The swan song to Cuphead was a big, chunky one for only $8. Shitty anime fighters charge more than that for a single character! Now ain't that a bitch? The entire 4th Inkwell Isle has its own series of unique surprises, secrets, and content that bleed over to the original game including new weapons, new abilities, and Chalice herself as a playable character with her own fundamentals.
The bosses in this new DLC are the highlight, of course, and don't disappoint for the most part. The final boss was especially a delight. My one complaint regarding the DLC bosses, they seem to rely a bit too much on RNG and making a mess of hitboxes on the screen. Much more than the original game's bosses, at least. It feels slightly less fair and fun to learn overall, I think.
Even so, this last course was indeed delicious with its peak artistry and catchy tunes all harking back to the era of classic cartoons and vaudeville nonsense. I look forward to whatever it is MDHR have planned next.
The bosses in this new DLC are the highlight, of course, and don't disappoint for the most part. The final boss was especially a delight. My one complaint regarding the DLC bosses, they seem to rely a bit too much on RNG and making a mess of hitboxes on the screen. Much more than the original game's bosses, at least. It feels slightly less fair and fun to learn overall, I think.
Even so, this last course was indeed delicious with its peak artistry and catchy tunes all harking back to the era of classic cartoons and vaudeville nonsense. I look forward to whatever it is MDHR have planned next.
2010
Amazing mod. Everyone needs to play it. Kind of hilarious how it serves as both a very dumb joke, but also a challenge for people that want to see how far they can get without collecting rings.
2011
As far as Kinect games go, Gunstringer at least gained a reputation of actually being decent. Instead of going for the most obvious gimmicks that plagued the Kinect's library that mostly consisted of awkward theme park attractions that unveil why the line was so short, this game found inspiration from the universal "fingerguns" gesture and formed the entire game around that.
With that said, it gets repetitive and aiming feels a bit sluggish. Even so, it's carried by the humor and creativity on display as this kooky, family-friendly spaghetti Western.
There were few attempts to make a rail shooter out of Xbox 360's shoddy peripheral, but this game was probably the best one could possibly be.
With that said, it gets repetitive and aiming feels a bit sluggish. Even so, it's carried by the humor and creativity on display as this kooky, family-friendly spaghetti Western.
There were few attempts to make a rail shooter out of Xbox 360's shoddy peripheral, but this game was probably the best one could possibly be.
A significant change in direction and tone for the franchise, The House of the Dead III was somewhat more gritty, and took itself a bit more seriously than the previous titles. At least, that's how I see it. The zombies are gorier, there's less kooky types of enemies (but still present. A zombie security guard the size of building with a skull-bejeweled club and a big stupid-ass Sloth is still goofy stuff) and the story seems to try taking itself more seriously, topped off with voice-acting that sounds more genuine and with a sense of direction.
The gameplay itself is still rock solid, despite the shotgun being so big and bulky. I also like how much more score-oriented this game is compared to the 2nd title, encouraging quick kills and finding collectables. All-in-all, it's a fine entry to the series, and the end of this franchise's high-point, in my opinion.
Also, all the zombies sound like dogs and monkeys.
The gameplay itself is still rock solid, despite the shotgun being so big and bulky. I also like how much more score-oriented this game is compared to the 2nd title, encouraging quick kills and finding collectables. All-in-all, it's a fine entry to the series, and the end of this franchise's high-point, in my opinion.
Also, all the zombies sound like dogs and monkeys.
A goofy sidepiece that feels like it would've been part of the complete package, were it for not being part of the 8th generation of consoles and not the 5th or 6th. The Executioner scenario has a bit of intrigue, but it mostly just plays with an already established world in order to scream and spill blood. Playing as box head is fun to a degree, but gets a bit monotonous, especially having to see the same animations, gratifying as they are . . . you know, the first couple times. He really should have like 5 or 6 more just so it doesn't get so old so quickly.
