evy96
1991
This game is basically the same deal as the Genesis port of Marvel Land in that it's an extended version of the arcade original.
To its credit, this version of Toki does do some things better than the arcade and even the NES game. The new water world is, surprisingly, very enjoyable and is capped off by a solid exclusive boss named Boomer (why hasn't anybody memed this yet?). The infamous mine cart section also doesn't suck this time around, although the janky physics are still in tact.
There are also some decent new concepts woven in, such as using momentum in the ice world to get your otherwise slow ass monke zipping across the screen. I especially liked how world 8 had this whole gimmick of lighting up the playfield by firing.
Sadly, this spin on the arcade original fumbles quite a bit when it comes to level design. The enemy placement is often terrible and somehow even more obnoxious than it could be in the source material. The practice of what some would call inching or stepping is vital here. That is, slowly tapping the d pad (and sometimes panning the screen up or down) to advance the screen and assure you don't immediately get swarmed with bullshit. It brings an already slow paced game down to an absolute crawl.
I also don't understand why the game needed to be dragged out for nine worlds when the original just had six standard stages. I think what made the original Toki work (for those willing to tolerate its pace and the occasional bs moment here and there) is that it didn't wear out its welcome. Yes, it was also slow paced but a successful run clocks in at about 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, this one may take an hour or two even if you memorized the level layouts (and you will need to do this). The core gameplay loop of Toki, to me, just isn't that engaging to stretch beyond a half hour.
It kind of baffles me that there are people out there who seem to prefer this to the arcade or NES version. To each their own- I just see this as a case of bigger not necessarily meaning better.
To its credit, this version of Toki does do some things better than the arcade and even the NES game. The new water world is, surprisingly, very enjoyable and is capped off by a solid exclusive boss named Boomer (why hasn't anybody memed this yet?). The infamous mine cart section also doesn't suck this time around, although the janky physics are still in tact.
There are also some decent new concepts woven in, such as using momentum in the ice world to get your otherwise slow ass monke zipping across the screen. I especially liked how world 8 had this whole gimmick of lighting up the playfield by firing.
Sadly, this spin on the arcade original fumbles quite a bit when it comes to level design. The enemy placement is often terrible and somehow even more obnoxious than it could be in the source material. The practice of what some would call inching or stepping is vital here. That is, slowly tapping the d pad (and sometimes panning the screen up or down) to advance the screen and assure you don't immediately get swarmed with bullshit. It brings an already slow paced game down to an absolute crawl.
I also don't understand why the game needed to be dragged out for nine worlds when the original just had six standard stages. I think what made the original Toki work (for those willing to tolerate its pace and the occasional bs moment here and there) is that it didn't wear out its welcome. Yes, it was also slow paced but a successful run clocks in at about 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, this one may take an hour or two even if you memorized the level layouts (and you will need to do this). The core gameplay loop of Toki, to me, just isn't that engaging to stretch beyond a half hour.
It kind of baffles me that there are people out there who seem to prefer this to the arcade or NES version. To each their own- I just see this as a case of bigger not necessarily meaning better.
2018
This was my first experience with the arcade game because I could never get the damn thing to work on MAME. The hand drawn graphics still look really nice, although not nearly on the same level of Lizardcube's stuff. As an arcade platformer, surprisingly little of the game felt like BS outside of the mine cart section which I have to say is some of the most inconsistent nonsense I've ever experienced. Probably not worth 20 plus dollars unless you intend on score chasing or 1CCing, but definitely worth it at a discount.
2023
An incredibly short (43 stars) but sweet rom hack that shows what a proper sequel to Super Mario 64 might have looked like. Even if it is super easy (in fact easier than the vanilla game, which almost never happens with these hacks), I had a good time soaring through the five or so courses. Although it does have a final boss and (sort of) ending, it still feels like a demo as opposed to a full fledged game like "Super Mario 64: Decades Later".
I kind of hope this author will make something meatier in the future, because what is here is still really good.
