Josh_The_Fourth
2007
Flower Sun and Rain if Suda wasn’t a crackhead
it was pretty hard to think this one over, but ultimately i think 999 is a game about purpose, and finding that said purpose in everything you encounter. what may seem like a fairly straight forward story at its roots, eventually blossoms into an ineffaceable tale that recognizes the joy of the mystery rather than the broader ideological themes a mystery may present. uchikoshi is a guy who likes to explore the inherent mystery within the mystery, which i really enjoy in this scenario. with each character having their own focus and suspicions, it’s extremely easy to lose yourself in these characters and the puzzles that follow suit not just in-game, but behind every bracelet-bearing personality as well. between the carefully thought out suspenseful puzzle rooms, colorful cast of characters, oppressive atmosphere, moody melodies, and the narrator’s almost overbearingly detailed descriptions, i found myself completely hooked. 999, for the most part, is a pretty cut and dry character driven adventure game that i can’t help but love.
i also really like sudoku.
i also really like sudoku.
1990
so the new watched feature has arrived and despite its not-so positive reception it got me thinking, so i figured i’d get some use out of it to write about a vaguely interesting story.
so its 1am and im chilling at a friend’s place and we’re sitting in a dark room, illuminated only by the flashing colors of his tv displaying snow bros. why was he playing snow bros at 1am? its snow bros what other time would you play it. but despite me only being the watcher i felt entranced by this silly little snow game. maybe i was just overtired but the repetitive gameplay loop of snow bros had me in a trance. a trance where i was almost drunk, just chatting it up with a buddy about stupid shit like movies, our favorite games, which ice cream i should eat, etc. 1am vibes. and like, yeah this isnt really a compelling story at all but, this kinda made me rethink the process of watching a game. tho if ur sitting down and watching a whole playthrough of like some jrpg yeah iont think ur getting any sympathy from me lol, what i mean is theres a certain vibe i get when i sit and watch a friend play games. you get the excitement and feels of the game in an almost sterilized way. the controller is like a transmitter, transferring your struggles and strengths into the game and vice versa. when you’re not the one holding the controller it alters the experience in a way where you’re getting a secondhand account of whats right in front of you despite being a primary witness. a game’s vehemence and depth is presented to you nonchalantly, where i feel you can get a grasp of its concepts more easily because of the lack of focus on the gameplay. you’re letting the game take you on a ride driven by your friend. you see sweat drip from their forehead as they struggle on FLOOR 40. their relief when that section is finally over, and then their distraught when the next part is harder than the last. it gets the mind rolling into thinking about what is this game’s deal? what am i missing or gaining by being the one without a grasp on the controller. snow bros is a game that i had no interest in playing before we hung out that night but now im curious about it.
so whats the point of my rambling? watching a game is definitely not the same or counts as playing a game but it still can be an experience depending on your approach. maybe i went way too deep into a simple act of being with a friend, maybe im talking nonsense; this is just a funny little write-up i was inspired to write by this new watched feature. to all the mfs who keep making persona fan jokes about this shit next time you step out of your house be weary of how much milk you have left in the fridge.
so its 1am and im chilling at a friend’s place and we’re sitting in a dark room, illuminated only by the flashing colors of his tv displaying snow bros. why was he playing snow bros at 1am? its snow bros what other time would you play it. but despite me only being the watcher i felt entranced by this silly little snow game. maybe i was just overtired but the repetitive gameplay loop of snow bros had me in a trance. a trance where i was almost drunk, just chatting it up with a buddy about stupid shit like movies, our favorite games, which ice cream i should eat, etc. 1am vibes. and like, yeah this isnt really a compelling story at all but, this kinda made me rethink the process of watching a game. tho if ur sitting down and watching a whole playthrough of like some jrpg yeah iont think ur getting any sympathy from me lol, what i mean is theres a certain vibe i get when i sit and watch a friend play games. you get the excitement and feels of the game in an almost sterilized way. the controller is like a transmitter, transferring your struggles and strengths into the game and vice versa. when you’re not the one holding the controller it alters the experience in a way where you’re getting a secondhand account of whats right in front of you despite being a primary witness. a game’s vehemence and depth is presented to you nonchalantly, where i feel you can get a grasp of its concepts more easily because of the lack of focus on the gameplay. you’re letting the game take you on a ride driven by your friend. you see sweat drip from their forehead as they struggle on FLOOR 40. their relief when that section is finally over, and then their distraught when the next part is harder than the last. it gets the mind rolling into thinking about what is this game’s deal? what am i missing or gaining by being the one without a grasp on the controller. snow bros is a game that i had no interest in playing before we hung out that night but now im curious about it.
so whats the point of my rambling? watching a game is definitely not the same or counts as playing a game but it still can be an experience depending on your approach. maybe i went way too deep into a simple act of being with a friend, maybe im talking nonsense; this is just a funny little write-up i was inspired to write by this new watched feature. to all the mfs who keep making persona fan jokes about this shit next time you step out of your house be weary of how much milk you have left in the fridge.
to articulate what i get out of playing games like this is really fucking hard. 2D action platformers are like my favorite type of games; a good one goes a really long way with me. gunvolt 2 is one of those games. everything is so meticulously well crafted to create an experience that consistently fills me with dopamine whether it be stringing together long score chains with copen’s sexy air dash or gunvolt’s ball busting electrical flashfield. inti knows what the fuck they’re doing when making games of this nature to fully engross its audience. jaw dropping visuals mixed with superb sound design make every attack, every dash executed feel confidently defiant. in any situation there’s an overpowering amount of potential to maximize your success.
the genius behind gunvolt 2’s design is having two unique yet still familiar characters to choose from. copen and gv fight the same bosses but the methodology behind fighting them as each character changes if you know what you’re doing. gunvolt is more reliant on keeping a good distance between bosses while dishing out damage constantly. copen on the other hand plays more strategically where you have to remain defensive most of the time until you can get that sweet opening to bonk into your foe and then dish out some hard hitting damage. i probably explained that in a less effective way than i could’ve but mfs who’ve played the game know what i mean. to have such gripping playstyles coherently like this despite fighting these bosses fourish times over really says something i feel.
