MoodyBlues
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I have come to appreciate Mother/Earthbound Beginnings more on my second playthrough.
The game is beautiful from start to finish, with an unforgettable soundtrack and iconic moments that I will always remember, such as the Live House song and Ninten and Ana's dance. And the final boss is one of the most memorable boss fights I've ever encountered.
The emphasis here is not on the story, but on the journey the characters go through and the adventures they have in each town they visit. The game didn't lose its steam very much and each quest you go through was pretty fun.
You go in a zoo filled with mad animals, a desert with a singing cactus, a haunted mansion and you climb a mountain at the end.
The dungeons were good, and I didn't dislike any of them, except maybe for Duncan's Factory and the Mt. Itoi caves.
The difficulty spikes weren't all bad, there were only maybe two of them that impeded my progress, those being the enemies in Duncan's Factory and The Swamp. Mt. Itoi was not that bad at the beginning, but then you have enemies like the Grizzly Bear, which you can just skip entirely, and after that it's smooth sailing thanks to EVE.
My only gripes are the constant visits to Magicant whenever a character dies, as there is no revival item, and having to climb Mt. Itoi twice, as well as the couple of bullshit enemies that one-shoot you. Oh, and the random encounter rate was infuriating at times, but I kinda have a resistance to this sort of thing so I understand why someone would be put off by it.
The journey the game makes you go through is very lovable and I understand why someone would pick this entry as their favorite in the Mother trilogy, and the game has its unique charm among the three entries and it certainly is a game that deserves to be played even today.
The game is beautiful from start to finish, with an unforgettable soundtrack and iconic moments that I will always remember, such as the Live House song and Ninten and Ana's dance. And the final boss is one of the most memorable boss fights I've ever encountered.
The emphasis here is not on the story, but on the journey the characters go through and the adventures they have in each town they visit. The game didn't lose its steam very much and each quest you go through was pretty fun.
You go in a zoo filled with mad animals, a desert with a singing cactus, a haunted mansion and you climb a mountain at the end.
The dungeons were good, and I didn't dislike any of them, except maybe for Duncan's Factory and the Mt. Itoi caves.
The difficulty spikes weren't all bad, there were only maybe two of them that impeded my progress, those being the enemies in Duncan's Factory and The Swamp. Mt. Itoi was not that bad at the beginning, but then you have enemies like the Grizzly Bear, which you can just skip entirely, and after that it's smooth sailing thanks to EVE.
My only gripes are the constant visits to Magicant whenever a character dies, as there is no revival item, and having to climb Mt. Itoi twice, as well as the couple of bullshit enemies that one-shoot you. Oh, and the random encounter rate was infuriating at times, but I kinda have a resistance to this sort of thing so I understand why someone would be put off by it.
The journey the game makes you go through is very lovable and I understand why someone would pick this entry as their favorite in the Mother trilogy, and the game has its unique charm among the three entries and it certainly is a game that deserves to be played even today.
1997
An absolute delight from start to finish.
The game just oozes joy from the beginning cutscene with colorful characters and goofy anime voice acting.
Liked the lush art style and the cute-looking enemies, and you fight an inflatable dinosaur as a first boss, so that's a win in my book.
The weapons were all pretty good, although not on the same level of usefulness. Being able to change to a certain weapon at the press of a button without having to cycle through them made the gameplay that much more enjoyable.
The game was a little on the easy side for a shmup (It might as well be the only shmup I'll ever beat without using continues), but that didn't make it any less fun.
The game just oozes joy from the beginning cutscene with colorful characters and goofy anime voice acting.
Liked the lush art style and the cute-looking enemies, and you fight an inflatable dinosaur as a first boss, so that's a win in my book.
The weapons were all pretty good, although not on the same level of usefulness. Being able to change to a certain weapon at the press of a button without having to cycle through them made the gameplay that much more enjoyable.
