FleeFleet
1990
Mega Man 3 is what I consider to be a step up to 2 without all the weird gameplay decisions that made 2 a rather underwhelming improvement to 1.
Introducing several aspects that remain present in the series later (such as the Rush items, Proto Man, and Mega Man's iconic slide), levels are generally really solid with a challenging yet satisfying difficulty for the most part. Controls feel rather tighter this time around which I appreciate, and the addition of the slide makes maneuvering levels and avoiding attacks more interesting than in the previous 2 games. Furthermore, the Rush items were introduced which I would consider an improvement to the items in 2, as they're generally easy to use and levels seem to lend themselves well to utilizing them for the most part. Bosses this time around are also fairly challenging. While they lose invulnerability to most weapon like 2's bosses, their weapon weakness this time around doesn't completely obliterate them with one or two hits.
After the eight robot masters the game has an additional eight more bosses, 2 in 4 stages each. These are the "Doc Bosses", and are basically reused bosses from 2. While I don't mind this part of the game, as the levels and bosses I found enjoyable, I do feel it wasn't really necessary and the game could have skipped us directly to Wily's Fortress after beating the eight robot masters. Weapons this time around I also didn't think were as interesting as those of 2's, but this is more of a nitpick I suppose as you can still utilise them well enough against bosses and during levels.
Story is present in the game, however I assume you need the manual yet again to fully understand the context as most of it is only just before the wily fortress section of the game and after the final boss. Visuals are as usual good and I found the soundtrack to be more memorable than in the previous 2 games.
Now, onto my major complaint with the game: the slowdown. The slowdown in this game is far more notable than in 1 and 2, being present most of the time in almost every level and during most boss fights. It makes the game needlessly more difficult than it needs to be and can easily sour the whole experience. While I personally got used to it for the stages, it was a major annoyance in boss battles as it made avoiding their attacks and aiming with your weapons at them more difficult. I highly suggest that if you give this game a try, it should be through the legacy collection as I heard it has a "Turbo Mode" that lessens/removes the slowdown. Alternatively, if you're using an emulator, check if it has an overclock feature and see if that helps.
Overall, Megaman 3 is a fun time and a generally great improvement to the previous two games. The slowdown is really just my main issue with it, as my other complaints with it are not really enough to ruin my enjoyment with it otherwise. If you enjoyed any other Classic Mega Man game then I definitely recommend to give 3 a try.
Introducing several aspects that remain present in the series later (such as the Rush items, Proto Man, and Mega Man's iconic slide), levels are generally really solid with a challenging yet satisfying difficulty for the most part. Controls feel rather tighter this time around which I appreciate, and the addition of the slide makes maneuvering levels and avoiding attacks more interesting than in the previous 2 games. Furthermore, the Rush items were introduced which I would consider an improvement to the items in 2, as they're generally easy to use and levels seem to lend themselves well to utilizing them for the most part. Bosses this time around are also fairly challenging. While they lose invulnerability to most weapon like 2's bosses, their weapon weakness this time around doesn't completely obliterate them with one or two hits.
After the eight robot masters the game has an additional eight more bosses, 2 in 4 stages each. These are the "Doc Bosses", and are basically reused bosses from 2. While I don't mind this part of the game, as the levels and bosses I found enjoyable, I do feel it wasn't really necessary and the game could have skipped us directly to Wily's Fortress after beating the eight robot masters. Weapons this time around I also didn't think were as interesting as those of 2's, but this is more of a nitpick I suppose as you can still utilise them well enough against bosses and during levels.
Story is present in the game, however I assume you need the manual yet again to fully understand the context as most of it is only just before the wily fortress section of the game and after the final boss. Visuals are as usual good and I found the soundtrack to be more memorable than in the previous 2 games.
Now, onto my major complaint with the game: the slowdown. The slowdown in this game is far more notable than in 1 and 2, being present most of the time in almost every level and during most boss fights. It makes the game needlessly more difficult than it needs to be and can easily sour the whole experience. While I personally got used to it for the stages, it was a major annoyance in boss battles as it made avoiding their attacks and aiming with your weapons at them more difficult. I highly suggest that if you give this game a try, it should be through the legacy collection as I heard it has a "Turbo Mode" that lessens/removes the slowdown. Alternatively, if you're using an emulator, check if it has an overclock feature and see if that helps.
Overall, Megaman 3 is a fun time and a generally great improvement to the previous two games. The slowdown is really just my main issue with it, as my other complaints with it are not really enough to ruin my enjoyment with it otherwise. If you enjoyed any other Classic Mega Man game then I definitely recommend to give 3 a try.
2012
Having played this game extensively back in early 2021, and finished replaying it just recently, JSR solidified itself as a comfort game for me, and I would even say it's one of my favourites by now.
With its cool cel-shaded look and funky beats, the game really goes hard with its stylish look and aesthetic. It’s easily identifiable and makes the game stand out among others, from the world to the characters to the graffiti itself.
Then there’s the gameplay, where you typically skate around performing tricks and doing graffiti to piss off the police and claim your territory, with some occasional racing and tagging others. It can be a bit hard to master at first, especially more complex moves like wall grinding, but with practice and eventual familiarity with the surroundings of each stage, the gameplay becomes incredibly satisfying. The ranking system furthermore adds motivation to perform better in the game. Each stage is also quite distinct from each other, typically with their own aesthetic and unique level layout. Mastering these stages is key to do the best in gameplay, so thankfully none of the stages I found to be boring or a chore overall.
The story is fairly simple, but entertaining for what it is. And while this simplicity does extend to most of the cast, as they typically only have 2-3 lines, each character’s design is stylish and makes them stand-out from each other. Furthermore, with playable characters each have different stats in Technique, Graffiti and Power, so that adds to variety and allows you to see which character suits your playstyle best.
Having said all that, JSR is still rough around some edges. The controls can be a bit frustrating due to either the camera not cooperating well enough or when you get stuck grinding a rail really slowly. Doing graffiti can also be considered as tedious, particularly as the inputs for it can be more complex depending on the character you’re playing as, having to keep in mind the amount of graffiti cans you have, and also needing to consider nearby enemies coming up and attacking you. Again, practice makes perfect, but this can easily make the whole experience more frustrating than needed.
Each stage bar Bantam Street and Grind Square also have some parts that I find unusually more frustrating than needed, mainly due to the way they’re structured. While they don’t sour my experience with the overall stage too much it is a bit of a chore to go through them, such as the Sewage Pipe and Playground in Shibuya-cho. Bantam Street and Grind Square are exceptions since they aren’t separated into sub locations, and thankfully what is there I find to be quite fun.
This is more of a nitpick, but I also wish that for the extra modes for stages you were able to select what music you could play. The choice of song being random each time you do those modes means you can go quite a while without hearing a few particular tracks. I distinctly recall most of the tracks that play in Chapter 2 never playing afterwards for example. Another unfortunate part about this is that only one song will play on loop in these extra modes instead of the smooth transitioning between songs that occurs within the main levels.
Overall, I think Jet Set Radio is easily one of the most fun games I’ve played. Despite its issues, I find the gameplay satisfying to the point that these complaints hardly matter to me in the end. I definitely recommend giving this game a try, and then if possible later, its sequel Jet Set Radio Future, which I heard is a great improvement to the original.
With its cool cel-shaded look and funky beats, the game really goes hard with its stylish look and aesthetic. It’s easily identifiable and makes the game stand out among others, from the world to the characters to the graffiti itself.
Then there’s the gameplay, where you typically skate around performing tricks and doing graffiti to piss off the police and claim your territory, with some occasional racing and tagging others. It can be a bit hard to master at first, especially more complex moves like wall grinding, but with practice and eventual familiarity with the surroundings of each stage, the gameplay becomes incredibly satisfying. The ranking system furthermore adds motivation to perform better in the game. Each stage is also quite distinct from each other, typically with their own aesthetic and unique level layout. Mastering these stages is key to do the best in gameplay, so thankfully none of the stages I found to be boring or a chore overall.
The story is fairly simple, but entertaining for what it is. And while this simplicity does extend to most of the cast, as they typically only have 2-3 lines, each character’s design is stylish and makes them stand-out from each other. Furthermore, with playable characters each have different stats in Technique, Graffiti and Power, so that adds to variety and allows you to see which character suits your playstyle best.
Having said all that, JSR is still rough around some edges. The controls can be a bit frustrating due to either the camera not cooperating well enough or when you get stuck grinding a rail really slowly. Doing graffiti can also be considered as tedious, particularly as the inputs for it can be more complex depending on the character you’re playing as, having to keep in mind the amount of graffiti cans you have, and also needing to consider nearby enemies coming up and attacking you. Again, practice makes perfect, but this can easily make the whole experience more frustrating than needed.
Each stage bar Bantam Street and Grind Square also have some parts that I find unusually more frustrating than needed, mainly due to the way they’re structured. While they don’t sour my experience with the overall stage too much it is a bit of a chore to go through them, such as the Sewage Pipe and Playground in Shibuya-cho. Bantam Street and Grind Square are exceptions since they aren’t separated into sub locations, and thankfully what is there I find to be quite fun.
This is more of a nitpick, but I also wish that for the extra modes for stages you were able to select what music you could play. The choice of song being random each time you do those modes means you can go quite a while without hearing a few particular tracks. I distinctly recall most of the tracks that play in Chapter 2 never playing afterwards for example. Another unfortunate part about this is that only one song will play on loop in these extra modes instead of the smooth transitioning between songs that occurs within the main levels.
Overall, I think Jet Set Radio is easily one of the most fun games I’ve played. Despite its issues, I find the gameplay satisfying to the point that these complaints hardly matter to me in the end. I definitely recommend giving this game a try, and then if possible later, its sequel Jet Set Radio Future, which I heard is a great improvement to the original.
2002
Being familiar with the Mega Man X series beforehand as well as being a fan of the character Zero, I was excited to get into the Zero series and experience what many told me was a fantastic series of action platformers. And they were right: Zero 1 is a solid entry of the Zero series that got me invested into its world and made me want to experience the rest of the games, to see how the story progressed and enjoy the awesome gameplay along with it.
