Jonnas
N-E Staff
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Posts posted by Jonnas
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12 hours ago, darksnowman said:Couldn't find a Metroid Appreciation Thread or the like so plonking this here. Think it's been recommended to me since I finally watched some of this channels Castlevania video the other month (thanks, @Jonnas). I've only checked out the Fusion part but the rest might be appealing to others!
Great timing! I just finished listening to it today, and wanted to post it here after I was done. Good going.
I agree with almost everything he says about 2D Metroid, much like with the Castlevania video
But our opinions differ vastly when it comes to the Prime trilogy. The bosses he liked, I didn't. The bosses I liked, he didn't. The artifact hunt in MP1 that I loved, he hated. The same hunt in MP2 that I hated, he praised to no end. In MP3, he dismissed the other hunters but praised the pacing and environments, and I felt the total opposite. It's kind of impressive 
At any rate, I love his videos, and this one was masterfully done. He even touches on significant events in the series, like the official Manga, or AM2R. I learned a lot about the series' production, too. I had no idea about how many of the series weird decisions came from Kensuke Tanabe, it was almost a running gag
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Since I didn't play anything recent, I selected SSBU as the game of the year. Maybe that should've gone to Streets of Rage 2, or the Samurai Shodown Collection, but SSBU is still honestly the better game.
(The genres are, in order: Action, Fighting, Party, Classic Games, Shooting, Strategy. I figure all that shooting comes from Mechstermination Force)
Honestly, this review just highlights that I'm spending less time with gaming, in general. Even Smash got way fewer hours than I used to. It's a messy time in my life, so I guess this is to be expected.
Also, my Mii is in need of a beard
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So this is pretty cool:
A summary of cut content from Sonic 2... Plus some entirely new material I hadn't seen before this video! Apparently, there's enough material to recreate most of Crisis City, and a snow/winter level was even considered at some point.
I also didn't know that factoid about Hill Top Zone. Makes so much sense in retrospect!
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On 10/12/2023 at 6:07 PM, Julius said:Got to plug the 400th episode of the main Easy Allies Podcast after the news of them winding down and the conversations we've had here:
I'm finally done listening to it. Man, that was fantastic. Even the GTA VI discussion (a series I could not care less for), was great to hear. I really miss Kyle and Brandon on the podcast.
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Wow! Fantastic to see anti-monopoly laws actually get, you know, enforced. Any victory is a valid victory.
Looking forward to see this case get explored further. Curious to see what are the significant differences between this and the Apple case.
Between this case and Mickey Mouse possibly soon becoming public domain, 2023 looks to end on a strong note against megacorps.
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Ever since I got the expanded NSO, I have managed to clear at least one unplayed game from each system (and by "clear", I mean play it enough to either beat, complete, or confidently drop)... except for the N64. The games from that service are substantial, and require more time and investment to take seriously. But I did find one to clear before the year ended:
Dr. Mario 64
I do like Dr. Mario. It's relaxing and cathartic. Tetris is all about searching high bonuses and scores, while Puyo Puyo is all about frantically aiming for combos to beat an opponent. But Dr. Mario gives me a flask to clear and lets me do it at my own pace and method.
So, substantially, this game is no different from classic Dr. Mario, it's the same systems. Where it changes is that they tried to give this one some multiplayer focus.
Honestly, it's not a good fit. The pace is too slow, and the pills are too cumbersome, to be chasing those short Puyo-Puyo combos. And for what, a couple extra blocks on the opponent's side? It feels like too little when it happens to the opponent, but it's so annoying when it happens to you! Not only can it ruin a nice line you were going for (unlike in Puyo Puyo, it really needs to be lines. A blocked line is really frustrating to deal with here), but they fall so slowly that you can actually suffer in place for up to 10 seconds before you can move again.
Anyway, the entirety of the Story Mode is this, and it's more annoying than satisfying. Beat it on Normal, might go for Hard some day. I hear there are secret final bosses, but I'm not aiming for them. As a plus, the setting is entirely based in Wario Land 3 (one of the best platformers of all time), and every available character is blessed with a glorious, animated 64-bit sprite, which is a nice thing to do for such a great game. The soundtrack isn't bad, either.
One game that does work is Flash Mode. Essentially, two players aim to eliminate three specific viruses from the board, and whoever does that first, wins. I think this is a much better concept for Dr.Mario multiplayer, and it's a shame it's relegated to an extra mode. The entire game should've followed this objective, but alas.
