Doctor_Nerd
2023
I thought I'd be cooler on this without the nostalgia goggles, but nope this is still a great (albeit simple) RPG. They should make more 10-15 hour RPGs.
I like the small tweaks to the battle system, and that they added more stuff to do after clearing the game.
I like the small tweaks to the battle system, and that they added more stuff to do after clearing the game.
It's very pretty, but otherwise it's just a decent-to-middling Symphony of the Night clone. Not bad at all, but you can probably do better.
I'm basically bumping this up by half a star because I have some affection for the Lodoss franchise.
EDIT: Actually ended up liking this a bit more after beating it. The intro areas are really bland, but they eventually get more interesting. The fake Ikuraga mechanic allowing you to blast enemies with magic also becomes more satisfying as the game leans into it.
I'm basically bumping this up by half a star because I have some affection for the Lodoss franchise.
EDIT: Actually ended up liking this a bit more after beating it. The intro areas are really bland, but they eventually get more interesting. The fake Ikuraga mechanic allowing you to blast enemies with magic also becomes more satisfying as the game leans into it.
2023
Abby Howard's drawings are great, and I was impressed by the sheer amount of branching scenarios available. The writing does a good job alternating between amusing and tragic.
I don't think people who play a lot of visual novels are going to be blown away by this one, but it's an interesting spin on some well-worn VN ideas.
I don't think people who play a lot of visual novels are going to be blown away by this one, but it's an interesting spin on some well-worn VN ideas.
2023
It's technically a better game than the first Blasphemous, but it also feels like it sanded down some of the interesting edges in the process. It's not as gory or horrific, the cutscene art style is jarring, and the executions feel like an afterthought this time. I also encountered a few distracting bugs a few months after release (sometimes the music just doesn't start in places, and will start playing randomly again while you're in the same area).
However, the combat, skill trees, and bosses are all a big improvement. The game also looks amazing. I slightly prefer the first one overall, but this is still a great metroidplatformervania.
However, the combat, skill trees, and bosses are all a big improvement. The game also looks amazing. I slightly prefer the first one overall, but this is still a great metroidplatformervania.
1994
it's pretty solid! and I don't have anything new to add about this game in 2023
I never played the Game Gear original, but I thought this was pretty cute.
My only major gripe is that the final level is kind of weak compared to the other 2D Sonic games, but that seems less like a failing of this remake and more of the original Triple Trouble. Hit detection can also be wonky at times.
The ridiculous and over-the-top final battle that you get when you gather all the emeralds makes up for those shortcomings, though. There are lots of extras and unlockables for beating the game as well. Definitely worth checking out for 2-D Sonic heads.
My only major gripe is that the final level is kind of weak compared to the other 2D Sonic games, but that seems less like a failing of this remake and more of the original Triple Trouble. Hit detection can also be wonky at times.
The ridiculous and over-the-top final battle that you get when you gather all the emeralds makes up for those shortcomings, though. There are lots of extras and unlockables for beating the game as well. Definitely worth checking out for 2-D Sonic heads.
This is a very chill, but intentionally jank (I assume) open-world adventure game.
I found the writing to be pretty funny. It's very laser-focused on making light of how living in our current modern hellscape just sucks in general. Even so, the game genuinely wants you to have a good time. I think this is most demonstrated during one of the mandatory racing missions you encounter 1/3 of the way through. If you lose, your competitor is just like "no big deal, I'm going to give you the reward anyway." There are lots of little moments like this in the game, making it a pretty relaxed experience while you soak up the vibes.
Sometimes someone makes a weird and goofy game that's on your wavelength. This is one of those times for me.
I found the writing to be pretty funny. It's very laser-focused on making light of how living in our current modern hellscape just sucks in general. Even so, the game genuinely wants you to have a good time. I think this is most demonstrated during one of the mandatory racing missions you encounter 1/3 of the way through. If you lose, your competitor is just like "no big deal, I'm going to give you the reward anyway." There are lots of little moments like this in the game, making it a pretty relaxed experience while you soak up the vibes.
Sometimes someone makes a weird and goofy game that's on your wavelength. This is one of those times for me.
1993
After finding Splatterhouse 2 disappointing, I'm glad to say I liked Splatterhouse 3 a bit more.
Splatterhouse 3 plays more like a Capcom beat-em-up compared to the other games in the series. Rick has some pretty basic combos now, and can also grapple and throw enemies. What sets this apart from other brawlers is that there's a map now of multiple interlocked rooms in the mansion. This means there are multiple branching paths you can explore as you make your way through each area.