Now, having experienced all the Zero games and the ZX games by this point, this review will be based on a replay I did of Zero 1 on Normal Mode:
I don’t typically pay too much attention to the story of Mega Man games, but Zero 1 immediately got my interest since it hits you with the questions of what happened to the world, what happened to X, e.t.c. It deals with it pretty well overall; more interestingly, I feel it’s also clear that the game is setting up for major events later down the line, which helped to keep me engaged for the sequels. Ultimately, it’s a story about an old “legendary” robot getting back into action to help out reploids being treated unjustly, as part of the resistance base.
This ties into the gameplay structure: typically Mega Man games have you select which areas to go to and defeat a boss, but here there’s usually an ulterior objective to fulfill with the bosses simply being another obstacle in the way, such as escorting a fellow resistance member or deactivating bombs. It gives an idea of what kind of missions the resistance base has to do while also letting you feel like you’ve become a full fledged member of the team.
More into the gameplay: If you’ve experienced the X series before, in particular the games where Zero is playable, then the gameplay here should feel familiar. It’s fast paced and fun, and you got your buster and Z-saber. Of course, there’s some additional features, namely that Zero has access to two more weapons in the form of the Triple Rod and Shield Boomerang. And while you don’t get any skills by beating bosses, you can level up your weapons to unlock more abilities, such as the Z-saber combo or extending the triple Rod. Furthermore, you have access to elemental chips that are great for beating bosses with an elemental weakness. As a result, the game provides plenty of variety in how you want to approach levels, allowing you to develop your own kind of playstyle even; I personally would use the Z-Saber and Triple Rod the most and try to go through stages as quick as I can, but of course someone else could have a different approach. There is a ranking system in the game as well that can motivate you further to not only improve your skill but develop your playstyle as well.
Another major feature introduced in the game are Cyber-elves. They act as additional help in case you’re having some frustrations or difficulty, divided into three types (Nurse, Animal, and Hacker). The variety of help includes healing some HP or saving you from pits; the cost of using them is that you lose a few points in the ranking system but regardless they’re good if you’re in a bind.
Other details I want to put attention to: the characters are mostly likeable, with Ciel being particularly notable. You feel sympathy for them, Cerveau is daddy. The visuals are good, and I love the artwork in-game and official, its a really nice style that while different from the regular X style fits the tone and mood of the game really well and is just appealing to look at in general. Speaking of the tone, the game also has a generally “dark” or “moody” tone, which I love since it fits perfectly into the current situation you find yourself in. Some of the soundtrack is also really good, I especially adore the boss battle theme, Crash. Most of the areas aside from I believe two are also interconnected, so when you’re not in a mission you can freely explore them and active transers in the meantime too so you can reach them quicker.
Onto some of my frustrations with the game:
I think the weapon level up system hinders playstyles a bit too much than needed. It takes some time to upgrade every weapon to max and this game isn’t particularly lengthy either, so unless you’re partaking in grinding or just exploring the level you may find yourself finishing game soon without having say upgrade your Tri-Rod or Z-Saber to max. Its a bit annoying since it lessens some of the variety you can have while playing.
The cyber elf system also suffers similarly to the weapon level up system. Certain elves require you to feed them energy crystals before you can enjoy them. A neat idea in concept but in execution the amount of energy crystals you need ends up being a bit too much overall that you likely won’t be able to upgrade many elves unless you grind. Of course, the game does provide you areas with free E.C. for the taking, but even then its not nearly enough I found, and making a trek to these areas constantly does become tiring eventually.
This game also seems to lean hard into having a lot of insta kill moments. Could just be what I felt but a lot of spikes and bottomless pits can be found that can really screw you over.
A final few notes:
I think this game does suffer from “first game syndrome”, but I don’t think its severe enough that you can’t go back to it and not enjoy. Not to mention it still has its own unique features that one may like, such as the connected stages you’re free to explore outside missions.
I personally didn’t find the soundtrack to be too notable. A few tracks stand out, but nothing else really stuck in my head. I don’t really count this as a negative however since the general soundtrack does sound good and it fits with the game. I just think most aren’t that memorable.
The designs of characters are really cool in this game. The four guardians in particular I’m so fond of, they really stand out as a formidable force. My favourite design-wise would definitely be Phantom in this case.
Overall, Zero 1 is good, solid entry into an amazing sub series. I would definitely recommend people to try it out, especially if you enjoy the X games. It’s a good time, and it’s fun to learn the ins and outs of it to get better and achieve a solid rank throughout the game.
Now, having experienced all the Zero games and the ZX games by this point, this review will be based on a replay I did of Zero 1 on Normal Mode:
I don’t typically pay too much attention to the story of Mega Man games, but Zero 1 immediately got my interest since it hits you with the questions of what happened to the world, what happened to X, e.t.c. It deals with it pretty well overall; more interestingly, I feel it’s also clear that the game is setting up for major events later down the line, which helped to keep me engaged for the sequels. Ultimately, it’s a story about an old “legendary” robot getting back into action to help out reploids being treated unjustly, as part of the resistance base.
This ties into the gameplay structure: typically Mega Man games have you select which areas to go to and defeat a boss, but here there’s usually an ulterior objective to fulfill with the bosses simply being another obstacle in the way, such as escorting a fellow resistance member or deactivating bombs. It gives an idea of what kind of missions the resistance base has to do while also letting you feel like you’ve become a full fledged member of the team.
More into the gameplay: If you’ve experienced the X series before, in particular the games where Zero is playable, then the gameplay here should feel familiar. It’s fast paced and fun, and you got your buster and Z-saber. Of course, there’s some additional features, namely that Zero has access to two more weapons in the form of the Triple Rod and Shield Boomerang. And while you don’t get any skills by beating bosses, you can level up your weapons to unlock more abilities, such as the Z-saber combo or extending the triple Rod. Furthermore, you have access to elemental chips that are great for beating bosses with an elemental weakness. As a result, the game provides plenty of variety in how you want to approach levels, allowing you to develop your own kind of playstyle even; I personally would use the Z-Saber and Triple Rod the most and try to go through stages as quick as I can, but of course someone else could have a different approach. There is a ranking system in the game as well that can motivate you further to not only improve your skill but develop your playstyle as well.
Another major feature introduced in the game are Cyber-elves. They act as additional help in case you’re having some frustrations or difficulty, divided into three types (Nurse, Animal, and Hacker). The variety of help includes healing some HP or saving you from pits; the cost of using them is that you lose a few points in the ranking system but regardless they’re good if you’re in a bind.
Other details I want to put attention to: the characters are mostly likeable, with Ciel being particularly notable. You feel sympathy for them, Cerveau is daddy. The visuals are good, and I love the artwork in-game and official, its a really nice style that while different from the regular X style fits the tone and mood of the game really well and is just appealing to look at in general. Speaking of the tone, the game also has a generally “dark” or “moody” tone, which I love since it fits perfectly into the current situation you find yourself in. Some of the soundtrack is also really good, I especially adore the boss battle theme, Crash. Most of the areas aside from I believe two are also interconnected, so when you’re not in a mission you can freely explore them and active transers in the meantime too so you can reach them quicker.
Onto some of my frustrations with the game:
I think the weapon level up system hinders playstyles a bit too much than needed. It takes some time to upgrade every weapon to max and this game isn’t particularly lengthy either, so unless you’re partaking in grinding or just exploring the level you may find yourself finishing game soon without having say upgrade your Tri-Rod or Z-Saber to max. Its a bit annoying since it lessens some of the variety you can have while playing.
The cyber elf system also suffers similarly to the weapon level up system. Certain elves require you to feed them energy crystals before you can enjoy them. A neat idea in concept but in execution the amount of energy crystals you need ends up being a bit too much overall that you likely won’t be able to upgrade many elves unless you grind. Of course, the game does provide you areas with free E.C. for the taking, but even then its not nearly enough I found, and making a trek to these areas constantly does become tiring eventually.
This game also seems to lean hard into having a lot of insta kill moments. Could just be what I felt but a lot of spikes and bottomless pits can be found that can really screw you over.
A final few notes:
I think this game does suffer from “first game syndrome”, but I don’t think its severe enough that you can’t go back to it and not enjoy. Not to mention it still has its own unique features that one may like, such as the connected stages you’re free to explore outside missions.
I personally didn’t find the soundtrack to be too notable. A few tracks stand out, but nothing else really stuck in my head. I don’t really count this as a negative however since the general soundtrack does sound good and it fits with the game. I just think most aren’t that memorable.
The designs of characters are really cool in this game. The four guardians in particular I’m so fond of, they really stand out as a formidable force. My favourite design-wise would definitely be Phantom in this case.
Overall, Zero 1 is good, solid entry into an amazing sub series. I would definitely recommend people to try it out, especially if you enjoy the X games. It’s a good time, and it’s fun to learn the ins and outs of it to get better and achieve a solid rank throughout the game.
1987
I wasn't really expecting much, going off what others said and not being too keen on NES games in general, but to my surprise the game's pretty fun for what it is.
Unsurprisingly as the first game in the series, its fairly different from later games in the series. Lack of sliding, no charge shot, only 6 robot masters, and score count are among some of the differences it has. This might seem initially off-putting for anyone who's played the later games, but you can quickly get used to it at least. The difficulty is also fine, I didn't really find it to pose much of a challenge.
There's no notable story in-game, I assume its mostly in the manual.
My major complaint with the game would be that you require a specific weapon to progress at one point. The issue is that said weapon is treated as optional and you can easily miss out on it depending on the order you deal with bosses and whether you try a level again.
Overall, its a decent game. I wouldn't really recommend it to someone as their first Mega Man game, but give it a try if you've got some experience with Mega Man already.
Unsurprisingly as the first game in the series, its fairly different from later games in the series. Lack of sliding, no charge shot, only 6 robot masters, and score count are among some of the differences it has. This might seem initially off-putting for anyone who's played the later games, but you can quickly get used to it at least. The difficulty is also fine, I didn't really find it to pose much of a challenge.
There's no notable story in-game, I assume its mostly in the manual.
