PocketEleri
2014
For the most part this is a great homage to 16/32 Bit 2D Platformers. With fast paced gameplay and a good sense of flow.
Unfortunately the final few stages can get a bit frustrating in this regard as I personally feel that they lean a little too hard on the number of enemies to increase the challenge, making kinda difficultly to actually deal with those enemies at times due to a large amount of attacks that need to be avoided at any given time.
Unfortunately the final few stages can get a bit frustrating in this regard as I personally feel that they lean a little too hard on the number of enemies to increase the challenge, making kinda difficultly to actually deal with those enemies at times due to a large amount of attacks that need to be avoided at any given time.
2022
This is certainly quite the mixed bag of a release.
The extra polish given to Sonic 3 makes this the star of this collection. Extra sprites to better convey certain gimmicks, tweaks to cutscenes to make them flow better and other quality of life enhancements really push it beyond the remasters that came before.
On the topic of the remasters that came before that is where my first issue with this collection arises. Sonic 1 and 2 aren't changed all that much over their 2013 remasters, so unfortunately they don't have the same level of quality as Sonic 3. Sonic CD suffers from this even more as it predates the Sonic 1 and 2 remasters and therefore misses features present in those games, most notably Knuckles.
The only other real issues I have with this is that it's a bit buggy and some of the replacement music in Sonic 3 isn't up to the standard of the rest of the OST.
The extra polish given to Sonic 3 makes this the star of this collection. Extra sprites to better convey certain gimmicks, tweaks to cutscenes to make them flow better and other quality of life enhancements really push it beyond the remasters that came before.
On the topic of the remasters that came before that is where my first issue with this collection arises. Sonic 1 and 2 aren't changed all that much over their 2013 remasters, so unfortunately they don't have the same level of quality as Sonic 3. Sonic CD suffers from this even more as it predates the Sonic 1 and 2 remasters and therefore misses features present in those games, most notably Knuckles.
The only other real issues I have with this is that it's a bit buggy and some of the replacement music in Sonic 3 isn't up to the standard of the rest of the OST.
2021
A great port of one of the classic Sonic games. If you enjoy the Master System/Game Gear original or are a big fan of the C64 then you should definitely check this one out.
This is a great choice for Classic Sonic fans (in particular Sonic 1 fans) who want an extra challenge. This game remixes the content of Sonic 1 to give the player something that is faster but also more challenging, whilst feeling familiar.
Sonic's moveset in this is interested, he has what you would expect, the spin jump and spin dash. But there are also two unexpected additions, those being the homing attack and light speed dash.
First up the homing attack in this game isn't something to be used wildly, if you do you will likely slam into spikes and projectiles, on top of that there are certain Badniks that are difficult to use it against due to their defenses (those being Catakiller, Yardin and Orbinaut) and there are also inonveniently placed Eggman monitors to make you think about what you are using it on.
Then there is the light speed dash, for the most part this is used to gain speed as the momentum gained from using it is retained as you exit the trail of rings. There are also some shortcuts designed to make use of it.
I would definitely recommend playing the Mega Drive version on this game (v3) over the Mega CD (v4) as this is the more polished version.
Sonic's moveset in this is interested, he has what you would expect, the spin jump and spin dash. But there are also two unexpected additions, those being the homing attack and light speed dash.
First up the homing attack in this game isn't something to be used wildly, if you do you will likely slam into spikes and projectiles, on top of that there are certain Badniks that are difficult to use it against due to their defenses (those being Catakiller, Yardin and Orbinaut) and there are also inonveniently placed Eggman monitors to make you think about what you are using it on.
Then there is the light speed dash, for the most part this is used to gain speed as the momentum gained from using it is retained as you exit the trail of rings. There are also some shortcuts designed to make use of it.
I would definitely recommend playing the Mega Drive version on this game (v3) over the Mega CD (v4) as this is the more polished version.
Now this is how you remaster a classic. You have all of the original game in all it's glory, which is definitely a good start. The extra moves available to Sonic and the abilities of Tails and Knuckles really open up the level design. The other modes and extra content are well worth a look and unlock some very worthwhile content.
Sometimes a licensed game comes along that manages to be good. Then in cases like this one comes along that manages to be great.
Obviously no game is perfect and that does become evident by the last 2 levels of the game. The missions are made up of a bunch of different objective types that are linked together in different ways to make a full mission. This in combination with the small map sizes can result in the game feeling a bit repetitive towards the end, thankfully the game ends before this becomes a significant problem.
Obviously no game is perfect and that does become evident by the last 2 levels of the game. The missions are made up of a bunch of different objective types that are linked together in different ways to make a full mission. This in combination with the small map sizes can result in the game feeling a bit repetitive towards the end, thankfully the game ends before this becomes a significant problem.
2006
[Official Level Design Contest 2022: Round 1]
Overall a great pack of levels for SRB2 and well worth checking out. Featuring a mixture of traditional levels, challenge levels and treasure hunting stages, there is something for everyone in this pack.
Overall a great pack of levels for SRB2 and well worth checking out. Featuring a mixture of traditional levels, challenge levels and treasure hunting stages, there is something for everyone in this pack.
A great addition to the SRB2 cast, and probably the best use of wisps I have seen in any Sonic game.
Her different moves open up a lot of options for playing through the game, without feeling completely OP. And her gunplay focus really changes up the feel of the bosses. Well worth checking out.
Her different moves open up a lot of options for playing through the game, without feeling completely OP. And her gunplay focus really changes up the feel of the bosses. Well worth checking out.
