Fuzzman
Continuing to dive into the Sony platformers, I decided to check out Sly Cooper since it interested me the most now that I've completed the Spyro trilogy. I chose well, as right off the bat I found myself getting hooked into this game with its fun characters and comic book presentation. I hear nothing but good things about the sequels too, and considering how much I enjoyed this one I'm definitely excited to experience them.
A fun platformer, and definitely the most enjoyable Mickey game I've played thus far. The costumes keep gameplay fun, and Mickey's grab move was a welcome surprise off the heels of World of Illusion. Bosses broke my ankles a bit but I enjoyed em all the same. All in all, very solid!
1998
What this game lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in quality. Despite there being only 8 tracks, the tight controls made learning and mastering each of these tracks a blast. Pair the tight gameplay with the impressive PSX visuals and legendary soundtrack, and it's not hard to see why people are still raving about this one to this day.
An alright little platformer with charming presentation. Some of the level design is a bit odd. Not as fun as Mickey Mania or Castle of Illusion, but still alright.
Sonic Spinball is a fun idea in concept, but in execution it's frustrating beyond belief. Collecting emeralds in this game is almost puzzle-esque, but Sonic's terrible physics get in the way of any potential fun to be had figuring out how these levels work. Game's way too punishing as well, one slip-up can send you back to the start of the stage. Not too fun, but not the worst.
An incredibly good platformer that needed some extra time in the oven.
The gameplay fundamentals of this game are some of the most enjoyable I've seen from a platformer in a long time - it's all about learning how to optimize your movement and getting a feel for the controls. Save for some minor grievances with control feel and wishing there was a bit more variety with level structure and bosses, the main thing that I feel could dock this game some points for people is the lack of polish. There are a few bugs that can lead to death, which I can see frustrating people. They didn't bother me too much, but I'd hate for a very fun game's reputation to be soured by something like this when it's overall quite good.
The gameplay fundamentals of this game are some of the most enjoyable I've seen from a platformer in a long time - it's all about learning how to optimize your movement and getting a feel for the controls. Save for some minor grievances with control feel and wishing there was a bit more variety with level structure and bosses, the main thing that I feel could dock this game some points for people is the lack of polish. There are a few bugs that can lead to death, which I can see frustrating people. They didn't bother me too much, but I'd hate for a very fun game's reputation to be soured by something like this when it's overall quite good.
2021
I haven't dropped a game in a long time. Balan Wonderworld changed that.
As a longtime fan of Sonic Team's work, I was absolutely stoked to hear that Sonic series creators Yuji Naka and Naoto Oshima were returning to collaborate again after years of separation. That optimism turned to skepticism the moment I saw this game in motion, and skepticism to disappointment when the reviews started rolling in. This game quickly became the biggest joke on the block, and after all this time I wondered, "could it truly have been that bad?" After all, I still enjoyed many of Naka's other projects despite their shortcomings. I decided to give Balan Wonderworld an honest shot. Big mistake.
This game forgoes so many 3D platformer game design hallmarks and traditions to the point where I have to wonder if the team persued feedback on certain things. The first and possibly largest offense - mapping everything to one button. Everything. Jumping, attacking, menu navigation - every button does the same thing, even the triggers. This proves to be incredibly tedious and frustrating as time goes on.
The second worst thing this game does just so happens to be its central mechanic, the outfit/powerup system. Powerups are incredibly situational and specific, and there are far too many for the game's own good. Half of them could have been meshed into singular, more versatile powerups - not only to mitigate the tedium of using them, but to lend themselves to more interesting stage mechanics and puzzles. Combine their one-note gimmicky nature with the fact that every button has one function, and that's where this game's faults peek through in plain sight. Have a powerup that focuses on attack? You can no longer jump until you find a powerup that allows for it.
Balan also likes to hide its secrets behind these powerups. Stages often hide their collectibles in plain sight, but require the use of an ability that you haven't encountered yet. This makes completing stages nigh unbearable. Other games hide their secrets similarly, but newfound abilities are typically integrated of into player's move set. Balan decides to take a decidedly more complicated approach, requiring the use of a changing room to swap outfits. On paper this isn't too bad an idea - but the fact that outfits are based on stock and must be individually collected from other stages is where Balan's progression becomes a lot more grating.
Music and visuals are nothing to write home about at all. Stage themes are uninteresting and cluttered, the general visual style is flat and uninteresting, and every tune went in one ear and out the other. Sadly ironic, considering that music and visuals were consistently some of the best parts of Naka and Oshima's previous works. The character designs are a treat to look at, but without appealing environments to stage them in I just find myself wishing they were in a better game.
All in all, this game drained me like few things have before and I only managed to get halfway. I need a palette cleanser. Time to start Spyro 2.
