SunnyFranklin
A game that I hold close to my heart and I rarely find anyone truly hating to be honest.
The only complaint I can find is that the cutscenes may be too long but like who cares? This game introduced one of the most unique concepts I've ever seen for the video game medium.
Being one of the best GBA games for me, the endless wave of microgames never get boring. The "infinite fun" advertised on the box art I can happily say doesn't lie; I can litreally imagine anyone picking this up and easily having a good time no matter how long.
In short, if a game introduces a concept that is endlessly wacky and entertaining to kingdom come, with Wario and other new bonkers side characters as a cherry on top, then how could I not give this a high rating?
The only complaint I can find is that the cutscenes may be too long but like who cares? This game introduced one of the most unique concepts I've ever seen for the video game medium.
Being one of the best GBA games for me, the endless wave of microgames never get boring. The "infinite fun" advertised on the box art I can happily say doesn't lie; I can litreally imagine anyone picking this up and easily having a good time no matter how long.
In short, if a game introduces a concept that is endlessly wacky and entertaining to kingdom come, with Wario and other new bonkers side characters as a cherry on top, then how could I not give this a high rating?
Hell and Heaven.
I really REALLY wanted to like this one. As soon as I saw the announcement that a new Drawn to Life was coming, my feet turned into rockets as I blasted myself to the moon.
Then I saw the trailer and, upon playing the game, it seems a few of my concerns leading up to the game came true. The music and art are on point as they capture the essence and charm of the original DS game perfectly, so much so I could feel the nostalgia coming like a ton of bricks. Even if the story doesn't seem interesting this time round, I was just glad to see the characters I grew up with as a kid again in all their glory.
Why oh WHY did they change the gameplay though? The gameplay is what made Drawn to Life what it is and while the original DS gameplay's platforming kinda sucked, I still loved the amount of meme potential that came out of whatever I could draw. The only things you draw to "bring to life" is your hero and things in the over world.
The gameplay this time round has been turned into some puzzle platformer where you place down toys, aka enemies, in order to reach the goal. For example you might be able to reach a higher place by jumping on an enemies head which is higher than your normal jump. As part of the story when someone is facing some kind of negativity, you pull out your "book of dreams" or something like that, get thrown into these mediocre platform levels (with random backgrounds) and then BAM, after completing it you have made them positive!
The gameplay and UI of the game made the experience feel like an average mobile puzzle game with Drawn to Life slapped on it (and ironically enough this was released for mobile). Even if the gameplay concept wasn't boring, I'd still feel disappointed because this isn't what drawn to life is about. It's about going on an adventure and drawing various things in the levels like platforms, tools, etc. The fact that you get thrown into random levels which look like different locations removes the immersion for me personally and is why I haven't went back to playing this game.
It's a big shame because I can feel a lot of passion went into making the music and the art, and I can tell they wanted to make something original. However, if you want to make an original game then don't make it a squeal to Drawn to Life. I wouldn't be this upset if they didn't advertise it as the "next installment" because this feels more like a spin off than a proper squeal. I have no problem with new features getting implemented to make a squeal more distinguishable but there is a difference between that and changing the gameplay entirely.
Overall, I'd only recommend for die hard Drawn to Life fans though keep your expectations low. I am heavily considering just watching the story on Youtube instead.
Then I saw the trailer and, upon playing the game, it seems a few of my concerns leading up to the game came true. The music and art are on point as they capture the essence and charm of the original DS game perfectly, so much so I could feel the nostalgia coming like a ton of bricks. Even if the story doesn't seem interesting this time round, I was just glad to see the characters I grew up with as a kid again in all their glory.
Why oh WHY did they change the gameplay though? The gameplay is what made Drawn to Life what it is and while the original DS gameplay's platforming kinda sucked, I still loved the amount of meme potential that came out of whatever I could draw. The only things you draw to "bring to life" is your hero and things in the over world.
