Xarr
605 Reviews liked by Xarr
When I played this, I knew nothing about the franchise. Like 99% of people who played this, it was to get 1000 achievement points in about 5 minutes. Now that I've seen the tv show, I wish they would make a good Avatar game.
I didn't know how to play this game before. Now I own the board game, so this clearly did a good job.
SimGolf
1996
This was such a bad golf game and bad Sim game. I had completely erased it from my brain until now.
This is a surprisingly good port of Street Fighter IV to the 3DS, however there is also surprisingly little to talk about here. It is essentially just Street Fighter IV but on the 3DS. The main issue people tend to have with this game is the fact that your only controller happens to be a Nintendo 3DS, but after playing the mobile version of this game I'm grateful to even have a joystick at all, and it honestly doesn't feel that bad. My inputs were pretty consistent and even most combos were pretty easy to pull off. The only thing that I found slightly annoying was inputting super/ultra moves, but the ability to do special moves by tapping the touch screen completely fixes that, even if it is a little busted on characters like Gief. There is also new headache inducing 3D mode that I would never recommend playing, but otherwise this is a pretty solid port.
Shin Megami Tensei V
2021
This review contains spoilers
*I am now reviewing the OG Shin Megami Tensei V before I prepare to play Vengeance. I played SMT V four times just to complete the Demon Compendium.
Shin Megami Tensei V is the first Megaten game I ever owned and beaten (Persona 3 Portable is my actual first Megaten experience). Thus, this game has some sentimental value to me as it finally pushed me to play the Megeten series and thus finally place it as my primary monster-collecting series after Pokemon fell out of my favor. Despite that, how does the OG SMT V hold out before Vengeance straight-up invalidate it?
Gameplay in battles are still the press-turn system introduced from Nocturne with the difference being that waiting at a flashing icon will not cause the flashing icon to disappear, but rather cause another press-turn icon to flash. Other than getting rid of the partner system, you have the Magatsuhi Skills that are used by specific races that can affect the tides of battle and status buffs were nerfed by lasting only three turns.
The important part in beating a Megaten game is teambuilding and the way the player can build their team is pretty flexible. The protagonist, the Nahobino and any demon can gain any specific skills (regardless of elements) and used them through essences. Essences are found around the open-areas and contains the defaults skills of another demon. Regardless of how it weak a demon, you could potentially give them end-game level skills and they would serve well. Though, with the help of Demon Statues, any demon can keep up with levels provided the player has enough and the Nahobino is at a pretty decent level.
The other important factor to SMT V's identity is the open areas that the player must explore. Known as Da'at, the open areas has enemies directly visible in the field, thus the player can actively fight them all or avoid them entirely. There are collectibles to find ranging from Essences, Magatsuhi Crystals that restore health and ep, Miman (which will ultimately help the Nahobino gain passive skills and buffs in the Miracles Menu through Glory points), and other items and wandering demons to talk to. Overall, they do serve their purpose well though they are a pretty rough to look at it.
Demon conversations are pretty golden (initiated by a specific demon in the party when you negotiate). They are short, but are pretty entertaining when it happens. It makes the demons feel more alive than before and I wish more were added in the game.
OST in SMT V is still banging. While it isn't consistently as good as Nocturne, IV, or IVA, I do like how very atmospheric it is in the open areas and banging in the battle themes. The themes of the open areas all give each of them a different feel whenever you pass by. The battle themes are insanely good and all of them are bangers to listen to. Of my favorites, it would have to be Tokyo -Daybreak-, Battle -humans, demons, and...-, Battle -Da'at-, the level up theme, Battle -ferocity-, Battle -dancing crazy murder-, Da'at: ueno, Battle-destruction-, Battle-seraph-, Battle-eon-, Battle-Fiend-, and Battle-Demi-fiend-. Needlessly to say, I fought through a lot of battles just to listen to these bangers.
Now for the big elephant of the room being the story and the characters. In term of characters designs, they all look great. In terms of characterization, there isn't much. They are many elements that could've made them more interesting, but the game doesn't bother to explore them due to them not getting that much screen time and are out of focus for most of the game until the relevant alignment moments. The story is just... mid. It isn't inherently garbage as people try to make it be, but it is no great story at all in comparison to SMT IV. Hell, even with it being a spiritual Nocturne sequel, it still has not much of stuff that are interesting, The first two-thirds have the Nahobino explore Da'at and deal with the demons that were left behind by Lucifer before the last-third has the alignments-alide characters and demons fight each other for control of a throne that can ultimately shape their will and future. All of that sound cool, but the game doesn't really presents it that well.
