I have with this gameā¦ this game is pretty damn hard. Now, I know what you are thinking, āYeah, no shit, itās an old arcade game, of course it is hardā, but something about the difficulty of the game doesnāt feel right, and even feels somewhat unfair at times. There are many times where you can easily be ganged up on by both enemies and bosses, take a lot of damage before you can do anything about it, and your pocket full of change will quickly diminish as a result. Seriously, there were many points where I could barely get a good amount of hits on a boss before I then got smacked down for even trying to attempt to play the game. The part that fully encapsulates this unfair difficulty balance would be with the fight against Shredder. It is appropriate that he would be the hardest part of the game, as he is the final boss, but good GOD, the amount of damage he deals to you and how fast he can kill you is ridiculous, with clones that will happily interrupt your attacks on the regular, attacks that you canāt avoid too easily, and one attack that INSTANTLY KILLS YOU. Yeah, that is bullshit, and I donāt care what anyone says against my statement on that.
Now, with all of that said, it is still a good game. Like I mentioned before, the presentation is absolutely incredible, and the gameplay still serves as the basis for what all other TMNT beat-āem-ups should be, but again, itās the difficulty and the somewhat blandness of the game that makes it less than desirable when compared to other titles. Would this be sufficient enough for someone who hasnāt played any other TMNT game, as well as being one of the first games from the turtles? Absolutely, but considering where we have come since then, and the things that I mentioned earlier, it is definitely a game that I am not gonna be coming back to in the near future.
Overall, while the game has great graphics and music, while also giving off the exact feeling of what a TMNT game should be, the gameplay is basic enough and unfairly challenging enough to the point where I can only consider it alright in comparison to other similar titles. I would only recommend it for those who are either fans of the later TMNT games, or for those who are fans of TMNT in general, but otherwise, there are plenty of better options out there. Also, can we just talk about how, for the promotional illustrations of this game, the Ninja Turtles themselves are illustrated, but April āo Neil and Shredder are being portrayed by real people. The fuckās that all about? Letās just hope that those two actors got paid a hefty sack of cash for that, because they look really stupid in those poses.
Game #303
This review contains spoilers
My first Zelda game !
The prologue focuses on Link's life in his hometown, and his relation with the other villagers, especially the other kids. The game immediatly stunned me with its music and scenery. The vibe in the Faron Woods is immaculate, and I liked the twilight aesthetics in the opening scene.
The game quickly takes a sharp turn after the invasion of Link's hometown, with his transformation into a wolf; and mostly, the introduction of Midna & the Twilight realm.
I like having a companion in my singleplayer games because it makes me feel less lonely, and Midna was such a great partner. I loved her sassy attitude, and her development throughout the game was heartwarming.
Once I beat the second dungeon, I was more familiar with the zelda formula: the use of keys & backtracking, the map that you need to find to reveal the hidden treasure chests, the new item that you get after beating the mini Boss, etc... it quickly clicked with me. Goron Mines was a great dungeon by the way. I loved the 2 boss fights, both were really cinematic. And I liked the mechanic with the Iron Boots.
After that, I started to spend more time wandering around. I quickly became fond of the openworld, even though some regions were a bit empty, like the Gerudo Desert and the Snowpeaks.
The two themes that you hear in Hyrule Fields are probably my two favorite musics in Twilight Princess. Hyrule Fields night version especially, it's so eerie...
I've always enjoyed going around the hyrule fields after the sun set, solely because of that theme. And riding Epona felt nice. It was a good alternative to fast travel.
Lakebed Temple is where puzzles started to get really spicy. I had a hard time figuring out the layout of the dungeon with the staircases and the flowing water. Despite the epicness of the Boss, I have to admit I was overwhelmed by its non-existent difficulty. In its second phase, the Boss literally doesn't even attack you...
You get a really fun item in Arbiter's Grounds: the Spinner. Sadly you don't get to use it a lot outside of the dungeon, but it was still cool to use a beyblade to kill enemies.
Stallord is the best Boss in the game and it made a great use of the new item.
Palace of Twilight was the least interesting dungeon. It's short, and I expected more from it in terms of puzzles & enemies variety. And its aesthetics weren't interesting enough.
The parts where you're chased by those flying hands were overwhelming. Zant was a great boss fight tho, I liked the idea of turning him into a Boss rush.