The gameplay this time round has been turned into some puzzle platformer where you place down toys, aka enemies, in order to reach the goal. For example you might be able to reach a higher place by jumping on an enemies head which is higher than your normal jump. As part of the story when someone is facing some kind of negativity, you pull out your "book of dreams" or something like that, get thrown into these mediocre platform levels (with random backgrounds) and then BAM, after completing it you have made them positive!
The gameplay and UI of the game made the experience feel like an average mobile puzzle game with Drawn to Life slapped on it (and ironically enough this was released for mobile). Even if the gameplay concept wasn't boring, I'd still feel disappointed because this isn't what drawn to life is about. It's about going on an adventure and drawing various things in the levels like platforms, tools, etc. The fact that you get thrown into random levels which look like different locations removes the immersion for me personally and is why I haven't went back to playing this game.
It's a big shame because I can feel a lot of passion went into making the music and the art, and I can tell they wanted to make something original. However, if you want to make an original game then don't make it a squeal to Drawn to Life. I wouldn't be this upset if they didn't advertise it as the "next installment" because this feels more like a spin off than a proper squeal. I have no problem with new features getting implemented to make a squeal more distinguishable but there is a difference between that and changing the gameplay entirely.
Overall, I'd only recommend for die hard Drawn to Life fans though keep your expectations low. I am heavily considering just watching the story on Youtube instead.
2011
Fun Fact: Angry Birds Rio 2 is better than the actual movie.
In all seriousness, this one is just decent. I do like the art style for the Rio 2 section of the game especially.
In all seriousness, this one is just decent. I do like the art style for the Rio 2 section of the game especially.
To anyone who manages to find this game and this review, I congratulate you for finding your way down to the depths of hell.
Why is this game so bad? Well not only does the characters move like morons (aka, towards the zombies), the game is legit unplayable without spending more money because the game likes to think you're psychic and make a zombie hit you before the camera has even fucking turned around for a millisecond.
Something like that gives me the impression this was designed to eat up your coins, and that doesn't fly with me.
Why is this game so bad? Well not only does the characters move like morons (aka, towards the zombies), the game is legit unplayable without spending more money because the game likes to think you're psychic and make a zombie hit you before the camera has even fucking turned around for a millisecond.
Something like that gives me the impression this was designed to eat up your coins, and that doesn't fly with me.
2012
So the main gimmick of this game is to try and get more points than your friends with brand new levels weekly?
Sounds good, except for the fact you added pay to win mechanics which completely drives the concept into the ground. I work hard to get a high score and then someone gets an even higher score because they bought items to win faster such as the golden slingshot.
Would have worked better as a side mode in the original Angry Birds.
Sounds good, except for the fact you added pay to win mechanics which completely drives the concept into the ground. I work hard to get a high score and then someone gets an even higher score because they bought items to win faster such as the golden slingshot.
Would have worked better as a side mode in the original Angry Birds.
It's cheating to do a review of a game you've never played but I am mostly saying this for Pokemon as a whole: I am not picking up another mainline title until I actually see some progress made with this franchise because all these games are starting to look the same.
Legends Arceus still has ways to go in terms of expanding the Pokemon formula and making it look up today's standards but I hope that they use this as a stepping stone towards a better future.
Legends Arceus still has ways to go in terms of expanding the Pokemon formula and making it look up today's standards but I hope that they use this as a stepping stone towards a better future.
Okay but out of all the games to get Thanos snapped, why was it this one that stayed?
2014
I really wish they never gave up on Stella because I really liked the vibe and charm they were going for here, with fun gameplay to boot.
Fuck you Rovio for turning this into Angry Birds Pop then forgetting it ever existed.
Fuck you Rovio for turning this into Angry Birds Pop then forgetting it ever existed.
When a web game is better than Danganronpa, that's when you know Spike Chunsoft done goofed.
2014
Yes the gameplay isn't perfect but the vibe they were going for with this game is insane. I can't even begin to explain how much this made me love the world of ANGRY BIRDS of all things for the art style alone.
2011
This demon even takes the form of video games. Stay far away.
2013
Still EWWWWWWWWWWW but I think people were a bit too harsh when this came out.
