evy96
2024
It's Drill Wisp- The Game.
In all seriousness this is a serviceable bite sized platformer with pacing similar to that of DKC. Like Ristar, it takes one primary mechanic (being the drilling in this case) and stretches it to its absolute limit. Some of the things this game does with the mechanic are pretty fantastic. The game is at its best when you're using the thing to blast through chunks of ice to scale a waterfall or powering up a giant robot to plow through obstacles.
Unfortunately, the game's combat is just not fun and it just so happens that two of the major levels (bear in mind this game is only four worlds long and personally took me 3.5 hours to finish) decide to focus on this aspect. 4-4 was absolutely fucking miserable as it crams in an overly long elevator sequence and a mini-boss with no checkpoint in between.
As mentioned before, this is also a really short game. Typically, I don't have a problem with this but it left me wanting more in a bad way. It feels more like a demo or early access edition. Baffingly enough, the game apparently took eight years to make. You'll most definitely get more than I did out of it if you happen to be apart of the speedrunning niche, as there are time trials and the par times are pretty unforgiving. Even then, it's still kinda anemic in content.
As one other reviewer has suggested- wait for a sale. (Unless you're obsessed with speedruns)
In all seriousness this is a serviceable bite sized platformer with pacing similar to that of DKC. Like Ristar, it takes one primary mechanic (being the drilling in this case) and stretches it to its absolute limit. Some of the things this game does with the mechanic are pretty fantastic. The game is at its best when you're using the thing to blast through chunks of ice to scale a waterfall or powering up a giant robot to plow through obstacles.
Unfortunately, the game's combat is just not fun and it just so happens that two of the major levels (bear in mind this game is only four worlds long and personally took me 3.5 hours to finish) decide to focus on this aspect. 4-4 was absolutely fucking miserable as it crams in an overly long elevator sequence and a mini-boss with no checkpoint in between.
As mentioned before, this is also a really short game. Typically, I don't have a problem with this but it left me wanting more in a bad way. It feels more like a demo or early access edition. Baffingly enough, the game apparently took eight years to make. You'll most definitely get more than I did out of it if you happen to be apart of the speedrunning niche, as there are time trials and the par times are pretty unforgiving. Even then, it's still kinda anemic in content.
As one other reviewer has suggested- wait for a sale. (Unless you're obsessed with speedruns)
It's honestly just okay in my opinion. It seems like people either love or absolutely hate this game, but I can't help but find myself gravitating somewhere in between. One hand, the concept of "SMB1, but harder" isn't necessarily a bad thing to me considering I've beaten the original too many times to count (including several times under the influence of our world's magic mushrooms...heh) and I can appreciate that concept. That being said...the hammer brothers spam, the dumb wind gimmick and springs that launch you at inconsistent heights and speeds are really god damned annoying and keep me from coming back to this game as much.
Although unofficial, I think there are a handful of hacks out there nowadays that do the whole "Mario...but for super players!" thing far better. SMB Special: 35th Anniversary comes to mind as far as the original game goes. Bandicoot's Super Mario World hacks (especially Crown Tale which I loved cringe story aside) also fit this bill nicely. None of those games get as hard as this one, but offer a comfortable step up in challenge IMO.
Although unofficial, I think there are a handful of hacks out there nowadays that do the whole "Mario...but for super players!" thing far better. SMB Special: 35th Anniversary comes to mind as far as the original game goes. Bandicoot's Super Mario World hacks (especially Crown Tale which I loved cringe story aside) also fit this bill nicely. None of those games get as hard as this one, but offer a comfortable step up in challenge IMO.
Having played a ton of Shadow Dancer and Shinobi III...this one is just okay in comparison. Yes, it was arguably one of the best games to come from the pre-Sonic lineup especially when comparing it to Space Harrier 2 and Altered Beast, but it still has a lot of problems.
For one, the double jump. It's been mentioned a million times already, but even on original hardware with a CRT (which is how I decided to revisit the game after my half sister got me one as an early christmas present) it can feel finnicky. It's not a sKiLL iSsUe thing for me either...I've finished this game a few times and Shinobi 3 numerous times even on the hardest setting because of how great that one is. It's also how you jump in and out of the background on certain stages, which is pretty much mandatory.
