Log Status

Completed

Playing

Backlog

Wishlist

Rating

Time Played

--

Platforms Played

DISPLAY


Cleared on January 3rd, 2024 (SEGA Genesis Challenge: 42/160)

The premise is that Goofy is working at a history museum as a janitor using an invention that would reach high places. If he succeeds in cleaning the place, he would get a promotion. However, Pete, who happens to be in the same job and position he is in, attempts to sabotage him to get the promotion. Goofy is unaware of this, however, as he seems more focused on daydreaming about going into the time periods, and I guess accidentally sabotages Pete's plans.

Goofy ventures across four different time periods in a 2D Platformer using the Extend-o-Hand for grappling certain blocks, punching enemies, and using an array of tools that he picks up along the way. He can pick up blue balls as a projectile that aims downward diagonal, a boxing glove which deals high damage and usually OHKO enemies with limited uses, a boot for extra vertical distance, and a glider. He can trigger "Gooftraptions" across the levels that would support him like birds that can send them flying, factory whistles that can stun all enemies, and Fireworks to home in on enemies to knock them out.

The platforming itself is quite challenging as it can be quite precise with its grappling cubes and the game offers multiple pathes across each level, but it can be rather annoying. The first problem I noticed is that Goofy feels a bit too zoomed in which gives you little time to react to where you are about to fall. Not even helped that part of the bottom screen is occupied by Goofy's info which includes his health, balloons, blue ball ammo, and score and lives if pausing.

The enemy placement doesn't feel that cheap since by default, your Extend-o-Hand attacks upward diagonal which allows you to avoid getting camped from above and in the case of enemies that are facing down, you can just throw a goofball and hit them. However, the enemies will attack rapidly which can be quite rough under bad circumstances, but at least you can actually jump on them and not make it so elaborate which is more that can be said for the other Mickey Mouse games. However, the object placements can be rather cheap especially the cactus in the 2nd level, and I distinctly remember how jank the platforming the leafs were in the first level.

The checkpoint system in this game is atrocious. Unless you have save states on hand, if you get knocked out in a level, you have to start from the beginning of the level. The game does rectify this in the final level as it feels more segmented which acts as checkpoints, but it makes me wonder why now.

The bosses, namely the fights with Pete are rather underwhelming. All he does in every fight, including the final boss, is just jump and shoot. The only thing that changes is the terrain. The most interesting one was maybe the first one since you get to roll around in a wheel contraption while fighting him. The one saving grace is that each boss fight has a unique theme which is something I don't think I've seen in a Sega Genesis game up to this point. The one that stands out is the 2nd theme because it tries to sound like a western duel theme, but the Genesis sound font kinda makes the song feel more dramatic than it was intended to be.

The music isn't bad. It is hit and miss with some good tracks here and there like the boss themes, the first level, and the 16 bit demake of what I can't help but think of as Barney the Dinosaur's theme song that appears in the 3rd level. The rest is rather forgettable.

Overall, not a bad game. It functions about what I hoped for it to, but it definitively has some kinks they could've worked out.