lostleader
2010
The sequel to Akatsuki Blitzkampf, and I didn't even realize it till I got to the title screen. Why these games have weirdly German names that feel way too hard to pronounce on top of just different names isn't exactly a good choice either. Thankfully, the majority of this games combat and fighting style transferred better into it's sequel, and aside from one horrid fight, the single player experience isn't all that bad either.
Once again the devs of En-Eins Perfektewelt have really created such a smooth and crisp looking game with more animations to it's background, better music, and a bigger roster. It's really hard to argue that it's predecessor has anything really going for it, and for the most part it doesn't. While the 1st game in the series was harder to go through all the bosses and made arcade a grueling trial; the tribulations of En-Eins final boss pretty much match toe to toe with the overall difficulty of everything. See, for the most part I was blazing through the arcade mode, being able to pick different characters after a game over, and overall the smoother combat just made the majority of the game a simple endeavor. Once I got to the final boss tho? Play time was over. So there is this new button that you can use to reflect / drain meter from your opponent as you block their attack in quick session, and that last boss made sure you knew how to use that. In a lot of ways, the last boss of En-Eins, Valkyrie, is just a harsh tutorial on the reflect button, and it all boils down to infinite supers. While I don't exactly mind final bosses in arcade games being ridiculously hard, that's just a bad industry standard, En-Eins was here to make a point. It is far too difficult to win the last boss fight without reflecting because either your health gets chipped away or you just don't do enough damage. On top of this, The boss will often use three supers in succession, causing the majority of the fight to be a massive turtle fest where you wait for the exact times to actually strike. Once more, this boss fight is a something you have to win twice in a row, and it has the slightest margin of error to give you before it simply takes your characters life. It's cruel, unfair, and most of all annoying. Going through this game one time with a character was hard enough, and knowing the trick to it doesn't make the fight easier either. It's just bad design to punish people that want fighting game story, and honestly it's a bit upsetting overall.
That isn't to say the multiplayer isn't bad or that you shouldn't play this game. Combat is far smoother, and the reflect button gives a lot of neat options in terms of blocking and mind games with an opponent. Ascetically this games roster and backgrounds are better than the first game, and it's overall just a better game. The grip here, really, is just having a really really bad final boss, and little reward for it. It doesn't get easier, the stories themselves are all in japanese, and there was more visuals in the first game that made it a bit more interesting to look at. Once again, I wouldnt recommend this game for a single player experience, but if you are able to find someone else to play with you, you'll have a great time. All the characters feel different, combat feels very fluid, and it's just really nice to look at. So while I do think En-Eins is the better game of the two; both games still very much the same in terms of single player experience.
Once again the devs of En-Eins Perfektewelt have really created such a smooth and crisp looking game with more animations to it's background, better music, and a bigger roster. It's really hard to argue that it's predecessor has anything really going for it, and for the most part it doesn't. While the 1st game in the series was harder to go through all the bosses and made arcade a grueling trial; the tribulations of En-Eins final boss pretty much match toe to toe with the overall difficulty of everything. See, for the most part I was blazing through the arcade mode, being able to pick different characters after a game over, and overall the smoother combat just made the majority of the game a simple endeavor. Once I got to the final boss tho? Play time was over. So there is this new button that you can use to reflect / drain meter from your opponent as you block their attack in quick session, and that last boss made sure you knew how to use that. In a lot of ways, the last boss of En-Eins, Valkyrie, is just a harsh tutorial on the reflect button, and it all boils down to infinite supers. While I don't exactly mind final bosses in arcade games being ridiculously hard, that's just a bad industry standard, En-Eins was here to make a point. It is far too difficult to win the last boss fight without reflecting because either your health gets chipped away or you just don't do enough damage. On top of this, The boss will often use three supers in succession, causing the majority of the fight to be a massive turtle fest where you wait for the exact times to actually strike. Once more, this boss fight is a something you have to win twice in a row, and it has the slightest margin of error to give you before it simply takes your characters life. It's cruel, unfair, and most of all annoying. Going through this game one time with a character was hard enough, and knowing the trick to it doesn't make the fight easier either. It's just bad design to punish people that want fighting game story, and honestly it's a bit upsetting overall.
That isn't to say the multiplayer isn't bad or that you shouldn't play this game. Combat is far smoother, and the reflect button gives a lot of neat options in terms of blocking and mind games with an opponent. Ascetically this games roster and backgrounds are better than the first game, and it's overall just a better game. The grip here, really, is just having a really really bad final boss, and little reward for it. It doesn't get easier, the stories themselves are all in japanese, and there was more visuals in the first game that made it a bit more interesting to look at. Once again, I wouldnt recommend this game for a single player experience, but if you are able to find someone else to play with you, you'll have a great time. All the characters feel different, combat feels very fluid, and it's just really nice to look at. So while I do think En-Eins is the better game of the two; both games still very much the same in terms of single player experience.
2002
While I have know for a long while that Shmups simply aren't for me, there are just some that are so famous that you kinda have to see what the craze is about. From my understanding there are harder shmups to look out for, but at the least Ikaruga seems to be one that anyone could probably pick up and beat given time. The game focuses heavily on it's dualed mode system in which you absorb bullets of either light or dark, but take damage from the other one you are not. You can play this game in a free play mode, and while that is how I beat it, the game doesn't lighten up on you at any point. If you don't defeat a boss in enough time, that will be it, including the final boss. While it is frustrating, it also gives you something to work toward and practice in this mode. Overall Ikaruga hasn't sold me on shmups, and frankly I'm done with it knowing how blink and unfeeling it is. There isn't as much arcade feeling that I usually feel with most treasure games, and while I won't deny that it's probably a good game, it's just in a genre I don't care for, and presents itself far too seriously for my taste.
I know it sounds rather dubious, but this is kinda a very average fighting game that uses characters from the Shining Sega Franchise, and like honestly I wish I knew more of the series to enjoy this game. Like it's not lost on me that the Shining series is kinda a sleeper hit for Sega, and I'm just questioning why I haven't touch it enough. That being said, I'm not familiar with any of the characters here, and as I played the Arcade edition with no translation, I sadly didn't get anything from the games story either. I did however realize that the character design really shines here, and the controls themselves were really simple and easy to learn.
Like ascetically, I think this game is pretty average, from it's backgrounds, supers, music, and like fundamental combat, but I do think that the character design and control system really help it from sinking into the ether. I know a lot of this is due to them pulling from various games to get some good characters, but I can't express enough how well the game's control scheme felt too. While I probably don't understand it fully, I do feel I have enough grasp on the game after my playthrough that it feels natural to figure out each character and do combos with them. Each character I played felt unique compared to the others, and gave it self rather easily to learning each of them. That topped with the fact that this game is technically a tag team game that let's you switch between two characters between rounds really gives it a nice gimmick over other tag team games I'm aware of.
