Mash5a
2006
Why the hell is there a flirt mechanic????
2021
This review contains spoilers
Getting Kylar to kill himself was definitely the high point.
A wonderfully charming game that I had an equally wonderful reconnection with.
Back in the days of "Video Rentals", my local shop happened to carry this game for a time. I was a dumb, stubborn child, who refused to read in video games for an embarrassingly long time. On top of which, I didn't have a PS2 to call my own. So, I had one weekend with my Uncle's console to play a game I couldn't pronounce.
Once I started though, it didn't matter.
I was instantly mesmerized by the bright intro, breezy music, and playful menu sounds. Then the following introductory sequence brings a stark contrast; melancholic music, gibberish language, and abstract imagery are seared into my soul. Klonoa falls from the void and into the ocean, spit back up into the air and given a close-up; it's some kind of cat-rabbitey thing. Shadowy figures discuss something from their plane until a bright flash of white fades into Klonoa's point of view. Klonoa awakens on the shore to some insane bird thing, and a girl. My baby brain sees the three of them and instantly wants to be their friend.
Something about this experience is magical. For proof, look no further than the developers of "Tunic". They made an entire game about capturing this feeling, about experiencing emotions from words you don't understand, words you don't need to understand. It's a condition countless experience, whether by age or by language barrier. It's an experience Klonoa 2 is incredibly predisposed to provide, with it's literal dreamlike world, colorful characters, moving score, and pleasantly fake language.
Even as I grew older, now able to read the dialogue, having the characters speak in plain english would devastate the tone. Klonoa 2 is a dream, not because Klonoa is immediately referred to as the "dream traveler". I mean that, functionally, emotionally, the game harnesses the feelings you get from dreams. I'm not exaggerating when I say that Klonoa 2 has an incredible emotional range. It's like seeing dead loved ones in a dream. You talk, you smile, and you think "they're okay!" But nonetheless, you have to say goodbye...
It's happy, it's melancholy, it's sorrow.
It's fucking amazing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The review, really, should end there. However, I technically didn't finish explaining my first play through... aaaand I kinda like sharing my experiences in these reviews. So, in brief.
The first level has an amazing mood. Following that up with the trance-like, but important sounding, theme of Baguji's Island? Creates an incredible sense of mystery~ After that, I don't remember much until the boss. The antagonists looked really cool and I remember being excited to see them. Finally, Joilant Plaza...
At this point of the game, you get ROBBED by the sidekick villain, who then splits apart, and goads you into finding the correct thief. I remember being ecstatic that I finally got to the surf board level from the cover, and then pissed that I picked the "wrong" thief. I would shortly be filtered by the next level, ending my run in with Klonoa 2 for the foreseeable future.
It would take me a long time in kid years to rediscover it. I mean, come on! "Klonoa"? What a fucked up set of letters! Not to mention that I 100% did not put the name to memory. "Cat-Board" would have been the closest I could describe it. Otherwise, I'd probably go on an unhelpful tangent describing the story, as if it were an actual dream. It was just a fucked prospect, as Klonoa 2 had left my local video-rental by the time I got my own PS2.
So, time went on, and miraculously, I found it for a brief moment. In a store, window shopping with my aunt, I excitedly explain to her how I was looking for this game. I'm absolutely over my reading quirk, but it's still hard for me to remember such an odd name. (and despite my aunt even helping me pronounce it!) Regardless, that cover was seared into my mind.
Much later, in my tweens, the glory of Ebay allowed me to spend money on games I rented but never owned. This started with games like Parappa the Rapper 2 and, well... if I could just remember the damn name...
While I'm certain it happened on the internet, exactly how I rediscovered Klonoa has long since been forgotten. The only clue I have is an email I sent sometime around September, 2008. Now, as for actually getting the game off of ebay... it was... probably around then??? Before? After? during the financial crisis? All i know for certain, is that I beat the game "long" before (in kid time) the 2009 release of Klonoa! on the Wii. The abysmal sales of which, still sting.
As it turns out, the story of this reconnection is much like a dream itself. Details are fuzzy and descriptions of it are always less interesting than the experience. But... it was a good dream.
The excitement of discovery, the triumphant return, the promise to never forget. It was so special, it was all so special.
I played this game in a time of my life where tween angst had formed a callus over my emotions. On paper, a literal jumpy "Wahoo!" game would get obliterated by an emotionally callous older boy. But the charm of Klonoa 2 pierces right through you. It cuts into your heart, murders your superego, and gives kids a chance to chew on fairly complex feelings. It doesn't even rely on the text; It's because of the presentation, because of the vibe, because it's a dream.
There's a forgotten dream.
Was it a dream I can't remember?
Or a dream I won't remember?
have I forgotten the dream?
Or has the dream forgotten me?
But surely, there was a dream...
Back in the days of "Video Rentals", my local shop happened to carry this game for a time. I was a dumb, stubborn child, who refused to read in video games for an embarrassingly long time. On top of which, I didn't have a PS2 to call my own. So, I had one weekend with my Uncle's console to play a game I couldn't pronounce.
Once I started though, it didn't matter.
I was instantly mesmerized by the bright intro, breezy music, and playful menu sounds. Then the following introductory sequence brings a stark contrast; melancholic music, gibberish language, and abstract imagery are seared into my soul. Klonoa falls from the void and into the ocean, spit back up into the air and given a close-up; it's some kind of cat-rabbitey thing. Shadowy figures discuss something from their plane until a bright flash of white fades into Klonoa's point of view. Klonoa awakens on the shore to some insane bird thing, and a girl. My baby brain sees the three of them and instantly wants to be their friend.
Something about this experience is magical. For proof, look no further than the developers of "Tunic". They made an entire game about capturing this feeling, about experiencing emotions from words you don't understand, words you don't need to understand. It's a condition countless experience, whether by age or by language barrier. It's an experience Klonoa 2 is incredibly predisposed to provide, with it's literal dreamlike world, colorful characters, moving score, and pleasantly fake language.