My major complaint with the game would be that you require a specific weapon to progress at one point. The issue is that said weapon is treated as optional and you can easily miss out on it depending on the order you deal with bosses and whether you try a level again.
Overall, its a decent game. I wouldn't really recommend it to someone as their first Mega Man game, but give it a try if you've got some experience with Mega Man already.
1999
Still thinking about this game even after finishing it ages ago. God.
I'd go more in-depth as usual but its been a while since I played the game so I don't really wanna get any details wrong. But I will say the experience felt quite special. It's one of the few games that's always constantly in the back of my mind, cropping up to the front more often than most other games or even other media I've experienced.
The game isn't without its faults, but combined with its aesthetics and wacky presentations, Planet Laika showed me a story that I still think about from time to time. The many different things it tries to tell, the themes it was trying to convey, the struggles of all the different characters and how they handled them, whether the game handles them excellently or underbaked they'd leave an incredible impact on me.
It's just such a wildly creative yet often intense and unnerving game, I'm finding it difficult to describe why I feel so strongly about it. I just, vibe with it a lot. I totally recommend this game, if at least for a trippy experience, with the hopes for enjoying a really creative, wild, but passionate and often profound game.
I'd go more in-depth as usual but its been a while since I played the game so I don't really wanna get any details wrong. But I will say the experience felt quite special. It's one of the few games that's always constantly in the back of my mind, cropping up to the front more often than most other games or even other media I've experienced.
The game isn't without its faults, but combined with its aesthetics and wacky presentations, Planet Laika showed me a story that I still think about from time to time. The many different things it tries to tell, the themes it was trying to convey, the struggles of all the different characters and how they handled them, whether the game handles them excellently or underbaked they'd leave an incredible impact on me.
It's just such a wildly creative yet often intense and unnerving game, I'm finding it difficult to describe why I feel so strongly about it. I just, vibe with it a lot. I totally recommend this game, if at least for a trippy experience, with the hopes for enjoying a really creative, wild, but passionate and often profound game.
1989
2 can be considered an overall improvement to 1, bringing in some changes that become common in the series later, such as there being 8 robot masters this time and its style of doing a boss rush for the final stage.
The game is fairly solid with its levels and there's plenty of visuals I found quite pretty. Levels are definitely more interesting compared to 1 and as such are more memorable. The game also introduces E Tanks which really help out in case you're low on health and perhaps have low lives. There also now items such as a jet that are primarily used to help with platforming.
Unfortunately, I'd have to admit that I enjoyed 2 less than 1. There's a lot of strange decisions and wily fortress in general really soured my opinion on the game:
Bosses are rather strange, as they're invulnerable to most weapons. However they're quick to be beaten by their weapon weakness. Speaking of which, weapon weaknesses for bosses have also been strangely decided upon. About three bosses for example are weak to the same weapon meanwhile another weapon is strong to basically no one. As a result, bosses are generally easy.
Wily Fortress is particularly frustrating: often or not you require the use of the items you have but if they run low on energy you're basically stuck. The worst offender about the fortress is probably the final two bosses: The Boobeam Trap and the Alien. The former can only be defeated using the Crash Bomber, and you can effectively get stuck if you don't use it wisely (as the room the boss is in also has walls that can only be broken with the bombs). The Alien can also only be defeated by the bubble weapon for some reason. If you hadn't saved uses of the bubble up to that point, consider never being able to beat the game.
Overall, Mega Man 2 is what could have been a general improvement to megaman 1 had it not enforced some rather strange decisions and were its final stages not so frustrating.
The game is fairly solid with its levels and there's plenty of visuals I found quite pretty. Levels are definitely more interesting compared to 1 and as such are more memorable. The game also introduces E Tanks which really help out in case you're low on health and perhaps have low lives. There also now items such as a jet that are primarily used to help with platforming.
Unfortunately, I'd have to admit that I enjoyed 2 less than 1. There's a lot of strange decisions and wily fortress in general really soured my opinion on the game:
Bosses are rather strange, as they're invulnerable to most weapons. However they're quick to be beaten by their weapon weakness. Speaking of which, weapon weaknesses for bosses have also been strangely decided upon. About three bosses for example are weak to the same weapon meanwhile another weapon is strong to basically no one. As a result, bosses are generally easy.
Wily Fortress is particularly frustrating: often or not you require the use of the items you have but if they run low on energy you're basically stuck. The worst offender about the fortress is probably the final two bosses: The Boobeam Trap and the Alien. The former can only be defeated using the Crash Bomber, and you can effectively get stuck if you don't use it wisely (as the room the boss is in also has walls that can only be broken with the bombs). The Alien can also only be defeated by the bubble weapon for some reason. If you hadn't saved uses of the bubble up to that point, consider never being able to beat the game.
Overall, Mega Man 2 is what could have been a general improvement to megaman 1 had it not enforced some rather strange decisions and were its final stages not so frustrating.
kill barry
crying pissing shitting myself that there isn't and maybe won't ever be another game like this
It's hard for me to describe what I like about berwick so much without gushing and crying and sobbing so I'll keep it brief lol
The gameplay really encapsulates strategy: by no means is it a growths game (made apparent enough by the generally low growth rates), and don't expect to blaze through the game with one single overpowered unit. What I mean to say is, Berwick really motivates you to learn every mechanic and utilize them efficiently, and use your resources in the best way possible. Every unit feels useful in some way or another, and Berwick further emphasizes that by highlighting the importance of different resources, weapons and skills these units can use. The mechanics all blend so excellently with each other, and even something like the turn order system can make or break a situation for you. I'm very, very fond of how Berwick handles all these things in a way that made me want to strategize as much as possible AND have fun doing it! It ends up being such a distinct and unique experience from pretty much every other srpg I've played, and I find myself addicted to it.
The story and characters are for the most part, fantastic. Berwick's plot takes an interesting direction in regards to your lord and his army's role in the overall war, and such a unique take really makes it stand out from its contemporaries, even if it may not feel as "grand". Furthermore, Berwick takes the extra step to flesh out almost all of its characters, as much as possible, be it through giving them a role in the main story, or their own little well-written sub stories. I was attached to most everyone in some way, or at least had strong feelings about them.
I could talk about some negatives but honestly I am so uninterested, and frankly the enjoyment I had with berwick saga far outweighs any of the frustration I had with it.
It's a dang fantastic srpg, I definitely recommend it.
It's hard for me to describe what I like about berwick so much without gushing and crying and sobbing so I'll keep it brief lol
The gameplay really encapsulates strategy: by no means is it a growths game (made apparent enough by the generally low growth rates), and don't expect to blaze through the game with one single overpowered unit. What I mean to say is, Berwick really motivates you to learn every mechanic and utilize them efficiently, and use your resources in the best way possible. Every unit feels useful in some way or another, and Berwick further emphasizes that by highlighting the importance of different resources, weapons and skills these units can use. The mechanics all blend so excellently with each other, and even something like the turn order system can make or break a situation for you. I'm very, very fond of how Berwick handles all these things in a way that made me want to strategize as much as possible AND have fun doing it! It ends up being such a distinct and unique experience from pretty much every other srpg I've played, and I find myself addicted to it.
The story and characters are for the most part, fantastic. Berwick's plot takes an interesting direction in regards to your lord and his army's role in the overall war, and such a unique take really makes it stand out from its contemporaries, even if it may not feel as "grand". Furthermore, Berwick takes the extra step to flesh out almost all of its characters, as much as possible, be it through giving them a role in the main story, or their own little well-written sub stories. I was attached to most everyone in some way, or at least had strong feelings about them.
I could talk about some negatives but honestly I am so uninterested, and frankly the enjoyment I had with berwick saga far outweighs any of the frustration I had with it.
It's a dang fantastic srpg, I definitely recommend it.
2000
Sin and Punishment is one of those fun action games that's kinda wacky yet very fun, kind of "aesthetic" and very "vibey". It's hard to put into words for me, but to go into detail:
The game's a very fun arcade-like rail shooter, involving both targeting and shooting as well as movement of your character to dodge attacks (and a cool sword slash to something that's close enough). The control scheme can initially feel weird or difficult, but it shouldn't take too long to easily and effectively use it. It helps there's a tutorial mode anyways, which I recommend doing first. Game isn't tooooo difficult anyways, it's generous with life and score points, major concern tends to be the timer when fighting bosses.
The levels are all pretty distinct from each other and make progress all the more entertaining. They try to employ some kind of gimmick as well such as a perspective change or bosses having to be dealt in unique ways, or even different ways to handle regular enemies quick and easily. It's a pretty flashy game overall, and its great.
The story is
Something
I assume a lot of detail is in a manual or reserved for a sequel, but you don't get quite the full picture of what's going on, who these characters are, what's the deal with "Ruffians". But the game doesn't really care that much, which is fine: it's very much focused on being cool and entertaining for the most part, ending up as a mess but a mess you're pleased with. At the least, it certainly leaves a memorable impression and you get a general idea of what the main characters are like. The dialogue and dub make it all the more charming; they're not the best for sure, but it oddly fits well with the game's vibes. Does that make sense? Probably not, idc.
Don't have much else to add other than the game looks nice (idk man those models are pretty cool) and the music is so soooo good, fits so well with the game's aesthetic and themes.
Game is rather short, probably taking like 2 hours at most, but I don't really mind it. Certain parts definitely do feel like they go by too fast or take too long, and kinda messes with the balance of the playtime taken by each protag. I
Overall, yeah if you wanna play an N64 game you should definitely play this one lol, its great.
The game's a very fun arcade-like rail shooter, involving both targeting and shooting as well as movement of your character to dodge attacks (and a cool sword slash to something that's close enough). The control scheme can initially feel weird or difficult, but it shouldn't take too long to easily and effectively use it. It helps there's a tutorial mode anyways, which I recommend doing first. Game isn't tooooo difficult anyways, it's generous with life and score points, major concern tends to be the timer when fighting bosses.
The levels are all pretty distinct from each other and make progress all the more entertaining. They try to employ some kind of gimmick as well such as a perspective change or bosses having to be dealt in unique ways, or even different ways to handle regular enemies quick and easily. It's a pretty flashy game overall, and its great.