Really, Blade Arcus From Shining was an interesting find because I would love Fire Emblem to do something like this. While I don't have much stake in the characters now, I do know a franchise like Fire Emblem having various characters show up and fight would be really exciting thing to me, and as someone that just needs to play more of the Shining games, i feel like I can be that way with this game eventually. So really this game has made me interesting in playing more of the Shining series as well as get the localized version of this game. It does make me sad that this game feels neglected, but on the surface it really does have generic anime fighter vibes. While I wouldn't recommend this version unless you can read Japanese or at least have a connection to the franchise, I will say to seek out a version that is localized. I know I will.
Like ascetically, I think this game is pretty average, from it's backgrounds, supers, music, and like fundamental combat, but I do think that the character design and control system really help it from sinking into the ether. I know a lot of this is due to them pulling from various games to get some good characters, but I can't express enough how well the game's control scheme felt too. While I probably don't understand it fully, I do feel I have enough grasp on the game after my playthrough that it feels natural to figure out each character and do combos with them. Each character I played felt unique compared to the others, and gave it self rather easily to learning each of them. That topped with the fact that this game is technically a tag team game that let's you switch between two characters between rounds really gives it a nice gimmick over other tag team games I'm aware of.
Really, Blade Arcus From Shining was an interesting find because I would love Fire Emblem to do something like this. While I don't have much stake in the characters now, I do know a franchise like Fire Emblem having various characters show up and fight would be really exciting thing to me, and as someone that just needs to play more of the Shining games, i feel like I can be that way with this game eventually. So really this game has made me interesting in playing more of the Shining series as well as get the localized version of this game. It does make me sad that this game feels neglected, but on the surface it really does have generic anime fighter vibes. While I wouldn't recommend this version unless you can read Japanese or at least have a connection to the franchise, I will say to seek out a version that is localized. I know I will.
2000
I don't understand people's love affair with this game, frankly it feels too clunky, looks ugly, and doesn't really have anything worthwhile going for it. Like I really looked into this game, tried playing different characters, looked at some options, and everything turned back to me and concluded that I wasn't having fun with it. There really just isn't anything here that makes you feel like it was worth it aside from some neat stuff you can do by ganging up on computers, and even then that same threat can apply to you, and it's not a good time.
Usually I can find some merit of why a fighting game would be particularly interesting, or fun to play from the standard settings of what the fighting game community is used to, but Street Fighter EX3 isn't it. The controls feel super wonky, specials don't always work the same way across other games that feature said characters, and the story to this game is a pop up text. Like I never felt so blatantly empty playing a fighting game like this before. Usually I could get mad or be upset over the missed potential or have excitement by something really interesting about it. Here though? I feel nothing for this game, it's kinda empty, and only really adds multiple characters in a fight to make it feel any different. The game and combat plays fine, but the flair just isn't here in either the moves or roster when it comes to showing off something. Like I can't express enough how barren a wasteland of nothingness this game brings my feelings, but I guess some people like that you can have two to three characters on the screen at once? Like that just feels like a mess to me, and certainly not fun to play with. If you play this game, I certainly hope you have a better time with it, but there's a reason most people don't know this game exists.
Usually I can find some merit of why a fighting game would be particularly interesting, or fun to play from the standard settings of what the fighting game community is used to, but Street Fighter EX3 isn't it. The controls feel super wonky, specials don't always work the same way across other games that feature said characters, and the story to this game is a pop up text. Like I never felt so blatantly empty playing a fighting game like this before. Usually I could get mad or be upset over the missed potential or have excitement by something really interesting about it. Here though? I feel nothing for this game, it's kinda empty, and only really adds multiple characters in a fight to make it feel any different. The game and combat plays fine, but the flair just isn't here in either the moves or roster when it comes to showing off something. Like I can't express enough how barren a wasteland of nothingness this game brings my feelings, but I guess some people like that you can have two to three characters on the screen at once? Like that just feels like a mess to me, and certainly not fun to play with. If you play this game, I certainly hope you have a better time with it, but there's a reason most people don't know this game exists.
2023
Sometimes art can be a blatant parody, and sometimes those parodies make for excellent motifs! Hime's Quest is absolutely the latter, from it's ascetics to it's fun quirky dialogue to just knowing how long a joke can go on for. Hime's Quest may not be laugh out loud funny, but the joke that this is a solid game makes it rather humorous.
If anyone is familiar with Link's Awakening, Hime's Quest is pretty much just that with the Crunchyroll mascot. You travel around a multidimensional map that gives host to a bunch of different environments and dungeons to explore. While I think they missed it being 1:1 with Link's Awakening style, it does have it's own twist on it as well. The game opens up with everything already been explained in the cinematic intro, and you just get to wander off and start exploring the world. While the map itself isn't all that big, there isn't really anything to stop you from exploring it aside from your equipment. So the consistent formula of find dungeon, get weapon, explore more of the map to find the next dungeon is showcased rather well. The things we don't really get are just ways to bring out more of the ascetics of dungeons and maps for them that make them easier to explore. It's not so much of a problem as the dungeons don't really get complicated, but it can make finding all the chests in them a bit harder to get. All the characters usually have some fun little dialogue to say, and the overall world is far too into anime to be taken seriously, but that's kinda the point of the game to began with. Enemy designs feel right at home for a parody of Link's Awakening with a lot of the enemies being fun little sprite monsters that look mildly menacing, and the bosses are honestly designed really well with the game making boss patterns easily learnable yet challenging to boot!
The game doesn't over stay its welcome either as it's pretty much just a sweet little parody game that features Crunchyroll's Hime. While I'm not too familiar with Hime as a character, I do think her design pops quite well, and the sprite work for this game is absolutely amazing, especially during the cutscenes! While it can feel like it has some wonky controls, I just don't see much wrong with Hime's Quest. It may not be quite as enjoyable as other top down 2D Zelda games I've played, but it absolutely emulated the style well enough to keep me satisfied while also giving itself its own identity! I'd be more than happy to get more of these types of games, especially if it remains as goofy as this one.
If anyone is familiar with Link's Awakening, Hime's Quest is pretty much just that with the Crunchyroll mascot. You travel around a multidimensional map that gives host to a bunch of different environments and dungeons to explore. While I think they missed it being 1:1 with Link's Awakening style, it does have it's own twist on it as well. The game opens up with everything already been explained in the cinematic intro, and you just get to wander off and start exploring the world. While the map itself isn't all that big, there isn't really anything to stop you from exploring it aside from your equipment. So the consistent formula of find dungeon, get weapon, explore more of the map to find the next dungeon is showcased rather well. The things we don't really get are just ways to bring out more of the ascetics of dungeons and maps for them that make them easier to explore. It's not so much of a problem as the dungeons don't really get complicated, but it can make finding all the chests in them a bit harder to get. All the characters usually have some fun little dialogue to say, and the overall world is far too into anime to be taken seriously, but that's kinda the point of the game to began with. Enemy designs feel right at home for a parody of Link's Awakening with a lot of the enemies being fun little sprite monsters that look mildly menacing, and the bosses are honestly designed really well with the game making boss patterns easily learnable yet challenging to boot!
