DizzySkullKid19
Were I to make to give this review a sensationalistic title, I might go with something like "Better than Phoenix Wright?", or "The best DS games that no one has played!".
Admittedly, I played this game a hot minute ago. The reason I feel qualified to review it, is just that I was honestly born and raised on Ace Attorney. I played through the original trilogy when I was a young lad, and I confess there was very few times when I wasn't consulting a walkthrough.
After playing through most of the Ace Attorney games (except Spirit of Justice, which I gotta get to), those sensationalistic ideas I suggested at the beginning are some things I honestly somewhat believe, just hyperbolized.
Investigations does a complete twist on the "normal" Ace Attorney formula; that is, travelling to areas (which are most often just drawn backgrounds) using a kind of menu. This is the more common option, and what had been done for the early Japanese detective games, a la "The Portopia Serial Murder Case" and "Famicom Detective Club".
The simple difference here is now the investigations are done mostly in top-down, third person segments. Oddly, this just makes the game 1000% more endearing to me. Just being able to walk around already makes a huge difference to how connected you feel to these areas.
That's not the only thing that makes the two investigations games among my favorites. For one, the game feels much less fragmentary and disconnected, dare I say "cold", than the trilogy. There was a certain coldness about the trilogy, every case, every case-specific character, seemed like simply a "one and done" set piece, never to be revisited. Here, there is genuinely some build-up (which I won't spoil). Each character, each case is carefully weaved to be an intricately connected web. There are no "filler" cases to be seen here, as in other Ace Attorney games.
The humor is just awesome. Everyone plays off of Edgeworth's stone cold, stoic, no-fun disposition. The comedic writing here is some of my favorite of any game. Edgeworth is an ultimately sympathetic character despite being a bit of a jerk, because you know he secretly loves his friends deep down.
I love the trilogy as much as the next person, but I did think there was much to be built on, and I wanted to see them go farther. After all, they were originally GBA games in Japan. Playing the Investigations series, however, just feels like they really stepped up the anty in the graphics and music department. The original games were already pretty graphically and musically impressive, so it was a high bar, but they surpassed it. One of my favorite game soundtracks of all time.
Overall, this game, as with the AA series, is like comfort food to me. I even considered speedrunning it, if it qualifies for speedrunning.
Admittedly, I played this game a hot minute ago. The reason I feel qualified to review it, is just that I was honestly born and raised on Ace Attorney. I played through the original trilogy when I was a young lad, and I confess there was very few times when I wasn't consulting a walkthrough.
After playing through most of the Ace Attorney games (except Spirit of Justice, which I gotta get to), those sensationalistic ideas I suggested at the beginning are some things I honestly somewhat believe, just hyperbolized.
Investigations does a complete twist on the "normal" Ace Attorney formula; that is, travelling to areas (which are most often just drawn backgrounds) using a kind of menu. This is the more common option, and what had been done for the early Japanese detective games, a la "The Portopia Serial Murder Case" and "Famicom Detective Club".
The simple difference here is now the investigations are done mostly in top-down, third person segments. Oddly, this just makes the game 1000% more endearing to me. Just being able to walk around already makes a huge difference to how connected you feel to these areas.
That's not the only thing that makes the two investigations games among my favorites. For one, the game feels much less fragmentary and disconnected, dare I say "cold", than the trilogy. There was a certain coldness about the trilogy, every case, every case-specific character, seemed like simply a "one and done" set piece, never to be revisited. Here, there is genuinely some build-up (which I won't spoil). Each character, each case is carefully weaved to be an intricately connected web. There are no "filler" cases to be seen here, as in other Ace Attorney games.
The humor is just awesome. Everyone plays off of Edgeworth's stone cold, stoic, no-fun disposition. The comedic writing here is some of my favorite of any game. Edgeworth is an ultimately sympathetic character despite being a bit of a jerk, because you know he secretly loves his friends deep down.
I love the trilogy as much as the next person, but I did think there was much to be built on, and I wanted to see them go farther. After all, they were originally GBA games in Japan. Playing the Investigations series, however, just feels like they really stepped up the anty in the graphics and music department. The original games were already pretty graphically and musically impressive, so it was a high bar, but they surpassed it. One of my favorite game soundtracks of all time.
Overall, this game, as with the AA series, is like comfort food to me. I even considered speedrunning it, if it qualifies for speedrunning.
1998
Sonic Adventure is a game that is actually held back by it's ambitions and it's insane amount of ideas. I'm very reluctant to use the worn old idea of certain games "ageing poorly"; However, even keeping my mind as open as possible, I cannot help but see Sonic Adventure's wrinkles and back problems.
The game's sense of speed - it's Sonic after all - is it's most impressive feature. Even the slew of racing games on the Dreamcast don't nail this pure aspect of speed. It's semi-open-world is something that would impress me, had I not played Shenmue earlier. It's also very charming in it's own, somewhat corny Sonic way. The graphics are quite charming actually, and for an early Dreamcast game, the odd facial animations can be forgiven for their humor alone.
Yet a lot of the games problems actually come from how fast it is. I won't even mention the motion sickness here... but let's just say the camera control, the collision detection, a bunch of other fancy features we take for granted in our modern 3D platformers are very, very lost here. Be prepared to fall into the abyss many a time, even in the hub worlds. Be prepared for the camera to completely turn the opposite direction of where you are moving. The glitches are like unique presents - each playthrough has it's own peculiar ones, that you didn't even think possible. You don't need to be a speedrunner to break this game. In fact I'd say the bugs in this game are to a point where it's almost part of the fun to seek them out.
I feel like the amount of content in here is a little bit too much. For a kid getting this Christmas Day, and it being the only thing they can play for a month or two, this is actually a great aspect of the game. To the modern day player, it ends up almost overwhelming. They could have cut out a story mode or two.
I'm talking some crap about this game, but I'm trying to do it in a very loving way. Since, despite it's evident flaws, the original Dreamcast version of Sonic Adventure has just a lovable, iconic nature to it. Every Sonic fan should give it a chance. The runaway scene from the Orca in the first stage is one of the most recognizable moments in 3D sonic. Sonic Adventure is sprinkled with these surprisingly awesome moments, like when you are running down the side of a building in "Speed Highway". You can't see this as really a modern Sonic Game or 3D platformer. You have to see what it was doing for it's time and place - and then you will start to see the magic of this game.
The game's sense of speed - it's Sonic after all - is it's most impressive feature. Even the slew of racing games on the Dreamcast don't nail this pure aspect of speed. It's semi-open-world is something that would impress me, had I not played Shenmue earlier. It's also very charming in it's own, somewhat corny Sonic way. The graphics are quite charming actually, and for an early Dreamcast game, the odd facial animations can be forgiven for their humor alone.
Yet a lot of the games problems actually come from how fast it is. I won't even mention the motion sickness here... but let's just say the camera control, the collision detection, a bunch of other fancy features we take for granted in our modern 3D platformers are very, very lost here. Be prepared to fall into the abyss many a time, even in the hub worlds. Be prepared for the camera to completely turn the opposite direction of where you are moving. The glitches are like unique presents - each playthrough has it's own peculiar ones, that you didn't even think possible. You don't need to be a speedrunner to break this game. In fact I'd say the bugs in this game are to a point where it's almost part of the fun to seek them out.
I feel like the amount of content in here is a little bit too much. For a kid getting this Christmas Day, and it being the only thing they can play for a month or two, this is actually a great aspect of the game. To the modern day player, it ends up almost overwhelming. They could have cut out a story mode or two.
I'm talking some crap about this game, but I'm trying to do it in a very loving way. Since, despite it's evident flaws, the original Dreamcast version of Sonic Adventure has just a lovable, iconic nature to it. Every Sonic fan should give it a chance. The runaway scene from the Orca in the first stage is one of the most recognizable moments in 3D sonic. Sonic Adventure is sprinkled with these surprisingly awesome moments, like when you are running down the side of a building in "Speed Highway". You can't see this as really a modern Sonic Game or 3D platformer. You have to see what it was doing for it's time and place - and then you will start to see the magic of this game.
1998
I'm not a horror person. This is actually one of the first horror games I've ever completed.