In a nutshell, it's not exactly the best use of Dr.Mario, but the game has quirks and strengths. It's just... this is a weird game to exist on the N64 in the year 2001. I'm glad it's basically free, now. 3 stars
-Mega Man V (1994) Beat
-Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon [Game Boy] (1997) Dropped
-Super Bomberman R (2017) Beat
-Samurai Shodown Neogeo Collection (2020) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown (1993) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown II (1994) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown III (1995) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown IV (1996) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V (2003) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V Special (2004) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V Perfect (2020) No Goal
-The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (2023) Completed
-Mechstermination Force (2019) Beat
-F-Zero 99 (2023) No Goal
-F-Zero (1990) Beat
-Fallblox (2012) Beat
-Pnickles (1995) Dropped
-Streets of Rage 2 (1992) Beat
-The Horror of Salazar House (2020) Completed
-Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005) Completed
-Flicky (1984) No Goal
-Castlevania Legends (1997) Beat
-Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001) Beat
-Shadow of the Ninja (1990) Completed
-A.K.A. Block Block (1991) Completed
-Mega Man: The Power Battle (1995) Completed
-Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters (1996) Completed
-Dr.Mario 64 (2001) Completed
I don't really expect to clear any more games until the end of the year. But I am happy with pace I'm following right now, so who knows.
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I watched the three specials with my girlfriend because we heard Donna was back. I haven't watched Doctor Who in years:
SpoilerFirst and second episode felt like classic Who episodes, especially that second one. And even though Tennant is obviously aged, it's nice to see him and Tate back for a few episodes. Love their chemistry.
Third episode was surprisingly weak. There was a lot of hubbub about how Toymaker makes no sense, but at the same time, they're finding musical scores in brain waves. And then The Doctor turns into two blokes and play catch until this multiversal being fumbles the ball. It's really weak writing, and a surprisingly small use of NPH, who could certainly do with a recurring role as this fun villain.
Ncuti seems like a fun Doctor. The new TARDIS, not so much, give me the classic, practical-effects, outdated zeerust architecture, please.
But let me tell you: that "non-binary" line in that first episode gave me the hardest laugh I've had at a TV show in years. The fact that it actually fits the general tone and writing of Doctor Who is just the icing on the cake.
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I was out the entire weekend, and Sega decide to start releasing new titles from their dormant IPs again? What madness is this?
Lovely announcement, glad we could interrupt a couple of speeches to make it.
...
On a more serious note, I hope half the industry boycotts the Awards next year.
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Man, I never expected this series to be revived! Awesome to see! I just hope the soundtrack they pick this time around is less of a trademark nightmare
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I mean, every screen from classic Shinobi I've ever seen contained none of the precise platforming you could see in these short clips. Safe to say it's a new title.
Looks pretty good, too. Considering this is a series that passed me by the side, maybe I'll finally play something from it.
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23 hours ago, Julius said:I don't know how much of his content you've watched since Ben left but he did seriously step up as Frame Trap host, it took a little bit of time to warm up to the hot seat but I think he really delivered, and he's basically carried EZA's review game this past 12 months or so.
I kept listening to it, as they're good company for car trips. I respect the energy Brad brought to the show, even if he's no Ben. I respect that he tried something new with Sort It Out, and wisely recognized it brought down the tone of the show if he didn't introduce Keep It Up shortly after. He's also good as a host, keeping discussion focused, and he doesn't let his stuttering-while-reading weakness stop him.
So yeah, I do respect him professionally. My dislike is more like being annoyed at specific quirks of his, which isn't that big of a deal. There was also a time where most of his takes about the industry felt very shallow, but even that he's been able to improve a lot.
23 hours ago, Julius said:sla is a weird one for me to have left as arguably the only ambitious and creative member, simply because so much of her ambition and creativity lies far away from what I think made EZA and GT successful as producers of content
For a group like EZA, reviews and podcasts are the main dish. Isla's content is more like dessert. As you say, it's not the sort of thing that can carry the channel (or a full meal).
Don is the Wasabi on the side.
23 hours ago, Julius said:Kyle, Jones and Ben leaving left a gaping hole, and I think Brad leaving only makes that hole wider.
I'm only quoting this part, but I 100% agree with the rest of your post. Excellent summary of the whole situation.