The game doesn't over stay its welcome either as it's pretty much just a sweet little parody game that features Crunchyroll's Hime. While I'm not too familiar with Hime as a character, I do think her design pops quite well, and the sprite work for this game is absolutely amazing, especially during the cutscenes! While it can feel like it has some wonky controls, I just don't see much wrong with Hime's Quest. It may not be quite as enjoyable as other top down 2D Zelda games I've played, but it absolutely emulated the style well enough to keep me satisfied while also giving itself its own identity! I'd be more than happy to get more of these types of games, especially if it remains as goofy as this one.
It's so weird to play this DLC expansion because it honestly just reads like a fanfiction of a self insert Mary Sue character. Nazamil is honestly a fairly interesting character, and while the story itself centers around her, it really doesn't give much actual attention to her that isn't overly explained. Despite this, I honestly think this plot line would have made a better part 2 to Tales of Arises story over what we actual got for it. At the least, the weird racism issues that the main game has are less awkward as it focuses more on mix race and excluding others rather than just straight oppression which is not Japanese writers strong point.
As for the actual content in the game? I guess, it's best to say that we got more voice acting lines and side quest content, but comparatively there just isn't much here. Nearly everything in this DLC is either shortened, reused assets, or don't feel distinct enough to really feel like the pricing reflects what customers want from an expansion. Nazamil is pretty much the start and end to everything new here, and while there is plenty of nice little things to her, the fact we don't get to play her to any degree or even get new team attacks really sours what could've been a nice addition to combat that would have main things feel different compared to the main game.
Still as awkward as some of the story elements, characterization, and shipping is; I don't see Beyond The Dawn as a bad addition. Compared to the 2nd part of Tales of Arise's story it's at least tolerable and you can see what they were trying to go for. As well, this is still Tales of Arise's combat here, and just like it's main game, it really saves it here because it really is a fun system to mess around with, and any excuse to do so is welcomed in my book. If you're able to find this on sale or can't get enough of the Tales of Arise characters I think Beyond the Dawn is worth the buy curious moment.
As for the actual content in the game? I guess, it's best to say that we got more voice acting lines and side quest content, but comparatively there just isn't much here. Nearly everything in this DLC is either shortened, reused assets, or don't feel distinct enough to really feel like the pricing reflects what customers want from an expansion. Nazamil is pretty much the start and end to everything new here, and while there is plenty of nice little things to her, the fact we don't get to play her to any degree or even get new team attacks really sours what could've been a nice addition to combat that would have main things feel different compared to the main game.
Still as awkward as some of the story elements, characterization, and shipping is; I don't see Beyond The Dawn as a bad addition. Compared to the 2nd part of Tales of Arise's story it's at least tolerable and you can see what they were trying to go for. As well, this is still Tales of Arise's combat here, and just like it's main game, it really saves it here because it really is a fun system to mess around with, and any excuse to do so is welcomed in my book. If you're able to find this on sale or can't get enough of the Tales of Arise characters I think Beyond the Dawn is worth the buy curious moment.
On the one hand, I agree with a lot of people that Topclouded Towerthrust was rushed, and didn't feel earned. Then I look at the other additions, mainly the companion missions of Kafka and Yukong, and honestly they are some of the best or at least interesting companion missions in Honkai: Star Rail to date.
Topclouded Towerthrust I feel is kinda just a sad victim of a live service game. By all means, it really did have everything there to be an interesting chapter in our trailblazing story, but it just feels like it wants to end everything fast and get rid of any connection that the Xianzhou chapters had previously been building up. From the fast reveal of a certain betrayer to certain missions both being a soft requirement to continue yet nothing was used from it. There is just a weird disconnect from where this chapter beginnings and ends with no middle to be found. On top of that, the number of reveals that happen all feel unearned to a degree that felt like it robbed the emotional weight they could have had. From sword boy, Yanqing, showing up without an introduction to Dan Heng's reveal to the enemy bigger bad we face at the end that kinda just teases at us. I understand that world building is not something that should always be explained to us, but the fact that everything is so glanced over and halfheartedly explain after isn't the way to do it either. And as much as I love the baddie at the end of this chapter, it really doesn't save her from just being someone that overtook a more interesting villains spot and left to no fanfare as well. It's certainly not the worst story I experienced, but if people can tell you sent out a rushed product then don't send out that rushed product.
Yukong's companion mission however, and to a degree Kafka's mission are an absolute highlight to this patch. I'm always consistently impressed with how much content, character growth, and effort is given in Honkai: Star Rail's companion missions, and I honestly think Yukong's is my favorite so far. While these companion missions have a tendency to be light in combat, the world building and story go places that the main story just doesn't bother enough with, and I'm so thankful it does. Yukong's companion mission feels like such a well thought out, bitter sweet, and proper characterization for her that not only do we learn more about her, but it feels like it's own proper narrative and story. Kafka's companion mission however is interesting in the sense that we are consistently teased about her past, and are always given a choice when dealing with her. The fact that you can just skip her companion mission altogether is an interesting choice that I also hope pays off later. That being said, Kafka is sadly the weaker of the two, but both of them I honestly enjoyed more than the trailblazing mission in this update.
If Honkai: Star Rail can at least keep delivering consistently good story through it's companion missions, I honestly don't think I'll mind so much when it comes to rushed main story updates. Hopefully this doesn't become a trend though as I do feel the story and characters are ultimately what hold my interest the most, least Fate Grand Order be indicating as such. Maybe the story here will get smoothed out later or maybe the world building here can pay off in another update; either way I'm still enjoying my time with it.
Topclouded Towerthrust I feel is kinda just a sad victim of a live service game. By all means, it really did have everything there to be an interesting chapter in our trailblazing story, but it just feels like it wants to end everything fast and get rid of any connection that the Xianzhou chapters had previously been building up. From the fast reveal of a certain betrayer to certain missions both being a soft requirement to continue yet nothing was used from it. There is just a weird disconnect from where this chapter beginnings and ends with no middle to be found. On top of that, the number of reveals that happen all feel unearned to a degree that felt like it robbed the emotional weight they could have had. From sword boy, Yanqing, showing up without an introduction to Dan Heng's reveal to the enemy bigger bad we face at the end that kinda just teases at us. I understand that world building is not something that should always be explained to us, but the fact that everything is so glanced over and halfheartedly explain after isn't the way to do it either. And as much as I love the baddie at the end of this chapter, it really doesn't save her from just being someone that overtook a more interesting villains spot and left to no fanfare as well. It's certainly not the worst story I experienced, but if people can tell you sent out a rushed product then don't send out that rushed product.