It certainly scared my boots off, more effectively than really any other game I've played yet. This is because it has almost perfect atmospherics. The pre-rendered and grainy Playstation look adds to the horror. I don't think it would be as terrifying were it on a modern console.
The premise itself is terrifying. You are being chased by an unrelenting beast of a monster through the underground of Tokyo, called the "Mesh". This monster escaped from a lab (thanks, scientists), and caused a train to crash. This is the very train crash you survive in the beginning of the game, along with a schoolgirl named Naomi. There is nowhere to run except underground. In gameplay, this means you are navigating these labyrinths (with admittedly, perhaps intentionally confusing layouts) in a dungeon crawler style.
There is also a monster taking a stroll around these areas though, so you have to be on your guard at all times. Over time, the monster evolves and gets faster and faster. To make it even more creepy, there is several dead ends in these maze like areas. The trick is to duck into doors (source: walkthrough from Chris's Survival Horror Quest), this resets the position of the monster giving you a better chance to survive.
Even when I was in these rooms though, I didn't feel safe. I think that's a testament to the pervading sense of dread that this game instills in the player. It goes beyond all rationality, that you know it's not in the games program for the monster to barge in. You just feel like something could go wrong at any moment.
The horror of the game is sometimes surpassed by it's frustration, in parts. It's hard to be scared when you're frustrated, at least for me. You're fifteenth time getting felled by a monster in this game might inspire more of a "Come on!" than an "Eek!". It's nowhere perfect in game design. It also is terrifying in that it is partially an old style point-and-click (now THAT'S what I call scary).
It has the perfect, later 90's Japanese industrial horror vibe (if that is a thing), or at least what I imagine that looks like. Grainy and rusty pre-rendered graphics (in a good way), ambient and minimal spooky electronic music, and some sci-fi, biomorph flair. There's even some goofy dialogue, to give at least a little bit of relief from the almost constant darkness.
Overall, I'm happy that I finished my first horror game. I'm probably going to take a break and go back to playing some cheerful Nintendo games as usual, but I'm very interested in this developers other projects such as Despiria for the Dreamcast. I also played Lux-Pain, which some related developers have worked on (although it is a much stylistically different game).
It certainly scared my boots off, more effectively than really any other game I've played yet. This is because it has almost perfect atmospherics. The pre-rendered and grainy Playstation look adds to the horror. I don't think it would be as terrifying were it on a modern console.
The premise itself is terrifying. You are being chased by an unrelenting beast of a monster through the underground of Tokyo, called the "Mesh". This monster escaped from a lab (thanks, scientists), and caused a train to crash. This is the very train crash you survive in the beginning of the game, along with a schoolgirl named Naomi. There is nowhere to run except underground. In gameplay, this means you are navigating these labyrinths (with admittedly, perhaps intentionally confusing layouts) in a dungeon crawler style.
There is also a monster taking a stroll around these areas though, so you have to be on your guard at all times. Over time, the monster evolves and gets faster and faster. To make it even more creepy, there is several dead ends in these maze like areas. The trick is to duck into doors (source: walkthrough from Chris's Survival Horror Quest), this resets the position of the monster giving you a better chance to survive.
Even when I was in these rooms though, I didn't feel safe. I think that's a testament to the pervading sense of dread that this game instills in the player. It goes beyond all rationality, that you know it's not in the games program for the monster to barge in. You just feel like something could go wrong at any moment.
The horror of the game is sometimes surpassed by it's frustration, in parts. It's hard to be scared when you're frustrated, at least for me. You're fifteenth time getting felled by a monster in this game might inspire more of a "Come on!" than an "Eek!". It's nowhere perfect in game design. It also is terrifying in that it is partially an old style point-and-click (now THAT'S what I call scary).
It has the perfect, later 90's Japanese industrial horror vibe (if that is a thing), or at least what I imagine that looks like. Grainy and rusty pre-rendered graphics (in a good way), ambient and minimal spooky electronic music, and some sci-fi, biomorph flair. There's even some goofy dialogue, to give at least a little bit of relief from the almost constant darkness.
Overall, I'm happy that I finished my first horror game. I'm probably going to take a break and go back to playing some cheerful Nintendo games as usual, but I'm very interested in this developers other projects such as Despiria for the Dreamcast. I also played Lux-Pain, which some related developers have worked on (although it is a much stylistically different game).
1996
Jungle Park is unique in it's simplicity, adventurous and experimental because it does less in gameplay rather than more. It's your prototypical "walking simulator" (as MobyGames calls it) before that was even a genre label.
Being a multiplatform game, it was released on quite a few consoles, it was even one of the few games for the ill-fated Apple Bandai Pippin (I don't blame you if you've never heard of that console before.) Despite being released on about 5 platforms, it never really found any success.
Jungle Park is developer Saru Brunei's second most notable game, the first being "Cubivore" for the Nintendo Gamecube.
I say second most notable, and really, this is pretty much their only other game, if you don't count edutainment titles.
My first experiences with it were somewhat sour. We start off on a pre-rendered island, with our Cubivore-esque primate protag near his traditional Japanese, Sukiya-zukuri house. If he goes into the house, he will smoke a cigarette. You have to lead him out with the finnicky cursor and weird controls, and then what? Well, you have to go behind the house, go up to a very specific place in the water, and he will build a bridge so you can go to the other parts of the island.
The very first puzzle here is classical adventure game-style abtruseness: I had to look up a walkthrough about 4 minutes into the game. It sounds simple from the way I described it, but it's frustrating as all get out, especially if you don't know what to do. It's the hardest puzzle in the game, right at the beginning.
After this puzzle though, the game really, really opens up. There is not really any "plot" here to speak of. Instead, it's just pure "go up to stuff and see what happens", kind of like Cosmic Osmo or those old point and clicks.
The difference is, it's in top-down, third person view (like Moon RPG). This is what makes the game stand out, quite a bit. I really think this is a perspective more point-and-clicks could take, rather than just sticking to the old first person. It makes things seem much more friendly and alive; You are no longer a cold spectator, and seeing your silly little avatar guy brings a new sort of life and different interaction to things.
This POV allows for the adventure game to go into some new territories. It allows for new kinds of humor, such as physical comedy, when you are detached from the perspective of the avatar. Imagine a Buster Keaton film only in first person. I don't think it would be nearly as funny, it would just look somewhat like a parkour video. That's what this game understands and succeeds at going against.
I love the aesthetics of this game also, and that's what carries the whole experience. The pre-rendered look is already one I adore, and this game is just full of beautiful colors, cool little pre-rendered airplanes, motels, theme parks, railroad stations, etc. It's a surprisingly expansive game, but like I said, there's no plot and no pressure (beyond the first puzzle). It's a bit like Zelda, without the enemies, story or linear progression.
I actually recommend this one. Daresay it's a hidden gem. Please check this one out, it's quite different from Cubivore, but it shows some of the origin story of a somewhat unknown company. It is full of what I admire in games: unique stylistics, humor, and being partially a non-game/walking simulator.
Being a multiplatform game, it was released on quite a few consoles, it was even one of the few games for the ill-fated Apple Bandai Pippin (I don't blame you if you've never heard of that console before.) Despite being released on about 5 platforms, it never really found any success.
Jungle Park is developer Saru Brunei's second most notable game, the first being "Cubivore" for the Nintendo Gamecube.
I say second most notable, and really, this is pretty much their only other game, if you don't count edutainment titles.
My first experiences with it were somewhat sour. We start off on a pre-rendered island, with our Cubivore-esque primate protag near his traditional Japanese, Sukiya-zukuri house. If he goes into the house, he will smoke a cigarette. You have to lead him out with the finnicky cursor and weird controls, and then what? Well, you have to go behind the house, go up to a very specific place in the water, and he will build a bridge so you can go to the other parts of the island.
The very first puzzle here is classical adventure game-style abtruseness: I had to look up a walkthrough about 4 minutes into the game. It sounds simple from the way I described it, but it's frustrating as all get out, especially if you don't know what to do. It's the hardest puzzle in the game, right at the beginning.
After this puzzle though, the game really, really opens up. There is not really any "plot" here to speak of. Instead, it's just pure "go up to stuff and see what happens", kind of like Cosmic Osmo or those old point and clicks.
