ShinGenX
30 Days of Sonic 2023
Day 4: Chaos
I really don't have much to say, really: to all the people who think this game is ok, it's not.
It's pure fucking ass.
Perhaps its due to the egregious slowdown of this title and Triple Trouble (we'll get to that eventually), but Sonic's jump feels excessively floaty and his ground movement feels slippery - running for less than half a second can cause the skidding animation to trigger, making platforming more of a chore than it should be.
The special stage unlocking method is also ass. Don't you want to skip an entire level by going to a lame special stage when you get 100 rings? Because I sure love it when the level design is similarly weighed down by the devs making sure that every fucking level has a lootbox corner of rings fucking everywhere so players can skip the level if they don't already have the emeralds. Eh whatever a game where every level has literally 0 substance and less than 45 seconds of playtime is not worth it anyway.
And due to this, despite the clear distinction of the backdrops in every level, I can't really say a single level stood out to me other than Sleeping Egg Zone purely due to it having Crystal Egg-esque breakable blocks, and Electric Egg Zone as this game's mandatory tube kink fetish level. As I write this I've literally forgotten the name of the fifth level of the game. I quit the game at the final boss because frankly I was feeling sleepy and wanted to divert my attention to ToTK. Also the final boss is unfairly hard anyway, much worse than the Death Egg Robot and a far cry to Chaos' pathetic lineup of bosses.
It's just that boring. Much like this review.
Final rating: 2.5/10
Tomorrow: Sonic 3 and Knuckles(!!!)
Day 4: Chaos
I really don't have much to say, really: to all the people who think this game is ok, it's not.
It's pure fucking ass.
Perhaps its due to the egregious slowdown of this title and Triple Trouble (we'll get to that eventually), but Sonic's jump feels excessively floaty and his ground movement feels slippery - running for less than half a second can cause the skidding animation to trigger, making platforming more of a chore than it should be.
The special stage unlocking method is also ass. Don't you want to skip an entire level by going to a lame special stage when you get 100 rings? Because I sure love it when the level design is similarly weighed down by the devs making sure that every fucking level has a lootbox corner of rings fucking everywhere so players can skip the level if they don't already have the emeralds. Eh whatever a game where every level has literally 0 substance and less than 45 seconds of playtime is not worth it anyway.
And due to this, despite the clear distinction of the backdrops in every level, I can't really say a single level stood out to me other than Sleeping Egg Zone purely due to it having Crystal Egg-esque breakable blocks, and Electric Egg Zone as this game's mandatory tube kink fetish level. As I write this I've literally forgotten the name of the fifth level of the game. I quit the game at the final boss because frankly I was feeling sleepy and wanted to divert my attention to ToTK. Also the final boss is unfairly hard anyway, much worse than the Death Egg Robot and a far cry to Chaos' pathetic lineup of bosses.
It's just that boring. Much like this review.
Final rating: 2.5/10
Tomorrow: Sonic 3 and Knuckles(!!!)
1993
30 Days of Sonic 2023
Day 4: Sonic CD
This game is still an enigma amongst Sonic titles.
The level design is jumbled, chaotic, sort of like some kid's backyard hodgepodge. The time travel mechanic is inconsistent, and mostly serves as a hindrance more than a benefit due to the abundance of Future signs that plague the levels. With two of its fundamental factors hinging on the verge of being outright bad, it's impossible to see Sonic CD today as a good game, let alone a great game.
Yet, it somehow comes together.
Maybe its the way that in the desolate spaces between the beginning and the end, the graphics and music (both US and JP) blend together to drive your senses into overload, in tandem with the chaos that is the levels of Sonic CD. Maybe its the way Sonic's moveset delivers the perfect tools to explore the grandiose scope of the various attractions of Little Planet, a world too large for a 4:3 screen. Maybe its the way CD becomes the first mainline game to remove the rolljump lock, making platforming almost perfect had there not be the imposing barrier of the air speed cap. Maybe its the ambitious style of the Special Stages, and how despite its clunky graphics, ends up becoming the most skill based and rewarding special stages in the Origins quadrant. Maybe it's how the FMVs etches a smile on my face due to its charming nature, despite its bit-crunched, hardware-limited quality.
Maybe its the way Palmtree Panic provides a vibrant and welcoming escapade into the wild world of Little Planet, with a future that either celebrates your labored endeavors, or devastates you with consequences of your apathy. Maybe its the way Collision Chaos pisses me the fuck off every time I play it, for there being a solid basis for good platforming level. Maybe its the way Tidal Tempest's empty corridors weave you in and out of the teal waters and still leaves you feeling empty by the end. Maybe its the way the colorful ores Quartz Quadrant amplifies the energetic vibes of the world and rocks you through the best designed level in CD, both structure-wise and sound-wise. Maybe its the way Wacky Workbench sends you into a tirade of curses, as its electrical floor sends you catapulting into another series of traps as the music awkwardly loops over itself (at least, in the US version). Maybe its the way Stardust Speedway is secretly a Sonic 2 level embedded within its family of otherwise unorthodox levels.
Maybe its the way I can't really decide on whether Metallic Madness is a great level, or if it's the result of an excessive overflow of Naoto Oshima's vision of a wacky, confusing world.
Maybe I just have poor taste. But perhaps that's it. Sonic CD is an experience that really comes down to personal taste. For me? Sonic CD is everything, it's everywhere, it's all of it at once. And somehow, it clicked.
Final rating:
1993 version - 7/10
2011 version - 8.5/10
Day 4: Sonic CD
This game is still an enigma amongst Sonic titles.
The level design is jumbled, chaotic, sort of like some kid's backyard hodgepodge. The time travel mechanic is inconsistent, and mostly serves as a hindrance more than a benefit due to the abundance of Future signs that plague the levels. With two of its fundamental factors hinging on the verge of being outright bad, it's impossible to see Sonic CD today as a good game, let alone a great game.
Yet, it somehow comes together.
Maybe its the way that in the desolate spaces between the beginning and the end, the graphics and music (both US and JP) blend together to drive your senses into overload, in tandem with the chaos that is the levels of Sonic CD. Maybe its the way Sonic's moveset delivers the perfect tools to explore the grandiose scope of the various attractions of Little Planet, a world too large for a 4:3 screen. Maybe its the way CD becomes the first mainline game to remove the rolljump lock, making platforming almost perfect had there not be the imposing barrier of the air speed cap. Maybe its the ambitious style of the Special Stages, and how despite its clunky graphics, ends up becoming the most skill based and rewarding special stages in the Origins quadrant. Maybe it's how the FMVs etches a smile on my face due to its charming nature, despite its bit-crunched, hardware-limited quality.
Maybe its the way Palmtree Panic provides a vibrant and welcoming escapade into the wild world of Little Planet, with a future that either celebrates your labored endeavors, or devastates you with consequences of your apathy. Maybe its the way Collision Chaos pisses me the fuck off every time I play it, for there being a solid basis for good platforming level. Maybe its the way Tidal Tempest's empty corridors weave you in and out of the teal waters and still leaves you feeling empty by the end. Maybe its the way the colorful ores Quartz Quadrant amplifies the energetic vibes of the world and rocks you through the best designed level in CD, both structure-wise and sound-wise. Maybe its the way Wacky Workbench sends you into a tirade of curses, as its electrical floor sends you catapulting into another series of traps as the music awkwardly loops over itself (at least, in the US version). Maybe its the way Stardust Speedway is secretly a Sonic 2 level embedded within its family of otherwise unorthodox levels.
Maybe its the way I can't really decide on whether Metallic Madness is a great level, or if it's the result of an excessive overflow of Naoto Oshima's vision of a wacky, confusing world.
Maybe I just have poor taste. But perhaps that's it. Sonic CD is an experience that really comes down to personal taste. For me? Sonic CD is everything, it's everywhere, it's all of it at once. And somehow, it clicked.
Final rating:
1993 version - 7/10
2011 version - 8.5/10
1992
30 Days of Sonic 2023
Day 3: Sonic 2
Don't hold right.
The top 2 reviews on this site lament on how they get punished for going fast and dislike the game because of this. First of all, they're absolutely right. Second of all, they're also dead wrong.