Hyrule Castle was such a great final dungeon. Unlike the previous ones, it focuses less on puzzles and more on combat. For once, there were some tough fights, like the moment when you have to beat 2 Darknuts at the same time. And the final encounter against Ganondorf with its multiple phases was neat. The swordfight was fucking epic.
Double Clawshots was my favorite item, and its use in City in the Sky was so satisfying. Amazing boss fight by the way!
But to be honest, there isn't a single bad or mediocre boss in this game. All of them are amazing.
The wolf form was disappointing. It would have been great if Wolf Link acquired new moves throughout the game, just like Human Link.
The conclusion to Midna's storyline was great and almost made me tear up!
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Played in February 2021]
Playtime: 50 hours
Main story complete. I also did every Howling Stone and collected every Golden Bug.
The prologue focuses on Link's life in his hometown, and his relation with the other villagers, especially the other kids. The game immediatly stunned me with its music and scenery. The vibe in the Faron Woods is immaculate, and I liked the twilight aesthetics in the opening scene.
The game quickly takes a sharp turn after the invasion of Link's hometown, with his transformation into a wolf; and mostly, the introduction of Midna & the Twilight realm.
I like having a companion in my singleplayer games because it makes me feel less lonely, and Midna was such a great partner. I loved her sassy attitude, and her development throughout the game was heartwarming.
Once I beat the second dungeon, I was more familiar with the zelda formula: the use of keys & backtracking, the map that you need to find to reveal the hidden treasure chests, the new item that you get after beating the mini Boss, etc... it quickly clicked with me. Goron Mines was a great dungeon by the way. I loved the 2 boss fights, both were really cinematic. And I liked the mechanic with the Iron Boots.
After that, I started to spend more time wandering around. I quickly became fond of the openworld, even though some regions were a bit empty, like the Gerudo Desert and the Snowpeaks.
The two themes that you hear in Hyrule Fields are probably my two favorite musics in Twilight Princess. Hyrule Fields night version especially, it's so eerie...
I've always enjoyed going around the hyrule fields after the sun set, solely because of that theme. And riding Epona felt nice. It was a good alternative to fast travel.
Lakebed Temple is where puzzles started to get really spicy. I had a hard time figuring out the layout of the dungeon with the staircases and the flowing water. Despite the epicness of the Boss, I have to admit I was overwhelmed by its non-existent difficulty. In its second phase, the Boss literally doesn't even attack you...
You get a really fun item in Arbiter's Grounds: the Spinner. Sadly you don't get to use it a lot outside of the dungeon, but it was still cool to use a beyblade to kill enemies.
Stallord is the best Boss in the game and it made a great use of the new item.
Palace of Twilight was the least interesting dungeon. It's short, and I expected more from it in terms of puzzles & enemies variety. And its aesthetics weren't interesting enough.
The parts where you're chased by those flying hands were overwhelming. Zant was a great boss fight tho, I liked the idea of turning him into a Boss rush.
Hyrule Castle was such a great final dungeon. Unlike the previous ones, it focuses less on puzzles and more on combat. For once, there were some tough fights, like the moment when you have to beat 2 Darknuts at the same time. And the final encounter against Ganondorf with its multiple phases was neat. The swordfight was fucking epic.
Double Clawshots was my favorite item, and its use in City in the Sky was so satisfying. Amazing boss fight by the way!
But to be honest, there isn't a single bad or mediocre boss in this game. All of them are amazing.
The wolf form was disappointing. It would have been great if Wolf Link acquired new moves throughout the game, just like Human Link.
The conclusion to Midna's storyline was great and almost made me tear up!
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Played in February 2021]
Playtime: 50 hours
Main story complete. I also did every Howling Stone and collected every Golden Bug.
Grand Theft Auto IV
2008
This review contains spoilers
I really enjoyed the atmosphere of Liberty City. It has such a vibe when you're driving at night with some of the radios. I fondly remember listening to The Journey, Vladivostok FM, and Electro-Choc.
After playing that game so many times, I know the map like the back of my hand, I will never get tired of this city. And I love the driving & ragdoll physics.
I have many great memories with the game. Experiencing the cheat codes for the first time, going on top of the Empire state building, discovering secrets & glitches like the heart inside the statue of Happiness; the swing set glitch; the hidden Sultan RS in Alderney; and many others.