Barely any story lore to speak of, it's hard to even consider it canonical, but I suppose one can see it as the STEM corporation taking volunteers at a low point in life, trying to find a means of escape, much like Ruvik was . . . I guess.
The extra scenario of having to fight a very capable Sebastian was also pretty funny. In the end, I will always encourage goofy, bonus content like this, and still appreciate what they were going for . . . the final boss fucking sucks ass, though.
Barely any story lore to speak of, it's hard to even consider it canonical, but I suppose one can see it as the STEM corporation taking volunteers at a low point in life, trying to find a means of escape, much like Ruvik was . . . I guess.
The extra scenario of having to fight a very capable Sebastian was also pretty funny. In the end, I will always encourage goofy, bonus content like this, and still appreciate what they were going for . . . the final boss fucking sucks ass, though.
2000
The only other taxi game in existence that isn't called Crazy Taxi. Other ones probably do exist, but I've never heard of any besides Smashing Drive. Even so, it doesn't play like Crazy Taxi, having a much more linear design and objective. Basically there's only 3 main courses, with their own tracks, and it's up to you to figure the best way to go while seeing the giant upgrade bubbles on display.
The game basically encourages you to try going for any alternate route you can find, as your "competitor" bot takes the boring route, but that's mostly a non-issue as the time is your real enemy. Alternate routes usually help you reach your destination at a faster time, and they're also the more exciting paths as well.
Not too much to say about the game in general. It's alright to play, but nothing too remarkable either. The soundtrack has this weird alt-techno/rock vibe that sounds insanely y2k. I think this game was trying to depict a taxi cab of the future, but even that I'm not sure about.
The game basically encourages you to try going for any alternate route you can find, as your "competitor" bot takes the boring route, but that's mostly a non-issue as the time is your real enemy. Alternate routes usually help you reach your destination at a faster time, and they're also the more exciting paths as well.
Not too much to say about the game in general. It's alright to play, but nothing too remarkable either. The soundtrack has this weird alt-techno/rock vibe that sounds insanely y2k. I think this game was trying to depict a taxi cab of the future, but even that I'm not sure about.
A bowling alley I frequented as a kid had an arcade cabinet of X-Men: Children of the Atom. I was no good, in fact I recall consistently losing to Spiral. I don't think I ever even fought anyone else, I just liked mashing buttons as Wolverine or Cyclops.
Going back to it, I adore the presentation. All the sound effects are nice and punchy, and the backgrounds have so much going on while having tons of callbacks to the cartoon and comics. Wonderful fan service all-around, glazed with fantastic sprite work. I don't know the second thing about fighting games, but I don't care. X-Men: Children of the Atom rocks.
Going back to it, I adore the presentation. All the sound effects are nice and punchy, and the backgrounds have so much going on while having tons of callbacks to the cartoon and comics. Wonderful fan service all-around, glazed with fantastic sprite work. I don't know the second thing about fighting games, but I don't care. X-Men: Children of the Atom rocks.
2007
Gameplay: Explosive action
Characters: Explosive racism
Overall: Okay I guess
Okay, I'll actually review Crackdown. It's a neat world to hop around and blow shit up. Leveling up your skills feels pretty satisfying, but the gameplay stays mostly the same from beginning to end. You can get a flow of the monotony, turn on a podcast or something, and sink hours into the campaign. Especially since the game has no music or even interesting atmosphere to speak of.
While it's called "Crackdown" I only "crack up" at how dumb all the stereotypical boss profiles are. "Juan Mendez Escobar is head of cocaine distributions of his failed night club. Hang Wang Wei-Shin is the leader of the Shai-Gen, and knows the secret of underground martial arts." Fucking ridiculous shit lmao
Characters: Explosive racism
Overall: Okay I guess
Okay, I'll actually review Crackdown. It's a neat world to hop around and blow shit up. Leveling up your skills feels pretty satisfying, but the gameplay stays mostly the same from beginning to end. You can get a flow of the monotony, turn on a podcast or something, and sink hours into the campaign. Especially since the game has no music or even interesting atmosphere to speak of.
