sturdyserpent
1997
I was going to make a joke about this being the dark souls of Frogger games, but this came first so really Dark Souls is copying Frogger. It starts off with a faithful remake of the original arcade game and quickly descends to pure platform hell from there. Every single obstacle is a 1-hit kill, and if you game over you lose all progress on that level. Combine that with an extremely unforgiving time limit and incredibly precise platforming while controlling the world's slipperiest frog and that's the game's second half. Even with using the 99 life cheat some of the later levels are just brutally unfair (the sewer level where everything is covered in oil and there's crushers everywhere???). If you can beat this without cheats you automatically ascend to nirvana. Absolutely transcendental
2001
Unmatched atmosphere to this day. If you have any interest in horror games, this is a must play - it's a standalone story, so you don't have to play the first one.
2003
I almost never play racing games but this was really fun. It somehow feels like you're going ludicrously fast without requiring superhuman reflexes to keep up
It's more of the same, but the level design and gimmicks in this one were much weaker. I did like the return of the P meter from SMB3, but it wasn't enough to give this one it's own identity.
I have fond memories of me and brother playing lan games together and torturing the computer player by restricting it to a single villager while we spammed cheat codes. One of the greatest RTS games ever made
2018
My favorite of the retro-styled FPS I played. It has a dark, oppressive atmosphere that doesn't let up, and the frantic gunplay and weapons arsenal is reminiscent of something like Doom.
2016
The swordplay and parry feels like a proto-Sekiro, something closer to a rhythm game than a fighter. Getting into the groove and perfectly deflecting every attack feels really satisfying - it's the sort of high risk/high reward system that provides an exhilariating high when you finally pull it off, and a big reason to play these types of punishing games in the first place.
It kinda feels like the plot only happens because everyone is an idiot
2010
still waiting for the sequel where you fight and kill God
2021
The gameplay is the best it's ever been, but the characters and story are utterly forgettable. Given how long this was in development, I was expecting more.
It's more Doom, which is never a bad thing. Bigger levels, more enemies, more weapons with few changes to the winning formula. The levels are much larger in this one with more open spaces, and I found them less tightly designed as a consequence.
Also this game was released just a month after I was born, so that's cool.
Also this game was released just a month after I was born, so that's cool.
It's trying way too hard to be a Soulslike without really understanding what that means. Sure, there's plenty of nooks and crannies to search for items, but when almost everything you find is a purely cosmetic unlockable it really doesn't matter. You're restricted to a single weapon with a handful of different modes, but whacking enemies with a lightsaber just doesn't carry the same weight as the swordplay from Dark Souls.
I did enjoy the force abilities and associated pizzles. There's no fast travel in this game, which is an unusual choice but I found the maps are small enough and you unlock enough shortcuts that it never becomes tedious. It's definitely a decent game, it just needs to find its own identity.
I did enjoy the force abilities and associated pizzles. There's no fast travel in this game, which is an unusual choice but I found the maps are small enough and you unlock enough shortcuts that it never becomes tedious. It's definitely a decent game, it just needs to find its own identity.
A thoroughly average metroidvania.
+ the underwater setting is something I've not seen done before. As someone with thalassophobia, I found exploring both fascinating and dreadful
+ most of the boss battles were suitably epic
- the map was nearly useless and made backtracking a pain
- combat was clunky and made battles artificially difficult
- the ending was just not good
If you want to fight giant sea monsters, I'd say give this a go. Wait for a sale first.
+ the underwater setting is something I've not seen done before. As someone with thalassophobia, I found exploring both fascinating and dreadful
+ most of the boss battles were suitably epic
- the map was nearly useless and made backtracking a pain
- combat was clunky and made battles artificially difficult
- the ending was just not good
If you want to fight giant sea monsters, I'd say give this a go. Wait for a sale first.
proud hater of this game for ruining castlevania
Has all the trappings of a better game with no real meat. The combat is a real slog, which is a shame since most quests in the game boil down to "go through a cave and kill the bad guy at the end".