The story is
Something
I assume a lot of detail is in a manual or reserved for a sequel, but you don't get quite the full picture of what's going on, who these characters are, what's the deal with "Ruffians". But the game doesn't really care that much, which is fine: it's very much focused on being cool and entertaining for the most part, ending up as a mess but a mess you're pleased with. At the least, it certainly leaves a memorable impression and you get a general idea of what the main characters are like. The dialogue and dub make it all the more charming; they're not the best for sure, but it oddly fits well with the game's vibes. Does that make sense? Probably not, idc.
Don't have much else to add other than the game looks nice (idk man those models are pretty cool) and the music is so soooo good, fits so well with the game's aesthetic and themes.
Game is rather short, probably taking like 2 hours at most, but I don't really mind it. Certain parts definitely do feel like they go by too fast or take too long, and kinda messes with the balance of the playtime taken by each protag. I
Overall, yeah if you wanna play an N64 game you should definitely play this one lol, its great.
2017
A rather short experience, A Mortician's Tale focuses on a mortician, Charlie, as she does her job while also providing players a glimpse into the funeral industry.
Its a good experience! The visuals are cute and the music quite calm and pleasing, fitting the general vibe of the game. Game progression is typically reading your emails and then preparing a body for burial, and then attending said burial to pay your respects.
The gameplay is for the most part simplistic, with the game providing you instructions each step in regards to its main gameplay, that being preparing deceased people for their funerals. The main appeal of the game I personally found was its story and the information it provided about the funeral industry. Its rather interesting, what Charlie goes through as a mortician, the different types of burials, exploitation within the industry, how the people related to the deceased grieve and handle the situation.
My only major problem with the game really is that its quite the short experience; I believe I was about done in less than an hour. It was expected, but it does make me wish for more. It also makes part of a story segment feel a little too sudden than needed.
Overall, its a nice short experience I'd definitely recommend, especially if you're interested in the funeral industry and want to have a little glimpse into what its like. Even if the experience was short, I do think it was a memorable time.
Its a good experience! The visuals are cute and the music quite calm and pleasing, fitting the general vibe of the game. Game progression is typically reading your emails and then preparing a body for burial, and then attending said burial to pay your respects.
The gameplay is for the most part simplistic, with the game providing you instructions each step in regards to its main gameplay, that being preparing deceased people for their funerals. The main appeal of the game I personally found was its story and the information it provided about the funeral industry. Its rather interesting, what Charlie goes through as a mortician, the different types of burials, exploitation within the industry, how the people related to the deceased grieve and handle the situation.
My only major problem with the game really is that its quite the short experience; I believe I was about done in less than an hour. It was expected, but it does make me wish for more. It also makes part of a story segment feel a little too sudden than needed.
Overall, its a nice short experience I'd definitely recommend, especially if you're interested in the funeral industry and want to have a little glimpse into what its like. Even if the experience was short, I do think it was a memorable time.
1998
Bust a Groove 1 review
Time to get your groove on and Bust-A-Move!
Bust a Groove is a typical rhythm game with some added elements taken from fighting games. The gameplay mainly involves around the beat of the song, requiring the player to match the inputs on the screen every fourth beat; you can also perform a “Jammer” attack on your opponent to interrupt them, and similarly you can also avoid their attacks as well. The gameplay is overall fairly simple to learn: aside from what was mentioned above, arrows corresponding to the directions on the D-Pad may also need to be matched before every fourth beat, alongside having to decide what dancing “paths” for further inputs you want to take. but mastering may require more practice; while matching inputs every fourth beat sounds easy on paper, each input becomes increasingly more complex the more you get correct, you need to decide on a dance path on the fly, and you also need to get a feel of the speed of the rhythm of each song. Thankfully there’s a practice mode, so that helps. You also need to avoid attacks from opponents, lest you want your ongoing combo ruined. The game provides more motivation to replay the game in the form of unlocking the secret characters and the dance routines for the character you play as.
There’s a total of 10 characters to choose from alongside four more secret characters, each adopting a specific kind of dancing style. This, and their designs, I feel manage to make the characters a fairly memorable bunch, whose attacks and stage music give a better sense of their personality as well. But even wackier are their backstories: I assume more detail is given in some manual or such for the game, but what’s present in-game definitely can come across as quite odd. Its namely conveyed in the form of CG ending cutscenes each character has, revealing some aspect or backstory of their character.
The main appeal of the game is very clearly the music. The entire OST is honestly just such a banger and makes playing to the rhythm of the beat super exciting. It's easy to find yourself picking a favourite among them, and the distinct style of each song and how well they complement their respective character’s dance routine also helps them to stand out from each other. I definitely find myself coming back to the music every now and then, so even if you decide the game is not for you I would still suggest checking out the soundtrack at least.
The game has its rough spots. The most major issue is certainly not being able to tell if you’ve inputted the arrows correctly: they flash with each beat, but aside from that it's a bit of guesswork to know if you managed to do them correctly before the fourth beat comes around. For me personally, it also made it a bit hard to keep track of what arrows I’ve done the input for so far as the dance paths become more complex. You go through all 10 characters as well as 2 of the secret characters each game session, which can be a bit exhausting for some. The game provides a visual indicator of which beat you’re at in the top left and right of the screen in case you lose track before the next input, but personally I didn’t find it that helpful as my attention was mostly directed towards the inputs shown on screen, and these indicators also act as the number of attacks you have left and disappear once used anyways.
Overall, Bust a Groove’s a simple, fun game with banger songs. I definitely suggest giving it a try if you’re itching for a rhythm game.
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Some extra notes: the english localization changes a few things, the most major being that about four songs were re-recorded in English. They still sound great like the originals personally, so I’d say pick the version of the game that lines up most with your preferences.
Time to get your groove on and Bust-A-Move!
Bust a Groove is a typical rhythm game with some added elements taken from fighting games. The gameplay mainly involves around the beat of the song, requiring the player to match the inputs on the screen every fourth beat; you can also perform a “Jammer” attack on your opponent to interrupt them, and similarly you can also avoid their attacks as well. The gameplay is overall fairly simple to learn: aside from what was mentioned above, arrows corresponding to the directions on the D-Pad may also need to be matched before every fourth beat, alongside having to decide what dancing “paths” for further inputs you want to take. but mastering may require more practice; while matching inputs every fourth beat sounds easy on paper, each input becomes increasingly more complex the more you get correct, you need to decide on a dance path on the fly, and you also need to get a feel of the speed of the rhythm of each song. Thankfully there’s a practice mode, so that helps. You also need to avoid attacks from opponents, lest you want your ongoing combo ruined. The game provides more motivation to replay the game in the form of unlocking the secret characters and the dance routines for the character you play as.
There’s a total of 10 characters to choose from alongside four more secret characters, each adopting a specific kind of dancing style. This, and their designs, I feel manage to make the characters a fairly memorable bunch, whose attacks and stage music give a better sense of their personality as well. But even wackier are their backstories: I assume more detail is given in some manual or such for the game, but what’s present in-game definitely can come across as quite odd. Its namely conveyed in the form of CG ending cutscenes each character has, revealing some aspect or backstory of their character.
The main appeal of the game is very clearly the music. The entire OST is honestly just such a banger and makes playing to the rhythm of the beat super exciting. It's easy to find yourself picking a favourite among them, and the distinct style of each song and how well they complement their respective character’s dance routine also helps them to stand out from each other. I definitely find myself coming back to the music every now and then, so even if you decide the game is not for you I would still suggest checking out the soundtrack at least.
The game has its rough spots. The most major issue is certainly not being able to tell if you’ve inputted the arrows correctly: they flash with each beat, but aside from that it's a bit of guesswork to know if you managed to do them correctly before the fourth beat comes around. For me personally, it also made it a bit hard to keep track of what arrows I’ve done the input for so far as the dance paths become more complex. You go through all 10 characters as well as 2 of the secret characters each game session, which can be a bit exhausting for some. The game provides a visual indicator of which beat you’re at in the top left and right of the screen in case you lose track before the next input, but personally I didn’t find it that helpful as my attention was mostly directed towards the inputs shown on screen, and these indicators also act as the number of attacks you have left and disappear once used anyways.
Overall, Bust a Groove’s a simple, fun game with banger songs. I definitely suggest giving it a try if you’re itching for a rhythm game.
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.
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Some extra notes: the english localization changes a few things, the most major being that about four songs were re-recorded in English. They still sound great like the originals personally, so I’d say pick the version of the game that lines up most with your preferences.
Alttp is a weird one for me in that its a childhood game I used to love but gradually developed a dislike for over the years. This recent playthrough however has helped to dispel most of that dislike, and while its not as fun as it was when I was kid, its still a pretty good time.
It’s also kind of hard to talk about it I guess? Everyone already is aware of what makes it good so to get that out of the way: gameplay is pretty easy to get into with tight controls and fun item variety at your disposal, and the open(ish) world is fun to explore with plenty of secrets (and enemies to beat) with the items at your disposal; progress is never made confusing either, so even if you’re not interested in exploring you’ll know how to reach your destination. The dungeons are kiiiinda hit or miss: I’d say they’re generally fun but some are either unnecessarily frustrating while others are pretty unremarkable. Visuals are still good, so is the music. Pink hair Link is so awesome. The writing is probably the worst part in that its pretty bland, including the dialogue (though, that could be chalked up to the localization, I’m not sure.) Still, it does its job well enough, and the world building is still interesting.
That pretty much summarizes my thoughts on it overall. I’m going to further discuss thoughts about certain aspects including all the dungeons in more depth:
Alttp has a pretty strong introduction by leading you into a dangerous situation immediately. This part always stood out to me, and even for this replay it immediately gripped me. The dungeon within the palace itself isn’t particularly interesting but it gives a solid idea on what to expect while making you get used to the basic controls. It’s after this point that you’re given access to the world at large.