The game was a little on the easy side for a shmup (It might as well be the only shmup I'll ever beat without using continues), but that didn't make it any less fun.
This episode has been a truly transformative experience.
Thank you, Ryukishi.
Thank you, Ryukishi.
2005
Loved the whole aesthetic of the game that reminded me of old Cartoon Network shows like Kids Next Door and Ed Edd n Eddy.
The characters were all great and each had their own personality, and the voice acting for each of them was superb. I also loved the accents of Mikhail and Milla.
The story was great with some pretty dark stuff that doesn't break how funny and lighthearted the game is.
I also liked exploring the camp and see how all the characters interacted with each other and how their relationships unfold, although not all of them were interesting enough. Also, Raz and Lili are so cute together.
The levels were pretty good, and I didn't have a major issue with any of them, except maybe I felt some levels took longer than necessary, but some of them were pure genius like The Milkman Conspiracy and Waterloo World.
The collectibles were fun to collect, and none felt very obscure or truly challenging to get, but the Figments are obnoxious to 100% and I gave up on that after the halfway point in the game, especially since some segments were impossible to get all the Figments in in your first attempt.
And lastly, put your goddamn goggles back, Raz, for God's sake.
The characters were all great and each had their own personality, and the voice acting for each of them was superb. I also loved the accents of Mikhail and Milla.
The story was great with some pretty dark stuff that doesn't break how funny and lighthearted the game is.
I also liked exploring the camp and see how all the characters interacted with each other and how their relationships unfold, although not all of them were interesting enough. Also, Raz and Lili are so cute together.
The levels were pretty good, and I didn't have a major issue with any of them, except maybe I felt some levels took longer than necessary, but some of them were pure genius like The Milkman Conspiracy and Waterloo World.
The collectibles were fun to collect, and none felt very obscure or truly challenging to get, but the Figments are obnoxious to 100% and I gave up on that after the halfway point in the game, especially since some segments were impossible to get all the Figments in in your first attempt.
And lastly, put your goddamn goggles back, Raz, for God's sake.
Definitely the most well-designed and my favorite part of the Half-Life 2 trilogy.
They actually listened to my complaint and now the flashlight is a separate power source from the sprint, so I was glad they finally changed that.
The chapters were all great and none felt dragged or redundant. The new Hunter enemy was a cool addition and it felt like something out of Portal 2.
I don't have much to say really other than this was definitely worth going through the last two entries and there were a lot of great moments and set pieces.
What the hell was that ending though? Give us Half-Life 3, Valve.
They actually listened to my complaint and now the flashlight is a separate power source from the sprint, so I was glad they finally changed that.
The chapters were all great and none felt dragged or redundant. The new Hunter enemy was a cool addition and it felt like something out of Portal 2.
I don't have much to say really other than this was definitely worth going through the last two entries and there were a lot of great moments and set pieces.
What the hell was that ending though? Give us Half-Life 3, Valve.
1997
Finally played the most popular FF game and it certainly deserves all the praise.
I was hooked from start to finish with only some frictions here and there.
I was kinda disappointed with the gameplay after FFVI. While each character in VI had a unique fighting style, like the Blitz with its combo-like attacks and the Bushido techniques, the gameplay here is just more or less standard Final Fantasy.
The Materia system is certainly more flexible than the Magicite, and it allowed for ease of swapping out party members without the loss of your most used magic (although I was always spending 10 minutes trying to optimize what Materia to equip to each character)
I also liked the many minigames they added and the gameplay sections that differed from JRPG gameplay, like the motorcycle chase and the Snowboard. While some parts of those lacked polish (which is understandable for an early PS title) it added to the charm of the game.
The story was amazing and had some nice twists and turns, though I was spoiled a couple of plot points (you know which), those moments didn't lose their impact.
The dungeons were kinda disappointing, being mostly going from point A to point B, with branching paths every once in a while. There was a couple of dungeons that were pretty cool actually, like the Temple of the Ancients and the last dungeon, but other than those two, the rest are just forgettable.