...okay, no, the monkey guy is right, fuck Coconuts. The Badniks in Sonic 2 really like trading blows, huh? The spike traps in Chemical Plant and the seahorses in Oil Ocean come to mind.
The Tragedy of the Spin Dash
The Spin Dash in Sonic 2 may be the most misunderstood mechanic in the Sonic franchise (so far). Yeah, sure, people see the Spin Dash and their brain immediately goes to mush as they think 'ooh instant speed generator this game must allow me to go really really fast as long as I speen dash speen dash'-
WRONG.
I think it should not be forgotten that at its core, Sonic 2 is a game that aims to build off the foundations laid out by the first game and enhances it. And by that, I mean that you don't go fast right off the go. If you want to play through Sonic 2 fast, you have to tame the beast. Harness its powers and understand its ins and outs. Master it. That's the whole point of the Sonic franchise: the more you play the game, the better you are. One playthrough simply cannot paint the full picture, most of the time.
And I think the Spin Dash is a perfect example of this. Yeah, no shit the devs will think 'oh fuck we just gave these fuckers a free speed button we have to make this difficult'. That's what all the obstacles serve, a constant reminder to the player that you can't be complacent in a Sonic game. You can't just spam a move, hold right, and win for free.
Unless the game is Sonic Forces.
That being said, the Spin Dash is the absolute (play this version!) definition of the Sonic philosophy, but with a twist: now, the devs have given you speed for free. How will you maintain it? Simple - by playing well, always keeping yourself on guard and never holding right for too long. Because this is a platformer, not a ‘hold right to win’ simulator.
In fact, there’s one crucial fact about the Spin Dash that I find is neglected by the casual audience. The Spin Dash doesn’t just give you speed - it gives you momentum. Momentum to make jumps that would otherwise require backtracking and building up speed manually to complete. Momentum that keeps the pace of the game going as you platform across the stage with precision. Spin Dash jumping, for me, personally, is the true purpose of the Spin Dash in Sonic 2, and it being able to produce momentum in tandem with its side purpose of providing free speed is something that holds true in future games. Don’t believe me? Look at Adventure speedruns. Go look at a normal run of Emerald Coast or Speed Highway - for me, the true magic of the Spin Dash there doesn’t come in the SpamDash; instead, it comes from the ability for speedrunners to use Spin Dash jumps to facilitate shortcuts they normally could never dream of.
The Levels, and How They Implement Sonic 1’s Philosophy While Punishing Players For Holding Right
Emerald Hill is probably the tamest of the 9 platforming stages of Sonic 2 - once again to ease players into the controls of the game, while at the same time reinforcing the fact that top path > bottom path and is even more rigid in terms of nailing that philosophy in your head. But despite the free Speed Shoes (Hey look! They’re coincidentally placed on the top platforms too!) at the beginning of both acts, this level does have ways of telling your ass not to hold right.
There are multiple upward vertical slopes throughout the level. Most players would elect to spin dash to the top and when they reach the air they’re like ‘whee air time’. That’s a time loss. Ironically the less air time you generate (ala the less excessive speed you have going up the slope), the lesser the time needed for you to land back on the ground to charge another Spin Dash.
The bottom route SHITS on the player for taking the bottom route and STILL not learning their lesson and continuing to hold right: multiple protruding spikes are eager to pounce from the ground, perhaps a sign that they should be watching their step. Hidden passages that lead to bonus items. Recklessly Spin Dash here and you’re either being blasted back by a red spring (meant to catch your ass off-guard) or careening into a waterfall that’s also a bottomless pit (OMEGALUL). And hey, even the top path has passive traps to punish your right holding ass. The corkscrew nearing the end of Act 1 has a sneaky hidden (but still visible) spring ready to send you flying backwards, killing off all that sweet sweet speed you earned from the loop-de-loops.
For Chemical Plant, let’s look at Werster’s record speedrun of the first act. Notice how after the first loop-de-loop, there’s a red spring already there waiting for an unsuspecting player to hold right into it? This is Sonic 2’s ‘Don’t Hold Right’ philosophy at its finest. If you ram into that red spring, you’ll be send towards the path on the left, which is once again, a massive time loss. Throughout the run you’ll also see that Werster skips a vertical slope that would’ve meant more air time, which would’ve, likewise, been a time loss. Hope you’ve learnt that from Emerald Hill!
Then there’s Act 2 - the one with the infamous water section. You should know this by now if you’ve actually bothered to play the game properly, but did you know that there are multiple methods of skipping that section entirely? And hey, won’t you believe it! One of them is a slope jump coming off 2 loop-de-loops (momentum in tandem with speed), and the other is an extra bonus shortcut that can be achieved by going through an open gap eagle-eyed players can spot right after the diagonal moving blocks. How do you get there? Well, it’s simple.
You Spin Dash to generate momentum, and you slope jump. :smile:
Aquatic Ruin is more of the same. However, if the idea that top path = good and bottom path = bad isn’t already in your head, this level will fucking hamfist it into your brain. Why? Because if you don’t platform and use your Spin Dashes wisely on Act 1, you’ll fall into water. And Sonic’s weirdly terrible collision physics and input lag in water (no seriously why is there input lag underwater). If you don’t take the time to carefully jump across the swinging platforms in Act 2 and choose to hold right instead? Say hello to the water for 80% of the level. But idk, this level’s kinda mid regardless.
Casino Night is an exception to the Sonic ½ philosophy, choosing to instead give kids worldwide a gambling addiction while putting more emphasis on slow platforming that involves waiting a la Spring Yard Zone. I’ve never been much of a fan of spring-based levels, anyways. Next.
Hilltop and Mystic Cave are, in my opinion, the peak of Sonic 2 as a game. Aside from a few hiccups from both levels (The see-saws in Hilltop and the fireflies in Mystic Cave), both these levels blend speed together with more platforming, with both levels having small shortcuts throughout for experienced players who have by now, understood how the Spin Dash can be utilized without falling into lava/spikes. Hilltop has 2 rising lava setpieces to remind the player that they are, in fact, playing a platformer and a small little area in Act 2 with two yellow springs to punish players who hold right by launching them back and forth if they fail to time their jump correctly. Mystic Cave, meanwhile, opts to turn the level into a crystalised jungle with constantly intersecting top and bottom routes. It’s sorta the Green Hill of Sonic 1. Notice how Sonic 2 slowly but subtly introduces more platforming segments as you play further into the game.
Oil Ocean is a drag and I’ll agree with that, but that’s also mainly owing to the game opting for automated cannon setpieces and linear green furnace routes instead of doing anything remotely interesting with the setting of an oil refinery (aside from reinforcing the Classic Sonic nature vs pollution theme)
Surprisingly enough, I began to grow slightly more fond towards Metropolis Zone throughout my many playthroughs. Really, I think the primary issues this level suffers from is that while the level structure itself is well designed (there's ample opportunities for you to go fast during all the platforming sections), it seems the Sonic 2 MS/GG game designers had hacked into the code and invented 3 Badniks designated for one mission: to spread their hatred of humanity. The starfish, the mantis and the giant arm crab all fucking suck for different reasons. Even at this point, if you're smart enough and don't hold right (hold right and you'll literally get hit by one of these fuckers and there's no excuse lmao) they'll still find ways to hit you. Then there's the running corkscrews which are super annoying, especially the one on Act 3. That one undeniably fucking sucks. But otherwise, a really well designed level which also provides some room for Spin Dash jump shortcuts here and there. For those who whine about this level: simply get better, stop holding right.
Sky Chase is inexcusable. I do appreciate the idea of a breather after three fucking acts of high intensity platforming, but not a 2 minute and 6 second breather where you do literally nothing.