I kind of hope this author will make something meatier in the future, because what is here is still really good.
2009
The DS didn't have a ton of good traditional platformers, but this is definitely one of them. In many ways, it surpasses its source material. It doesn't stray too far from the formula from the C64 game outside of the addition of two new power-ups, but later levels do end up becoming fairly expansive and non linear.
The two minor complaints I have are that the game starts out with level design that is perhaps too basic for its own good and that the special world (world 9) felt a bit rushed from what I remember when I played through this in November of 2023.
Also, be sure to emulate or buy this version instead of buying the PC version available on Steam. It is absolutely littered with bugs and has broken collision detection in spots, and the developers seem to have no intention of ever patching these issues.
The two minor complaints I have are that the game starts out with level design that is perhaps too basic for its own good and that the special world (world 9) felt a bit rushed from what I remember when I played through this in November of 2023.
Also, be sure to emulate or buy this version instead of buying the PC version available on Steam. It is absolutely littered with bugs and has broken collision detection in spots, and the developers seem to have no intention of ever patching these issues.
1990
From a technical perspective, it's a damn impressive arcade port for a handheld. The frame rate was a bit lower than I would've liked, but it's manageable.
However, I didn't enjoy my time playing it nearly as much as the NES port as it retains the unforgiving arcade difficulty and limits you to just three continues. This would be fine if it weren't for the fact that some of the hitboxes are extremely questionable. There were several times where I died when jumping on an enemy that seemed perfectly fine to jump on, and the mine cart section towards the end has pretty awful checkpoint placement.
Still worth playing just for how amazing it looks and sounds for an 8 bit handheld port but definitely not my favorite way to play.
However, I didn't enjoy my time playing it nearly as much as the NES port as it retains the unforgiving arcade difficulty and limits you to just three continues. This would be fine if it weren't for the fact that some of the hitboxes are extremely questionable. There were several times where I died when jumping on an enemy that seemed perfectly fine to jump on, and the mine cart section towards the end has pretty awful checkpoint placement.
Still worth playing just for how amazing it looks and sounds for an 8 bit handheld port but definitely not my favorite way to play.
Funnily enough, this wasn't one of the first genesis games I played despite the family members who loaned me my first Genny being huge Disney fans. As a matter of fact, I didn't play it until my college days in the late 2010s.
In retrospect, that's kind of a shame. Whats here is a perfectly serviceable pre Sonic platformer- maybe the best aside from Marvel Land. Sorry Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle- as much as I can enjoy you besides the jank, you aren't much of a step up from the 8 bit game.
The animation and music must have been show stoppers in a time before the blue blur showed up. I especially like how the gravity shifts in toy land. You can also see some of those classic sega arcade roots in the scoring system at the end of each stage- even the amount of throwing projectiles you've got left are accounted for here.
I do think the controls and hit detection could've been better though. It's kind of the same way I feel about Rayman Origins. It looks incredible, but the character you control is perhaps a little too animated and that interferes with the actual gameplay a bit. Don't expect the same kind of instantaneous response you'd get from the NES mario games here.
Still, it's a good game I wish I wouldn't have overlooked just because I wasn't a huge fan of Disney as a kid and something I'd think any sega fan ought to experience at least once in their life.
In retrospect, that's kind of a shame. Whats here is a perfectly serviceable pre Sonic platformer- maybe the best aside from Marvel Land. Sorry Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle- as much as I can enjoy you besides the jank, you aren't much of a step up from the 8 bit game.
The animation and music must have been show stoppers in a time before the blue blur showed up. I especially like how the gravity shifts in toy land. You can also see some of those classic sega arcade roots in the scoring system at the end of each stage- even the amount of throwing projectiles you've got left are accounted for here.
I do think the controls and hit detection could've been better though. It's kind of the same way I feel about Rayman Origins. It looks incredible, but the character you control is perhaps a little too animated and that interferes with the actual gameplay a bit. Don't expect the same kind of instantaneous response you'd get from the NES mario games here.