Yukong's companion mission however, and to a degree Kafka's mission are an absolute highlight to this patch. I'm always consistently impressed with how much content, character growth, and effort is given in Honkai: Star Rail's companion missions, and I honestly think Yukong's is my favorite so far. While these companion missions have a tendency to be light in combat, the world building and story go places that the main story just doesn't bother enough with, and I'm so thankful it does. Yukong's companion mission feels like such a well thought out, bitter sweet, and proper characterization for her that not only do we learn more about her, but it feels like it's own proper narrative and story. Kafka's companion mission however is interesting in the sense that we are consistently teased about her past, and are always given a choice when dealing with her. The fact that you can just skip her companion mission altogether is an interesting choice that I also hope pays off later. That being said, Kafka is sadly the weaker of the two, but both of them I honestly enjoyed more than the trailblazing mission in this update.
If Honkai: Star Rail can at least keep delivering consistently good story through it's companion missions, I honestly don't think I'll mind so much when it comes to rushed main story updates. Hopefully this doesn't become a trend though as I do feel the story and characters are ultimately what hold my interest the most, least Fate Grand Order be indicating as such. Maybe the story here will get smoothed out later or maybe the world building here can pay off in another update; either way I'm still enjoying my time with it.
2021
No More Heroes III is a strange strange strange game. There is really no hiding that in this equation, and ultimately I think that's what ends up making it so charming. From it's consistent movie references, weird genre winks, and all out confusing plot that doesn't really make sense unless you looked outside the franchise. No More Heroes III won't resonant with everyone out there, but it does bring a weird and imaginative vibe that I can absolutely appreciate through out playing it. It also still has good combat, ascetics both of it's own & borrowed, and a gleeful amount of dark humor in the mix.
Fundamentally, No More Heroes III's combat is basically a better more dazzled version of the first two games mixed with the sensibilities that were added into Travis Strikes Back; making the combat familiar to older players while still giving a greater mix of variety to make combat less stale and easier to handle. The actual practice of combat does differ greatly however when faced against a single enemy and multiple ones. Usually the harder fights are reserved for boss battles, but consistently NMH3's basic enemies gave me far more problems due to the lay out of map design mixed with an extremely horrid camera that consistently switch and mix up targets that either ruined my field of vision or caused me to not see upcoming enemy fire. This mixed together with how spongy and hard to read basic enemy attacks when you're not familiar with them can make quite a frustrating endeavor. In contrast, when faced against a single enemy, the combat absolutely shines with it's use of parries, dodge techs, and special abilities with super armor. In a lot of ways, you can really feel like you are badass with how much you can take advantage over an enemy if you are familiar with their attacks and able to take get at their weak points. This is further exploited by the use of a roulette system that you can use if you die by getting extra advantages in combat or through random rolls when you pull off certain moves to unlock even crazier power ups. Sadly, I wouldn't pull NMH3's combat as intuitive, and I sort of feel this is why we didn't get the usual amount of lairs and barrage of enemies that we usually get when we go fight a boss. A lot of the fun of the first No More Heroes games was going into individual boss lairs, and working your way up to the boss while fighting hordes and hordes of dummy enemies. This kinda of level design is really only showcased once or twice with the rest of the game feeling far too segmented to really feel like a proper level, and honestly comes across as both jarring and lazy compared to just having a big overworld to explore.
Still, the game does have a big overworld to explore, a bunch of mini games to play through, and collectables to obtain. The only real problem is that it kinda feels empty after the initial exploration and collecting of said macguffins. Regardless, each given area does have it's own style and mini-games to play through that range from familiar jobs like law mowing to newer ones like alligator genocide...er I mean coast guard. Mixed together with that we have a ton of character designs for both new and older characters alike, a whole entire new selection of enemy baddies, and even a bunch of cool motif for several boss battles that give them each some unique sense of style.
Honestly, that's what No More Heroes III really is when it comes down to it. A game of style over substances without removing too much substance so it can still be fun to play as you look at it. The story can be a bit grandiose with it's need to include as much Suda51 references as possible, and the game rarely takes itself serious enough to make anything heartfelt land, but that's kinda the point of it. It's a game that has embraced it's weirdness and let itself do whatever it wants as long as it's cool. Kinda like an even weeber adult version of Kingdom Hearts in a way. Honestly if anything caught your eye while looking at this game, you'll at least be able to enjoy yourself.
Fundamentally, No More Heroes III's combat is basically a better more dazzled version of the first two games mixed with the sensibilities that were added into Travis Strikes Back; making the combat familiar to older players while still giving a greater mix of variety to make combat less stale and easier to handle. The actual practice of combat does differ greatly however when faced against a single enemy and multiple ones. Usually the harder fights are reserved for boss battles, but consistently NMH3's basic enemies gave me far more problems due to the lay out of map design mixed with an extremely horrid camera that consistently switch and mix up targets that either ruined my field of vision or caused me to not see upcoming enemy fire. This mixed together with how spongy and hard to read basic enemy attacks when you're not familiar with them can make quite a frustrating endeavor. In contrast, when faced against a single enemy, the combat absolutely shines with it's use of parries, dodge techs, and special abilities with super armor. In a lot of ways, you can really feel like you are badass with how much you can take advantage over an enemy if you are familiar with their attacks and able to take get at their weak points. This is further exploited by the use of a roulette system that you can use if you die by getting extra advantages in combat or through random rolls when you pull off certain moves to unlock even crazier power ups. Sadly, I wouldn't pull NMH3's combat as intuitive, and I sort of feel this is why we didn't get the usual amount of lairs and barrage of enemies that we usually get when we go fight a boss. A lot of the fun of the first No More Heroes games was going into individual boss lairs, and working your way up to the boss while fighting hordes and hordes of dummy enemies. This kinda of level design is really only showcased once or twice with the rest of the game feeling far too segmented to really feel like a proper level, and honestly comes across as both jarring and lazy compared to just having a big overworld to explore.
Still, the game does have a big overworld to explore, a bunch of mini games to play through, and collectables to obtain. The only real problem is that it kinda feels empty after the initial exploration and collecting of said macguffins. Regardless, each given area does have it's own style and mini-games to play through that range from familiar jobs like law mowing to newer ones like alligator genocide...er I mean coast guard. Mixed together with that we have a ton of character designs for both new and older characters alike, a whole entire new selection of enemy baddies, and even a bunch of cool motif for several boss battles that give them each some unique sense of style.
Honestly, that's what No More Heroes III really is when it comes down to it. A game of style over substances without removing too much substance so it can still be fun to play as you look at it. The story can be a bit grandiose with it's need to include as much Suda51 references as possible, and the game rarely takes itself serious enough to make anything heartfelt land, but that's kinda the point of it. It's a game that has embraced it's weirdness and let itself do whatever it wants as long as it's cool. Kinda like an even weeber adult version of Kingdom Hearts in a way. Honestly if anything caught your eye while looking at this game, you'll at least be able to enjoy yourself.
2023
Gacha games are always a hard sell because they are grindy, time gated, and really just want you for your money. Despite such gold digger status, I genuinely do think that Honkai Star Rail is a gacha game that has used the past games of the HoYoverse to give a compelling argument for such a live service game that keeps updating and growing. While there certainly is some problems with Star Rail's delivery, and potential down the road; ultimately Honkai: Star Rail provides a solid answer to a space adventure RPG.