The difference is, it's in top-down, third person view (like Moon RPG). This is what makes the game stand out, quite a bit. I really think this is a perspective more point-and-clicks could take, rather than just sticking to the old first person. It makes things seem much more friendly and alive; You are no longer a cold spectator, and seeing your silly little avatar guy brings a new sort of life and different interaction to things.
This POV allows for the adventure game to go into some new territories. It allows for new kinds of humor, such as physical comedy, when you are detached from the perspective of the avatar. Imagine a Buster Keaton film only in first person. I don't think it would be nearly as funny, it would just look somewhat like a parkour video. That's what this game understands and succeeds at going against.
I love the aesthetics of this game also, and that's what carries the whole experience. The pre-rendered look is already one I adore, and this game is just full of beautiful colors, cool little pre-rendered airplanes, motels, theme parks, railroad stations, etc. It's a surprisingly expansive game, but like I said, there's no plot and no pressure (beyond the first puzzle). It's a bit like Zelda, without the enemies, story or linear progression.
I actually recommend this one. Daresay it's a hidden gem. Please check this one out, it's quite different from Cubivore, but it shows some of the origin story of a somewhat unknown company. It is full of what I admire in games: unique stylistics, humor, and being partially a non-game/walking simulator.
2008
----------------------------------------INTRO--------------------------------------
This game sports one of the best videogame soundtracks I've yet heard. One listen to the day theme might lead you to join me in this conclusion. Unique, jazz fusion-flavored bass and guitar mixed with a bit of light and floaty ukulele, to give a sense of whimsy. Aesthetically, everything is bright and explodes with color. A vivid, tropical palette. Mixed with Skip (one of my favorite developers) quirky humor, we should have a masterpiece on our hands. Unfortunately, something went wrong here for me. Let's talk about what went right, first, however.
Captain Rainbow is up there in the echelon of unapologetically strange, surreal and colorful. Up there along with the games "Nintendo wants you to forget about", it is genuinely one of the most left-field games published by them. Perhaps we can even call it, for lack of a better term, the most "profane", humor-wise, of Nintendo's library.
--------------------------------------STORY--------------------------------------
The story goes like this. Nick is our hero, who's superhero alter-ego is the eponymous "Captain Rainbow". Captain Rainbow has fallen out of popularity, so Nick goes on a voyage of self-discovery, on a raft, only for a storm to hit him. He washes up on a mysterious island, who meets a woman named Hikari who explains the story of the island. The island is called "Mimin Island", named after the supernatural creatures inhabiting it. Most of the characters living here are retired or forgotten Nintendo characters. Little Mac is here for example, even Crazy Tracey from Link's Awakening. The thing is, each of these characters are heavily caricaturized. Little Mac is now out of shape, and Tracey is now a lascivious woman who wants to seduce every man in the world. Birdo... I can't even describe. Believe me, I completely understand why this game wasn't brought to western audiences. It probably would've changed our perception of Nintendo as family-friendly and innocent.
Every character on this island has a wish. A chosen hero is supposed to be picked by the Mimin for the purpose of granting wishes. Nick eventually discovers he is "the chosen one" who must grant every one of these characters wishes.
---------------------THE GOOD, THE BAD ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ᵘᵍˡʸ---------------------
It's all building up to be something beautiful. It is something beautiful, aesthetically. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the pace of the game. My biggest complaint was that the island felt "empty". By empty, I mean there is a lot of space, but not a lot of meaningful space. They got the aesthetic down perfectly, don't get me wrong, but they missed something here.
To use an example of another Skip game, Chibi Robo (the original one, but Park Patrol and Okaeri! work too). Maybe it was the really emotional storytelling of Chibi-Robo that sold me on it, yet, I also think they did something amazing with the space in that game. There was a very meaningful progression from one area to the next. Going into the foyer, you would come across the Free Rangers, egg soldiers whose purpose was to defend the house from intruders. Then in the basement you would find the forgotten pirate, Plankbeard. I liked this because each character played a role in the space they were assigned. Blackbeard, the forgotten pirate, in the strange and shady basement. Free Rangers, the defenders of the vast foyer, near the entrace of the house. This game kind of misses the mark in connecting characters to their spaces.
Sure, each character has a day-and-night cycle and routine, which was awesome. Yet there wasn't enough fascination here with the characters routines in the first place. Much of the action in the game takes place outside. The lack of large interiors (other than Tracey's house) is really interesting, but it also very much limits the game. Most of the interiors here are cramped and don't have much to do in them. I bring this up, because without purposeful buildings, I didn't feel a sense that there was really anywhere to go, or anything new to see. This not only affects the player, but the characters living in this world. What part of their routine defines them and connects them to the island, as well as the other characters? Sure, each character had a routine that very much connected to their, albeit caricaturized, personality. Lip from "Panel de Pon" features in this game. She has bad allergies, so she wears a mask. Funnily enough, she spends a lot of time around flowers. Point being, this was a really funny example of how someone's personality quirks DID connect with their routine and living space.
Still, however, there wasn't enough beyond this limited palette of silly and caricaturized personality to really interest me in the characters. When you talked to these folks, you would often get very short responses. Also, they, as far as I know, would rarely talk or interact with each other. So even if they had lovable and unique personalities, they were isolated, and thus the space felt very cold and separated. In Chibi-Robo, once again, I felt very much attuned to the space and lives of the characters. It was really "lived-in", and my favorite thing was to see how each characters story related to another person or character. The characters are wandering around the island here, but they don't feel in tune with the space, or each other. They are like molecules bouncing around in wide open spaces, gaseous. Their identity, however charming it is, still feels unformed and separated.
Also, there is one sour minigame: Takamaru's meditation. In this minigame you have to press most of the buttons on the Wii remote and nunchuk simultaneously, without letting go of any of them. If anyone figured out how to do this, let me know. I would've liked for the game to have let you replay these minigames immediately. That's not the case. You have to wait a full day to retry the minigames. It makes it a very time consuming game. Other reviewers (Rombouts) have pointed to this as being part of the charm and style of the game, which makes you take your time and just experience things, giving it a living feel. On paper though, it does produce more of a mind-numbing and frustrating repetition than a laid-back appreciation.
--------------------------------------CONCLUSION--------------------------------------
Overall, my opinions of this game are not negative in any way. Skip very much delivers. However, it wasn't for me. It very much feels like the descendent of "Moon: Remix RPG Adventure" (which is a game I also love). It is a sometimes difficult and oblique adventure game. I had trouble appreciating it gameplay wise (aesthetically it's awesome), due to it's somewhat repetitive gameplay, difficulty attaching myself to the characters, and lack of much meaningful activities during the in-between moments. There is animal-collecting, but I wish there was a little something more.
My overall impressions are positive, so I will come back to this one. It is the sole reason I imported a Japanese Wii, after all.
This game sports one of the best videogame soundtracks I've yet heard. One listen to the day theme might lead you to join me in this conclusion. Unique, jazz fusion-flavored bass and guitar mixed with a bit of light and floaty ukulele, to give a sense of whimsy. Aesthetically, everything is bright and explodes with color. A vivid, tropical palette. Mixed with Skip (one of my favorite developers) quirky humor, we should have a masterpiece on our hands. Unfortunately, something went wrong here for me. Let's talk about what went right, first, however.
Captain Rainbow is up there in the echelon of unapologetically strange, surreal and colorful. Up there along with the games "Nintendo wants you to forget about", it is genuinely one of the most left-field games published by them. Perhaps we can even call it, for lack of a better term, the most "profane", humor-wise, of Nintendo's library.
--------------------------------------STORY--------------------------------------
The story goes like this. Nick is our hero, who's superhero alter-ego is the eponymous "Captain Rainbow". Captain Rainbow has fallen out of popularity, so Nick goes on a voyage of self-discovery, on a raft, only for a storm to hit him. He washes up on a mysterious island, who meets a woman named Hikari who explains the story of the island. The island is called "Mimin Island", named after the supernatural creatures inhabiting it. Most of the characters living here are retired or forgotten Nintendo characters. Little Mac is here for example, even Crazy Tracey from Link's Awakening. The thing is, each of these characters are heavily caricaturized. Little Mac is now out of shape, and Tracey is now a lascivious woman who wants to seduce every man in the world. Birdo... I can't even describe. Believe me, I completely understand why this game wasn't brought to western audiences. It probably would've changed our perception of Nintendo as family-friendly and innocent.