Even as I grew older, now able to read the dialogue, having the characters speak in plain english would devastate the tone. Klonoa 2 is a dream, not because Klonoa is immediately referred to as the "dream traveler". I mean that, functionally, emotionally, the game harnesses the feelings you get from dreams. I'm not exaggerating when I say that Klonoa 2 has an incredible emotional range. It's like seeing dead loved ones in a dream. You talk, you smile, and you think "they're okay!" But nonetheless, you have to say goodbye...
It's happy, it's melancholy, it's sorrow.
It's fucking amazing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The review, really, should end there. However, I technically didn't finish explaining my first play through... aaaand I kinda like sharing my experiences in these reviews. So, in brief.
The first level has an amazing mood. Following that up with the trance-like, but important sounding, theme of Baguji's Island? Creates an incredible sense of mystery~ After that, I don't remember much until the boss. The antagonists looked really cool and I remember being excited to see them. Finally, Joilant Plaza...
At this point of the game, you get ROBBED by the sidekick villain, who then splits apart, and goads you into finding the correct thief. I remember being ecstatic that I finally got to the surf board level from the cover, and then pissed that I picked the "wrong" thief. I would shortly be filtered by the next level, ending my run in with Klonoa 2 for the foreseeable future.
It would take me a long time in kid years to rediscover it. I mean, come on! "Klonoa"? What a fucked up set of letters! Not to mention that I 100% did not put the name to memory. "Cat-Board" would have been the closest I could describe it. Otherwise, I'd probably go on an unhelpful tangent describing the story, as if it were an actual dream. It was just a fucked prospect, as Klonoa 2 had left my local video-rental by the time I got my own PS2.
So, time went on, and miraculously, I found it for a brief moment. In a store, window shopping with my aunt, I excitedly explain to her how I was looking for this game. I'm absolutely over my reading quirk, but it's still hard for me to remember such an odd name. (and despite my aunt even helping me pronounce it!) Regardless, that cover was seared into my mind.
Much later, in my tweens, the glory of Ebay allowed me to spend money on games I rented but never owned. This started with games like Parappa the Rapper 2 and, well... if I could just remember the damn name...
While I'm certain it happened on the internet, exactly how I rediscovered Klonoa has long since been forgotten. The only clue I have is an email I sent sometime around September, 2008. Now, as for actually getting the game off of ebay... it was... probably around then??? Before? After? during the financial crisis? All i know for certain, is that I beat the game "long" before (in kid time) the 2009 release of Klonoa! on the Wii. The abysmal sales of which, still sting.
As it turns out, the story of this reconnection is much like a dream itself. Details are fuzzy and descriptions of it are always less interesting than the experience. But... it was a good dream.
The excitement of discovery, the triumphant return, the promise to never forget. It was so special, it was all so special.
I played this game in a time of my life where tween angst had formed a callus over my emotions. On paper, a literal jumpy "Wahoo!" game would get obliterated by an emotionally callous older boy. But the charm of Klonoa 2 pierces right through you. It cuts into your heart, murders your superego, and gives kids a chance to chew on fairly complex feelings. It doesn't even rely on the text; It's because of the presentation, because of the vibe, because it's a dream.
There's a forgotten dream.
Was it a dream I can't remember?
Or a dream I won't remember?
have I forgotten the dream?
Or has the dream forgotten me?
But surely, there was a dream...
2008
Physical copies of the original Klonoa were fucking expensive, even back in 2009. For me, the emulation option was absolutely a no go. Not only was I unfamiliar, but I would have downloaded a virus. To make matters worse, I believe Klonoa was notorious for emulating poorly, either by way of bugs or performance. As such, the announcement of a remake was my only chance to play this classic. I fucking pre-ordered this bitch.
Thankfully, the experience is still quite faithful... so long as you switch the fake language back on. It's notorious for being "easier", of course. This game sports an insane amount of extra health compared to the original. Seemingly, this was a push to make the game appeal to ... babies?
Of the FEW marketing materials ever put out, this TRAVESTY completely pissed me off. I was just old enough to feel talked down to AND the only place I ever saw this was on GameStop's website... On the one hand, it's kind of cool to own a marginally rare game, on the other... rage.
In today's age, I'm pretty sure you can download the original Klonoa: Door to Phantomile on PSN or emulate it outright. However, this version does have the peculiar addition of challenge coins! The sole reason anyone should consider it over the original.
After beating the game, you unlock "reverse mode". This is a just a "mirror" mode, you still start each level from the normal position, the image is simply flipped. HOWEVER, portals to challenge rooms will now appear somewhere in each level! And buddy, these are hard. All that baby nonsense gets thrown out the window because the designers learned long ago that Klonoa doesn't actually need a floor to stand on. So long as they fill the screen with enough enemies to grab onto, the floor is actually fucking lava~
There was ONE I could never beat as a kid, and unfortunately, I wasn't missing much. There's no reward for collecting them all... It's just the only new gameplay the series has had to this day. Despite being based on the Wii version, these rooms were NOT included in the new remake collection. So in the year of our lord 2024, this entry into the series STILL manages to cling to relevance.
While that isn't much of a claim, I'll always be grateful that it allowed me to experience a masterpiece.
Thankfully, the experience is still quite faithful... so long as you switch the fake language back on. It's notorious for being "easier", of course. This game sports an insane amount of extra health compared to the original. Seemingly, this was a push to make the game appeal to ... babies?
Of the FEW marketing materials ever put out, this TRAVESTY completely pissed me off. I was just old enough to feel talked down to AND the only place I ever saw this was on GameStop's website... On the one hand, it's kind of cool to own a marginally rare game, on the other... rage.
In today's age, I'm pretty sure you can download the original Klonoa: Door to Phantomile on PSN or emulate it outright. However, this version does have the peculiar addition of challenge coins! The sole reason anyone should consider it over the original.
