Neversoft's final entry, and they managed to make it insanely repugnant. Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock shits up this franchise so far off the path, it's practically unrecognizable. The last 3 games already felt so damn soulless, but the leaps and bounds to remove any remaining scrap of heart is enough to make me gag.
Their overinflated "epic" adventure mode is so embarrassing, further marred by including narration from geriatric rock star Gene Simmons, who sounds like he needs a nap the entire time. And all these otherworldly designs of once beloved/loathed characters are stupid as hell. It almost feels like the board meeting was "how can we make guitar hero more EPIC?!" It's 2010, that obsession checks out, right?
This ended up killing the franchise as well as Neversoft, laying this series dormant for a number of years. Somehow, this wasn't the worst we could see from Guitar Hero.
Their overinflated "epic" adventure mode is so embarrassing, further marred by including narration from geriatric rock star Gene Simmons, who sounds like he needs a nap the entire time. And all these otherworldly designs of once beloved/loathed characters are stupid as hell. It almost feels like the board meeting was "how can we make guitar hero more EPIC?!" It's 2010, that obsession checks out, right?
This ended up killing the franchise as well as Neversoft, laying this series dormant for a number of years. Somehow, this wasn't the worst we could see from Guitar Hero.
2003
Boy, let me tell you something. The F-Zero GP Legend anime sucked so hard. As an avid fan of the series, I stopped watching after a handful of episodes because it was so insanely boring. And I was 13! It didn't take much to please me. And going back and watching the entire anime with subtitles didn't help either, even with that "epic" Falcon Punch scene.
I don't understand how they messed up so badly. The franchise has so many charming characters, it's definitely possible to make them endearing and entertaining while sprinkling fast-paced races every once in a while. Because Redline (2009) did literally just that! The F-Zero anime completely failed to capture the spirit, energy, and charm this series collected with the N64 and Gamecube/Arcade installments.
Oh, but the game? Pretty good. I loved it as a kid because it was a healthy balance between the original F-Zero and F-Zero X, gameplay-wise. To have that on the go? Pretty tight. Going back to it now, it still has its value, but never really my first choice when it comes to playing an entry in this series. I mean, it's possible to play GX on a Steam Deck wherever you go, with almost no performance issues these days.
I don't understand how they messed up so badly. The franchise has so many charming characters, it's definitely possible to make them endearing and entertaining while sprinkling fast-paced races every once in a while. Because Redline (2009) did literally just that! The F-Zero anime completely failed to capture the spirit, energy, and charm this series collected with the N64 and Gamecube/Arcade installments.
Oh, but the game? Pretty good. I loved it as a kid because it was a healthy balance between the original F-Zero and F-Zero X, gameplay-wise. To have that on the go? Pretty tight. Going back to it now, it still has its value, but never really my first choice when it comes to playing an entry in this series. I mean, it's possible to play GX on a Steam Deck wherever you go, with almost no performance issues these days.
Took us like 10 minutes to get out-of-bounds. It was dope.
Gramphix
Gramphix
2020
Got a 20k+ score on my third run 😎
Anyway, while I don't give it a very high score, I think this was just a test run for what the devs actually want to do. BioCrisis 2 is looking to be where their ambitions actually lie, and I'm looking forward to their upcoming low-poly rail shooter!
Anyway, while I don't give it a very high score, I think this was just a test run for what the devs actually want to do. BioCrisis 2 is looking to be where their ambitions actually lie, and I'm looking forward to their upcoming low-poly rail shooter!
2016
This isn't Carrion, it's The Dweller! Play as this evil entity that only wants to consume fools that dare to invade its ancient home! There's limitations to how you can traverse, making every screen a puzzle you need to solve.
The difficulty curve is a bit all-over-the-place, as it feels like some stages are effortless (excluding the obligatory ones that introduce a new mechanic) while others are just obtusely complex where I swear what felt like cheating are literally the only solutions.
Still, overall it was a neat little game. I like some of the turns it took in its design the closer it got to the end. I can see something like this expanding greatly in a sequel, but who knows if that'll ever happen?