Alttp has two worlds: the light and dark world, with access to the latter one obtained later. The strongest aspect both share is the exploration and the parallels between them. The game does a good job at making its worlds interesting enough for the player to feel willing to explore them, with enough secrets and such to make it worthwhile. While some areas can’t be progressed due to lack of an item or so, you’re generally free to go where you want without any major limitation. This especially is true when you gain access to the dark world, where (most) dungeons can be completed without your progress being impeded by doing so. The parallel aspect also makes for a fun gimmick where affecting one part of a world can allow for progress of some sort in the other. Usually the simplest way this is done is by utilizing the terrain differences between the worlds to reach inaccessible areas: for example, if a cliff with a heartpiece can’t be reached in the light world, the dark world may have a path to that cliff, and once you reach that part, you can use the magic mirror to teleport to that exact location in the light world and get the heartpiece. Other ways this parallel gimmick is involved include interacting with characters in the dark world that are important to someone or someplace in the light world.
Most of the items at your disposal usually prove vital at several points in the game, though this necessarily doesn’t feel balanced or these points of importance are pretty far between. An easy comparison example would be the consistent usefulness of the power glove and its upgrade in reaching inaccessible parts of the world and dungeons, while the bow and arrow generally isn’t required or even particularly useful besides for select instances. Some items quickly lose most of their usefulness either by just not adding much to combat or better options existing. The ice rod particularly bothers me though, for something that seems like an optional item to be obtained only to be revealed its required for a boss way late into the game. Regardless though, even if they may not be required or thoroughly useful you can still make effective use of these items to make combat easier for yourself.
While the writing is on the bland side I think the general atmosphere and world building of alttp makes up for it at least. The legend of the triforce itself is interesting and seeing how the dark world relates to the light world is pretty cool; all the different locations within the game are fun and its cool to stumble upon interesting characters from time to time.
Could just be me, but alttp also has kind of a lonely atmosphere to it that I didn’t feel the same for other zelda games I’ve played. Part of it is probably since you’re branded a criminal at the start of the game, and though most of the npcs are generally nice to you, the light world generally becomes more hostile towards you with the increase in enemies after a certain point and npcs needing to hide. The dark world is hostile from the start, with no real npc that’s friendly besides for a select few who have a quest related to the light word. Most of the npcs that exist in this world only really care about money and will want something from you in return. Most of these reasons is likely why the world of alttp always strikes me as isolating up until the end, I quite like it.
The dungeons are, as said, hit or miss. The first three pendant dungeons are actually one of the more memorable ones for me as I got stuck at them as a kid and were often where I dropped the game on replays. They’re generally basic, serving more to teach the player various gimmicks or item use that can be expected to come up several times in later dungeons. The eastern palace stands out for me a little more due to having the first major boss you fight, where you’re expected to rely on your bow to beat them effectively (even if you can just do it with your sword, if you hate yourself.) The desert palace is, fine. It’s boss(es) is probably one of the ones I least like in the game, weird fucking worm thingy called Lammolas, that can be annoying to hit without getting damaged yourself. Tower of Hera introduces the gimmick with the orb thingies that bring down red or blue blocks which come up several times later in the game, and here its pretty easy to manage. The boss isn’t particularly special other than that you can fall down into a lower level of the dungeon, and the dungeon also has the additional objective of obtaining the moon pearl to actually progress in the game, even if you beat the boss. The road to that tower actually stands out to me more honestly, the location is just interesting even if a bit frustrating to get to, and its also when you first get an experience of the dark world.
The real meat of the dungeon gameplay lies in the dark world with its total of 7 dungeons, of which besides the first and last one you can do in any order.
The Dark Palace isn’t particularly remarkable other than that it makes it clear it and the proceeding dungeons are going to be more advanced than that of the light world’s. The boss also indicates the same, being more visually interesting (imo) and requiring the use of an item to beat it. Swamp Palace is the 2nd dungeon and one I’m fond of, I like its focus on water and swimming and the hookshot grapple you get here I find to be one of the most fun items to use in the game. The boss similarly is fun, requiring use of the hookshot.
I fucking hate Skull Woods. It’s less of a headache on a replay but its still annoying. The forest in the dark world is actually pretty cool looking with the bone theme, with the path leading to the boss being represented by what looks like a creepy looking skull of some alien bug creature. The concept of the dungeon is neat with multiple entrances and exits but it can become frustrating really fast if you happen to lose track of where you’ve been. This gets worse with some of the rooms having a hand that falls down and takes you back to the entrance if you get caught, as well as the several gibdos within the dungeon that need a lot of hits to get rid of. While not specific to it, the holes in this dungeon were also just extra annoying to me honestly, probably just cuz I wasn’t liking the dungeon overall. The boss, Mothula, is one of the more difficult bosses due to the moving spikes. I usually do this dungeon later, after the 4th and 6th one.
Gargoyle’s domain is one of the more interesting ones for me with its parallel to the thief hideout in the light world, while having a boss that was alluded to from a few characters earlier in the game as well. It’s not really remarkable otherwise; the boss ends up being pretty memorable with his initial disguise until you bring him to an empty room (after meeting a certain requirement) to reveal his true form, and its a decently difficult boss fight. I’m not sure if its hinted at ingame, but the way to reveal his true form can be figured out by his name.
The Ice Palace is pretty weird and difficult. The ice physics are super annoying making Link extremely difficult to handle, made worse in rooms filled to the brim with enemies (god bless hookshot grapple for oneshotting the green penguins tho). The boss isn’t too difficult but it does require you to have your magic meter up to get rid of its ice enclosing with the fire rod (the bombos trick makes it significantly easier as you only need to use it twice to get rid of it, then let the eyes have it with the fire rod). Generally people, I included, do the 6th dungeon first just to get the cane of somaria, as it can bypass a block puzzle in the ice palace that requires some backtracking. Apparently this dungeon’s layout was modified a bit for the gba port, that’s funny.
Misery Mire isn’t really that interesting, honestly? It’s layout was a little confusing but that was mostly it. I still like it though, I’m just fond of its look and the colour palette, as well the swamp area the dungeon is located in. The boss is pretty pathetic honestly? It doesn’t really require much thought other than occasionally dodging a hard hitting lightning strike, which is easy. It’s also the third mono-eyed boss for some reason. Turtle Rock has an interesting gimmick using the cane of somaria but its pretty bleh otherwise for me, with the look being that of generic caves found throughout the game and some annoying rooms where lasers can hit you (but this isn’t too difficult to avoid, especially once you get the mirror shield). The boss is similarly pathetic to the previous one, you just have to be careful about your magic use as you need both the ice and fire rods (you get a big refill before the boss room at least).
I’m not a fan of Ganon’s Tower. Something about it just feels less like a solid final dungeon incorporating some gimmicks from previous dungeons (and kind of a boss rush), more like a haphazardly made tower with previous gimmicks slapped onto it for the sake of making a callback to previous dungeons. That’s probably too mean, but something about it just felt too messy and dragged out for my liking. You fight Agahnim again but its weirdly easier this time I believe, depending on your luck you can strike back three of his own projectiles back at him lol. So much for duplicates. The real final boss fight, Ganon, is super cool imo. Its just a fun boss fight set up at the pyramid instead (where you start off in the dark world when continuing a saved game), really cool music and just ganon being a menacing but fun boss fight. There’s a neat trick you can do if you want to make the latter half of it easier, where you light up the bottom left torch before the bottom right one goes out. This makes the bottom left one the only one to go out, making that part of the fight significantly easier to manage.
End credits roll, everyone’s back to being happy. The king is not decomposing anymore. Overall, even if its not the same extreme love I had for it back then, I ended up being fond of alttp again. It has its ups and downs, but I had a good time, and it was nice to feel all that nostalgia of the times I played it and other snes games a child. I’d definitely recommend this game to anyone, even if you end up not liking you can still see how the gameimproved on Zelda 1’s ideas and the series continuing to evolve from here on out. This review was kind of a disorganized mess (much like ganon’s tower), but I conveyed some feelings I very much wanted to just put out there lol.
Oh yeah minish cap is better
It’s also kind of hard to talk about it I guess? Everyone already is aware of what makes it good so to get that out of the way: gameplay is pretty easy to get into with tight controls and fun item variety at your disposal, and the open(ish) world is fun to explore with plenty of secrets (and enemies to beat) with the items at your disposal; progress is never made confusing either, so even if you’re not interested in exploring you’ll know how to reach your destination. The dungeons are kiiiinda hit or miss: I’d say they’re generally fun but some are either unnecessarily frustrating while others are pretty unremarkable. Visuals are still good, so is the music. Pink hair Link is so awesome. The writing is probably the worst part in that its pretty bland, including the dialogue (though, that could be chalked up to the localization, I’m not sure.) Still, it does its job well enough, and the world building is still interesting.
That pretty much summarizes my thoughts on it overall. I’m going to further discuss thoughts about certain aspects including all the dungeons in more depth:
Alttp has a pretty strong introduction by leading you into a dangerous situation immediately. This part always stood out to me, and even for this replay it immediately gripped me. The dungeon within the palace itself isn’t particularly interesting but it gives a solid idea on what to expect while making you get used to the basic controls. It’s after this point that you’re given access to the world at large.
Alttp has two worlds: the light and dark world, with access to the latter one obtained later. The strongest aspect both share is the exploration and the parallels between them. The game does a good job at making its worlds interesting enough for the player to feel willing to explore them, with enough secrets and such to make it worthwhile. While some areas can’t be progressed due to lack of an item or so, you’re generally free to go where you want without any major limitation. This especially is true when you gain access to the dark world, where (most) dungeons can be completed without your progress being impeded by doing so. The parallel aspect also makes for a fun gimmick where affecting one part of a world can allow for progress of some sort in the other. Usually the simplest way this is done is by utilizing the terrain differences between the worlds to reach inaccessible areas: for example, if a cliff with a heartpiece can’t be reached in the light world, the dark world may have a path to that cliff, and once you reach that part, you can use the magic mirror to teleport to that exact location in the light world and get the heartpiece. Other ways this parallel gimmick is involved include interacting with characters in the dark world that are important to someone or someplace in the light world.