iont think this game surpasses any of the zero games for me yet, but the keyword there being yet. i only have 5 hours under my belt for this one while 100 or so more for the zero games. this could be a 10/10 but inafune’s name appears in the credits so the game’s lucky i didn’t end up giving it a 1/10
the genius behind gunvolt 2’s design is having two unique yet still familiar characters to choose from. copen and gv fight the same bosses but the methodology behind fighting them as each character changes if you know what you’re doing. gunvolt is more reliant on keeping a good distance between bosses while dishing out damage constantly. copen on the other hand plays more strategically where you have to remain defensive most of the time until you can get that sweet opening to bonk into your foe and then dish out some hard hitting damage. i probably explained that in a less effective way than i could’ve but mfs who’ve played the game know what i mean. to have such gripping playstyles coherently like this despite fighting these bosses fourish times over really says something i feel.
iont think this game surpasses any of the zero games for me yet, but the keyword there being yet. i only have 5 hours under my belt for this one while 100 or so more for the zero games. this could be a 10/10 but inafune’s name appears in the credits so the game’s lucky i didn’t end up giving it a 1/10
although in reflection it may seem most of the game is trapped in kinda good territory, JFA’s sincerity still shines through in every case. while the first game was a nostalgic journey set on becoming a lawyer, JFA is more concerned with the struggles that come along with being a lawyer, for better or for worse. in its stride to distinctively continue the Phoenix Wright saga, it falters and reclaims its balance many times but it does so earnestly, and eventually reaches the apex that is Farewell, My Turnabout.
“The end justifies the means, Mr. Wright. The end justifies the means.”
“The end justifies the means, Mr. Wright. The end justifies the means.”
This review was written before the game released
a toofpick changes everything
1989
one day you’re all gonna meet a fan of this game and end up beating them to death
A special fuck you to GodOfMediocrity for mailing this godforsaken game to my house without me knowing. I never planned on playing this.
one of the most stereotypical 7th gen games out there. DmC has some sort of superiority complex deep within. trying to be a better dmc game than its predecessors while still doubting its own capabilities. taking the worst parts of the series and fusing them together to muster up some sort of experience. there’s a weird over-abundance of mundane platforming that destroys the pacing of every level consistently. strange gimmicks and the like fill up every stage to make them all feel way too drawn out. there’s nothing really unique about any stage in particular. decayed buildings followed by more decayed buildings. the personified environments is a neat idea but the only thing it ever really amounts to is running for your life before walls close in.
the actual combat is serviceable? there’s definitely something missing that i can’t pinpoint. none of the attacks really feel like they have a sense of weight to them (similar to dmc2 lol) and every enemy encounter basically amounts to spamming triangle or circle while you alternate the triggers for other weapons. there’s no emphasis or flow to anything. just do whatever and enemies will eventually die because their patterns are so easily predictable and using certain moves over and over stuns them indefinitely.
yes, the story is as bad as everyone says. you know iconic scenes like sniper abortion vergil and dante threesome in the opening. who exactly was this for? when the game isn’t being tone deaf it’s long exhausted conversations between characters that mean nothing or disgusting scenes of which their misogynistic and stereotypical tones gladly push their way into the forefront. fuck kat, fuck donte, fuck vorgil, fuck every character. and no, i don’t suggest fucking them fully clothed while staring at pictures of bill clinton.
what really gets me though, what REALLY drove me to the edge, was the final boss. you fight vergil, but not just some new vergil fight, no. it’s a complete slandered version of dmc3’s vergil boss and it’s laughably easy. this goes to show how incompetent DmC is. trying to bask in the glory of its predecessor with a poor imitation. it proudly displays this battle as an apex of what the game has to offer when in reality it’s a depressing reminder of how ignorant the entire game truly is.
it’s a sad bastardization of what devil may cry is.
one of the most stereotypical 7th gen games out there. DmC has some sort of superiority complex deep within. trying to be a better dmc game than its predecessors while still doubting its own capabilities. taking the worst parts of the series and fusing them together to muster up some sort of experience. there’s a weird over-abundance of mundane platforming that destroys the pacing of every level consistently. strange gimmicks and the like fill up every stage to make them all feel way too drawn out. there’s nothing really unique about any stage in particular. decayed buildings followed by more decayed buildings. the personified environments is a neat idea but the only thing it ever really amounts to is running for your life before walls close in.
the actual combat is serviceable? there’s definitely something missing that i can’t pinpoint. none of the attacks really feel like they have a sense of weight to them (similar to dmc2 lol) and every enemy encounter basically amounts to spamming triangle or circle while you alternate the triggers for other weapons. there’s no emphasis or flow to anything. just do whatever and enemies will eventually die because their patterns are so easily predictable and using certain moves over and over stuns them indefinitely.
yes, the story is as bad as everyone says. you know iconic scenes like sniper abortion vergil and dante threesome in the opening. who exactly was this for? when the game isn’t being tone deaf it’s long exhausted conversations between characters that mean nothing or disgusting scenes of which their misogynistic and stereotypical tones gladly push their way into the forefront. fuck kat, fuck donte, fuck vorgil, fuck every character. and no, i don’t suggest fucking them fully clothed while staring at pictures of bill clinton.
what really gets me though, what REALLY drove me to the edge, was the final boss. you fight vergil, but not just some new vergil fight, no. it’s a complete slandered version of dmc3’s vergil boss and it’s laughably easy. this goes to show how incompetent DmC is. trying to bask in the glory of its predecessor with a poor imitation. it proudly displays this battle as an apex of what the game has to offer when in reality it’s a depressing reminder of how ignorant the entire game truly is.
it’s a sad bastardization of what devil may cry is.
2006
this is probably the first time a rhythm game with original music got me listening to its ost outside of the game. the legendary theme is some heart wrenching stuff for me personally, probably because it's somewhere along the lines of semi-recent band Yuck which has wholeheartedly brought me to tears on occasion. gitaroo man cements itself into my heart and i will never forget its hard hitting tale of a boy who just wants to be accepted and the hardships that come along with accepting yourself first and foremost. the ability to overcome your own insecurity is indeed legendary. gitaroo man is a video game for the ages. he doesn't just live, he triumphs, he climbs to the top of the mountain, that is if that mountain reached into space and your evil gundam-bearing enemy was climbing that mountain alongside you. sometimes all we need is someone to believe in us to help put ourselves into perspective. gitaroo man puts its underlying themes on display and then proceeds to use the power of music itself to grab the player by the heart and drag them inside this colorful world where those underlying themes become overarching emotions. immeasurably powerful.