Every character on this island has a wish. A chosen hero is supposed to be picked by the Mimin for the purpose of granting wishes. Nick eventually discovers he is "the chosen one" who must grant every one of these characters wishes.
---------------------THE GOOD, THE BAD ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ᵘᵍˡʸ---------------------
It's all building up to be something beautiful. It is something beautiful, aesthetically. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the pace of the game. My biggest complaint was that the island felt "empty". By empty, I mean there is a lot of space, but not a lot of meaningful space. They got the aesthetic down perfectly, don't get me wrong, but they missed something here.
To use an example of another Skip game, Chibi Robo (the original one, but Park Patrol and Okaeri! work too). Maybe it was the really emotional storytelling of Chibi-Robo that sold me on it, yet, I also think they did something amazing with the space in that game. There was a very meaningful progression from one area to the next. Going into the foyer, you would come across the Free Rangers, egg soldiers whose purpose was to defend the house from intruders. Then in the basement you would find the forgotten pirate, Plankbeard. I liked this because each character played a role in the space they were assigned. Blackbeard, the forgotten pirate, in the strange and shady basement. Free Rangers, the defenders of the vast foyer, near the entrace of the house. This game kind of misses the mark in connecting characters to their spaces.
Sure, each character has a day-and-night cycle and routine, which was awesome. Yet there wasn't enough fascination here with the characters routines in the first place. Much of the action in the game takes place outside. The lack of large interiors (other than Tracey's house) is really interesting, but it also very much limits the game. Most of the interiors here are cramped and don't have much to do in them. I bring this up, because without purposeful buildings, I didn't feel a sense that there was really anywhere to go, or anything new to see. This not only affects the player, but the characters living in this world. What part of their routine defines them and connects them to the island, as well as the other characters? Sure, each character had a routine that very much connected to their, albeit caricaturized, personality. Lip from "Panel de Pon" features in this game. She has bad allergies, so she wears a mask. Funnily enough, she spends a lot of time around flowers. Point being, this was a really funny example of how someone's personality quirks DID connect with their routine and living space.
Still, however, there wasn't enough beyond this limited palette of silly and caricaturized personality to really interest me in the characters. When you talked to these folks, you would often get very short responses. Also, they, as far as I know, would rarely talk or interact with each other. So even if they had lovable and unique personalities, they were isolated, and thus the space felt very cold and separated. In Chibi-Robo, once again, I felt very much attuned to the space and lives of the characters. It was really "lived-in", and my favorite thing was to see how each characters story related to another person or character. The characters are wandering around the island here, but they don't feel in tune with the space, or each other. They are like molecules bouncing around in wide open spaces, gaseous. Their identity, however charming it is, still feels unformed and separated.
Also, there is one sour minigame: Takamaru's meditation. In this minigame you have to press most of the buttons on the Wii remote and nunchuk simultaneously, without letting go of any of them. If anyone figured out how to do this, let me know. I would've liked for the game to have let you replay these minigames immediately. That's not the case. You have to wait a full day to retry the minigames. It makes it a very time consuming game. Other reviewers (Rombouts) have pointed to this as being part of the charm and style of the game, which makes you take your time and just experience things, giving it a living feel. On paper though, it does produce more of a mind-numbing and frustrating repetition than a laid-back appreciation.
--------------------------------------CONCLUSION--------------------------------------
Overall, my opinions of this game are not negative in any way. Skip very much delivers. However, it wasn't for me. It very much feels like the descendent of "Moon: Remix RPG Adventure" (which is a game I also love). It is a sometimes difficult and oblique adventure game. I had trouble appreciating it gameplay wise (aesthetically it's awesome), due to it's somewhat repetitive gameplay, difficulty attaching myself to the characters, and lack of much meaningful activities during the in-between moments. There is animal-collecting, but I wish there was a little something more.
My overall impressions are positive, so I will come back to this one. It is the sole reason I imported a Japanese Wii, after all.
Here's a game that you cannot purchase, in any way or form. There is literally no way you can officially get this game.
It is quite a shame. This game was released exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS eshop. By now, the closing of the 3DS eshop is probably old news to everyone and their grandmas.
There was some panic due to the fact that we would lose many games, and a few months ago (around the time of the shutdown) the topic trended among Nintendo fans. However, the panic seemed to simmer down quite a bit. I think it's time to start bringing it up again. Along with this game, we have no way to purchase, among many others: Pushmo, Stretchmo, the first two Dillon's Rolling Westerns, Harmoknight, Sakura Samurai, Pocket Card Jockey, and the Denpa Men games.
This game might as well be pretty much lost. If it weren't for archivists, that is. It's ironic, considering this is a game about helping someone manage a museum of nostalgic items. This game has itself become relegated to the archive.
The game itself is actually quite good. You could fool me if you said this was a full-priced 3DS retail game. Sure, it does show it's budget-ness in some ways. Most evidently, in it's casual, somewhat repetitive gameplay loop. It does at time feel like a game you would play in transit, or before bed to wind down.
Yet, this doesn't really capture (no pun intended) how beautiful this game is. Visually, it's stunning. Skip have always been masters of visual wizardry, pushing pretty much every platform they've released a game on to it's graphical limits. Here, the environments are beautiful., and everything is bathed in golden and leafy green colors. It just feels serene. Music is also awesome.
The camera feature sucks though (which is probably the 3DS's fault), that's all I'll say on that lol. It sucks, it really does. I have no idea how the recognition system in this game works (which is where I'll put the responsibility on the game). it won't recognize an object, even if it's in perfect lighting. Even if it does recognize it, it often shows up as a "Nostaldud", this puzzle piece thing that vanishes along with the film you just bought. It was really annoying when this happened, but at least the puzzle pieces became things you could collect to get another piece of film... yay?
Otherwise, this actually feels like an official Chibi-Robo game. Chibi-Robo lite, maybe. It is somewhat diluted. However, it's really the last of the Chibi-Robo games to be a 3D action-adventure. If you've played the first 3, you might actually like this one. Don't be put off by the new designs of the characters, or what at first seems like nothing but a minigame collection. This game actually has exploration (however, you travel to different places through photos rather than one interconnected world, so it's a little different).
The characters were charming, strange, and each had their own personality. Music was actually awesome. I'll let the music speak for itself, so definitely check out the OST.
In summary, it's really a shame that this game is no longer available to purchase in any way. I somewhat hope that it would be brought over to the switch, but part of me doubts it. If I remember correctly, the developers Skip went out of business. This game is really charming when you give it a chance, and surprisingly in-depth (according to my save file I spent 16 and a half hours on it, and the game was 10 dollars). It really deserves to be remembered.
It is quite a shame. This game was released exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS eshop. By now, the closing of the 3DS eshop is probably old news to everyone and their grandmas.
There was some panic due to the fact that we would lose many games, and a few months ago (around the time of the shutdown) the topic trended among Nintendo fans. However, the panic seemed to simmer down quite a bit. I think it's time to start bringing it up again. Along with this game, we have no way to purchase, among many others: Pushmo, Stretchmo, the first two Dillon's Rolling Westerns, Harmoknight, Sakura Samurai, Pocket Card Jockey, and the Denpa Men games.
This game might as well be pretty much lost. If it weren't for archivists, that is. It's ironic, considering this is a game about helping someone manage a museum of nostalgic items. This game has itself become relegated to the archive.
The game itself is actually quite good. You could fool me if you said this was a full-priced 3DS retail game. Sure, it does show it's budget-ness in some ways. Most evidently, in it's casual, somewhat repetitive gameplay loop. It does at time feel like a game you would play in transit, or before bed to wind down.
Yet, this doesn't really capture (no pun intended) how beautiful this game is. Visually, it's stunning. Skip have always been masters of visual wizardry, pushing pretty much every platform they've released a game on to it's graphical limits. Here, the environments are beautiful., and everything is bathed in golden and leafy green colors. It just feels serene. Music is also awesome.
The camera feature sucks though (which is probably the 3DS's fault), that's all I'll say on that lol. It sucks, it really does. I have no idea how the recognition system in this game works (which is where I'll put the responsibility on the game). it won't recognize an object, even if it's in perfect lighting. Even if it does recognize it, it often shows up as a "Nostaldud", this puzzle piece thing that vanishes along with the film you just bought. It was really annoying when this happened, but at least the puzzle pieces became things you could collect to get another piece of film... yay?