Continuing the negative points. First, while I didn't noticed it the first time, I do agree that the bosses are way too much damage sponges especially on higher difficulties. Second, I don't like the nerfs to status as it didn't really need to change since they served their purpose perfectly in the previous games. Third, some of the latter Da'at areas are annoying to get through with some specific demons really annoying to dodge (thankfully Ueno is my favorite area and it was the most fun to explore). Finally, the endings are really lackluster as it just show the Nahobino just walking into a ball of light. Though in fairness to this game, the endings for most mainline SMT games are lackluster visually.
Overall, the game is extremely carried by how well the gameplay, demons, music, and exploration is with the biggest negatives being the lackluster characters and story. Regardless of the bad, I enjoyed my time with SMT V and I don't regret doing the replays if it meant getting the satisfying 100% demon compendium. SMT V Vengeance straight up is the better game thus there is no need to seek out the original since Vengeance will include the original storyline from the original game. Ultimately, SMT V has a lot going for it, though clearly there were elements that were missing or elements that probably would've been explore if given the chance. A solid 4/5.
Shin Megami Tensei V is the first Megaten game I ever owned and beaten (Persona 3 Portable is my actual first Megaten experience). Thus, this game has some sentimental value to me as it finally pushed me to play the Megeten series and thus finally place it as my primary monster-collecting series after Pokemon fell out of my favor. Despite that, how does the OG SMT V hold out before Vengeance straight-up invalidate it?
Gameplay in battles are still the press-turn system introduced from Nocturne with the difference being that waiting at a flashing icon will not cause the flashing icon to disappear, but rather cause another press-turn icon to flash. Other than getting rid of the partner system, you have the Magatsuhi Skills that are used by specific races that can affect the tides of battle and status buffs were nerfed by lasting only three turns.
The important part in beating a Megaten game is teambuilding and the way the player can build their team is pretty flexible. The protagonist, the Nahobino and any demon can gain any specific skills (regardless of elements) and used them through essences. Essences are found around the open-areas and contains the defaults skills of another demon. Regardless of how it weak a demon, you could potentially give them end-game level skills and they would serve well. Though, with the help of Demon Statues, any demon can keep up with levels provided the player has enough and the Nahobino is at a pretty decent level.
The other important factor to SMT V's identity is the open areas that the player must explore. Known as Da'at, the open areas has enemies directly visible in the field, thus the player can actively fight them all or avoid them entirely. There are collectibles to find ranging from Essences, Magatsuhi Crystals that restore health and ep, Miman (which will ultimately help the Nahobino gain passive skills and buffs in the Miracles Menu through Glory points), and other items and wandering demons to talk to. Overall, they do serve their purpose well though they are a pretty rough to look at it.
Demon conversations are pretty golden (initiated by a specific demon in the party when you negotiate). They are short, but are pretty entertaining when it happens. It makes the demons feel more alive than before and I wish more were added in the game.
OST in SMT V is still banging. While it isn't consistently as good as Nocturne, IV, or IVA, I do like how very atmospheric it is in the open areas and banging in the battle themes. The themes of the open areas all give each of them a different feel whenever you pass by. The battle themes are insanely good and all of them are bangers to listen to. Of my favorites, it would have to be Tokyo -Daybreak-, Battle -humans, demons, and...-, Battle -Da'at-, the level up theme, Battle -ferocity-, Battle -dancing crazy murder-, Da'at: ueno, Battle-destruction-, Battle-seraph-, Battle-eon-, Battle-Fiend-, and Battle-Demi-fiend-. Needlessly to say, I fought through a lot of battles just to listen to these bangers.
Now for the big elephant of the room being the story and the characters. In term of characters designs, they all look great. In terms of characterization, there isn't much. They are many elements that could've made them more interesting, but the game doesn't bother to explore them due to them not getting that much screen time and are out of focus for most of the game until the relevant alignment moments. The story is just... mid. It isn't inherently garbage as people try to make it be, but it is no great story at all in comparison to SMT IV. Hell, even with it being a spiritual Nocturne sequel, it still has not much of stuff that are interesting, The first two-thirds have the Nahobino explore Da'at and deal with the demons that were left behind by Lucifer before the last-third has the alignments-alide characters and demons fight each other for control of a throne that can ultimately shape their will and future. All of that sound cool, but the game doesn't really presents it that well.