1991
EDIT: thanks so much for all the support everyone, means a lot. after a LOT of thinking, i've decided that i'll still be writing reviews, just shorter, as to not exhaust myself. thanks again.
anyone who knows me knows that i love all the classic sonic games. they’re my comfort games and i’ve been playing them for probably a decade by now. a friend of mine recommended me to play this one again today so i decided to revisit it. this isn’t an unbiased review that’s trying to see if this game “still holds up” or “is as good as i thought it was when i was a kid.” far from it. i love this game lol. my rating is my general critique mixed with my biases and nostalgia i have towards it. sonic 1 is a game that i can pop in anytime and get enjoyment out of it.
green hill is my goat. marble is tolerable. spring yard is cool. labyrinth is ass. star light is awesome. scrap brain is mid. that’s it. that’s the whole review.
console wars, genesis vs super nintendo, america, who gives a fuck. you’ve heard it all before and it doesn’t impact the game’s quality very much at all. sonic defined a generation partly because of sega’s great marketing and shit or whatever, but if the game was no good then it wouldn’t have lasted. sonic 1 is a good game, always was. it didn’t age, it didn’t change. it’s sonic T. hedgehog on the Sega. for years little kids everywhere rushed to their shiny wrapped boxes under that prickly tree to find the Sega they wanted bundled with the sonic edgehog they wanted too. kids aren’t stupid, they knew sonic was our goat. it’s a great time with some dull moments that don’t hinder the overall package all that much. does it suffer from first game syndrome? certainly, but this only further proves that what was laid down here was great enough to allow the construction of the fantastic sequels…
———
i’m burnt out man, what do i write next. critical analysis my ass, it’s 10:41 PM on a weekday and i should be sleeping, but guess what? i’m not. sonic the hedgehog sega genesis baby, it does wild shit. to get real for a second i genuinely wrote like a page of some critiques and shit i have with this game. scrapped. i’ve been slowly feeling like my reviews have been becoming really forced and this was it. this was the one that made me genuinely angry. i want to write more reviews but it is really hard. shits becoming stale for me and i feel like there’s nothing i can do. i’m trying to break away from this boxed up structure i see some of my reviews share. the same words and phrases again and again. Backloggd.com. maybe it’s time for me to play a video game and not write a review about it. maybe i should play games and genuinely let them penetrate my soul and allow me to soak in their great, mid, or even terrible juices without having the need to pull out iOS Notes to jot down thoughts or justify how i feel to a seemingly invisible opposing party. maybe it’s time to say goodbye to backloggd.com, just for a little while. to those who follow me and like my stuff i’ll always be thankful to you guys. it means a lot to me that my little ramblings and shit about video games actually interest people. never in my life did i think i’d gain a following on this site. to everyone who reads this mess of a review, thanks.
Sonic the Hedgehog is a platform video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis home video game console. The first game in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, it was released in North America in June 1991 and in PAL regions and Japan the following month.
No, I didn’t proofread this, nor do I intend to.
anyone who knows me knows that i love all the classic sonic games. they’re my comfort games and i’ve been playing them for probably a decade by now. a friend of mine recommended me to play this one again today so i decided to revisit it. this isn’t an unbiased review that’s trying to see if this game “still holds up” or “is as good as i thought it was when i was a kid.” far from it. i love this game lol. my rating is my general critique mixed with my biases and nostalgia i have towards it. sonic 1 is a game that i can pop in anytime and get enjoyment out of it.
green hill is my goat. marble is tolerable. spring yard is cool. labyrinth is ass. star light is awesome. scrap brain is mid. that’s it. that’s the whole review.
console wars, genesis vs super nintendo, america, who gives a fuck. you’ve heard it all before and it doesn’t impact the game’s quality very much at all. sonic defined a generation partly because of sega’s great marketing and shit or whatever, but if the game was no good then it wouldn’t have lasted. sonic 1 is a good game, always was. it didn’t age, it didn’t change. it’s sonic T. hedgehog on the Sega. for years little kids everywhere rushed to their shiny wrapped boxes under that prickly tree to find the Sega they wanted bundled with the sonic edgehog they wanted too. kids aren’t stupid, they knew sonic was our goat. it’s a great time with some dull moments that don’t hinder the overall package all that much. does it suffer from first game syndrome? certainly, but this only further proves that what was laid down here was great enough to allow the construction of the fantastic sequels…
———
i’m burnt out man, what do i write next. critical analysis my ass, it’s 10:41 PM on a weekday and i should be sleeping, but guess what? i’m not. sonic the hedgehog sega genesis baby, it does wild shit. to get real for a second i genuinely wrote like a page of some critiques and shit i have with this game. scrapped. i’ve been slowly feeling like my reviews have been becoming really forced and this was it. this was the one that made me genuinely angry. i want to write more reviews but it is really hard. shits becoming stale for me and i feel like there’s nothing i can do. i’m trying to break away from this boxed up structure i see some of my reviews share. the same words and phrases again and again. Backloggd.com. maybe it’s time for me to play a video game and not write a review about it. maybe i should play games and genuinely let them penetrate my soul and allow me to soak in their great, mid, or even terrible juices without having the need to pull out iOS Notes to jot down thoughts or justify how i feel to a seemingly invisible opposing party. maybe it’s time to say goodbye to backloggd.com, just for a little while. to those who follow me and like my stuff i’ll always be thankful to you guys. it means a lot to me that my little ramblings and shit about video games actually interest people. never in my life did i think i’d gain a following on this site. to everyone who reads this mess of a review, thanks.
Sonic the Hedgehog is a platform video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis home video game console. The first game in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, it was released in North America in June 1991 and in PAL regions and Japan the following month.
No, I didn’t proofread this, nor do I intend to.
