A breakthrough for gaming, unforgettable if you played it in the 80s, and loads of fun even today. There are a bunch of detailed reviews already, so here are some odd similarities with Dark Souls:
1. It's notorious for being tough, but compared to other games its difficulty is only moderately high (this isn't a flex, they're both very difficult for me! But there are much tougher games out there).
2. Much of the difficulty is easily overcome with knowledge plus simple strategies. An example (aside from boss weaknesses) is a tricky platforming section in Heat Man's stage can be skipped with item 2 (I'm convinced every kid did this in 1989 and felt like a genius). It's an obvious strat once you know item 2 exists, but if it's your first playthrough you probably won't. Similarly, knowledge of the rusted iron ring in Dark Souls eases the pain in Blighttown and Sen's fortress, but it's easily miss-able.
3. Metal blade = magic build.
4. Several late-game segments seem rushed and unfinished (Wily 4, Tomb of Giants).
5. There's even a cheap puzzle boss in each game (Boobeam trap, Bed of Chaos). Granted, Bed of Chaos is more frustrating, but arriving at the Boobeam trap without full Crash Bombs only to discover I'm doomed would certainly make me sling a few fuck-words.
6. The final boss is kind of a pushover.
7. Both games launched their series' to legendary status.
1. It's notorious for being tough, but compared to other games its difficulty is only moderately high (this isn't a flex, they're both very difficult for me! But there are much tougher games out there).
2. Much of the difficulty is easily overcome with knowledge plus simple strategies. An example (aside from boss weaknesses) is a tricky platforming section in Heat Man's stage can be skipped with item 2 (I'm convinced every kid did this in 1989 and felt like a genius). It's an obvious strat once you know item 2 exists, but if it's your first playthrough you probably won't. Similarly, knowledge of the rusted iron ring in Dark Souls eases the pain in Blighttown and Sen's fortress, but it's easily miss-able.
3. Metal blade = magic build.
4. Several late-game segments seem rushed and unfinished (Wily 4, Tomb of Giants).
5. There's even a cheap puzzle boss in each game (Boobeam trap, Bed of Chaos). Granted, Bed of Chaos is more frustrating, but arriving at the Boobeam trap without full Crash Bombs only to discover I'm doomed would certainly make me sling a few fuck-words.
6. The final boss is kind of a pushover.
7. Both games launched their series' to legendary status.