PocketEleri
2019
This project does a lot to show how underneath Sonic 06 is a good game. By improving the physics, movesets and other general parts of the gameplay what we are left with is an experience on par with something like Sonic Adventure 2.
My only real gripes are that the homing attacks is a bit too finicky about when it will lock-on/stay locked-on and the camera has a habit of facing the wrong direction. Both of these things can make combat in particular feel awkward.
My only real gripes are that the homing attacks is a bit too finicky about when it will lock-on/stay locked-on and the camera has a habit of facing the wrong direction. Both of these things can make combat in particular feel awkward.
This really is a great take on the classic Sonic formula. Whilst it is a metroidvania it is pretty linear, with you only really needing to backtrack towards the end of the game.
For me the real charm of this game is in the extra abilities Sonic unlocks, I feel they really do a lot to expand of the classic gameplay in interesting ways.
For me the real charm of this game is in the extra abilities Sonic unlocks, I feel they really do a lot to expand of the classic gameplay in interesting ways.
A fun little metroidvania romp with classic Sonic gameplay. Worth checking out and won't take long to beat.
Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil
Damn.
I was not expecting this game to hit me as hard as it did.
First of all let's get the easy part out of the way, the gameplay. This game does what every sequel should do and build upon what worked on the original, so if you like the original you will like this too. Although this game does also introduce hoverboard stages, I feel these are a great addition because they build upon the grabbing and throwing mechanics of the main gameplay so that they don't feel too far removed and are infrequent enough to be fun way to break up the main gameplay without detracting from it.
And now the story, this is hard to quantify as it is a very emotional story. The characters are great, with good character growth. There were two moments in particular (an important character moment for one of the side characters and the ending of the game) that honestly had me on the verge of tears.
Do not let this game pass you by, play it on easy if you have to. One of the best stories in gaming.
Damn.
I was not expecting this game to hit me as hard as it did.
First of all let's get the easy part out of the way, the gameplay. This game does what every sequel should do and build upon what worked on the original, so if you like the original you will like this too. Although this game does also introduce hoverboard stages, I feel these are a great addition because they build upon the grabbing and throwing mechanics of the main gameplay so that they don't feel too far removed and are infrequent enough to be fun way to break up the main gameplay without detracting from it.
And now the story, this is hard to quantify as it is a very emotional story. The characters are great, with good character growth. There were two moments in particular (an important character moment for one of the side characters and the ending of the game) that honestly had me on the verge of tears.
Do not let this game pass you by, play it on easy if you have to. One of the best stories in gaming.
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.
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
This game is really amazing. The gameplay has a great sense of flow to it and the story is moving not in spite of it's simple presentation but partly due to it.
There is one gripe I had and that is that the game still has that 90s difficulty. Thankful the Easy mode helps mitigate that as it increases the amount of damage you can take and gives you unlimited lives. In my opinion whilst it is called easy mode I would say it just brings the game inline with modern sensibilities.
This game is really amazing. The gameplay has a great sense of flow to it and the story is moving not in spite of it's simple presentation but partly due to it.
There is one gripe I had and that is that the game still has that 90s difficulty. Thankful the Easy mode helps mitigate that as it increases the amount of damage you can take and gives you unlimited lives. In my opinion whilst it is called easy mode I would say it just brings the game inline with modern sensibilities.
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
2020
"Just jokes" has been a common method for spreading hateful and bigoted ideology because the people making the "jokes" can just hide behind not being serious or anyone who called them out "not being able to take a joke" or "having their feelings hurt". Or if they are feeling particularly uninspired they will just resort to insults as they have no actual rebuttal to being called out.
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.
2022
A fun little tech demo of what the Steam Deck can do that is full of that Portal humour and lore.
Well worth checking out if you have a Deck, it's up there with Tech Demos like Wii Sports
Well worth checking out if you have a Deck, it's up there with Tech Demos like Wii Sports
[3D in 2D Shadow]
This character is a great addition to Sonic 3 AIR. On the surface his moveset may sound like it will make the game trivial, boost and homing attack/jump dash, but there is more to it than that.
First of all boosting through the entire stage is not going to get you anywhere, it is much more useful as a quick burst of speed, like an instant peel-out, it also doesn't make you impervious so you need to be careful and manage your speed.
The homing attack likewise doesn't make you impervious as you still have to be careful to avoid enemy attacks and make sure you hit weak spots.
The jump dash had a lot of usability it this game. The obvious features are a quick burst of speed and the ability to correct a jump, but it also comes with a small increase in jump hight, which when used properly can open up new movement options in the levels.
This character is a great addition to Sonic 3 AIR. On the surface his moveset may sound like it will make the game trivial, boost and homing attack/jump dash, but there is more to it than that.
First of all boosting through the entire stage is not going to get you anywhere, it is much more useful as a quick burst of speed, like an instant peel-out, it also doesn't make you impervious so you need to be careful and manage your speed.
The homing attack likewise doesn't make you impervious as you still have to be careful to avoid enemy attacks and make sure you hit weak spots.
The jump dash had a lot of usability it this game. The obvious features are a quick burst of speed and the ability to correct a jump, but it also comes with a small increase in jump hight, which when used properly can open up new movement options in the levels.
This was quite a surprising little hack. On the surface it might seem that it is just another run of the mill Sonic 2 hack but that is far from the truth.
Despite the name it actually takes more inspiration from the Game Gear titles than the Advance series (in particular Chaos and Triple Trouble), but even then this feels like it's own thing, with custom art, badniks, gimmicks and bosses making this a good pick for someone wanting a fresh Classic Sonic experience.
Despite the name it actually takes more inspiration from the Game Gear titles than the Advance series (in particular Chaos and Triple Trouble), but even then this feels like it's own thing, with custom art, badniks, gimmicks and bosses making this a good pick for someone wanting a fresh Classic Sonic experience.
2006
[Official Level Design Contest 2021: Round 1]
I didn't enjoy this pack as much as I did other ones. I had some issues in some of the levels with getting lost and some of the gimmicks were difficult to get to grips with. There are still some good levels here and other people may not have the same issues I have had so it is still worth checking out.
I didn't enjoy this pack as much as I did other ones. I had some issues in some of the levels with getting lost and some of the gimmicks were difficult to get to grips with. There are still some good levels here and other people may not have the same issues I have had so it is still worth checking out.
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.
2006
In my opinion this is the closest anyone has come to capturing what made classic 2D Sonic work in 3D, without falling into the trap of making the stages too big (and hard to navigate) or giving the characters too many abilities.
The sheer sense of flow in this game is not to be understated.
The sheer sense of flow in this game is not to be understated.