This town has been taken over, too. By countless, faceless ghosts. ▋
The Silver Case at its surface is a story of what can happen when you try to kill your past. Can you kill the past? Play the games and find out, but it is an indisputable fact that attempting to do so will lead you into strange directions, which is what lies beneath the surface. More likely than not your past will end up changing you. Consumed by the past. Consumed by the darkness. This is why it has to be killed, or else it kills you.
The 25th Ward is a twist in perspectives of how the past is tackled by different people. Some face it head on, some have to find it, some are so consumed by it that they are unaware of what it truly is. These are Matchmaker, Placebo, and Correctness respectively (at least that’s how i interpreted it). Just like the original game, all of the storylines bounce off one another while still filling in each other’s story gaps in a focused on-the-edge-of-your-seat way.
I’m gonna be real with y’all I have almost no fucking idea what to write next. I broke up my play sessions to give myself time to absorb the story. I spent two days after finishing it contemplating what the hell I was even going to write, and now I’m here. Sitting alone in my living room listening to Phantogram’s Eyelid Movies in somber over a video game. I still don’t know what to say. Video games have impacted me heavily in the past but none as strangely and uniquely as the Kill the Past series so far. The 25th Ward is the perfect embodiment of Suda’s expression in the industry and how far he can go. A complexity of ideas and themes intertwined to articulate, at its core, human ideologies. It’s all paced so well that when I reached the end I thought, “That’s the end?” but not necessarily in a negative way at all. Every point the game strove to get across was proven effectively, I was just a bit sad to see one of my favorite video game stories come to a close. I wanted more because it was so amazing. Admittedly I also wanted more time to figure out what the fuck had happened for the last 13~ hours lol. I wish I could go more in depth but if I did I would probably be spouting nonsense regarding spoilers and whatnot.
What I CAN explain though is the expertly arranged presentation and soundtrack. The boxed-in contemporary style of the original game is modernized and accentuated to an extreme. This could possibly be my favorite visual style of any video game. Background elements are now more distinctly interesting and support the themes of the current chapter even better. The color palettes used are also a lot more colorful which I’m absolutely down for. The artists for each of the storylines did spectacularly; I especially love the art style used for Correctness with its black and white pastel tones accompanied by infrequent splashes of color to make everything pop. Everything is just a marvel to look at. The typewriter sound is unchanged just the way I like it. I find it to be an insanely satisfying sound that’s just the cherry on top of everything else the game has to offer. The soundtrack is exactly what I love in electronic music and it's incredibly fitting. Love beat bumpin’ shit like the classic Metropolitan Edge and groovy Galaxy Glitch Groove by Akira Yamaoka of Silent Hill fame, while also vibing hard with Sandalwood and DRIFT. Every track hits me in the feels in incomparable ways. All of this is in tandem with one another becomes, what I feel to be, an unparalleled artistic composition in gaming.
The 25th Ward: The Silver Case is a wildly intense game that will continue to float around my brain for a long time. If you couldn’t tell already, this is everything I loved about the original Silver case and more. There’s honestly nothing I would change about it. Every character is identifiable and the writing stays consistently engaging throughout. Love Jabroni, love Tokio (as usual), love Osato (he’s a little bit of a quirked up white boy). This is a video game for me. It doesn’t conform to industry standards and does its own thing in an astounding manner.
I wish a great rain would fall on this town. And that everything would melt in the rain and be washed away. To the bottom of the ocean. ▋
The Silver Case at its surface is a story of what can happen when you try to kill your past. Can you kill the past? Play the games and find out, but it is an indisputable fact that attempting to do so will lead you into strange directions, which is what lies beneath the surface. More likely than not your past will end up changing you. Consumed by the past. Consumed by the darkness. This is why it has to be killed, or else it kills you.
The 25th Ward is a twist in perspectives of how the past is tackled by different people. Some face it head on, some have to find it, some are so consumed by it that they are unaware of what it truly is. These are Matchmaker, Placebo, and Correctness respectively (at least that’s how i interpreted it). Just like the original game, all of the storylines bounce off one another while still filling in each other’s story gaps in a focused on-the-edge-of-your-seat way.
I’m gonna be real with y’all I have almost no fucking idea what to write next. I broke up my play sessions to give myself time to absorb the story. I spent two days after finishing it contemplating what the hell I was even going to write, and now I’m here. Sitting alone in my living room listening to Phantogram’s Eyelid Movies in somber over a video game. I still don’t know what to say. Video games have impacted me heavily in the past but none as strangely and uniquely as the Kill the Past series so far. The 25th Ward is the perfect embodiment of Suda’s expression in the industry and how far he can go. A complexity of ideas and themes intertwined to articulate, at its core, human ideologies. It’s all paced so well that when I reached the end I thought, “That’s the end?” but not necessarily in a negative way at all. Every point the game strove to get across was proven effectively, I was just a bit sad to see one of my favorite video game stories come to a close. I wanted more because it was so amazing. Admittedly I also wanted more time to figure out what the fuck had happened for the last 13~ hours lol. I wish I could go more in depth but if I did I would probably be spouting nonsense regarding spoilers and whatnot.
What I CAN explain though is the expertly arranged presentation and soundtrack. The boxed-in contemporary style of the original game is modernized and accentuated to an extreme. This could possibly be my favorite visual style of any video game. Background elements are now more distinctly interesting and support the themes of the current chapter even better. The color palettes used are also a lot more colorful which I’m absolutely down for. The artists for each of the storylines did spectacularly; I especially love the art style used for Correctness with its black and white pastel tones accompanied by infrequent splashes of color to make everything pop. Everything is just a marvel to look at. The typewriter sound is unchanged just the way I like it. I find it to be an insanely satisfying sound that’s just the cherry on top of everything else the game has to offer. The soundtrack is exactly what I love in electronic music and it's incredibly fitting. Love beat bumpin’ shit like the classic Metropolitan Edge and groovy Galaxy Glitch Groove by Akira Yamaoka of Silent Hill fame, while also vibing hard with Sandalwood and DRIFT. Every track hits me in the feels in incomparable ways. All of this is in tandem with one another becomes, what I feel to be, an unparalleled artistic composition in gaming.