After beating the game, you unlock "reverse mode". This is a just a "mirror" mode, you still start each level from the normal position, the image is simply flipped. HOWEVER, portals to challenge rooms will now appear somewhere in each level! And buddy, these are hard. All that baby nonsense gets thrown out the window because the designers learned long ago that Klonoa doesn't actually need a floor to stand on. So long as they fill the screen with enough enemies to grab onto, the floor is actually fucking lava~
There was ONE I could never beat as a kid, and unfortunately, I wasn't missing much. There's no reward for collecting them all... It's just the only new gameplay the series has had to this day. Despite being based on the Wii version, these rooms were NOT included in the new remake collection. So in the year of our lord 2024, this entry into the series STILL manages to cling to relevance.
While that isn't much of a claim, I'll always be grateful that it allowed me to experience a masterpiece.
Game has more bloom than an outback steakhouse.
2024
-NOTE- This review is about the odd circumstances I played this game under and major spoilers will be discussed in it's own section.
Even if you have no intention of playing it, I firmly stand with the idea that you should buy games you enjoy watching. Be it with your favorite streamer or by way of a comprehensive video essay, these ancillary pieces of media owe their existence directly to the source material. You should consider it, if for no other reason, to see what the dev makes for your streamer or essayist next. For me, THAT was my experience with "Shipwrecked 64."
My first contact with it was a video essay made by someone who apparently knew the developer. As I remember it, they had given them access to the game early so they could be the first one to come out with a video (HELL YEAH, lmao). Synergy like that had to have been good for sales, or at least, relative to having no algorithmic push at all. Regardless, I appreciated the effort.
Once I had gotten through a good portion of the video, I noticed that it was late as hell. By this point, I had no intention to sleep and the essay's appeal to play the game worked. Shouts out to "pappo" and his video "Shipwrecked 64: The Best ARG You Never Played" for introducing me into a good time, I was sold.
Now, without further ado:
"Shipwrecked 64" is a linear, narrative driven, horror game that takes place in the analog horror series "Broadside Beach". The game itself is notable for it's ARG, so notable in fact, that elaborating is a spoiler! but please, do make a mental note of that for later. For now though... allow me to discuss the premise.
"Shipwrecked 64" is a game that was originally released in 1997, but was quickly pulled off of store shelves. It was on the market for 3 days and quickly became lost media. However, with the help of two people who worked on the game, the SWRC (Shipwrecked Recovery Crew) were able to port the game onto a new game engine, restoring it to how it was "intended" to be. However, The 1997 ORIGINAL copy is also included in this new release, running on a custom emulator, exactly as it was found, unaltered.
Booting into the game, you are greeted with a wonderfully off-putting title screen. Upon hitting start, you will immediately notice that the main menu is an intractable level, vaguely gesturing at the era of late 90's platformers. It is here where you'll be able to start the game. specifically, the 2023 remake of "Shipwrecked 64". Which you will have to complete in order to unlock to the original 1997 release.
Upon starting either one, you are given a sit-rep by the player character, Bucky the Beaver. Bucky and his crew are shipwrecked on an Island that, not only happens to have a volcano, but an active volcano, set to erupt in five days. It is up to Bucky to locate all his friends, and escape before that happens. Oh, and the island is completely inhabited with townsfolk. As it turns out, everyone is really bummed that they can't flee the volcano.
GOOD LUCK, BUCKY!
It's at this point where the specifics don't matter, and I can relay my experience spoiler free.
Because a player like me is strange, saw this part in the video, and is simply playing catchup, it's surprising that I was still somewhat engaged. Despite "Shipwrecked 64" wearing the skin of an under-cooked license game, that descriptor is mostly earned by the game's length. Don't misunderstand, it really does sell that under-cooked quality. It's just that actually playing it allows you to mull over the mystery of the game's troubled development.
Now, I bailed on Pappo's essay once he finished discussing the 2023 "clean" version of "Shipwrecked 64", so I was able to go through this part of the game fairly quickly. Eventually, I get to a specific part where, shocker, there's a ship! I'm in a tunnel, knowing what comes after, running and jumping through to kill time. THEN WHAM! This god damn beaver bitch ZIPS THROUGH THE WALLS, zooms to the end of the level, and ledge grabs onto INVISIBLE GEOMETRY directly over a kill plane. This... was fucking awesome! It was a genuinely amusing glitch that I was happy to have on video. Even with the ensuing softlock, it's a fond memory.
What's that? A softlock? Hm, WHAT THE HELL? A SOFT LOCK?
heh, how you ask? You wanna know how? oh, YOU WANNA FUCKING KNOW HOW?!
...
Well actually, I'm not sure. BUT! I feel like I can make a pretty good guess!
For starters, I was with an NPC who was traveling with me towards the boat. As you run through the tunnel, dialogue boxes will appear after the player moves into a spot that triggers them. Now, what's SUPPOSED to happen, is that you trigger these linearly, without interruption. Once the final dialogue finishes, the game loads a cutscene. But recall that I zipped towards the end of the level! Meaning that I happened to trigger the final dialogue routine while another one was still occurring.
Notably, this causes some quirks in how the text was rendered. The line being interrupted seemingly attempts to load the text from the new line during it's own routine, before switching to the new dialogue routine. Whereupon this text gets displayed much faster than normal before the same exact line gets repeated, oddly, with the first letter missing. After this, I am staring around the level, amazed that I'm hanging onto nothing. Soon after, I'm jumping off the "ledge", attempting to land on the ship. I fall and die.
"Thankfully" this only takes me back to the start of the tunnel. upon walking through the cave, I quickly re-trigger the first dialogue routine and interrupt the final one. Except this time... the dialogue window does not close, it simply remains empty. Going to the final dialogue trigger, I am only met with the text box sound and a blank text window. The text box will not close and it will not display the final dialogue. I am, well and truly, stuck.
Thankfully, for real this time, the game's save system means that I only had to redo that one section. Everything else went smoothly, and sure enough, I ended up unlocking that original 1997 version of the game.
Minor spoilers up ahead that, come on, you saw coming.
Come on.