Otherwise, this actually feels like an official Chibi-Robo game. Chibi-Robo lite, maybe. It is somewhat diluted. However, it's really the last of the Chibi-Robo games to be a 3D action-adventure. If you've played the first 3, you might actually like this one. Don't be put off by the new designs of the characters, or what at first seems like nothing but a minigame collection. This game actually has exploration (however, you travel to different places through photos rather than one interconnected world, so it's a little different).
The characters were charming, strange, and each had their own personality. Music was actually awesome. I'll let the music speak for itself, so definitely check out the OST.
In summary, it's really a shame that this game is no longer available to purchase in any way. I somewhat hope that it would be brought over to the switch, but part of me doubts it. If I remember correctly, the developers Skip went out of business. This game is really charming when you give it a chance, and surprisingly in-depth (according to my save file I spent 16 and a half hours on it, and the game was 10 dollars). It really deserves to be remembered.
2006
(I posted my full review in the description of my youtube video on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2W1BVzNECQ. ) I want to be discreet about this one and keep it a secret, because it's seriously too powerful.
2003
Wario World! What a trip. Treasure and Wario are two names I usually associate with 2D platformers, but this 3D platformer really shines, despite some complaints.
I'm finishing this one just having beaten Wario Land 4 a few months ago. This has given me a chance to appreciate Wario as a character. I honestly find his character more interesting than Mario, in that being Mario's negative counterimage, he carries more of a presence to him. I say this because I feel as if, personality wise, Mario is a faceless entity in some ways. He is the faceless hero, who responds exactly as you expect him to respond (he shows the most personality in the Mario and Luigi series, I'd argue).
Wario on the other hand, has selfish intentions from the start. He is greedy and will do anything for jewels, treasure, moolah. He is not as lightweight or gentle as Mario, in manner or physical approach. He is a weighty, muscly beast, who beats the living crap out of enemies that look like they're from the drawings of a disturbed child. Everything is expected yet totally unexpected in his world.
This oddly, is what makes Wario lovable and funny. His physical manner is what lends to sections of physical comedy, online with Buster Keaton, and we recognize the folly of his greedy quest from the beginning, invoking a kind of loving pity despite Wario's brazenness and strength.
I mention all this, because what really stood out to me about this game is how Treasure really took all these aspects of Wario's identity and successfully integrated it into a 3D space. Honestly, this game I think perfects the surreal aspects of the Wario Land series, and goes even beyond that. The enemy design is extremely clever, and sometimes random and a little uncanny, which fits the mood of the game perfectly. Although most of the enemy types are recycled throughout the stages, each one is reskinned to fit the theme of each level, with amazing creativity. I can't even explain some of the enemy designs, but wow, what crazy fever dream did they come out of? This doesn't exclude bosses, that ice stage boss...
Level themes also fit Wario perfectly, circuses, shady forests, halls of mirrors, ancient ruins. You feel like you are going through these kind of shady and surreal, trickster or mystical places.
It's not all glowing, however. Many times in the game, there is precision platforming, which does not work well at all with the Gamecube controllers extremely sensitive control sticks. Also, a lot of the game is just finding the right camera angle so you can do said precision platforming. It's exasperated near the end of the game, with the obstacle courses you go through.
The puzzles too, most of the time they were clever, but in the last sand stage, boy were they hell. We all know how fun block puzzles are (groans).
It is kind of a frustrating and difficult game, but it is made up for in spades by being just an odd and oddly endearing game, one that defines Wario's identity as a brazen goofball more than any other Wario game I know of. If you have a Gamecube or Gamecube-compatible Wii, give this one a shot if you can afford it. Otherwise, let's just pray that this gets some sort of modern port.
I'm finishing this one just having beaten Wario Land 4 a few months ago. This has given me a chance to appreciate Wario as a character. I honestly find his character more interesting than Mario, in that being Mario's negative counterimage, he carries more of a presence to him. I say this because I feel as if, personality wise, Mario is a faceless entity in some ways. He is the faceless hero, who responds exactly as you expect him to respond (he shows the most personality in the Mario and Luigi series, I'd argue).
Wario on the other hand, has selfish intentions from the start. He is greedy and will do anything for jewels, treasure, moolah. He is not as lightweight or gentle as Mario, in manner or physical approach. He is a weighty, muscly beast, who beats the living crap out of enemies that look like they're from the drawings of a disturbed child. Everything is expected yet totally unexpected in his world.
This oddly, is what makes Wario lovable and funny. His physical manner is what lends to sections of physical comedy, online with Buster Keaton, and we recognize the folly of his greedy quest from the beginning, invoking a kind of loving pity despite Wario's brazenness and strength.
I mention all this, because what really stood out to me about this game is how Treasure really took all these aspects of Wario's identity and successfully integrated it into a 3D space. Honestly, this game I think perfects the surreal aspects of the Wario Land series, and goes even beyond that. The enemy design is extremely clever, and sometimes random and a little uncanny, which fits the mood of the game perfectly. Although most of the enemy types are recycled throughout the stages, each one is reskinned to fit the theme of each level, with amazing creativity. I can't even explain some of the enemy designs, but wow, what crazy fever dream did they come out of? This doesn't exclude bosses, that ice stage boss...
Level themes also fit Wario perfectly, circuses, shady forests, halls of mirrors, ancient ruins. You feel like you are going through these kind of shady and surreal, trickster or mystical places.
It's not all glowing, however. Many times in the game, there is precision platforming, which does not work well at all with the Gamecube controllers extremely sensitive control sticks. Also, a lot of the game is just finding the right camera angle so you can do said precision platforming. It's exasperated near the end of the game, with the obstacle courses you go through.
The puzzles too, most of the time they were clever, but in the last sand stage, boy were they hell. We all know how fun block puzzles are (groans).
It is kind of a frustrating and difficult game, but it is made up for in spades by being just an odd and oddly endearing game, one that defines Wario's identity as a brazen goofball more than any other Wario game I know of. If you have a Gamecube or Gamecube-compatible Wii, give this one a shot if you can afford it. Otherwise, let's just pray that this gets some sort of modern port.
This review contains spoilers
Final boss was kind of underwhelming. The plot twist that the entire town was a con scheme devised by Tortimer and Tom Nook to keep the villagers in debt was kind of surprising though.
Best known for being the first directed work of Eiji Aonuma of modern Zelda fame, Marvelous is a really interesting game about a group of boys in a summer camp who get caught in some kind of pirate conspiracy. A very solid SNES/Super Famicom import. Also has a wonderful fan translation.
The puzzles are to be honest, sometimes annoying, especially near the end of the game.
It is made up for in spades though, by sharp, witty writing (which sometimes feels like it shouldn't be in a kid's game. That, or the fan translation took a few liberties.) A beautiful art-style, that while being made in the Link to the Past engine, is far from a copy of that game. The environments are mostly new and creative.
The game's mostly focused on solving puzzles, but you do have a health bar and there is some combat.
I loved the creative use of each of the main characters abilities. The scenarios the characters find themselves in are really creative, as well.
Most of the game is split up episodically. The areas each have their own theme. I won't spoil beyond that, though.
Recommended.
The puzzles are to be honest, sometimes annoying, especially near the end of the game.
It is made up for in spades though, by sharp, witty writing (which sometimes feels like it shouldn't be in a kid's game. That, or the fan translation took a few liberties.) A beautiful art-style, that while being made in the Link to the Past engine, is far from a copy of that game. The environments are mostly new and creative.
The game's mostly focused on solving puzzles, but you do have a health bar and there is some combat.
I loved the creative use of each of the main characters abilities. The scenarios the characters find themselves in are really creative, as well.
Most of the game is split up episodically. The areas each have their own theme. I won't spoil beyond that, though.
Recommended.
(Note: I didn't log this one, but I've been playing it on and off) Eco-Creatures is a game that I personally could not get into. However, don't get me wrong, I recognize what it's trying to do and respect it for that.