The 25th Ward: The Silver Case is a wildly intense game that will continue to float around my brain for a long time. If you couldn’t tell already, this is everything I loved about the original Silver case and more. There’s honestly nothing I would change about it. Every character is identifiable and the writing stays consistently engaging throughout. Love Jabroni, love Tokio (as usual), love Osato (he’s a little bit of a quirked up white boy). This is a video game for me. It doesn’t conform to industry standards and does its own thing in an astounding manner.
I wish a great rain would fall on this town. And that everything would melt in the rain and be washed away. To the bottom of the ocean. ▋
2006
Even Without Wings, I Can Still Fly!
Right?
No Sonic you fucking idiot. You can’t just fly like that you dumb motherfucker.
sonic riders and i have a nostalgic relationship. back in 2018 i had found a crusty and literal dogshit ridden ps2 console across the street from my house for garbage pickup. i decided i’d take it home and it’s been my primary ps2 ever since. that was the first home console i ever owned. being a huge sonic fan at the time (the classic games were basically daily replays for me) i went on the hunt for all the sonic ps2 games. i picked up sonic riders not really knowing what i was getting myself into. i played it and frustratingly put it down before i could even finish the heroes story. i was even worse at finishing games back then goddamn. needless to say i thought the game wasn’t very good lol. fast forward to 2020 and i pick up the game again but this time for my newly purchased nintendo gamecube. frustrated with the game’s mechanics yet again, i scoured to the internet to see if maybe i was doing something wrong. turns out i was, i just sucked ass at the game. i watched this excellent video by pspman3000 multiple times over and found myself rapidly improving at the game. i was officially hooked.
I GET IT OKAY? IT JUST FLOATS AND THATS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME
Sonic Riders has THE VIBES (TM). it’s the most 2006 6th gen game i’ve ever played. sleek mid 2000s UI with…the wackiest ass story in a sonic game. ironically though i fucking love it. the animation is the most expressive in a sonic game yet; it has SOUL…. shit presents itself in a very in-your-face way that you barely have any time to process what the fuck is happening, and this applies even during gameplay. whoever decided not to explain how the game works in the main story is a fucking idiot. who the fuck tucks away the tutorial into some bonus menus and then does a half-assed job making said tutorial. regardless, the actual gameplay and mechanics are SO fun once you master them (which could roughly take 20 hours 😁). shits jumpin bumpin and hoppin. i get such immense pleasure from popping off sick tricks and slapping the fuck outta jet the hawk’s shit eating face during a boost. i fuckin, yelled out, “IM CRAZY WITH THE SAUCE” while playing this shit. i hate what sonic has done to me but i love playing his games (pre 2012 🙂). ‘style over substance’ is what you could say about sonic riders and you’d be right on the money. there’s like, BARELY any content here. years ago i did all the missions and it was fun as hell yeah, but do i ever wanna do that shit again? no. when i come back to this one its mainly for the kickass tunes, wacky-ass slapstick story, and the addicting gameplay which is all wrapped up nicely in the story mode. there’s no reason to play any other mode unless you’re me during quarantine in 2020 playing this game for hours at a time for days on end. this shit drugged me up back then. in terms of quality sonic riders could be a 6 or 7/10 because of its insane lack of content, but i don’t give a shit. i enjoy every second i play of this and the mechanics are insanely engrossing for me. one of the reviews on this site says “The higher you rate this game, the better you were at it.” THIS IS VERY TRUE. it’s also why this isn’t a 10/10 because i’m not a master yet despite having probably over 50 hours to my name. there’s some wild shit you can do that i can’t even fathom exists. i don’t blame anyone who doesn’t find this game their cup of tea tho lol. sonic riders very crappily explains its mechanics and the skill ceiling is insanely high. before i forget, THE TUNES (TM). hard ass electronic beats that got me bopping. everything in this game compliments each other extremely well. it’s another rushed 2000s era sonic game but it’s MY rushed 2000s era sonic game. i hate being a sonic fan.
Right?
No Sonic you fucking idiot. You can’t just fly like that you dumb motherfucker.
sonic riders and i have a nostalgic relationship. back in 2018 i had found a crusty and literal dogshit ridden ps2 console across the street from my house for garbage pickup. i decided i’d take it home and it’s been my primary ps2 ever since. that was the first home console i ever owned. being a huge sonic fan at the time (the classic games were basically daily replays for me) i went on the hunt for all the sonic ps2 games. i picked up sonic riders not really knowing what i was getting myself into. i played it and frustratingly put it down before i could even finish the heroes story. i was even worse at finishing games back then goddamn. needless to say i thought the game wasn’t very good lol. fast forward to 2020 and i pick up the game again but this time for my newly purchased nintendo gamecube. frustrated with the game’s mechanics yet again, i scoured to the internet to see if maybe i was doing something wrong. turns out i was, i just sucked ass at the game. i watched this excellent video by pspman3000 multiple times over and found myself rapidly improving at the game. i was officially hooked.
I GET IT OKAY? IT JUST FLOATS AND THATS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME
Sonic Riders has THE VIBES (TM). it’s the most 2006 6th gen game i’ve ever played. sleek mid 2000s UI with…the wackiest ass story in a sonic game. ironically though i fucking love it. the animation is the most expressive in a sonic game yet; it has SOUL…. shit presents itself in a very in-your-face way that you barely have any time to process what the fuck is happening, and this applies even during gameplay. whoever decided not to explain how the game works in the main story is a fucking idiot. who the fuck tucks away the tutorial into some bonus menus and then does a half-assed job making said tutorial. regardless, the actual gameplay and mechanics are SO fun once you master them (which could roughly take 20 hours 😁). shits jumpin bumpin and hoppin. i get such immense pleasure from popping off sick tricks and slapping the fuck outta jet the hawk’s shit eating face during a boost. i fuckin, yelled out, “IM CRAZY WITH THE SAUCE” while playing this shit. i hate what sonic has done to me but i love playing his games (pre 2012 🙂). ‘style over substance’ is what you could say about sonic riders and you’d be right on the money. there’s like, BARELY any content here. years ago i did all the missions and it was fun as hell yeah, but do i ever wanna do that shit again? no. when i come back to this one its mainly for the kickass tunes, wacky-ass slapstick story, and the addicting gameplay which is all wrapped up nicely in the story mode. there’s no reason to play any other mode unless you’re me during quarantine in 2020 playing this game for hours at a time for days on end. this shit drugged me up back then. in terms of quality sonic riders could be a 6 or 7/10 because of its insane lack of content, but i don’t give a shit. i enjoy every second i play of this and the mechanics are insanely engrossing for me. one of the reviews on this site says “The higher you rate this game, the better you were at it.” THIS IS VERY TRUE. it’s also why this isn’t a 10/10 because i’m not a master yet despite having probably over 50 hours to my name. there’s some wild shit you can do that i can’t even fathom exists. i don’t blame anyone who doesn’t find this game their cup of tea tho lol. sonic riders very crappily explains its mechanics and the skill ceiling is insanely high. before i forget, THE TUNES (TM). hard ass electronic beats that got me bopping. everything in this game compliments each other extremely well. it’s another rushed 2000s era sonic game but it’s MY rushed 2000s era sonic game. i hate being a sonic fan.