Wing Fortress is a bit of an enigma. It blends the expansive level design of Mystic Cave and most of Sonic 3 with the platforming of Sonic 1. It’s a weird mix, but surprisingly works its charm. The Spin Dash actually gets mileage here because it’s the fastest method of passing through the straight corridors, and also facilitates a good number of shortcuts through Spin Dash jumping. People hate this level for having ‘tight platforming’? Bottomless pits? MOTHERFUCKER ITS THE FINAL LEVEL OF A FUCKING PLATFORMER WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??? In any case, almost all the bottomless pits can be easily averted if the player actually just fucking explores the level a bit more. After the first Clucker you can use its platform to jump onto the higher metal platform and from there, reach the top path of the level where it's significantly easier than waiting on hanging bars at the bottom of the fuselage. Again, fucking skill issue, if the game hasn’t drilled it in that holding right and blindly going for speed isn’t the answer, then I don’t know what is.
Ok but that one speed launcher after the retracting platform set-piece can go suck a dick though
Boss fights!!!! They’re all super easy and none of them are really noteworthy except the Death Egg Robot and Casino Night’s boss.
There’s also a bunch of other stuff that went unmentioned like the music (its great) and graphics (it's really great) and Super Sonic (cool) and the bad ending (better than the good ending, story-wise!) but I literally wrote a review on Sonic 2 a year ago and my overall thoughts on these aspects haven’t changed a bit. Based on everything I’ve written here, though, it's safe to say that my perspective on the gameplay and level design has changed massively.
Don’t hold right. Master your speed to maintain it.
Final rating: 8.5/10
1991
30 Days of Sonic 2023
Day 2: Sonic 1 (Game Gear/Master System)
MS/GG = 8-bit, MD = 16-bit
Played on Genesis Plus GX Wide with the Game Gear version and an emulator config that expanded the screen size to match the Master System. Crucial if you want to play the superior Game Gear version without dealing with screen crunch.
While I do think its Genesis counterpart is superior now, there is no denying that Sonic 1 on Master System does a lot of things better than it. I still vastly prefer MS/GG's soundtrack over MD's, especially Bridge Zone and Sky Base Act 2. The minimap that logs your progression throughout your adventure is also a pleasant addition to this 8-bit version, something that I think the Genesis version sorely lacks. I also do like the fact that you have to find the Chaos Emeralds within the levels themselves, it's a neat little bonus and for me is far better than the special stages. They're also pretty easily accessible (except the one in Sky Base) and aren't too big of a hassle to obtain. If only there was a level select to make missing them less frustrating.
Weirdly enough, I also think Sonic 1 MS/GG does a few things better in terms of movement? For one, the rolljump lock that's present in all 3 Genesis Sonic games is removed, so you can literally dial back your jump in the completely opposite direction ala Forces. Certainly not as natural as the rolljump in Mania/CD, but its definitely not as rigid as the original Genesis releases. There's also the fact that the ground/air speed cap is not present in this game, so you can actually fly offscreen when going fast enough, most notably in Green Hill Act 1. Fucking cool shit.
Green Hill is just about as standard in MS/GG as it is in MD, but I do appreciate Act 2 switching things up by having the majority of the level take place underground, something that Mania eventually took inspiration from for its iteration of this iconic level. Overall, though, Act 2 is a lot more barebones than Act 1 (which is already a level that can be beaten in 30 seconds due to the aforementioned flight), and the boss fight is laughable because you can literally hit Eggman while he hovers helplessly above you.
Bridge Zone is iconic. Mostly for its music but it's iconic. This is where the performance of MS/GG begins to show its wear, because I did experience a good bit of slowdown during some platforming setpieces, which definitely caught me off guard. Obviously there's also the nagging issue of Act 2 being a flat out autoscroller that drags you forcefully past an agonisingly slow level that is otherwise lacking in any difficulty. The boss fight in Act 3 is also a bit of a pushover.
Yeah Jungle Zone as a theme is fairly generic but hey it looks prettier than almost every level in MD so haha yeah take that! This is probably the level with the most platforming and usage of movement so that's to be appreciated, although I definitely could do less with the kill screens in Act 2. Another reason why I recommend you play the way I did is because the Master System version of this boss fight is BULLSHIT.
Labyrinth MS/GG is exactly what people perceive MD Labyrinth to be, only its a trillion times worse. At least both levels are mercifully short. Next.
Scrap Brain is surprisingly absent of the difficulty level that its MD counterpart presented, but what it lacks in that it makes up for with... MAZES!!! Huh? Huh? Don't you like mazes???? :D
I mean at least the music is great. In retrospect though I'd say I prefer MD's version of this level and Labyrinth.
Sky Base, instead, takes over Scrap Brain's role of 'absurdly hard' level. The framerate consistency also takes a nosedive in this level, making the challenge of platforming through this level a lot harder than normally necessary. Act 2 also has an interesting distinction of having literally 0 rings, which adds a whole deal of additional challenge to the level itself which sends a barrage of cannon shots at your ass at all times.
Somehow, though, the GG version of the boss fight disappointed me. While MD's fight required me to cheese the whole fight by standing at the far left corner to avoid Eggman's taser shocks, GG's fight somehow has a single pixel right in front of Eggman's capsule that Sonic can stand on and hammer away against the glass, ending the fight in like 10 seconds. A surprisingly disappointing end to an otherwise alright game.
There are 2 other issues with this game that have yet to be mentioned: the first being that projectiles are larger in MS/GG due to the sprite size and proportions of Badniks relative to the resolution of the Game Gear's screen. This causes Sonic to be more prone to getting hit so as long as a single pixel of a projectile makes contact with him. Which is worse because the SECOND issue is that rings lost are a) condensed to one singular ring that b) immediately falls through the stage with no opportunity for you to recollect them. A minor third issue lays with the fact that MS/GG is fairly stingy with its i-Frames, therefore the time window you get between taking damage and being killed is significantly shorter than in the MD version.
Overall, though, its still a solid game, with alright level design that doesn't quite reach the heights of its MD counterpart, a surprising increase in detail in the littler things, and while having better aesthetics, performance wise is less than adequate. Still definitely worth trying out if you're interested, though.
Final rating: 6/10
Day 2: Sonic 1 (Game Gear/Master System)
MS/GG = 8-bit, MD = 16-bit
Played on Genesis Plus GX Wide with the Game Gear version and an emulator config that expanded the screen size to match the Master System. Crucial if you want to play the superior Game Gear version without dealing with screen crunch.
While I do think its Genesis counterpart is superior now, there is no denying that Sonic 1 on Master System does a lot of things better than it. I still vastly prefer MS/GG's soundtrack over MD's, especially Bridge Zone and Sky Base Act 2. The minimap that logs your progression throughout your adventure is also a pleasant addition to this 8-bit version, something that I think the Genesis version sorely lacks. I also do like the fact that you have to find the Chaos Emeralds within the levels themselves, it's a neat little bonus and for me is far better than the special stages. They're also pretty easily accessible (except the one in Sky Base) and aren't too big of a hassle to obtain. If only there was a level select to make missing them less frustrating.
Weirdly enough, I also think Sonic 1 MS/GG does a few things better in terms of movement? For one, the rolljump lock that's present in all 3 Genesis Sonic games is removed, so you can literally dial back your jump in the completely opposite direction ala Forces. Certainly not as natural as the rolljump in Mania/CD, but its definitely not as rigid as the original Genesis releases. There's also the fact that the ground/air speed cap is not present in this game, so you can actually fly offscreen when going fast enough, most notably in Green Hill Act 1. Fucking cool shit.
Green Hill is just about as standard in MS/GG as it is in MD, but I do appreciate Act 2 switching things up by having the majority of the level take place underground, something that Mania eventually took inspiration from for its iteration of this iconic level. Overall, though, Act 2 is a lot more barebones than Act 1 (which is already a level that can be beaten in 30 seconds due to the aforementioned flight), and the boss fight is laughable because you can literally hit Eggman while he hovers helplessly above you.
Bridge Zone is iconic. Mostly for its music but it's iconic. This is where the performance of MS/GG begins to show its wear, because I did experience a good bit of slowdown during some platforming setpieces, which definitely caught me off guard. Obviously there's also the nagging issue of Act 2 being a flat out autoscroller that drags you forcefully past an agonisingly slow level that is otherwise lacking in any difficulty. The boss fight in Act 3 is also a bit of a pushover.