In recent times, I've been gravitating a bit towards GVG, which features plenty of individual passionate content (though their podcast is surprisingly poor), and the Minnmax podcast shows some promise. But both of these finds were definitely me trying to find the peak days of EZA again.
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On the other hand, I've never been a big fan of Brad
I do, however, have to admit that non-Frame Trap EZA content really slowed down this year.
Like, talent leaving for whatever reason is par for the course, it happens, and it is expected. But EZA never really had a backup for that, with the only new member they ever brought in being Gabby. It's lead to a real dearth of passion projects for the channel, and that's a shame. It does feel like Isla is the one ambitious member left.
Going to be curious how this year will pan out for them.
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On 30/11/2023 at 2:43 PM, Glen-i said:Seriously, the tips section in Smash Ultimate will teach you stuff!
Oh wow, to think it was that close! Great find
On 30/11/2023 at 2:43 PM, Glen-i said:The heavy characters (...) slide less on slippery tracks
On 30/11/2023 at 7:55 PM, lostmario said:Finished Metroid Zero Mission today. Been playing it at work on my GBASP during my lunch breaks for the last week or so.
Got an everdrive for my GBA so if anyone has any recommendations for my next lunch break game, let me know.
Very nice
For general GBA recommendations, my recommendations are:
- For something in the vein of Metroid, with an explorable 2D map, there's Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Metroid Fusion;
- For fun 2D platformers, there's Wario Land 4 and Drill Dozer;
- For something more challenging and fast-paced than those, there's Mega Man Zero or Astro Boy: Omega Factor.
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Last time, I mentioned a few games I had started and immediately dropped. I won't be doing that often, as that was a byproduct of trying out a few significant NSO titles at once. I won't necessarily give my quick thoughts on why I dropped the likes of Yoshi or Burger Time
So I will stick to significant updates.
A.K.A. Block Block
Another game I got on the cheap for Capcom 2nd Stadium. This one turned out to be much better than Pnickles.
It's a series of 48 levels of pure Arkanoid in a somewhat wacky fashion (wackanoid, if you will). There's power-ups, crazy layouts for the bricks, and even the paddle has health, to motivate you to finish these levels faster.
Unfortunately, some of the later levels are too wacky, with the ball ricocheting so fast in directions you can't possibly predict. Just in case you forgot this was a coin muncher. The bright side is, no game over, just insert another coin.
It's a well made game, but even the best of arkanoids only gets 3 stars from me. Well, the best arkanoid so far, at least.
Mega Man: The Power Battle
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Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
The last games I had on the 2nd Stadium, and likely the last I'll ever purchase for that collection). I saved the best for last because... well... I've wanted to play Power Battle (PB) and Power Fighters (PF) ever since I was a teenager.
Seriously. In the early-to-mid 2000s, at the height of my personal Megaman fandom, there were these high-quality sprites circulating around, being used for webcomics and stuff, and I just wondered where they came from. Then I found out about the Arcade games from mmhp.net (virtually unchanged from the past 20 years!) and all was clear... Except I couldn't play them! They were included on a pretty cool collection for the GCN/PS2 that never came out in Europe, and that was it for a long time... until the 2nd Stadium!
So, these are actually Boss Rush kind of games. Wily revived a bunch of his old Robot Masters and Megaman goes fight them directly for a change. No stages to traverse, just drop on top of them and fight. You even gain their traditional weapons when you defeat them (Curiously, in this setup without platforms, I'd consider the game to be a Shoot'em up, like Contra, even though Megaman plays as he always has). Then go to Wily Castle and fight a couple more bosses to win the game. Fairly simple premise, not too hard to pull off and reach the end, especially if you play in Co-op mode.
And there's a bunch of cool stuff! You can play as Bass or Protoman as well (they're identical to Megaman, with some tweaks to their dashes and bullet size), and in PF, you can also select Duo (from MM8) who plays a bit differently, with heavier movement and close range punches. You can also choose your route, which determines which bosses you face (PB divides them according to game of origin, while PF mixes them up a bit more), and in PF, it also determines which mid-game permanent power-up you'll get.
And, and the Robot ReMasters look fantastic! Not only do they get updated visuals and new animations full of character (Plant Man is so dainty!), their fights feel very fresh, despite being based off their original appearance. Wood Man now has an attack where he rolls around, Stone Man now summons walls, Pharaoh Man teleports around, and Shadow Man rides on a freaking ninja frog! In PF specifically, they all learned how to block too (like in a fighting game), and they might have a second half of the fight where they change their strategy.
