applefritter
34 reviews liked by applefritter
not to brag but I own this cartridge so ermmm ladies one at a time
this game lets me live out my dream of driving drunk in a school zone
The cool thing about being an adult is that you can look at a game with a ton of Discourse surrounding it, and just play it for yourself because you know that fiction is allowed to include Dark topics, and what matters is how its handled
The Coffin of Andy and Leyley is........fine. Almost unremarkable if you remove the Discourse. The gameplay is peak bog standard RPG Maker walk and talking, where you press space on an object and maybe pick it up to bring it somewhere else. The kind that's perfectly servicable but occasionally slows the pacing down if you can't figure out what to interactive with, and therefore just start trying everything. If you take a break from the game and come back, you might stumble trying to remember where you left off
The writing is unabashedly edgy, and I think it would still be very polarizing without all the dialogue about Ashley wanting to fuck her brother. I actually found myself reminded a lot of Jhonen Vasquez's work, which I will admit I haven't read since I was 15 so maybe my memory is off, where they share that same slightly immature and incredibly cynical strain of humour that occasionally falls into the territory of trying too hard. There's a scene where you're in a public park and if you interact with a tree, the game is like "you picked up: used condom - you decide not to bring it with you". There's an billboard advert that says "are you tired of being alive? ask your doctor about euthanasia today!". Maybe RPG Maker is slightly to blame for this but a part of me is surprised Andy & Leyley came out in 2023, because it really feels like something that would've been made while I was in High School, and that someone like me would've loved back then
As for the incest stuff, I do think it's a bit disingenous to say "oh it's just a bad ending" when Ashley makes repeated comments that boil down to "I would like to fuck my brother". You don't need to justify your enjoyment of the game with "actually, it's a commentary on toxic relationships", because sure it is, but the game never really commits to it and that's fine! you're allowed to like this because it's a bit edgy and fucked up, that is okay. Alternatively, there's nothing wrong with saying "I'm not a prude but the gameplay is boring and the writing tries too hard"
I do think the game struggles a little bit with knowing what it wants to be, and because of that, it tends to go in circles sometimes. I did find myself getting surprisingly invested in the world and the characters, but kept wanting more since each episode length is pretty short so far. I wanna see more consequences for the fucked up things these characters do and feel, but maybe that'll be in the later chapters. I will say, the artstyle is very nice - every character is very expressive with their portraits. You can tell you're in a world of RPG Maker tiles but I think they make the most of it and the artstyle is there too
The Coffin of Andy and Leyley is........fine. Almost unremarkable if you remove the Discourse. The gameplay is peak bog standard RPG Maker walk and talking, where you press space on an object and maybe pick it up to bring it somewhere else. The kind that's perfectly servicable but occasionally slows the pacing down if you can't figure out what to interactive with, and therefore just start trying everything. If you take a break from the game and come back, you might stumble trying to remember where you left off
The writing is unabashedly edgy, and I think it would still be very polarizing without all the dialogue about Ashley wanting to fuck her brother. I actually found myself reminded a lot of Jhonen Vasquez's work, which I will admit I haven't read since I was 15 so maybe my memory is off, where they share that same slightly immature and incredibly cynical strain of humour that occasionally falls into the territory of trying too hard. There's a scene where you're in a public park and if you interact with a tree, the game is like "you picked up: used condom - you decide not to bring it with you". There's an billboard advert that says "are you tired of being alive? ask your doctor about euthanasia today!". Maybe RPG Maker is slightly to blame for this but a part of me is surprised Andy & Leyley came out in 2023, because it really feels like something that would've been made while I was in High School, and that someone like me would've loved back then
As for the incest stuff, I do think it's a bit disingenous to say "oh it's just a bad ending" when Ashley makes repeated comments that boil down to "I would like to fuck my brother". You don't need to justify your enjoyment of the game with "actually, it's a commentary on toxic relationships", because sure it is, but the game never really commits to it and that's fine! you're allowed to like this because it's a bit edgy and fucked up, that is okay. Alternatively, there's nothing wrong with saying "I'm not a prude but the gameplay is boring and the writing tries too hard"
I do think the game struggles a little bit with knowing what it wants to be, and because of that, it tends to go in circles sometimes. I did find myself getting surprisingly invested in the world and the characters, but kept wanting more since each episode length is pretty short so far. I wanna see more consequences for the fucked up things these characters do and feel, but maybe that'll be in the later chapters. I will say, the artstyle is very nice - every character is very expressive with their portraits. You can tell you're in a world of RPG Maker tiles but I think they make the most of it and the artstyle is there too
THIS DLC HAS HIDDEN POTENTIAL!!!!!!! KEEP IT HIDDEN!!!!!!!