Speaking of that mechanic, it's really hard to tell what's part of the foreground and background in round 3. Even after a few playthroughs I still got thrown off by this personally.
Then there's the knockback. You thought it was bad in Ninja Gaiden or Castlevania? Revenge of Shinobi is like "hold my beer". Fortunately, you have access to some pretty nifty magical powers including a shield that will circumvent this for a few hits. It's almost mandatory when traversing round 8-1 on account of how much enemy and projectile spam there is.
Even if it does play like a B tier NES action platformer, it does have its moments. The music, of course, is peak Sega and the one thing just about everyone brings up when talking about this game. It's for good reason. Secondly, the first half of the game is pretty strong despite the gross knockback mechanic and janky double jump. The bosses, while not difficult, are also pretty amusing. I especially liked how there was a sense of urgency with the final boss as you see a wall of cement slowly closing in on your girlfriend in the background. It reminds me a lot of the setup for Comix Zone's finale, which is a game I love.
Sega fans in their 40s will tell you this is peak Shinobi, and although I can admit this was a historically important game and has its moments, it's definitely aged a bit. It walked so Shinobi 3 could run full speed ahead and become one of the best games on the console.
For one, the double jump. It's been mentioned a million times already, but even on original hardware with a CRT (which is how I decided to revisit the game after my half sister got me one as an early christmas present) it can feel finnicky. It's not a sKiLL iSsUe thing for me either...I've finished this game a few times and Shinobi 3 numerous times even on the hardest setting because of how great that one is. It's also how you jump in and out of the background on certain stages, which is pretty much mandatory.
Speaking of that mechanic, it's really hard to tell what's part of the foreground and background in round 3. Even after a few playthroughs I still got thrown off by this personally.
Then there's the knockback. You thought it was bad in Ninja Gaiden or Castlevania? Revenge of Shinobi is like "hold my beer". Fortunately, you have access to some pretty nifty magical powers including a shield that will circumvent this for a few hits. It's almost mandatory when traversing round 8-1 on account of how much enemy and projectile spam there is.
Even if it does play like a B tier NES action platformer, it does have its moments. The music, of course, is peak Sega and the one thing just about everyone brings up when talking about this game. It's for good reason. Secondly, the first half of the game is pretty strong despite the gross knockback mechanic and janky double jump. The bosses, while not difficult, are also pretty amusing. I especially liked how there was a sense of urgency with the final boss as you see a wall of cement slowly closing in on your girlfriend in the background. It reminds me a lot of the setup for Comix Zone's finale, which is a game I love.
Sega fans in their 40s will tell you this is peak Shinobi, and although I can admit this was a historically important game and has its moments, it's definitely aged a bit. It walked so Shinobi 3 could run full speed ahead and become one of the best games on the console.
Terrible name aside, this is a thoroughly average shooter with a somewhat unique mechanic when it comes to your options. A tap of the button will lock them into place, and another tap will have them moving free-form around the player. Although it says Natsume on the title screen, it's obvious this is a Konami game from the pause music and the fact that the player sprite is pretty much stolen from Contra. Unlike most shooters you have a life bar but with how incredibly big the hitbox it drains faster than a PS5 controller's battery.
I think the biggest problem was with the length of the levels. There are only five, but they drag on forever, with the last stage probably being the biggest offender. Still, there's some fun to be had but I'd highly recommend playing Forgotten Worlds and the Trouble Shooter duo first. They're basically better versions of what this was going for.
I think the biggest problem was with the length of the levels. There are only five, but they drag on forever, with the last stage probably being the biggest offender. Still, there's some fun to be had but I'd highly recommend playing Forgotten Worlds and the Trouble Shooter duo first. They're basically better versions of what this was going for.
This game refers to 1ups as "free dudes" in the demo that plays if you leave it hanging for a while. That's about the most 90's thing I've ever seen.
In all seriousness, this is a pretty decent platformer considering it's western made (something I've noticed a lot of people in these circles tend to loathe when it comes to older games for some reason). You're a scientist who has found himself shrunk down due to a freak lab accident and now has to retrieve machine parts stolen by mutated bugs.
Levels are mostly linear until the end and take you anywhere from a kitchen to the backyard. You'll find yourself picking up everyday items such as paperclips and thumb tacks to take out enemies, collect bolts (aka coins) and even jetfuel so that you can fly around on a gnarly jetpack.
