evy96
This is one of those super rare cases where I prefer the remaster more than the original. This is an update of the Genesis game, which was more or less a euroshmup featuring a military meets steampunk aesthetic. The visual overhaul is very comparable to some of the Natsume remakes of games like Pocky and Rocky Reshrined- I definitely appreciated the brighter color palate and better bullet visibility. Some of the slower portions of the Genesis game seem to have also been sped up a bit, which isn't a bad thing.
I'd recommend changing the default button settings (too easy to slip when trying to switch firing sides and accidentally bomb) and maybe turning the sound effects down as they are LOUD and kinda detract from the music. Speaking of which, while these remastered tunes aren't bad at all, I definitely do prefer the Genesis tracks.
Still, I had a lot more fun with this than I expected considering I felt like steel empire on the Genesis was simply okay. Definitely a good beginner game and even on hard this was an easy 1cc the first time I played.
I'd recommend changing the default button settings (too easy to slip when trying to switch firing sides and accidentally bomb) and maybe turning the sound effects down as they are LOUD and kinda detract from the music. Speaking of which, while these remastered tunes aren't bad at all, I definitely do prefer the Genesis tracks.
Still, I had a lot more fun with this than I expected considering I felt like steel empire on the Genesis was simply okay. Definitely a good beginner game and even on hard this was an easy 1cc the first time I played.
1991
I'm kind of surprised nobody has reviewed this yet.
Super Spy Hunter is an overhead racing/shooting hybrid from Sunsoft- the same company that brought us the visually impressive Batman and Gremlins 2 NES games around the same time that this released. To be expected, the soundtrack packs that Sunsoft flair and there are some neat effects to represent scaling in one particular stage that has you jumping off ramps to land on tracks that are "lower".
Game play wise, it's kind of a mixed bag. Realizing that your overall speed is relative to your position on screen in the car segments (with the level scrolling faster the further up you are) takes a while to get used to, as does the way your "options" work. Generally, the game does a good job of warning you when there's a turn or when you might need to stop and slow down to traverse more challenging obstacles. For instance, on stage one, you'll need to stop in order to drive along a row of shifting semi-trucks to avoid falling to your death. Once you get used to it, however, the game is a fun ride.
That is, until its back half.
Like almost every other game with a short run time from this era, the game goes from being moderately challenging to unforgiving and in this case it's as soon as you reach stage 5. While it should have been the most exciting and interesting stage of the six seeing as you go from a boat to a car to a whole ass plane, it's an absolute nightmare to play. The boat section is littered with insta-kill bombs, the power-up trucks never seem to give you what you need no matter how careful you are, and the game's "I can't believe it's not Raiden" moment is virtually impossible without full power-ups. Since the game operates by shm'up logic, you lose them upon death (which comes quickly with the insta-kill stuff and clunky boat controls). This stage alone is reason enough to not want to revisit the game after beating it this weekend.
Stage 6, fortunately, returns to what the game does best with overhead car sections but it is still brutally difficult thanks to the addition of the worst trope ever- a boss rush. You need to kill three bosses in a row, and two of them have insta-kill lasers on top of being absolute bullet sponges even if you're fully powered up. If it weren't for the fact that the game has unlimited continues, it would be on the same level as Battletoads.
I'd say it's worth demoing just to see the cool gimmicks presented in stages 1 to 4 at the very least, but it's far from the best game Sunsoft put out on the NES. I think it would be the perfect project for a ROM hacker (balancing patch) or a potential remaster seeing as Sunsoft is looking to make a comeback with upcoming games like Ufouria 2.
Super Spy Hunter is an overhead racing/shooting hybrid from Sunsoft- the same company that brought us the visually impressive Batman and Gremlins 2 NES games around the same time that this released. To be expected, the soundtrack packs that Sunsoft flair and there are some neat effects to represent scaling in one particular stage that has you jumping off ramps to land on tracks that are "lower".