It sucks now because of the latest updates screwing over it like Rovio love to do so now I can officially say it sucks.
It sucks now because of the latest updates screwing over it like Rovio love to do so now I can officially say it sucks.
As a normal game, I'd probably give this a 8 or 7. When judging this as a mystery dungeon game, it gets a solid 9. This game wasn't favored when it came out due to it basically being a Pokemon Platinum for Time and Darkness so it was judged based on how much new content it added. Whilst I'd say the new content added is amazing, I can understand the criticism of charging full price for what can feel like a game expansion (Monster Hunter and Persona 5 Royal got some kind of criticism for this in some ways too). At the time of release, this game might not have been worth it for the people who have already played the original two Explorers games.
Fortunately, we're now in a time where I can 100% recommend this game to A) anyone who has played Time or Darkness but hasn't played it in ages, this game is your excuse to play it again but with cool new content (including special episodes which expands on more of the side characters), and B) people who are wanting to get into the series.
Upon playing this recently and No More Heroes 3, I have learnt that some of the games I like are an acquired taste and I honestly think that applies for a lot of games. Am I saying the best games have some aspects to enjoy for everyone? Maybe. Maybe I am also saying the best games are good because they do what they do best.
I am getting too philosophical here so for the game itself, it remains to this day the definitive Mystery Dungeon experience:
- Despite containing plot about time travel, the story is never confusing and surprisingly lacks any plot holes. The only time I questioned stuff was how the exact time travel rules worked but that is just me being over analytical. I appreciate how they managed to make that sweet, simple, wholesome Mystery Dungeon story despite time travel topics usually being very all over the place.
- Bare in mind when I say this story is outstanding, I mostly mean for Pokemon standards. On it's own, it is still a very gripping story in my opinion.
- I love stories like CrossCode that involve all the characters as they gradually build up to the final climax. It actually makes me feel like I am going on a grand adventure rather than a bumpkin weekend trip. While certainly not as impacting as a kid or on first play through, Explorers of Sky's story manages to give you the feeling you are going on a journey with mysteries, character revelations, thwarting bad guys, all that jazz. To put it short, it never once feels underwhelming which is a problem a lot of other games have I feel; I hate it when things are built up only for it to feel anticlimactic (looking at you Crossing Souls).
- The emotional aspect drives hard with the help from the soundtrack in my opinion. The story is good as it is but without the music it wouldn't be the same. The music in this game is an actual banger. From emotional, to dancing and then to feeling epic, this soundtrack has got you covered.
- The gameplay makes me want to pull my hair out sometimes (fuck monster house rooms where the stairs are at) but the reason I enjoy the gameplay in this series is because of the risk factor involved, even if there is a slight chance it is unfair. I can't really describe why I like the gameplay but I think it's best to look at it and judge for yourself to see if it's up your alley.
- There is so much to do after you have completed the main story it's insane. Not only is the post game basically a story continuation but it also opens up new locations to explore, Legendary Pokemon to recruit, etc. It's sad that the friend areas from the original don't make a return here but I don't mind it that much (sniff).
- This game ditches the billions of 99 floor dungeons that Blue/Red Rescue Team liked to shove down our throats and I couldn't be more glad. I like dungeons that are sweetly short and not a long drag.
- Some of the characters in this are massive memes.
- Fun Fact: this game's story is better than most Pokemon game stories, possibly close to Black and White.
To sum it all up, this is a must play for any Mystery Dungeon fan in general. Ever wanted an actual good Pokemon story? Well if the gameplay puts you off you can always watch it on YouTube, though I will confess it doesn't have the same impact because you are seeing someone else's chosen and partner Pokemon instead of your own. With that said, I especially encourage anyone a fan of Pokemon (especially stories) to check this out if they haven't already.
As a closing remark, how much I've talked about it should show how much I adore this game.
Fortunately, we're now in a time where I can 100% recommend this game to A) anyone who has played Time or Darkness but hasn't played it in ages, this game is your excuse to play it again but with cool new content (including special episodes which expands on more of the side characters), and B) people who are wanting to get into the series.
