Dani1o
1990
Ah yes, Snake's Revenge without Snake taking revenge on anyone. Those old school names were something else.
Not a perfect game, but I expected worse. Cheesy story and plenty of bullshit moments, but it's not that I didn't have fun at all. It was annoying to get instantly spotted on a screen change, especially in the jungle and on the ship, but I felt like the level design improved towards the end. Standing guards, who frantically turn in all directions suck, but SMG kinda negates the problem as soon as you acquire one. Side-scrolling areas suck even more, since enemies always randomly shake from side to side and you can't stealth consistently, but they aren't as unbearable as people say, I always could just fight them through with a gun and few rations. Despite the flaws, Snake's Revenge still kinda brought me that OG MG joy, but I probably should replay the MSX2 games to compare.
Not a perfect game, but I expected worse. Cheesy story and plenty of bullshit moments, but it's not that I didn't have fun at all. It was annoying to get instantly spotted on a screen change, especially in the jungle and on the ship, but I felt like the level design improved towards the end. Standing guards, who frantically turn in all directions suck, but SMG kinda negates the problem as soon as you acquire one. Side-scrolling areas suck even more, since enemies always randomly shake from side to side and you can't stealth consistently, but they aren't as unbearable as people say, I always could just fight them through with a gun and few rations. Despite the flaws, Snake's Revenge still kinda brought me that OG MG joy, but I probably should replay the MSX2 games to compare.
1998
Amazing sequel. The formula is the same as the first game - zombie horror, fixed camera angles, survival with limited amount of ammo/heal/saves mixed with point n click style puzzles. Great new setting, story and characters. Many improvements were made: better visuals, engine capabilities - a lot more zombies may appear in the same room than before; dialogues and voice acting - although still aren't perfect, good enough and much better than RE1. Two characters feature was expanded to separate, complementary scenarios for each, basically doubling the amount of unique gameplay in the same environment. Also, depending on who you chose first, the story will differ a bit. For the first playthrough I suggest starting with Claire, as this route is better IMO and considered canon. I only wish the base difficulty was a little bit harder, since towards the end you accumulate way too much ammo.
About the Dreamcast version: higher resolution than PS1, 60FPS and I noticed the sound stuttering a bit, although that might be an emulation problem. All the features from the PS1 Dualshock release are there, except it doesn't let you toggle the auto-aim in the settings, it depends on the mode you play - it is always enabled in the original game and disabled in arrange. Also, regardless of the region, Original game is now based on the PS1 Japanese release in terms of items and enemies spawn, and Arrange is the more difficult American version (new Expert difficulty doesn't have the free weapons from Rookie). For beating any scenario you unlock Hard and Nightmare difficulties for Original and Arrange modes respectively, which are great for replaying the game - enemies are a lot more dangerous, especially regular zombies who can either survive the entire pistol mag or die from one critical shot. Seems accurate, judging by the FMV cutscenes. There was no reason to not add this feature to the GC port.
About the Dreamcast version: higher resolution than PS1, 60FPS and I noticed the sound stuttering a bit, although that might be an emulation problem. All the features from the PS1 Dualshock release are there, except it doesn't let you toggle the auto-aim in the settings, it depends on the mode you play - it is always enabled in the original game and disabled in arrange. Also, regardless of the region, Original game is now based on the PS1 Japanese release in terms of items and enemies spawn, and Arrange is the more difficult American version (new Expert difficulty doesn't have the free weapons from Rookie). For beating any scenario you unlock Hard and Nightmare difficulties for Original and Arrange modes respectively, which are great for replaying the game - enemies are a lot more dangerous, especially regular zombies who can either survive the entire pistol mag or die from one critical shot. Seems accurate, judging by the FMV cutscenes. There was no reason to not add this feature to the GC port.
1999
The beginning of the franchise that defined the platform fighter genre and hasn't been topped to this day. Instead of inputting long combos to deplete opponent's health bar, you're kicking them out of the stage with more comprehensive button+direction attacks. Following installments may add a lot of content and improve the formula in every way, but there would be nothing to improve without this game. And when you play it, it's not like you "respect its importance for the gaming history but wouldn't play for longer than 5 minutes" - no, it still feels like Smash, still fun, just with less characters and stuff. Truly unique concept and great execution.
It was a great rendition of the timeless competitive game, despite the flaws. The only multiplayer shooter that managed to hook me for so long. In many ways it was better than the current successor, but moving to the new engine was a necessary step, I guess.
Nice little extra story in GTA IV - same time, same city, but a different perspective. The plot is mostly independent from the main game and the second DLC, but at some points connected with them or indirectly referenced, just like Half-Life and its add-ons. The biker theme is really cool and isn't as common in videogames as it should be. The missions are just as good and unique as in the main game, unlike Undead Nightmare DLC for RDR which mostly was cemetery cleansing x100 times. Also, plenty of new vehicles (mostly bikes), few new weapons and improved handling for motorcycles to encourage using them. I prefer the main game story, but this one is also great and an absolute must for the complete GTA IV experience.