Most of the items at your disposal usually prove vital at several points in the game, though this necessarily doesn’t feel balanced or these points of importance are pretty far between. An easy comparison example would be the consistent usefulness of the power glove and its upgrade in reaching inaccessible parts of the world and dungeons, while the bow and arrow generally isn’t required or even particularly useful besides for select instances. Some items quickly lose most of their usefulness either by just not adding much to combat or better options existing. The ice rod particularly bothers me though, for something that seems like an optional item to be obtained only to be revealed its required for a boss way late into the game. Regardless though, even if they may not be required or thoroughly useful you can still make effective use of these items to make combat easier for yourself.
While the writing is on the bland side I think the general atmosphere and world building of alttp makes up for it at least. The legend of the triforce itself is interesting and seeing how the dark world relates to the light world is pretty cool; all the different locations within the game are fun and its cool to stumble upon interesting characters from time to time.
Could just be me, but alttp also has kind of a lonely atmosphere to it that I didn’t feel the same for other zelda games I’ve played. Part of it is probably since you’re branded a criminal at the start of the game, and though most of the npcs are generally nice to you, the light world generally becomes more hostile towards you with the increase in enemies after a certain point and npcs needing to hide. The dark world is hostile from the start, with no real npc that’s friendly besides for a select few who have a quest related to the light word. Most of the npcs that exist in this world only really care about money and will want something from you in return. Most of these reasons is likely why the world of alttp always strikes me as isolating up until the end, I quite like it.
The dungeons are, as said, hit or miss. The first three pendant dungeons are actually one of the more memorable ones for me as I got stuck at them as a kid and were often where I dropped the game on replays. They’re generally basic, serving more to teach the player various gimmicks or item use that can be expected to come up several times in later dungeons. The eastern palace stands out for me a little more due to having the first major boss you fight, where you’re expected to rely on your bow to beat them effectively (even if you can just do it with your sword, if you hate yourself.) The desert palace is, fine. It’s boss(es) is probably one of the ones I least like in the game, weird fucking worm thingy called Lammolas, that can be annoying to hit without getting damaged yourself. Tower of Hera introduces the gimmick with the orb thingies that bring down red or blue blocks which come up several times later in the game, and here its pretty easy to manage. The boss isn’t particularly special other than that you can fall down into a lower level of the dungeon, and the dungeon also has the additional objective of obtaining the moon pearl to actually progress in the game, even if you beat the boss. The road to that tower actually stands out to me more honestly, the location is just interesting even if a bit frustrating to get to, and its also when you first get an experience of the dark world.
The real meat of the dungeon gameplay lies in the dark world with its total of 7 dungeons, of which besides the first and last one you can do in any order.
The Dark Palace isn’t particularly remarkable other than that it makes it clear it and the proceeding dungeons are going to be more advanced than that of the light world’s. The boss also indicates the same, being more visually interesting (imo) and requiring the use of an item to beat it. Swamp Palace is the 2nd dungeon and one I’m fond of, I like its focus on water and swimming and the hookshot grapple you get here I find to be one of the most fun items to use in the game. The boss similarly is fun, requiring use of the hookshot.
I fucking hate Skull Woods. It’s less of a headache on a replay but its still annoying. The forest in the dark world is actually pretty cool looking with the bone theme, with the path leading to the boss being represented by what looks like a creepy looking skull of some alien bug creature. The concept of the dungeon is neat with multiple entrances and exits but it can become frustrating really fast if you happen to lose track of where you’ve been. This gets worse with some of the rooms having a hand that falls down and takes you back to the entrance if you get caught, as well as the several gibdos within the dungeon that need a lot of hits to get rid of. While not specific to it, the holes in this dungeon were also just extra annoying to me honestly, probably just cuz I wasn’t liking the dungeon overall. The boss, Mothula, is one of the more difficult bosses due to the moving spikes. I usually do this dungeon later, after the 4th and 6th one.
Gargoyle’s domain is one of the more interesting ones for me with its parallel to the thief hideout in the light world, while having a boss that was alluded to from a few characters earlier in the game as well. It’s not really remarkable otherwise; the boss ends up being pretty memorable with his initial disguise until you bring him to an empty room (after meeting a certain requirement) to reveal his true form, and its a decently difficult boss fight. I’m not sure if its hinted at ingame, but the way to reveal his true form can be figured out by his name.
The Ice Palace is pretty weird and difficult. The ice physics are super annoying making Link extremely difficult to handle, made worse in rooms filled to the brim with enemies (god bless hookshot grapple for oneshotting the green penguins tho). The boss isn’t too difficult but it does require you to have your magic meter up to get rid of its ice enclosing with the fire rod (the bombos trick makes it significantly easier as you only need to use it twice to get rid of it, then let the eyes have it with the fire rod). Generally people, I included, do the 6th dungeon first just to get the cane of somaria, as it can bypass a block puzzle in the ice palace that requires some backtracking. Apparently this dungeon’s layout was modified a bit for the gba port, that’s funny.
Misery Mire isn’t really that interesting, honestly? It’s layout was a little confusing but that was mostly it. I still like it though, I’m just fond of its look and the colour palette, as well the swamp area the dungeon is located in. The boss is pretty pathetic honestly? It doesn’t really require much thought other than occasionally dodging a hard hitting lightning strike, which is easy. It’s also the third mono-eyed boss for some reason. Turtle Rock has an interesting gimmick using the cane of somaria but its pretty bleh otherwise for me, with the look being that of generic caves found throughout the game and some annoying rooms where lasers can hit you (but this isn’t too difficult to avoid, especially once you get the mirror shield). The boss is similarly pathetic to the previous one, you just have to be careful about your magic use as you need both the ice and fire rods (you get a big refill before the boss room at least).
I’m not a fan of Ganon’s Tower. Something about it just feels less like a solid final dungeon incorporating some gimmicks from previous dungeons (and kind of a boss rush), more like a haphazardly made tower with previous gimmicks slapped onto it for the sake of making a callback to previous dungeons. That’s probably too mean, but something about it just felt too messy and dragged out for my liking. You fight Agahnim again but its weirdly easier this time I believe, depending on your luck you can strike back three of his own projectiles back at him lol. So much for duplicates. The real final boss fight, Ganon, is super cool imo. Its just a fun boss fight set up at the pyramid instead (where you start off in the dark world when continuing a saved game), really cool music and just ganon being a menacing but fun boss fight. There’s a neat trick you can do if you want to make the latter half of it easier, where you light up the bottom left torch before the bottom right one goes out. This makes the bottom left one the only one to go out, making that part of the fight significantly easier to manage.
End credits roll, everyone’s back to being happy. The king is not decomposing anymore. Overall, even if its not the same extreme love I had for it back then, I ended up being fond of alttp again. It has its ups and downs, but I had a good time, and it was nice to feel all that nostalgia of the times I played it and other snes games a child. I’d definitely recommend this game to anyone, even if you end up not liking you can still see how the gameimproved on Zelda 1’s ideas and the series continuing to evolve from here on out. This review was kind of a disorganized mess (much like ganon’s tower), but I conveyed some feelings I very much wanted to just put out there lol.
Oh yeah minish cap is better
2003
Zero 2 review:
This reivew will be based on a recently finished replay:
I’m not really sure why, but Zero 2 really hit me hard this time in the feels. My original sentiment of it being a considerable improvement to 1 still stays true for me, and I feel I come to appreciate its story and characters even more now:
Introduction stage:
Ok, first off, I have to mention the introduction stage, Sand Wilderness. It's probably one of the best starting levels I’ve ever seen in a megaman game, and I even want to say any platformer I’ve played really. Continuing from the ending of 1, we see a now weak Zero with his weapons at the point of breaking and his skills all but gone, amazingly represented through the now worn-out sunscreen from Zero 1; he needs to find the Resistance to have any chance to survive and to find a new purpose. The stage is good at allowing the player to become familiar with the platforming basics and to become accustomed to the Z-saber and Buster quick, with two mini-bosses and one final boss. After the stage, you’re now at the new resistance base, fixed up and with a new subscreen, allowing for a good transition from “old” to “new”.
The major appeal of this stage for me probably has to be the music: the stage theme, Departure, is absolutely beautiful, giving a sense of hope and letting you know that even in his current condition, Zero is still a badass. And I absolutely love the Crash remix they used for the scorpion boss of this stage; it's a bit funny, with how it sounds like it has a banjo incorporated into it now, but it's still a bop to listen to.
Honestly, I’m not sure what else to say about this level: it’s just one of the most incredible opening stages I’ve seen, especially for a sequel.
Gameplay:
Gameplay is solid as usual, similar to Zero 1. Fast paced with the mission requirements for A or S rank providing further incentive to improve. Some new features and changes were however introduced to further enhance the gameplay:
Firstly, the upgrade system of weapons was reworked a bit, with most of the upgrades being related to providing a charge attack and increasing the speed of it.. These aren’t too difficult to obtain depending on how frequently you use these weapons.
Forms were now introduced, each one improving aspects of Zero or providing new skills at the expense of something else being decreased. I find this feature to be great, as it can easily work into a playstyle you’re attempting to achieve or enhance the kind of weapons you typically use with Zero. The X-form for example improves the buster’s damage output while the Active Form increases Zero’s speed and gives him two Z-Saber skills. You do have to work to obtain these forms, usually some form of requirement that needs to be completed by the end of the stage to obtain it. With multiple forms you’re also able to switch between to better fit the situation you’re in during a level.
EX-skills were now also introduced. These are skills you obtain from bosses when you beat them at A or S rank, and can be activated from the sub screen. Another great addition, as it further provides motivation to improve your rank and adds more variety to the gameplay.
Cyber-Elves are the same as they were in Zero 1, with some new cyber elves and others being replaced. The biggest change is that the Energy Crystal requirement was significantly lowered for evolving cyber-elves, making it easier to utilize their help.
There’s better level design generally as well as better level gimmicks compared to Z1, making it really fun to go through them and get to the boss. Difficulty I feel also has increased but aside from a few specific cases the game provides a satisfactory challenge.
Mission structure and World:
Unlike Zero 1, Zero 2 opts for a mission structure more similar to the X and classic games. You’re provided a set of 4 missions to complete each time, with the boss icon, boss name, and area name being shown.