Yeah Jungle Zone as a theme is fairly generic but hey it looks prettier than almost every level in MD so haha yeah take that! This is probably the level with the most platforming and usage of movement so that's to be appreciated, although I definitely could do less with the kill screens in Act 2. Another reason why I recommend you play the way I did is because the Master System version of this boss fight is BULLSHIT.
Labyrinth MS/GG is exactly what people perceive MD Labyrinth to be, only its a trillion times worse. At least both levels are mercifully short. Next.
Scrap Brain is surprisingly absent of the difficulty level that its MD counterpart presented, but what it lacks in that it makes up for with... MAZES!!! Huh? Huh? Don't you like mazes???? :D
I mean at least the music is great. In retrospect though I'd say I prefer MD's version of this level and Labyrinth.
Sky Base, instead, takes over Scrap Brain's role of 'absurdly hard' level. The framerate consistency also takes a nosedive in this level, making the challenge of platforming through this level a lot harder than normally necessary. Act 2 also has an interesting distinction of having literally 0 rings, which adds a whole deal of additional challenge to the level itself which sends a barrage of cannon shots at your ass at all times.
Somehow, though, the GG version of the boss fight disappointed me. While MD's fight required me to cheese the whole fight by standing at the far left corner to avoid Eggman's taser shocks, GG's fight somehow has a single pixel right in front of Eggman's capsule that Sonic can stand on and hammer away against the glass, ending the fight in like 10 seconds. A surprisingly disappointing end to an otherwise alright game.
There are 2 other issues with this game that have yet to be mentioned: the first being that projectiles are larger in MS/GG due to the sprite size and proportions of Badniks relative to the resolution of the Game Gear's screen. This causes Sonic to be more prone to getting hit so as long as a single pixel of a projectile makes contact with him. Which is worse because the SECOND issue is that rings lost are a) condensed to one singular ring that b) immediately falls through the stage with no opportunity for you to recollect them. A minor third issue lays with the fact that MS/GG is fairly stingy with its i-Frames, therefore the time window you get between taking damage and being killed is significantly shorter than in the MD version.
Overall, though, its still a solid game, with alright level design that doesn't quite reach the heights of its MD counterpart, a surprising increase in detail in the littler things, and while having better aesthetics, performance wise is less than adequate. Still definitely worth trying out if you're interested, though.
Final rating: 6/10
1991
30 days till Sonic's 32nd anniversary! To commemorate this occasion, I've decided to revisit one Sonic game a day until June 23.
Sonic 1 really grew on me since my last review of it. My initial reception towards it was lukewarm, but having beaten it a few more times, I can see why the game was so revolutionary back when it released. Sonic feels so fucking good to control (and it gets better if you play on Forever like me and disable the speedcaps and rolljump lock) and the platforming feels incredibly seamless in tandem with the momentum physics and slope mechanics, with every jump having the right sense of weight and every platform seemingly in the exact spot where you'd want it to be on your next jump. One tiny complaint that I'd make is that Sonic is incredibly prone to being crushed so as long as there's a single pixel poking against him, and dying to stuff that seemingly won't crush you becomes a reoccurring thing for the rest of the series.
Graphics and sound-wise I still think the other 3 games in the classic era did them far better, but that's to be excused due to this, well, being the first game.
The special stages are still garbage and the fact that you only get 10 shots at 6 Chaos Emeralds where the special stages love tossing you around with springs 60% of the time still pisses me the fuck off-
Green Hill Zone what an iconic level what more is there to be said? It all kinda feels samey to me now tbh because I've beaten this level in particular using the speedrun routes so many times that it's sorta lost the magic, but I still do appreciate that the game allows you to play around with all the mechanics and do some really cool shit with it once you know the level like the back of your hand (have you seen Act 3 speedruns? holy fuck)
Marble Zone is still overhated IMO. Yes, not much slope mechanics to play with this time but I'd say there's some alright slope jumps on ground level that can help shave a few seconds off your time, as well as some cool jumps that can be executed by using your momentum wisely (sick of standing on those green blocks waiting for lava to rise? skill issue just jump on the purple platforms lmao). I like how the level designers also realised this level would be a hurdle for most newcomers and so added an easily accessible extra life in every act, with Act 3's extra life spot doubling as a crucial shortcut for that level.
I never really clarified why I think Spring Yard is more frustrating than Marble, but here's a good list of reasons:
1) Bumpers, while sometimes a fun way of gaining extra height during platforming, are super annoying especially in clusters. Spring Yard loves dumping a trillion of these bumpers (how else would it be called Spring Yard) in a single pit and makes climbing out of it tedious.
2) Hey you thought waiting in Marble was bad? Just wait till you have to stand on a moving block and have to agonizingly wait for it to fall slowly and rise up just so you can jump on the next one and repeat the whole 5 second process at least 5 fucking times how about that
3) I think the Sonic-mimic bird fucking sucks. Half the time you aren't given the time window to anticipate it and defeat it and most of the time it just barrels into you and causes you to lose all your rings. The Caterkiller is better because you actually have to be smart when killing it and its movement is telegraphed enough so you know exactly when to strike.
4) The rising blocks.
Labyrinth is uhhh... well its the level of all time. Overall my feelings haven't changed regarding this level, I think Acts 1 and 3 having omegalul shortcuts is neat, and uh just read my original review for everything else
Star Light may have had the biggest glowup in my eyes, honestly. Like do I still think the music is a snoozefest? Absolutely (but definitely listen to the original sample music by Masato Nakamura what a banger). As for the level itself? Holy shit this is really good shit. The optimal paths are all top-heavy, sure, but its very satisfying to pull off sub-minute times in these levels. The boss fight is still the most creative one in the game.
Scrap Brain is alright. The most annoying part of the level is the treadmills but otherwise its some Sonic 1 platforming. Except act 3 I decided to not use the shortcut for once and it was hell-
So yeah Sonic 1. Still the weakest of the classic era quadrant, but at a 7/10, that just about shows the quality of this series of games.
Sonic 1 Master System tomorrow.
Sonic 1 really grew on me since my last review of it. My initial reception towards it was lukewarm, but having beaten it a few more times, I can see why the game was so revolutionary back when it released. Sonic feels so fucking good to control (and it gets better if you play on Forever like me and disable the speedcaps and rolljump lock) and the platforming feels incredibly seamless in tandem with the momentum physics and slope mechanics, with every jump having the right sense of weight and every platform seemingly in the exact spot where you'd want it to be on your next jump. One tiny complaint that I'd make is that Sonic is incredibly prone to being crushed so as long as there's a single pixel poking against him, and dying to stuff that seemingly won't crush you becomes a reoccurring thing for the rest of the series.
Graphics and sound-wise I still think the other 3 games in the classic era did them far better, but that's to be excused due to this, well, being the first game.
The special stages are still garbage and the fact that you only get 10 shots at 6 Chaos Emeralds where the special stages love tossing you around with springs 60% of the time still pisses me the fuck off-
Green Hill Zone what an iconic level what more is there to be said? It all kinda feels samey to me now tbh because I've beaten this level in particular using the speedrun routes so many times that it's sorta lost the magic, but I still do appreciate that the game allows you to play around with all the mechanics and do some really cool shit with it once you know the level like the back of your hand (have you seen Act 3 speedruns? holy fuck)
Marble Zone is still overhated IMO. Yes, not much slope mechanics to play with this time but I'd say there's some alright slope jumps on ground level that can help shave a few seconds off your time, as well as some cool jumps that can be executed by using your momentum wisely (sick of standing on those green blocks waiting for lava to rise? skill issue just jump on the purple platforms lmao). I like how the level designers also realised this level would be a hurdle for most newcomers and so added an easily accessible extra life in every act, with Act 3's extra life spot doubling as a crucial shortcut for that level.
I never really clarified why I think Spring Yard is more frustrating than Marble, but here's a good list of reasons:
1) Bumpers, while sometimes a fun way of gaining extra height during platforming, are super annoying especially in clusters. Spring Yard loves dumping a trillion of these bumpers (how else would it be called Spring Yard) in a single pit and makes climbing out of it tedious.