The boss fights were all great and I didn't have much issue with any of them, and they all had pretty cool designs, especially nearing the end of Part 2.
The final boss has to be the most stressed I've ever been while playing a video game.
Definitely glad I've played this game and it is certainly a must-play.
I was hooked from start to finish with only some frictions here and there.
I was kinda disappointed with the gameplay after FFVI. While each character in VI had a unique fighting style, like the Blitz with its combo-like attacks and the Bushido techniques, the gameplay here is just more or less standard Final Fantasy.
The Materia system is certainly more flexible than the Magicite, and it allowed for ease of swapping out party members without the loss of your most used magic (although I was always spending 10 minutes trying to optimize what Materia to equip to each character)
I also liked the many minigames they added and the gameplay sections that differed from JRPG gameplay, like the motorcycle chase and the Snowboard. While some parts of those lacked polish (which is understandable for an early PS title) it added to the charm of the game.
The story was amazing and had some nice twists and turns, though I was spoiled a couple of plot points (you know which), those moments didn't lose their impact.
The dungeons were kinda disappointing, being mostly going from point A to point B, with branching paths every once in a while. There was a couple of dungeons that were pretty cool actually, like the Temple of the Ancients and the last dungeon, but other than those two, the rest are just forgettable.
The boss fights were all great and I didn't have much issue with any of them, and they all had pretty cool designs, especially nearing the end of Part 2.
The final boss has to be the most stressed I've ever been while playing a video game.
Definitely glad I've played this game and it is certainly a must-play.
The first 2 chapters are just Portal with Combine soldiers, being more "puzzle"-focused and you fight using only the gravity gun. The setting reminded me heavily of Portal 2, which is certainly not a bad thing.
I also liked how we see more of Alyx and her relationship with Gordon. There was a certain moment at the end of chapter 2 where we really see how human and vulnerable she is and not just her heroic side we only see in HL2.
The third chapter was a straight up horror game. Most of the chapter you're in the dark with only your meager flashlight and a couple of flares scattered here and there, and you actually have to point your flashlight on the zombies so that Alyx can shoot them, which was a nice touch to be honest.
A side-note here; the addition of the Aux power in HL2 was somewhat weird, as it tied the flashlight, the sprint and the underwater breathing to the same power source. While it certainly gave the HEV suit a more organic and realistic feel, and I really didn't have a problem with it in HL2, the problem becomes more pronounced in the third chapter as you'll have to juggle your use of the flashlight and sprint, resulting sometimes in you having to stand still for a couple of seconds so you can continue your killing spree.
The other 2 chapters are just more of the same as HL2 with the same problems of repetition and reusing the same bosses. Although the last 20 minutes or so was maybe one of the best moments in HL2 as a whole.
Also, the zombine joke is pretty hilarious.
I also liked how we see more of Alyx and her relationship with Gordon. There was a certain moment at the end of chapter 2 where we really see how human and vulnerable she is and not just her heroic side we only see in HL2.
The third chapter was a straight up horror game. Most of the chapter you're in the dark with only your meager flashlight and a couple of flares scattered here and there, and you actually have to point your flashlight on the zombies so that Alyx can shoot them, which was a nice touch to be honest.
A side-note here; the addition of the Aux power in HL2 was somewhat weird, as it tied the flashlight, the sprint and the underwater breathing to the same power source. While it certainly gave the HEV suit a more organic and realistic feel, and I really didn't have a problem with it in HL2, the problem becomes more pronounced in the third chapter as you'll have to juggle your use of the flashlight and sprint, resulting sometimes in you having to stand still for a couple of seconds so you can continue your killing spree.
The other 2 chapters are just more of the same as HL2 with the same problems of repetition and reusing the same bosses. Although the last 20 minutes or so was maybe one of the best moments in HL2 as a whole.
Also, the zombine joke is pretty hilarious.