Perhaps the biggest selling point of Honkai Star Rail is just how big it can get, and how much can easily be added without giving much disturbance to what most gacha games need for an overarching story. Not to say there isn't an overarching story, but the real point of interest is exploring new planets, cultures, and developing the world of Star Rail over any actual take down of a big bad. This is something that Star Rail even has over such mammoth games like Starfield, No Man Sky, and Fate Grand Order. There is legitimately a massive amount of text, voice overs, and side missions that would make even the Mass Effect series blush. To say that Star Rail is a massive game is honestly an understatement at this point, already rivaling the 1st two arcs of Fate Grand Order in terms of size, as of May 2024. The first two main areas, Herta Space Station & Belobog, are a great start to the game, and impressed me with how much lore and content there was initially to began with. Belobog even feeling more like it's very own game when compared to the Herta Space Station opening.
Sadly, due to how big Star Rail can be, and how it utilizes both it's time, upgrade, and promotion currencies this makes the game a massive time sink. There is just something blatantly scummy and cruel about how Star Rail's combat works, and how the progression of the Equilibrium (difficulty) gets in Star Rail that rubs me the wrong way. See combat in Star Rail is pretty lax for the most part as long as you have the correct affinities to take down enemy weaknesses. In a lot of ways, both Fate Grand Order and Star Rail have similar combat prep and style. Use the enemy weaknesses while having characters equipped with proper light cones (Craft Essences) and hopefully be at a good skill level to make the battle easy to win. Where FGO and Star Rail differ however is that Light Cones are a bigger part to the stat equation, there is a mildly higher character growth when summoned from the gacha (6 compared to FGO's 5), and leveling up costing far more at the higher levels compared to FGOs requirement to fully upgrade a servant. This makes leveling up all the way far more difficult, and nearly a week endeavor just to get a character to the final level. This isn't accounting for other parts in Star Rail's character system like the fully upgraded light cones, skills, or relics that you can use. Plus on top of all this the game's promotional currency gets equally pushed out because you keep using it upgrade characters abilities/skills/levels/light cones. It's kinda insane how much time and effort it takes to fully invest into one character in Star Rail, let alone 20 of them, which the game honestly intends for you to do with some of it's higher required side content. So if you mess up like I did, and upgrade too fast on your equilibrium (difficulty) you end up being locked out of both story and side content till you can grind the rest to enjoy the game again.
Really the only thing I can say about Honkai Star Rail is that you'll be investing a lot of time in it if you want to experience it. For some that can be a deterrent, but for others this may be a blessing. While a vast majority of your time will be spent grinding/ leveling up your characters and equipment; the game does have proper story, characterization, lore, world building, and some pretty cool animations to boot. It really is just a cool role playing space adventure that keeps making cooler and interesting characters so you can spend money on, and frankly I like that a lot more compared to something like skins. It's still a scummy practice, but at least there is some substance behind that. If you can tolerate that, and a bit of grinding, I absolutely recommend Honkai Star Rail.
Perhaps the biggest selling point of Honkai Star Rail is just how big it can get, and how much can easily be added without giving much disturbance to what most gacha games need for an overarching story. Not to say there isn't an overarching story, but the real point of interest is exploring new planets, cultures, and developing the world of Star Rail over any actual take down of a big bad. This is something that Star Rail even has over such mammoth games like Starfield, No Man Sky, and Fate Grand Order. There is legitimately a massive amount of text, voice overs, and side missions that would make even the Mass Effect series blush. To say that Star Rail is a massive game is honestly an understatement at this point, already rivaling the 1st two arcs of Fate Grand Order in terms of size, as of May 2024. The first two main areas, Herta Space Station & Belobog, are a great start to the game, and impressed me with how much lore and content there was initially to began with. Belobog even feeling more like it's very own game when compared to the Herta Space Station opening.
Sadly, due to how big Star Rail can be, and how it utilizes both it's time, upgrade, and promotion currencies this makes the game a massive time sink. There is just something blatantly scummy and cruel about how Star Rail's combat works, and how the progression of the Equilibrium (difficulty) gets in Star Rail that rubs me the wrong way. See combat in Star Rail is pretty lax for the most part as long as you have the correct affinities to take down enemy weaknesses. In a lot of ways, both Fate Grand Order and Star Rail have similar combat prep and style. Use the enemy weaknesses while having characters equipped with proper light cones (Craft Essences) and hopefully be at a good skill level to make the battle easy to win. Where FGO and Star Rail differ however is that Light Cones are a bigger part to the stat equation, there is a mildly higher character growth when summoned from the gacha (6 compared to FGO's 5), and leveling up costing far more at the higher levels compared to FGOs requirement to fully upgrade a servant. This makes leveling up all the way far more difficult, and nearly a week endeavor just to get a character to the final level. This isn't accounting for other parts in Star Rail's character system like the fully upgraded light cones, skills, or relics that you can use. Plus on top of all this the game's promotional currency gets equally pushed out because you keep using it upgrade characters abilities/skills/levels/light cones. It's kinda insane how much time and effort it takes to fully invest into one character in Star Rail, let alone 20 of them, which the game honestly intends for you to do with some of it's higher required side content. So if you mess up like I did, and upgrade too fast on your equilibrium (difficulty) you end up being locked out of both story and side content till you can grind the rest to enjoy the game again.
Really the only thing I can say about Honkai Star Rail is that you'll be investing a lot of time in it if you want to experience it. For some that can be a deterrent, but for others this may be a blessing. While a vast majority of your time will be spent grinding/ leveling up your characters and equipment; the game does have proper story, characterization, lore, world building, and some pretty cool animations to boot. It really is just a cool role playing space adventure that keeps making cooler and interesting characters so you can spend money on, and frankly I like that a lot more compared to something like skins. It's still a scummy practice, but at least there is some substance behind that. If you can tolerate that, and a bit of grinding, I absolutely recommend Honkai Star Rail.
2001
Giga Wing 2 is that kinda of shmup out there that exudes 2000s energy. From it's models being a mix of 3D and 2D to it's immense arcade feel as the game merciless takes advantage of your lack of knowledge of it's bullet patterns. Not only is the game immensely difficult to go up against, but it also has this wonderful pick up and play style that feels incredibly rewarding. Mix that with a killer soundtrack that gets the blood pumping, and Giga Wing 2 might just take your heart along with your quarters.