Further significant changes relate to the game world in general: in Zero 1, most areas were connected and so you could traverse them outside missions (with Trans Servers acting as fast travel). Here, you’re only able to explore the resistance base outside missions, with the Command Room allowing you to go through levels you’ve already done before by speaking to the operator to use the Trans Server. I prefer this new change, as I usually didn’t have much incentive to explore outside the resistance base in zero 1 anyways aside from crystal hunting. As such, the resistance base is the main area you can explore outside missions, allowing you to talk to old and new faces since the first game.
This removal of an interconnected world also means that each level acts as its own area with its own unique stage theme, which I personally prefer more. Some stages technically share the same area as a previous level, but you usually explore a completely separate part of that same area that the level still remains unique. The main exception are two forest levels that share the same stage theme, for whatever reason.
Overall, the new mission structure does give off more of a professional or organized feel now, relating to the new and improved resistance base.
Music and Visuals:
My complaint with Zero 1’s music was that in general most of its tracks were good but rather unmemorable. Zero 2 rectifies that issue, with most of its soundtrack being quite memorable and with the change in mission structure providing more focused pieces for specific areas. It hits hard and each track fits the situation they’re used in.
Visuals are mostly the same from Zero 1, sprites and backgrounds are all appealing to look at. A significant change they did do however was change the text box and decrease portrait size, which was for the better and allowed for easier reading.
Story and Characters:
The zero series continues to provide more of a focus on its story and characters, with Zero 2 providing an enjoyable, decent plot with compelling characters and villains. Zero’s a badass, Ciel’s sweet, the remaining Guardians are still interesting, the bosses are cool, the resistance members are all likeable; I especially love Elpizo, the initial resistance leader turned main antagonist. Suiting an awesome design, Elpizo is just a really fun character for me, a person who desires power and eventually becomes corrupted by his desire, realizing how truly pathetic he was. I love him aaaaa
The story also furthers the overall plot, and leaves at a cliffhanger that left me with the urgent desire to immediately start replaying Zero 3. It’s good stuff.
Complaints:
Again, I think the upgrade system could have been removed entirely, but it's less of a hassle in this game I find. The Chain Rod I unfortunately don’t think was a good enough replacement for the Triple Rod. It feels underutilized, and I can only really call using it for really specific situations. I really think they should have implemented it in a better way that allowed for more usage of it.
The forms system, as cool as it is, does feel unbalanced. Some of the requirements for them feel like you can only accomplish through only certain stages or to really commit to it at the possible expense of affecting your rank. Furthermore their usefulness compared to each other feels unbalanced, and made me feel less incentivized to try certain ones out e.g. Active Form felt better to use than say Erase or Power form; admittedly though this I think this also depends on your own playstyle and what weapons you typically use.
NPC dialogue doesn’t seem to advance as much as it did in Zero 1, so for several missions they’re usually stuck with the same dialogue. This is more of a nitpick though I suppose.
While I like the difficulty, there does seem to be some inconsistency with it between levels and bosses. Seriously why is Phoenix Magnion so ruthless lmao. Regardless, I feel it’s more of a nitpick on my part yet again.
Other Notes:
I absolutely love love LOVE Elpizo
Awakening Will as the credits theme was SUCH a good choice.
Conclusion:
Overall, Zero 2 is a considerable improvement over 1 and I think is where the series really started to get its fame of being absolutely great. It's a blast, and if you liked 1 then you’ll definitely love Zero 2.
This reivew will be based on a recently finished replay:
I’m not really sure why, but Zero 2 really hit me hard this time in the feels. My original sentiment of it being a considerable improvement to 1 still stays true for me, and I feel I come to appreciate its story and characters even more now:
Introduction stage:
Ok, first off, I have to mention the introduction stage, Sand Wilderness. It's probably one of the best starting levels I’ve ever seen in a megaman game, and I even want to say any platformer I’ve played really. Continuing from the ending of 1, we see a now weak Zero with his weapons at the point of breaking and his skills all but gone, amazingly represented through the now worn-out sunscreen from Zero 1; he needs to find the Resistance to have any chance to survive and to find a new purpose. The stage is good at allowing the player to become familiar with the platforming basics and to become accustomed to the Z-saber and Buster quick, with two mini-bosses and one final boss. After the stage, you’re now at the new resistance base, fixed up and with a new subscreen, allowing for a good transition from “old” to “new”.
The major appeal of this stage for me probably has to be the music: the stage theme, Departure, is absolutely beautiful, giving a sense of hope and letting you know that even in his current condition, Zero is still a badass. And I absolutely love the Crash remix they used for the scorpion boss of this stage; it's a bit funny, with how it sounds like it has a banjo incorporated into it now, but it's still a bop to listen to.
Honestly, I’m not sure what else to say about this level: it’s just one of the most incredible opening stages I’ve seen, especially for a sequel.
Gameplay:
Gameplay is solid as usual, similar to Zero 1. Fast paced with the mission requirements for A or S rank providing further incentive to improve. Some new features and changes were however introduced to further enhance the gameplay:
Firstly, the upgrade system of weapons was reworked a bit, with most of the upgrades being related to providing a charge attack and increasing the speed of it.. These aren’t too difficult to obtain depending on how frequently you use these weapons.
Forms were now introduced, each one improving aspects of Zero or providing new skills at the expense of something else being decreased. I find this feature to be great, as it can easily work into a playstyle you’re attempting to achieve or enhance the kind of weapons you typically use with Zero. The X-form for example improves the buster’s damage output while the Active Form increases Zero’s speed and gives him two Z-Saber skills. You do have to work to obtain these forms, usually some form of requirement that needs to be completed by the end of the stage to obtain it. With multiple forms you’re also able to switch between to better fit the situation you’re in during a level.
EX-skills were now also introduced. These are skills you obtain from bosses when you beat them at A or S rank, and can be activated from the sub screen. Another great addition, as it further provides motivation to improve your rank and adds more variety to the gameplay.
Cyber-Elves are the same as they were in Zero 1, with some new cyber elves and others being replaced. The biggest change is that the Energy Crystal requirement was significantly lowered for evolving cyber-elves, making it easier to utilize their help.
There’s better level design generally as well as better level gimmicks compared to Z1, making it really fun to go through them and get to the boss. Difficulty I feel also has increased but aside from a few specific cases the game provides a satisfactory challenge.
Mission structure and World:
Unlike Zero 1, Zero 2 opts for a mission structure more similar to the X and classic games. You’re provided a set of 4 missions to complete each time, with the boss icon, boss name, and area name being shown.
Further significant changes relate to the game world in general: in Zero 1, most areas were connected and so you could traverse them outside missions (with Trans Servers acting as fast travel). Here, you’re only able to explore the resistance base outside missions, with the Command Room allowing you to go through levels you’ve already done before by speaking to the operator to use the Trans Server. I prefer this new change, as I usually didn’t have much incentive to explore outside the resistance base in zero 1 anyways aside from crystal hunting. As such, the resistance base is the main area you can explore outside missions, allowing you to talk to old and new faces since the first game.
This removal of an interconnected world also means that each level acts as its own area with its own unique stage theme, which I personally prefer more. Some stages technically share the same area as a previous level, but you usually explore a completely separate part of that same area that the level still remains unique. The main exception are two forest levels that share the same stage theme, for whatever reason.
Overall, the new mission structure does give off more of a professional or organized feel now, relating to the new and improved resistance base.
Music and Visuals:
My complaint with Zero 1’s music was that in general most of its tracks were good but rather unmemorable. Zero 2 rectifies that issue, with most of its soundtrack being quite memorable and with the change in mission structure providing more focused pieces for specific areas. It hits hard and each track fits the situation they’re used in.
Visuals are mostly the same from Zero 1, sprites and backgrounds are all appealing to look at. A significant change they did do however was change the text box and decrease portrait size, which was for the better and allowed for easier reading.
Story and Characters:
The zero series continues to provide more of a focus on its story and characters, with Zero 2 providing an enjoyable, decent plot with compelling characters and villains. Zero’s a badass, Ciel’s sweet, the remaining Guardians are still interesting, the bosses are cool, the resistance members are all likeable; I especially love Elpizo, the initial resistance leader turned main antagonist. Suiting an awesome design, Elpizo is just a really fun character for me, a person who desires power and eventually becomes corrupted by his desire, realizing how truly pathetic he was. I love him aaaaa
The story also furthers the overall plot, and leaves at a cliffhanger that left me with the urgent desire to immediately start replaying Zero 3. It’s good stuff.
Complaints:
Again, I think the upgrade system could have been removed entirely, but it's less of a hassle in this game I find. The Chain Rod I unfortunately don’t think was a good enough replacement for the Triple Rod. It feels underutilized, and I can only really call using it for really specific situations. I really think they should have implemented it in a better way that allowed for more usage of it.
The forms system, as cool as it is, does feel unbalanced. Some of the requirements for them feel like you can only accomplish through only certain stages or to really commit to it at the possible expense of affecting your rank. Furthermore their usefulness compared to each other feels unbalanced, and made me feel less incentivized to try certain ones out e.g. Active Form felt better to use than say Erase or Power form; admittedly though this I think this also depends on your own playstyle and what weapons you typically use.
NPC dialogue doesn’t seem to advance as much as it did in Zero 1, so for several missions they’re usually stuck with the same dialogue. This is more of a nitpick though I suppose.
While I like the difficulty, there does seem to be some inconsistency with it between levels and bosses. Seriously why is Phoenix Magnion so ruthless lmao. Regardless, I feel it’s more of a nitpick on my part yet again.
Other Notes:
I absolutely love love LOVE Elpizo
Awakening Will as the credits theme was SUCH a good choice.
Conclusion:
Overall, Zero 2 is a considerable improvement over 1 and I think is where the series really started to get its fame of being absolutely great. It's a blast, and if you liked 1 then you’ll definitely love Zero 2.
1993
For most of my playthrough I had mixed feelings about Illusion of Gaia, and ultimately by the end I felt it was an underwhelming experience.