The original version of "Shipwrecked 64" is obviously fucked. "off-putting" has been shot in the head by horror and it's just getting started. Notably, since the video essay explicitly mentions the game has an ARG, I am now on the prowl for any fucked up secret or clue I might stumble upon early. Between this attitude and the massive zip glitch, not only am I trying to break the game, I'm also resetting levels to try this. Which, as it turned out, extended my play time by a looot. It also caused me to associate an ACTUAL secret I found with, what is in reality, an automatic part of progression. Thinking I need to try another level now, I go to another level, realize my mistake, and feel silly. At this point, the game goes balls to the walls with a scare and, in the dead of night, absolutely gets me. It's great, I'm enjoying myself, but now I'm tired.
As I close the game, I think to myself "Oh! Now I can watch that video up to where I'm at!" and folks, this is where it all goes wrong. Needless to say, I act on my thoughts. I'm watching the video, enjoying the shared experience of pappo and I. It's cozy! I'm cozy... too cozy.
...
I watched the whole thing.
I even wanted to play it, but I was simply too captivated and had to know what came next. Eventually, the extent of what I had seen became too much to think about replaying, especially compared to just watching more. Especially if you consider... MAJOR SPOILERS
To be continued! I have more anecdotes, general thoughts, and... specific thoughts. ??? fuck you, you'll see. (I also need to find space to talk about the weird text discrepancy during the zip glitch, but, eh.)
Even if you have no intention of playing it, I firmly stand with the idea that you should buy games you enjoy watching. Be it with your favorite streamer or by way of a comprehensive video essay, these ancillary pieces of media owe their existence directly to the source material. You should consider it, if for no other reason, to see what the dev makes for your streamer or essayist next. For me, THAT was my experience with "Shipwrecked 64."
My first contact with it was a video essay made by someone who apparently knew the developer. As I remember it, they had given them access to the game early so they could be the first one to come out with a video (HELL YEAH, lmao). Synergy like that had to have been good for sales, or at least, relative to having no algorithmic push at all. Regardless, I appreciated the effort.
Once I had gotten through a good portion of the video, I noticed that it was late as hell. By this point, I had no intention to sleep and the essay's appeal to play the game worked. Shouts out to "pappo" and his video "Shipwrecked 64: The Best ARG You Never Played" for introducing me into a good time, I was sold.
Now, without further ado:
"Shipwrecked 64" is a linear, narrative driven, horror game that takes place in the analog horror series "Broadside Beach". The game itself is notable for it's ARG, so notable in fact, that elaborating is a spoiler! but please, do make a mental note of that for later. For now though... allow me to discuss the premise.
"Shipwrecked 64" is a game that was originally released in 1997, but was quickly pulled off of store shelves. It was on the market for 3 days and quickly became lost media. However, with the help of two people who worked on the game, the SWRC (Shipwrecked Recovery Crew) were able to port the game onto a new game engine, restoring it to how it was "intended" to be. However, The 1997 ORIGINAL copy is also included in this new release, running on a custom emulator, exactly as it was found, unaltered.
Booting into the game, you are greeted with a wonderfully off-putting title screen. Upon hitting start, you will immediately notice that the main menu is an intractable level, vaguely gesturing at the era of late 90's platformers. It is here where you'll be able to start the game. specifically, the 2023 remake of "Shipwrecked 64". Which you will have to complete in order to unlock to the original 1997 release.
Upon starting either one, you are given a sit-rep by the player character, Bucky the Beaver. Bucky and his crew are shipwrecked on an Island that, not only happens to have a volcano, but an active volcano, set to erupt in five days. It is up to Bucky to locate all his friends, and escape before that happens. Oh, and the island is completely inhabited with townsfolk. As it turns out, everyone is really bummed that they can't flee the volcano.
GOOD LUCK, BUCKY!
It's at this point where the specifics don't matter, and I can relay my experience spoiler free.
Because a player like me is strange, saw this part in the video, and is simply playing catchup, it's surprising that I was still somewhat engaged. Despite "Shipwrecked 64" wearing the skin of an under-cooked license game, that descriptor is mostly earned by the game's length. Don't misunderstand, it really does sell that under-cooked quality. It's just that actually playing it allows you to mull over the mystery of the game's troubled development.
Now, I bailed on Pappo's essay once he finished discussing the 2023 "clean" version of "Shipwrecked 64", so I was able to go through this part of the game fairly quickly. Eventually, I get to a specific part where, shocker, there's a ship! I'm in a tunnel, knowing what comes after, running and jumping through to kill time. THEN WHAM! This god damn beaver bitch ZIPS THROUGH THE WALLS, zooms to the end of the level, and ledge grabs onto INVISIBLE GEOMETRY directly over a kill plane. This... was fucking awesome! It was a genuinely amusing glitch that I was happy to have on video. Even with the ensuing softlock, it's a fond memory.
What's that? A softlock? Hm, WHAT THE HELL? A SOFT LOCK?
heh, how you ask? You wanna know how? oh, YOU WANNA FUCKING KNOW HOW?!
...
Well actually, I'm not sure. BUT! I feel like I can make a pretty good guess!
For starters, I was with an NPC who was traveling with me towards the boat. As you run through the tunnel, dialogue boxes will appear after the player moves into a spot that triggers them. Now, what's SUPPOSED to happen, is that you trigger these linearly, without interruption. Once the final dialogue finishes, the game loads a cutscene. But recall that I zipped towards the end of the level! Meaning that I happened to trigger the final dialogue routine while another one was still occurring.
Notably, this causes some quirks in how the text was rendered. The line being interrupted seemingly attempts to load the text from the new line during it's own routine, before switching to the new dialogue routine. Whereupon this text gets displayed much faster than normal before the same exact line gets repeated, oddly, with the first letter missing. After this, I am staring around the level, amazed that I'm hanging onto nothing. Soon after, I'm jumping off the "ledge", attempting to land on the ship. I fall and die.
"Thankfully" this only takes me back to the start of the tunnel. upon walking through the cave, I quickly re-trigger the first dialogue routine and interrupt the final one. Except this time... the dialogue window does not close, it simply remains empty. Going to the final dialogue trigger, I am only met with the text box sound and a blank text window. The text box will not close and it will not display the final dialogue. I am, well and truly, stuck.