2) Hey you thought waiting in Marble was bad? Just wait till you have to stand on a moving block and have to agonizingly wait for it to fall slowly and rise up just so you can jump on the next one and repeat the whole 5 second process at least 5 fucking times how about that
3) I think the Sonic-mimic bird fucking sucks. Half the time you aren't given the time window to anticipate it and defeat it and most of the time it just barrels into you and causes you to lose all your rings. The Caterkiller is better because you actually have to be smart when killing it and its movement is telegraphed enough so you know exactly when to strike.
4) The rising blocks.
Labyrinth is uhhh... well its the level of all time. Overall my feelings haven't changed regarding this level, I think Acts 1 and 3 having omegalul shortcuts is neat, and uh just read my original review for everything else
Star Light may have had the biggest glowup in my eyes, honestly. Like do I still think the music is a snoozefest? Absolutely (but definitely listen to the original sample music by Masato Nakamura what a banger). As for the level itself? Holy shit this is really good shit. The optimal paths are all top-heavy, sure, but its very satisfying to pull off sub-minute times in these levels. The boss fight is still the most creative one in the game.
Scrap Brain is alright. The most annoying part of the level is the treadmills but otherwise its some Sonic 1 platforming. Except act 3 I decided to not use the shortcut for once and it was hell-
So yeah Sonic 1. Still the weakest of the classic era quadrant, but at a 7/10, that just about shows the quality of this series of games.
Sonic 1 Master System tomorrow.
Played this prior to TOTK's release... but a hospital stay derailed my plans and so here I am beating and reviewing the game a week late.
Incredibly fun experience! The first few hours of gameplay are nothing short of magical, mostly thanks to the Great Plateau being a superb introduction to the game.
I can really see why this game clicked with so many people, as from personal experience, BoTW really is a game anyone can pick up and play. My entire family is fucking crazy for this game, man, and we all play the game differently. My dad would explore literally fucking everywhere even if it meant that combing through a single area would take him over an hour, my mom's obsessed with climbing up every single tree and lifting every single rock in hopes of finding goodies; my younger brother loves collecting and cooking new recipes. Me? I initially tried going gun-ho and did a combat-oriented route where I would actively seek out fights and constantly cycle through broken weapons; eventually, though, I switched to a more 'taskmaster' ish sort of style, where I strategised and did more specific tasks to prepare myself for the endgame.
I will say that I believe this game is far from a masterpiece, though: There are tons of areas that are barren of content where not even the stellar atmosphere presentation of BoTW can save it, especially towards the lategame. The Korok mission is arguably one of the biggest blue balls in Nintendo history (its even worse than Sunshine's 100% reward lmfao). The dungeons (Divine Beasts) were disappointingly easy in general, sans Thunderblight. I know this has been said enough but I really refuse to believe Revali couldn't fucking 1v1 Windblight.
Overall though, still a fantastic game with especially phenomenal sound design, but ultimately based on what I've experienced of ToTK, BoTW has become merely an obsolete footnote for the ultimately superior sequel.
RIP Remote Bomb, you will be missed.
Incredibly fun experience! The first few hours of gameplay are nothing short of magical, mostly thanks to the Great Plateau being a superb introduction to the game.
I can really see why this game clicked with so many people, as from personal experience, BoTW really is a game anyone can pick up and play. My entire family is fucking crazy for this game, man, and we all play the game differently. My dad would explore literally fucking everywhere even if it meant that combing through a single area would take him over an hour, my mom's obsessed with climbing up every single tree and lifting every single rock in hopes of finding goodies; my younger brother loves collecting and cooking new recipes. Me? I initially tried going gun-ho and did a combat-oriented route where I would actively seek out fights and constantly cycle through broken weapons; eventually, though, I switched to a more 'taskmaster' ish sort of style, where I strategised and did more specific tasks to prepare myself for the endgame.
I will say that I believe this game is far from a masterpiece, though: There are tons of areas that are barren of content where not even the stellar atmosphere presentation of BoTW can save it, especially towards the lategame. The Korok mission is arguably one of the biggest blue balls in Nintendo history (its even worse than Sunshine's 100% reward lmfao). The dungeons (Divine Beasts) were disappointingly easy in general, sans Thunderblight. I know this has been said enough but I really refuse to believe Revali couldn't fucking 1v1 Windblight.
Overall though, still a fantastic game with especially phenomenal sound design, but ultimately based on what I've experienced of ToTK, BoTW has become merely an obsolete footnote for the ultimately superior sequel.
RIP Remote Bomb, you will be missed.
2001
cortana
Handles the self-insert character better than Forces
This is literally 1984.
One of the most disturbingly beautiful games ever made.
One of the most disturbingly beautiful games ever made.
how to play black knight optimally:
step 1) install dolphin
step 2) install black knight iso
step 3) map the shake to a button input (you're too broke to have a wii controller)
step 4) M A S H.
step 1) install dolphin
step 2) install black knight iso
step 3) map the shake to a button input (you're too broke to have a wii controller)
step 4) M A S H.
never played this but apparently sora's voice lines in smash were extracted from this game and therefore by association i hate this game too
2008
For years, Sonic Unleashed was an obsession on the back of my mind.
By this point, it had been 6 years since a 12-year-old me staggered at the face of Perfect Dark Gaia on the SD version; 2 years since I finally beat the game on my 17th birthday. The 30th Anniversary Symphony version of the main theme, Endless Possibility is my favourite Sonic song of all time. And yet, before recently, the HD version eluded my grasp, and I never had the opportunity to experience the whole game in its glory. Finally, thanks to recent Xenia Canary developments, two weeks and hours upon hours of gameplay later, I finally beat it.
And I love it.
Weirdly enough, however, despite the sentimentalities I have towards this game, it's this quote from Liam Triforce's 'Understanding the Music of Sonic the Hedgehog' that perhaps sums up my feelings on the game best:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sonic has been forced to restore the entire planet and rid himself of the Werehog that's keeping him chained down. The daytime stages give you glimpses into what you're working towards, and those stages fly by in a flash! I'd like to replay them over and over again, but the game moves forward.
In life, time moves forward. We need to work towards happiness - chase those feelings of euphoria and make that your reality.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perhaps the intention back then was to appeal to the hack and slash community, or to pad out the runtime; but in retrospect, the bold direction taken with the Werehog feels ingenious. Of course you have to go slow: more often than not, we're exposed to the negative elements of our lives, and that's reflected in the repetitive combat to ward off Dark Gaia creatures. Metaphorically, this would symbolise us fighting our own inner demons. In Sonic Unleashed, Sonic the Werehog does this literally. And yet, through the long, arduous treks beneath the midnight sky, there's a feeling of peace that can be felt, as you prowl about the various landscapes, where you can think about what awaits you during the daylight: better times, where you can fly freely and let your emotions soar. In becoming a ridiculous looking creature, Sonic the Hedgehog is at his closest to resembling us, the average human. He, too, has his struggles, and the weight of the world is on his shoulders. And yet, despite all the suffering, his determination is what shines brightest, allowing him to Critical Attack his way past every obstacle that threatens to impair his progress.
And in turn, Endless Possibility perfectly sums up Sonic's desire to move forward in life through its upbeat instrumentals and positive lyrics. In some ways, this song resonates with me more than many Sonic vocal themes ever will. How will I know when I achieve my goals? How will I know when it's time to take the next step forward? Doubts cloud our minds whenever we think about our dreams, causing us to second-guess ourselves and leave us feeling uncertain. But as the song goes, we've all gotta' start from somewhere. Find the path that feels right for you, run past the burdens of the world, as fast as you can go, and never, ever look back. And if you ever find yourself in a situation where you're to drop your smile, in the face of another defeat? One door closes, another opens. As long as you see it, as long as it's within your reach, just run.
The possibilities are never ending.
Is the game perfect? Absolutely not, there are many, many flaws embedded within the core gameplay of Sonic Unleashed. I could talk about them, but why should I? I'll just take the positive memories that I've had with the game, and rush forward to embrace that endless number of possibilities.
Final score: 9/10
Focus: Sonic Unleashed’s themes taking the next step forward.
Theme: Endless Possibilities.
