DJSCheddar
2020
Manages to lose almost all of the magic of the RESIDENT EVIL 2 remake, while also having only about a third of the content. What is here certainly looks good and works, but weirdly not quite as well as before. Even things like the zombie AI, dismemberment, and general controls -- all stuff that you would think would be ripped straight out of the last one -- feel inferior somehow. And of course the characters and locations are much less interesting, with a quick return to the RE2 police station feeling more insulting than anything. Oh, and as for the Nemesis ... after how well they did Mr. X, why in the world did they make him so lame? Totally scripted encounters only, no chasing you persistently around big environments. What a letdown.
Judged in isolation, this is a quick, passable horror game with a nice sheen, but it's impossible to assess it like that when its predecessor was such a standout. Total missed opportunity. I would have been furious if I had paid $60 for this.
Judged in isolation, this is a quick, passable horror game with a nice sheen, but it's impossible to assess it like that when its predecessor was such a standout. Total missed opportunity. I would have been furious if I had paid $60 for this.
1986
A great early scrolling shooter. Unlike many of its contemporaries, there is real thought put into the enemy designs and formations, as well as the level layouts. This makes each new area exciting, and keeps you engaged even if you’re not very good and find yourself quickly obliterated. It makes you feel like the game can be learned – not necessarily through memorization or sheer repetition, but through quick, careful reading of the encounters and smart planning. Plenty of shooters capture this feeling, but for the Master System in 1986, it’s impressive work.
The graphics and music are simple but pleasing, and the same can be said for the game on the whole. It doesn’t innovate in any real way but it’s carefully and thoughtfully made, and the result is satisfying, playable, and replayable.
The graphics and music are simple but pleasing, and the same can be said for the game on the whole. It doesn’t innovate in any real way but it’s carefully and thoughtfully made, and the result is satisfying, playable, and replayable.
1986
[Master System]
As you would expect of an arcade to Master System conversion, lots of little compromises had to be made, but the core gameplay and crucially the cartoony charm of the original remain intact.
FANTASY ZONE in the arcade isn’t a perfect game to begin with, and this version still has all of the problems of the original (squirrelly controls, a sort of busted upgrade system, wildly unbalanced combat), but here they stand out more because everything about the game was slightly downgraded in the porting. It’s much easier to overlook design quirks when the graphics, the music, and the controls are just a little bit better. Nevertheless, it’s still FANTASY ZONE, and that means that, on some level, it’s still cute and fun.
As you would expect of an arcade to Master System conversion, lots of little compromises had to be made, but the core gameplay and crucially the cartoony charm of the original remain intact.
FANTASY ZONE in the arcade isn’t a perfect game to begin with, and this version still has all of the problems of the original (squirrelly controls, a sort of busted upgrade system, wildly unbalanced combat), but here they stand out more because everything about the game was slightly downgraded in the porting. It’s much easier to overlook design quirks when the graphics, the music, and the controls are just a little bit better. Nevertheless, it’s still FANTASY ZONE, and that means that, on some level, it’s still cute and fun.
1986
[Master System]
As a port, this tries to do too much instead of simplifying the original arcade game down to something that the console could handle. The action is too choppy to be sufficiently playable, and it's way too hard. That said, there are times when it does look nice, which was their main concern, it seems. All the music is there, too.
See Master System HANG-ON for an example of a similar arcade game done right on this platform.
As a port, this tries to do too much instead of simplifying the original arcade game down to something that the console could handle. The action is too choppy to be sufficiently playable, and it's way too hard. That said, there are times when it does look nice, which was their main concern, it seems. All the music is there, too.
See Master System HANG-ON for an example of a similar arcade game done right on this platform.
1985
[Master System]
A much more successful arcade conversion than its contemporary, Master System OUT RUN, mostly because it’s aiming lower.
Control is tight, graphics are simple and clean, and the sound is excellent in an equally understated way. There’s no music during the main gameplay, but that makes more room for the very good and hypnotic sound effects which add tension and realism to the driving.
Unfortunately, the amount of content is as spare as the presentation, and that makes playing it get old quickly. There’s just not enough to see. But if you’re like me, you might find yourself repeating the same levels more than you would have guessed, just because it feels good to play.
A much more successful arcade conversion than its contemporary, Master System OUT RUN, mostly because it’s aiming lower.
Control is tight, graphics are simple and clean, and the sound is excellent in an equally understated way. There’s no music during the main gameplay, but that makes more room for the very good and hypnotic sound effects which add tension and realism to the driving.