The difficulty curve is a bit all-over-the-place, as it feels like some stages are effortless (excluding the obligatory ones that introduce a new mechanic) while others are just obtusely complex where I swear what felt like cheating are literally the only solutions.
Still, overall it was a neat little game. I like some of the turns it took in its design the closer it got to the end. I can see something like this expanding greatly in a sequel, but who knows if that'll ever happen?
2001
One of the cutest survival games you'll ever play! Pikmin is so charming and simple, yet can get you sweating with its huge enemy types, calendar system, and countdown to dusk hour! How can a game be so adorable but stressful at the same time?
Building up and moving with your pikmin arsenal is a lot of fun, and I love the atmosphere of the game, it really gives off the vibe of Earth years after humanity was wiped out, so this little guy is exploring tiny parts of nature in order to rebuild his ship to get back home. I also love the strategy that comes from using different kinds of pikmin to overcome obstacles and find secrets. It's an incredibly satisfying game that thrives on its simplicity, while also impersonating aspects of a really good RTS! It's as Nintendo as things get, so to speak.
Building up and moving with your pikmin arsenal is a lot of fun, and I love the atmosphere of the game, it really gives off the vibe of Earth years after humanity was wiped out, so this little guy is exploring tiny parts of nature in order to rebuild his ship to get back home. I also love the strategy that comes from using different kinds of pikmin to overcome obstacles and find secrets. It's an incredibly satisfying game that thrives on its simplicity, while also impersonating aspects of a really good RTS! It's as Nintendo as things get, so to speak.
1984
Bro why the fuck is this 30+ stages? Beating this in one sitting sucked so much lmfao
1991
This installment has some good stage design and fun fights, but goddamn does it lose so much good faith from me with its last few stages and how much they drag out ending the game.
I don't give a fuck about the twist setup, what a huge waste of time with obtusely designed scenarios. God, someone at Capcom back in the 90s was laughing their ass off making these stupid-ass traps.
I don't give a fuck about the twist setup, what a huge waste of time with obtusely designed scenarios. God, someone at Capcom back in the 90s was laughing their ass off making these stupid-ass traps.
2016
My favorite tidbit about this game is that one of the stage description claims the T-virus "first began" in the pueblo village of Resident Evil 4. Yep, according to the dumpers that wrote this game's descriptions, the virus that's the centerpiece of the franchise started in the 4th main entry. The 4th main entry that, mind you, famously had 0 enemies infected with the T-Virus.
1989
The first portable Mario game has everything you could want! Fast platforming action, goofy worlds with unique enemies, and racist Chinese music!
It's nothing remarkable these days, but as a kid? I was stoked to have this and played it a shitton whenever we were out of the house.
It's nothing remarkable these days, but as a kid? I was stoked to have this and played it a shitton whenever we were out of the house.
2017
Hugely disappointing follow-up to the original game. Of course, maybe it shouldn't have been knowing Mikami was replaced as director, and the lead concept artist, Ikumi Nakamura, was completely absent from this project as well.
From the cornball story, to the horrible voice-acting, to the complete lack of a grimy atmosphere, to those canned animation dialogues that look ripped out of a Tony Hawk game, to the horrid enemy designs, depression hit me like a bucket of water fairly early into the game . . . and that bucket kept refilling.
The gameplay is overall fine, but the structure and design of the open world (if you want to call it that) is awful. I can tell they're trying to go for a really actiony Silent Hill 1 vibe, but it doesn't work for me at all. Exploring the town is very uninteresting, and the nonlinearity only harmed the pace.
Overall, I think the biggest misstep was trying to emphasize on the characterizations, which a lot of sequels fall into. The world never felt like a daunting mystery, but harassment from the villains that feel more appropriate for Goosebumps fodder.
From the cornball story, to the horrible voice-acting, to the complete lack of a grimy atmosphere, to those canned animation dialogues that look ripped out of a Tony Hawk game, to the horrid enemy designs, depression hit me like a bucket of water fairly early into the game . . . and that bucket kept refilling.
The gameplay is overall fine, but the structure and design of the open world (if you want to call it that) is awful. I can tell they're trying to go for a really actiony Silent Hill 1 vibe, but it doesn't work for me at all. Exploring the town is very uninteresting, and the nonlinearity only harmed the pace.