Game play wise, it's kind of a mixed bag. Realizing that your overall speed is relative to your position on screen in the car segments (with the level scrolling faster the further up you are) takes a while to get used to, as does the way your "options" work. Generally, the game does a good job of warning you when there's a turn or when you might need to stop and slow down to traverse more challenging obstacles. For instance, on stage one, you'll need to stop in order to drive along a row of shifting semi-trucks to avoid falling to your death. Once you get used to it, however, the game is a fun ride.
That is, until its back half.
Like almost every other game with a short run time from this era, the game goes from being moderately challenging to unforgiving and in this case it's as soon as you reach stage 5. While it should have been the most exciting and interesting stage of the six seeing as you go from a boat to a car to a whole ass plane, it's an absolute nightmare to play. The boat section is littered with insta-kill bombs, the power-up trucks never seem to give you what you need no matter how careful you are, and the game's "I can't believe it's not Raiden" moment is virtually impossible without full power-ups. Since the game operates by shm'up logic, you lose them upon death (which comes quickly with the insta-kill stuff and clunky boat controls). This stage alone is reason enough to not want to revisit the game after beating it this weekend.
Stage 6, fortunately, returns to what the game does best with overhead car sections but it is still brutally difficult thanks to the addition of the worst trope ever- a boss rush. You need to kill three bosses in a row, and two of them have insta-kill lasers on top of being absolute bullet sponges even if you're fully powered up. If it weren't for the fact that the game has unlimited continues, it would be on the same level as Battletoads.
I'd say it's worth demoing just to see the cool gimmicks presented in stages 1 to 4 at the very least, but it's far from the best game Sunsoft put out on the NES. I think it would be the perfect project for a ROM hacker (balancing patch) or a potential remaster seeing as Sunsoft is looking to make a comeback with upcoming games like Ufouria 2.
This game frequently makes top 10 lists for "Best Master System games" and I honest to god have no idea why. I completed this game last summer for RetroAchievements and it just doesn't hold a candle to the SMS Mickey Mouse games.
Yes, the game looks incredible and has a decent soundtrack, but that's where the positives kind of end. The control is, as other reviewers have mentioned, off and the few powerups you do get aren't exceptionally satisfying to use. Level design is incredibly straightforward, which isn't inherently a bad thing, but there is a metric ton of trial and error that only gets worse after the pyramid stage.
I guess if you're the kind of person who thinks better graphics make a better game, you'll consider this the best of the best on Sega's 8-bit warhorse. Just stick with Castle or Land of Illusion for your Disney fix on the platform.
Yes, the game looks incredible and has a decent soundtrack, but that's where the positives kind of end. The control is, as other reviewers have mentioned, off and the few powerups you do get aren't exceptionally satisfying to use. Level design is incredibly straightforward, which isn't inherently a bad thing, but there is a metric ton of trial and error that only gets worse after the pyramid stage.
I guess if you're the kind of person who thinks better graphics make a better game, you'll consider this the best of the best on Sega's 8-bit warhorse. Just stick with Castle or Land of Illusion for your Disney fix on the platform.
The superior version to me- a very rare (and ironic) backporting win. This version retains many of the same level themes from the Genesis original, but adds a pick/up throwing mechanic similar to the American SMB2 as well as better level design. There are plenty of secrets to find compared to Genesis Castle of Illusion as well as lucky stars that will permanently boost your health. There's a bit of lag when it comes to picking objects up, and it becomes perhaps a little too easy once you learn how to route the game to get the health upgrades ASAP (since you can also pick the order of the levels you play this time aronud) but it's still a blast through and through. I would consider this in the upper echelon of Master System platformers along with Alex Kidd in Miracle World and Alex Kidd in Shinobi World.
The second best of the series in my opinion. While it doesn't have as much content or the challenge of new adventure island, it makes up for it by being a short and sweet take on the formula with a killer soundtrack. I go back and pop this one in if I want a game I can finish in a half an hour.
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.
1989
Is it one of the best platformers on the SMS like some bloggers insist? Hell no. Not when there is Castle of Illusion, Alex Kidd and Sonic.