Still, it's a good game I wish I wouldn't have overlooked just because I wasn't a huge fan of Disney as a kid and something I'd think any sega fan ought to experience at least once in their life.
1991
Probably a hot take, but I find this game to be better than its arcade counterpart in terms of both aesthetics and gameplay. I think the cutesy/cartoony angle they took with this port is a bit better than the somewhat unsettling surreal approach taken by the arcade. This is also a home port that fully understands it is a home port, and as such, removes some of the BS quarter munching tactics.
You're now able to take a hit or two before dying, which helps tremendously. However, I think Taito may have gone a bit too far as you actually get heart containers and will be able to take up to four hits by the end of the game. They could have just capped it off at two hits and you're dead- just makes things a little too easy.
If you're a purist, though, you'll find the Famicom version to your liking as it still retains the one hit deaths.
You're now able to take a hit or two before dying, which helps tremendously. However, I think Taito may have gone a bit too far as you actually get heart containers and will be able to take up to four hits by the end of the game. They could have just capped it off at two hits and you're dead- just makes things a little too easy.
If you're a purist, though, you'll find the Famicom version to your liking as it still retains the one hit deaths.
As others have pointed out, this game is obnoxiously similar to SMB3 in terms of aesthetics- not that I think that's a bad thing at all. It's still a traditional 2D platformer, but it definitely plays quite differently.
The main gimmick here is that you can hold down the B button to rev your character up before letting go to have them zip across the screen. You're going to have to get used to this because some gaps and areas are simply impossible to get by without using this move. It's not a half bad idea and is somewhat similar to how the jetpack would be used in Rocket Knight Adventures a couple years later, but it could have been done better.
In addition, you can collect letters that will either turn you into a frog or summon this odd character that sometimes attacks bosses for you from what I remember. Nothing really important or special though.
There are a few cheap sections and a looping maze later on I didn't care for- but that's par for the course for a non Nintendo developed platformer from this time. Overall it's a decent time, but there are far better obscure platformers on the console you should check out first. Better than something like Widget, but definitely not in the same tier as Felix the Cat or Surprise at Dinosaur Peak.
Protip: Play using an English patch. The localized prototype has also been dumped and from what I recall worked perfectly fine start to finish on an emulator when I played it a couple years ago. Normally, it shouldn't matter in a game like this. But, you're rewarded with an adorably punny ending sequence that you won't want to miss if you're a fan of that kind of thing. (Like yours truly!)
The main gimmick here is that you can hold down the B button to rev your character up before letting go to have them zip across the screen. You're going to have to get used to this because some gaps and areas are simply impossible to get by without using this move. It's not a half bad idea and is somewhat similar to how the jetpack would be used in Rocket Knight Adventures a couple years later, but it could have been done better.
In addition, you can collect letters that will either turn you into a frog or summon this odd character that sometimes attacks bosses for you from what I remember. Nothing really important or special though.
There are a few cheap sections and a looping maze later on I didn't care for- but that's par for the course for a non Nintendo developed platformer from this time. Overall it's a decent time, but there are far better obscure platformers on the console you should check out first. Better than something like Widget, but definitely not in the same tier as Felix the Cat or Surprise at Dinosaur Peak.
Protip: Play using an English patch. The localized prototype has also been dumped and from what I recall worked perfectly fine start to finish on an emulator when I played it a couple years ago. Normally, it shouldn't matter in a game like this. But, you're rewarded with an adorably punny ending sequence that you won't want to miss if you're a fan of that kind of thing. (Like yours truly!)
1993
Hands down my favorite shooter to star an actual character (as opposed to a ship) that isn't Air Zonk. Hardcore fans of the genre will probably roll their eyes at some of the "euro" aspects of the game's design, such as the inclusion of a health bar and shops in between levels, but the rest of us should have no problem enjoying the game.