Like, it's not exactly that I need a gimmick to fall in love with a shmup game, honestly, I don't know what makes me love a shmup game more than another currently, but I do know I would like to play Giga Wing 2 again. This is almost entirely due to it's way of playing over any aesthetic vibes it has, which mind, those help a lot, but not why im fever-ing to come back. No, entirely what separates my mind with Giga Wing 2 is the reflect shield it has going for it. While most bullet hells are all about dodging and weaving, Giga Wing 2 decided that it give you a button that does the opposite. In comes the reflect laser ability that when pressed lets you absorb a certain amount of bullets / enemy fire as you reach your limit and unleash it right back at them. There is something incredibly intoxicating by being on the brink of death with bullets flying everywhere and overloading your mind to turning that carnage of death to a harbinger for yourself. While the game also has standard use of power ups and bombs are your disposable largely the way Giga Wing 2 is set up is to have too many bullets to consistently dodge fairly. Is it possible to dodge everything? I'm not 100%, but I can tell the game rewards you greatly for reflecting at the right time. Plus whenever you do reflect a relatively good amount, the game hands out points like a jackpot from a slot machine which sets off an entirely different neuron in my head.
Can't say I cared much for the story or even understood it tho, whether that's due to sequelitis or from the game simply not being good with it's story telling is rough to say. Still it was rather melodramatic and held pretty well to the 2000s energy I was stating earlier. Thankfully, Giga Wing 2 is mostly it's gameplay. While there is a lot of neat character design and cool 3d Models mixed together in the wonderful backgrounds; it really just doesn't compete with making one real good reflect moment. Perhaps I got too overstimulated to really judge Giga Wing 2 properly, but that's kinda what I hope for in any given arcade run. If you happen to spot Giga Wing 2 or able to play it some how; I strongly suggest giving it a go. The game just clicks in a way that feels good, like a video game should.
Like, it's not exactly that I need a gimmick to fall in love with a shmup game, honestly, I don't know what makes me love a shmup game more than another currently, but I do know I would like to play Giga Wing 2 again. This is almost entirely due to it's way of playing over any aesthetic vibes it has, which mind, those help a lot, but not why im fever-ing to come back. No, entirely what separates my mind with Giga Wing 2 is the reflect shield it has going for it. While most bullet hells are all about dodging and weaving, Giga Wing 2 decided that it give you a button that does the opposite. In comes the reflect laser ability that when pressed lets you absorb a certain amount of bullets / enemy fire as you reach your limit and unleash it right back at them. There is something incredibly intoxicating by being on the brink of death with bullets flying everywhere and overloading your mind to turning that carnage of death to a harbinger for yourself. While the game also has standard use of power ups and bombs are your disposable largely the way Giga Wing 2 is set up is to have too many bullets to consistently dodge fairly. Is it possible to dodge everything? I'm not 100%, but I can tell the game rewards you greatly for reflecting at the right time. Plus whenever you do reflect a relatively good amount, the game hands out points like a jackpot from a slot machine which sets off an entirely different neuron in my head.
Can't say I cared much for the story or even understood it tho, whether that's due to sequelitis or from the game simply not being good with it's story telling is rough to say. Still it was rather melodramatic and held pretty well to the 2000s energy I was stating earlier. Thankfully, Giga Wing 2 is mostly it's gameplay. While there is a lot of neat character design and cool 3d Models mixed together in the wonderful backgrounds; it really just doesn't compete with making one real good reflect moment. Perhaps I got too overstimulated to really judge Giga Wing 2 properly, but that's kinda what I hope for in any given arcade run. If you happen to spot Giga Wing 2 or able to play it some how; I strongly suggest giving it a go. The game just clicks in a way that feels good, like a video game should.
2021
I only really played this game in the sense that I was doing daily check ins, the fact that I could never play it because it simply wasn't making enough money for Namco Bandai sucks because I was honestly interested in playing it.
2013
Honestly, Riptide GP 2 is a very solid title that ultimately feels rather empty despite having a rather healthy amount of content and things to do. Perhaps it's because I played Renegade first (a sort of reboot/ sequel to this game), but it really feels like they were just testing the waters rather than simply making something a bit more interesting. From it's milder soundtrack to it's non-campaign career mode there just isn't much there to push you forward aside from the races. And in that vain, are the races really good enough to hold this game? Well yes, but having played Renegade, I know these developers can do better.
When I think back to the track design and overall world they create with it, this game really feels like we both just scratched the surface, and have something rather unique here. The game takes place in the future, and the tracks and style certainly reflect that, but there really is no story to go by here. Like I can't quite explain it, but it's more of a matter of if you have no story or characters, it feels harder to associate with wanting to win races and it kinda just makes everything rather hallow in a way that doesn't feel quite right. Maybe that's just a me problem, but there is a reason why racing games with no clear focus on anything tend to focus on having a good soundtrack. It's a little something extra that keeps you in the race or pumps you up in a way that makes you want to push forward. While this game does has a soundtrack, much like it's sequel game, it just kinda blends in with everything else in the game and feels rather forgettable.
I don't think this really takes away from the overall amazing track design or racing mechanics this game sets forth tho as a lot of the games focus is on racing or stunt tricks. The game's track design does feel more formal with it's jumps which for completion purposes makes it easier to complete compared to it's sequel Renegade, but honestly with marathoning those two back to back, it feels kinda nice. That being said, career mode kinda ends up being a joke once you get some of the later vehicles in this game, and it really shows just how limited this game can feel once you kinda exhausted getting all the stars in campaign mode, yet you still won't have enough to buy everything in the game. Having to fully completed this game, by like fully upgrading everything would certainly become far too much of a grind fest, but thankfully if you stick to about 2 to 3 vehicles it shouldn't be too bad to complete it. Still, the games stunt tricks and tracks it has still feel rather unique and fun to do despite it being a more simplified version of Renegade's. All the tracks are thankfully unique from it's sequel game, and they are all built solid in a way that feels fun to play through from the first time to the 100th. Especially with some of the more ice theme tracks that seem to really work well with the future aesthetic this game has going for it.
Overall it's very hard to look at Riptide GP 2 after playing Renegade and seeing just how the series gets better and has more personality. It's not so much I feel this game is bad, or that it's not worth playing, but just that I have seen it done better. Do I still think it's worth playing? Absolutely, everything else in this game is unique and has more tracks to race through in this world that make it really fun to go fast and do stunts, but I wouldn't really put it over Renegade. If you have a phone, this game also uses motion controls for steering, and as far as I know, is free to play. So like I really do think this game is worth playing if your phone could run it or even if on sale as it's an easy 100% for achievement hunters and trophy sluts alike. Either way, I don't think Riptide GP should fade away and even at it's worst it's still better than some other notable racing games out there like Super Mario Kart or Team Sonic Racing. If you can't play Renegade, play this.
When I think back to the track design and overall world they create with it, this game really feels like we both just scratched the surface, and have something rather unique here. The game takes place in the future, and the tracks and style certainly reflect that, but there really is no story to go by here. Like I can't quite explain it, but it's more of a matter of if you have no story or characters, it feels harder to associate with wanting to win races and it kinda just makes everything rather hallow in a way that doesn't feel quite right. Maybe that's just a me problem, but there is a reason why racing games with no clear focus on anything tend to focus on having a good soundtrack. It's a little something extra that keeps you in the race or pumps you up in a way that makes you want to push forward. While this game does has a soundtrack, much like it's sequel game, it just kinda blends in with everything else in the game and feels rather forgettable.