Continuing the negative points. First, while I didn't noticed it the first time, I do agree that the bosses are way too much damage sponges especially on higher difficulties. Second, I don't like the nerfs to status as it didn't really need to change since they served their purpose perfectly in the previous games. Third, some of the latter Da'at areas are annoying to get through with some specific demons really annoying to dodge (thankfully Ueno is my favorite area and it was the most fun to explore). Finally, the endings are really lackluster as it just show the Nahobino just walking into a ball of light. Though in fairness to this game, the endings for most mainline SMT games are lackluster visually.
Overall, the game is extremely carried by how well the gameplay, demons, music, and exploration is with the biggest negatives being the lackluster characters and story. Regardless of the bad, I enjoyed my time with SMT V and I don't regret doing the replays if it meant getting the satisfying 100% demon compendium. SMT V Vengeance straight up is the better game thus there is no need to seek out the original since Vengeance will include the original storyline from the original game. Ultimately, SMT V has a lot going for it, though clearly there were elements that were missing or elements that probably would've been explore if given the chance. A solid 4/5.
Batman: Vengeance
2001
In January of last year, I made a review of this game, but I posted it on the page for the console version of the game because the GBA version didn't yet have a page on Backloggd (iirc, I don't think it even was listed as a platform on the other page? I've slept since then, though). I... was going to include the original review at the end of this one for posterity, but I already deleted that log, and then I forgot to paste it and now it's gone, so... oops. You're not missing too much though - onto the actual review.
Batman Vengeance on GBA is a strangely ambitious game. Upon hearing about it, you probably assume you'll just do some light platforming in 2D action levels as Batman, as pretty much all previous and future handheld Batman games have done, but in reality, this game features a whopping four different gameplay styles. Anytime I think of this game, I ask myself "why did they do so much with this game?" I feel as though they intended on only having the Batman sections, and maybe one other, but some execs were like "oh, we want to include the Batplane and Batmobile in to sell people on the game, you need to include those. And people like Robin, right? Give him some levels." And then what was perhaps a lowkey game turned into four different gameplay styles in one (can you tell I have no idea how these things work? My point is just that this game is really loaded and I imagine they were pushed to do so).
Batman's levels are pretty much as I described above, 2D platforming across rooftops and in villain hideouts with simple combat mechanics. Enemies are defeated in no more than three hits, and don't really pose a threat. Batman can glide to cross larger gaps (a surprisingly niche ability across Batman games from my experience - really, his gliding I feel is underutilized in most media) which is somewhat unique amongst its peers, and has the Batclaw to climb to ceilings directly above him, and Batarangs to take out farther enemies. These levels are really nothing special. The first two settings - across Gotham's rooftops and in a building occupied by Mister Freeze - are plain and don't really have any frills. The third set of levels has you scaling up a large building that's been infested with Poison Ivy's plants, so it has a lot more verticality and push you to glide a lot more. Then finally you take on the Joker and Harley at some gasworks which has you using some elevators and limited ziplines; ziplines might sound exciting, but it's really not. The Poison Ivy levels are the peak of the Batman levels, and they're not very special, either. Unsurprisingly, the Batman sections take up the most time of the game, yet they're the last part of the game I think about; they're not good enough to be what I remember most fondly, and they're not bad enough to be was I grimace at in remembrance. They're entirely mediocre.
Next are the Batmobile levels which actually utilizes the setting of the game really well! Gotham City is in the U.S., and boy do these streets keep in mind American infrastructure really well! Semis barreling down the highway, cars speeding down the wrong side of the road or in the middle of it, massive potholes freckling the pavement, and construction ramps and crates littering the way - Gotham put these construction efforts in five years ago, and they aren't planning on being done until 2028, so Gothamites will just have to deal with these for a while. The streets don't make any geographical sense (this is also an American infrastructure thing, not a jab at the game design), and all the highways hilariously end in either sharp 90 degree turns to get into another street, a dead end that's just a building, or, my favorite, more construction. But until you reach the end of the levels, you'll be met with what could be called a Spy Hunter clone. I haven't played Spy Hunter so it might not be a super apt comparison, but that's what it reminds me of - speeding down a highway while shooting at enemy vehicles. For offense, you get an electrical charge that stuns other cars. At first, I didn't realize you could just spam these things, but you really can with just zero drawbacks and effectively get rid of what would be the only bit of challenge in these levels; not that they were difficult to begin with, and frankly it's not very fun either way.
