KetchupPoptart
Neat for a dollar but has obvious issues. 24fps, annoying sounds and some cringe writing are the first to come to mind.
2021
The way saves work is really annoying, but the content of the game makes up for it
I get that the jankiness is where the fun should be, but things just didn't really work for me
2007
Game is neat and I liked it as a kid but movement is sooo sloooow, especially at the beginning
2012
Burnt out on this so freaking hard
2015
Some extremely high highs and amazing presentation (visuals and music). However, the gimmick simply doesn't work as well as I think it could have, because you have to replay so much of the game just to see the little differences if a character or two were missing. Definitely something that's fun to watch videos on or browse wiki's about, but lacks incentive to seek out yourself in the game. Still very much worth a playthrough for the two main paths though!
2019
While there are obvious flaws with this game, it would be a lie to say I didn't love my time with it. It absorbed all of my attention for a week or so, even at school, and I was genuinely emotionally attached by the end.
2018
Ran poorly and didn't feel good when I played. Am I missing something?
2020
Wish I could have tried it but nobody plays it.
2003
Downloaded porn to my computer.
2011
The greatest game of all time.
Completed all quests. Emulated on DeSmuMeVS2019. Review is spoiler-free!
Wow. I would have never expected that a DS game could absorb so much of my attention like this. This took a few months to complete, rounding out at about 26 hours. I played at a casual pace, reading everything and completing every side quest as they became available. With most chapters being about an hour long, sitting down to play one or a few in a session was perfect.
The most notable aspect of this game most people will mention is the world design. I have heard that the director conceptualized the world for 10 years before beginning the 3 year development, and it shows. Each location is bursting with life with its own unique technology, cultures, and architecture. The details and graphics of the environments are way above and beyond what I'd ever expect for a DS game.
The story, dialogue, and character/robot designs were all right up my alley as well. I usually hate reading a ton of text and prefer games with ambiguous lore and optional dialogue, such as the Soulsborne games. However, I got instantly hooked on the premise and writing style that's here. Somehow, even through translation, the characters are extremely charming and there are hilarious moments. It was a pleasant surprise to see so much inspiration from Evangelion as well, mainly in the robots, late game characters, and story elements.
In terms of basic gameplay, what's there isn't super deep, but still way above average for a DS game. The combat is simple but satisfying, becoming slightly more complex as enemies get trickier and you unlock more customization options. I personally did not use any upgrades until the post-game content, and felt that the difficulty curve was manageable, maybe even more engaging with the extra challenge.
It is worth mentioning this is also one of the most surprising games I've ever played. Giant creatures lunging erratically out of nowhere is unexpected on this hardware. New gameplay styles constantly being introduced feels like a Platinum type game. The story was always moving in an interesting direction, with some of the most meta "holy ####" moments I have experienced, as if Yoko Taro was the director.
I would say the only boring or repetitive part to me was when dying in a long quest and having to replay it, or some of the more basic Duel Ship missions. I appreciated having the speed up function in the emulator, but it never felt like I was relying on it. I also did experience some burnout about 14 hours in, so I would recommend taking it easy and not rushing to see everything. There is a lot of content here, and letting it last will keep you excited for what's next.
8-9 out of 10... However, if you aren't hooked within the first few hours, you'll probably hate the rest since you end up doing a lot of the same. The story definitely has a curve in quality as well, getting better but then losing focus over time. With how much I loved the characters, I was hoping for a bit more resolution and finality in the ending, but it feels a bit like it withers away, almost as if the writers were afraid to say goodbye to them as well. I really hope they come back in some kind of remake or sequel.
With this being my first Little Tail game, I am (cautiously) excited to see what the others have to offer!
(I've had a lot on my mind for this game, so expect this review to be edited over time.)
P.S. I would love to purchase a physical copy of this but all of the online reselling prices are astronomically high... :(
Wow. I would have never expected that a DS game could absorb so much of my attention like this. This took a few months to complete, rounding out at about 26 hours. I played at a casual pace, reading everything and completing every side quest as they became available. With most chapters being about an hour long, sitting down to play one or a few in a session was perfect.
The most notable aspect of this game most people will mention is the world design. I have heard that the director conceptualized the world for 10 years before beginning the 3 year development, and it shows. Each location is bursting with life with its own unique technology, cultures, and architecture. The details and graphics of the environments are way above and beyond what I'd ever expect for a DS game.