As a longtime fan of Sonic Team's work, I was absolutely stoked to hear that Sonic series creators Yuji Naka and Naoto Oshima were returning to collaborate again after years of separation. That optimism turned to skepticism the moment I saw this game in motion, and skepticism to disappointment when the reviews started rolling in. This game quickly became the biggest joke on the block, and after all this time I wondered, "could it truly have been that bad?" After all, I still enjoyed many of Naka's other projects despite their shortcomings. I decided to give Balan Wonderworld an honest shot. Big mistake.
This game forgoes so many 3D platformer game design hallmarks and traditions to the point where I have to wonder if the team persued feedback on certain things. The first and possibly largest offense - mapping everything to one button. Everything. Jumping, attacking, menu navigation - every button does the same thing, even the triggers. This proves to be incredibly tedious and frustrating as time goes on.
The second worst thing this game does just so happens to be its central mechanic, the outfit/powerup system. Powerups are incredibly situational and specific, and there are far too many for the game's own good. Half of them could have been meshed into singular, more versatile powerups - not only to mitigate the tedium of using them, but to lend themselves to more interesting stage mechanics and puzzles. Combine their one-note gimmicky nature with the fact that every button has one function, and that's where this game's faults peek through in plain sight. Have a powerup that focuses on attack? You can no longer jump until you find a powerup that allows for it.
Balan also likes to hide its secrets behind these powerups. Stages often hide their collectibles in plain sight, but require the use of an ability that you haven't encountered yet. This makes completing stages nigh unbearable. Other games hide their secrets similarly, but newfound abilities are typically integrated of into player's move set. Balan decides to take a decidedly more complicated approach, requiring the use of a changing room to swap outfits. On paper this isn't too bad an idea - but the fact that outfits are based on stock and must be individually collected from other stages is where Balan's progression becomes a lot more grating.
Music and visuals are nothing to write home about at all. Stage themes are uninteresting and cluttered, the general visual style is flat and uninteresting, and every tune went in one ear and out the other. Sadly ironic, considering that music and visuals were consistently some of the best parts of Naka and Oshima's previous works. The character designs are a treat to look at, but without appealing environments to stage them in I just find myself wishing they were in a better game.
All in all, this game drained me like few things have before and I only managed to get halfway. I need a palette cleanser. Time to start Spyro 2.
2023
A game that pays homage to its inspirations while building on their best ideas. The movement is slick and addictive, the music bangs and it even has more of a story-driven edge. I don't need to say any more, this one's really damn good.
2001
A pretty good time! Camera ticked me off at times but it wasn't enough to stop me from enjoying it overall. A pretty good first game in a series that leaves me curious on how things shape up from here.
A really good time! My first - and for a while, only - exposure to the series was 1/2 Genie Hero, which I didn't feel too strongly about. Word of mouth led me to this game, which I'm thoroughly glad I gave a shot. There's still many other games like it that I prefer, but it's a great time all the same. The visuals remind me of Sega Saturn platformers, which is a plus in my book, and of course with Jake Kaufman on the music the soundtrack was a jam all the way through.
After first playing this game through the Reverie remake, I decided to come back to the OG PSX version. Great idea on my behalf, because the visual presentation of this game still blows any of the remakes out of the water. They're still a perfectly fine way to experience Klonoa, but I highly recommend playing the original release of at least this one to get a good grasp on the kind of vibe this game is going for. The pre-rendered scenes and visual style add a lot, trust me.
1993
A very simple yet fun and flashy run n' gun with great music. Treasure really got the most out of the Genesis here, this game is impressive on all fronts. Highly recommended if you've ever got an hour or so to spare
1995
i sure did just play tempo jr
So far, Zelda has never disappointed. Equipped with one of my favorite tool sets to date, Minish Cap tosses all sorts of intricately designed dungeons and well-hidden secrets at you at every turn. There was never a dull moment to be had here. The kinstone system served as a unique way to handle progression and secrets, though finding people to fuse them with was a bit tedious at times. The classic 2D Zelda formula is tweaked and streamlined here in ways that make it the most enjoyable experience I've had with it to date.
Overall a wonderful time, definitely piques my interest in other 2D titles (and makes me want to see Nintendo toss their IP to other studios) even more.
Overall a wonderful time, definitely piques my interest in other 2D titles (and makes me want to see Nintendo toss their IP to other studios) even more.
Aside from being an outstanding remaster, Metroid Prime is just a damn good game. It's amazing how well they adapted the formula into 3D on the first try, even bringing new mechanics to the table that utilize the 3rd dimension to its fullest such as the visors and Spider Ball. I wish I'd played this one sooner honestly