I don't think this really takes away from the overall amazing track design or racing mechanics this game sets forth tho as a lot of the games focus is on racing or stunt tricks. The game's track design does feel more formal with it's jumps which for completion purposes makes it easier to complete compared to it's sequel Renegade, but honestly with marathoning those two back to back, it feels kinda nice. That being said, career mode kinda ends up being a joke once you get some of the later vehicles in this game, and it really shows just how limited this game can feel once you kinda exhausted getting all the stars in campaign mode, yet you still won't have enough to buy everything in the game. Having to fully completed this game, by like fully upgrading everything would certainly become far too much of a grind fest, but thankfully if you stick to about 2 to 3 vehicles it shouldn't be too bad to complete it. Still, the games stunt tricks and tracks it has still feel rather unique and fun to do despite it being a more simplified version of Renegade's. All the tracks are thankfully unique from it's sequel game, and they are all built solid in a way that feels fun to play through from the first time to the 100th. Especially with some of the more ice theme tracks that seem to really work well with the future aesthetic this game has going for it.
Overall it's very hard to look at Riptide GP 2 after playing Renegade and seeing just how the series gets better and has more personality. It's not so much I feel this game is bad, or that it's not worth playing, but just that I have seen it done better. Do I still think it's worth playing? Absolutely, everything else in this game is unique and has more tracks to race through in this world that make it really fun to go fast and do stunts, but I wouldn't really put it over Renegade. If you have a phone, this game also uses motion controls for steering, and as far as I know, is free to play. So like I really do think this game is worth playing if your phone could run it or even if on sale as it's an easy 100% for achievement hunters and trophy sluts alike. Either way, I don't think Riptide GP should fade away and even at it's worst it's still better than some other notable racing games out there like Super Mario Kart or Team Sonic Racing. If you can't play Renegade, play this.
The Mega Man Battle Network series has been an interesting go from the start as I knew it eventually did start marketing itself with two different games with slightly different experiences. This encouraged me both to look at which one I should play through and trying to figure out what experienced of what I wanted. It's a small, but an effective strategy that I honestly like in the sense it gives me an excuse to play the game again and give me new experiences. While the Blue version of this game was supposed to be the "easier one" and the main reason why I played it; I really had a rough time with this game that I feel I wouldn't have experienced in it's sister game, White.
Thankfully, all the combat in MMBN3 is still roughly the same as previous entries as the only thing that ever really gets added was additional chips that weren't in the previous game due to the changing Robot Master roster. So a lot of neat experimentation can happen amidst the nerfs and buffs they gave chips between sequels and through neat trade mechanics. While combat didn't change appearance wise, the leveling up system and numbers and styles part did. Not exactly in a way that really made me miss the old version or like this new version of leveling, but it's certainly different. By having to put a lot of upgrades in a Tetris like box you get to feel like you're building your own navi pet, and kinda make this Mega Man more like your own. While I did feel this made me play the game in a less dynamic way from the previous two entries, I can at least admire the spirit of what they were going for.
What I can't say I liked tho is just how grind-y and obtuse the Blue version of this game can be. While both versions, Blue and White, don't different in terms of story, there were a number of changes to get to certain parts that really just ended up making Blue too much to deal with in my opinion. From having to figure out what chip needs to be dropped in order to trade and progress to just having to constantly go back and forth between different routes that really felt less intuitive than the previous MMBN entries. It's kinda amazing how these little changes not only extended gameplay time to an unhealthy degree, but were just outright infuriating to figure out without a guide. This is on top of the fact that the random encounter rates have always been particularly bad in the Battle Network series, so having to wait to progress the story simply because you didn't backtrack to get a chip or aren't fighting the right enemy really just made everything a hassle that came up way too many times to count. Then the game goes ahead at the end to add a weird final boss that takes more damage using a certain style that can be easily ignored in regular play over being able to use your constructed chip deck. Like it's not enough that you have to go through two phases of a boss, but the fact both formes are relatively different set up wise just kinda ruins a lot of fun this game's combat is know for.
Like I really do like the Battle Network series to a degree that someone is just playing thru them for the first time in their adult years, but Mega Man Battle Network 3 Blue would have made me quit if I was younger. The story is relatively fine to go through, but it really didn't hold me like MMBN or MMBN2 did. Heck, even Transmission gave me more interest in the series than 3's story. It's not bad, but it certainly feels more like going through the motions than previous entries. Then you put all that on top of some really annoying moments with a lot of tedious backtracking, and it just doesn't feel like a fun game to play. From my understanding MMBN 3 White wasn't like this, and while I certainly don't like to knock Blue the way I am with it's small changes, sometimes that's all you need when it comes to becoming unlikable and not fun to play.
Thankfully, all the combat in MMBN3 is still roughly the same as previous entries as the only thing that ever really gets added was additional chips that weren't in the previous game due to the changing Robot Master roster. So a lot of neat experimentation can happen amidst the nerfs and buffs they gave chips between sequels and through neat trade mechanics. While combat didn't change appearance wise, the leveling up system and numbers and styles part did. Not exactly in a way that really made me miss the old version or like this new version of leveling, but it's certainly different. By having to put a lot of upgrades in a Tetris like box you get to feel like you're building your own navi pet, and kinda make this Mega Man more like your own. While I did feel this made me play the game in a less dynamic way from the previous two entries, I can at least admire the spirit of what they were going for.
What I can't say I liked tho is just how grind-y and obtuse the Blue version of this game can be. While both versions, Blue and White, don't different in terms of story, there were a number of changes to get to certain parts that really just ended up making Blue too much to deal with in my opinion. From having to figure out what chip needs to be dropped in order to trade and progress to just having to constantly go back and forth between different routes that really felt less intuitive than the previous MMBN entries. It's kinda amazing how these little changes not only extended gameplay time to an unhealthy degree, but were just outright infuriating to figure out without a guide. This is on top of the fact that the random encounter rates have always been particularly bad in the Battle Network series, so having to wait to progress the story simply because you didn't backtrack to get a chip or aren't fighting the right enemy really just made everything a hassle that came up way too many times to count. Then the game goes ahead at the end to add a weird final boss that takes more damage using a certain style that can be easily ignored in regular play over being able to use your constructed chip deck. Like it's not enough that you have to go through two phases of a boss, but the fact both formes are relatively different set up wise just kinda ruins a lot of fun this game's combat is know for.
Like I really do like the Battle Network series to a degree that someone is just playing thru them for the first time in their adult years, but Mega Man Battle Network 3 Blue would have made me quit if I was younger. The story is relatively fine to go through, but it really didn't hold me like MMBN or MMBN2 did. Heck, even Transmission gave me more interest in the series than 3's story. It's not bad, but it certainly feels more like going through the motions than previous entries. Then you put all that on top of some really annoying moments with a lot of tedious backtracking, and it just doesn't feel like a fun game to play. From my understanding MMBN 3 White wasn't like this, and while I certainly don't like to knock Blue the way I am with it's small changes, sometimes that's all you need when it comes to becoming unlikable and not fun to play.
