LunarCheese
10 reviews liked by LunarCheese
This review contains spoilers
Trials and Tribulations is the best game in the trilogy, but I know I'm far from the first to say it, so I might as well give my reasons why, one case at a time.
Turnabout Memories: This is an awesome twist on the classic AA formula. We get to learn about Mia's career, Phoenix's past, and of course, Grossberg's hemorrhoids. Dahlia is a great villain and I love how blatantly guilty she is thanks entirely to Mia's POV. It also sets up a great central mystery, though we won't see the fruits of it until much later. The best first case in the trilogy.
The Stolen Turnabout: The best "filler case" in the trilogy. A case that's not a murder mystery (at first) is incredibly refreshing and something I wish the series would do more often. Seeing Adrian and Larry return and how they've moved on with their lives is awesome, and the new characters are just as good. Luke Atmey is a really entertaining villain, and Ron and Desiree are very sweet and I love them. But that's not even the best part of the case. No, this case graces us with my favorite character in the trilogy: Godot. His design and mannerisms are top-notch and the mystery behind his character is both immediately intriguing and immensely satisfying (but more on that later).
Recipe for Turnabout: ...Okay, nobody's perfect. I consider this the second-weakest case in the trilogy, just behind Big Top. I know a lot of stupid shit happens in Ace Attorney, but the Sonic Adventure 2 plotline with Don Tigre is where I draw the line. Also, I don't like Kudo or Armstrong. It's not all bad, though. Maggie's still a fun character and I like the arc with her and Gumshoe. And despite my complaints about his mysterious shapeshifting abilities, I think Don Tigre's a good villain. Also, I like how we get more time to learn about Godot as a prosecutor and the foreshadowing about how he can't see red. That's cool.
Turnabout Beginnings: Speaking of Godot, OH NO HE'S HOT. With that out of the way, this case is great. I love its use of dramatic irony and twists on the AA formula to set up the tragedy of Terry Fawles: You're gonna lose this case, and you know it. You just don't know how. It manages to build up Mia, Godot, Edgeworth, and Dahlia as characters in an interesting way. It's effectively half a case that exists as setup, but it's really good setup that leads to an even better payoff.
Bridge to the Turnabout: Talk about saving the best for last. Bridge to the Turnabout is, without question, my favorite case in the trilogy. True, the setup may seem convoluted and require a little suspension of disbelief, but those are minor nitpicks in the face of everything this case does right. It immediately sets up the mystery of a girl who looks mysteriously like Dahlia, set against the backdrop of a serene temple in the mountains. Then it raises the stakes, placing both Nick and Maya in mortal peril, leaving Edgeworth to step in and defend Iris. Franziska finally gets the conclusion to her arc in a fantastic twist on the series' signature courtroom battles. And it only gets better: Upon Nick's revival, everything involving DL-6, the Fey family, and Godot's past comes to a head, using everything the trilogy has built to craft an intricate web for the murder of Maya's mother. Immediately after, we get what is easily the best use of spirit channeling in the series: a cross-examination of a ghost revealing a plan to keep Maya safe, ending in Phoenix banishing Dahlia's soul to Hell (I am not joking).
But that's not even the best part. The reveal of the true killer finally gives Phoenix the conclusion to his arc, proving his capability as a lawyer to the man who doubted him the most. And of course, Godot's backstory and motivations are an expertly crafted combination of compelling and tragic. This is the only case in the original trilogy where I cried, and it's all thanks to him. Overall, Bridge to the Turnabout, like the game that bears it, is a perfect finale.
Turnabout Memories: This is an awesome twist on the classic AA formula. We get to learn about Mia's career, Phoenix's past, and of course, Grossberg's hemorrhoids. Dahlia is a great villain and I love how blatantly guilty she is thanks entirely to Mia's POV. It also sets up a great central mystery, though we won't see the fruits of it until much later. The best first case in the trilogy.