By this point, it had been 6 years since a 12-year-old me staggered at the face of Perfect Dark Gaia on the SD version; 2 years since I finally beat the game on my 17th birthday. The 30th Anniversary Symphony version of the main theme, Endless Possibility is my favourite Sonic song of all time. And yet, before recently, the HD version eluded my grasp, and I never had the opportunity to experience the whole game in its glory. Finally, thanks to recent Xenia Canary developments, two weeks and hours upon hours of gameplay later, I finally beat it.
And I love it.
Weirdly enough, however, despite the sentimentalities I have towards this game, it's this quote from Liam Triforce's 'Understanding the Music of Sonic the Hedgehog' that perhaps sums up my feelings on the game best:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sonic has been forced to restore the entire planet and rid himself of the Werehog that's keeping him chained down. The daytime stages give you glimpses into what you're working towards, and those stages fly by in a flash! I'd like to replay them over and over again, but the game moves forward.
In life, time moves forward. We need to work towards happiness - chase those feelings of euphoria and make that your reality.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perhaps the intention back then was to appeal to the hack and slash community, or to pad out the runtime; but in retrospect, the bold direction taken with the Werehog feels ingenious. Of course you have to go slow: more often than not, we're exposed to the negative elements of our lives, and that's reflected in the repetitive combat to ward off Dark Gaia creatures. Metaphorically, this would symbolise us fighting our own inner demons. In Sonic Unleashed, Sonic the Werehog does this literally. And yet, through the long, arduous treks beneath the midnight sky, there's a feeling of peace that can be felt, as you prowl about the various landscapes, where you can think about what awaits you during the daylight: better times, where you can fly freely and let your emotions soar. In becoming a ridiculous looking creature, Sonic the Hedgehog is at his closest to resembling us, the average human. He, too, has his struggles, and the weight of the world is on his shoulders. And yet, despite all the suffering, his determination is what shines brightest, allowing him to Critical Attack his way past every obstacle that threatens to impair his progress.
And in turn, Endless Possibility perfectly sums up Sonic's desire to move forward in life through its upbeat instrumentals and positive lyrics. In some ways, this song resonates with me more than many Sonic vocal themes ever will. How will I know when I achieve my goals? How will I know when it's time to take the next step forward? Doubts cloud our minds whenever we think about our dreams, causing us to second-guess ourselves and leave us feeling uncertain. But as the song goes, we've all gotta' start from somewhere. Find the path that feels right for you, run past the burdens of the world, as fast as you can go, and never, ever look back. And if you ever find yourself in a situation where you're to drop your smile, in the face of another defeat? One door closes, another opens. As long as you see it, as long as it's within your reach, just run.
The possibilities are never ending.
Is the game perfect? Absolutely not, there are many, many flaws embedded within the core gameplay of Sonic Unleashed. I could talk about them, but why should I? I'll just take the positive memories that I've had with the game, and rush forward to embrace that endless number of possibilities.
Final score: 9/10
Focus: Sonic Unleashed’s themes taking the next step forward.
Theme: Endless Possibilities.
Now that I've finally beaten the game, I can finally say it: this is, without a doubt, one of the greatest games ever made for the GameCube.
I could go on and on about every single reason why I think this game is great, but at this point you've probably already heard enough; however, one thing I do believe is heavily understated is how this game also passes magnificently as a direct sequel to the N64 title. This review serves to emphasise that point.
Gameplay
I've mentioned this in my review of the previous game, but the thing I loved the most about PM64 is how the combat cleverly utilises Action Commands to make you feel more in control of your character's actions than most RPGs. I'm therefore pleased to announce that TTYD gets this aspect right as well: right from the moment I swung my first hammer, I immediately felt right at home and was soon back in the swing of nailing every Action Command, racking up bigger damage against my enemies.
But wait! There's more! TTYD works as a sequel to PM64 because it takes existing elements of the previously introduced mechanics, and expands upon them in a fun, engaging fashion. Remember how every battle used to take place on a stage? Well, this game sure does, as the stage evolves into a well-developed mechanic that blends together well with the combat system of TTYD.
Suddenly, every hammer and massive explosion is a risk, with the props at risk of falling on you at any given moment! There are special effects that can change the tempo of the gameplay, like fog reducing move accuracy, or explosives threatening to burn you and your partner. The audience watches and anticipates your every movement, pushing you to nail every action and stylish command you can possibly execute. The audience system, by itself, is very volatile: they can turn on you the very instant you screw up, which naturally increases the difficulty of the game as appeal points are crucial to managing your Star Meter. Speaking of the Star Meter, the audience providing Star Power fixes one of the primary issues with PM64's combat: no longer do you need to rely on Bow camping strategies to quickly farm Star Power; in fact, the game rewards aggressive and perfect play. By executing your commands well, you're capable of firing off special moves to quickly end seemingly impossible fights, and quickly recharging it with Action and Stylish commands from your partners.
Subtopic: Partners
And on the topic of the partners, they've seen massive improvement as well! No longer does Mario have to suffer as their meat shield and risk them becoming disabled (status conditions are also pretty well expanded upon in this game, but if I droned on any longer we'd be here all day), as they've been given their own health bars to compensate as well! They've also been given the ability to use items, or even switch positions with Mario to allow for unconventional strategies where they can soak up damage for him while he heals up.
I won't talk about every companion here gameplay wise, however, each of them, while having similar abilities to their counterparts in PM64, are also distinctly fleshed out well enough that they all have their own niches. And through this, there are multiple methods you can choose to engage in battles! Take the Chain Chomps, for example. One could argue that you could use Mini-Yoshi (who in my save file is named Tyke) to cleanly KO them with Gulp. However, you could also use a Ms. Mowz slap to cleanly hit the Chain Chomps with maximum damage, with the benefit of having no FP consumed! Boss fights can also be approached differently: You can use Vivian for her incredibly useful Fiery Jynx ability, or take advantage of Bobbery's high damage output and bulky health bar to not only dish out strong attacks, but also soak up weaker hits for Mario. The retooling of the partner system is a much appreciated change from PM64, and allows for a significant increase in strategy from the player to be creative with.
Obviously, the much-heralded badge system makes its return, and while I would've appreciated more diversity so I don't necessarily have to rely on old staples like Quick Change (the one thing they could've added to the base system), Damage Dodge and Shrink Stomp, at least they didn't attempt to fix what was already broken.
Finally, boss fights make a triumphant return this game, with more of them being as difficult as they've ever been. Cortez, Bowser, the Shadow Queen and even Lord Crump immediately strike out as standout bosses in the franchise, with strong moves and unique strategies that constantly keeps the player on their toes. Hooktail deserves a special mention in this case, with the boss fight turning what was previously just a cosmetic change (the Attack FX badges) into a threatening boss' biggest weakness. It's also the fight which takes advantage of the stage gimmick the most, with the latter half of the fight taking place in the spectator stands. The one disappointment here is Doopliss, who would be threatening on Paper (haha) due to his access to all of Mario's abilities and partners. Imagine a ridiculously challenging boss fight with him hitting Action Command boosted moves on you, with Mini-Yoshi or Flurrie to back him up... but he doesn't use Action Commands, and he leads with Goombella. Which meant that all I really needed to do was ignore Goombella completely (I love her sm but wow she's just really inept compared to every other character in combat) and focus all my attacks on Doopliss. An underwhelming fight for a really polarising chapter (more on that later)
Visuals, Storytelling and Worldbuilding
TTYD also makes sure to expand the scope of the world, while also raising the stakes of the story in a natural way. With the city of Rogueport being released from the shackles of needing to be based on familiar Mushroom Kingdom-esque elements, the design team went all out, and it shows. Glitzville, Twilight Town, the X-Naut Fortress (its the fucking MOON) and especially Boggly Woods have wildly inspired art direction, standing out as locations you'd never see in any other Mario game. Other locations serve as fun little exploration points as well, such as Keehaul Key, Rogueport and its sewers, as well as the Excess Express; but the most important thing is that just like PM64, all of these landmarks are fleshed out and feel lived-in.