My first issue, before talking about the gameplay, was about how the game is handling the topic of environmental degradation. It's handled in a way that tries to make it kid-friendly, but much of it is cliche even for kids. When I first played this, I was trying to see if it was some sort of commentary on our climate crisis, etc., and I went in expecting something serious. Either that, or a fun whimsical game. However, serious topics with a whimsical theme, doesn't always mesh well. At least at the outset, I found something very trite, and that seemed to not handle it's topics very well.
It's really the paradox of trying to make a game that encourages children to care for the environment and nature: make it too cliche, no one will take it seriously, make it too serious and it will diverge from it's kid-friendly aspect. The game is brave and trying something difficult here: which I have respect for.
This game tries an impossible balancing act, in that regard. The plot up to where I am at, is basically that this kingdom is industrializing, with these robots coming in to deforest the woods and the inhabitants of it. This could be riveting if it was handled with a bit of kid-friendly seriousness (see Pokemon Mystery Dungeon), but it ends up being a little too whimsical for it's own good, at least at the start. The exposition almost happened too fast, with us getting little information other than this simply titled "kingdom" coming to deforest everything and exhume smoke for literally who knows what reason. Then there were these carefree forest spirits that didn't have a care at all until these guys started attacking.
Unlike the Lorax, which I think also embodies the predicament of trying to teach environmental messages to kids, the game gives us very little on the motivations of the kingdom in deforesting at the beginning. It's far from nuanced. I found there was almost nothing at stake in the game other than saving the forest, which isn't a very good motivation. People need to feel somewhat emotionally attached, in order to care about the messages. The enemy and the hero's motivations, as far as I played, are too nebulous for people to be invested.
The story isn't the main part of the game however, and I was able to turn my mind off an experience the gameplay. I personally was not a fan. For one, the squirrel like creatures you summon have pretty terrible AI. They will do whatever-the-hell, even if you command them. It was like herding cats, basically. Many of the missions are rather tough, but not for good reason. It's made tough because, at the beginning, your character only has one attack that is hard to summon because of the UI. You have to switch "modes", between commanding the squirrel people and commanding your character, and it is really unwieldly to control. Also, your character has a really low health bar to start with, so you're going to keep dying and respawning at the start of the map. It adds to the difficulty of the game, which is a good thing, though. However, it feels unfairly so.
I'm really trying with this one.
Paradoxically, whenever I play a game, and am trying to really have fun with it, I find I end up looking way too hard for some sort of really fun mechanic that I'm missing, or how the game is actually doing something really mature or clever. This state of looking and concentrating really hard on a game, so you can isolate exactly what you like and don't like about it, is the trait of the critic and reviewer. It's definitely not a bad trait to have.
However, I went into this expecting something either whimsical or serious, when this game is trying to handle serious topics with a too whimsical attitude. It created a kind of cognitive dissonance as I was experiencing at least the beginning part of the story. I was trying to have fun, but I felt an obligation to take the environmental message seriously, and the game was trying to be whimsical, confusing me more. It doesn't have to be a mature war movie, but I think it should deal with it's topics with emotional weight from the outset. It shouldn't spoil anything, but it should also have some sort of stage-setting.
I have it as shelved, because I'm going to give it another chance. I'm also interested in it's sequel. I want to see how this game evolves from one installment to the next, there was simply a lot of things that made it unfun for me.
My first issue, before talking about the gameplay, was about how the game is handling the topic of environmental degradation. It's handled in a way that tries to make it kid-friendly, but much of it is cliche even for kids. When I first played this, I was trying to see if it was some sort of commentary on our climate crisis, etc., and I went in expecting something serious. Either that, or a fun whimsical game. However, serious topics with a whimsical theme, doesn't always mesh well. At least at the outset, I found something very trite, and that seemed to not handle it's topics very well.
It's really the paradox of trying to make a game that encourages children to care for the environment and nature: make it too cliche, no one will take it seriously, make it too serious and it will diverge from it's kid-friendly aspect. The game is brave and trying something difficult here: which I have respect for.
This game tries an impossible balancing act, in that regard. The plot up to where I am at, is basically that this kingdom is industrializing, with these robots coming in to deforest the woods and the inhabitants of it. This could be riveting if it was handled with a bit of kid-friendly seriousness (see Pokemon Mystery Dungeon), but it ends up being a little too whimsical for it's own good, at least at the start. The exposition almost happened too fast, with us getting little information other than this simply titled "kingdom" coming to deforest everything and exhume smoke for literally who knows what reason. Then there were these carefree forest spirits that didn't have a care at all until these guys started attacking.
Unlike the Lorax, which I think also embodies the predicament of trying to teach environmental messages to kids, the game gives us very little on the motivations of the kingdom in deforesting at the beginning. It's far from nuanced. I found there was almost nothing at stake in the game other than saving the forest, which isn't a very good motivation. People need to feel somewhat emotionally attached, in order to care about the messages. The enemy and the hero's motivations, as far as I played, are too nebulous for people to be invested.
The story isn't the main part of the game however, and I was able to turn my mind off an experience the gameplay. I personally was not a fan. For one, the squirrel like creatures you summon have pretty terrible AI. They will do whatever-the-hell, even if you command them. It was like herding cats, basically. Many of the missions are rather tough, but not for good reason. It's made tough because, at the beginning, your character only has one attack that is hard to summon because of the UI. You have to switch "modes", between commanding the squirrel people and commanding your character, and it is really unwieldly to control. Also, your character has a really low health bar to start with, so you're going to keep dying and respawning at the start of the map. It adds to the difficulty of the game, which is a good thing, though. However, it feels unfairly so.
I'm really trying with this one.
Paradoxically, whenever I play a game, and am trying to really have fun with it, I find I end up looking way too hard for some sort of really fun mechanic that I'm missing, or how the game is actually doing something really mature or clever. This state of looking and concentrating really hard on a game, so you can isolate exactly what you like and don't like about it, is the trait of the critic and reviewer. It's definitely not a bad trait to have.
However, I went into this expecting something either whimsical or serious, when this game is trying to handle serious topics with a too whimsical attitude. It created a kind of cognitive dissonance as I was experiencing at least the beginning part of the story. I was trying to have fun, but I felt an obligation to take the environmental message seriously, and the game was trying to be whimsical, confusing me more. It doesn't have to be a mature war movie, but I think it should deal with it's topics with emotional weight from the outset. It shouldn't spoil anything, but it should also have some sort of stage-setting.
I have it as shelved, because I'm going to give it another chance. I'm also interested in it's sequel. I want to see how this game evolves from one installment to the next, there was simply a lot of things that made it unfun for me.
2001
(Note: Played on Wii, but I logged the Gamecube version by mistake, so I'm just gonna write my review here.)
Pikmin has a lot of serenity, with it's beautiful music, charming natural environments, and last but not least, amazing water graphics. Despite all this, Pikmin isn't exactly a literal walk in the park. It's equally parts extremely relaxing, while also being an on the edge of your seat, nail-biting game, and this honestly is why I love it.
This is my first playthrough, and I only got the normal ending (which I'm happy for, by the way.) I missed out on 1 part, Olimar's beloved piggy bank. Pikmin purists, you can jump on my head like a Pikmin to a Snagret, but I'm still saying I completed this game. Doesn't mean I won't go back to play through it again, though. I definitely want to try and do better.
First let's start with the music, and art direction. For music, there is the incredible Forest of Hope OST, need I say more? The art direction is incredibly charming, the enemy designs are quite unique, and often goofy in a good way. Each has their own mannerisms, which is amazing and really builds the idea of this being a real ecosystem. The environments themselves are beautiful. While I don't think they are Gamecube limit-pushers, they are still beautiful. The shades of light and dark in each area are what create a lot of the vibe. With the areas being natural green and Olimar's ship parts being artificial chrome or other coloration, which creates a cool contrast. Also, the water graphics.
I'm bad at strategy and resource/time-management, but this is probably the most fun I've had with it. Like I said, it's no walk in the park on your first run through, but I believe you can do it.
A small complaint to add to others critiques: It would be nice if there was an option to view past dialogue from Olimar, because it's really easy to skip out on the intro tutorials because you were mashing B. I also don't know if it lists what parts are necessary in the game itself, I couldn't find that. I had to search online. That would make the game a little easier, although it's difficulty is part of it's charm.