Then there's the worst part of the game: the Batplane. Sidescrolling shoot 'em up levels that are so slow and boring, and, again, not challenging. It's been a while, but from what I remember, the only thing I did in these levels was just hang out at the top as long as I didn't have to go through a narrow passage. You're practically invincible if you hang out at the top, and mostly just riding out till you finish the level, and once again you can just spam electrical charges and obliterate anything that might come your way. These levels really could have just been cut out, and I would say they should have been replaced with just more of the other level types, because this is the most dull and uninspired of the bunch. I guess a bone I'll give it is that this game uses the Batplane more than the entirety of the Arkham series? Congratulations?
Finally, there's my favorite set of levels, Robin of Lolo. Er, I also haven't played Adventure of Lolo, so that might also not be an apt comparison, but I'm using it lightly anyway. The Robin levels are all overhead puzzlers where you push and pull crates to get through rooms or find key cards and such, with some parts where you need to dodge obstacles and use an RC vehicle to hack into systems (a very strange gadget... I like to think he just got it for Christmas one year and upgraded it to hack into stuff). Are they the most enthralling puzzles I've seen? No, and I'm sure similar games use the concept much better, but I couldn't help but want more of them. If they had made a full game of just the Robin levels, well, I'd certainly try it out. Unfortunately, Robin only has two sets of levels. I think they are the longest singular levels, but only two sets.
Yeah, this game isn't very good. The Robin levels are decent, but that's the height of the game, and not really worth playing the whole thing for. Seeing the Animated Series designs used in 3D and then shrunken down for stills in the GBA cutscenes is charming, but that's reaching for positives. I don't think anybody can really call this a horrible game or anything, but there's nothing good enough for it to be notable. Just skip it.
Batman Vengeance on GBA is a strangely ambitious game. Upon hearing about it, you probably assume you'll just do some light platforming in 2D action levels as Batman, as pretty much all previous and future handheld Batman games have done, but in reality, this game features a whopping four different gameplay styles. Anytime I think of this game, I ask myself "why did they do so much with this game?" I feel as though they intended on only having the Batman sections, and maybe one other, but some execs were like "oh, we want to include the Batplane and Batmobile in to sell people on the game, you need to include those. And people like Robin, right? Give him some levels." And then what was perhaps a lowkey game turned into four different gameplay styles in one (can you tell I have no idea how these things work? My point is just that this game is really loaded and I imagine they were pushed to do so).
Batman's levels are pretty much as I described above, 2D platforming across rooftops and in villain hideouts with simple combat mechanics. Enemies are defeated in no more than three hits, and don't really pose a threat. Batman can glide to cross larger gaps (a surprisingly niche ability across Batman games from my experience - really, his gliding I feel is underutilized in most media) which is somewhat unique amongst its peers, and has the Batclaw to climb to ceilings directly above him, and Batarangs to take out farther enemies. These levels are really nothing special. The first two settings - across Gotham's rooftops and in a building occupied by Mister Freeze - are plain and don't really have any frills. The third set of levels has you scaling up a large building that's been infested with Poison Ivy's plants, so it has a lot more verticality and push you to glide a lot more. Then finally you take on the Joker and Harley at some gasworks which has you using some elevators and limited ziplines; ziplines might sound exciting, but it's really not. The Poison Ivy levels are the peak of the Batman levels, and they're not very special, either. Unsurprisingly, the Batman sections take up the most time of the game, yet they're the last part of the game I think about; they're not good enough to be what I remember most fondly, and they're not bad enough to be was I grimace at in remembrance. They're entirely mediocre.
Next are the Batmobile levels which actually utilizes the setting of the game really well! Gotham City is in the U.S., and boy do these streets keep in mind American infrastructure really well! Semis barreling down the highway, cars speeding down the wrong side of the road or in the middle of it, massive potholes freckling the pavement, and construction ramps and crates littering the way - Gotham put these construction efforts in five years ago, and they aren't planning on being done until 2028, so Gothamites will just have to deal with these for a while. The streets don't make any geographical sense (this is also an American infrastructure thing, not a jab at the game design), and all the highways hilariously end in either sharp 90 degree turns to get into another street, a dead end that's just a building, or, my favorite, more construction. But until you reach the end of the levels, you'll be met with what could be called a Spy Hunter clone. I haven't played Spy Hunter so it might not be a super apt comparison, but that's what it reminds me of - speeding down a highway while shooting at enemy vehicles. For offense, you get an electrical charge that stuns other cars. At first, I didn't realize you could just spam these things, but you really can with just zero drawbacks and effectively get rid of what would be the only bit of challenge in these levels; not that they were difficult to begin with, and frankly it's not very fun either way.