However, in terms of traversing this world, there have been some notable setbacks: The four 'curses' added to Mario's arsenal across his journey are all useful in their own right. However, two abilities (the paper plane and the paper boat) are confined to shockingly limited use, only being triggered by a specific panel. The paper roll, as well, has limited usage its introduction in Chapter 4. Ultimately, the gimmick that gets the most usage is without a doubt, the paper fold, which is used for a lot of navigation in the dungeons and overworld interludes. There is a huge imbalance of usage here, and it saddens me that this gimmick never really reaches its true potential. Likewise, the Spin Dash from PM64 has been removed, which makes ground traversal a slog unless you're using Mini-Yoshi. This increased slowness is made a lot more apparent due to the game's notable increase in backtracking. This is particularly exposed by the Great Tree's convulted and confusing dungeon layout, your quest to find General White in Chapter 7, navigating the Excess Express in Chapter 6 and most notoriously by the Twilight Trail, which contains much harder enemies that are even more difficult to avoid due to the linear hallways you're confined to. This is, by far and away, my biggest complaint with the game.
The story also retains the whimsical charm of the PM64, sprinkling subtle, humourous scenes throughout the entirety of the journey (the new Bowser interludes being immediate standouts despite getting old towards the end). And while the plot is decently predictable most of the time, it still earns points for how earnest the delivery feels. There isn't any half-assed attempt at trying to grab the player's sympathy at all. Instead, the game lets the chips fall and allows them to fully invest themselves in the story it tells. You FEEL nervous as you battle your way to the top of the Glitz Pit, with a looming conspiracy circling through your mind; you FEEL sympathy for Vivian, who constantly endures the negligent abuse of Beldam; you even FEEL somewhat sad when TEC, the character who arguably goes through the biggest character development throughout the game, and develops an unexpectedly great dynamic with Peach, gives his life to allow Mario and co. to return to Rogueport and save the one he loves the most. 'Thank you for me' goes hard. Point is, this game is genuine. And by the end of the road, you do feel a slight hint of sadness to depart the friends you made along the way.
That isn't to say the story can also have its moments of ingenuity. Let's talk about the story of Chapter 4 here, which, despite its severely lack in quality in the gameplay department, does employ a few clever twists on its own in the story aspect. The smart usage of 3D graphics to render the C G I P I G S further emphasises how alien the pigs are to the residents of Twilight Town, while also efficiently presenting the threat imposed to them. The anti-climatic 'END OF CHAPTER' screen when Doopliss possesses Mario is also particularly clever, with eagle-eyed players able to note the difference in "Mario"'s pupils as he holds the Crystal Star. The blurb at the end also serves to sell its case, deceiving the less understanding players into believing they've beaten the chapter (and the backtracking). And even when you're challenge to name Doopliss early on, they fucking remove a letter from the keyboard to make it impossible for you to guess it! A lot of these tricks felt ahead of its time.
The plot's stakes are also much higher here: Bowser in PM64 merely wanted rule over Mushroom Kingdom. Grodus and the X-Nauts are competent threads on their own right, and this is showcased well through the Peach and TEC interludes, which slowly hints at a more dark, ominous threat than a funny big Koopa taking over a kingdom of puny toads. It's later revealed that they intend on conquering the WORLD, and later on the Shadow Queen takes this a step further by threatening to DESTROY it, elevating the stakes to a point where nothing is more important than taking her down.
Some More Minor Stuff I Noted During My Playthrough
- Mario literally has infinite rizz, every female companion has kissed him at least once in the story. bro teach me your ways
- Ayyyy Luigi gets to do something other than be the envious brother. Proud of him
- Wait. You're telling me that you can dress up as Luigi... OR Wario...? ...AND EVEN FUCKING WALUIGI? SOLD!
- Yo holy shit the X-Naut Fortress music kinda slaps
- It's funny how TEC's character development begins with him being horny for Peach while she showers. It's a shame that these subtle touches of adult humour were mostly lost following the weed joke at the Chapter 2 interlude.
- How is every character so memorable? I still remember minor characters, like Darkly in Rogueport, the pissed off Toad who cooks, Pennington, the bully Puni, fucking Flavio, the mafia boss, the Koopa dude from the Glitz Pit, the family of bombs, the mom who has three kids in Twilight Town who randomly turns into a pig, the waitress who simps for the Hollywood toad in the Excess Express... the fact that I'm even able to remotely remember these characters just goes to show impactful they can be despite their minimal presence in the overall plot.
- The Key to Pirates is the greatest chapter in all of Paper Mario AND Pirate's Grotto is the best Paper Mario dungeon, period. Fantastic utilisation of all your tools and assets, a great boss fight, an incredible climax that leads to ANOTHER fun boss fight vs Crump, Bobbery, fucking Flavio, this chapter is so good holy shit
- that being said, WHY AM I, THE CAPTAIN, BEING CHARGED FOR BASIC HOSPITALITY BY MY CREW WHILE WE'RE SHIPWRECKED IN A FUCKING DESERT ISLAND? Man, healing used to be free. Is this a reference to inflation?
- if you really think about it, Mario's literally riding a fucking infant to go faster and emotionally manipulates an explosive object into travelling with him. Not as much of a hero as we thought he was, huh?
-----------------
What more is there to say about The Thousand-Year Door? Much like it's predecessor, it has its flaws. But the same time, it takes the core strengths of PM64 and soars beyond what was previously imagined as possible for a Mario RPG. This, alongside multiple new features and improvements across the board, makes Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door a genuine, earnest game that serves as the perfect sequel. A shining hallmark for what all sequels should be like.
10/10. A shame it goes downhill from here. What could've been...
I could go on and on about every single reason why I think this game is great, but at this point you've probably already heard enough; however, one thing I do believe is heavily understated is how this game also passes magnificently as a direct sequel to the N64 title. This review serves to emphasise that point.
Gameplay
I've mentioned this in my review of the previous game, but the thing I loved the most about PM64 is how the combat cleverly utilises Action Commands to make you feel more in control of your character's actions than most RPGs. I'm therefore pleased to announce that TTYD gets this aspect right as well: right from the moment I swung my first hammer, I immediately felt right at home and was soon back in the swing of nailing every Action Command, racking up bigger damage against my enemies.
But wait! There's more! TTYD works as a sequel to PM64 because it takes existing elements of the previously introduced mechanics, and expands upon them in a fun, engaging fashion. Remember how every battle used to take place on a stage? Well, this game sure does, as the stage evolves into a well-developed mechanic that blends together well with the combat system of TTYD.
Suddenly, every hammer and massive explosion is a risk, with the props at risk of falling on you at any given moment! There are special effects that can change the tempo of the gameplay, like fog reducing move accuracy, or explosives threatening to burn you and your partner. The audience watches and anticipates your every movement, pushing you to nail every action and stylish command you can possibly execute. The audience system, by itself, is very volatile: they can turn on you the very instant you screw up, which naturally increases the difficulty of the game as appeal points are crucial to managing your Star Meter. Speaking of the Star Meter, the audience providing Star Power fixes one of the primary issues with PM64's combat: no longer do you need to rely on Bow camping strategies to quickly farm Star Power; in fact, the game rewards aggressive and perfect play. By executing your commands well, you're capable of firing off special moves to quickly end seemingly impossible fights, and quickly recharging it with Action and Stylish commands from your partners.
Subtopic: Partners
And on the topic of the partners, they've seen massive improvement as well! No longer does Mario have to suffer as their meat shield and risk them becoming disabled (status conditions are also pretty well expanded upon in this game, but if I droned on any longer we'd be here all day), as they've been given their own health bars to compensate as well! They've also been given the ability to use items, or even switch positions with Mario to allow for unconventional strategies where they can soak up damage for him while he heals up.
I won't talk about every companion here gameplay wise, however, each of them, while having similar abilities to their counterparts in PM64, are also distinctly fleshed out well enough that they all have their own niches. And through this, there are multiple methods you can choose to engage in battles! Take the Chain Chomps, for example. One could argue that you could use Mini-Yoshi (who in my save file is named Tyke) to cleanly KO them with Gulp. However, you could also use a Ms. Mowz slap to cleanly hit the Chain Chomps with maximum damage, with the benefit of having no FP consumed! Boss fights can also be approached differently: You can use Vivian for her incredibly useful Fiery Jynx ability, or take advantage of Bobbery's high damage output and bulky health bar to not only dish out strong attacks, but also soak up weaker hits for Mario. The retooling of the partner system is a much appreciated change from PM64, and allows for a significant increase in strategy from the player to be creative with.
