JTStrikesBack
BACKER
2005
Ever play Guitar Hero with just a regular PS2 controller instead of a guitar? Thanks to a friend breaking his other guitar controller so he only had one, that was most of my experience.
5/5 teenage memory- 3/5 rhythm game.
5/5 teenage memory- 3/5 rhythm game.
2007
As a guitar teacher since around 2007, when Rock Band first came out, thank you for guaranteeing at least one more generation of students.
As someone who was in college at the time, I hate you because my friends insisted that I should sing "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" a million times and I really was a better person before that experience.
As someone who was in college at the time, I hate you because my friends insisted that I should sing "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" a million times and I really was a better person before that experience.
1998
Sonic R is overblown about how bad it is, but it's definitely not good. The controls are sticky and unenjoyable much like highschool.
But if you're up for a couple hours of annoying your friends, then it's definitely good for a few laughs before you realize it's actually fairly playable and not a total incompetent mess.
But if you're up for a couple hours of annoying your friends, then it's definitely good for a few laughs before you realize it's actually fairly playable and not a total incompetent mess.
1977
The Grue may be the famous scary things, but it's the thief that used to always ruin my day.
Zork is extremely important as far as being influential for the time - but I can really only recommend this if you have a genuine interest in text games. Now, if that's the case, it's a pretty good one.
Zork is extremely important as far as being influential for the time - but I can really only recommend this if you have a genuine interest in text games. Now, if that's the case, it's a pretty good one.
1980
I'll give credit where it is due, that Rogue has mostly been forgotten despite being the namesake of the entire genre of Rogue-likes, but I'm not sure I ever wrote
Quite got the hype.
Quite got the hype.
1983
Mappy deserves the recognition that Pac- Man has.
1979
NAMCO looked at Space Invaders and thought "I think we can do that, but let's do it better".
And so they did. Welcome to Galaxian.
And so they did. Welcome to Galaxian.
1982
Do you really need a review of Ms. Pac- Man?
You take Pac-Man. You add a bow and some lipstick to show the young ladies of the 80s that they're allowed to enjoy playing arcade games. Congratulations. You just won.
You take Pac-Man. You add a bow and some lipstick to show the young ladies of the 80s that they're allowed to enjoy playing arcade games. Congratulations. You just won.
Who invited you?
Get your realistic human beings out of my stupid cartoony fighting game. And stop tripping.
Man, I'm sure glad a lot of people are happy with the direction this series went - but this was the beginning of the series really losing what made it fun, to me.
Man, I'm sure glad a lot of people are happy with the direction this series went - but this was the beginning of the series really losing what made it fun, to me.
1992
Sonic the Hedgehog 2, on the Sega GameGear and Master system made me want to run off a cliff with a hang glider despite having no idea what's at the bottom of the cliff.
Sonic does it a bunch in this game so it must be safe, right?
I would say that pretty much all of the early 2D Sonic games fall in the same realm as "not incredible, but slightly above average platformers", but this is definitely one of the weaker entries in the series.
Sonic does it a bunch in this game so it must be safe, right?
I would say that pretty much all of the early 2D Sonic games fall in the same realm as "not incredible, but slightly above average platformers", but this is definitely one of the weaker entries in the series.
Baby's first Beat 'Em Up! Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers on the SNES, not to be confused with the slew of other games of the same, or similar, name.
You pick one of the five rangers to use for each level, and each level plays the same.
Step 1. Beat through a couple of screens as your ranger just in street clothes
Step 2. See the boss of the stage, ITS MORPHIN' TIME, form into your Power Ranger complete with associated weapons.
Step 3. Play through a few more screens.
Step 4. Beat the boss.
All 5 Rangers play the same.
The game ends with a few simple 1v1 fighting game style fights while you take control of MegaZord.
But a couple questions
Why are the Rangers so BUFF? After they morph in the halfway point through each stage, all of the Rangers now use the same sprite with colors swapped out, and that sprite is excessively buff - even when using the female Rangers.
And why does Kimberly use her bow (and arrow) just as a stick to beat people with? Sure, you can hold Up and attack to use shoot a weak arrow across the screen - but otherwise you literally beat up enemies with the side of the bow.
The answer to both of these questions is "because it was easier to just make one thing and slightly change its appearance instead of actually reprogramming anything" but that does not make it any less annoying.
I was bothered when I was 5, and I'm still bothered now.
Otherwise, this is actually a pretty solid game that I still run through periodically.