With that said, you'll probably want to pick the shortest route across the area with the help of the in-game map, since there's a timer as well now. If Rick takes too long to beat an area, he's more likely to encounter one of the several bad endings of the game (which frankly are pretty unnerving for the time).
I think the transition Splatterhouse makes to a very bloody Final Fight brawler works. The only caveat here is a think the Japanese version is the one worth playing, as the international version makes the game harder and more annoying in general (the JP version is much more forgiving in terms of the time limit).
Splatterhouse 3 plays more like a Capcom beat-em-up compared to the other games in the series. Rick has some pretty basic combos now, and can also grapple and throw enemies. What sets this apart from other brawlers is that there's a map now of multiple interlocked rooms in the mansion. This means there are multiple branching paths you can explore as you make your way through each area.
With that said, you'll probably want to pick the shortest route across the area with the help of the in-game map, since there's a timer as well now. If Rick takes too long to beat an area, he's more likely to encounter one of the several bad endings of the game (which frankly are pretty unnerving for the time).
I think the transition Splatterhouse makes to a very bloody Final Fight brawler works. The only caveat here is a think the Japanese version is the one worth playing, as the international version makes the game harder and more annoying in general (the JP version is much more forgiving in terms of the time limit).
1999
An interesting game with some cool ideas, and well-acted performances from the VAs. The characterization for the three major characters is also very strong.
When the game is just being Resident Evil, I found it pretty enjoyable. Unfortunately, the extremely sluggish and unbalanced RPG combat system undermined my enthusiasm for the rest of the game. It made a relatively breezy RPG that you can beat in 10 hours feel like 30.
When the game is just being Resident Evil, I found it pretty enjoyable. Unfortunately, the extremely sluggish and unbalanced RPG combat system undermined my enthusiasm for the rest of the game. It made a relatively breezy RPG that you can beat in 10 hours feel like 30.
1992
I ended up really liking the first Splatterhouse, so it was a little bit of a bummer bouncing off its sequel. Unlike its arcade predecessor, Splatterhouse 2 is a console exclusive, and it feels like the devs worked overtime to bump up the game difficulty so the people playing it at the time couldn't beat it in a weekend.
The main character, Rick, was always slow and ponderous to control in the first game, but it generally felt tuned to match your move set. In Splatterhouse 2, I was really straining against what the game design expected of me versus how sluggish Rick is to control. Enemies felt quicker and more aggressive this time around, and often I felt like I didn't have enough time to react and move Rick out of harm's way before eating shit. It's one of those games that really incentivize rote memorization to beat some segments (looking at the elevator segments in particular). There's also less enemy variety overall than in Splatterhouse 1, so you're going to be punching the same weird looking-alien guys a lot.
When you combine that with the fact that you have limited lives, and can't pump virtual quarters into MAME or whatever to breeze past segments, it just compounded the frustration for me. You're going to die and get booted to the beginning of the stage a lot.
I actually wished I like this game more, because there are definitely some cool parts. The bosses in general are more interesting than the first game (outside of one or two really horrendously bullshit ones), and the music continues to be stellar. The plot is also pretty basic, but I do like that it deals with un-fucking Rick's life after the events from the first game. These games do tell a complete story over all three of its installments, which is rare to see in beat-em-ups. Overall though, this was a game I enjoyed way more watching someone else play on Youtube.
The main character, Rick, was always slow and ponderous to control in the first game, but it generally felt tuned to match your move set. In Splatterhouse 2, I was really straining against what the game design expected of me versus how sluggish Rick is to control. Enemies felt quicker and more aggressive this time around, and often I felt like I didn't have enough time to react and move Rick out of harm's way before eating shit. It's one of those games that really incentivize rote memorization to beat some segments (looking at the elevator segments in particular). There's also less enemy variety overall than in Splatterhouse 1, so you're going to be punching the same weird looking-alien guys a lot.
When you combine that with the fact that you have limited lives, and can't pump virtual quarters into MAME or whatever to breeze past segments, it just compounded the frustration for me. You're going to die and get booted to the beginning of the stage a lot.
I actually wished I like this game more, because there are definitely some cool parts. The bosses in general are more interesting than the first game (outside of one or two really horrendously bullshit ones), and the music continues to be stellar. The plot is also pretty basic, but I do like that it deals with un-fucking Rick's life after the events from the first game. These games do tell a complete story over all three of its installments, which is rare to see in beat-em-ups. Overall though, this was a game I enjoyed way more watching someone else play on Youtube.