Pikmin 2
2004
Pikmin 2 makes me feel conflicted because even tho all of its newly added content and QoL improvements would automatically make it better than Pikmin 2, it's also how those add-ons are executed that makes it a bit difficult to explain.
The game now lets you control two characters, Olimar and Louie, allowing you to split your Pikmin into two groups for some coop puzzle solving. While it's a great idea, it's not implemented to its full potential, only necessary for a few overworld treasures.
The Pikmins have also been redefined, as Yellow Pikmin are now immune to electricity, making them more useful from the first game (albeit you don't have access to bombs anymore as those are now traps and obstacles seen during the Caves). The game has also added two new types, Purple and White. While the new Pikmin are appreciated, Purple breaks the game in every possible way, able to stun almost all enemies and deal massive damage. They also render Red Pikmin useless, aside from a few fire traps, which can be taken care of by other Pikmin anyway, as long as you're careful.
The Caves are a cool new way of giving depth to the areas in the game, with brand-new enemy types and bosses waiting at the end. But their inclusion ends up affecting the Areas overworld, as they're much less interesting to explore than in Pikmin 1. Not only that but the RNG system and layout of some of the Caves can be a bit cheap, forcing you to trigger enemy traps that you have almost no time to react to, making you lose Pikmin in the process.
"Beating" the game was also surprisingly easier than Pikmin 1, thanks to the mentioned Purple Pikmin and the fact that I was able to "finish" the game and collect the debt in a very quick manner. While it had some challenging parts, a lot of it felt too basic in some parts, not being as engaging as a result.
......until you "beat" the game and gain access to the fourth final area, Wistful Wild. And suddenly, the game goes from being easy to absolutely cheap in every way possible, amplifying the unavoidable traps, more possibilities of the RNG layout messing you up for no reason, enemies that are too difficult to deal with and will guarantee you losing a good amount of Pikmin. While the game is VERY generous with saving and continuing after a save, it feels very tedious to restart a sublevel and play for 10 mins only for an out-of-nowhere "fuck you" trap to mess you up and kill half of your Pikmin, causing you to want to restart or quit the cave halfway.
Overall, while there was clearly an idea, it could have been executed better. I wouldn't say it's worse than Pikmin 1, nor would I say it's better. I'd say "Paying off the debt" is more fun than Pikmin 1, while actually "Beating" the game is worse than Pikmin 1.
AlsoLouiefuckingsuckswhytheFUCKwouldyousendthepersonresponsibleforyourcompanyfallingindebttocollectthetreasureheistheworst
The game now lets you control two characters, Olimar and Louie, allowing you to split your Pikmin into two groups for some coop puzzle solving. While it's a great idea, it's not implemented to its full potential, only necessary for a few overworld treasures.
The Pikmins have also been redefined, as Yellow Pikmin are now immune to electricity, making them more useful from the first game (albeit you don't have access to bombs anymore as those are now traps and obstacles seen during the Caves). The game has also added two new types, Purple and White. While the new Pikmin are appreciated, Purple breaks the game in every possible way, able to stun almost all enemies and deal massive damage. They also render Red Pikmin useless, aside from a few fire traps, which can be taken care of by other Pikmin anyway, as long as you're careful.
The Caves are a cool new way of giving depth to the areas in the game, with brand-new enemy types and bosses waiting at the end. But their inclusion ends up affecting the Areas overworld, as they're much less interesting to explore than in Pikmin 1. Not only that but the RNG system and layout of some of the Caves can be a bit cheap, forcing you to trigger enemy traps that you have almost no time to react to, making you lose Pikmin in the process.
"Beating" the game was also surprisingly easier than Pikmin 1, thanks to the mentioned Purple Pikmin and the fact that I was able to "finish" the game and collect the debt in a very quick manner. While it had some challenging parts, a lot of it felt too basic in some parts, not being as engaging as a result.
......until you "beat" the game and gain access to the fourth final area, Wistful Wild. And suddenly, the game goes from being easy to absolutely cheap in every way possible, amplifying the unavoidable traps, more possibilities of the RNG layout messing you up for no reason, enemies that are too difficult to deal with and will guarantee you losing a good amount of Pikmin. While the game is VERY generous with saving and continuing after a save, it feels very tedious to restart a sublevel and play for 10 mins only for an out-of-nowhere "fuck you" trap to mess you up and kill half of your Pikmin, causing you to want to restart or quit the cave halfway.
Overall, while there was clearly an idea, it could have been executed better. I wouldn't say it's worse than Pikmin 1, nor would I say it's better. I'd say "Paying off the debt" is more fun than Pikmin 1, while actually "Beating" the game is worse than Pikmin 1.