Glad I came back to it, enjoyed more than on my first playthrough. It's a shame such a banger is so overlooked, guess GTA fanbase doesn't really like the top-down perspective.
Nice story, visual style and music, exciting gameplay with many cool side activities and new mechanics such as drug trades. Mini-games utilizing touch screen for little actions add more to the fun and uniqueness than they should.
I think it's a perfect example of a good mobile game. While DS and PSP don't suffer from the lack of solid titles, there aren't many good games for Android designed with touch screen and portability in mind. And the fact that people would rather play scammy cash grabs than this quality kino kind of explains why.
Nice story, visual style and music, exciting gameplay with many cool side activities and new mechanics such as drug trades. Mini-games utilizing touch screen for little actions add more to the fun and uniqueness than they should.
I think it's a perfect example of a good mobile game. While DS and PSP don't suffer from the lack of solid titles, there aren't many good games for Android designed with touch screen and portability in mind. And the fact that people would rather play scammy cash grabs than this quality kino kind of explains why.
1986
Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun, but with altered graphics and bosses having more HP.
Intro cutscenes are gone, Kunio and the Japanese highschool setting was changed to a more generic hood and The Warriors-looking unnamed protagonist. Some of the new sprites look cool, and some considerably worse - stage 3 feels like trash with those hookers and sound effects for them.
Still a good game for 1986, but a downgrade from the Japanese version. They could just change the students to more american looking ones if "localizing" the game was really necessary.
Also, might be a problem with my emulator, but had a lot more slowdowns in this version
than in the original one.
Intro cutscenes are gone, Kunio and the Japanese highschool setting was changed to a more generic hood and The Warriors-looking unnamed protagonist. Some of the new sprites look cool, and some considerably worse - stage 3 feels like trash with those hookers and sound effects for them.
Still a good game for 1986, but a downgrade from the Japanese version. They could just change the students to more american looking ones if "localizing" the game was really necessary.
Also, might be a problem with my emulator, but had a lot more slowdowns in this version
than in the original one.
My least favorite out of three GTA IV campaigns, but I'm glad we have it.
The vibe is great, and although I prefer the atmosphere of the normal IV, it was cool to see Liberty City in different colors and perspective. Perfect for those who aren't into the dark tone of the main game. The missions and other activities are also more crazy and action packed, I loved the new triathlon races with parachutes, boats and cars with nitro.
The story fills the gaps and answers the questions of the other two storylines, but on its own kind of weak and forgettable. The characters and the dialogues are spot on as always tho.
If you wanted GTA IV to be more like V - that's just what you need.
The vibe is great, and although I prefer the atmosphere of the normal IV, it was cool to see Liberty City in different colors and perspective. Perfect for those who aren't into the dark tone of the main game. The missions and other activities are also more crazy and action packed, I loved the new triathlon races with parachutes, boats and cars with nitro.
The story fills the gaps and answers the questions of the other two storylines, but on its own kind of weak and forgettable. The characters and the dialogues are spot on as always tho.
If you wanted GTA IV to be more like V - that's just what you need.
Excellent early 3D transition of the series. Today the graphics look old and the FPS is low, but you stop noticing it real soon because the game aged really well overall.
Everything feels so distinct and on its place - every location is atmospheric and memorable, every NPC is cool and funny in a way and the soundtrack is genius - it sounds unique and burns into your memory, despite each song starts from the same 5 notes.
The gameplay doesn't offer any unique combat mechanics or spectacular puzzles, but everything is put together and balanced in a way that it's fun to play. The controls, unlike many other early 3D games, aren't clunky at all. You don't even need getting used to it, it just feels modern enough, except the fact that you don't have a second thumbstick to turn the camera.
All the dungeons are well designed, even the Water and the Spirit temples people keep complaining about. I guess their main problem were the boots you constantly had to change in the inventory to solve puzzles, but even that wasn't too annoying for me.
I wasn't there when Zelda OoT came out, but I see why everyone praised it so much back then. Today it isn't such a groundbreaking experience anymore, but still a very solid game to get into.
Everything feels so distinct and on its place - every location is atmospheric and memorable, every NPC is cool and funny in a way and the soundtrack is genius - it sounds unique and burns into your memory, despite each song starts from the same 5 notes.
The gameplay doesn't offer any unique combat mechanics or spectacular puzzles, but everything is put together and balanced in a way that it's fun to play. The controls, unlike many other early 3D games, aren't clunky at all. You don't even need getting used to it, it just feels modern enough, except the fact that you don't have a second thumbstick to turn the camera.
All the dungeons are well designed, even the Water and the Spirit temples people keep complaining about. I guess their main problem were the boots you constantly had to change in the inventory to solve puzzles, but even that wasn't too annoying for me.
I wasn't there when Zelda OoT came out, but I see why everyone praised it so much back then. Today it isn't such a groundbreaking experience anymore, but still a very solid game to get into.
2016
Decent stealth with interesting mechanics, cool art style and music.
The setting is Asia-inspired, reminds me Avatar: The Last Airbender. Interesting lore and story, especially loved the ending.
