joyousfrog
2000
T H E B O U N C E R
The game isn't amazing by any stretch, but gotdamn the designs are so good, and the game is full of charm. All the dumb quirks like the wonky voice acting and jank ragdolls, combined with a playtime of only ~2 hours make this a fun game to go back to, especially since once you beat the game you unlock the ability to play as all of the different side characters.
If you're a fan of this game like me, do yourself a favor and look up some of the concept art, Normura's work here is incredible, and the amount of detail that went into this game is super cool.
The game isn't amazing by any stretch, but gotdamn the designs are so good, and the game is full of charm. All the dumb quirks like the wonky voice acting and jank ragdolls, combined with a playtime of only ~2 hours make this a fun game to go back to, especially since once you beat the game you unlock the ability to play as all of the different side characters.
If you're a fan of this game like me, do yourself a favor and look up some of the concept art, Normura's work here is incredible, and the amount of detail that went into this game is super cool.
2007
Coming back to this game is 2022 has seriously been amazing. I know many games are littered with bots, but players are usually pretty good about voting them out promptly. Either way, the REAL shit has been playing on a private server, which I know is not attainable for everyone, but the community I've found has made this one of my favourite games of all time, I log on every day when I get home from school- something I haven't done with a game since Smash WiiU. Shout-outs RTVS community server.
2011
I used to come home from school every day and play this for hours. My notebooks were filled with level ideas. This game sparked my love of game design and I have only positive memories of it. Beyond being just a game creation platform, it also had a fantastic story mode.
2021
This game is not perfect, but no game has made me Think like this (from a narrative and design perspective), maybe ever. It is very special and worth experiencing, even if some parts of it are dumb. Go in blind if you can.
2019
It's really unfortunate what became of this game, especially considering how the 2013 beta was better and it's now basically unavailable.
Remember when people said this would be the next Minecraft? I genuinely believe it had the potential.
Remember when people said this would be the next Minecraft? I genuinely believe it had the potential.
2020
Do yourself a favor and ignore the timer. It shouldn't even show up until you've beaten the level once before imo. Don't rush, take your time, and enjoy existing in the world. Killer OST too.
The game runs dry once your town is settled. Villager interactions are lacking, so much so that the GC original had more interesting characters. The first like 3 months were delightful though.
1989
You already know what it is! Can't beat a classic. Well... except for Tetris DS.
2022
More of Splatoon 2, with many improvements, and a fun new campaign. Such a stylish and vibrant world, filled with charm and detail.
Despite the numerous quality of life improvements from the previous games, there are still some glaring frustrations such as poor netcode.
Despite the numerous quality of life improvements from the previous games, there are still some glaring frustrations such as poor netcode.
2016
This used to be one of my favourite games, I probably still have more hours in it than any other fps, but they killed it by catering to the competitive audience to such a degree that certain heroes became necessary at higher ranks. I stuck around through the mess that was Goats and then dropped when they forced 2/2/2 (I normally play healer, it wasn't because of queue times, it was because it severely limited the possibilities and potential for fun hero combinations). This game was once great, but a lack of any clear content direction after the first few years ruined it.
I think if I had played the original back in 2013, I would have appreciated this a lot more. Going straight from the original to new content makes it feel underwhelming, especially since the bucket stuff has you repeat a lot of areas from the original. Meta commentary is just not as impactful as it was when the original came out, it's been done, and done better at this point, which lessens the impact for me personally. This is especially true as the seems are so visible, and you can easily tell when a reset/new route has begun.
That being said, there were some parts that made me laugh out loud, which is rare for any game to pull off, at least intentionally. The narrator is really incredible, and is great at moving between a comedic and serious tone.
This game is definitely worth playing if you enjoyed the original, or are like me and have always been meaning to check it out but never gotten around to it. It's an important game even if it didn't resonate with me.
That being said, there were some parts that made me laugh out loud, which is rare for any game to pull off, at least intentionally. The narrator is really incredible, and is great at moving between a comedic and serious tone.
This game is definitely worth playing if you enjoyed the original, or are like me and have always been meaning to check it out but never gotten around to it. It's an important game even if it didn't resonate with me.
A downgrade from the original, the story progression feels far more linear, in fact I literally just walked in a circle around the town. The writing is still top-notch and I can't wait for #3.
2019
A solid game that fails to live up to it's predecessor's shadow. Great characters and tons of cool moments/areas. The ending was lackluster, I think all routes lead towards it, and you can make massive alignment changes at the last second, ruining your theoretical character arc but allowing you to get most endings through save scumming.
2019
Bite-sized and cute! You can beat it in an afternoon.
2006
I got this from a Best Buy bargain bin when I was 8 and couldn't get into the first level. Replayed and beat it when I was like 13 when I was more Online and heard how infamously bad it was.
It has its charms. The weirdness and jank are part of what make it so interesting. Probably best if you watch a youtube video on it rather than actually waste your own time playing, as it will just lead to frustration. Try and find someone who has more so say than "game bad, glitches funny" though. There's something fascinating under the surface.
It has its charms. The weirdness and jank are part of what make it so interesting. Probably best if you watch a youtube video on it rather than actually waste your own time playing, as it will just lead to frustration. Try and find someone who has more so say than "game bad, glitches funny" though. There's something fascinating under the surface.