And, and, and the music is great! Like, it's all remixes, but they're really good remixes in the familiar Capcom 90s style, and in PF they're almost all attributed to the right Robot Masters for a good dose of nostalgia (though PB seems to have randomized them for some reason). Even the Ghosts 'n Goblins tune made it into Shade Man's stage!
And, and, and, and even though the character endings in PB are somewhat basic, in PF they actually do cool things with the lore! There's an implication that Protoman is slowly dying, that Bass was made from alien materials, there's a direct reference to the MMX series, and there's an ending for each potential co-op pairing, it's way cooler than I expected.
Finally, the difficulty curve is actually pretty well done. The first Robot Masters you face have very low health, but the later ones are really sturdy, even changing their patterns and strategies, but at least then you certainly have access to the weapon they're weak to. So you can define your strategy as you please, either dispatching the hard bosses right away, or collecting their weakness first to take care of them mid-run.
That's enough gushing. I really liked these games, it's the smoothest that Megaman has ever felt, it's a healthy injection of nostalgia, and the teenager in me feels absolutely satisfied. Power Battle alone deserves 4 stars, but Power Fighters is such a polished sequel that I'm ready to give it 5 stars.
Oh, and did you know that Megaman's uppercut debuted in Power Fighters, instead of Marvel vs. Capcom? I had no idea before playing this! And Bass has Guile's Flash Kick, and, and, and....
Shadow of the Ninja
The good thing about trying a bunch of NSO games is that you occasionally run into small gems.
Now, Shadow of the Ninja is just ok. It feels like a more agile (and more slippery) Ninja Gaiden, which is fine for the era. There's badly thought-out moments (like enemies that feel impossible to hurt at times), but the game feels good and is quite fun to play. Plus, the difficulty never really reaches the excessive frustration of Ninja Gaiden.
The main flaw is that there's no password system, or any way to save your game. Worse yet, there's next to no extra lives throughout the entire game! I'm sure that last one was a likely death knell for this game, because the extra lives always leave the impression that your extra chances matter, and that victory for this short game is just around the corner, but Shadow of the Ninja does not give you that hope. Thankfully, the NSO save states do.
And hey, the music is actually pretty good. 3 stars
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Finally, I noticed there was only one GBA game on NSO that I hadn't considered "properly played" yet. So let's cross that system off my list.
I actually first played this at the age of 10-11 in recess. Some kid had it, I tried it out. It was fun. Now that I'm a full man, I figured the game would be pretty direct, but... uh...
It's really weird! Whenever I try to slide, my kart slides off way too much to the side, and if I try doing it a bit before the curve, there's a good chance it'll turn too much and the kart just skiddles on itself. It's really pleasant to control, but so hard to get right.
I didn't feel any of the famous rubber-banding, and Blue Shells are incredibly rare, so it definitely felt like a more fair racer than others in the franchise. I was down to face it like that, but... somehow, Mario Kart finds a way to make you pull your hair: stage hazards are awful! They're so punishing, and so easy to run into. Don't even get me started on that one curve that sends you back on the track if you slide too much, that shit is plain evil.
And why is weight so worthless? Why is DK or Bowser so easily bullied by Toad or Luigi? Why is that coin dependant? Why is speed so OP in this game? And why do the racers speak in such annoying voices every time they pass you by? I SWEAR TO GOD, IF PEACH SAYS "HERE WE GO"AGAIN, I'LL-
*ahem*
The game looks absolutely gorgeous for a GBA game, and it's fun to control, but it's definitely not my type. Despite this, I persevered enough to beat Rainbow Road in 150cc, so it was doing something right. 2 stars
-Mega Man V (1994) Beat
-Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon [Game Boy] (1997) Dropped
-Super Bomberman R (2017) Beat
-Samurai Shodown Neogeo Collection (2020) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown (1993) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown II (1994) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown III (1995) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown IV (1996) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V (2003) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V Special (2004) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V Perfect (2020) No Goal
-The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (2023) Completed
-Mechstermination Force (2019) Beat
-F-Zero 99 (2023) No Goal
-F-Zero (1990) Beat
-Fallblox (2012) Beat
-Pnickles (1995) Dropped
-Streets of Rage 2 (1992) Beat
-The Horror of Salazar House (2020) Completed
-Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005) Completed
-Flicky (1984) No Goal
-Castlevania Legends (1997) Beat
-Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001) Beat
-Shadow of the Ninja (1990) Completed
-A.K.A. Block Block (1991) Completed
-Mega Man: The Power Battle (1995) Completed
-Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters (1996) Completed
With that, I can cross off both the Capcom 2nd Stadium, and the GBA NSO, off my backlog! Nothing stops me from revisiting any of the games there, I simply reached a couple of small milestones.