2004
While the original Half-Life revolutionized the FPS genre with its ingenuous storytelling and incredible atmosphere, the sequel is more or less a generic sci-fi shooter.
The game departed with its promise of" a story not told through cutscenes, but through the environment" and now characters talk 5 minutes straight.
I'm not averse to long cutscenes (one of my favorite games is Yakuza: Like A Dragon) but the "cutscenes" in this game is just standing still listening to characters talk about things that can be conveyed through gameplay and doesn't really serve the plot that much.
The first couple of chapters have you fight the same Combine soldier and those annoying as hell Manhacks on repeat, with a couple of Headcrabs and Zombies sprinkled here and there.
The game also overdid it with the seesaw puzzle. I get that they have to show off their new physics engine, but it was only fun the first time.
Then you get to the Water Hazard chapter (the one with the Airboat). This chapter took way too long and the Air boat doesn't really control that well.
I also didn't like how the environments aren't all that different and just consist of the same generic post-apocalyptic scenery with a lot of empty space in between.
The game doesn't really start to get interesting until the Ravenholm chapter. This is hands down the best chapter in the game. The atmosphere and enemies were a return to the roots of the original, and you finally get the shotgun. Coupled with the Gravity Gun, which may be the best thing the game has to offer, the chapter offered creative ways to finish off the enemies. (My fear of spiders really kicked in because of those black headcrabs, so I was relieved when the chapter was finally over)
After that awesome chapter, we now get to Yet Another Vehicle-based Chapter. You now have to control the Buggy, although I liked it more than the Airboat. This chapter also took way too long.
Then we have Sandtraps. It was a fairly short chapter and controlling a horde of Antlions was cool, so I didn't mind it that much.
A point to note is that while the original offered something new each chapter, and there was not a single boss fight that was duplicated, Half-Life 2 has you fight the same Hunter-Chopper, like, 10 times or something, and sometimes you have to fight 2 of them at the same time. They are not really difficult, but it just felt repetitive having to fight them the exact the same way every time.
This becomes especially pronounced from Chapter 9 onwards. In Entanglement, there will be a time where you'll have to set up a barricade and fend off the oncoming soldiers. There will three barricades in this chapter alone.
In chapter 11, you'll have to fight, like, 6 Striders and each one of them takes too many rockets to defeat.
The last 2 chapters were fairly short and had a cool weapon and were a nice conclusion to the game, especially that ending.
I just expected more of one of the most highly acclaimed games, it's a shame really that they opted for a more safe and generic experience other than attempting something new and revolutionary like its predecessor.
The game departed with its promise of" a story not told through cutscenes, but through the environment" and now characters talk 5 minutes straight.
I'm not averse to long cutscenes (one of my favorite games is Yakuza: Like A Dragon) but the "cutscenes" in this game is just standing still listening to characters talk about things that can be conveyed through gameplay and doesn't really serve the plot that much.
The first couple of chapters have you fight the same Combine soldier and those annoying as hell Manhacks on repeat, with a couple of Headcrabs and Zombies sprinkled here and there.
The game also overdid it with the seesaw puzzle. I get that they have to show off their new physics engine, but it was only fun the first time.
Then you get to the Water Hazard chapter (the one with the Airboat). This chapter took way too long and the Air boat doesn't really control that well.
I also didn't like how the environments aren't all that different and just consist of the same generic post-apocalyptic scenery with a lot of empty space in between.
The game doesn't really start to get interesting until the Ravenholm chapter. This is hands down the best chapter in the game. The atmosphere and enemies were a return to the roots of the original, and you finally get the shotgun. Coupled with the Gravity Gun, which may be the best thing the game has to offer, the chapter offered creative ways to finish off the enemies. (My fear of spiders really kicked in because of those black headcrabs, so I was relieved when the chapter was finally over)
After that awesome chapter, we now get to Yet Another Vehicle-based Chapter. You now have to control the Buggy, although I liked it more than the Airboat. This chapter also took way too long.