Thankfully, for real this time, the game's save system means that I only had to redo that one section. Everything else went smoothly, and sure enough, I ended up unlocking that original 1997 version of the game.
Minor spoilers up ahead that, come on, you saw coming.
Come on.
The original version of "Shipwrecked 64" is obviously fucked. "off-putting" has been shot in the head by horror and it's just getting started. Notably, since the video essay explicitly mentions the game has an ARG, I am now on the prowl for any fucked up secret or clue I might stumble upon early. Between this attitude and the massive zip glitch, not only am I trying to break the game, I'm also resetting levels to try this. Which, as it turned out, extended my play time by a looot. It also caused me to associate an ACTUAL secret I found with, what is in reality, an automatic part of progression. Thinking I need to try another level now, I go to another level, realize my mistake, and feel silly. At this point, the game goes balls to the walls with a scare and, in the dead of night, absolutely gets me. It's great, I'm enjoying myself, but now I'm tired.
As I close the game, I think to myself "Oh! Now I can watch that video up to where I'm at!" and folks, this is where it all goes wrong. Needless to say, I act on my thoughts. I'm watching the video, enjoying the shared experience of pappo and I. It's cozy! I'm cozy... too cozy.
...
I watched the whole thing.
I even wanted to play it, but I was simply too captivated and had to know what came next. Eventually, the extent of what I had seen became too much to think about replaying, especially compared to just watching more. Especially if you consider... MAJOR SPOILERS
To be continued! I have more anecdotes, general thoughts, and... specific thoughts. ??? fuck you, you'll see. (I also need to find space to talk about the weird text discrepancy during the zip glitch, but, eh.)
Playing this game after the first one, it's quickly apparent how small departures in design go on to radically affect the pace and tone of everything. The original Spyro the Dragon was developed by a small team of 14, while Ripto's Rage was made with a (nearly double!) team of 23. This increase in budget and talent is primarily felt in the new varieties of gameplay, but is also felt in the animation, cut-scenes, and voice acting. While the limits placed on the original Spyro game necessitated the experience be tight and focused, Spyro 2 lets loose and stews in excess.
For starters, the structure of each level is now centered on collecting Artifacts, Orbs, and Gems; as opposed to the original game's Dragons, Dragon Eggs, and (again) Gems. The difference being that Artifacts and Orbs are obtained via a mission structure. Here, an NPC will give you a quest to fulfill before you can acquire the macguffin. Forcing Spyro to stop, break the pacing, and more often than not, engage in some inane task or mini-game.
Which, for as negatively as I've framed all this, is still exceptionally fun. In fact, if you're a sucker for PS1 aesthetics, Spyro 2 lives in those tropes. If you love hearing the music fade out, just for a character to explain "Pressing the circle button will let you fire your glup move!", then this game is your fucking shit.
I only bring this up to demonstrate the notable shift in experience. Spyro the Dragon is fucking lean, all prime cut, all the time. Sure, it also had NPC's that explained stuff, but they kept it to quick tutorials and gags. The levels also emphasized speedy traversal and exploration, aspects that get diluted in Spyro 2 because of the "stop and do something else" quest design.
With pressure to innovate under a short development cycle, I don't necessarily blame Insomniac for structuring a game to facilitate gimmicks. But as time will tell, this is a trick you can only pull for so long. At some point, you have to return to the well of your core gameplay and make sure it's polished.
Speaking of polish, Spyro 2 enjoys enhanced graphics over the original. Water, in particular, looks MUCH better now that you can swim in it. So I hesitate to say that this also affected level structure, because the mission NPC's are right. there. However, I can't ignore that Spyro 2 levels avoid the "floating world with a pretty skybox" thing from Spyro 1. It feels deliberate. Spyro 2 levels all do a great job at selling the scenery past the play area, but they feel boxed in, sectioned off. This would imply to me that, maybe, design was increasingly informed by the frame-rate. Of course, that's entirely speculation. The core gameplay feeling different could have nothing to do with performance. Perhaps the answers lie in an interview I haven't seen. Alas, it is what it is.
Now, this increase in graphical power didn't just manifest in Spyro 2's worlds, No no! it also juiced up it's story! It's basic kids fare, of course, but it happens to go as such: The hero (Spyro) is called upon to defeat an evil wizard (Ripto). Spyro must first bring peace across the land, all while collecting AT LEAST 14 macguffins and 40 mcgriddles. it is then, and only then, that he may have his final showdown with Ripto. Once defeated, Spyro can finally fuck off and go to the beach.
As for how this story is told, we have cutscenes! The first game only had about 3 proper cut-scenes, whereas Ripto's Rage has them beginning to end, all throughout. Levels themselves are even given wacky intros and outros, genuinely padding out the game a considerable amount. Otherwise, narrative content in levels themselves have been placed into the aforementioned quest giving NPC's. They do their best to be funny and engaging, boasting a wonderfully 90's voice cast. Unfortunately, it has problems...
Particularly, their need to explain tasks often makes them blend together. These can bring a chuckle or two, when an NPC explains how an orb was inexplicably up their ass. Honestly, since most of the dialogue is so consistently dry, dumb shit like that would catch me off guard. A notable example is the innocent sounding toddler, explaining how they're "pwaying secwet agent" and need Spyro's help to, actually, sincerely "bwow up the castle". It feels like a deliberate tee up for some inane bullshit and wham "Hi, I'm a child terrorist~ TEEHEE". It's dumb. I'm projecting. BUT AM I? NPC's ask you to do all sorts of shit, I was fully convinced this child was sent behind enemy lines as a demolitions expert!
erm...
Curiously, prototype builds of the game included voice over dialogue from Elora (Faun lady who recruited Spyro to fight Ripto) talking over the level intro/outro cut-scenes. In the scrapped lines, she explains context, lore, and how Ripto is antagonizing the level. My gut tells me this was a band-aid fix to explain what the main bad guy is doing. In the final game, None of the level NPC's mention him and he seems to just... sit in a castle basement, waiting for Spyro to kick his ass. Certainly an intriguing find for fans, in fact, I read many comments from Spyro fans wishing the cut voice-over had remained.