Control wise, the game handles fine enough considering that it's shooting for that pre-rendered/claymation look that became popular in the mid 90's. I didn't care for the fact that the jump height can't be varied- if you ever played Kid Niki on the NES it's basically the same kind of jump. You'll get used to it after a stage or two, but it is annoying.
Although the level design itself is nothing special, there are a handful of interesting ideas here and there that make the game just worth that single playthrough. One stage, for instance, has you knocking a sponge into the sink so that you can run across it to generate bubbles. Then, you'll float to the top of the stage where the part is hidden. You're even able to explore the sink's pipelines for extra goodies, but it's risky due to the amount of traps and limited air supply.
This is a short game and a relatively easy playthrough outside of the backyard and lab stages (which are perhaps a bit too mazey for their own good). If you're not vehemently against euro-style games and are in the mood for something that screams "1993", you could definitely do far worse.
In all seriousness, this is a pretty decent platformer considering it's western made (something I've noticed a lot of people in these circles tend to loathe when it comes to older games for some reason). You're a scientist who has found himself shrunk down due to a freak lab accident and now has to retrieve machine parts stolen by mutated bugs.
Levels are mostly linear until the end and take you anywhere from a kitchen to the backyard. You'll find yourself picking up everyday items such as paperclips and thumb tacks to take out enemies, collect bolts (aka coins) and even jetfuel so that you can fly around on a gnarly jetpack.
Control wise, the game handles fine enough considering that it's shooting for that pre-rendered/claymation look that became popular in the mid 90's. I didn't care for the fact that the jump height can't be varied- if you ever played Kid Niki on the NES it's basically the same kind of jump. You'll get used to it after a stage or two, but it is annoying.
Although the level design itself is nothing special, there are a handful of interesting ideas here and there that make the game just worth that single playthrough. One stage, for instance, has you knocking a sponge into the sink so that you can run across it to generate bubbles. Then, you'll float to the top of the stage where the part is hidden. You're even able to explore the sink's pipelines for extra goodies, but it's risky due to the amount of traps and limited air supply.
This is a short game and a relatively easy playthrough outside of the backyard and lab stages (which are perhaps a bit too mazey for their own good). If you're not vehemently against euro-style games and are in the mood for something that screams "1993", you could definitely do far worse.
1997
I just came here to say that it is, in fact, better than Mario Kart 64 and in almost every way.
Also, please do not make the same mistake I initially did with the boosting. You have to let go of accelerate just as you're rolling over the boost pad, and then lay off of it until the green smoke tapers off unless you want to cut the boost short. This one piece of information makes the game a lot more forgiving and is 100 percent essential to beating the game. If you do not know this and practice it during the four main worlds, Wizpig is basically impossible to beat.
Also, please do not make the same mistake I initially did with the boosting. You have to let go of accelerate just as you're rolling over the boost pad, and then lay off of it until the green smoke tapers off unless you want to cut the boost short. This one piece of information makes the game a lot more forgiving and is 100 percent essential to beating the game. If you do not know this and practice it during the four main worlds, Wizpig is basically impossible to beat.
1995
Yes, it's a lot slower paced than Sonic, but it was never meant to be a high-speed platformer. This is much more of an exploration based game, and to this day, it amazes me just how much Sega was able to get out of the simple mechanic of grabbing. You'll be launching yourself off star poles, swinging around to climb and reach greater heights and head-butting the fuck out of anything that stands in your way.
I do think that the treasure-collecting side of the game could've been done better though. Each regular stage has a hidden star pole to find that will launch you into a special stage. Here, you'll be asked to reach the end of the area and pick up a bonus treasure within a set amount of time. Taking damage won't hurt you, but it will decrease the timer. Getting all of the treasures will reward you with special passwords at the end of the game that trigger anything from a sound test to a boss rush. For its time, this was a brilliant idea since the internet wasn't super relevant but has (of course) kind of lost its luster in a contemporary world. I can't fault the game for this, but what does bother me is that you only get one shot to do these per playthrough. Fail once and that's it- you need to start the whole game over to have another shot. Hopefully a remake will let you spend a life to retry (kind of like how Sonic Triple Trouble 16 bit did for that respective title).