The Stolen Turnabout: The best "filler case" in the trilogy. A case that's not a murder mystery (at first) is incredibly refreshing and something I wish the series would do more often. Seeing Adrian and Larry return and how they've moved on with their lives is awesome, and the new characters are just as good. Luke Atmey is a really entertaining villain, and Ron and Desiree are very sweet and I love them. But that's not even the best part of the case. No, this case graces us with my favorite character in the trilogy: Godot. His design and mannerisms are top-notch and the mystery behind his character is both immediately intriguing and immensely satisfying (but more on that later).
Recipe for Turnabout: ...Okay, nobody's perfect. I consider this the second-weakest case in the trilogy, just behind Big Top. I know a lot of stupid shit happens in Ace Attorney, but the Sonic Adventure 2 plotline with Don Tigre is where I draw the line. Also, I don't like Kudo or Armstrong. It's not all bad, though. Maggie's still a fun character and I like the arc with her and Gumshoe. And despite my complaints about his mysterious shapeshifting abilities, I think Don Tigre's a good villain. Also, I like how we get more time to learn about Godot as a prosecutor and the foreshadowing about how he can't see red. That's cool.
Turnabout Beginnings: Speaking of Godot, OH NO HE'S HOT. With that out of the way, this case is great. I love its use of dramatic irony and twists on the AA formula to set up the tragedy of Terry Fawles: You're gonna lose this case, and you know it. You just don't know how. It manages to build up Mia, Godot, Edgeworth, and Dahlia as characters in an interesting way. It's effectively half a case that exists as setup, but it's really good setup that leads to an even better payoff.
Bridge to the Turnabout: Talk about saving the best for last. Bridge to the Turnabout is, without question, my favorite case in the trilogy. True, the setup may seem convoluted and require a little suspension of disbelief, but those are minor nitpicks in the face of everything this case does right. It immediately sets up the mystery of a girl who looks mysteriously like Dahlia, set against the backdrop of a serene temple in the mountains. Then it raises the stakes, placing both Nick and Maya in mortal peril, leaving Edgeworth to step in and defend Iris. Franziska finally gets the conclusion to her arc in a fantastic twist on the series' signature courtroom battles. And it only gets better: Upon Nick's revival, everything involving DL-6, the Fey family, and Godot's past comes to a head, using everything the trilogy has built to craft an intricate web for the murder of Maya's mother. Immediately after, we get what is easily the best use of spirit channeling in the series: a cross-examination of a ghost revealing a plan to keep Maya safe, ending in Phoenix banishing Dahlia's soul to Hell (I am not joking).
But that's not even the best part. The reveal of the true killer finally gives Phoenix the conclusion to his arc, proving his capability as a lawyer to the man who doubted him the most. And of course, Godot's backstory and motivations are an expertly crafted combination of compelling and tragic. This is the only case in the original trilogy where I cried, and it's all thanks to him. Overall, Bridge to the Turnabout, like the game that bears it, is a perfect finale.
This game is such a little gem, impeccable humor and a great mystery to unravel! As expected from Shu Takumi, fans of Ace Attorney will definitely enjoy this one, and a great introduction to what draws people to Shu Takumi's games for those who haven't played any before. Can't recommend it enough, and it only takes around 12hs to complete. Find the reboot in all platforms!
Super Metroid
1994
Random thoughts from a first-time Metroid player:
-I love how cinematic the intro looks for a 1994 game.
-I would've loved to know that I needed to shoot 5 missiles to open pink doors.
-So many secret walls. Did this inspired Dark Souls?
-Pacing is great. You get new abilities so quickly.
-Atmosphere is impeccable.
-HOLY… WALL JUMPING IS HORRIBLE.
-They put an important boss behind a secret wall. This is somehow worse than Dark Souls.
-The special interaction with the charge beam and jump/morph ball is pretty cool.
-This boss is not attacking…
-God, his death animation was horrific
-Did I just kill an innocent creature just to get to the other side?
-Is Samus Doom Guy, but evil?
-I'm getting the hang of wall jumping now.
-Interesting how very little improvements modern metroidvanias had to implement.
-Oh cool, if I speedboost then crouch, I can propel upwards.
-THE GLASS TUNNEL BREAKS WITH THE POWER BOMB? I wasn't expecting for it to actually work.
-I HATE PHANTOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111
-It took me like 5 whole minutes to figure out how to get out of sand.