However, please, if you'll indulge me.
I need to get on my hater shit.
Moneybags needs to be tried in the Hague.
Also, Elora is fucking RACING through her lines, implying to me that they were recorded AFTER the animation was done. THEN, she spends most of the cut-scene describing what you are literally seeing. Due to the aforementioned time crunch, she will often miss the comedic timing of the animation.
To make matters worse for older players, Elora is in full "goo goo gaga, DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE CLUE IS, BLUE?" baby talk mode. Which, don't get me wrong, would probably kick ass if you were a baby. But no! I'M A MAN, a man playing a game for children! I'm GLAD those little shits got nothin. I'D KICK A BABY'S FUCKING A-
Sans the seeming production issues, the voice over was probably excluded so older kids didn't feel bad for playing a "baby game". In fact, Spyro appears to have gotten the "American Kirby" treatment, and now sports a scowl. GONE is his bright wholesome smile. It has been replaced with a, weird, sort of... concerned face. Funnily enough, this is only true for "in-game" Spyro. In cut-scenes, he's seemingly his normal, cheery self.
In an ideal world, you could fix the voice over, return Spyro's smile, and slap it on a Spider-Man (2000) style kid mode. But for general audiences? I see what they were going for. After all, those level cut-scenes are great on their own. Something about cartoon characters murdering each other in cold blood, always pleases the whole family.
Now that I'm off my hater shit, I need to wrap this up by talking about the ultimate hater... Ripto...
Ahem, and his crew!
The Boss fights in this game are a significant step up from the bosses of Spyro 1. Good thing too, because there's only three of em this time. All of them are good ol' red blooded, patterned attack freaks. The bottom bitch Ripto? Is a three phase, power up stealing, Jerkass of a boss. The final phase is a dogfight over a lava pit where you can't heal and it's great! Amusingly, landing the final blow will show a short cutscene of ripto falling into the lava and slowly, mercilessly, STATICALLY being consumed by it. Right after, the game shows you the obligatory "RIPTO DEFEATED!" screen. Which is just this goofy jpg of Ripto standing there like a jackass. Seriously, look it up. There's something about the way he doesn't give a fuck about dying, the way that loading screen declares his defeat, it's just- it's just so good. Peak Playstation nonsense.
And with that, I'm actually finished! For all the smoke I had about the game leaning into less savory collectathon tropes, it earns it's status as a classic regardless- NAY, because of it!
...
I might have more to write about once I collect all the "Skill Points" (the hidden achievements that literally require a hint guide) but for now...
I actually have one last thing to talk about...
specifically...
about how...
THEY MADE ELORA HOT AS FUCK IN THE REMAKE
But really, I've seen streams of the re-ignited trilogy and it's funny to me how it affected the voice work. The original is iconic, filled with wonderfully odd decisions, and Tom Kenny. So much Tom Kenny. So in a way, I'm glad that they didn't try to replicate it... Even if it means the Satyr women lost their inexplicable valley girl accents.
...
Okay, fine. Elora's new "dork" line is delivered like SHIT. Her design may have left the uncanny valley, but that change, I don't approve of.
...
Moneybags the kinda guy to poop his pants.
For starters, the structure of each level is now centered on collecting Artifacts, Orbs, and Gems; as opposed to the original game's Dragons, Dragon Eggs, and (again) Gems. The difference being that Artifacts and Orbs are obtained via a mission structure. Here, an NPC will give you a quest to fulfill before you can acquire the macguffin. Forcing Spyro to stop, break the pacing, and more often than not, engage in some inane task or mini-game.
Which, for as negatively as I've framed all this, is still exceptionally fun. In fact, if you're a sucker for PS1 aesthetics, Spyro 2 lives in those tropes. If you love hearing the music fade out, just for a character to explain "Pressing the circle button will let you fire your glup move!", then this game is your fucking shit.
I only bring this up to demonstrate the notable shift in experience. Spyro the Dragon is fucking lean, all prime cut, all the time. Sure, it also had NPC's that explained stuff, but they kept it to quick tutorials and gags. The levels also emphasized speedy traversal and exploration, aspects that get diluted in Spyro 2 because of the "stop and do something else" quest design.
With pressure to innovate under a short development cycle, I don't necessarily blame Insomniac for structuring a game to facilitate gimmicks. But as time will tell, this is a trick you can only pull for so long. At some point, you have to return to the well of your core gameplay and make sure it's polished.
Speaking of polish, Spyro 2 enjoys enhanced graphics over the original. Water, in particular, looks MUCH better now that you can swim in it. So I hesitate to say that this also affected level structure, because the mission NPC's are right. there. However, I can't ignore that Spyro 2 levels avoid the "floating world with a pretty skybox" thing from Spyro 1. It feels deliberate. Spyro 2 levels all do a great job at selling the scenery past the play area, but they feel boxed in, sectioned off. This would imply to me that, maybe, design was increasingly informed by the frame-rate. Of course, that's entirely speculation. The core gameplay feeling different could have nothing to do with performance. Perhaps the answers lie in an interview I haven't seen. Alas, it is what it is.
Now, this increase in graphical power didn't just manifest in Spyro 2's worlds, No no! it also juiced up it's story! It's basic kids fare, of course, but it happens to go as such: The hero (Spyro) is called upon to defeat an evil wizard (Ripto). Spyro must first bring peace across the land, all while collecting AT LEAST 14 macguffins and 40 mcgriddles. it is then, and only then, that he may have his final showdown with Ripto. Once defeated, Spyro can finally fuck off and go to the beach.
As for how this story is told, we have cutscenes! The first game only had about 3 proper cut-scenes, whereas Ripto's Rage has them beginning to end, all throughout. Levels themselves are even given wacky intros and outros, genuinely padding out the game a considerable amount. Otherwise, narrative content in levels themselves have been placed into the aforementioned quest giving NPC's. They do their best to be funny and engaging, boasting a wonderfully 90's voice cast. Unfortunately, it has problems...