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23 hours ago, Dcubed said:The music is also... strange. It's not bad by any means, but it often sounds like a Silvagunner remix of other tunes...
Oh my God, that's the best description you could give to that game's music!
23 hours ago, Dcubed said:I'd argue that The Adventure is the better game too
Hey now, no need to get crazy here...
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On 05/10/2021 at 1:20 PM, Jonnas said:I'm already moving towards the next town, and have yet to see "Chapter 2" pop up
...and they were never seen again
I'm mad at myself that I let myself veer off this game. I was having great fun with it. The next time I pick it up, I should restart from the beginning.
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If it was all up to recency bias, it would be a tight race between Alan Wake, Spider-Man, and Mario.
Anyway, I get the feeling that TotK, Resi 4 R, and Spider-Man aren't going to win it because, despite being quite good, they're all fairly similar to other memorable games that came out relatively recently. If they can help it, I think TGA wants to avoid giving the GOTY award to "Twice the Spider-Men as 5 years ago", "Remade even harder than 5 years ago", and "We won the award 7 years ago, but now we craftin'".
Super Mario Wonder is way too off-genre of what TGA wants. If they didn't give it to Metroid Dread, they ain't giving it to Mario.
Alan Wake has a legit shot, but this Horror passion project also falls short of the kind of game that tends to gain awards. Plus, direct comparisons to Resi 4 would then be inevitable, and TGA likely doesn't want the scrutiny of "picking a side" in a flamewar. Alan Wake is too risky, is what I'm saying.
Baldur's Gate is part of a mainstream-approved genre, is universally praised (quasi-Cinderella story, too), hasn't had any recent game quite like it, and it is just unique enough (especially when seen with the other nominees) to look like a hot take when it wins.
...On a side note, I do wish Baldur's Gate had come out before the Dungeons&Dragons film. That was a good one, and it might've helped its chances.
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14 hours ago, Dcubed said:Oh wow! That's awesome!
I do wonder if the actual original GBA version would include Portuguese though, considering the inevitable cartridge space limitations in place (max of 32MB).
Some GBA titles had translations, but if the game was text-heavy, it would only fit 2 or 3. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for PAL releases to have an ENG/FRA/GER version and an ESP/ITA version, as separate releases with separate cartridges. If the game had very little text to translate, there was the possibility of the cartridge fitting 5 or 6 languages.
That said, and upon reexamining the Direct... something fishy is going on. I think that dialogue was trailer-exclusive, and was translated because they were doing that for all pop-up text with special fonts (which includes the dialogue boxes, apparently). What really convinces me that I was mistaken... is that other titles in the Direct had very tiny print saying stuff like "Available in European/Brazillian Portuguese", but Shantae had no such thing
The game is going to be great regardless, but that would've been the ultimate perk. My hopes got dashed way forward.
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That presentation felt... bare. There was interesting stuff in there, but the package truly didn't feel like much.
- Shantae: Risky Revolution looks amazing. So great to see the series keep moving along at its pace, no matter the obstacle;
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Outer Wilds is an important get, so that's good. One more system to wishlist it on ;
- Blade Chimera looks solid, but aesthetically bland. Lukewarm for now;
- A Highland Song looks nice;
- On Your Tail, Death Trick, and The Star Named EOS are point&click mystery/detective games, and I'm a sucker for the genre. Consider my interest piqued;
- Howl wins the "Most unique" award for this presentation. Don't care much for the look, but the trailer convinced me it might be a gem.
So yeah, neat. Just neat.
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The Portuguese version of the Direct showed this in Portuguese!
Not sure if it was just for the purposes of the trailer (and only this trailer), but I think it would be the first-ever GBA game translated into the language, if true.
Anyway, the game looks terrific!
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It's a real shame not to see Street Fighter 6 in the GOTY category. I get it, this has been an insane year for major releases, but still.