Still, that's a very small issue when the rest of the game is brilliantly paced and accounts for the character's primary ability the way it does. Dare I say it's still the best thing Sonic Team came up with after Sonic 3 and Knuckles. It's just really damning that the game had to come out as the Genesis was on its way out.
I do think that the treasure-collecting side of the game could've been done better though. Each regular stage has a hidden star pole to find that will launch you into a special stage. Here, you'll be asked to reach the end of the area and pick up a bonus treasure within a set amount of time. Taking damage won't hurt you, but it will decrease the timer. Getting all of the treasures will reward you with special passwords at the end of the game that trigger anything from a sound test to a boss rush. For its time, this was a brilliant idea since the internet wasn't super relevant but has (of course) kind of lost its luster in a contemporary world. I can't fault the game for this, but what does bother me is that you only get one shot to do these per playthrough. Fail once and that's it- you need to start the whole game over to have another shot. Hopefully a remake will let you spend a life to retry (kind of like how Sonic Triple Trouble 16 bit did for that respective title).
Still, that's a very small issue when the rest of the game is brilliantly paced and accounts for the character's primary ability the way it does. Dare I say it's still the best thing Sonic Team came up with after Sonic 3 and Knuckles. It's just really damning that the game had to come out as the Genesis was on its way out.
Obnoxious price aside, I found myself enjoying this a lot more than Wayforward's other Contra game (Contra 4). The biggest additions to the formula here are a perk system and the ability to "overcharge" your weapons. Basically, you can sacrifice them for a host of unique temporary power-ups such as slowing down time (laser) or sending a heap of bullets bouncing across the screen (spread). In addition to this, you can actually upgrade said weapons by picking up two of the same without getting hit. I had a lot of fun messing around with these mechanics in the handful of arcade mode runs I've done so far.
Overall I'd say this would be a great starting point for newbies thanks to how flexible it is in terms of difficulty, and not a bad entry for hardcore players since you can make the game as hard as you'd like (one-hit kill mode, no perks). As it stands, though, forty is probably going to be too much for most people and I get it. If it weren't for the fact that there aren't too many new games coming out that I want, I probably wouldn't have snatched this up day one.
Overall I'd say this would be a great starting point for newbies thanks to how flexible it is in terms of difficulty, and not a bad entry for hardcore players since you can make the game as hard as you'd like (one-hit kill mode, no perks). As it stands, though, forty is probably going to be too much for most people and I get it. If it weren't for the fact that there aren't too many new games coming out that I want, I probably wouldn't have snatched this up day one.
1993
Outside of the God tier OST, everything about socket is just sort of "okay". Perfectly playable and far better than Bubsy or Aero the Acrobat in terms of Sonic knockoffs, but still quite a few steps behind the hedgehog in terms of physics and level design. Inclines and the few attempts at loops in this game are super awkward, and some levels are far too labyrinthine for their own good. It's worth playing through at least once if you're a fan of these kinds of games and have exhausted everything else.
Fun fact- Time Dominator (his name actually isn't socket like you'd think) appears in the train stage of Battle Mania 2 as an enemy along with several other clones. I guess Vic Tokai realized he wasn't going to be a sonic killer by this point, lol.
Fun fact- Time Dominator (his name actually isn't socket like you'd think) appears in the train stage of Battle Mania 2 as an enemy along with several other clones. I guess Vic Tokai realized he wasn't going to be a sonic killer by this point, lol.
1992
Slightly better than Game Freak's other Mega Drive platformer (Pulse Man), but not by a large margin. This is based off of some anime that I can't even find any footage of, so I didn't have much to go on while playing. The level design is, not surprisingly, very similar to Pulse Man in that it's often incredibly basic to the point of being a little boring. Worth a once over, but not something I could ever see myself coming back to.
1994
One of the best Sega Genesis games, and in my opinion, the best game made by Treasure.
Yes, it's true that they ramped up the difficulty for the Western release, and while that kind of stinks I still think this game is fully approachable to anyone in 2023. For the younger people on here...this is basically Cuphead with more a bit more platforming and a play aesthetic.
Shame that the Super Nintendo port was cancelled, and, if I recall...there may have even been a Sega CD game planned. Oh well, at least it's on NSO for the five people paying for the premium package.
Yes, it's true that they ramped up the difficulty for the Western release, and while that kind of stinks I still think this game is fully approachable to anyone in 2023. For the younger people on here...this is basically Cuphead with more a bit more platforming and a play aesthetic.