Particularly, their need to explain tasks often makes them blend together. These can bring a chuckle or two, when an NPC explains how an orb was inexplicably up their ass. Honestly, since most of the dialogue is so consistently dry, dumb shit like that would catch me off guard. A notable example is the innocent sounding toddler, explaining how they're "pwaying secwet agent" and need Spyro's help to, actually, sincerely "bwow up the castle". It feels like a deliberate tee up for some inane bullshit and wham "Hi, I'm a child terrorist~ TEEHEE". It's dumb. I'm projecting. BUT AM I? NPC's ask you to do all sorts of shit, I was fully convinced this child was sent behind enemy lines as a demolitions expert!
erm...
Curiously, prototype builds of the game included voice over dialogue from Elora (Faun lady who recruited Spyro to fight Ripto) talking over the level intro/outro cut-scenes. In the scrapped lines, she explains context, lore, and how Ripto is antagonizing the level. My gut tells me this was a band-aid fix to explain what the main bad guy is doing. In the final game, None of the level NPC's mention him and he seems to just... sit in a castle basement, waiting for Spyro to kick his ass. Certainly an intriguing find for fans, in fact, I read many comments from Spyro fans wishing the cut voice-over had remained.
However, please, if you'll indulge me.
I need to get on my hater shit.
Moneybags needs to be tried in the Hague.
Also, Elora is fucking RACING through her lines, implying to me that they were recorded AFTER the animation was done. THEN, she spends most of the cut-scene describing what you are literally seeing. Due to the aforementioned time crunch, she will often miss the comedic timing of the animation.
To make matters worse for older players, Elora is in full "goo goo gaga, DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE CLUE IS, BLUE?" baby talk mode. Which, don't get me wrong, would probably kick ass if you were a baby. But no! I'M A MAN, a man playing a game for children! I'm GLAD those little shits got nothin. I'D KICK A BABY'S FUCKING A-
Sans the seeming production issues, the voice over was probably excluded so older kids didn't feel bad for playing a "baby game". In fact, Spyro appears to have gotten the "American Kirby" treatment, and now sports a scowl. GONE is his bright wholesome smile. It has been replaced with a, weird, sort of... concerned face. Funnily enough, this is only true for "in-game" Spyro. In cut-scenes, he's seemingly his normal, cheery self.
In an ideal world, you could fix the voice over, return Spyro's smile, and slap it on a Spider-Man (2000) style kid mode. But for general audiences? I see what they were going for. After all, those level cut-scenes are great on their own. Something about cartoon characters murdering each other in cold blood, always pleases the whole family.
Now that I'm off my hater shit, I need to wrap this up by talking about the ultimate hater... Ripto...
Ahem, and his crew!
The Boss fights in this game are a significant step up from the bosses of Spyro 1. Good thing too, because there's only three of em this time. All of them are good ol' red blooded, patterned attack freaks. The bottom bitch Ripto? Is a three phase, power up stealing, Jerkass of a boss. The final phase is a dogfight over a lava pit where you can't heal and it's great! Amusingly, landing the final blow will show a short cutscene of ripto falling into the lava and slowly, mercilessly, STATICALLY being consumed by it. Right after, the game shows you the obligatory "RIPTO DEFEATED!" screen. Which is just this goofy jpg of Ripto standing there like a jackass. Seriously, look it up. There's something about the way he doesn't give a fuck about dying, the way that loading screen declares his defeat, it's just- it's just so good. Peak Playstation nonsense.
And with that, I'm actually finished! For all the smoke I had about the game leaning into less savory collectathon tropes, it earns it's status as a classic regardless- NAY, because of it!
...
I might have more to write about once I collect all the "Skill Points" (the hidden achievements that literally require a hint guide) but for now...
I actually have one last thing to talk about...
specifically...
about how...
But really, I've seen streams of the re-ignited trilogy and it's funny to me how it affected the voice work. The original is iconic, filled with wonderfully odd decisions, and Tom Kenny. So much Tom Kenny. So in a way, I'm glad that they didn't try to replicate it... Even if it means the Satyr women lost their inexplicable valley girl accents.
...
Okay, fine. Elora's new "dork" line is delivered like SHIT. Her design may have left the uncanny valley, but that change, I don't approve of.
...
Moneybags the kinda guy to poop his pants.
2002
This review contains spoilers
The beginning of the best quadrilogy on PS2. Ironically noteworthy for being the most polished entry of the 4 games, as well as the only game in the whole series to attempt this style of platformer.
This review is a work in progress and will be written piecemeal. So first: Combat.
Combat avoids run and gun gameplay in favor of deliberate engagements. This is emphasized due to the absence of strafing or on-the-fly aiming. If you want Ratchet to run and shoot, his ass will ONLY shoot in the direction he's facing. Trying to hit something to your left? Either angle it with pure vibes or stand still, go into the first person camera and AIM. It is for this reason that Ratchet's arsenal is entirely designed around making up for his shortcomings.
This manifests in a system where every weapon in your arsenal solves a particular problem. Can't throw a bomb at a helicopter? Buy the Blaster and kill that asshole from the first person view. Are a bunch of tiny enemies charging at you? The flame thrower allows you to move and tear through them, allowing you to dodge and attack.
Of course, more expensive weapons that are obtained later will sometimes have overlapping functions. In some cases, these might even be considered direct upgrades. However, your old weapons are never obsolete and will always be great in what they excell at.
--okay, the following is video essay shit, enjoy it before it gets pruned--
My favorite example of this is the Pyrociter vs the Tesla Claw. Think short range flamethrower (early game) vs a long range lightning thrower (late game). They both spit constant damage, but the Tesla Claw's incredible range makes it exceptionally versatile. It's an easy go to for most grounded enemies, with it specializing in mobs of weak "swarmer" enemies. However, the faster damage rate, the longer active frames, and the slower ammo consumption of the Pyrociter, ensures this older weapon can stay relevant. Sure, it's close range, but those advantages create opportunities for use! Even if that opportunity is often saving ammo for the Tesla Claw, other times, it will tear apart dividing Ameboid enemies nigh instantaneously.