While it's called "Crackdown" I only "crack up" at how dumb all the stereotypical boss profiles are. "Juan Mendez Escobar is head of cocaine distributions of his failed night club. Hang Wang Wei-Shin is the leader of the Shai-Gen, and knows the secret of underground martial arts." Fucking ridiculous shit lmao
2007
The flaming shipwreck that catapulted the conversation of "are games art?" into mainstream. Bioshock might not be the first game that really provided an integral story spearheaded by an auteur creative, but it's certainly represents many people's first time experiencing such and being aware of that. It probably helps that it launched on a console as huge as the Xbox 360 the same time it hit PC.
Ultimately, it's a rowdy, noisy game that calling it 'messy' is an understatement, but that's sort of what I enjoy the most in Bioshock. Even its gameplay dons the atmosphere of an underwater city ruined and pillaged by mutated psychopaths. The core gameplay isn't that well-paced, but it certainly gives you a lot to do exploring the areas of the town. It's also full of neat little touches I appreciate, like how most things are movable, or how weapon upgrades visually change the way your gun looks, things like that.
The story itself is also fun to experience, I think. Not everything about it works, but enough does. It serves as a fine analog of how individuality and self-worth can destroy someone and their ambitions, if not kept in check. Something we're seeing . . . often these days. Huh.
Ultimately, it's a rowdy, noisy game that calling it 'messy' is an understatement, but that's sort of what I enjoy the most in Bioshock. Even its gameplay dons the atmosphere of an underwater city ruined and pillaged by mutated psychopaths. The core gameplay isn't that well-paced, but it certainly gives you a lot to do exploring the areas of the town. It's also full of neat little touches I appreciate, like how most things are movable, or how weapon upgrades visually change the way your gun looks, things like that.
The story itself is also fun to experience, I think. Not everything about it works, but enough does. It serves as a fine analog of how individuality and self-worth can destroy someone and their ambitions, if not kept in check. Something we're seeing . . . often these days. Huh.
1997
Compared to the original game, Rampage: World Tour was a complete overhaul that simply improved the foundation already set by the original 1986 game. Including but not limited to;
-Faster gameplay
-More responsive controls
-More combat options
-Unique, cartoonish art style
-Hot scientist lady with big tits: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dt3dro_WkAEKCTD.jpg
-3D renders of monsters transitioned into sprites
-Music (original game didn't even have that lol)
So yeah, that's awesome! The problem is, the core gameplay itself is something that can't really keep my attention for more than a few minutes. However, I played this a LOT as a kid, so it was probably something with mainly kids in mind. Although I can't even imagine a kid really sitting through 100+ stages at an arcade.
It's just a game where it's not really destined to be a long-lasting experience, just something closer to the idea of 'video game made up for TV show.' If that makes sense. Still, for what it is . . . it's alright.
-Faster gameplay
-More responsive controls
-More combat options
-Unique, cartoonish art style
-Hot scientist lady with big tits: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dt3dro_WkAEKCTD.jpg
-3D renders of monsters transitioned into sprites
-Music (original game didn't even have that lol)
So yeah, that's awesome! The problem is, the core gameplay itself is something that can't really keep my attention for more than a few minutes. However, I played this a LOT as a kid, so it was probably something with mainly kids in mind. Although I can't even imagine a kid really sitting through 100+ stages at an arcade.
It's just a game where it's not really destined to be a long-lasting experience, just something closer to the idea of 'video game made up for TV show.' If that makes sense. Still, for what it is . . . it's alright.
2013
An extremely satisfying roguelike that has great variety which easily insists on multiple playthroughs, Risk of Rain is a blast to play, especially with friends. It takes some time to understand the mechanics, and unlocking characters can be a bit of a chore, but damn is it good once you find your favorite explorer! Even more when you get those ace upgrades that help you lay waste on the otherworldly beasts.