Highly recommended you play it anyway you can.
Pikmin has a lot of serenity, with it's beautiful music, charming natural environments, and last but not least, amazing water graphics. Despite all this, Pikmin isn't exactly a literal walk in the park. It's equally parts extremely relaxing, while also being an on the edge of your seat, nail-biting game, and this honestly is why I love it.
This is my first playthrough, and I only got the normal ending (which I'm happy for, by the way.) I missed out on 1 part, Olimar's beloved piggy bank. Pikmin purists, you can jump on my head like a Pikmin to a Snagret, but I'm still saying I completed this game. Doesn't mean I won't go back to play through it again, though. I definitely want to try and do better.
First let's start with the music, and art direction. For music, there is the incredible Forest of Hope OST, need I say more? The art direction is incredibly charming, the enemy designs are quite unique, and often goofy in a good way. Each has their own mannerisms, which is amazing and really builds the idea of this being a real ecosystem. The environments themselves are beautiful. While I don't think they are Gamecube limit-pushers, they are still beautiful. The shades of light and dark in each area are what create a lot of the vibe. With the areas being natural green and Olimar's ship parts being artificial chrome or other coloration, which creates a cool contrast. Also, the water graphics.
I'm bad at strategy and resource/time-management, but this is probably the most fun I've had with it. Like I said, it's no walk in the park on your first run through, but I believe you can do it.
A small complaint to add to others critiques: It would be nice if there was an option to view past dialogue from Olimar, because it's really easy to skip out on the intro tutorials because you were mashing B. I also don't know if it lists what parts are necessary in the game itself, I couldn't find that. I had to search online. That would make the game a little easier, although it's difficulty is part of it's charm.
Highly recommended you play it anyway you can.
2004
When I was a kid, "The Legendary Starfy" for the DS had to be my favorite platformer and one of my favorite games ever. I have yet to review it here, though, which I will change shortly.
Everything about the unique music, atmosphere and surprisingly affecting story just blew me away.
It was only later that I learned that it was the fifth game in a long running series of platformers known as "Densetsu no Stafy". I had a mix of excitement that there was more to experience, and a feelings of indignance towards the fact that we were never treated to the rest of this series over here.
Now, as an adult equipped with a fancy ol' GBA, I can finally experience another Starfy game.
The first thing that stuck out to me was that the unique sounds of the music, and the absolute charm of the world, was still there. I'm amazed at how the series has kept much of it's identity throughout it's five installments. This one is just as surreal as the others too, with penguins with whips, a fish who looks like Frank Sinatra, and whatnot.
There is just an indefinable feeling to each of the Starfy games that is unique. There is something mysterious, almost nostalgic about it. I keep harping on the music (no pun intended) but man does it add to this vibe. I can't really explain it. It's just like a carefree summer day exploring nature as a kid.
It is also kinda carefree in other aspects, not just in aesthetics. In terms of gameplay, some may say that the game is on the easy side. I would agree, but I don't think this hinders the game at all. I still had a sense of progression. New mechanics were thrown in often, new moves. Also these weird pogo/horse/sheep segments (this'll make sense when you experience the game, I promise.)
Adding Starfy's sister, Stappie (at least that's her name in the walkthrough on gamefaqs) was a really nice move. I kind of feel like platformers can get almost egotistical at points. Many platformers don't stress much teamwork. This one has you switching between Starfy and his sister in these really neat segments where you have to play of each strengths in order to progress. Each one has different moves that only they can use to reach certain areas. It mixed up the gameplay just enough to where it never got tiring.
Despite me calling it carefree earlier, it is a game with plenty of dark aspects and conflict. It's not a game without loss, and I'll leave you to decipher that when you play it.
Now I played it entirely in Japanese, so I didn't follow the plot completely, but I could tell just enough of what was happening. However, like other reviewers have said, playing it in a language you are familiar with DOES really enhance your experience of the story. They also give clues in dialogue which you can't distinguish if you can't read them.
One last thing, there is also a cameo of a character from a game I just beat. It was awesome to see them do a homage to that character and his games. Once again, I won't spoil anything just incase people don't know.
Overall, highly recommend to those wanting an easy but interesting, surprisingly emotional and aesthetically charming platformer with unique mechanics.
Everything about the unique music, atmosphere and surprisingly affecting story just blew me away.
It was only later that I learned that it was the fifth game in a long running series of platformers known as "Densetsu no Stafy". I had a mix of excitement that there was more to experience, and a feelings of indignance towards the fact that we were never treated to the rest of this series over here.
Now, as an adult equipped with a fancy ol' GBA, I can finally experience another Starfy game.
The first thing that stuck out to me was that the unique sounds of the music, and the absolute charm of the world, was still there. I'm amazed at how the series has kept much of it's identity throughout it's five installments. This one is just as surreal as the others too, with penguins with whips, a fish who looks like Frank Sinatra, and whatnot.
There is just an indefinable feeling to each of the Starfy games that is unique. There is something mysterious, almost nostalgic about it. I keep harping on the music (no pun intended) but man does it add to this vibe. I can't really explain it. It's just like a carefree summer day exploring nature as a kid.
It is also kinda carefree in other aspects, not just in aesthetics. In terms of gameplay, some may say that the game is on the easy side. I would agree, but I don't think this hinders the game at all. I still had a sense of progression. New mechanics were thrown in often, new moves. Also these weird pogo/horse/sheep segments (this'll make sense when you experience the game, I promise.)
Adding Starfy's sister, Stappie (at least that's her name in the walkthrough on gamefaqs) was a really nice move. I kind of feel like platformers can get almost egotistical at points. Many platformers don't stress much teamwork. This one has you switching between Starfy and his sister in these really neat segments where you have to play of each strengths in order to progress. Each one has different moves that only they can use to reach certain areas. It mixed up the gameplay just enough to where it never got tiring.
Despite me calling it carefree earlier, it is a game with plenty of dark aspects and conflict. It's not a game without loss, and I'll leave you to decipher that when you play it.
Now I played it entirely in Japanese, so I didn't follow the plot completely, but I could tell just enough of what was happening. However, like other reviewers have said, playing it in a language you are familiar with DOES really enhance your experience of the story. They also give clues in dialogue which you can't distinguish if you can't read them.
One last thing, there is also a cameo of a character from a game I just beat. It was awesome to see them do a homage to that character and his games. Once again, I won't spoil anything just incase people don't know.
Overall, highly recommend to those wanting an easy but interesting, surprisingly emotional and aesthetically charming platformer with unique mechanics.
Cosmic Osmo is a game I have marked as played, because for one I would feel weird saying I completed the game after my game time clocking in at about 2 and a half hours, and two for the fact that you can't really beat this game.
I first got curious about it after reading somewhere that the creator of Garage: Bad Dream Adventure apparently was influenced by it.
I admit, I don't know about the history of videogames to point to this being one of the first games that are more experiences rather than goals. Although I have yet to play it, I imagine the The Manhole, which was released before this game and by the same developer, might be more worthy of that mantel.
It's a game that really disorients your sense of space, something they had to have taken from Alice and Wonderland. Like Alice, Osmo is constantly growing big or small, randomly fitting through tiny spaces without explanation. A painting turns into a hallway that turns into a government office.
Everything is drawn in a simple, stylized, yet detailed way. The fact that it's in monochrome doesn't detract from the experience at all. It ignites your imagination.
TLDR: Cosmic Osmo is a bit of an oddball game. It's one of the early games without goals, more focused on exploration. It is heavy stylized and witty, reminding me of a sunday morning newspaper comic, with a touch of surrealism. It will surely entertain anyone willing to give a try to something unexpected. Being only 6 dollars, at most, on Steam (and it's currently marked down as of the 2023 Summer Sale), it won't hurt to try it. Our shapeshifting Osmo with an odd sense of humor might reignite your sense of discovery.
I first got curious about it after reading somewhere that the creator of Garage: Bad Dream Adventure apparently was influenced by it.
I admit, I don't know about the history of videogames to point to this being one of the first games that are more experiences rather than goals. Although I have yet to play it, I imagine the The Manhole, which was released before this game and by the same developer, might be more worthy of that mantel.