Then there's the worst part of the game: the Batplane. Sidescrolling shoot 'em up levels that are so slow and boring, and, again, not challenging. It's been a while, but from what I remember, the only thing I did in these levels was just hang out at the top as long as I didn't have to go through a narrow passage. You're practically invincible if you hang out at the top, and mostly just riding out till you finish the level, and once again you can just spam electrical charges and obliterate anything that might come your way. These levels really could have just been cut out, and I would say they should have been replaced with just more of the other level types, because this is the most dull and uninspired of the bunch. I guess a bone I'll give it is that this game uses the Batplane more than the entirety of the Arkham series? Congratulations?
Finally, there's my favorite set of levels, Robin of Lolo. Er, I also haven't played Adventure of Lolo, so that might also not be an apt comparison, but I'm using it lightly anyway. The Robin levels are all overhead puzzlers where you push and pull crates to get through rooms or find key cards and such, with some parts where you need to dodge obstacles and use an RC vehicle to hack into systems (a very strange gadget... I like to think he just got it for Christmas one year and upgraded it to hack into stuff). Are they the most enthralling puzzles I've seen? No, and I'm sure similar games use the concept much better, but I couldn't help but want more of them. If they had made a full game of just the Robin levels, well, I'd certainly try it out. Unfortunately, Robin only has two sets of levels. I think they are the longest singular levels, but only two sets.
Yeah, this game isn't very good. The Robin levels are decent, but that's the height of the game, and not really worth playing the whole thing for. Seeing the Animated Series designs used in 3D and then shrunken down for stills in the GBA cutscenes is charming, but that's reaching for positives. I don't think anybody can really call this a horrible game or anything, but there's nothing good enough for it to be notable. Just skip it.
A Guidebook of Babel
2023
Sit down. Strap in. Here's how it works: when you die, you fall into the sea of the afterlife, where your soul is swallowed by a puffer fish that is captured by the Swim Team. They extract your soul from the puffer fish on the impossibly large ship Babel and then send you down for memory extraction before shuttling you off to a carnival that ends with your soul being fired via cannon into your next life.
That's the opening chapter of A Guidebook of Babel, and everything you need to know about the game. It's the bizarro worldbuilding and creativity, the looping story, that will keep you playing. Multiple characters, mild time-editing puzzle-solving, tragic backstories all tug the player along, always offering new twists and tidbits, always leaving the player wanting to know a bit more. It's a clever little game, inventive and sincere, with its only real flaw being its fear that the player won't be able to solve its riddles. There's a fair amount of hand-holding, optional as it is, and the sense that this could have been a more complicated, note-requiring game. But it's not, and that's fine. Still fun, still clever and refreshing, still worth your time.
That's the opening chapter of A Guidebook of Babel, and everything you need to know about the game. It's the bizarro worldbuilding and creativity, the looping story, that will keep you playing. Multiple characters, mild time-editing puzzle-solving, tragic backstories all tug the player along, always offering new twists and tidbits, always leaving the player wanting to know a bit more. It's a clever little game, inventive and sincere, with its only real flaw being its fear that the player won't be able to solve its riddles. There's a fair amount of hand-holding, optional as it is, and the sense that this could have been a more complicated, note-requiring game. But it's not, and that's fine. Still fun, still clever and refreshing, still worth your time.
Pokéwalker
2009
Twin Pikas: Pokéwalk with Me
It's pika I'm afraid...
It's pika I'm afraid...
XDefiant
2024
This is kind of irrelevant, but I just wanted to mention that I, somehow, have completely avoided Ubisoft for my whole life. The only Ubisoft game I've played - that they've actually developed - is Batman Vengeance on GBA, and I kind of feel like I shouldn't even count it. This is my first one; and considering this is actually a crossover between some Tom Clancy games, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs, that's a bit silly.