GTA IV was also my very first online experience back in 2008, so it makes this game even more nostalgic & memorable for me.
I remember completing the game to 100% the first time I played it over 15 years ago, even the stupid optional content, like killing the 200 pigeons scattered around the map. But this time, I only did the main story.
Niko Bellic was such an amazing protagonist. He is an hardened veteran of the Balkans wars, and it made him a really efficient hitman who has no problem making himself respected from others. He always has that sarcastic tone whenever he's in a tense situation, or simply when he's discussing with other characters, probably to hide his trauma.
There are a lot of humorous moments in the first part of the game: Niko's constant sarcasm; Badman's heavy jamaican accent which makes him really hard to understand; the McReary always cracking jokes with each other; Roman and his optimism in bad situations; etc... But this humor slowly fades away as you progress in the story. Things become more & more serious, and you start wondering if it's gonna end well for Niko.
The mission where Dimitri betrays Niko was really captivating. You learn more about Niko's Past in Europe, and Little Jacob helps you escaping Dimitri & Bulgarin's pitfall. He was probably Niko's best friend in this game. And he was also the only one to help him during the final mission. He's the best homie!
In retrospect, it's disappointing that you have no choice but to kill Faustin. He was the first one to have suspicions about Dimitri, and he was definitely right.
There is a turning point in the story when you retrieve the drug in the abandoned hospital for Elizabeta. At the end of the mission, you learn that your girlfriend Michelle was working for the government all along; you get in touch with that IAA agent; and you start doing missions mainly on the second island Algonquin. This is one of the best missions in the game, and it's actually quite difficult when you don't use cheat codes!
After some time, you eventually get to meet every member of the McReary family, and you get to the best mission in the entire game: Three Leaf Clover, with the bank robbery. The whole thing is an homage to the movie Heat. The robbery quickly takes a bad turn, and you have to make your escape through the swarm of cops in the subway. It's just so exhilarating the whole way.
I have to say, it's really disappointing that you can't do anything with the money you earn...
I enjoyed that we are constantly reminded of Niko's main objective throughout the game: finding the man who betrayed him & his friends during the war.
Everytime Niko meets a new acquaintance, he asks him if they know something about this Darko Brevic, and I was curious to see which character would be the one to finally help Niko reaching his goal.
There were a few dilemmas throughout the game, having to choose between killing one character or another.
The first one was between Playboy X and Dwayne. I killed Playboy because he's an hypocrite and kind of a jerk. Dude asks you personally to kill his old friend Dwayne, and then he calls you cold-hearted and a coward. I mean, c'mon...
And killing him alllows you to get a new fancy house, so it was an easy decision. (I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of Dwayne either tho, dude is always whining.)
Then, you have to choose between the drug addict Derrick McReary, and his brother, Francis McReary who's also a crooked cop. While Francis is definitely a scumbag that doesn't hesitate blackmailing Niko, I tolerated him more than Derrick. I just despise junkies.
I liked the central plot with the diamonds. You see them during the intro cutscene, and they keep showing up in several missions throughout the game. The museum mission was neat because the 3 protagonists from each game were present. Niko Bellic, Johnny Klebitz from The Lost and Damned DLC, and Luis Lopez from The Ballad of Gay Tony DLC. Those diamonds caused so much trouble to all the people involved, so I couldn't help but laugh when Packie said these diamonds were cursed!
The game's final dilemma leads to 2 different endings, and both are bad, but one is definitely worse than the other. What's interesting is that if you listen to Kate and refuse to make the deal with Dimitri, she's the one to perish. But if you instead listen to Roman and make the deal, he's the one to meet his end. The ending where Roman is dead is honestly fucking depressing.
GTA IV's story is really memorable. The atmosphere is dark, the city is grime & gloomy, and Niko has a really tragic story. No matter how the story ends, he doesn't get a happy ending. And the final shot of Liberty City with the phone calls in the background between Niko and the other characters discussing Roman's death is devastating.
This is a great game, and it's still the only GTA game I've played so far. I should get around playing GTA V one day!
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Played in July 2020]
Playtime: 75 hours
Main story complete. I didn't do any of the side content this time.
I also played a bit of free roam online!
After playing that game so many times, I know the map like the back of my hand, I will never get tired of this city. And I love the driving & ragdoll physics.