2018
I really was enjoying this game. The gameplay is fun and the different types of events helped keep the game from getting stale.
Then the full game opened up after the intro segment and there was just too much to keep me motivated. There were so many events on the map that I just didn't know what to pick, and the amount of cars I had got from DLC, Wheelspins and Barn Finds just made it really hard to pick what to drive (especially as I'm not a car guy).
If the openess of this game appeals to you then I'm sure you'll love it, but if you want something a bit more guided then you might be better served by playing something else
Then the full game opened up after the intro segment and there was just too much to keep me motivated. There were so many events on the map that I just didn't know what to pick, and the amount of cars I had got from DLC, Wheelspins and Barn Finds just made it really hard to pick what to drive (especially as I'm not a car guy).
If the openess of this game appeals to you then I'm sure you'll love it, but if you want something a bit more guided then you might be better served by playing something else
This was quite the surreal experience. At first I struggled to get used to using Mario's moveset in Sonic 3, but over time it just clicked and I was wall jumping and diving all other the place. Finding shortcuts that wouldn't be possible with Sonic.
Version 1.5
This is a great update to Sonic 1 Forever.
Amy (Forever Moveset) A great addition to the original cast with some interesting and unique movement options. I look forward to seeing how these moves can be strung together to move through levels quickly.
Amy (Advancesque Moveset): I wish I could say the same for this moveset. The lack of a spin isn't what I have an issue with, it's how you attack. You have two forms of attack, a double jump that has you spin the hammer around once (which is admittedly useful for hitting enemies just above you) and a forward dash, unfortunately this makes it hard to precisely hit enemies below you (especially difficult with enemies like Catakillers).
Golf: A fun callback to the J2ME game this has you play golf on nine holes spread throughout Green Hill Act 1, 2 and 3. A fun little distraction that shouldn't take too long to beat.
This is a great update to Sonic 1 Forever.
Amy (Forever Moveset) A great addition to the original cast with some interesting and unique movement options. I look forward to seeing how these moves can be strung together to move through levels quickly.
Amy (Advancesque Moveset): I wish I could say the same for this moveset. The lack of a spin isn't what I have an issue with, it's how you attack. You have two forms of attack, a double jump that has you spin the hammer around once (which is admittedly useful for hitting enemies just above you) and a forward dash, unfortunately this makes it hard to precisely hit enemies below you (especially difficult with enemies like Catakillers).
Golf: A fun callback to the J2ME game this has you play golf on nine holes spread throughout Green Hill Act 1, 2 and 3. A fun little distraction that shouldn't take too long to beat.
This version does a lot to make Sonic 3D Blast a lot more enjoyable.
I always thought the original was a decent puzzle platformer, but with this update storing your progress, tracking the Sonic Medals and adding a time attack mode it really fleshes out the game, making it feel like a mini-collectaphon.
I always thought the original was a decent puzzle platformer, but with this update storing your progress, tracking the Sonic Medals and adding a time attack mode it really fleshes out the game, making it feel like a mini-collectaphon.
2022
A charming little game about exploring a world inhabited by little bunnies as another little bunny. This has some nice, low stress puzzles as you gather food before a blizzard.
1995
There isn't really much to say about Picross. It's a fun puzzle game.
One thing I want to say about this version is that the cursor doesn't feel as responsive as it should be, but that is something that can be adapted to.
One thing I want to say about this version is that the cursor doesn't feel as responsive as it should be, but that is something that can be adapted to.
2011
Normally I wouldn't want to compare a game to it's successor too much, but with how similar this is to Mario Kart 8 it feels hard not to.
This is the game that laid the groundwork for what a modern Mario Kart could be, this is where now series staples like gliders and kart customization were introduced, both of which have seen very little change since their inception. But there are still parts of the game that feel a bit rough compared to what is to come, especially from a single player perspective. The game can at times feel unforgiving (and even a little but cheap) mainly from things like the strict timing of boost starts and the low invulnerability time after getting with an item, but also from less tangible things like the player getting the short end of the stick when it comes to being repeatedly hit by items (also known as getting Karted) more so that what happens when an AI racer is in the lead (many a time it felt like no blue shells and lighting was getting used until I took 1st place).
Overall though I think this is still a fun Mario Kart game. But I'm not sure how easy it is to recommend it to play. What with Mario Kart 8 greatly improving the gameplay formula this title laid out, and with the Deluxe version of 8 in combination with the Booster Course Pass some of this game's best tracks are now available there (with a good chance of more being added in the final waves).
All I will say then is that if this game interests you then give it a go.
This is the game that laid the groundwork for what a modern Mario Kart could be, this is where now series staples like gliders and kart customization were introduced, both of which have seen very little change since their inception. But there are still parts of the game that feel a bit rough compared to what is to come, especially from a single player perspective. The game can at times feel unforgiving (and even a little but cheap) mainly from things like the strict timing of boost starts and the low invulnerability time after getting with an item, but also from less tangible things like the player getting the short end of the stick when it comes to being repeatedly hit by items (also known as getting Karted) more so that what happens when an AI racer is in the lead (many a time it felt like no blue shells and lighting was getting used until I took 1st place).
Overall though I think this is still a fun Mario Kart game. But I'm not sure how easy it is to recommend it to play. What with Mario Kart 8 greatly improving the gameplay formula this title laid out, and with the Deluxe version of 8 in combination with the Booster Course Pass some of this game's best tracks are now available there (with a good chance of more being added in the final waves).
All I will say then is that if this game interests you then give it a go.