The gameplay is mostly warping by the shadows to move around and avoid/kill enemies, which is pretty non-typical.
Also, there are plenty of useful active skills and some of them are quite overpowered. Since they're all locked from the start and tied to collectible scrolls, first few chapters are going to be tough, but if you get the skill that marks them on the ground early, collecting them won't be frustrating.
The game has some bugs - e.g. you better start a new chapter from the chapters list, because "Continue" button in the main menu might lower your difficulty to "normal" (happened to me twice), but most of the time everything feels and runs smoothly.
The game is rather niche than must play for everyone, but might be a great experience for those who love the genre or the setting.
The setting is Asia-inspired, reminds me Avatar: The Last Airbender. Interesting lore and story, especially loved the ending.
The gameplay is mostly warping by the shadows to move around and avoid/kill enemies, which is pretty non-typical.
Also, there are plenty of useful active skills and some of them are quite overpowered. Since they're all locked from the start and tied to collectible scrolls, first few chapters are going to be tough, but if you get the skill that marks them on the ground early, collecting them won't be frustrating.
The game has some bugs - e.g. you better start a new chapter from the chapters list, because "Continue" button in the main menu might lower your difficulty to "normal" (happened to me twice), but most of the time everything feels and runs smoothly.
The game is rather niche than must play for everyone, but might be a great experience for those who love the genre or the setting.
This port is a great improvement over the arcade version. Famicom hardware is clearly weaker so the game doesn't look and feel as smooth, but mechanics-wise many flaws were fixed and new great features added.
In the Arcade version you could have more players on the court, but the only good one was Kunio - others had no uses other than tank hits to protect your carry. Now it's only 6, but each has his own stats, strong and weak sides, 2 special moves (ground and aerial) and you can choose each for the inner or outer court. Enemy teams now also have their own traits and differ by them, not by the amount of tanks and replacement meat they can throw against you. Matter of fact enemies no more have more players than you for no reason and the auto-lose timer is gone, therefore the gameplay became way less cheesy and repetitive, but more fair and strategic.
Friendly AI was also fixed - guys you don't control at the moment used to stand like slogs and take hits in the Arcade version, now they actually duck and dodge. Even stunlocking at the court border by quick throws although kind of doable sometimes, now isn't as broken as before.
This is just an 8-bit dodgeball simulator, but really fun and well made. And due to proper improvements, it become better than the original, despite being ported on a weaker platform.
In the Arcade version you could have more players on the court, but the only good one was Kunio - others had no uses other than tank hits to protect your carry. Now it's only 6, but each has his own stats, strong and weak sides, 2 special moves (ground and aerial) and you can choose each for the inner or outer court. Enemy teams now also have their own traits and differ by them, not by the amount of tanks and replacement meat they can throw against you. Matter of fact enemies no more have more players than you for no reason and the auto-lose timer is gone, therefore the gameplay became way less cheesy and repetitive, but more fair and strategic.
Friendly AI was also fixed - guys you don't control at the moment used to stand like slogs and take hits in the Arcade version, now they actually duck and dodge. Even stunlocking at the court border by quick throws although kind of doable sometimes, now isn't as broken as before.
This is just an 8-bit dodgeball simulator, but really fun and well made. And due to proper improvements, it become better than the original, despite being ported on a weaker platform.
1996
Didn't hook me too much, but a neat slow paced platformer - less about quick reaction, more about planning your route in advance. Controls make sense, but might be difficult to figure out at first - for the first 5 levels I didn't realize that running up isn't always a good thing and kept blaming the game for messed up jumps. Also tank controls, probably because the game had to have precise turning without an analog stick.
Either way, holds up really well even today, I bet it was amazing back in '96. Recommend to anyone who enjoys Indiana Jones vibes.
Either way, holds up really well even today, I bet it was amazing back in '96. Recommend to anyone who enjoys Indiana Jones vibes.
No story content, reused sound and visuals, full focus on gameplay. Tons of new missions and most of them are really fun: earlier ones are rather conventional challenges, similar to the VR Training from the main game, but the further you advance the more creative they get - Special chapter goes completely nuts. Took me ~34 hours to casually beat everything, occasionally improving my score on some levels.
As I said, the visuals are the same as main game VR Training - simplistic design, but pretty cool and does the job. The soundtrack recycles the original duology themes and I loved that - nice throwback and sounds fire.
Original campaign excels at storytelling and visual presentation, but doesn't show the full gameplay potential - on each location there is either a boss or like 3 regular enemies at best. VR Missions turned out to be a genius solution for that - made me appreciate the gameplay mechanics a lot more than I did and realize they were truly ahead of their time.
As I said, the visuals are the same as main game VR Training - simplistic design, but pretty cool and does the job. The soundtrack recycles the original duology themes and I loved that - nice throwback and sounds fire.
Original campaign excels at storytelling and visual presentation, but doesn't show the full gameplay potential - on each location there is either a boss or like 3 regular enemies at best. VR Missions turned out to be a genius solution for that - made me appreciate the gameplay mechanics a lot more than I did and realize they were truly ahead of their time.