That being said, once you get used to the inertia based controls (I highly recommend playing decap attack first...it's far more forgiving and in my opinion better designed) there's a lot of fun to be had trying to stay on the upper paths in each round.
The other neat thing is that all the animals you can switch between handle a bit differently. The tiger is probably the most "normal" feeling of the bunch and I used him pretty often- he's much quicker to accelerate than the fox. The monkey is pretty slow but has the best jump of the game, meaning you can often recover from a fall and climb back up to the top (and much like sonic, more rewarding) path.
The biggest problem honestly wasn't the controls- it's not knowing where you might land should you drop down. For the first five worlds it wasn't too bad but six and seven were where the level designers got a bit lazy. It also would've been nice if you could keep your extra hit point with bosses because there's no checkpoints in any of the levels.
Fortunately, the game is also just forgiving enough. Levels aren't usually long and continuing puts you at the start of the level you were on as opposed to yeeting you back to the beginning of the world.
If you liked Decap Attack (which was made off the same engine) and want more of that but significantly harder...this is a good pick.
That being said, once you get used to the inertia based controls (I highly recommend playing decap attack first...it's far more forgiving and in my opinion better designed) there's a lot of fun to be had trying to stay on the upper paths in each round.
The other neat thing is that all the animals you can switch between handle a bit differently. The tiger is probably the most "normal" feeling of the bunch and I used him pretty often- he's much quicker to accelerate than the fox. The monkey is pretty slow but has the best jump of the game, meaning you can often recover from a fall and climb back up to the top (and much like sonic, more rewarding) path.
The biggest problem honestly wasn't the controls- it's not knowing where you might land should you drop down. For the first five worlds it wasn't too bad but six and seven were where the level designers got a bit lazy. It also would've been nice if you could keep your extra hit point with bosses because there's no checkpoints in any of the levels.
Fortunately, the game is also just forgiving enough. Levels aren't usually long and continuing puts you at the start of the level you were on as opposed to yeeting you back to the beginning of the world.
If you liked Decap Attack (which was made off the same engine) and want more of that but significantly harder...this is a good pick.
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!
1994
Definitely the superior game with the name "Sparkster". The jetpack mechanic is more in line with how it originally worked and the adorable opossum also seems to have gotten his sword slash projectile back for good. There's also some really solid visual FX going on as soon as stage 1 with the reflective water and stones transforming into wolf soldiers.
For the first three quarters, the game also captures a sense of speed quite unlike any other super Nintendo game with how fast you can zip through levels. In addition to the jetpack boost, Sparkster also has a sort of roll dodge which can help players stay airborne even after the boost is over.
There are some caveats though. The back half of the game is kind of bad. Stage 7 kicks off with a semi decent vertical shmup section (remember...it's Konami. Surprisingly there are no fire snakes to contend with) but ends in the worst mech fight out of the entire series. It's an RNG fest through and through...if you don't believe me watch a speedrun. Even they manage to get killed here from time to time and to this day I don't think there's a proper strategy.
Stage 8 isn't as bad, but it does have a lot of slower/pace breaking sections. That big mode 7 missile you have to duck under at the start is pretty cool the first time you see it...but not the tenth. The final boss (at least on normal) also seems to be pretty rng heavy, but at least he won't just spam a bunch of crap that you can barely avoid if at all.
You can only access Stage 9 by playing on hard (kind of an idiotic and pretentious design choice). It's a straight shot followed by an ironically easy "true" final battle, but at least it has an actual pattern.
At the end of the day, neither sequel is really as good as the original game which is lightning in a bottle. Still, if you're willing to forgive that the last couple stages were probably rushed to meet a deadline, there's a great time to be had here.
For the first three quarters, the game also captures a sense of speed quite unlike any other super Nintendo game with how fast you can zip through levels. In addition to the jetpack boost, Sparkster also has a sort of roll dodge which can help players stay airborne even after the boost is over.