1988
This review contains spoilers
Splatterhouse feels like the "road not traveled" for what beat-em-ups could be, as this game has more in common with something like Altered Beast than the more popular Konami/Capcom-style of beat-em-up.
The gameplay is pretty simple--you move left to right on a single plane while killing a stream of enemies that charge at you, all while avoid some pretty basic obstacles. It's pretty straightforward, but it never stops being satisfying hitting an enemy with a melee weapon and watching them gorily explode over a wall in the background.
There are also pretty neat set-pieces throughout the game that keeps the pretty basic gameplay from getting stale. At the end of an early level, there's a room filled with possessed furniture you have to smash your way out of. In a later level, you have to battle a shadow clone of the player character that continually emerges out of a hall of mirrors. The bosses are pretty brutal in general as well, but it never gets to the point of unfair, for the most part.
Surprisingly, Splatterhouse also has some quietly sad moments that still stuck with me after beating it (the short scenes that play after beating Stage IV and V being the standouts here). These moments are all enhanced by the excellent soundtrack. The haunting music box-style theme that plays at the end of the game, as Rick stands over the wreckage of the house he spent the game in, is going to be etched in my memory for a while.
It's still a goofy horror pastiche with over-the-top gore, but I found it charming. I'd recommend giving it a shot if you like arcade brawlers at all.
The gameplay is pretty simple--you move left to right on a single plane while killing a stream of enemies that charge at you, all while avoid some pretty basic obstacles. It's pretty straightforward, but it never stops being satisfying hitting an enemy with a melee weapon and watching them gorily explode over a wall in the background.
There are also pretty neat set-pieces throughout the game that keeps the pretty basic gameplay from getting stale. At the end of an early level, there's a room filled with possessed furniture you have to smash your way out of. In a later level, you have to battle a shadow clone of the player character that continually emerges out of a hall of mirrors. The bosses are pretty brutal in general as well, but it never gets to the point of unfair, for the most part.
Surprisingly, Splatterhouse also has some quietly sad moments that still stuck with me after beating it (the short scenes that play after beating Stage IV and V being the standouts here). These moments are all enhanced by the excellent soundtrack. The haunting music box-style theme that plays at the end of the game, as Rick stands over the wreckage of the house he spent the game in, is going to be etched in my memory for a while.
It's still a goofy horror pastiche with over-the-top gore, but I found it charming. I'd recommend giving it a shot if you like arcade brawlers at all.
Never thought I'd be interested in a mech game like this, but the trailers and my curiosity won me over. Controlling a robot that moves like it has a jetpack strapped to its back while on roller skates is, in fact, pretty cool.
Also I was more invested in the story than I thought I'd be. Plenty of cool moments and nice characterization touches.
Also I was more invested in the story than I thought I'd be. Plenty of cool moments and nice characterization touches.
This is a pretty significant improvement from Spark 2 in terms of controls. Spark feels a lot more responsive than his robot frenemy Fark ever did.
You're getting a good amount of game here, since Spark 3 also includes all the Spark 2 stages, in addition to a lot of optional challenge stages and collectables to find in each level. It's a good capper to this trilogy of off-brand Sonic games.
You're getting a good amount of game here, since Spark 3 also includes all the Spark 2 stages, in addition to a lot of optional challenge stages and collectables to find in each level. It's a good capper to this trilogy of off-brand Sonic games.
2000
One of the most beautiful and moody games on the PS1. It's also just a really great, well-told story.
Continuing my Spark Journey. While Spark 1 was an offbrand 2D Sonic, Spark 2 goes the 3D Sonic route.
Spark 2 does an admirable job of capturing the energy the Sonic Adventure games had. Unfortunately, I found the controls a bit too loose and slippery for my liking (3D Sonic games also have this problem sometimes). This made the more precise platforming segments later in the game pretty frustrating. Having the ability to use the shoulder buttons to nudge Fark left and right while running like in later 3D Sonics would have made a huge difference for me.
Even with all that aside, this is still a pretty impressive effort for a game where the lion's share of the design is made by a single person. Looking forward to Spark 3.
Spark 2 does an admirable job of capturing the energy the Sonic Adventure games had. Unfortunately, I found the controls a bit too loose and slippery for my liking (3D Sonic games also have this problem sometimes). This made the more precise platforming segments later in the game pretty frustrating. Having the ability to use the shoulder buttons to nudge Fark left and right while running like in later 3D Sonics would have made a huge difference for me.
Even with all that aside, this is still a pretty impressive effort for a game where the lion's share of the design is made by a single person. Looking forward to Spark 3.