Of course the more illustrative example is the evolution of the exploding weapons. Particularly, the Bomb Glove, the Glove of Doom, the Mine Glove, the Devestator, the Visibomb, and the R.Y.N.O. The bomb glove is your starter weapon, you throw bombs that explode on impact, it has 30 ammo. The glove of Doom releases 4 bombs on legs that quickly seek and destroy grounded enemies. These things are deadly and practically fight for you. The Glove of Doom only has 10 ammo. The mine glove packs a whopping 50 ammo and features an incredibly strong floating landmine that can slowly seek enemies. The caveat is that they need to be triggered before they can explode, and in certain circumstances, can be destroyed by an enemy before then. On top of which, weak swarmer enemies can massively disrupt this process, typically by tanking one or several mines for tougher enemies. Mines also have an interaction with the Taunter weapon that allows you to manually trigger the mines to seek and destroy. A useful trick for premeditated attacks, but not so useful in the heat of battle. Essentially, mines are best used defensively, as traps.
Between the three gloves, their power is distributed as such: Straightforward bomb that has decent damage and moderate ammo, powerful fire and forget bomb with limited ammo, and a highly specific bomb, with highly specific gameplay, and a highly inflated ammo count. This gives us a pretty solid reference for how this game balances power and utility, albeit, for cheaper weapons...
The Devestator, is, not, cheap. The Devestator, is a rocket launcher that excells in killing flying enemies. With a max capacity of 20 rockets, each rocket is fast, strong, and capable of homing in on its target. Previously, flying enemies could only effectively be killed with a weapon called the Blaster, a machine pistol with 200 ammo that also had homing capabilities. However, we are now firmly in act 2 of the game, the ante has been upped. Flying enemies travel higher, maneuver faster, attack faster. The blaster can no longer reach certain flying enemies without using the cumbersome first person aiming system... and don't even get me started on how it fares against the TANK. It's an escalation of gameplay worthy of an escalation of weaponry, worthy, of The Devestator.
Unlike the previous Pyrociter v Tesla Claw, The Devestator is pretty unambiguously just a better bomb glove, leaving the latter as simple backup. And it's here where I'll keep yapping blah blah, to be continued.
This review is a work in progress and will be written piecemeal. So first: Combat.
Combat avoids run and gun gameplay in favor of deliberate engagements. This is emphasized due to the absence of strafing or on-the-fly aiming. If you want Ratchet to run and shoot, his ass will ONLY shoot in the direction he's facing. Trying to hit something to your left? Either angle it with pure vibes or stand still, go into the first person camera and AIM. It is for this reason that Ratchet's arsenal is entirely designed around making up for his shortcomings.
This manifests in a system where every weapon in your arsenal solves a particular problem. Can't throw a bomb at a helicopter? Buy the Blaster and kill that asshole from the first person view. Are a bunch of tiny enemies charging at you? The flame thrower allows you to move and tear through them, allowing you to dodge and attack.
Of course, more expensive weapons that are obtained later will sometimes have overlapping functions. In some cases, these might even be considered direct upgrades. However, your old weapons are never obsolete and will always be great in what they excell at.
--okay, the following is video essay shit, enjoy it before it gets pruned--
My favorite example of this is the Pyrociter vs the Tesla Claw. Think short range flamethrower (early game) vs a long range lightning thrower (late game). They both spit constant damage, but the Tesla Claw's incredible range makes it exceptionally versatile. It's an easy go to for most grounded enemies, with it specializing in mobs of weak "swarmer" enemies. However, the faster damage rate, the longer active frames, and the slower ammo consumption of the Pyrociter, ensures this older weapon can stay relevant. Sure, it's close range, but those advantages create opportunities for use! Even if that opportunity is often saving ammo for the Tesla Claw, other times, it will tear apart dividing Ameboid enemies nigh instantaneously.
Of course the more illustrative example is the evolution of the exploding weapons. Particularly, the Bomb Glove, the Glove of Doom, the Mine Glove, the Devestator, the Visibomb, and the R.Y.N.O. The bomb glove is your starter weapon, you throw bombs that explode on impact, it has 30 ammo. The glove of Doom releases 4 bombs on legs that quickly seek and destroy grounded enemies. These things are deadly and practically fight for you. The Glove of Doom only has 10 ammo. The mine glove packs a whopping 50 ammo and features an incredibly strong floating landmine that can slowly seek enemies. The caveat is that they need to be triggered before they can explode, and in certain circumstances, can be destroyed by an enemy before then. On top of which, weak swarmer enemies can massively disrupt this process, typically by tanking one or several mines for tougher enemies. Mines also have an interaction with the Taunter weapon that allows you to manually trigger the mines to seek and destroy. A useful trick for premeditated attacks, but not so useful in the heat of battle. Essentially, mines are best used defensively, as traps.
Between the three gloves, their power is distributed as such: Straightforward bomb that has decent damage and moderate ammo, powerful fire and forget bomb with limited ammo, and a highly specific bomb, with highly specific gameplay, and a highly inflated ammo count. This gives us a pretty solid reference for how this game balances power and utility, albeit, for cheaper weapons...
The Devestator, is, not, cheap. The Devestator, is a rocket launcher that excells in killing flying enemies. With a max capacity of 20 rockets, each rocket is fast, strong, and capable of homing in on its target. Previously, flying enemies could only effectively be killed with a weapon called the Blaster, a machine pistol with 200 ammo that also had homing capabilities. However, we are now firmly in act 2 of the game, the ante has been upped. Flying enemies travel higher, maneuver faster, attack faster. The blaster can no longer reach certain flying enemies without using the cumbersome first person aiming system... and don't even get me started on how it fares against the TANK. It's an escalation of gameplay worthy of an escalation of weaponry, worthy, of The Devestator.
Unlike the previous Pyrociter v Tesla Claw, The Devestator is pretty unambiguously just a better bomb glove, leaving the latter as simple backup. And it's here where I'll keep yapping blah blah, to be continued.