There are some caveats though. The back half of the game is kind of bad. Stage 7 kicks off with a semi decent vertical shmup section (remember...it's Konami. Surprisingly there are no fire snakes to contend with) but ends in the worst mech fight out of the entire series. It's an RNG fest through and through...if you don't believe me watch a speedrun. Even they manage to get killed here from time to time and to this day I don't think there's a proper strategy.
Stage 8 isn't as bad, but it does have a lot of slower/pace breaking sections. That big mode 7 missile you have to duck under at the start is pretty cool the first time you see it...but not the tenth. The final boss (at least on normal) also seems to be pretty rng heavy, but at least he won't just spam a bunch of crap that you can barely avoid if at all.
You can only access Stage 9 by playing on hard (kind of an idiotic and pretentious design choice). It's a straight shot followed by an ironically easy "true" final battle, but at least it has an actual pattern.
At the end of the day, neither sequel is really as good as the original game which is lightning in a bottle. Still, if you're willing to forgive that the last couple stages were probably rushed to meet a deadline, there's a great time to be had here.
1991
I'll give this game credit for one thing- the presentation. Although the in game sprites couldn't rip off Megaman more if they tried, the Ninja Gaiden-esque cutscenes are incredibly well done and the hexagon transition that takes place between boards is super cool.
That being said...they forgot to make the game any good. Being able to duck and fire in multiple directions is a nice change up from what this game is obviously inspired by, but the level design is terrible and it's like they didn't actually play megaman to see what made it work. 99 percent of what I encountered in the first two worlds was using the incredibly awkward and janky broom (think rush jet but not as intuitive) or figuring out what weapon to use and what specific tile I needed to be standing on to land a hit. The flow of Capcom's classics isn't here.
Perhaps the worst thing about this game mechanically is how the character drops like a sack of potatoes if you attempt to jump and shoot at the same time. That's right- simply trying to shoot will cancel out your jump arc and will lead to cheap deaths in a game that's already full of them. Again, it's like the developers only ever saw still images of the game they're attempting to clone.
As others have said, this game is brutally hard. But not in the way that Megaman was. You know how you'd sometimes get health pickups or even energy tanks? How about checkpoints? Magical Dookie here has none of that. Even the smallest enemies are capable of taking off half your life bar...even in the first few stages.
The game does (sort of) try to give you one advantage by making all of your weapons accessible from the start and not needing to worry about their respective energy meters. That being said, all but two of them are pretty much worthless. You'll need to use the broom to navigate over spike pits and the ball to shoot diagonally in order to nail certain enemies. I did find the freeze projectile useful in a few specific spots, but that's it.
I may pick this up again and go for beating it just to check it off a list, but as it stands, this is the worst megaman clone I've ever played. I had more fun playing Mighty Number 9 when that came out. A shame too because Vic Tokai actually did a decent job emulating Sonic with Socket/Tume Dominator a few years later.
I highly recommend you just play darkwing duck or (if you want a game that does things a bit differently) Whomp Em if you need your "I can't believe it's not megaman" fix on the NES.
That being said...they forgot to make the game any good. Being able to duck and fire in multiple directions is a nice change up from what this game is obviously inspired by, but the level design is terrible and it's like they didn't actually play megaman to see what made it work. 99 percent of what I encountered in the first two worlds was using the incredibly awkward and janky broom (think rush jet but not as intuitive) or figuring out what weapon to use and what specific tile I needed to be standing on to land a hit. The flow of Capcom's classics isn't here.
Perhaps the worst thing about this game mechanically is how the character drops like a sack of potatoes if you attempt to jump and shoot at the same time. That's right- simply trying to shoot will cancel out your jump arc and will lead to cheap deaths in a game that's already full of them. Again, it's like the developers only ever saw still images of the game they're attempting to clone.
As others have said, this game is brutally hard. But not in the way that Megaman was. You know how you'd sometimes get health pickups or even energy tanks? How about checkpoints? Magical Dookie here has none of that. Even the smallest enemies are capable of taking off half your life bar...even in the first few stages.