Pay my 50,000! ▋
The second game in Suda51’s intriguing Kill the Past series. Intrigue is what drives this game and it’s fucking brilliant. Suda leaves me speechless once again goddammit. I went into this with minimal expectations and for the first half of the game I certainly thought it was good, but was a little confused by all the praise it receives from other bros on the site. Once everything came together it was magical and heightened my appreciation for Flower, Sun, and Rain, and Suda himself. In my last review of The Silver Case, I had mentioned that I can’t find the right balance between overtly referencing The Silver Case and articulating my own thoughts which is seemingly ironic now considering that’s exactly what this game does and surprisingly well.
Flower, Sun, and Rain’s iconic monotonous gameplay loop was absolutely despised by critics back in its Western 2008 debut. Another obvious video game critic L at first glance, but it’s understandable I find. There’s a specific mindset behind this game that the player has to recognize and connect with. Playing this game with a strict mindset focused on the gameplay is not what was intended. The gameplay is supposed to be monotonous. A constant reminder of Lospass’s confusing existence and a great device to build suspension. During my long walks between prominent story moments, I found myself on the edge of my seat. These walks only delay the inevitable, which is a simple yet effective method to create more intrigue. I also think that these walks are just, immersive lol. You’re meant to take in the superficial calm and relaxing summery vibes of the island, despite the story’s clear tonal contrast to this. Yeah it’s not that pretty on DS, but that’s still the implication and it definitely works in the PS2 version. Finally, I think the walks also give you time to soak in the story. When shit gets crazy you’re gonna need a minute to process it all lol. All of this I believe was completely intentional which creates an amazing connection between the story and gameplay that shapes this experience.
This was quite a great refreshing breather coming off of The Silver Case’s dark postmodern themes. Suda continually gets wacker as he finds his footing in the gaming industry. Loved the fourth wall breaks as they add comical flair to the story while not taking away from its much higher stakes. A lot more silly things happen here than in The Silver Case which is a bit more my speed despite loving TSC. Now I’m not really sure which story I prefer. FSR has a much better buildup to its main points while TSC has the better main points. It’s very weird to try and compare these games. FSR’s somewhat reliance on TSC both makes it simultaneously better and worse? Not sure. Although this is a spoiler free review I HAVE to express how the TSC returning characters and other shit made me feel. Insanely hype all around. Tokio Morishima I LOVE you. Also Eleki Island’s connections to the Silver Incident fucking got me so excited lmao. So many important points connected to TSC while remaining its own new thing. Although what really fascinates me is how the fuck people in 2008 played this shit on DS. People were probably completely lost at moments story-wise that are very clear with TSC knowledge. For all the mfs who had to wait until 2016 to help clear up FSR for themselves, my hat’s off to you.
Another amazing soundtrack! Great original tunes and remixes of famous tunes. Encapsulates the atmosphere as well as its predecessor. Invokes the paradise-y vibes while still having some of the suspicion present in the rest of the game.
All I have to say at the end of this is, play it! Play The Silver Case first of course though. I adore this game and its insane story. Mr. Mondo is an engrossing character that is our relatable connection as a player to these ludicrous events. He is (or continues to be?????) a great character. Also him finally being able to wake up and not fall over is some of the greatest character development in a video game. Very much excited for the 25th Ward after this.
Kill your past.
The second game in Suda51’s intriguing Kill the Past series. Intrigue is what drives this game and it’s fucking brilliant. Suda leaves me speechless once again goddammit. I went into this with minimal expectations and for the first half of the game I certainly thought it was good, but was a little confused by all the praise it receives from other bros on the site. Once everything came together it was magical and heightened my appreciation for Flower, Sun, and Rain, and Suda himself. In my last review of The Silver Case, I had mentioned that I can’t find the right balance between overtly referencing The Silver Case and articulating my own thoughts which is seemingly ironic now considering that’s exactly what this game does and surprisingly well.
Flower, Sun, and Rain’s iconic monotonous gameplay loop was absolutely despised by critics back in its Western 2008 debut. Another obvious video game critic L at first glance, but it’s understandable I find. There’s a specific mindset behind this game that the player has to recognize and connect with. Playing this game with a strict mindset focused on the gameplay is not what was intended. The gameplay is supposed to be monotonous. A constant reminder of Lospass’s confusing existence and a great device to build suspension. During my long walks between prominent story moments, I found myself on the edge of my seat. These walks only delay the inevitable, which is a simple yet effective method to create more intrigue. I also think that these walks are just, immersive lol. You’re meant to take in the superficial calm and relaxing summery vibes of the island, despite the story’s clear tonal contrast to this. Yeah it’s not that pretty on DS, but that’s still the implication and it definitely works in the PS2 version. Finally, I think the walks also give you time to soak in the story. When shit gets crazy you’re gonna need a minute to process it all lol. All of this I believe was completely intentional which creates an amazing connection between the story and gameplay that shapes this experience.