Shame that the Super Nintendo port was cancelled, and, if I recall...there may have even been a Sega CD game planned. Oh well, at least it's on NSO for the five people paying for the premium package.
A great DKC clone with a few ideas of its own such as clinging onto rings and wall jumping. It may be a bit too safe and easy for some but I had a blast. The only downside is that it's about half the length of your average DkC with only four worlds. Still, what's here is all killer no filler so it's hard to complain!
Not as good as Operation C, but still an impressive port. A lot of bosses had to be cut as well as the bike stage (which I'm actually okay with- there was just way too much RNG involved on anything past normal), leaving us with just five total stages this time. The awkward overhead stages are also back, but they're not nearly as awkward this time around since there's no scaling nor rotation since the gameboy lacked shoulder buttons.
It's also worth noting that, at least in my playthrough on normal, fire seems to be the go-to weapon here when it comes to DPS. Pretty interesting considering the best weapon in the SNES game was hot-swapping between two crushers.
This version does do one thing better than Contra 3 on the SNES in my opinion- it gives you an actual ending for playing on normal. One of my biggest gripes with the SNES version is that it forces you to play on hard in order to get anything other than a wall of text. I always thought this was incredibly stupid and pretentious (and I await your hate replies with open arms for saying it, lol).
It's also worth noting that, at least in my playthrough on normal, fire seems to be the go-to weapon here when it comes to DPS. Pretty interesting considering the best weapon in the SNES game was hot-swapping between two crushers.
This version does do one thing better than Contra 3 on the SNES in my opinion- it gives you an actual ending for playing on normal. One of my biggest gripes with the SNES version is that it forces you to play on hard in order to get anything other than a wall of text. I always thought this was incredibly stupid and pretentious (and I await your hate replies with open arms for saying it, lol).
1988
Imagine if Contra on the NES was an auto-runner, had stiff and awkward jumping, a rather convoluted control scheme (it gives you 32 combinations in the options menu I shit you not) on top of Gradius syndrome and you have Atomic Runner. It's an interesting concept, and the fact that you can bounce off enemies' heads was pretty funny, but Data East put out way better games for both the Genesis and Super Nintendo.
It's definitely the oddball of the Wonder Boy franchise, but interestingly enough, the overall game design is what the dev actually had in mind for the original Wonder Boy before it became the game we know today. It's a shooter/platformer hybrid, and one of very few. At the time of writing, Atomic Runner (which is definitely not very good) and Son Son (which I honestly don't remember enough of to really comment on) are the only other games I can think of off the top of my head that play similarly.
As some here have said, this looks more like something on the Sega Master System and that isn't necessarily a negative to me. It is after all an early Genesis game and the cute character designs the series is known for are still here- I especially enjoyed the bosses.
The main things that really dragged the experience a bit for me were the abrupt difficulty spikes and rather crappy power-up system. The desert stage is absolutely terrible and is probably one of the main reasons why I will never bother trying to 1CC this game on subsequent playthroughs.
Then there's the awkward springs a couple stages later on. There's this weird mechanic where, if you push up on the control pad, you can descend slowly. It's never explained anywhere in the game (of course), and it can help with the springs a bit, but it still felt inconsistent even after finishing the game twice.
On its own, it's a decent enough game that's somewhat carried by its aesthetic. Just don't go in expecting the same level of quality (or the same kind of gameplay) as the other Wonder Boy games.
As some here have said, this looks more like something on the Sega Master System and that isn't necessarily a negative to me. It is after all an early Genesis game and the cute character designs the series is known for are still here- I especially enjoyed the bosses.
The main things that really dragged the experience a bit for me were the abrupt difficulty spikes and rather crappy power-up system. The desert stage is absolutely terrible and is probably one of the main reasons why I will never bother trying to 1CC this game on subsequent playthroughs.
Then there's the awkward springs a couple stages later on. There's this weird mechanic where, if you push up on the control pad, you can descend slowly. It's never explained anywhere in the game (of course), and it can help with the springs a bit, but it still felt inconsistent even after finishing the game twice.
On its own, it's a decent enough game that's somewhat carried by its aesthetic. Just don't go in expecting the same level of quality (or the same kind of gameplay) as the other Wonder Boy games.