Unfortunately, the amount of content is as spare as the presentation, and that makes playing it get old quickly. There’s just not enough to see. But if you’re like me, you might find yourself repeating the same levels more than you would have guessed, just because it feels good to play.
[Game Boy]
Not great. Batman controls like a boat and there is too much precision platforming required for that to be acceptable. Also there's a distinct lack of Batman flavor -- no recognizable areas, supporting characters, or villains until last boss The Joker. There is good music, though.
It's basically a very poor Game Boy NINJA GAIDEN.
Not great. Batman controls like a boat and there is too much precision platforming required for that to be acceptable. Also there's a distinct lack of Batman flavor -- no recognizable areas, supporting characters, or villains until last boss The Joker. There is good music, though.
It's basically a very poor Game Boy NINJA GAIDEN.
1997
Aggressively one-note and defiantly ugly. Nothing but vicious, brutal, primal combat. Feels like being in a fucking war.
There is a surprising focus on the non-story (Actual cutscenes! Your character has a name!), as well as some semi-nonlinear exploration and backtracking to previous levels, but none of it really works.
What a weird direction to go after the first one. But you've gotta hand it to them -- they certainly committed!
There is a surprising focus on the non-story (Actual cutscenes! Your character has a name!), as well as some semi-nonlinear exploration and backtracking to previous levels, but none of it really works.
What a weird direction to go after the first one. But you've gotta hand it to them -- they certainly committed!
2005
Swings for the fences with a big, epic, adventure movie feel and mostly connects. Only falters at the very end with a weak final boss that comes across as kind of silly, but that's a relatively minor quibble when the rest of the game is so confident and consistent, tone-wise.
The gameplay doesn't suffer for the cinematic ambitions, either. It's as fully fleshed out as you could ask for with tons of optional character growth, branching paths, secret areas, fun puzzles, satisfying combat, etc. The only iffy part is the platforming (with that one exceptionally dumb area at the end fully living up to its reputation), but most of that is on the sometimes-clumsy camera.
Back in the day I wrote this game off as being beneath me (lol) because of all the gore and the tits and the grimdark tone and whatever. And while I wasn't wrong -- it is juvenile! -- I was wrong about that being a problem in and of itself. Sometimes it's okay for things to be dumb! As long as they're dumb fun.
The gameplay doesn't suffer for the cinematic ambitions, either. It's as fully fleshed out as you could ask for with tons of optional character growth, branching paths, secret areas, fun puzzles, satisfying combat, etc. The only iffy part is the platforming (with that one exceptionally dumb area at the end fully living up to its reputation), but most of that is on the sometimes-clumsy camera.
Back in the day I wrote this game off as being beneath me (lol) because of all the gore and the tits and the grimdark tone and whatever. And while I wasn't wrong -- it is juvenile! -- I was wrong about that being a problem in and of itself. Sometimes it's okay for things to be dumb! As long as they're dumb fun.
2009
Swings for the fences with a big, epic, adventure movie feel and mostly connects. Only falters at the very end with a weak final boss that comes across as kind of silly, but that's a relatively minor quibble when the rest of the game is so confident and consistent, tone-wise.
The gameplay doesn't suffer for the cinematic ambitions, either. It's as fully fleshed out as you could ask for with tons of optional character growth, branching paths, secret areas, fun puzzles, satisfying combat, etc. The only iffy part is the platforming (with that one exceptionally dumb area at the end fully living up to its reputation), but most of that is on the sometimes-clumsy camera.
Back in the day I wrote this game off as being beneath me (lol) because of all the gore and the tits and the grimdark tone and whatever. And while I wasn't wrong -- it is juvenile! -- I was wrong about that being a problem in and of itself. Sometimes it's okay for things to be dumb! As long as they're dumb fun.
The gameplay doesn't suffer for the cinematic ambitions, either. It's as fully fleshed out as you could ask for with tons of optional character growth, branching paths, secret areas, fun puzzles, satisfying combat, etc. The only iffy part is the platforming (with that one exceptionally dumb area at the end fully living up to its reputation), but most of that is on the sometimes-clumsy camera.
Back in the day I wrote this game off as being beneath me (lol) because of all the gore and the tits and the grimdark tone and whatever. And while I wasn't wrong -- it is juvenile! -- I was wrong about that being a problem in and of itself. Sometimes it's okay for things to be dumb! As long as they're dumb fun.