Obviously, the much-heralded badge system makes its return, and while I would've appreciated more diversity so I don't necessarily have to rely on old staples like Quick Change (the one thing they could've added to the base system), Damage Dodge and Shrink Stomp, at least they didn't attempt to fix what was already broken.
Finally, boss fights make a triumphant return this game, with more of them being as difficult as they've ever been. Cortez, Bowser, the Shadow Queen and even Lord Crump immediately strike out as standout bosses in the franchise, with strong moves and unique strategies that constantly keeps the player on their toes. Hooktail deserves a special mention in this case, with the boss fight turning what was previously just a cosmetic change (the Attack FX badges) into a threatening boss' biggest weakness. It's also the fight which takes advantage of the stage gimmick the most, with the latter half of the fight taking place in the spectator stands. The one disappointment here is Doopliss, who would be threatening on Paper (haha) due to his access to all of Mario's abilities and partners. Imagine a ridiculously challenging boss fight with him hitting Action Command boosted moves on you, with Mini-Yoshi or Flurrie to back him up... but he doesn't use Action Commands, and he leads with Goombella. Which meant that all I really needed to do was ignore Goombella completely (I love her sm but wow she's just really inept compared to every other character in combat) and focus all my attacks on Doopliss. An underwhelming fight for a really polarising chapter (more on that later)
Visuals, Storytelling and Worldbuilding
TTYD also makes sure to expand the scope of the world, while also raising the stakes of the story in a natural way. With the city of Rogueport being released from the shackles of needing to be based on familiar Mushroom Kingdom-esque elements, the design team went all out, and it shows. Glitzville, Twilight Town, the X-Naut Fortress (its the fucking MOON) and especially Boggly Woods have wildly inspired art direction, standing out as locations you'd never see in any other Mario game. Other locations serve as fun little exploration points as well, such as Keehaul Key, Rogueport and its sewers, as well as the Excess Express; but the most important thing is that just like PM64, all of these landmarks are fleshed out and feel lived-in.
However, in terms of traversing this world, there have been some notable setbacks: The four 'curses' added to Mario's arsenal across his journey are all useful in their own right. However, two abilities (the paper plane and the paper boat) are confined to shockingly limited use, only being triggered by a specific panel. The paper roll, as well, has limited usage its introduction in Chapter 4. Ultimately, the gimmick that gets the most usage is without a doubt, the paper fold, which is used for a lot of navigation in the dungeons and overworld interludes. There is a huge imbalance of usage here, and it saddens me that this gimmick never really reaches its true potential. Likewise, the Spin Dash from PM64 has been removed, which makes ground traversal a slog unless you're using Mini-Yoshi. This increased slowness is made a lot more apparent due to the game's notable increase in backtracking. This is particularly exposed by the Great Tree's convulted and confusing dungeon layout, your quest to find General White in Chapter 7, navigating the Excess Express in Chapter 6 and most notoriously by the Twilight Trail, which contains much harder enemies that are even more difficult to avoid due to the linear hallways you're confined to. This is, by far and away, my biggest complaint with the game.
The story also retains the whimsical charm of the PM64, sprinkling subtle, humourous scenes throughout the entirety of the journey (the new Bowser interludes being immediate standouts despite getting old towards the end). And while the plot is decently predictable most of the time, it still earns points for how earnest the delivery feels. There isn't any half-assed attempt at trying to grab the player's sympathy at all. Instead, the game lets the chips fall and allows them to fully invest themselves in the story it tells. You FEEL nervous as you battle your way to the top of the Glitz Pit, with a looming conspiracy circling through your mind; you FEEL sympathy for Vivian, who constantly endures the negligent abuse of Beldam; you even FEEL somewhat sad when TEC, the character who arguably goes through the biggest character development throughout the game, and develops an unexpectedly great dynamic with Peach, gives his life to allow Mario and co. to return to Rogueport and save the one he loves the most. 'Thank you for me' goes hard. Point is, this game is genuine. And by the end of the road, you do feel a slight hint of sadness to depart the friends you made along the way.
That isn't to say the story can also have its moments of ingenuity. Let's talk about the story of Chapter 4 here, which, despite its severely lack in quality in the gameplay department, does employ a few clever twists on its own in the story aspect. The smart usage of 3D graphics to render the C G I P I G S further emphasises how alien the pigs are to the residents of Twilight Town, while also efficiently presenting the threat imposed to them. The anti-climatic 'END OF CHAPTER' screen when Doopliss possesses Mario is also particularly clever, with eagle-eyed players able to note the difference in "Mario"'s pupils as he holds the Crystal Star. The blurb at the end also serves to sell its case, deceiving the less understanding players into believing they've beaten the chapter (and the backtracking). And even when you're challenge to name Doopliss early on, they fucking remove a letter from the keyboard to make it impossible for you to guess it! A lot of these tricks felt ahead of its time.
The plot's stakes are also much higher here: Bowser in PM64 merely wanted rule over Mushroom Kingdom. Grodus and the X-Nauts are competent threads on their own right, and this is showcased well through the Peach and TEC interludes, which slowly hints at a more dark, ominous threat than a funny big Koopa taking over a kingdom of puny toads. It's later revealed that they intend on conquering the WORLD, and later on the Shadow Queen takes this a step further by threatening to DESTROY it, elevating the stakes to a point where nothing is more important than taking her down.
Some More Minor Stuff I Noted During My Playthrough
- Mario literally has infinite rizz, every female companion has kissed him at least once in the story. bro teach me your ways
- Ayyyy Luigi gets to do something other than be the envious brother. Proud of him
- Wait. You're telling me that you can dress up as Luigi... OR Wario...? ...AND EVEN FUCKING WALUIGI? SOLD!
- Yo holy shit the X-Naut Fortress music kinda slaps
- It's funny how TEC's character development begins with him being horny for Peach while she showers. It's a shame that these subtle touches of adult humour were mostly lost following the weed joke at the Chapter 2 interlude.
- How is every character so memorable? I still remember minor characters, like Darkly in Rogueport, the pissed off Toad who cooks, Pennington, the bully Puni, fucking Flavio, the mafia boss, the Koopa dude from the Glitz Pit, the family of bombs, the mom who has three kids in Twilight Town who randomly turns into a pig, the waitress who simps for the Hollywood toad in the Excess Express... the fact that I'm even able to remotely remember these characters just goes to show impactful they can be despite their minimal presence in the overall plot.
- The Key to Pirates is the greatest chapter in all of Paper Mario AND Pirate's Grotto is the best Paper Mario dungeon, period. Fantastic utilisation of all your tools and assets, a great boss fight, an incredible climax that leads to ANOTHER fun boss fight vs Crump, Bobbery, fucking Flavio, this chapter is so good holy shit
- that being said, WHY AM I, THE CAPTAIN, BEING CHARGED FOR BASIC HOSPITALITY BY MY CREW WHILE WE'RE SHIPWRECKED IN A FUCKING DESERT ISLAND? Man, healing used to be free. Is this a reference to inflation?
- if you really think about it, Mario's literally riding a fucking infant to go faster and emotionally manipulates an explosive object into travelling with him. Not as much of a hero as we thought he was, huh?
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What more is there to say about The Thousand-Year Door? Much like it's predecessor, it has its flaws. But the same time, it takes the core strengths of PM64 and soars beyond what was previously imagined as possible for a Mario RPG. This, alongside multiple new features and improvements across the board, makes Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door a genuine, earnest game that serves as the perfect sequel. A shining hallmark for what all sequels should be like.
10/10. A shame it goes downhill from here. What could've been...
2010
Based on the story, I can now conclude that Sonic the Hedgehog is schizophrenic.
2022
this game is shit because dunkey said it was and i have a seizure when i try to form my own opinions without the intervention of a popular youtube video game reviewer
this review is, if you haven’t figured it out already, a joke. full review once i’m discharged from the hospital and finally done with the game, so maybe… very late november? but yeah fuck you right lung for collapsing twice and forcing me to require surgery