AlsoLouiefuckingsuckswhytheFUCKwouldyousendthepersonresponsibleforyourcompanyfallingindebttocollectthetreasureheistheworst
Pikmin 2 Multiplayer
2020
Pikmin 2 is a fun game, and it honestly feels like Co-Op should have been a part of the main campaign from the start, so to see it implemented in such a smooth manner by a team of fans was honestly great. I hadn't played Pikmin 2 in a long time, so playing it again with a group of friends is a great experience. Pikmin shortage does tend to be a problem since there's no easy way to share the pikmin across captains, and it's easy for the little buggers to accidentally join another Captain's squad if they're dismissed, which makes strategizing a bit of an issue at times, but it's more than made up by the increased manpower.
The speed at which you can clear an area or a cave if you're properly spreading the work between players is crazy. During our playthrough, we only encountered the Water Wraith on the last floor before it's boss fight.
The speed at which you can clear an area or a cave if you're properly spreading the work between players is crazy. During our playthrough, we only encountered the Water Wraith on the last floor before it's boss fight.
my Harsh-But-Factually-Correct take is that sonic fan games are basically unplayable by proxy of sonic fans being youtube theorycrafter maniacs with no grasp on actual game design - let alone how to make a good platformer level. and that's fine, cause the real thing is this meticulously-crafted wonderdrug that functions entirely on millions of little gameplay details being laser-sharp and tangentially optimized - and also not giving a fuck in spots where it didn't need to. It's a testament to the classics that even the most dedicated, autism-powered creatives on the internet can't box with the O.G..
But Triple Trouble 16-bit? It comes pretty damn close. For one, the level design is generally solid! Still worse than 2 and 3, and generally too boxy and horizontal for my tastes, but it has that genesis blend of platforming, autopilot and gimmick sections that spring back and forth into each other. It understands and respects that Sonic is both a speed game AND a platform game, and that you should orchestrate a relationship between your character physics and stage design that reflects that. Besides that, it's like, got every fan favorite trimming you'd think of - cutscenes, all the elemental shields and moves, new setpiece moments, CD's [a e s t h e t i c] menus and unlockables - the package speaks for itself, it's very Mania-core.
Music is hit or miss, mostly by way of missing layering on some lead instruments or other midi-flipper shenanigans. Y'know how you can tell when a Genesis song sounds 'flat'? You know it when you hear it - it's missing a fade into vibrato or an echo, and so you hear the same tone for too long and it sounds like bad midi. There's some of that here. The composers all GET how to make good Genesis music, but not like, GREAT music, and you don't get there without sitting your ass down in a real Genny tracker and learning its limitations and deeper features. John Tay's remixes shit on everyone else's contributions because of this, to be brutally honest.
If you're like me and dodged most sonic fan games for not feeling like the originals, this is like, 85% of the way there. Definitely worth your time.
But Triple Trouble 16-bit? It comes pretty damn close. For one, the level design is generally solid! Still worse than 2 and 3, and generally too boxy and horizontal for my tastes, but it has that genesis blend of platforming, autopilot and gimmick sections that spring back and forth into each other. It understands and respects that Sonic is both a speed game AND a platform game, and that you should orchestrate a relationship between your character physics and stage design that reflects that. Besides that, it's like, got every fan favorite trimming you'd think of - cutscenes, all the elemental shields and moves, new setpiece moments, CD's [a e s t h e t i c] menus and unlockables - the package speaks for itself, it's very Mania-core.
Music is hit or miss, mostly by way of missing layering on some lead instruments or other midi-flipper shenanigans. Y'know how you can tell when a Genesis song sounds 'flat'? You know it when you hear it - it's missing a fade into vibrato or an echo, and so you hear the same tone for too long and it sounds like bad midi. There's some of that here. The composers all GET how to make good Genesis music, but not like, GREAT music, and you don't get there without sitting your ass down in a real Genny tracker and learning its limitations and deeper features. John Tay's remixes shit on everyone else's contributions because of this, to be brutally honest.
If you're like me and dodged most sonic fan games for not feeling like the originals, this is like, 85% of the way there. Definitely worth your time.
One of the best Metroidvanias I've ever played. Extremely replayable. Gameplay, art direction, soundtrack, story, everything is on point.
that sure was an Unreal Engine 5 experience
Sonic Unleashed
2008
Up there as one of the best Sonic Boost games
Too bad the Werehog blows
could actually be a fun secondary gameplay style but the way you engage with it (including getting S Ranks) sucks all the fun out of the experience.
Daytime stages carry the game easily but the padding could be a lot better
Too bad the Werehog blows
could actually be a fun secondary gameplay style but the way you engage with it (including getting S Ranks) sucks all the fun out of the experience.
Daytime stages carry the game easily but the padding could be a lot better