Overall, I think the biggest misstep was trying to emphasize on the characterizations, which a lot of sequels fall into. The world never felt like a daunting mystery, but harassment from the villains that feel more appropriate for Goosebumps fodder.
1999
An improvement to the original Parappa the Rapper in every possible way! The music, the characters, the gameplay, everything about Um Jammer Lammy is so clean and fantastic! I also think the nature of the presentation is a lot better, having Lammy basically play a Jazz game imitating the lyrics with her guitar. And the fact that there's an entire hidden "Parappa mode" for nearly the entire soundtrack just makes it all even better!
Seriously, if you love Parappa the Rapper but never got around to playing this, you're doing yourself a huge disservice. This heavily overshadowed installment deserves so much more recognition.
Seriously, if you love Parappa the Rapper but never got around to playing this, you're doing yourself a huge disservice. This heavily overshadowed installment deserves so much more recognition.
2023
4.3 ratio with a heap of 5-star reviews. I'm not sure what game these people played, because the one I played was mostly full of boring, boxy platforming weaved together by a completely forgettable story with a shithead protagonist as the cherry-on-top.
The combat in this game is great, some of the most fun and satisfying I've experienced in a while. It's too bad the devs weren't confident enough in it to have it be the main aspect like its brethren of the same subgenre. Huge potential for a sequel, because what they've come up with is genuinely great. They just need to . . . actually make it the main aspect.
The combat in this game is great, some of the most fun and satisfying I've experienced in a while. It's too bad the devs weren't confident enough in it to have it be the main aspect like its brethren of the same subgenre. Huge potential for a sequel, because what they've come up with is genuinely great. They just need to . . . actually make it the main aspect.
2005
More fun than a bus full of cheerleaders, Ratchet Deadlocked on PS2 felt like the developers recognizing that they've expunged their creative motivation to make new entries involving Ratchet and Clank exploring vast planets with a healthy mix of platforming and blasting (case and point: R&C 3), and decided to embrace the direction they've been leaning towards with every sequel, which is BLASTING, BLASTING, and MORE BLASTING!
Despite its initial lukewarm reception, Deadlocked is easily one of the best games the series has to offer. While it can be considerably one-note, it sings that note with absolute expertise using its dense enemy-count, banging tunes, amusing commentators, and explosive weaponry!
Where people saw absolute reduction in the environmental variety, weapon-count, and characters, I saw a tighter, more-focused direction in these aspects, making for very charming interactions throughout regarding the narrative and characterizations, and fun-filled action regarding the raw gameplay.
Speaking more on narrative, I adore the stronger, slightly sharper bite this story had regarding fame and corruption that tends to follow with that lust for admiration and profits. It's all still cartoonish and funny, but perfectly serves the slight edge this game has compared to its predecessors.
With that said--and looking back at this game more than 15 years later--this is the last real Ratchet & Clank game in my eyes. It felt like a perfect series finale to everything the stories before it represented. Helps that it's a fun game too.
Despite its initial lukewarm reception, Deadlocked is easily one of the best games the series has to offer. While it can be considerably one-note, it sings that note with absolute expertise using its dense enemy-count, banging tunes, amusing commentators, and explosive weaponry!
Where people saw absolute reduction in the environmental variety, weapon-count, and characters, I saw a tighter, more-focused direction in these aspects, making for very charming interactions throughout regarding the narrative and characterizations, and fun-filled action regarding the raw gameplay.
Speaking more on narrative, I adore the stronger, slightly sharper bite this story had regarding fame and corruption that tends to follow with that lust for admiration and profits. It's all still cartoonish and funny, but perfectly serves the slight edge this game has compared to its predecessors.
With that said--and looking back at this game more than 15 years later--this is the last real Ratchet & Clank game in my eyes. It felt like a perfect series finale to everything the stories before it represented. Helps that it's a fun game too.
While aesthetically nice, Namco managed to make Katamari insanely one-note and monotonous, down to the irrational decision to have just one single song during gameplay.
That's about all there is to say, lol. Bad game, even for free junk.
That's about all there is to say, lol. Bad game, even for free junk.