2007
I know that this was considered more or less the peak of the series before the reboot, but I actually found it to be somewhat disappointing. It’s certainly bigger, but I felt like it was retreading a lot of ground.
The one big improvement was the focus on bosses – there are a ton of them – and given how full of colorful characters and monsters this world is, that was definitely the right way to go.
I’m honestly not exactly sure what it was that I wanted^ from a sequel after being so impressed by the original, but this wasn’t quite it. It’s mostly the same, but it feels a tiny bit less inspired. Still a solid, polished action game, no doubt.
^Oh, I know one thing I DIDN’T want from this game: for it to end on a bullshit cliffhanger.
The one big improvement was the focus on bosses – there are a ton of them – and given how full of colorful characters and monsters this world is, that was definitely the right way to go.
I’m honestly not exactly sure what it was that I wanted^ from a sequel after being so impressed by the original, but this wasn’t quite it. It’s mostly the same, but it feels a tiny bit less inspired. Still a solid, polished action game, no doubt.
^Oh, I know one thing I DIDN’T want from this game: for it to end on a bullshit cliffhanger.
2009
I know that this was considered more or less the peak of the series before the reboot, but I actually found it to be somewhat disappointing. It’s certainly bigger, but I felt like it was retreading a lot of ground.
The one big improvement was the focus on bosses – there are a ton of them – and given how full of colorful characters and monsters this world is, that was definitely the right way to go.
I’m honestly not exactly sure what it was that I wanted^ from a sequel after being so impressed by the original, but this wasn’t quite it. It’s mostly the same, but it feels a tiny bit less inspired. Still a solid, polished action game, no doubt.
^Oh, I know one thing I DIDN’T want from this game: for it to end on a bullshit cliffhanger.
The one big improvement was the focus on bosses – there are a ton of them – and given how full of colorful characters and monsters this world is, that was definitely the right way to go.
I’m honestly not exactly sure what it was that I wanted^ from a sequel after being so impressed by the original, but this wasn’t quite it. It’s mostly the same, but it feels a tiny bit less inspired. Still a solid, polished action game, no doubt.
^Oh, I know one thing I DIDN’T want from this game: for it to end on a bullshit cliffhanger.
A somewhat successful translation of the whole God of War thing into an (abbreviated) handheld format. Incredibly, more or less everything from the console version is here – just half as much of it.
The new prequel setting and some of the areas are intriguing at first, but the level design ends up being too flat. Without many meaningful secret areas or puzzles, levels too often feel like nothing more than combat arenas strung together by hallways, which is something that the previous two games went well out of their way to avoid.
It’s very short and the story is kind of insubstantial (although it does have one quite good story beat that's better experienced than described), but it all works fine. If you need a handheld Kratos fix, this is more than passable.
The new prequel setting and some of the areas are intriguing at first, but the level design ends up being too flat. Without many meaningful secret areas or puzzles, levels too often feel like nothing more than combat arenas strung together by hallways, which is something that the previous two games went well out of their way to avoid.
It’s very short and the story is kind of insubstantial (although it does have one quite good story beat that's better experienced than described), but it all works fine. If you need a handheld Kratos fix, this is more than passable.
2011
So good it's unfair to everything else -- almost unsportsmanlike. A thunderous windmill dunk of a game.
2009
They really decided to take our beautiful, perfect RESIDENT EVIL 4 and just shoot it in the kneecaps by making it 100% co-op.
Remember the masterful tone and pacing from 4? Wrecked by the necessity for a charging-ahead action focus befitting couch co-op (nobody wants to do thoughtful exploration or puzzle solving with a buddy). Remember Leon's charming and fun attache-case inventory system? Jettisoned for an unforgivably clumsy no-pause interface that will have you tearing your hair out as you frantically try to trade items while ten enemies climb up your ass. And how about those great, meat-and-potatoes boss fights? Well, now most bosses are obtuse co-op puzzles that require a ton of frustrating trial-and-error while you figure out the exact way the designers expected you (both) to approach them.
It's a real shame, because there's a ton of polish on the presentation and lots of content. This game is trying to go real big, with lots of returning characters and impressive cutscenes, but it whiffs by taking itself too seriously. (There is some really ill-fitting faux-John Williams score during boss fights, among other things.) One of the best things about its predecessor was, of course, how delightfully campy it was. Takeuchi missed the memo on that one, I guess. And some other stuff, too.