-Now this game has transformed into Pathfinder (Apex) gameplay.
-Botwoon was a cakewalk.
-Wow, that's a really cool way to kill a boss. (Draygon)
-Draygon's babies :(
-Samus is Doom Guy, but evil. Confirmed.
-That Chonzo Statue just yeeted my Super Missile at me.
-Aww, the metroid.
-Final boss is hands down the best boss of any retro game I've played so far.
-This game was awesome. There are other endings? Let's check them out…
-… Oh.
Played on Nintendo Switch Online with Yuzu Emulator. Added Reshade with CRTNewPixie + CRTFakeLottes + CRT_Royale shaders. For reference: https://imgur.com/a/xYaZwlI
★★★½ – Great ✅
-I love how cinematic the intro looks for a 1994 game.
-I would've loved to know that I needed to shoot 5 missiles to open pink doors.
-So many secret walls. Did this inspired Dark Souls?
-Pacing is great. You get new abilities so quickly.
-Atmosphere is impeccable.
-HOLY… WALL JUMPING IS HORRIBLE.
-They put an important boss behind a secret wall. This is somehow worse than Dark Souls.
-The special interaction with the charge beam and jump/morph ball is pretty cool.
-This boss is not attacking…
-God, his death animation was horrific
-Did I just kill an innocent creature just to get to the other side?
-Is Samus Doom Guy, but evil?
-I'm getting the hang of wall jumping now.
-Interesting how very little improvements modern metroidvanias had to implement.
-Oh cool, if I speedboost then crouch, I can propel upwards.
-THE GLASS TUNNEL BREAKS WITH THE POWER BOMB? I wasn't expecting for it to actually work.
-I HATE PHANTOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111
-It took me like 5 whole minutes to figure out how to get out of sand.
-Now this game has transformed into Pathfinder (Apex) gameplay.
-Botwoon was a cakewalk.
-Wow, that's a really cool way to kill a boss. (Draygon)
-Draygon's babies :(
-Samus is Doom Guy, but evil. Confirmed.
-That Chonzo Statue just yeeted my Super Missile at me.
-Aww, the metroid.
-Final boss is hands down the best boss of any retro game I've played so far.
-This game was awesome. There are other endings? Let's check them out…
-… Oh.
Played on Nintendo Switch Online with Yuzu Emulator. Added Reshade with CRTNewPixie + CRTFakeLottes + CRT_Royale shaders. For reference: https://imgur.com/a/xYaZwlI
★★★½ – Great ✅
Persona 4 Golden
2012
Ending Achieved: True Golden Ending
So, due to a mixture of the fact that I couldn't sleep that night, i missed the true ending, and the feeling of a gaping void in my heart because my first experience of this game was over and done, I started a New Game Plus playthrough of Persona 4 Golden.
My first playthrough took me a year to complete.
This one took me 1.5 months.
I did every Social Link, every side quest, completed the Persona compendium, and I am only two achievements away from 100% completion.
But for now, I am done. I am incredibly satisfied.
I bought this game on Steam sale last summer for about $15. Best $15 I've ever spent to get what is, without a doubt, my new favorite game of all time. This game truly touched me on a deep, emotional, and thematic level, and it is a testament to how incredible the medium can be.
I recorded every moment of this playthrough in case I want to "do the white man thing and write a video essay" (-
@dootofalltrades, in response to my last post-game rant) or something down the line.
Regardless, just know that I love this game and that you should play it.
(copied from my twitter)
So, due to a mixture of the fact that I couldn't sleep that night, i missed the true ending, and the feeling of a gaping void in my heart because my first experience of this game was over and done, I started a New Game Plus playthrough of Persona 4 Golden.
My first playthrough took me a year to complete.
This one took me 1.5 months.
I did every Social Link, every side quest, completed the Persona compendium, and I am only two achievements away from 100% completion.
But for now, I am done. I am incredibly satisfied.
I bought this game on Steam sale last summer for about $15. Best $15 I've ever spent to get what is, without a doubt, my new favorite game of all time. This game truly touched me on a deep, emotional, and thematic level, and it is a testament to how incredible the medium can be.