I've complained my fair share about this show in previous years, so now I'll just say that "Best Adaptation" is a cool idea for an award, and I fully support it. More unique awards catered to the reality of the gaming industry, please! Maybe next year they'll have a "Best Boss" category... whoamIkidding?
As for my prediction... TGA normally likes to play it "safe" with the nominees, but still award the main prize to a slightly more surprising candidate (emphasis on "slightly"), to pretend they're making a hot statement. I do believe this is why they crowned "It Takes Two" and "Sekiro" in the years that they won. With that in mind......
...
.... Baldur's Gate 3 will take the prize
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All I want is a date for Freedom Planet 2 on Switch, please. The game's been out for a year, I just want it on my preferred system. "December" is too vague!
Beyond that... I try not to have expectations, really, anything can happen in an Indie showcase. Normally I hope for a game from Inti Creates, but I already know what they're working on, and it's not exactly my cup of tea.
Ok, I do have a bit of a wild hope: after playing some extra Castlevania this month, I'm curious about what IGA is up to. Would be neat if he showed his next project here.
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16 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:No love for Strider, @Jonnas? This saddens me. I love that game
First of all, welcome back, H-o-T
Hadn't commented on it yet, but it's always good to see you around here.
As for Strider, the original game itself is a solid 3, as I have played it before. Very technically impressive for 1989, fun to play, aesthetically wild, and very charming. The chaotic gameplay and brutal difficulty bring it from a 4 to a 3, but I was quite pleased with it when I played the Arcade version on the 1st Capcom Arcade Stadium. Even if I couldn't finish it.
My scathing comment was specifically for the Mega Drive version, which is awful. Choppy as heck, animations don't play properly, screen size is smaller than in the Arcade... Showcases few of the original game's strengths, and it exacerbates the game's flaws even further.
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On 02/11/2023 at 4:39 PM, Glen-i said:Now, I'm just spitballing here, but I'm betting it was because PlayStation kids in the 90's had to big it up in their mind, because Ninty kids had Mario 64 on launch, and well, it's no contest, really.
Couple that with nostalgia goggles, and you've got a recipe for overrated games!
I remember plenty of kids who liked Crash Bandicoot at the time: Nintendo and Sega weren't in their minds when talking about Crash.
I would say Crash is fondly remembered for the same reason that Ghosts&Goblins, or Ninja Gaiden, or any unfairly difficult game is fondly remembered: because kids don't put too much stock into finishing games. They remember the fond times exploring and trying to beat each level that they could, and largely ignore that certain parts of it are overly difficult even for seasoned players (because, for beginner players, everything feels equally difficult). Crash was fun to control and had a charming design, that's all it takes to form fans.
...
Speaking of games we drop as adults, I dropped a few over these past few months (as an adult!). Here are some quick-fire opinions on each:
- Pnickles: Got it on the Capcom 2nd Arcade Stadium, and I absolutely regret it. It's a Puyo Puyo clone, with the twist that the blobs of 3 or more don't burst on their own, they require two special blocks before they burst... It's a slow game, with no way to regulate difficulty, and it's just really boring. 1 star
- Flicky: Tried it on NSO. I found it to be a pretty fun Arcade game that I can revisit from time to time. Didn't finish it, but I'm not exactly in a rush to do so right now. 3 stars
- Altered Beast: I tried it previously on a PS2, a long time ago. I remember it being horrible. Tried it again on NSO, and I can confirm it is horrible. I will say that the graphics and sound look great for the 80s, but that's all the praise I'll ever give it. 1 star
- Strider (Mega Drive): I was surprised to see this on NSO. Didn't know there was a Strider game on the Mega Drive! Now I know why, because it was a lousy port of the Arcade game. The original is pretty fun, and difficult enough on its own, the MD version makes it look amateurish. 1 star
- Ghosts'n Goblins (NES): Was on a Halloween mood, checked the NES version of this game... Wasn't impressed. I played the GBC version a long time ago, and that one ran better than this one. Plus, it was so unbearably difficult, I'm starting to question if the original game is good to begin with. 2 stars
And now, for some that I have played more thoroughly.
Streets of Rage 2
I played the first one last year! After getting the NSO, I figured this was as good a time as any to check the following game in the series. The beat'em up genre is one that I've neglected over the years, due to seeing it as more of a co-op experience. I've given it more of a shot over this past year, but never really found the one to truly wow me.