In spite of that, I do like this game -- this is like my fourth time playing it, after all. There is plenty of fun to be had if you can hold your nose through the awkward 2-player stuff. The cutscenes are very well done and look great. Mercenaries is robust. Matrix Wesker is goofy and cool. Sheva is hot. It's okay! I just really wish they hadn't been so married to that one crippling, trend-chasing design choice.
Remember the masterful tone and pacing from 4? Wrecked by the necessity for a charging-ahead action focus befitting couch co-op (nobody wants to do thoughtful exploration or puzzle solving with a buddy). Remember Leon's charming and fun attache-case inventory system? Jettisoned for an unforgivably clumsy no-pause interface that will have you tearing your hair out as you frantically try to trade items while ten enemies climb up your ass. And how about those great, meat-and-potatoes boss fights? Well, now most bosses are obtuse co-op puzzles that require a ton of frustrating trial-and-error while you figure out the exact way the designers expected you (both) to approach them.
It's a real shame, because there's a ton of polish on the presentation and lots of content. This game is trying to go real big, with lots of returning characters and impressive cutscenes, but it whiffs by taking itself too seriously. (There is some really ill-fitting faux-John Williams score during boss fights, among other things.) One of the best things about its predecessor was, of course, how delightfully campy it was. Takeuchi missed the memo on that one, I guess. And some other stuff, too.
In spite of that, I do like this game -- this is like my fourth time playing it, after all. There is plenty of fun to be had if you can hold your nose through the awkward 2-player stuff. The cutscenes are very well done and look great. Mercenaries is robust. Matrix Wesker is goofy and cool. Sheva is hot. It's okay! I just really wish they hadn't been so married to that one crippling, trend-chasing design choice.
They really decided to take our beautiful, perfect RESIDENT EVIL 4 and just shoot it in the kneecaps by making it 100% co-op.
Remember the masterful tone and pacing from 4? Wrecked by the necessity for a charging-ahead action focus befitting couch co-op (nobody wants to do thoughtful exploration or puzzle solving with a buddy). Remember Leon's charming and fun attache-case inventory system? Jettisoned for an unforgivably clumsy no-pause interface that will have you tearing your hair out as you frantically try to trade items while ten enemies climb up your ass. And how about those great, meat-and-potatoes boss fights? Well, now most bosses are obtuse co-op puzzles that require a ton of frustrating trial-and-error while you figure out the exact way the designers expected you (both) to approach them.
It's a real shame, because there's a ton of polish on the presentation and lots of content. This game is trying to go real big, with lots of returning characters and impressive cutscenes, but it whiffs by taking itself too seriously. (There is some really ill-fitting faux-John Williams score during boss fights, among other things.) One of the best things about its predecessor was, of course, how delightfully campy it was. Takeuchi missed the memo on that one, I guess. And some other stuff, too.
In spite of that, I do like this game -- this is like my fourth time playing it, after all. There is plenty of fun to be had if you can hold your nose through the awkward 2-player stuff. The cutscenes are very well done and look great. Mercenaries is robust. Matrix Wesker is goofy and cool. Sheva is hot. It's okay! I just really wish they hadn't been so married to that one crippling, trend-chasing design choice.
Remember the masterful tone and pacing from 4? Wrecked by the necessity for a charging-ahead action focus befitting couch co-op (nobody wants to do thoughtful exploration or puzzle solving with a buddy). Remember Leon's charming and fun attache-case inventory system? Jettisoned for an unforgivably clumsy no-pause interface that will have you tearing your hair out as you frantically try to trade items while ten enemies climb up your ass. And how about those great, meat-and-potatoes boss fights? Well, now most bosses are obtuse co-op puzzles that require a ton of frustrating trial-and-error while you figure out the exact way the designers expected you (both) to approach them.
It's a real shame, because there's a ton of polish on the presentation and lots of content. This game is trying to go real big, with lots of returning characters and impressive cutscenes, but it whiffs by taking itself too seriously. (There is some really ill-fitting faux-John Williams score during boss fights, among other things.) One of the best things about its predecessor was, of course, how delightfully campy it was. Takeuchi missed the memo on that one, I guess. And some other stuff, too.
In spite of that, I do like this game -- this is like my fourth time playing it, after all. There is plenty of fun to be had if you can hold your nose through the awkward 2-player stuff. The cutscenes are very well done and look great. Mercenaries is robust. Matrix Wesker is goofy and cool. Sheva is hot. It's okay! I just really wish they hadn't been so married to that one crippling, trend-chasing design choice.