evy96
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.
1993
I definitely enjoy this game, but I'm going to have to say that Dynamite Headdy will never not be my favorite Treasure game. I think perhaps my biggest gripe after several playthroughs with both free and fixed shot types is how unbalanced the weapon system is. There are obvious winners and clear losers. On normal...once you realize how convenient and OP homing+laser is...there is almost no point in using anything else.
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.
Not the best Alex Kidd game, but it's still a decent and very easy-going side scroller. In fact, the game may be just a little too easy despite the fact that you have to finish it twice to get an actual ending. I just wish Alex didn't scream like he dropped the soap in the prison where they keep all the forgotten mascots whenever he's hit, though. Somebody thought to make an (admittedly adorable) mod that adds Alex's girlfriend Stella back in, but not take that out? Sheesh.
1990
A decent shm'up but certainly not the best on the Genesis. As others have pointed out, it's difficult, but that is mainly due to enemies being bullet sponges and having a rather large hitbox that is (somehwat) mitigated by the fact that you can take a few hits before dying and being yeeted back to a checkpoint.
Still, I had fun with this one thanks to its Greek Mythology theme as well as that satisfying bowling ball sound effect whenever you take out a row of enemies. The charging mechanic is also integral to success and it was a lot of fun learning how to time it in order to deal more damage to enemy waves and bosses.
Still, I had fun with this one thanks to its Greek Mythology theme as well as that satisfying bowling ball sound effect whenever you take out a row of enemies. The charging mechanic is also integral to success and it was a lot of fun learning how to time it in order to deal more damage to enemy waves and bosses.
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).
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.
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.
2022
Fixes all of the jank from the PS1 original, but it is perhaps too easy now that you go big chungus mode every time you consume a pellet and don't even have to worry about any actual platforming during the transformation. This felt a little silly and completely unnecessary. Other than that, it's a big improvement that doesn't try to fix anything that wasn't broken (looking at you Crash N Sane Trilogy).
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.
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.
1991
A very run-of-the-mill western developed platformer- slightly below average but has its charm.
Chuck Rock's main gimmick is, as you might expect, throwing around stones. To be fair, the game does have some decent concepts centered around this. You can actually use rocks to block incoming attacks from above (especially useful in the second world) and will also need to stack them in order to reach otherwise inaccessible areas.
Unfortunately, Chuck Rock drops the ball in almost every other department. Chuck himself is a rather ugly sprite to look at. I get it, he's a neanderthal, but he could've at least been a bit more stylized like Bonk or Joe and Mac. Fortunately, the enemies and backgrounds fare a bit better but are still not impressive by any stretch.
Then there's the "combat". Although running around and jumping is totally fine, the two attacks you can pull off are incredibly short ranged and don't have the best hit detection. There's this weird belly thrust thing that works about half the time, and then there's a jump kick which is somewhat more reliable but will require you to jump around like an idiot at times. This game really would have benefited from some sort of projectile weapon (even with limited ammo) or power-ups.
Bosses? What bosses? Only two of them require any sort of strategy at all and the rest can be downed by spamming attack no problem.
Level design is about as bare bones as it gets, but I will give the Sega Genesis version credit over the SNES version for actually rewarding exploration. There's plenty of random items and junk food to pick up along the way, with larger (and often out of the way) collectibles netting far more points. After every 100,000 pts you'll gain a 1-up, which doesn't happen on the SNES.
Sadly, though, even the way the levels are built can sometimes be problematic. I encountered two situations in which I got soft locked due to throwing a rock where I shouldn't have. In the first instance, it was fine as I could simply wait for an enemy to drop down and kill me. The second, however, required a console reset.
As poor as this game is, I can't bring myself to hate it due to adoring the whole 90's prehistoric trope. The first few stages were somewhat enjoyable, the cavern music is actually a serious bop and the whole game is mercifully short (30-40 minutes). Do yourself a favor, though, and just play any of the Joe and Mac games or Congo's Caper if you need your fix of stone age sidescrolling.
Chuck Rock's main gimmick is, as you might expect, throwing around stones. To be fair, the game does have some decent concepts centered around this. You can actually use rocks to block incoming attacks from above (especially useful in the second world) and will also need to stack them in order to reach otherwise inaccessible areas.
Unfortunately, Chuck Rock drops the ball in almost every other department. Chuck himself is a rather ugly sprite to look at. I get it, he's a neanderthal, but he could've at least been a bit more stylized like Bonk or Joe and Mac. Fortunately, the enemies and backgrounds fare a bit better but are still not impressive by any stretch.
Then there's the "combat". Although running around and jumping is totally fine, the two attacks you can pull off are incredibly short ranged and don't have the best hit detection. There's this weird belly thrust thing that works about half the time, and then there's a jump kick which is somewhat more reliable but will require you to jump around like an idiot at times. This game really would have benefited from some sort of projectile weapon (even with limited ammo) or power-ups.
Bosses? What bosses? Only two of them require any sort of strategy at all and the rest can be downed by spamming attack no problem.
Level design is about as bare bones as it gets, but I will give the Sega Genesis version credit over the SNES version for actually rewarding exploration. There's plenty of random items and junk food to pick up along the way, with larger (and often out of the way) collectibles netting far more points. After every 100,000 pts you'll gain a 1-up, which doesn't happen on the SNES.
Sadly, though, even the way the levels are built can sometimes be problematic. I encountered two situations in which I got soft locked due to throwing a rock where I shouldn't have. In the first instance, it was fine as I could simply wait for an enemy to drop down and kill me. The second, however, required a console reset.