I recorded every moment of this playthrough in case I want to "do the white man thing and write a video essay" (-
@dootofalltrades, in response to my last post-game rant) or something down the line.
Regardless, just know that I love this game and that you should play it.
(copied from my twitter)
Soul Hackers 2
2022
Quick Review
It's been a while since a game has left me with a lot of mixed feelings. Some good, but some glaring bad stuff too.
Despite how it might seem, the game doesn't strike the 50% story and 50% dungeon crawling balance that I'd liked. It's actually closer to 30% story and 70% dungeon crawling.
The story started off interesting, but fails to make notable and interesting progress and development afterwards until near the end of the game. The events in between add very little to the main picture. The story overall wasn't anything special.
The core 4 characters plus Figue are solid. They have good chemistry and it's nice having a cast of older adults as well. They don't have a lot of character growth, but their backgrounds do get explored quite well.
There is however, a lack of notable story NPCs. Probably just about a handful that are involved in the story and that's pretty much it.
The cyberpunk setting is great, but the game rarely ever makes use of it. I would've believed if somebody told me the game took place in present day Japan or something especially with the dungeon locations.
Speaking of dungeons, they are poorly designed in the sense that they are very boring to go through. They are very lifeless and a few of the dungeons are essentially reused, but with essentially a different layout.
Music is okay for the most part. The only standouts for me are the various boss themes and some of the town themes. The Comp Smith theme is my favorite song in the game. Dungeon music on the other hand is just a bland atmospheric track that is reused for all of the dungeons except for maybe the final one.
Graphics looks nice especially the character models. I do think those looks better than any SMT or Persona game. The animation in some of the cutscenes look great as well.
Gameplay is solid, but is lacking compared to SMT and Persona. The Sabbath system is neat by itself, but not as interesting or dynamic as SMT's Press Turn system and Persona's One More system. Demon fusion is still fun, but feels very restrictive compared to the other games. It's harder to inherit certain skills now and maxed skill slots is only 6 compared to 8. You even start off with just 4 and have to unlock the other 2.
Regular encounters are straightforward, but boss fights have decent challenges requiring you to adjust your strategies.
Overall, there's some potential here, but a combination of a lack of budget and strange game design choices really sours my opinion on the game. There's still fun to be had, but it doesn't have anything particularly special compared to the other games in the series. Other than the unique and voiced MC of course.
It's been a while since a game has left me with a lot of mixed feelings. Some good, but some glaring bad stuff too.
Despite how it might seem, the game doesn't strike the 50% story and 50% dungeon crawling balance that I'd liked. It's actually closer to 30% story and 70% dungeon crawling.
The story started off interesting, but fails to make notable and interesting progress and development afterwards until near the end of the game. The events in between add very little to the main picture. The story overall wasn't anything special.
The core 4 characters plus Figue are solid. They have good chemistry and it's nice having a cast of older adults as well. They don't have a lot of character growth, but their backgrounds do get explored quite well.
There is however, a lack of notable story NPCs. Probably just about a handful that are involved in the story and that's pretty much it.
The cyberpunk setting is great, but the game rarely ever makes use of it. I would've believed if somebody told me the game took place in present day Japan or something especially with the dungeon locations.
Speaking of dungeons, they are poorly designed in the sense that they are very boring to go through. They are very lifeless and a few of the dungeons are essentially reused, but with essentially a different layout.
Music is okay for the most part. The only standouts for me are the various boss themes and some of the town themes. The Comp Smith theme is my favorite song in the game. Dungeon music on the other hand is just a bland atmospheric track that is reused for all of the dungeons except for maybe the final one.
Graphics looks nice especially the character models. I do think those looks better than any SMT or Persona game. The animation in some of the cutscenes look great as well.
Gameplay is solid, but is lacking compared to SMT and Persona. The Sabbath system is neat by itself, but not as interesting or dynamic as SMT's Press Turn system and Persona's One More system. Demon fusion is still fun, but feels very restrictive compared to the other games. It's harder to inherit certain skills now and maxed skill slots is only 6 compared to 8. You even start off with just 4 and have to unlock the other 2.
Regular encounters are straightforward, but boss fights have decent challenges requiring you to adjust your strategies.