Getting 3 other friends together and optimizing strategy as the worlds and enemies get tougher as you progress is so damn satisfying, and I love the art style. Your characters look so damn tiny, while the bosses are these gigantic, gorgeous sprites with great animation. It's always a sight to behold as you try your best to tear them down! Oh, and the music is tight.
Getting 3 other friends together and optimizing strategy as the worlds and enemies get tougher as you progress is so damn satisfying, and I love the art style. Your characters look so damn tiny, while the bosses are these gigantic, gorgeous sprites with great animation. It's always a sight to behold as you try your best to tear them down! Oh, and the music is tight.
2003
Continuing this line of sequels without the original team, Metal Slug 5 is a sequel that feels entirely different from Metal Slug 4. It bares many things that MS4 lacked, but lacks in other ways as well.
A lot of the stages feel a bit barren, as if there must've been more planned for the areas, but the game was rushed out to meet a deadline (which is what happened). There's a lot more unique enemies that aren't 'just' recycled sprites this time, and I appreciate a plot detail that the PF Squad is going against an army separate from the Rebel Army they're used to fighting. Thus, the soldiers and all the vehicles look noticeably different. Really cool!
The music is also pretty damn great. It almost feels too good for this game, that's a bit boring. A lot of enemy confrontations are considerably pathetic, and most of the bosses feel like a chore to defeat. They lack unique patterns that are fun to understand, and have many moves that render them invincible for a set amount of time.
All-in-all, this game definitely had better budget and resources than Metal Slug 4, making it a smidge better of an experience, but still nothing compared to the franchise's glory days.
A lot of the stages feel a bit barren, as if there must've been more planned for the areas, but the game was rushed out to meet a deadline (which is what happened). There's a lot more unique enemies that aren't 'just' recycled sprites this time, and I appreciate a plot detail that the PF Squad is going against an army separate from the Rebel Army they're used to fighting. Thus, the soldiers and all the vehicles look noticeably different. Really cool!
The music is also pretty damn great. It almost feels too good for this game, that's a bit boring. A lot of enemy confrontations are considerably pathetic, and most of the bosses feel like a chore to defeat. They lack unique patterns that are fun to understand, and have many moves that render them invincible for a set amount of time.
All-in-all, this game definitely had better budget and resources than Metal Slug 4, making it a smidge better of an experience, but still nothing compared to the franchise's glory days.
2016
One of many zombie defense games, Zombo Buster Rising is probably one of the cleanest-looking and easy to understand. Regardless, it suffers tedium as much as other games similar to it, and doesn't really do anything creative from beginning to end.
100%'ing the game is fairly easy, but also tedious and frankly mind-numbing. Don't expect anything unique if you play this.
100%'ing the game is fairly easy, but also tedious and frankly mind-numbing. Don't expect anything unique if you play this.
2015
"Plays Hotline Miami for 30 minutes. Hmmm, what if I ripped this off wholesale, except I give it no art style? Oh, and I'll make it insanely racist for good measure too!" -Head of Dagestan Technology
I know it's old news to say this, but it this game was pretty ambitious with how elaborate it wanted to be while still trying to maintain that "Castlevania" action. Castlevania II tries to do a lot on such a limited system. It's really impressive, and sports some great art style!
Unfortunately, it's bogged down by how insanely tedious this game can be, and it's harmed even more by how difficult it is to make progress on the game alone. Perhaps an artifact of the sneaking suspicion that game publishers wanted these titles to last months for players, especially kids.
Supposedly there's been fan remakes and the like that patch the numerous holes this game bares, making it possibly render more of what the original developers wanted, but I wanted to first beat this as it was originally released.
Unfortunately, it's bogged down by how insanely tedious this game can be, and it's harmed even more by how difficult it is to make progress on the game alone. Perhaps an artifact of the sneaking suspicion that game publishers wanted these titles to last months for players, especially kids.
Supposedly there's been fan remakes and the like that patch the numerous holes this game bares, making it possibly render more of what the original developers wanted, but I wanted to first beat this as it was originally released.