As poor as this game is, I can't bring myself to hate it due to adoring the whole 90's prehistoric trope. The first few stages were somewhat enjoyable, the cavern music is actually a serious bop and the whole game is mercifully short (30-40 minutes). Do yourself a favor, though, and just play any of the Joe and Mac games or Congo's Caper if you need your fix of stone age sidescrolling.
1992
My favorite shmup on the SNES and definitely one of my favorite Compile games. Sure, it's not a "hardcore" shooter and the length may be an issue for some (a successful 1CC is going to take double the time of your normal arcade shooter standing in at about an hour), but it's a fun ride with no serious drop-offs in quality at any point.
Also, taking out all of those tiny little bubbles in the filler stages between the main levels is the digital equivalent of popping a sheet of bubble wrap to me.
Also, taking out all of those tiny little bubbles in the filler stages between the main levels is the digital equivalent of popping a sheet of bubble wrap to me.
1993
I'm not much of a first person shooter guy, but I could play this endlessly. Sure, the sequel is bigger (and far more confusing to navigate) but there's just something about this original installment that gets so much right. I feel like I still discover something new every time I replay all three episodes back to back. I also highly recommend trying the game in VR if you have a Quest- it's by far my favorite way to play this classic nowadays.
While it's an alright game on its own merits, as a sequel to Rocket Knight Adventures, it just feels "off" in just about every way aside from the OST (which is still peak).
Visually, this looks more like a generic fantasy action/adventure that can't measure up Disney-meets-Steampunk aesthetic the first game had going on. That's not to say the game looks terrible by any stretch, but it's a noticeable step down from what we got with RKA.
Mechanically, there's a lot of changes that just don't make much sense. Why is there a random slot machine gimmick that may rain bombs down or a (mostly useless) rocket boost when I'm in the middle of trying to cut up some lizard samurai? Why is Sparkster's sword gimped? I do like the idea of having the jetpack charge automatically up to two tiers (presumably doing more damage if you let it charge twice), but the level design really stops complimenting the mechanic altogether at several points. (You really don't want to use it during autoscrollers or some of the tight corridors in the last stage for example)
There are a couple things Sparkster does a bit better than the previous game, though- oversized mechs and exploration. While the mech fight with Axel isn't nearly as fun (and has to be done twice for the best ending with literally no difference between bouts), you do get a whole stage dedicated to running around a scorched city with it and this was a nice change of pace. Secondly, to get the best ending, you need to acquire several hidden swords throughout the course of the game. The only real issue with this is that most players are bound to miss the very first one since you're locked out of it if you skip the opening the cutscene. (Spoiler- getting them all lets you turn into Not-Super Sonic at the end)
Difficulty is kinda all over the place compared to RKA, which had a gradual curve. The first four stages of the game are pretty easy, save for the hidden sword in the desert. It then becomes Konami hard in stage 5 with several gotcha moments (IE a giant insta kill laser that drops in without warning and a bunch of random ass crushers at the last leg of the stage) and dick-ish enemy placement. Mercifully, you don't lose your progress with the swords if you continue but continuing is very limited on normal (just twice). It's just worth slogging through to see the final boss, though. It's actually pretty awesome and I'm not going to spoil it.
While it may be the second worst of the small spattering of Rocket Knight games, it's still worth playing. Just don't go in expecting the same level of polish as RKA- that game was like lightning in a freaking bottle and I don't think it could ever be replicated.
Visually, this looks more like a generic fantasy action/adventure that can't measure up Disney-meets-Steampunk aesthetic the first game had going on. That's not to say the game looks terrible by any stretch, but it's a noticeable step down from what we got with RKA.
Mechanically, there's a lot of changes that just don't make much sense. Why is there a random slot machine gimmick that may rain bombs down or a (mostly useless) rocket boost when I'm in the middle of trying to cut up some lizard samurai? Why is Sparkster's sword gimped? I do like the idea of having the jetpack charge automatically up to two tiers (presumably doing more damage if you let it charge twice), but the level design really stops complimenting the mechanic altogether at several points. (You really don't want to use it during autoscrollers or some of the tight corridors in the last stage for example)
There are a couple things Sparkster does a bit better than the previous game, though- oversized mechs and exploration. While the mech fight with Axel isn't nearly as fun (and has to be done twice for the best ending with literally no difference between bouts), you do get a whole stage dedicated to running around a scorched city with it and this was a nice change of pace. Secondly, to get the best ending, you need to acquire several hidden swords throughout the course of the game. The only real issue with this is that most players are bound to miss the very first one since you're locked out of it if you skip the opening the cutscene. (Spoiler- getting them all lets you turn into Not-Super Sonic at the end)
Difficulty is kinda all over the place compared to RKA, which had a gradual curve. The first four stages of the game are pretty easy, save for the hidden sword in the desert. It then becomes Konami hard in stage 5 with several gotcha moments (IE a giant insta kill laser that drops in without warning and a bunch of random ass crushers at the last leg of the stage) and dick-ish enemy placement. Mercifully, you don't lose your progress with the swords if you continue but continuing is very limited on normal (just twice). It's just worth slogging through to see the final boss, though. It's actually pretty awesome and I'm not going to spoil it.
While it may be the second worst of the small spattering of Rocket Knight games, it's still worth playing. Just don't go in expecting the same level of polish as RKA- that game was like lightning in a freaking bottle and I don't think it could ever be replicated.