Anyhow, this game isn't for me. Call of Duty already has frustrating multiplayer (skill issue, admittedly), but the overall good maps and class customization makes up for it. I didn't really feel I had as many choices in this game - frankly I've never cared for giving certain classes certain attributes, I just don't like it - and the maps mostly sucked. There were some I liked, but overall everything is a very jungle gym design, and there's no spot where I felt relative safety. Sure, it's a warzone, and you're never truly safe in these kinds of games, but being able to pause for a few seconds is nice, and I don't really feel as though I get that here.
I played around fifteen matches of this game. I'd say two of those were a great time, half weren't bad, and then the rest were stinky. It's not really a fun-to-not-fun ratio that I feel is worth continuing playing - and definitely not worth spending money on. But that's the good thing; it's free, and I don't think there's really much reason to spend money unless you just really like the other skins or something.
Shoutout to the practice arena which had a bunch of Rabbids everywhere. I think a lot of people still hate seeing those guys, but I do get some whimsy out of them seeming to love the guys internally.
Anyhow, this game isn't for me. Call of Duty already has frustrating multiplayer (skill issue, admittedly), but the overall good maps and class customization makes up for it. I didn't really feel I had as many choices in this game - frankly I've never cared for giving certain classes certain attributes, I just don't like it - and the maps mostly sucked. There were some I liked, but overall everything is a very jungle gym design, and there's no spot where I felt relative safety. Sure, it's a warzone, and you're never truly safe in these kinds of games, but being able to pause for a few seconds is nice, and I don't really feel as though I get that here.
I played around fifteen matches of this game. I'd say two of those were a great time, half weren't bad, and then the rest were stinky. It's not really a fun-to-not-fun ratio that I feel is worth continuing playing - and definitely not worth spending money on. But that's the good thing; it's free, and I don't think there's really much reason to spend money unless you just really like the other skins or something.
Shoutout to the practice arena which had a bunch of Rabbids everywhere. I think a lot of people still hate seeing those guys, but I do get some whimsy out of them seeming to love the guys internally.
Really sweet and faithful visuals, sound design, enemies, etc. The game looks and sounds great, unfortunately I thought the gameplay was very lackluster.
Beat-em-ups are always gonna be simple, but I feel like at least two attack buttons were needed for this about 1 hour of gameplay. Either that, or make the one hit a lil more satisfying. The one attack just felt weak and lame, and I didn't get much feedback from it. For a beat-em-up to be worth playing, that basic punch needs to feel relatively good and give consistent player feedback, which it does not here. Thus, me get bored, me go play something else.
Beat-em-ups are always gonna be simple, but I feel like at least two attack buttons were needed for this about 1 hour of gameplay. Either that, or make the one hit a lil more satisfying. The one attack just felt weak and lame, and I didn't get much feedback from it. For a beat-em-up to be worth playing, that basic punch needs to feel relatively good and give consistent player feedback, which it does not here. Thus, me get bored, me go play something else.
Another full-fledged Overcooked 2 DLC, with the most levels to date. I found this one to be pretty hard, much more-so than previous DLC's but maybe that's a good thing.
As always, solid aesthetic and story, but I'm not totally loving the backpack gimmick, I find it just annoying tbh. Also, I am kinda sick of washing dishes ngl, can we cut that out?
Overall a very solid expansion DLC, but I find some gimmicks more annoying than fun, and I would likely never return to this one.
Overcooked RANKED
As always, solid aesthetic and story, but I'm not totally loving the backpack gimmick, I find it just annoying tbh. Also, I am kinda sick of washing dishes ngl, can we cut that out?
Overall a very solid expansion DLC, but I find some gimmicks more annoying than fun, and I would likely never return to this one.
Overcooked RANKED
Kid Dracula
1990
Kid Dracula is a spin-off of the Castlevania series, starring a chibi version of the Prince of Darkness himself.
It's clear why, initially, this didn't get a worldwide release. Not only because it has a very chibi art-style, something that the USA of old probably wouldn't accept, but it also contains some stuff related to Japanese culture.
In terms of gameplay, this one feels more like a Mega Man game than a Castlevania one, as Kid Dracula's main attack is a projectible very similar to that of the Blue Bomber's. After you beat a stage, you get a new ability to choose from, whether that'd be a homing projectible or an ice attack.
I did feel like the level design only really asked for some of these abilities to be used in some ocassions. There are some interesting set-pieces in the levels themselves, though, and I really liked the variety of environments Kid Dracula goes through.
It wasn't all perfect though, since I did some frustrating times with some of the bosses and some parts of the levels. Stage 6's boss can go suck it, because he constantly summons bubbles at you, but you have little room to avoid them, so you'll most likely get knocked back from them and die.