I have many great memories with the game. Experiencing the cheat codes for the first time, going on top of the Empire state building, discovering secrets & glitches like the heart inside the statue of Happiness; the swing set glitch; the hidden Sultan RS in Alderney; and many others.
GTA IV was also my very first online experience back in 2008, so it makes this game even more nostalgic & memorable for me.
I remember completing the game to 100% the first time I played it over 15 years ago, even the stupid optional content, like killing the 200 pigeons scattered around the map. But this time, I only did the main story.
Niko Bellic was such an amazing protagonist. He is an hardened veteran of the Balkans wars, and it made him a really efficient hitman who has no problem making himself respected from others. He always has that sarcastic tone whenever he's in a tense situation, or simply when he's discussing with other characters, probably to hide his trauma.
There are a lot of humorous moments in the first part of the game: Niko's constant sarcasm; Badman's heavy jamaican accent which makes him really hard to understand; the McReary always cracking jokes with each other; Roman and his optimism in bad situations; etc... But this humor slowly fades away as you progress in the story. Things become more & more serious, and you start wondering if it's gonna end well for Niko.
The mission where Dimitri betrays Niko was really captivating. You learn more about Niko's Past in Europe, and Little Jacob helps you escaping Dimitri & Bulgarin's pitfall. He was probably Niko's best friend in this game. And he was also the only one to help him during the final mission. He's the best homie!
In retrospect, it's disappointing that you have no choice but to kill Faustin. He was the first one to have suspicions about Dimitri, and he was definitely right.
There is a turning point in the story when you retrieve the drug in the abandoned hospital for Elizabeta. At the end of the mission, you learn that your girlfriend Michelle was working for the government all along; you get in touch with that IAA agent; and you start doing missions mainly on the second island Algonquin. This is one of the best missions in the game, and it's actually quite difficult when you don't use cheat codes!
After some time, you eventually get to meet every member of the McReary family, and you get to the best mission in the entire game: Three Leaf Clover, with the bank robbery. The whole thing is an homage to the movie Heat. The robbery quickly takes a bad turn, and you have to make your escape through the swarm of cops in the subway. It's just so exhilarating the whole way.
I have to say, it's really disappointing that you can't do anything with the money you earn...
I enjoyed that we are constantly reminded of Niko's main objective throughout the game: finding the man who betrayed him & his friends during the war.
Everytime Niko meets a new acquaintance, he asks him if they know something about this Darko Brevic, and I was curious to see which character would be the one to finally help Niko reaching his goal.
There were a few dilemmas throughout the game, having to choose between killing one character or another.
The first one was between Playboy X and Dwayne. I killed Playboy because he's an hypocrite and kind of a jerk. Dude asks you personally to kill his old friend Dwayne, and then he calls you cold-hearted and a coward. I mean, c'mon...
And killing him alllows you to get a new fancy house, so it was an easy decision. (I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of Dwayne either tho, dude is always whining.)
Then, you have to choose between the drug addict Derrick McReary, and his brother, Francis McReary who's also a crooked cop. While Francis is definitely a scumbag that doesn't hesitate blackmailing Niko, I tolerated him more than Derrick. I just despise junkies.
I liked the central plot with the diamonds. You see them during the intro cutscene, and they keep showing up in several missions throughout the game. The museum mission was neat because the 3 protagonists from each game were present. Niko Bellic, Johnny Klebitz from The Lost and Damned DLC, and Luis Lopez from The Ballad of Gay Tony DLC. Those diamonds caused so much trouble to all the people involved, so I couldn't help but laugh when Packie said these diamonds were cursed!
The game's final dilemma leads to 2 different endings, and both are bad, but one is definitely worse than the other. What's interesting is that if you listen to Kate and refuse to make the deal with Dimitri, she's the one to perish. But if you instead listen to Roman and make the deal, he's the one to meet his end. The ending where Roman is dead is honestly fucking depressing.
GTA IV's story is really memorable. The atmosphere is dark, the city is grime & gloomy, and Niko has a really tragic story. No matter how the story ends, he doesn't get a happy ending. And the final shot of Liberty City with the phone calls in the background between Niko and the other characters discussing Roman's death is devastating.
This is a great game, and it's still the only GTA game I've played so far. I should get around playing GTA V one day!
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Played in July 2020]
Playtime: 75 hours
Main story complete. I didn't do any of the side content this time.
I also played a bit of free roam online!