It's a game that really disorients your sense of space, something they had to have taken from Alice and Wonderland. Like Alice, Osmo is constantly growing big or small, randomly fitting through tiny spaces without explanation. A painting turns into a hallway that turns into a government office.
Everything is drawn in a simple, stylized, yet detailed way. The fact that it's in monochrome doesn't detract from the experience at all. It ignites your imagination.
TLDR: Cosmic Osmo is a bit of an oddball game. It's one of the early games without goals, more focused on exploration. It is heavy stylized and witty, reminding me of a sunday morning newspaper comic, with a touch of surrealism. It will surely entertain anyone willing to give a try to something unexpected. Being only 6 dollars, at most, on Steam (and it's currently marked down as of the 2023 Summer Sale), it won't hurt to try it. Our shapeshifting Osmo with an odd sense of humor might reignite your sense of discovery.
2001
Wario Land 4 is a really freakin' funky (in a good way) game. Everything about the style of it, the actually insane music, just gives that off.
It's an amazing experience of a game, and a great pick if you're looking for an out-of-the-box platformer for the GBA. I did have my problems with it, but I still highly recommend it.
The music, I think is one of the best soundtracks I've heard for a GBA game. Some of the tracks (Palm Tree Paradise, the credits track) even have VOCALS. I'm sure this isn't as impressive as I make it out to be, but the fact that you can actually tell what the person is singing is quite impressive. The music really fits the mood of the stages, from relaxing in nature (Wildflower Fields, Monsoon Jungle), to haunted and spooky, with a touch of funky (Crescent Moon Village, Hotel Horror), and then my favorite, the hyperactive "Hurry Up!" music that starts when the timer goes off.
I also want to mention the level design. Here, I don't just mean the way the levels are layed out, like enemy placement, but just literally how the levels are designed, artistically speaking. Every level is really just a visual treat, and the visuals actually lend to the identity and function of the levels. Mystic Lake is going to be kind of weird and mystical, with you traversing these underground water-tunnels, and dodging these weird eels. To fit the theme is also has really strange and mystical music. It makes it extremely interesting to traverse these stages, because each one is really fun just to soak in, and the people making this must have been masters at setting the stage. The music, aesthetic design, and functional design of each level worked in almost perfect tandem.
The enemies are really goofy in their design. They aren't as straightforward and too-the-point in their design like in Super Mario Bros. (even though the enemies in those games are surreal as well). You have fish wearing scuba goggles, these weird pink guys with an axe in Hotel Horror, and altogether just a bunch of really colorful enemies, most of which (as far as I can tell) are not recycled from previous games.
I nominate it for the most colorful Wario Land game (with Shake It coming in second). I still think 2 is my favorite, but this one just has so much personality. It might be unfair the call it the most colorful, because two of the entries were on the OG Gameboy, and the Virtual Boy, where there wasn't much color literally. However, I think that it's a really just bold game, the boldest out of the already experimental Wario Land games, which is what I mean by colorful. You have a timer that happens when you leave each level, Wario has a health bar, along with countless other experimentations. I can't quite phrase it, Wario Land 3 was bold for being a metroidvania rather than a normal sidescrolling platformer, Wario Land 2 for having a unique aesthetic style, Wario Land VB for being on well... the Virtual Boy, and lastly, Wario Land 1 for making a game about freaking Wario of all things, but 4 is really where the series found it's identity. The limitations (although they made the previous games charming) were really just overcome here, and Wario really realizes his full potential.
I still have some problems with the level design. I take the blame for it, but many times I had to retraverse levels in order to get an item I needed. This is game where collection isn't optional, but necesarry. It works, don't get me wrong, with the timer system. Both that you had to collect all the gem pieces and the key, and get out in time, was actually a really fun gameplay mechanic. The part that wasn't fun was either losing all progress when you ran out of time, or forgetting something and not being able to backtrack because the area was now blocked off.
Some of these complaints are actually what made the game interesting, however. It was really cool to see the pathways that were blocked off before became exit routes when you hit the timer switch. So I really do like the gameplay elements at work here, it's just kind of a personal thing ;(.
As a last complaint (talk about ending on a positive note) the movement feels kind of clunky. It's part and parcel of the Wario Land series, and Wario's character, however. You are definitely not controlling a lanky, speedy Mario. You are controlling a portly, muscly Wario. It wouldn't make sense for him to move any other way, but it does make some of the boss fights somewhat annoying. It's easily forgiveable though.
TLDR: Wario Land 4 is perfect for those looking for an out of the box platformer on the GBA. With plenty of identity, jamming tunes, and a fun and clever but once in a while frustrating gameplay system, this game is highly recommended. You might feel a bit like Wario after playing it, greedy for more.
It's an amazing experience of a game, and a great pick if you're looking for an out-of-the-box platformer for the GBA. I did have my problems with it, but I still highly recommend it.
The music, I think is one of the best soundtracks I've heard for a GBA game. Some of the tracks (Palm Tree Paradise, the credits track) even have VOCALS. I'm sure this isn't as impressive as I make it out to be, but the fact that you can actually tell what the person is singing is quite impressive. The music really fits the mood of the stages, from relaxing in nature (Wildflower Fields, Monsoon Jungle), to haunted and spooky, with a touch of funky (Crescent Moon Village, Hotel Horror), and then my favorite, the hyperactive "Hurry Up!" music that starts when the timer goes off.
I also want to mention the level design. Here, I don't just mean the way the levels are layed out, like enemy placement, but just literally how the levels are designed, artistically speaking. Every level is really just a visual treat, and the visuals actually lend to the identity and function of the levels. Mystic Lake is going to be kind of weird and mystical, with you traversing these underground water-tunnels, and dodging these weird eels. To fit the theme is also has really strange and mystical music. It makes it extremely interesting to traverse these stages, because each one is really fun just to soak in, and the people making this must have been masters at setting the stage. The music, aesthetic design, and functional design of each level worked in almost perfect tandem.
The enemies are really goofy in their design. They aren't as straightforward and too-the-point in their design like in Super Mario Bros. (even though the enemies in those games are surreal as well). You have fish wearing scuba goggles, these weird pink guys with an axe in Hotel Horror, and altogether just a bunch of really colorful enemies, most of which (as far as I can tell) are not recycled from previous games.
I nominate it for the most colorful Wario Land game (with Shake It coming in second). I still think 2 is my favorite, but this one just has so much personality. It might be unfair the call it the most colorful, because two of the entries were on the OG Gameboy, and the Virtual Boy, where there wasn't much color literally. However, I think that it's a really just bold game, the boldest out of the already experimental Wario Land games, which is what I mean by colorful. You have a timer that happens when you leave each level, Wario has a health bar, along with countless other experimentations. I can't quite phrase it, Wario Land 3 was bold for being a metroidvania rather than a normal sidescrolling platformer, Wario Land 2 for having a unique aesthetic style, Wario Land VB for being on well... the Virtual Boy, and lastly, Wario Land 1 for making a game about freaking Wario of all things, but 4 is really where the series found it's identity. The limitations (although they made the previous games charming) were really just overcome here, and Wario really realizes his full potential.
I still have some problems with the level design. I take the blame for it, but many times I had to retraverse levels in order to get an item I needed. This is game where collection isn't optional, but necesarry. It works, don't get me wrong, with the timer system. Both that you had to collect all the gem pieces and the key, and get out in time, was actually a really fun gameplay mechanic. The part that wasn't fun was either losing all progress when you ran out of time, or forgetting something and not being able to backtrack because the area was now blocked off.
Some of these complaints are actually what made the game interesting, however. It was really cool to see the pathways that were blocked off before became exit routes when you hit the timer switch. So I really do like the gameplay elements at work here, it's just kind of a personal thing ;(.
As a last complaint (talk about ending on a positive note) the movement feels kind of clunky. It's part and parcel of the Wario Land series, and Wario's character, however. You are definitely not controlling a lanky, speedy Mario. You are controlling a portly, muscly Wario. It wouldn't make sense for him to move any other way, but it does make some of the boss fights somewhat annoying. It's easily forgiveable though.
TLDR: Wario Land 4 is perfect for those looking for an out of the box platformer on the GBA. With plenty of identity, jamming tunes, and a fun and clever but once in a while frustrating gameplay system, this game is highly recommended. You might feel a bit like Wario after playing it, greedy for more.