Upon playing this recently and No More Heroes 3, I have learnt that some of the games I like are an acquired taste and I honestly think that applies for a lot of games. Am I saying the best games have some aspects to enjoy for everyone? Maybe. Maybe I am also saying the best games are good because they do what they do best.
I am getting too philosophical here so for the game itself, it remains to this day the definitive Mystery Dungeon experience:
- Despite containing plot about time travel, the story is never confusing and surprisingly lacks any plot holes. The only time I questioned stuff was how the exact time travel rules worked but that is just me being over analytical. I appreciate how they managed to make that sweet, simple, wholesome Mystery Dungeon story despite time travel topics usually being very all over the place.
- Bare in mind when I say this story is outstanding, I mostly mean for Pokemon standards. On it's own, it is still a very gripping story in my opinion.
- I love stories like CrossCode that involve all the characters as they gradually build up to the final climax. It actually makes me feel like I am going on a grand adventure rather than a bumpkin weekend trip. While certainly not as impacting as a kid or on first play through, Explorers of Sky's story manages to give you the feeling you are going on a journey with mysteries, character revelations, thwarting bad guys, all that jazz. To put it short, it never once feels underwhelming which is a problem a lot of other games have I feel; I hate it when things are built up only for it to feel anticlimactic (looking at you Crossing Souls).
- The emotional aspect drives hard with the help from the soundtrack in my opinion. The story is good as it is but without the music it wouldn't be the same. The music in this game is an actual banger. From emotional, to dancing and then to feeling epic, this soundtrack has got you covered.
- The gameplay makes me want to pull my hair out sometimes (fuck monster house rooms where the stairs are at) but the reason I enjoy the gameplay in this series is because of the risk factor involved, even if there is a slight chance it is unfair. I can't really describe why I like the gameplay but I think it's best to look at it and judge for yourself to see if it's up your alley.
- There is so much to do after you have completed the main story it's insane. Not only is the post game basically a story continuation but it also opens up new locations to explore, Legendary Pokemon to recruit, etc. It's sad that the friend areas from the original don't make a return here but I don't mind it that much (sniff).
- This game ditches the billions of 99 floor dungeons that Blue/Red Rescue Team liked to shove down our throats and I couldn't be more glad. I like dungeons that are sweetly short and not a long drag.
- Some of the characters in this are massive memes.
- Fun Fact: this game's story is better than most Pokemon game stories, possibly close to Black and White.
To sum it all up, this is a must play for any Mystery Dungeon fan in general. Ever wanted an actual good Pokemon story? Well if the gameplay puts you off you can always watch it on YouTube, though I will confess it doesn't have the same impact because you are seeing someone else's chosen and partner Pokemon instead of your own. With that said, I especially encourage anyone a fan of Pokemon (especially stories) to check this out if they haven't already.
As a closing remark, how much I've talked about it should show how much I adore this game.
What's that? You want to play Drawn to Life? You found this collection for a cheap price? Good on you, now DON'T BUY IT!
I'm still giving it 1 star because it's, well, Drawn to Life but this review is to illustrate my frustration on a specific change made to this collection and not the games themselves. I should have separate reviews on those games.
Without spoiling anything, they changed the ending of the second game because apparently the ending of the second game is too dark. But this new ending makes LITERALLY EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN THE ENTIRE SERIES FEEL WEIGHTLESS. Once you finish the games, look up "Drawn to Life 2 Alternative Ending" and you'll see what I am talking about. Quite possibly one of the worst ending changes I have ever seen to any media.
I'm still giving it 1 star because it's, well, Drawn to Life but this review is to illustrate my frustration on a specific change made to this collection and not the games themselves. I should have separate reviews on those games.
Without spoiling anything, they changed the ending of the second game because apparently the ending of the second game is too dark. But this new ending makes LITERALLY EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN THE ENTIRE SERIES FEEL WEIGHTLESS. Once you finish the games, look up "Drawn to Life 2 Alternative Ending" and you'll see what I am talking about. Quite possibly one of the worst ending changes I have ever seen to any media.