SaintAlfonso
2023
One of the better multiplayer experiences I have had in a while. Very fun for late nights, but you need a good group. I am hoping to see where they take it in the future. Mod support is pretty good!
Out of all the PS2 games this one has my favorite progression system. Weapons be purchased, leveled up and upgraded individually, armor can be upgraded, max health can increase - there's a lot. You combine that with everything else and a solid gameplay loop and it's easy to keep coming back to this game. The humor is really strong as well and there's a good deal of variety. I will say my main complaint is that some levels of the main campaign are more memorable than others.
2002
This review contains spoilers
At it's best it's a fun little hack and slash but it can get repetitive. I can't tell if the Indiana Jones similarities are intentional or accidental but that one Nazi submarine base level is very reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark. I guess Indiana Jones doesn't have a monopoly on nazis or submarines, but still. Also the game tells you that you need to mash a certain button (X, I think) while feeding off enemies and you just don't need to do that, I figured that out and looked it up. They intentionally lied because they thought it was more fun that way is the gist of it. You get a lotta little quirks like that throughout.
The edginess can get overwhelming, I'll give you that. And any non-historical game that uses Nazis as the baddies runs a high risk of being cliche - it reminds me of the trolls convincing Chris Chan that Hitler was targeting him. Still, if you can roll with that cheesiness it's fun in a kitschy kind of way.
The edginess can get overwhelming, I'll give you that. And any non-historical game that uses Nazis as the baddies runs a high risk of being cliche - it reminds me of the trolls convincing Chris Chan that Hitler was targeting him. Still, if you can roll with that cheesiness it's fun in a kitschy kind of way.
This is a really good game. It makes improvements over the first but I will say - the final boss and the overall story in this game is worse than in Ratchet and Clank 1 and 3. I also prefer the weapon lineup and the amount of content in Up Your Arsenal, but I think Going Commando has some more memorable levels. It's a toss up but regardless this is a solid entry into the franchise.
2002
This game rocks. They didn't have the characters fleshed out but the plot itself is really solid even if you get a few lines of dialogue that aren't necessarily ideal. This game was a lot more punishing than later Ratchet and Clank entries and it didn't lend itself as much to head on combat so to some extent it encourage a slower, more methodical play style. In addition to that you had of a platforming focus than later entries, at least in my opinion. Good game, solid start to the franchise.
This review contains spoilers
One of the big issues this game has that people gloss over is that 100%ing it, at least in my opinion, is way less satisfying. All of the pages are hidden in the hub worlds instead of in the levels themselves. Also, they backed themselves into a hole narrative-wise. In the first game you had a really good reason to want to get all the pages back cause the Thevius Racoonus is a family heirloom. It's not as compelling here, I dunno. Small detail.
Other than that this is a great game. I'd say that Sly 2 goes in a different direction instead of being a derivative sequel, so the two games are supplementary. There's some really memorable levels and story beats.
Other than that this is a great game. I'd say that Sly 2 goes in a different direction instead of being a derivative sequel, so the two games are supplementary. There's some really memorable levels and story beats.
One of the comfiest games ever made. The biggest flaw is the unnecessary rhythm game in the swamp level. I kinda like how there's one ups in this game even though they're more or less useless - it kind of adds to the atmosphere. Not a lot of sixth gen games still had those. This isn't a super high budget game but it hits above it's weight class.
2004
This game rocks man. Just straight fun. If you wanna blast through it, or if you wanna get into the high score aspect, there's a lot of potential. I will say that my one drawback with this game is that if you really want to get into the high scoring there is a kind of skill ceiling - at some point it's a copy monkey situation where you need to memorize if you want to get the highest score possible. But as a casual game, or a game where you and your friend take turns trying to beat each other's times and sizes without taking it to seriously, it's hard to beat.
Lots of the environments are pretty similar which kind of works out in this case because the game's progression is about getting bigger. You go from one room, to the whole house, to the neighborhood, and so on - just sort of zooming out. It's cool!
One final detail... I like being able to play as the cousins. Nice detail!
Lots of the environments are pretty similar which kind of works out in this case because the game's progression is about getting bigger. You go from one room, to the whole house, to the neighborhood, and so on - just sort of zooming out. It's cool!
One final detail... I like being able to play as the cousins. Nice detail!
2005
I actually might prefer the first game in some areas but at the end of the day We Love Katamari is just a ton of fun levels one after the other. There's more variety in terms of the objectives and there are different environments, compared to the first game where the levels feel more like progressions of each other rather than being separate things. I think the best kinds of sequels manage to be supplementary to each other while still clearly being in the same vein.
It's not high art or anything and it is kind of janky but at the end of the day you can customize your car and go far, and that makes me feel like a shooting star. I had this game as a kid and it's held up better than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. I dunno if I have any desire to play any other Hot Wheels games after this, though - I think I've sort of seen it at this point.