This was quite a great refreshing breather coming off of The Silver Case’s dark postmodern themes. Suda continually gets wacker as he finds his footing in the gaming industry. Loved the fourth wall breaks as they add comical flair to the story while not taking away from its much higher stakes. A lot more silly things happen here than in The Silver Case which is a bit more my speed despite loving TSC. Now I’m not really sure which story I prefer. FSR has a much better buildup to its main points while TSC has the better main points. It’s very weird to try and compare these games. FSR’s somewhat reliance on TSC both makes it simultaneously better and worse? Not sure. Although this is a spoiler free review I HAVE to express how the TSC returning characters and other shit made me feel. Insanely hype all around. Tokio Morishima I LOVE you. Also Eleki Island’s connections to the Silver Incident fucking got me so excited lmao. So many important points connected to TSC while remaining its own new thing. Although what really fascinates me is how the fuck people in 2008 played this shit on DS. People were probably completely lost at moments story-wise that are very clear with TSC knowledge. For all the mfs who had to wait until 2016 to help clear up FSR for themselves, my hat’s off to you.
Another amazing soundtrack! Great original tunes and remixes of famous tunes. Encapsulates the atmosphere as well as its predecessor. Invokes the paradise-y vibes while still having some of the suspicion present in the rest of the game.
All I have to say at the end of this is, play it! Play The Silver Case first of course though. I adore this game and its insane story. Mr. Mondo is an engrossing character that is our relatable connection as a player to these ludicrous events. He is (or continues to be?????) a great character. Also him finally being able to wake up and not fall over is some of the greatest character development in a video game. Very much excited for the 25th Ward after this.
Kill your past.
2016
¥50,000 huh…… ▋
What the fuck, man. This goddamn game. Suda you’re a fucking madman. I wrote literally two scripts before writing this one. I can’t find the right balance between overtly referencing The Silver Case and articulating my own thoughts, so, fuck it. We’re winging this shit. I’m not going to stress on this review at all. I’m writing freely. This game actually fucked me up LOL. My sleep schedule was ruined by it. Just like Tokio fr!!! Game was insanely captivating and immersive so much so that I couldn’t put it down.
FUCK THE PAST ▋
First off, I have to say I absolutely adore the art style and visual presentation. When I initially found out about The SIlver Case I was immediately drawn in by the art style. For so long I've been striving to find a game that’s reflective of my taste in art. This is that game. It’s so unique and senseless while still having a constructed comfy feel forming an immaculate atmosphere. Everything is weirdly claustrophobic but in a seemingly more focused manner? It’s hard to describe why I love it so much, it’s just my tastes.
FUCK THE BAT ▋
I’m left kinda speechless? Honestly this game caters to my tastes so well that I’m left with nothing but fragments of these memories conspired by Silverization. The past? Perhaps. Can one kill such a thing? The themes present all throughout the game remain strangely relevant while still being reflective of the times. The turn of the century…
FUCK KAMUI ▋
Suda is a weird fucking guy. I think everyone can agree to this. If this is just the tip of the iceberg with how far he can go then goddamn I’m in for a ride. Regardless, I actually really fucking love most of the characters. They’re all unique and the interactions between them are classic. Kusabi and Sumio are favorites with their gayass silly banter. Tokio is my personal favorite, though. I might have to say that I enjoyed Placebo more than Transmitter. The mystery was thicker and I found the simplistic tedious nature of the gameplay loop to be highly enveloped. It’s a more personal take on the grander scheme that Transmitter presents us with. The gaps left in the story of Transmitter get filled in nicely in Placebo. Both parts complete each other to form the stylistic and complex package. Plus Tokio is the most lovable fucking asshole I’ve seen in a game. His character development is also pretty three dimensional I’d say. In his last moments I really felt a sense of purity and oneness with him.
FUCK THE 24 WARDS ▋
Thinking about it more and more I kinda wish the story wasn’t as…rushed? Once you hit lifecut shit just puts itself out into the open and revealed. I think there was defo emotional buildup but it did seem a bit jarring coming off of Placebo which didn’t really resolve much. All in all the fantastic writing stays consistent all the way through so it’s not a deal breaker. The mystery is still there and it looms even after the game’s departure.
FUCK BIG DICK ▋
One last thing, the soundtrack. Haters will say it doesn’t go hard. Every song has the perfect tone to accentuate a scene. It completes the story, in a way. Hitting the extra beats that the story can’t always hit by itself. Masafumi Takada never misses.
FUCK YOU ▋
That’s it, I guess. I’ll still be pondering over this game’s enigmatic existence probably for years to come. I’m glad I finally experienced this batshit piece of fiction (bat lol) after almost a year of it sitting on my shelf. The more games I play, the more games that end up on my damn shelves. Here’s to Flower, Sun, and Rain hopefully being as engaging for me as this game.
FUCK ▋
Sudaheads, one question,
Would you lend him ¥50,000?
Save Log ▋
Your journal has been updated ▋
What the fuck, man. This goddamn game. Suda you’re a fucking madman. I wrote literally two scripts before writing this one. I can’t find the right balance between overtly referencing The Silver Case and articulating my own thoughts, so, fuck it. We’re winging this shit. I’m not going to stress on this review at all. I’m writing freely. This game actually fucked me up LOL. My sleep schedule was ruined by it. Just like Tokio fr!!! Game was insanely captivating and immersive so much so that I couldn’t put it down.
FUCK THE PAST ▋
First off, I have to say I absolutely adore the art style and visual presentation. When I initially found out about The SIlver Case I was immediately drawn in by the art style. For so long I've been striving to find a game that’s reflective of my taste in art. This is that game. It’s so unique and senseless while still having a constructed comfy feel forming an immaculate atmosphere. Everything is weirdly claustrophobic but in a seemingly more focused manner? It’s hard to describe why I love it so much, it’s just my tastes.
FUCK THE BAT ▋
I’m left kinda speechless? Honestly this game caters to my tastes so well that I’m left with nothing but fragments of these memories conspired by Silverization. The past? Perhaps. Can one kill such a thing? The themes present all throughout the game remain strangely relevant while still being reflective of the times. The turn of the century…
FUCK KAMUI ▋
Suda is a weird fucking guy. I think everyone can agree to this. If this is just the tip of the iceberg with how far he can go then goddamn I’m in for a ride. Regardless, I actually really fucking love most of the characters. They’re all unique and the interactions between them are classic. Kusabi and Sumio are favorites with their gayass silly banter. Tokio is my personal favorite, though. I might have to say that I enjoyed Placebo more than Transmitter. The mystery was thicker and I found the simplistic tedious nature of the gameplay loop to be highly enveloped. It’s a more personal take on the grander scheme that Transmitter presents us with. The gaps left in the story of Transmitter get filled in nicely in Placebo. Both parts complete each other to form the stylistic and complex package. Plus Tokio is the most lovable fucking asshole I’ve seen in a game. His character development is also pretty three dimensional I’d say. In his last moments I really felt a sense of purity and oneness with him.