Until now. Boy, did I love this game. To think this wasn't part of my childhood, me, a Mega Drive boy! Four distinctly fun characters, memorable charming enemies, varied stages, creative bosses (except for that second Wolverine...), wonderful difficulty curve, and excellent music? Oh yes. It's also the right kind of short, perfect for a chill session of gaming.
I started with Blaze on Normal, but I felt it was too easy, so I switched to Hard. Did fine until around Stage 5, where difficulty spiked. I decided to dial it back, try Normal difficulty with Max, and ended up beating the game with some save states. Then I went back to Blaze's Hard playthrough and powered through the last couple of levels with save states. To restore my honour, I played Very Hard with Axel, and actually did pretty well without save states! Ended up relying on them to deal with the ninjas, so there goes my honour. Still, even without save states, I think I could beat it without wasting all my Continues.
Anyway, I can't give it less than 5 stars. Between this, Chiki Chiki Boys, and the Power Rangers game, it seems that Mega Drive was a true beat'em up utopia.
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Julius Mode
I played this one four years ago! I said at the time that playing like Julius felt slow. But after this monumental break, it only feels "kinda" slow
Julius' age is getting to him. Anyway, it was Halloween, and I wanted a fun romp. Plus, that 7-hour Castlevania video left me in a mood, let me tell you.
Julius mode is fun. If the sub-weapons from the 3 protagonists were scattered across the map, it would even make for a robust campaign. As it stands, it's more of a side-attraction, albeit one with genuine challenge involved. Some bosses need to be approached very differently (like soloing Aguni with Yoko because the other two chumps don't have an overhead attack), and I certainly did not expect Paranoia and Death to be more difficult than Abaddon.
This has nothing to do with the playthrough, but I give Dawn of Sorrow 4 stars. With this, the game has gone from "Beat" to "Completed".
The Horror of Salazar House
I...never played this one. But it was Halloween, and I needed something genuinely creepy. I grabbed a short game from my Steam library.
This is a one-man Indie game by a Chilean developer called Ignacio Maldonado. It tells the story of a young reporter investigating a house that's been abandoned ever since its family - the Salazars - vanished a few years ago. Kinda pulpy, the author does say it was inspired by Italian horror films.
Anyway, the game looks like this, aiming for some Pentium vibes. It's very much a "pick-your-story" adventure book at heart, with occasional choices that lead to immediate, gruesome death. Thankfully, the game is short, save points exist, and there are no soft locks. Visually, it does a lot with very little, using its monochromatic colour scheme to great effect, and the creepy parts are creepy. There are also "Hiding in closet from the stalker" segments, which are appreciated to keep me on my toes, though they do feel a tad undercooked.
It was a cool experience, and a great fit for Halloween. 3 stars
Castlevania Legends
Added on the NSO! Never played it before now! Perfect night to have a curse.
It's clunky, the level design is filled with dead ends, stupid traps all over the place, hitboxes and jumps are janky af, bat enemies are the worst, spells are either OP (if you have hearts to use them) or absolutely useless (when you don't have hearts), music is best described as "bootleg Castlevania", the barebones plot manages to be overwritten, and just to be annoying, the game displays the existence of collectibles just to deny me the pleasure of a "Completed" game.
But it's fine, not the worst Castlevania I played. 2 stars
-Mega Man V (1994) Beat
-Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon [Game Boy] (1997) Dropped
-Super Bomberman R (2017) Beat
-Samurai Shodown Neogeo Collection (2020) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown (1993) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown II (1994) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown III (1995) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown IV (1996) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V (2003) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V Special (2004) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V Perfect (2020) No Goal
-The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (2023) Completed
-Mechstermination Force (2019) Beat
-F-Zero 99 (2023) No Goal
-F-Zero (1990) Beat
-Fallblox (2012) Beat
-Pnickles (1995) Dropped
-Streets of Rage 2 (1992) Beat
-The Horror of Salazar House (2020) Completed
-Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005) Completed
-Flicky (1984) No Goal
-Castlevania Legends (1997) Beat
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How do you pronounce GameFAQs?
in General Gaming Discussion
Posted
Gamefacks. It's either that or G.A.M.E.F.A.Q.S., and one of these is definitely easier to say than the other.
In Portuguese, "Cega" (pronounced the same) means "Blind". It works for the adjective ("a Sega é cega" = "Sega's blind") and the verb ("a Sega cega-te" = "Sega blinds you"). It's actually pretty funny.