2004
Very basic button basher with a couple of ameneties. Fun for a fall run through even if it ain’t much.
1994
I remember this game being a bit underwhelming in terms of gameplay. At it's best it's average but there's also some frustrating moments - a one-off euroformer collecting section and a few bad boss fights, mostly. There are a few GOOD bosses, which helps it a bit, but the game has pretty shallow mechanics which it never progresses past>
What saves Mr. Nutz is the art and the music. The Genesis version seems to be more popular but for me the Super Nintendo version is the way to go. I'm not biased - there's times I prefer the Genesis version of games - but in this particular case the SNES version wins out for me. The music is cool, and kind of reminds me of Banjo Kazooie at some points. The art and design is the best feature. Some levels like the forest and the house are really cool highlights. I like in the forest level how the level is set up to show you as much of the background as possible. There's some levels in Super Mario World where you mostly stick to the ground level and the background is pretty simple with only a few details - if you soar up with the cape there's not much of a view. The backgrounds in these levels are pretty packed and I like that. The house level is fun just as a novel concept and I like how different household objects are used as platforming elements.
Even if the presentation is cool, the gameplay is still barebones. Plus there are games on both SNES and Genesis that beat Mr. Nutz aesthetically while also being more innovating and fun to play. I think it's worth checking out if you can but I don't think I can put it up there with the best games on the system. I am very happy to have found this game for myself, at least.
What saves Mr. Nutz is the art and the music. The Genesis version seems to be more popular but for me the Super Nintendo version is the way to go. I'm not biased - there's times I prefer the Genesis version of games - but in this particular case the SNES version wins out for me. The music is cool, and kind of reminds me of Banjo Kazooie at some points. The art and design is the best feature. Some levels like the forest and the house are really cool highlights. I like in the forest level how the level is set up to show you as much of the background as possible. There's some levels in Super Mario World where you mostly stick to the ground level and the background is pretty simple with only a few details - if you soar up with the cape there's not much of a view. The backgrounds in these levels are pretty packed and I like that. The house level is fun just as a novel concept and I like how different household objects are used as platforming elements.
Even if the presentation is cool, the gameplay is still barebones. Plus there are games on both SNES and Genesis that beat Mr. Nutz aesthetically while also being more innovating and fun to play. I think it's worth checking out if you can but I don't think I can put it up there with the best games on the system. I am very happy to have found this game for myself, at least.
This is one of the better Mario Kart entries, maybe top three. This is the best two player entry in the series for sure. I play Mario Kart largely as a party game but sometimes as a way to chill out and do something mindless in single player. But between solo play and large group play you have duo play which, in my opinion, is an underrated way to play the game. And it's duo play that Double Dash is best at. There's not a ton the player in the back absolutely needs to do but there's mechanics they can take advantage of to give you an edge. Likewise if you're in the front there's a few jobs you would normally have to worry about that the rear player can handle.
The single player is pretty close to middle of the road. Only four cups isn't fantastic but this is the first Mario Kart game that lets you unlock stuff, so there is that. It's also the first Mario Kart game where you can unlock vehicles. Those mechanics both came back but the cooperative driving never has, which is a bummer.
Playing with big groups can be fun but it's sort of hard to pull off compared to the other entries. It's really just a good game for you and one close homie. We'd sit out in the summer time sipping Faygo and blasting nu-metal while trying to beat the AI for hours. That's what Double Dash is all about.
The single player is pretty close to middle of the road. Only four cups isn't fantastic but this is the first Mario Kart game that lets you unlock stuff, so there is that. It's also the first Mario Kart game where you can unlock vehicles. Those mechanics both came back but the cooperative driving never has, which is a bummer.
Playing with big groups can be fun but it's sort of hard to pull off compared to the other entries. It's really just a good game for you and one close homie. We'd sit out in the summer time sipping Faygo and blasting nu-metal while trying to beat the AI for hours. That's what Double Dash is all about.
1996
There's really solid gameplay here. What holds Mario Kart 64 back is that it's pretty barebones. Four cups, eight racers, a couple game modes. What helps this game stay relevant is that every single course is a banger and the mechanics are pretty solid. That helped the game win it's reputation and to keep it even as arguably better sequels have come out over time. People still play Mario Kart 64 even in the face of the shinier new entries and that is a testament to it's quality. Also, it has some of the jankist graphics of any Mario game and that's sort of fun. If you're playing Mario Kart with a group whose willing to try one of the older entries this is probably the go to.
2001
Luigi's Mansion is proof if you make your game replayable enough you don't need that much content. This is a six hour game you can replay ten times. Unbeatable vibes.