Gameplay, Dungeons:
Illusion of Gaia's strongest aspect is certainly its solid gameplay and well designed dungeons. The game primarily focuses on the dynamic between Will and one of his forms, Freedan the Dark Knight, when it comes to progressing dungeons and solving various puzzles. The strengths and skills of both characters are to be kept in mind to ensure thorough exploration and clearing of enemies, and I appreciate that one form doesn't necessarily make the other useless for that reason. The game also does not have a typical leveling system, instead encouraging the player to beat all enemies in an area to gain stat upgrades. I found it to be a good system that also ensured the player gets a good grip on combat and handling of the various enemies, and because of this system, exploration of dungeons also feels more natural. This way the player is both rewarded with stat upgrades and various treasures found through exploring.
Dungeons were probably my favourite part. I appreciate the variety in both aesthetic and enemies, keeping the experience fresh, and each dungeon has its own puzzle gimmick as well, none of which really frustrated me. The Sky Dungeon is definitely my favourite~
Boss fights tend to be on the difficult side, although the challenge certainly isn't consistent. That said, I found them fun, but there is a focus on pattern memorization that may lead to more trial and error than necessary with them. I also wish that there were more bosses, but ah well.
Shadow is the second form you obtained, and while he is fun to use, I do wish he could be obtained earlier. His lack of skills aside from the Aura (why it's used as an item, I have no idea) compared to Will and Freedan's rounded out repertoire also makes him feel more underwhelming than needed.
Story, Characters, and World:
The weaker aspects of the game relate to its story and characters mainly. It's just....kind of boring, honestly. There were a lot of interesting plot points the game explores, and there's a focus on the theme of light and dark as well the coming-of-age of Will and his friend group. It was handled in a way that didn't really keep me engaged; progression felt more abrupt than natural and some things just kinda happen, really.
I think a big part as to why I felt this way was that the characters themselves are for the most part, uninteresting too. Your group of friends show promising potential for character growth, but it never really gets explored or its just the bare minimum. It really just feels like they're there for plot progression only, sharing almost no interesting insights on what occurs around them nor do they seem to feel any sort of impact from them. Seth probably gets the worst of it. The most interesting I found were Lily, due in part how often she accompanies you in your journey, and Kara, the main heroine who actually does have decent character growth, and a developing relationship with Will. Overall, they're probably the most underwhelming aspect of this game.
What the game does better however is its world building and it's relation to the "dark" and "light" sides of human society. No two locations are the same, allowing us to see a variety of different aesthetics and cultures to each city. It helps that they tend to be interesting settings, such as the floating rafts of Watermia or the underground homes of the Angel Tribe. Most of these settings also show a "dark" side to them, which is to the evils or misfortunes of society. Slavery, Cannibalism, Suicide, stuff like that. It can come across jarring, going from more of a peaceful happy tone to this darker sad tone abruptly, but I feel that was the intention and as such, I appreciate the idea.
Other Notes:
The game is super linear and doesn't allow for much backtracking, however I believe there's an extra dungeon and bosses if you get all 50 red jewels. I didn't get them all, so I can't comment on it unfortunately.
Overall:
If I were to recommend Illusion of Gaia, it would be primarily for its gameplay really. The story and characters are unimpressive to say the least, so don't expect much in that regard.
Gameplay, Dungeons:
Illusion of Gaia's strongest aspect is certainly its solid gameplay and well designed dungeons. The game primarily focuses on the dynamic between Will and one of his forms, Freedan the Dark Knight, when it comes to progressing dungeons and solving various puzzles. The strengths and skills of both characters are to be kept in mind to ensure thorough exploration and clearing of enemies, and I appreciate that one form doesn't necessarily make the other useless for that reason. The game also does not have a typical leveling system, instead encouraging the player to beat all enemies in an area to gain stat upgrades. I found it to be a good system that also ensured the player gets a good grip on combat and handling of the various enemies, and because of this system, exploration of dungeons also feels more natural. This way the player is both rewarded with stat upgrades and various treasures found through exploring.
Dungeons were probably my favourite part. I appreciate the variety in both aesthetic and enemies, keeping the experience fresh, and each dungeon has its own puzzle gimmick as well, none of which really frustrated me. The Sky Dungeon is definitely my favourite~
Boss fights tend to be on the difficult side, although the challenge certainly isn't consistent. That said, I found them fun, but there is a focus on pattern memorization that may lead to more trial and error than necessary with them. I also wish that there were more bosses, but ah well.
Shadow is the second form you obtained, and while he is fun to use, I do wish he could be obtained earlier. His lack of skills aside from the Aura (why it's used as an item, I have no idea) compared to Will and Freedan's rounded out repertoire also makes him feel more underwhelming than needed.
Story, Characters, and World:
The weaker aspects of the game relate to its story and characters mainly. It's just....kind of boring, honestly. There were a lot of interesting plot points the game explores, and there's a focus on the theme of light and dark as well the coming-of-age of Will and his friend group. It was handled in a way that didn't really keep me engaged; progression felt more abrupt than natural and some things just kinda happen, really.
I think a big part as to why I felt this way was that the characters themselves are for the most part, uninteresting too. Your group of friends show promising potential for character growth, but it never really gets explored or its just the bare minimum. It really just feels like they're there for plot progression only, sharing almost no interesting insights on what occurs around them nor do they seem to feel any sort of impact from them. Seth probably gets the worst of it. The most interesting I found were Lily, due in part how often she accompanies you in your journey, and Kara, the main heroine who actually does have decent character growth, and a developing relationship with Will. Overall, they're probably the most underwhelming aspect of this game.
What the game does better however is its world building and it's relation to the "dark" and "light" sides of human society. No two locations are the same, allowing us to see a variety of different aesthetics and cultures to each city. It helps that they tend to be interesting settings, such as the floating rafts of Watermia or the underground homes of the Angel Tribe. Most of these settings also show a "dark" side to them, which is to the evils or misfortunes of society. Slavery, Cannibalism, Suicide, stuff like that. It can come across jarring, going from more of a peaceful happy tone to this darker sad tone abruptly, but I feel that was the intention and as such, I appreciate the idea.
Other Notes:
The game is super linear and doesn't allow for much backtracking, however I believe there's an extra dungeon and bosses if you get all 50 red jewels. I didn't get them all, so I can't comment on it unfortunately.
Overall:
If I were to recommend Illusion of Gaia, it would be primarily for its gameplay really. The story and characters are unimpressive to say the least, so don't expect much in that regard.
RIDE THROUGH GRAVITY
Going from an air focused approach to a gravity approach comes Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity.
Zero Gravity can be said to be more a simplified Riders 1 by its toning down of the previous game's mechanics and easy to understand new gravity gimmicks (also helps it has a detailed tutorial, thank god). Is it still a good time? Hell yeah.
The gameplay, rather than aiming to enhance on what Riders 1 did, instead aims towards gameplay surrounding the gravity gimmick, and as such has a lot more distinct playing experience from riders 1. While riders 1 gives you a lot of freedom with its air and trick mechanics, ZG is more automated with a bigger emphasis on timing and quick thinking, I would argue. It also has a slower pace going for it (with the gravity gimmicks literally putting you in slow motion for a split second before boosting you off). I feel like for the above reasons there's also a heavier focus on memorizing stage layout to better utilize them.
The story is a little more serious this time with a heavier focus on the babylonians' history this time; the characters are back again, expressive as usual (although a smidge bit less than riders 1 to fit with ZG's tone) and an interesting story, although I do wish there was focus on the characters' rivalries again (besides sonic and jet of course). That said, it's a good time.
The style and vibes are IMMACULATE: ZG has a far more apparent futuristic techno aesthetic, from the menus to the settings to the gears and its all done super well, and its music and sound design is so great and aaa a a aa a I vibe with it so hard.
The main complaints with this game really come down to its gameplay when compared to Riders 1, but even then I'm unsure if I necessarily dislike it more. Both take on a different approach to racing that I just have to switch my mindset depending on which one I'm playing, and I can enjoy both thoroughly. That said, I'm still bummed about some of the changes: air boosting is entirely gone which makes attempts a catch up a little more hard, tricks are automated so you entirely have to rely on jump timing to get good trick scores, e.t.c. e.t.c. ; to put it short, ZG feels more restricted than Riders 1 and while that seemed to be the intention its not one I particularly like.
Regardless, I do think overall ZG's a good fun time :) I'll definitely be replaying it from time to time.
Going from an air focused approach to a gravity approach comes Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity.
Zero Gravity can be said to be more a simplified Riders 1 by its toning down of the previous game's mechanics and easy to understand new gravity gimmicks (also helps it has a detailed tutorial, thank god). Is it still a good time? Hell yeah.
The gameplay, rather than aiming to enhance on what Riders 1 did, instead aims towards gameplay surrounding the gravity gimmick, and as such has a lot more distinct playing experience from riders 1. While riders 1 gives you a lot of freedom with its air and trick mechanics, ZG is more automated with a bigger emphasis on timing and quick thinking, I would argue. It also has a slower pace going for it (with the gravity gimmicks literally putting you in slow motion for a split second before boosting you off). I feel like for the above reasons there's also a heavier focus on memorizing stage layout to better utilize them.
The story is a little more serious this time with a heavier focus on the babylonians' history this time; the characters are back again, expressive as usual (although a smidge bit less than riders 1 to fit with ZG's tone) and an interesting story, although I do wish there was focus on the characters' rivalries again (besides sonic and jet of course). That said, it's a good time.
The style and vibes are IMMACULATE: ZG has a far more apparent futuristic techno aesthetic, from the menus to the settings to the gears and its all done super well, and its music and sound design is so great and aaa a a aa a I vibe with it so hard.
The main complaints with this game really come down to its gameplay when compared to Riders 1, but even then I'm unsure if I necessarily dislike it more. Both take on a different approach to racing that I just have to switch my mindset depending on which one I'm playing, and I can enjoy both thoroughly. That said, I'm still bummed about some of the changes: air boosting is entirely gone which makes attempts a catch up a little more hard, tricks are automated so you entirely have to rely on jump timing to get good trick scores, e.t.c. e.t.c. ; to put it short, ZG feels more restricted than Riders 1 and while that seemed to be the intention its not one I particularly like.
Regardless, I do think overall ZG's a good fun time :) I'll definitely be replaying it from time to time.