FUCK THE 24 WARDS ▋
Thinking about it more and more I kinda wish the story wasn’t as…rushed? Once you hit lifecut shit just puts itself out into the open and revealed. I think there was defo emotional buildup but it did seem a bit jarring coming off of Placebo which didn’t really resolve much. All in all the fantastic writing stays consistent all the way through so it’s not a deal breaker. The mystery is still there and it looms even after the game’s departure.
FUCK BIG DICK ▋
One last thing, the soundtrack. Haters will say it doesn’t go hard. Every song has the perfect tone to accentuate a scene. It completes the story, in a way. Hitting the extra beats that the story can’t always hit by itself. Masafumi Takada never misses.
FUCK YOU ▋
That’s it, I guess. I’ll still be pondering over this game’s enigmatic existence probably for years to come. I’m glad I finally experienced this batshit piece of fiction (bat lol) after almost a year of it sitting on my shelf. The more games I play, the more games that end up on my damn shelves. Here’s to Flower, Sun, and Rain hopefully being as engaging for me as this game.
FUCK ▋
Sudaheads, one question,
Would you lend him ¥50,000?
Save Log ▋
Your journal has been updated ▋
2005
its the fourth one. mega man zero, four. its not the zero 3 two that i wanted, although it’s the fourth zero game that we needed. i’m rereviewing this because this is the only zero game i haven’t expressed my current thoughts on regarding replays. also i went on vacation and brought my ds plus zero collection and ended up replaying all the games for the millionth time lol so this is fresh in my mind.
this game occupies a weird space in my head. like, yeah i really enjoy it but i’m not sure how to stack it up against the others due to its more lackluster motives. its the perfect emotional tie up for the series however gameplay-wise it’s a bit confused. the classic eight stage level select seems to be there just for the sake of being different than the previous titles. ironically on replays i end up doing a similar order of stages because most of the bosses just aren’t that fun to fight against without certain ex skills that i want from other bosses. heat genblem (da turtle) was the only boss i fully enjoyed due to his fun patterns along with weil phase 1. the other bosses did things that you had to deal with, while these two had patterns that you could accurately form more of a strategy based on.
i think inti realized they had made a masterpiece with zero 3 and didn’t know where to go from there, so they tried to incorporate new things to differentiate it from zero 3. in retrospect, i’m not disappointed that this game is less like zero 3 in design simply because i think another zero 3 would be boring. if every zero game was like zero 3 they would all be great games yeah but there wouldn’t be much to identify specifics between them. each game has that special quirk or technical intention that makes it a recognizable entry in the series (minus the story/graphics). i feel like zero 4 is kind of the sonic cd of these games. does weird shit for the sake of doing weird shit. weather system is cool but the challenges added to stages feel artificial and more so challenging your endurance rather than skill. i prefer the old method of getting ex skills because it’s reliant more on actual skill than some bullshit obstacle tacked on to stages. the cyber elf system was downgraded to be…simpler? not sure what they were going for. regardless it serves its purpose and works effectively. my only gripe is that effects don’t stack which most would assume to be the standard.
all in all, i seriously do love this game even with my frequent frustration with it lol. these complaints aren’t ‘minor’ per say, they just display z4’s quality in comparison to z3 which set the bar really fuckin high. i love playing this as much as z1 and z2 due to its fundamental and mechanical roots. shit feels good to control. collective and accurate usage of ex skills is as fun as ever despite removal of the shield boomerang. also the music fucking bangs EVEN on gba. i will defend the gba ost until i die i really like listening to it. the cd versions are obviously godlike and i prefer them though.
“I don’t ever recall calling myself a hero, I am Mega Man Zero 4.” - Zero mega man, 2005
this game occupies a weird space in my head. like, yeah i really enjoy it but i’m not sure how to stack it up against the others due to its more lackluster motives. its the perfect emotional tie up for the series however gameplay-wise it’s a bit confused. the classic eight stage level select seems to be there just for the sake of being different than the previous titles. ironically on replays i end up doing a similar order of stages because most of the bosses just aren’t that fun to fight against without certain ex skills that i want from other bosses. heat genblem (da turtle) was the only boss i fully enjoyed due to his fun patterns along with weil phase 1. the other bosses did things that you had to deal with, while these two had patterns that you could accurately form more of a strategy based on.
i think inti realized they had made a masterpiece with zero 3 and didn’t know where to go from there, so they tried to incorporate new things to differentiate it from zero 3. in retrospect, i’m not disappointed that this game is less like zero 3 in design simply because i think another zero 3 would be boring. if every zero game was like zero 3 they would all be great games yeah but there wouldn’t be much to identify specifics between them. each game has that special quirk or technical intention that makes it a recognizable entry in the series (minus the story/graphics). i feel like zero 4 is kind of the sonic cd of these games. does weird shit for the sake of doing weird shit. weather system is cool but the challenges added to stages feel artificial and more so challenging your endurance rather than skill. i prefer the old method of getting ex skills because it’s reliant more on actual skill than some bullshit obstacle tacked on to stages. the cyber elf system was downgraded to be…simpler? not sure what they were going for. regardless it serves its purpose and works effectively. my only gripe is that effects don’t stack which most would assume to be the standard.
all in all, i seriously do love this game even with my frequent frustration with it lol. these complaints aren’t ‘minor’ per say, they just display z4’s quality in comparison to z3 which set the bar really fuckin high. i love playing this as much as z1 and z2 due to its fundamental and mechanical roots. shit feels good to control. collective and accurate usage of ex skills is as fun as ever despite removal of the shield boomerang. also the music fucking bangs EVEN on gba. i will defend the gba ost until i die i really like listening to it. the cd versions are obviously godlike and i prefer them though.
“I don’t ever recall calling myself a hero, I am Mega Man Zero 4.” - Zero mega man, 2005