Then we have Sandtraps. It was a fairly short chapter and controlling a horde of Antlions was cool, so I didn't mind it that much.
A point to note is that while the original offered something new each chapter, and there was not a single boss fight that was duplicated, Half-Life 2 has you fight the same Hunter-Chopper, like, 10 times or something, and sometimes you have to fight 2 of them at the same time. They are not really difficult, but it just felt repetitive having to fight them the exact the same way every time.
This becomes especially pronounced from Chapter 9 onwards. In Entanglement, there will be a time where you'll have to set up a barricade and fend off the oncoming soldiers. There will three barricades in this chapter alone.
In chapter 11, you'll have to fight, like, 6 Striders and each one of them takes too many rockets to defeat.
The last 2 chapters were fairly short and had a cool weapon and were a nice conclusion to the game, especially that ending.
I just expected more of one of the most highly acclaimed games, it's a shame really that they opted for a more safe and generic experience other than attempting something new and revolutionary like its predecessor.
1998
A timeless first-person shooter with satisfying gunplay and brilliant storytelling that is also actually a horror game.
This game has a lot of great moments, and some chapters were just straight up masterpieces.
I can't find anything wrong with the game other than a couple chapters taking more than they should be, namely On a Rail and Interloper, with the latter becoming ridiculous in its second half, where you'll be fighting, like, a million Vortigaunts and those mini-Nihilianths, combined with the fact that I had almost run out of bullets because of the Gonarch.
An absolute classic and a must-play, especially when you have that banger playing a couple of times.
This game has a lot of great moments, and some chapters were just straight up masterpieces.
I can't find anything wrong with the game other than a couple chapters taking more than they should be, namely On a Rail and Interloper, with the latter becoming ridiculous in its second half, where you'll be fighting, like, a million Vortigaunts and those mini-Nihilianths, combined with the fact that I had almost run out of bullets because of the Gonarch.
An absolute classic and a must-play, especially when you have that banger playing a couple of times.
2011
Got filtered in the final stretch of the true ending, coupled with the fact that I got in with only 30 hp (fuck the falling rocks).
But going through that whole dungeon, with its bullshit second room, fighting a boss in the long-ass third room that can actually kill you if you keep standing below him after killing him, only to reach another long-ass boss fight with no health refills and no save points, is just unfair.
The game is great, and I actually finished the normal ending, and I was happy to play it for a second time, but that final dungeon is just so unfair on so many levels.
Maybe I'll finish the true ending someday, but in the meantime, I'm satisfied with what I played.
But going through that whole dungeon, with its bullshit second room, fighting a boss in the long-ass third room that can actually kill you if you keep standing below him after killing him, only to reach another long-ass boss fight with no health refills and no save points, is just unfair.
The game is great, and I actually finished the normal ending, and I was happy to play it for a second time, but that final dungeon is just so unfair on so many levels.
Maybe I'll finish the true ending someday, but in the meantime, I'm satisfied with what I played.
I started the DLC right after I replayed the game about 2 months ago, but I put it off for a while because I got stumped in the Moonshine Mob boss fight (the third phase to be exact).
I decided to finish the whole thing in a sitting and what a ride this was.
Instead of just adding new boss fights (which is what might be expected from a DLC for a game like this), they went above and beyond that.
All bosses just ooze with creativity and style, be it in the small details in their expressions or how each boss fight has distinct phases very different from one another.
The addition of Ms. Chalice wasn't just for pure cosmetics, her new moves, the double jump, the invincible roll and the one-button parry have made the boss fights more fun and opened the way for more creative maneuvers.
The chess boss fights that relied solely on the parry are still one of my favorite parts in both the base game and the DLC.
I still don't appreciate the randomness that sometimes plague certain sections of the boss fights, as it makes reaching the final phase that much more frustrating, like the laser placement in the third phase of the Doggone Dogfight, though it was an awesome boss fights and I was really proud after beating the final phase (I had to turn my head 90 degrees).
