Cleared on May 10th, 2024 (SEGA Genesis Challenge: 66/160)
The Sega Genesis is a system that boldly claimed itself in 1991 to have "blast processing". Sadly, this game was made in 1989.
At a glance, you might think its just another horizontal shoot em up, and if this were your first, you might suspect anything out of the ordinary, but if you've played a good chunk of them on the system, something doesn't feel right. The frame rate feels off and this isn't something that I usually take offense to since after awhile, I can adapt to games with suboptimal frame rate, and I've definitively played worse in that regard.
That said, a more pressing matter is when you combine frame rate with the amount of shit that goes on on-screen. There are so many enemies, so many shots, and there's just an unusual amount going on at a time. That does not feel fun. The obstacles can also feel narrow with Stage 1 having trees that are unclear that you need to dodge because of how seamless it blends with scenery. It wasn't until I caught on to the shot collision when I realized you have to go above the tree. Stage 4 has these meteors that feel like a speed check as if you don't have enough speed icons, you will not be able to get by without foresight. Also, Stage 5 is indoors which is to say that tight corridors are plentiful.
Here's a list of even more inconveniences.
-The third boss having a very specific tiny spot that is blocked by its neck
-Losing all of your power-ups when you lose a life. Your missiles, your drones, and your weapons along with its upgrades.
-Stage 5 specifically forcing you to the very beginning of the level if you lose a life which really feels like padding to conceal just how short the game actually is.
Mechanically, it's about what you'd expect a shoot em up to play. There are weapons you can collect, power ups, speed boosts, and all that stuff. You do have a shield meter, so smaller attacks won't just OHKO you which I think is reasonable although some bigger attacks can chunk a good amount of health or even still take you down in one hit. There are also these E icons that do refill your shield meter as well.
Honestly, Curse is just really forgettable. It'll leave your mind faster than you cleared the game, and you'll wonder if you did anything interesting in the past hour after the fact.
The Sega Genesis is a system that boldly claimed itself in 1991 to have "blast processing". Sadly, this game was made in 1989.
At a glance, you might think its just another horizontal shoot em up, and if this were your first, you might suspect anything out of the ordinary, but if you've played a good chunk of them on the system, something doesn't feel right. The frame rate feels off and this isn't something that I usually take offense to since after awhile, I can adapt to games with suboptimal frame rate, and I've definitively played worse in that regard.
That said, a more pressing matter is when you combine frame rate with the amount of shit that goes on on-screen. There are so many enemies, so many shots, and there's just an unusual amount going on at a time. That does not feel fun. The obstacles can also feel narrow with Stage 1 having trees that are unclear that you need to dodge because of how seamless it blends with scenery. It wasn't until I caught on to the shot collision when I realized you have to go above the tree. Stage 4 has these meteors that feel like a speed check as if you don't have enough speed icons, you will not be able to get by without foresight. Also, Stage 5 is indoors which is to say that tight corridors are plentiful.
Here's a list of even more inconveniences.
-The third boss having a very specific tiny spot that is blocked by its neck
-Losing all of your power-ups when you lose a life. Your missiles, your drones, and your weapons along with its upgrades.
-Stage 5 specifically forcing you to the very beginning of the level if you lose a life which really feels like padding to conceal just how short the game actually is.
Mechanically, it's about what you'd expect a shoot em up to play. There are weapons you can collect, power ups, speed boosts, and all that stuff. You do have a shield meter, so smaller attacks won't just OHKO you which I think is reasonable although some bigger attacks can chunk a good amount of health or even still take you down in one hit. There are also these E icons that do refill your shield meter as well.
Honestly, Curse is just really forgettable. It'll leave your mind faster than you cleared the game, and you'll wonder if you did anything interesting in the past hour after the fact.