Zone of the Enders is one of those games that stick with you in fragments and moments rather than as a cohesive game in your mind. It's not so much the game being good or bad, but rather just certain scenes being more impactful or interesting compared to the rest of the games rather blanketed mechaness. Not even a matter of the gameplay or graphics being particularly boring as a lot of the miniature viewed level design and rather bland enemies kinda feels that sentai vibe that the game has going for it.
Perhaps what is most interesting about Zone of the Enders tho is exactly the vibe it's going for through out. A lot of the game can feel more like an action super hero morning cartoon show, but the actual story and characters are anything but that. The story is quite serious, and the actual stakes and overall narrative can kinda go over head for those that were just here for "big robot fight now". Not even saying the game is nuisance with it's drama and stakes, but it's certainly more thought out with a lot of the game's information being stuff you either have to pull from outside material or stuff you have to context clue together. Does that make any of the story good? Not really, but it at least holds more interest compared to being outright boring. On top of that a lot of the over the top voice acting, and little moments through out the game can really highlight them over a game with more traditional good qualities.
Not to paint Zone of the Enders as like a bad game to play or even boring for that matter. I honestly had a lot of fun going through these miniature maps and blasting enemies all over and trying to fulfill my objective. The game also has a grading system to show how well you did giving for some much needed replay value, and in general the game has a very pick up and play style to it. Can't say the mission structure is always on point as there were a few moments where I got stuck on where to go, and some of the missions can really feel more like a chore compared to others, but it was more of an annoyance than outright something to complain about, well mostly.
I gotta say though, A lot of what I remember from Zone of the Enders is that ending scene and boss battles that went along with it. It's something that has stuck with me through the years and kinda continues to do so. So while a lot of the game feels like a blur of rather mild entertainment, I can't help but find this game to be rather remember-able overall. If you're looking for some solid mecha action, Zone of the Enders fills that, and will absolutely leave an impression.
Perhaps what is most interesting about Zone of the Enders tho is exactly the vibe it's going for through out. A lot of the game can feel more like an action super hero morning cartoon show, but the actual story and characters are anything but that. The story is quite serious, and the actual stakes and overall narrative can kinda go over head for those that were just here for "big robot fight now". Not even saying the game is nuisance with it's drama and stakes, but it's certainly more thought out with a lot of the game's information being stuff you either have to pull from outside material or stuff you have to context clue together. Does that make any of the story good? Not really, but it at least holds more interest compared to being outright boring. On top of that a lot of the over the top voice acting, and little moments through out the game can really highlight them over a game with more traditional good qualities.
Not to paint Zone of the Enders as like a bad game to play or even boring for that matter. I honestly had a lot of fun going through these miniature maps and blasting enemies all over and trying to fulfill my objective. The game also has a grading system to show how well you did giving for some much needed replay value, and in general the game has a very pick up and play style to it. Can't say the mission structure is always on point as there were a few moments where I got stuck on where to go, and some of the missions can really feel more like a chore compared to others, but it was more of an annoyance than outright something to complain about, well mostly.
I gotta say though, A lot of what I remember from Zone of the Enders is that ending scene and boss battles that went along with it. It's something that has stuck with me through the years and kinda continues to do so. So while a lot of the game feels like a blur of rather mild entertainment, I can't help but find this game to be rather remember-able overall. If you're looking for some solid mecha action, Zone of the Enders fills that, and will absolutely leave an impression.
2017
Call me nuts for liking this game as much as I do, but I can't help, but think how ambitious and cool this title is mixed with a bunch of neat character and enemy designs along with some cool ascetics to boot. Star Fox 2 really saw the visual style and flow of the original Star Fox game and designed to match it with it's own unique twist and stakes.
Like if you look at the original Star Fox and look at 2, it's almost an inverted version of itself with having to defend a point rather than simply getting from start to finish. Due to RNG, player skill, and difficulty the layout of a playthrough will play out differently each time while it's a constant race with the clock to make sure you're not dilly dallying with each area you visit. As well, most playthroughs are roughly under an hour giving both a nice sense of pacing and urgency when going through each level or stage.
Where Star Fox 2 can fall apart for most is the all range dog fights that have a strong tendency to both get confusing and feel like they are purposefully wasting time. The sad truth is that their really isn't much a fix to it as the main problem is due to hardware, viewpoint, and the backgrounds they use for space. Thankfully, most fighters don't take that long to take down, and a lot of the chase missions with missiles are fairly easy on the eyes, but overall it's a pretty unavoidable fumble on the games part.
Thankfully, a lot of the main game's action is built around bases, and use of the arwing walker that feels rather easy to use and makes for an interesting combat vehicle. While I wouldn't say the bases have particularly interesting bosses, they are at least serviceable, and provide for a fine enough challenge. Although, when I think back on Star Fox 2's boss roster is fairly lackluster when compared to the originals stronger set up.
Still, I do think Star Fox 2 is a really neat fixture in both Nintendo's worst kept secret, and a dash of hope for an 8 year old me clinging for this game's release. It really did do a lot of interesting and neat concepts for the Star Fox series that honestly feels more impactful than anything Zero did as well as giving us the same kinda feel of the original SNES game. If you like Star Fox, I really don't see how you can go home not liking this one; just temper your expectations as it really is it's own flavor compared to our usual On-Rail Shooter.
Like if you look at the original Star Fox and look at 2, it's almost an inverted version of itself with having to defend a point rather than simply getting from start to finish. Due to RNG, player skill, and difficulty the layout of a playthrough will play out differently each time while it's a constant race with the clock to make sure you're not dilly dallying with each area you visit. As well, most playthroughs are roughly under an hour giving both a nice sense of pacing and urgency when going through each level or stage.
Where Star Fox 2 can fall apart for most is the all range dog fights that have a strong tendency to both get confusing and feel like they are purposefully wasting time. The sad truth is that their really isn't much a fix to it as the main problem is due to hardware, viewpoint, and the backgrounds they use for space. Thankfully, most fighters don't take that long to take down, and a lot of the chase missions with missiles are fairly easy on the eyes, but overall it's a pretty unavoidable fumble on the games part.
Thankfully, a lot of the main game's action is built around bases, and use of the arwing walker that feels rather easy to use and makes for an interesting combat vehicle. While I wouldn't say the bases have particularly interesting bosses, they are at least serviceable, and provide for a fine enough challenge. Although, when I think back on Star Fox 2's boss roster is fairly lackluster when compared to the originals stronger set up.
Still, I do think Star Fox 2 is a really neat fixture in both Nintendo's worst kept secret, and a dash of hope for an 8 year old me clinging for this game's release. It really did do a lot of interesting and neat concepts for the Star Fox series that honestly feels more impactful than anything Zero did as well as giving us the same kinda feel of the original SNES game. If you like Star Fox, I really don't see how you can go home not liking this one; just temper your expectations as it really is it's own flavor compared to our usual On-Rail Shooter.