The game does (sort of) try to give you one advantage by making all of your weapons accessible from the start and not needing to worry about their respective energy meters. That being said, all but two of them are pretty much worthless. You'll need to use the broom to navigate over spike pits and the ball to shoot diagonally in order to nail certain enemies. I did find the freeze projectile useful in a few specific spots, but that's it.
I may pick this up again and go for beating it just to check it off a list, but as it stands, this is the worst megaman clone I've ever played. I had more fun playing Mighty Number 9 when that came out. A shame too because Vic Tokai actually did a decent job emulating Sonic with Socket/Tume Dominator a few years later.
I highly recommend you just play darkwing duck or (if you want a game that does things a bit differently) Whomp Em if you need your "I can't believe it's not megaman" fix on the NES.
2020
The most ambitious of the GG Aleste games. There's a bit more emphasis on boss encounters this time around as well as gimmicky stages such as round 4's wrap-around design. It pushes the hardware to its absolute limit which is both a blessing and a curse. It's the best looking game of the series but suffers from quite a bit of slowdown as a result of just how much is going on compared to the original two GG entries. Even on normal, this game is several notches up in difficulty compared to the classics and makes for an exceptionally brutal 1CC. Glad I got around to doing that, but I'd still consider the first aleste to be my favorite.
1991
An infinitely better megaman clone than Krion Conquest with just enough going on to make it stand out despite the painfully obvious similarities.
That being said, the final level is horrible and the only reason I can't give this four stars after finishing it again for the first time since I was a teenager. The final boss is literally impossible without three gourds (basically the game's version of e tanks) and spamming a weapon that takes your own health away. Every non TAS longplay I've seen of this game shows the player simply tanking the damage from the billion bouncing balls the asshole sends out. A prime example of bad game design. Shame too...but would make a good rom hacking project for somebody to balance it out.
That being said, the final level is horrible and the only reason I can't give this four stars after finishing it again for the first time since I was a teenager. The final boss is literally impossible without three gourds (basically the game's version of e tanks) and spamming a weapon that takes your own health away. Every non TAS longplay I've seen of this game shows the player simply tanking the damage from the billion bouncing balls the asshole sends out. A prime example of bad game design. Shame too...but would make a good rom hacking project for somebody to balance it out.
1987
(Finished this one about a couple years ago before I even knew this site existed)
A very cutesy, non traditional shooter where you pilot an anthro helicopter. It's very much a STG that thinks it's a platformer in many regards. You have a health bar, but it drains incredibly fast from what I remember. In addition, there is a MASSIVE difficulty spike with the second boss. It takes up almost the entire screen and from what I remember simply touching the thing will kill you and (in regular shooter fashion) strip you of all your powerups on top of yeeting you to a checkpoint. I would advise save stating here in practice runs. I do remember 1CCing the first loop, but did not bother with the second quest.
A very cutesy, non traditional shooter where you pilot an anthro helicopter. It's very much a STG that thinks it's a platformer in many regards. You have a health bar, but it drains incredibly fast from what I remember. In addition, there is a MASSIVE difficulty spike with the second boss. It takes up almost the entire screen and from what I remember simply touching the thing will kill you and (in regular shooter fashion) strip you of all your powerups on top of yeeting you to a checkpoint. I would advise save stating here in practice runs. I do remember 1CCing the first loop, but did not bother with the second quest.
2022
Was pretty fun (albeit rather easy) going through the normal campaign. That being said, it veers a bit too much on the "bullet hell" side of things for me to really want to sink my teeth into the arcade or harder difficulties. I really did like the idea of sucking in bullets and sending them back at enemies though- it's a really unique mechanic. I'd love to see it done in a traditional/non bullet hell title some day.
1990
A very simplistic riff on the likes of TF3 with a gimmick of switching between a robot and standard ship. The robot's bombs essentially give you I-frames on demand, whereas the ship is able to cancel bullets with a Shockwave. Although this is one of the easier shmups on Genesis, chain deaths are still a very big possibility as you lose everything on death and the game unfortunately commits the design sin of having speed power ups. I'd consider this the better game over Whip Rush (also done by renovation/vic tokai) even if that one offered adjustable speed.