You pick one of the five rangers to use for each level, and each level plays the same.
Step 1. Beat through a couple of screens as your ranger just in street clothes
Step 2. See the boss of the stage, ITS MORPHIN' TIME, form into your Power Ranger complete with associated weapons.
Step 3. Play through a few more screens.
Step 4. Beat the boss.
All 5 Rangers play the same.
The game ends with a few simple 1v1 fighting game style fights while you take control of MegaZord.
But a couple questions
Why are the Rangers so BUFF? After they morph in the halfway point through each stage, all of the Rangers now use the same sprite with colors swapped out, and that sprite is excessively buff - even when using the female Rangers.
And why does Kimberly use her bow (and arrow) just as a stick to beat people with? Sure, you can hold Up and attack to use shoot a weak arrow across the screen - but otherwise you literally beat up enemies with the side of the bow.
The answer to both of these questions is "because it was easier to just make one thing and slightly change its appearance instead of actually reprogramming anything" but that does not make it any less annoying.
I was bothered when I was 5, and I'm still bothered now.
Otherwise, this is actually a pretty solid game that I still run through periodically.
The mobile version and Switch version are both a bit different in selections and menus, but the game is functionally the same.
Pianista is a good, no frills, rhythm game. As the title suggests, this is all piano music from a fairly typical classical repertoire so don't expect your usual rhythm game fodder - you're here for Dvorak and Tchaikovsky, not Smile DK and Hatsune Miku. (Is Smile DK even around? I feel like that's almost as outdated a reference as the music actually here).
My personal recommendation is to get a keyboard controller for your Switch and play that way - but I'm just not a touch screen fan so to each their own on that front.
Fairly entry level, so great for kids and newcomers to rhythm games, and also a wonderful introduction to music now that Loony Tunes are no longer huge to introduce more people to classical music.
Pianista is a good, no frills, rhythm game. As the title suggests, this is all piano music from a fairly typical classical repertoire so don't expect your usual rhythm game fodder - you're here for Dvorak and Tchaikovsky, not Smile DK and Hatsune Miku. (Is Smile DK even around? I feel like that's almost as outdated a reference as the music actually here).
My personal recommendation is to get a keyboard controller for your Switch and play that way - but I'm just not a touch screen fan so to each their own on that front.
Fairly entry level, so great for kids and newcomers to rhythm games, and also a wonderful introduction to music now that Loony Tunes are no longer huge to introduce more people to classical music.
Ever wanted to pretend that you are young Anakin Skywalk just after Jar Jar made his whole face numb by sticking his head in your...
You know what, nevermind, this is getting weird.
Star Wars: Arcade Racer is made to create the experience of driving a pod racer, complete with dual control arms but missing a young boy yelling "it's working!".
Like most flight/driving simulation arcade machines, the novelty really just comes down to having a control setup that mimics the real deal, but the gameplay is nothing to write home about. I'll pay a couple races any time I see one in the wild and it's a good time, but not a game I would care to see my name on the leader board for. Especially considering the home version is such a great racing game, the arcades only appeal is the control itself.
You know what, nevermind, this is getting weird.
Star Wars: Arcade Racer is made to create the experience of driving a pod racer, complete with dual control arms but missing a young boy yelling "it's working!".
Like most flight/driving simulation arcade machines, the novelty really just comes down to having a control setup that mimics the real deal, but the gameplay is nothing to write home about. I'll pay a couple races any time I see one in the wild and it's a good time, but not a game I would care to see my name on the leader board for. Especially considering the home version is such a great racing game, the arcades only appeal is the control itself.
1977
6 games in 1 box?! Uh, well. Kind of.
Volleyball, Tennis, and hockey - each played as singles or doubles. So. 6.
But each game functions similarly- they're all Pong clones. The Hockey setting is the most unique when played in doubles - each player has a "goalie" paddle closer to their goal, and a second paddle further out towards the middle of the screen, with both middle paddles actually being on the opponent's half of the screen.
As far as Pong consoles go, it's a pretty OK one, but there are far better.
Volleyball, Tennis, and hockey - each played as singles or doubles. So. 6.
But each game functions similarly- they're all Pong clones. The Hockey setting is the most unique when played in doubles - each player has a "goalie" paddle closer to their goal, and a second paddle further out towards the middle of the screen, with both middle paddles actually being on the opponent's half of the screen.
As far as Pong consoles go, it's a pretty OK one, but there are far better.