One particularly interesting aspect behind the game (besides its unique theming and heavy metal soundtrack) is that you're allowed to pick which order you want to take the stages on in. I also really liked the idea of a melee-based attack on top of your regular projectiles. It works similarly to how it does in Metal Slug in that you'll whip out your sword and slash enemies if they're close enough in range. Sometimes, this attack deals even more damage than just firing away, and you can even use this to cheese some of the bosses if you so desire.
The only real disappointment here is that there are no officially licensed tracks. That's not to say what is present isn't amazing, because it is and suits the game really well. But, I am saying it would have been really cool to have some Metallica or Iron Maiden tracks in the western localization considering this was a CD-based game and (at the time) there was a big push to show off what the medium could do.
One particularly interesting aspect behind the game (besides its unique theming and heavy metal soundtrack) is that you're allowed to pick which order you want to take the stages on in. I also really liked the idea of a melee-based attack on top of your regular projectiles. It works similarly to how it does in Metal Slug in that you'll whip out your sword and slash enemies if they're close enough in range. Sometimes, this attack deals even more damage than just firing away, and you can even use this to cheese some of the bosses if you so desire.
The only real disappointment here is that there are no officially licensed tracks. That's not to say what is present isn't amazing, because it is and suits the game really well. But, I am saying it would have been really cool to have some Metallica or Iron Maiden tracks in the western localization considering this was a CD-based game and (at the time) there was a big push to show off what the medium could do.
2020
It still hurts that this was merely an extended tech demo, but I couldn't have picked a better way to kill time as I waited for Ratchet and Clank:Rift Apart to install. It's insanely charming, full of throwbacks without ever feeling like it was pandering and features a ton of unique ways to use the controller. I suppose it also helps that I was really invested in the little guy since I basically bought a PS VR set just to play Astro Bot Rescue Mission on the PS4.
Can't tell you how excited I am to play the upcoming game in this series- really. I've been wanting a full-fledged non VR game set in this universe for a while now.
Can't tell you how excited I am to play the upcoming game in this series- really. I've been wanting a full-fledged non VR game set in this universe for a while now.
2013
The marketing is pretty pretentious ("huhr duhr remember when vidya was HARD?"...failing to realize that not every game made before 1998 was an exercise in frustration) and there are simply better games that accomplish what it set out to do.
Cursed Castilla came out a year prior, actually looked like an arcade or Genesis game and had far better level design based around strict jump arcs and the need to think one step ahead since you didn't have the free-flowing movement of something like Super Mario. If you need a more modern example, Curse of the Moon went for the same thing with great results. Neither game needed to tell you it was "so hard" or "so retro", either.
Seems like this has its fans though. To be fair, it did release before the whole retro revival really blew up...but it just didn't feel any better to play now than it did upon release for me.
Cursed Castilla came out a year prior, actually looked like an arcade or Genesis game and had far better level design based around strict jump arcs and the need to think one step ahead since you didn't have the free-flowing movement of something like Super Mario. If you need a more modern example, Curse of the Moon went for the same thing with great results. Neither game needed to tell you it was "so hard" or "so retro", either.
Seems like this has its fans though. To be fair, it did release before the whole retro revival really blew up...but it just didn't feel any better to play now than it did upon release for me.
2023
I really want to like this game as I like the bright, cartoony art style that we just don't see often in the genre. I can also appreciate that it's trying to be more of a pre-Doom FPS, which again, isn't happening a lot in the indie space. Outside of Project Warlock, I'm failing to think of any.
That being said, I feel like Wizordum needs a lot of work before the early access period is up. For one thing, the maps are far bigger than they really need to be. Project Warlock worked as a sort of Wolf3D throwback because most of the levels were short and to the point. It just feels bloated as others have said on here.
The worst problem, however, is just how often monsters come out of nowhere and get these ghetto shots on you from behind. Yes, this kind of thing could happen in the classics, but it was never anywhere near as obnoxious as it is from stage 4 onward in this game.