What doesn't help is that you're sent all the way back towards the middle of the level, and that really grinded my gears. I did use plenty of save-states for this one, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.
Gotta be honest, even with the game's cute aesthetic, I didn't really find this game to be all that interesting. If it wasn't frustrating, then it was just leaving me indifferent.
Again, there were things about this game that I liked, like the overall presentation and some parts of the soundtrack, but it really doesn't feel like anything special.
Overall, Kid Dracula is a fine 2D platformer that sometimes left me frustrated, but other times left me with the feeling that I just wanted this to be done, so I could finish all of the games of the Castlevania Anniversary Collection.
It's clear why, initially, this didn't get a worldwide release. Not only because it has a very chibi art-style, something that the USA of old probably wouldn't accept, but it also contains some stuff related to Japanese culture.
In terms of gameplay, this one feels more like a Mega Man game than a Castlevania one, as Kid Dracula's main attack is a projectible very similar to that of the Blue Bomber's. After you beat a stage, you get a new ability to choose from, whether that'd be a homing projectible or an ice attack.
I did feel like the level design only really asked for some of these abilities to be used in some ocassions. There are some interesting set-pieces in the levels themselves, though, and I really liked the variety of environments Kid Dracula goes through.
It wasn't all perfect though, since I did some frustrating times with some of the bosses and some parts of the levels. Stage 6's boss can go suck it, because he constantly summons bubbles at you, but you have little room to avoid them, so you'll most likely get knocked back from them and die.
What doesn't help is that you're sent all the way back towards the middle of the level, and that really grinded my gears. I did use plenty of save-states for this one, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.
Gotta be honest, even with the game's cute aesthetic, I didn't really find this game to be all that interesting. If it wasn't frustrating, then it was just leaving me indifferent.
Again, there were things about this game that I liked, like the overall presentation and some parts of the soundtrack, but it really doesn't feel like anything special.
Overall, Kid Dracula is a fine 2D platformer that sometimes left me frustrated, but other times left me with the feeling that I just wanted this to be done, so I could finish all of the games of the Castlevania Anniversary Collection.
Gunstar Heroes
1993
I’ve never really been a fan of the Genesis. I was always a Nintendo kid. I didn’t have a Genesis growing up so I’ve only finished a handful of games and they ranged from meh to bad. Obviously, I know there are good games to be played on the Gensis but I wasn’t sure where to start. So, I did the only logical thing and trusted everyone here. I went to backloggd put Gensis games in the filter and put highest average rating filter on. Thanks to this site, I finally have a Genesis game I can point to and say that is a reason to own a Genesis.
Gunstar Heroes is an excellent game that is very fun from the very beginning until the credit rolls. The run and gun gameplay is fast paced and fun to experiment with (even if I was too stupid to realize until half way though the game that if you had 2 weapons you can actually use a 3rd weapon combining the 2. I know I'm dumb.) Once I learned about weapon combining the game got even more fun experimenting with all of my options. I also found the difficulty to be very well balanced. It's not so easy that you are mindlessly running through stages but also not so hard that anything will take more than a couple of attempts. The game runs incredibly smooth for being a game made in 1993. There are so many bullets, enemies, and explosions on the screen at times and I had frame skips one time. The art is one thing that I think the Genesis gets right almost every time and this game is no exception with great visuals. The music was pretty good as well.
This is an easy recommendation that is decently accessible thanks to the switch. I'm going to try out some more Genesis games but like I said I know very little about the system. I believe the only games I've played is Sonic 1-3, Ecco the Dolphin, Vector man, and now this. I know many of the friends I've made here are big on the Genesis so If you have any suggestions, please comment them and I will do my best to get around to playing them.
My 2024 ranked:
https://www.backloggd.com/u/DVince89/list/games-i-played-in-2024-ranked-1/
Gunstar Heroes is an excellent game that is very fun from the very beginning until the credit rolls. The run and gun gameplay is fast paced and fun to experiment with (even if I was too stupid to realize until half way though the game that if you had 2 weapons you can actually use a 3rd weapon combining the 2. I know I'm dumb.) Once I learned about weapon combining the game got even more fun experimenting with all of my options. I also found the difficulty to be very well balanced. It's not so easy that you are mindlessly running through stages but also not so hard that anything will take more than a couple of attempts. The game runs incredibly smooth for being a game made in 1993. There are so many bullets, enemies, and explosions on the screen at times and I had frame skips one time. The art is one thing that I think the Genesis gets right almost every time and this game is no exception with great visuals. The music was pretty good as well.