Overall, there's some potential here, but a combination of a lack of budget and strange game design choices really sours my opinion on the game. There's still fun to be had, but it doesn't have anything particularly special compared to the other games in the series. Other than the unique and voiced MC of course.
Super Metroid
1994
So in anticipation of Metroid Dread coming out, I replayed through one of my favorite games in the series, and boy howdy is it a good one! I love the ways in which it incentives sequence breaks and creative solutions for problems it gives you the answers to eventually.
Movement feels so good, and interestingly skill based. In general I find that older Nintendo games have a creative relationship with unlimited vertical movement, generally requiring skill with executing on some kind of rhythm. Whether it be the diving and soaring of the cape in Super Mario World or the song-like beat of bomb jumping in Super Metroid or even the awful Wing Cap in Mario 64, Nintendo was never quite satisfied with the concept of letting the player totally off the leash when it came to ascending beyond basic jumps.
I also adore the aesthetics and music of Super Metroid. The gentle way that Samus' armor breathes, the pulsing backgrounds of Norfair or the not-quite stagnant underground water of Maridia, I love the way this game looks. The music is also an amazing example of gentle but unsettling ambience, punctuated by amazing boss and panic tunes. Any more grandiose and the music would have taken away from the feeling of being alone on a hostile alien planet. Instead it merely creeps in the background, like some kind of silent killer.
Story wise there isn't a whole lot but I do love the plot of the baby Metroid forgetting Samus only to save her in the final moments, in what is probably my favorite SNES cutscene. The relationship between Samus and her little baby Metroid is so endearing even when told without words or really much actual bespoke animation. It's a shame they never made a game that fleshed that out!! Oh well!!!!
In conclusion I really like Super Metroid and had a good time playing it in the leadup to Dread! I actually finished it the night before the game came out, and am currently well on my way through my journey into Dread.
Thanks for reading!
Movement feels so good, and interestingly skill based. In general I find that older Nintendo games have a creative relationship with unlimited vertical movement, generally requiring skill with executing on some kind of rhythm. Whether it be the diving and soaring of the cape in Super Mario World or the song-like beat of bomb jumping in Super Metroid or even the awful Wing Cap in Mario 64, Nintendo was never quite satisfied with the concept of letting the player totally off the leash when it came to ascending beyond basic jumps.
I also adore the aesthetics and music of Super Metroid. The gentle way that Samus' armor breathes, the pulsing backgrounds of Norfair or the not-quite stagnant underground water of Maridia, I love the way this game looks. The music is also an amazing example of gentle but unsettling ambience, punctuated by amazing boss and panic tunes. Any more grandiose and the music would have taken away from the feeling of being alone on a hostile alien planet. Instead it merely creeps in the background, like some kind of silent killer.
Story wise there isn't a whole lot but I do love the plot of the baby Metroid forgetting Samus only to save her in the final moments, in what is probably my favorite SNES cutscene. The relationship between Samus and her little baby Metroid is so endearing even when told without words or really much actual bespoke animation. It's a shame they never made a game that fleshed that out!! Oh well!!!!
In conclusion I really like Super Metroid and had a good time playing it in the leadup to Dread! I actually finished it the night before the game came out, and am currently well on my way through my journey into Dread.
Thanks for reading!
It felt like a slightly more annoying Symphony of the Night. Maybe I didn't play around with enough attacks you get from souls but the soul system doesn't really change much. Pretty much everything else felt identical to SOTN, I was just more annoyed with save room and teleport room placements (there's none conveniently next to each other) and some flying enemies' flight patterns (though I probably should've used one of those overhead swinging swords sooner). And I guess it was lacking in the number of bosses too, but I don't feel like counting to check if that's the case.
A stunning example of what fan communities can do.
As a Dark Souls game there is a lot left to be desired here. But as its own game, good lord it's still top notch.
Edit 5/19/22 - ER release brought me to revisit, damn excellent game. 3.5 stars changed to 4
Edit 5/19/22 - ER release brought me to revisit, damn excellent game. 3.5 stars changed to 4
maybe the worst castlevania
5 lists liked by LunarCheese