Last, but not least, I ran into a lot of performance problems at least on my PC. The game absolutely chugged on map 4 and even after fiddling with some of the settings it still continued to drop frames in the most critical of moments (such as fending off a wave of skeleton warriors).
Hopefully these issues get fixed later- as mentioned the game is in early access and I probably would have refunded if it weren't for the fact I got it during a sale. For the rest of you...there's just far better games in this genre worth getting in the middle of this 90s FPS boom.
That being said, I feel like Wizordum needs a lot of work before the early access period is up. For one thing, the maps are far bigger than they really need to be. Project Warlock worked as a sort of Wolf3D throwback because most of the levels were short and to the point. It just feels bloated as others have said on here.
The worst problem, however, is just how often monsters come out of nowhere and get these ghetto shots on you from behind. Yes, this kind of thing could happen in the classics, but it was never anywhere near as obnoxious as it is from stage 4 onward in this game.
Last, but not least, I ran into a lot of performance problems at least on my PC. The game absolutely chugged on map 4 and even after fiddling with some of the settings it still continued to drop frames in the most critical of moments (such as fending off a wave of skeleton warriors).
Hopefully these issues get fixed later- as mentioned the game is in early access and I probably would have refunded if it weren't for the fact I got it during a sale. For the rest of you...there's just far better games in this genre worth getting in the middle of this 90s FPS boom.
1990
A short and sweet linear sidescroller. Controls can be a bit touchy, but the game is also rather easy thanks to unlimited continues. It's something that, once mastered, can easily be clocked in under 20 minutes although there is a second quest after you watch the credits roll that I'm sure most didn't know about.
It's a more linear take on the Legend of Zelda with similar combat and wonky overhead platforming. It's not perfect, but definitely has its charm and is fully worth the hour or take it'll take to complete. Even with the dodgy collision detection (especially with the platforming), the game is rather easy. I kind of wish it had some kind of second quest.
2023
The game plays like a cross between Mappy and the original Mario Bros and sees the player taking on 50 screens of single screen platforming action with some very light puzzle elements sprinkled in towards the back half.
While serviceable, I don't feel like it has quite the level of polish found in other games Flynn's Arcade has published (which includes the phenomenal Galacticon and Donut Dodo). For one thing, the overall presentation is kind of generic compared to the adherence to detail found in the aforementioned games. Goliath Depot has more of that mobile "so retro" aesthetic and some of the sound effects (which I do think are an important and underlooked aspect when it comes to neo-retro games) definitely had to come from some kind of royalty free library.
To be fair, the game does try to provide more replayability than some of the publisher's other games. There are a ton of in-game achievements to unlock as well as hard mode variants of each of the four worlds. There is also an arcade mode that should take you about 30 minutes to complete and has you playing all the stages back to back- but this is curiously locked behind beating the main game once. Last but not least, there is a randomizer mode for those into that sort of thing.
I think it's absolutely worth playing on account of its low price, but fans of single screen arcade games would do well to check out the aforementioned games first as I feel they better stick with tradition and are around the same pricepoint.
While serviceable, I don't feel like it has quite the level of polish found in other games Flynn's Arcade has published (which includes the phenomenal Galacticon and Donut Dodo). For one thing, the overall presentation is kind of generic compared to the adherence to detail found in the aforementioned games. Goliath Depot has more of that mobile "so retro" aesthetic and some of the sound effects (which I do think are an important and underlooked aspect when it comes to neo-retro games) definitely had to come from some kind of royalty free library.
To be fair, the game does try to provide more replayability than some of the publisher's other games. There are a ton of in-game achievements to unlock as well as hard mode variants of each of the four worlds. There is also an arcade mode that should take you about 30 minutes to complete and has you playing all the stages back to back- but this is curiously locked behind beating the main game once. Last but not least, there is a randomizer mode for those into that sort of thing.
I think it's absolutely worth playing on account of its low price, but fans of single screen arcade games would do well to check out the aforementioned games first as I feel they better stick with tradition and are around the same pricepoint.