The story, dialogue, and character/robot designs were all right up my alley as well. I usually hate reading a ton of text and prefer games with ambiguous lore and optional dialogue, such as the Soulsborne games. However, I got instantly hooked on the premise and writing style that's here. Somehow, even through translation, the characters are extremely charming and there are hilarious moments. It was a pleasant surprise to see so much inspiration from Evangelion as well, mainly in the robots, late game characters, and story elements.
In terms of basic gameplay, what's there isn't super deep, but still way above average for a DS game. The combat is simple but satisfying, becoming slightly more complex as enemies get trickier and you unlock more customization options. I personally did not use any upgrades until the post-game content, and felt that the difficulty curve was manageable, maybe even more engaging with the extra challenge.
It is worth mentioning this is also one of the most surprising games I've ever played. Giant creatures lunging erratically out of nowhere is unexpected on this hardware. New gameplay styles constantly being introduced feels like a Platinum type game. The story was always moving in an interesting direction, with some of the most meta "holy ####" moments I have experienced, as if Yoko Taro was the director.
I would say the only boring or repetitive part to me was when dying in a long quest and having to replay it, or some of the more basic Duel Ship missions. I appreciated having the speed up function in the emulator, but it never felt like I was relying on it. I also did experience some burnout about 14 hours in, so I would recommend taking it easy and not rushing to see everything. There is a lot of content here, and letting it last will keep you excited for what's next.
8-9 out of 10... However, if you aren't hooked within the first few hours, you'll probably hate the rest since you end up doing a lot of the same. The story definitely has a curve in quality as well, getting better but then losing focus over time. With how much I loved the characters, I was hoping for a bit more resolution and finality in the ending, but it feels a bit like it withers away, almost as if the writers were afraid to say goodbye to them as well. I really hope they come back in some kind of remake or sequel.
With this being my first Little Tail game, I am (cautiously) excited to see what the others have to offer!
(I've had a lot on my mind for this game, so expect this review to be edited over time.)
P.S. I would love to purchase a physical copy of this but all of the online reselling prices are astronomically high... :(
Really couldn't get into it. Maybe I'll give it another chance someday.
2020
Sacrifices some of the simplistic perfection of the original for a much broader, expansive experience. Gameplay feels much more dense and complicated, both within each small interaction and within the overall route your run can lead. Took about 15 hours to beat for the first time with shortcuts, yet there still are several areas I haven't seen yet.
One major difference I've noticed is how much more important item pickups are in this game. For this reason, using shortcuts is greatly discouraged as going into late-game areas with nothing but a few ropes and bombs can be extremely challenging. Compare this to Spelunky HD, where I could continually throw myself into the final area with the final shortcut and not feel like I'm missing anything.
With how much more chaotic and fast paced this game usually is (showcased no better than the fact sprinting is now the default movement), I have to say that the local co-op suffers quite a bit. It is much harder to stay together, and the way that the "backrooms" of the levels function makes it difficult to work with a player who is dragging behind. However, the addition of online multiplayer shouldn't suffer from any of this, though I haven't tried it out yet.
Excited to keep playing to discover more areas and secrets, both in this and HD!
One major difference I've noticed is how much more important item pickups are in this game. For this reason, using shortcuts is greatly discouraged as going into late-game areas with nothing but a few ropes and bombs can be extremely challenging. Compare this to Spelunky HD, where I could continually throw myself into the final area with the final shortcut and not feel like I'm missing anything.
With how much more chaotic and fast paced this game usually is (showcased no better than the fact sprinting is now the default movement), I have to say that the local co-op suffers quite a bit. It is much harder to stay together, and the way that the "backrooms" of the levels function makes it difficult to work with a player who is dragging behind. However, the addition of online multiplayer shouldn't suffer from any of this, though I haven't tried it out yet.
Excited to keep playing to discover more areas and secrets, both in this and HD!
2020
The story is bland and uninspired. The combat is shallow and surface level. The world design is ripped out of other games. Stolen assets and animations. Movement and climbing is clunky. Characters won't shut up. NPCs all look the same. Dialogue localization is awful. Unintuitive mobile interface. Notifications that don't go away. Unskippable cutscenes. Everything in the overworld feels like a chore. Everything is locked behind adventure rank. Online only. Four different types of quests.
Gacha mechanics.
Why do people care about this game again?
Gacha mechanics.
Why do people care about this game again?