This is an easy recommendation that is decently accessible thanks to the switch. I'm going to try out some more Genesis games but like I said I know very little about the system. I believe the only games I've played is Sonic 1-3, Ecco the Dolphin, Vector man, and now this. I know many of the friends I've made here are big on the Genesis so If you have any suggestions, please comment them and I will do my best to get around to playing them.
My 2024 ranked:
https://www.backloggd.com/u/DVince89/list/games-i-played-in-2024-ranked-1/
I'm fully convinced this game only exists because someone wanted the Yoshi commits tax fraud meme to be a real game. And really despite being a "joke" game, there is a lot of heart put into it by the Dev.
It is a Zelda-lite, and the word "lite" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here since the game can take 1 hour to 100% and the dungeons/puzzles are really barebones that I'm more inclined to call this an adventure game due to the fact that the best part isn't the gameplay, but the dialogue. Of course with the game being based off a meme, you'd expect the Dev to deliver on the game being funny, and they do. It's silly humor that is chuckle worthy, but nothing too outlandish. I was keen to talk to each NPC in anticipation of reading something so funnily stupid.
The gameplay itself is really just a means to get to the next dialogue box as combat is barebones 2D Zelda sword attacks, and puzzles are the same bomb and portal puzzles repeated throughout the entire game.
If you do play this, make sure to go with the easy 100% as you will get a nice surprise with the final boss.
This was still a good time as a nice little joke title, but I wouldn't pay full price for this. Definitely play this on game pass or get it for at least half price on sale. It's hard to recommend this at full price.
It is a Zelda-lite, and the word "lite" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here since the game can take 1 hour to 100% and the dungeons/puzzles are really barebones that I'm more inclined to call this an adventure game due to the fact that the best part isn't the gameplay, but the dialogue. Of course with the game being based off a meme, you'd expect the Dev to deliver on the game being funny, and they do. It's silly humor that is chuckle worthy, but nothing too outlandish. I was keen to talk to each NPC in anticipation of reading something so funnily stupid.
The gameplay itself is really just a means to get to the next dialogue box as combat is barebones 2D Zelda sword attacks, and puzzles are the same bomb and portal puzzles repeated throughout the entire game.
If you do play this, make sure to go with the easy 100% as you will get a nice surprise with the final boss.
This was still a good time as a nice little joke title, but I wouldn't pay full price for this. Definitely play this on game pass or get it for at least half price on sale. It's hard to recommend this at full price.
It took me many years, but I finished all of the games present in this collection.
I got the Castlevania Anniversary Collection back in 2019, and it was something great for the Castlevania series, I'd say. This franchise rarely got collections, and only a few re-releases here and there thanks to Nintendo's Virtual Console service.
Now, with this collections, we would be able to experience many Classic Castlevania games, all at a good price. It is a bit odd seeing games like Rondo of Blood and Castlevania Legends being excluded, but what we got is pretty good.
We got the original NES trilogy, the SNES and Mega Drive games, the first two Game Boy games and even the NES version of Kid Dracula as a bonus.
And in a update, they included most of the Japanese versions of these games, which is great, because it actually allowed me to beat Castlevania III.
The extra Bonus Book they added is also a nice addition, filled with high-qulaity prints of box art, and some interviews too.
Overall, the Castlevania Anniversary Collection is a great collection for those who want to get into the Castlevania series, and want to see where the series started.
I got the Castlevania Anniversary Collection back in 2019, and it was something great for the Castlevania series, I'd say. This franchise rarely got collections, and only a few re-releases here and there thanks to Nintendo's Virtual Console service.
Now, with this collections, we would be able to experience many Classic Castlevania games, all at a good price. It is a bit odd seeing games like Rondo of Blood and Castlevania Legends being excluded, but what we got is pretty good.
We got the original NES trilogy, the SNES and Mega Drive games, the first two Game Boy games and even the NES version of Kid Dracula as a bonus.
And in a update, they included most of the Japanese versions of these games, which is great, because it actually allowed me to beat Castlevania III.
The extra Bonus Book they added is also a nice addition, filled with high-qulaity prints of box art, and some interviews too.
Overall, the Castlevania Anniversary Collection is a great collection for those who want to get into the Castlevania series, and want to see where the series started.