The final boss is definitely the most challenging, and also the best-looking boss fight in all of Cuphead.
I decided to finish the whole thing in a sitting and what a ride this was.
Instead of just adding new boss fights (which is what might be expected from a DLC for a game like this), they went above and beyond that.
All bosses just ooze with creativity and style, be it in the small details in their expressions or how each boss fight has distinct phases very different from one another.
The addition of Ms. Chalice wasn't just for pure cosmetics, her new moves, the double jump, the invincible roll and the one-button parry have made the boss fights more fun and opened the way for more creative maneuvers.
The chess boss fights that relied solely on the parry are still one of my favorite parts in both the base game and the DLC.
I still don't appreciate the randomness that sometimes plague certain sections of the boss fights, as it makes reaching the final phase that much more frustrating, like the laser placement in the third phase of the Doggone Dogfight, though it was an awesome boss fights and I was really proud after beating the final phase (I had to turn my head 90 degrees).
The final boss is definitely the most challenging, and also the best-looking boss fight in all of Cuphead.
2021
A pretty novel use of a one-button game.
The levels were well designed with generous checkpoints, and each introduced a new mechanic or a new twist on existing mechanics.
The boss fights were good, but it wouldn't have hurt to have more variety.
A short game with no fluff or collectibles and doesn't overstay its welcome.
The levels were well designed with generous checkpoints, and each introduced a new mechanic or a new twist on existing mechanics.
The boss fights were good, but it wouldn't have hurt to have more variety.
A short game with no fluff or collectibles and doesn't overstay its welcome.
1996
More Jumping Flash!
It is more or less the same as the first one but with a jump gauge that helped a little and more challenging stages especially in Worlds 5 and 6.
There were a couple of bosses that felt lazy especially the first and third ones, but the other fights were pretty good.
I just hoped the sequel would do something more instead of just being more or less the same game, but I enjoyed my time.
This game really needs another sequel.
It is more or less the same as the first one but with a jump gauge that helped a little and more challenging stages especially in Worlds 5 and 6.
There were a couple of bosses that felt lazy especially the first and third ones, but the other fights were pretty good.
I just hoped the sequel would do something more instead of just being more or less the same game, but I enjoyed my time.
This game really needs another sequel.
1995
I've known about this game for a while now, but I thought it would be something like Crash Bandicoot or something.
When I saw a gameplay video and it turned out to be a first-person (shooter?) platformer, I had to immediately try it out.
This is a genre I have not had any experience with, and I don't even know that many first-person platformers (aside from Mirror's Edge)
The game controls pretty good for an early PlayStation game and for a 3D platformer.
The double jump and how it refills each time you stomp an enemy made the game that much more fun.
The game is pretty to look it and the soundtrack complements the goofiness of the enemies and the playful nature of the levels.
The boss fights were all pretty great but felt a little easy (the whole game is not that difficult; I only died a couple of times).
I also found the addition of a couple of linear levels a break from the more expansive levels (they are not really that big) and were more like traditional shooter levels.
All in all, a good time if you have a couple of hours to spare and you don't mind the PlayStation graphics.
When I saw a gameplay video and it turned out to be a first-person (shooter?) platformer, I had to immediately try it out.
This is a genre I have not had any experience with, and I don't even know that many first-person platformers (aside from Mirror's Edge)
The game controls pretty good for an early PlayStation game and for a 3D platformer.
The double jump and how it refills each time you stomp an enemy made the game that much more fun.
The game is pretty to look it and the soundtrack complements the goofiness of the enemies and the playful nature of the levels.
The boss fights were all pretty great but felt a little easy (the whole game is not that difficult; I only died a couple of times).
I also found the addition of a couple of linear levels a break from the more expansive levels (they are not really that big) and were more like traditional shooter levels.
All in all, a good time if you have a couple of hours to spare and you don't mind the PlayStation graphics.