Thursday, June 30, 2022

Video Game Review #376: Horizon Forbidden West

Horizon Forbidden West
PlayStation 4


Nostalgia Factor:

I was a huge fan of the original Horizon Zero Dawn, as evidenced by the perfect score I gave the game when I first reviewed it. I've been patiently waiting a few years now to play its sequel - which I just finished a few days ago. Would the sequel be as awesome as the original, or would the series take a major step back? Let's do this.




Story:

Horizon Forbidden West takes place in the months following the events of the original game. Aloy is looking for another version of GAIA to help save the planet's corrupted and deteriorating ecosystem. Following the path of Sylens into the Forbidden West, Aloy find what she is looking for, only to discover that the new GAIA has been stripped of its subsystems. The main goal of the game becomes to track down these subsystems and return them to GAIA, but things become complicated when Aloy learns of the Zeniths - an ancient group of survivors who fled Earth during the initial planet-decimating catastrophe, but have now returned to kill everyone off and reclaim the planet as their own. Aloy reassembles GAIA and with the help of Sylens and a Zenith defector, is able to kill the Zeniths and stop their apparent plan. Things take a turn when Aloy learns that the Zeniths have not returned to Earth to reclaim it, but to salvage their own version of GAIA so that they could use it to repopulate a new planet. What happened to their old planet, you may ask? It was destroyed by an evil computer program known as Nemesis - a failed experiment by the Zeniths to preserve their minds for all eternity. And Nemesis has followed the Zeniths to Earth.

The game ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Aloy is given the choice to flee Earth in order to escape Nemesis. Instead, she decided to stay and fight. And then the game ends.

Man, I can't wait for the next game to see how this all plays out!




Gameplay:

If you're expecting anything different from the original game, you are going to find yourself very, very disappointed. The first week or so that I spent playing through this, I wasn't really feeling it. I've played through Horizon Zero Dawn twice in the last few years, and this game is literally more of the exact same thing. Nothing new, nothing original. The exact same thing.

You have a map. You take missions from NPCs you encounter. Your main method of fighting is through arrows and melee attacks. You climb on things. You fight robots. You explore the map, which initially is covered in fog but fills out as you go. You pick up collectible items. You enter Cauldrons and have to make your way through them. You override enemies and ride on them. You climb Tallnecks. You clear out bandit camps. You complete tasks at hunting lodges. You shoot animals. You collect resources. You trade things in. You upgrade your equipment. You read diaries. You scan things with your focus. You level up and use the skill tree to assign points to your character. Blah blah blah. Been there done that. Many times.

The story doesn't do the game too many favors either. I expected the Forbidden West to be this big landscape where you are discovering strange new people with different ways of life. Instead, all the tribes from the original game seem to be present. Most of the action revolves around the Tenakth - who we've already met. This tribe either covers a LOT of ground, or North America is a lot smaller than I give it credit for.

I guess there are a few new things added to liven things up, but none of them drastically affect the feel of the game. One of these changes is the ability to glide after you jump off a ledge. There are Fight Club-esque battle arenas to fight in. There are some new weapons. You can swim. Most walls and cliffs are scalable now - you don't have to look around for awkward yellow ledges to grab onto. One of my favorite additions is the ability to override flying machines and take to the sky. Being able to fly really opens things up. Too bad you don't gain this ability until near the end of the game.

Although this game loses some major points with its lack of originality, it makes up for it the more you play it. The game is just too fun and too involving to not enjoy it - even if everything is shrouded in a cloud of heavy "been there done that". The world of Horizon is always worth exploring. Whether you're uncovering ancient ruins of places that exist in the "real world" or just going around from question mark to question mark, there is always something to see and do here. I said this about the last game and I'll say it again: I don't know how many times I came to bed later than normal because I couldn't pry myself away from this game. Just one more mission. Let's just see what this question mark is. There's got to be a Cauldron around here somewhere. How the heck do I get on this Tallneck? Before I'd know it, it would be 3 AM and I'd have to hurry my ass off to bed. This is definitely an addicting game, and so far an addicting series overall.




Graphics:

I know this game has been criticized since it was first unveiled because of the "un-sexying" of Aloy. I'm not going to complain about that. I don't care if my video game protagonist is good looking or not. But some of the choices regarding her design, I have to admit, are flat out puzzling. She kind of has this weird, bug eyed look to her during some of the cutscenes. Her expressions range from normal to WTF is she doing with her face? She looks like a weird, snarling creature sometimes - but not in a good or a fierce warrior way. It's hard to put it into words. She just looks odd.

Everything else about this game looks fantastic. The landscapes, the weather effects, the NPCs, the machines, the enemies you face. It's a flat out gorgeous game. I know that this is also available on the PS5 (and I am playing on the PS4), but I can't imagine this game looking any better than it does. I said this in my Resident Evil Village review and I'll say it again - why do we need to upgrade to the next generation again?




Sound:

The music is great. The voice acting is great. The atmospheric sound effects are great. I can't think of anything to complain about in this game's audio department. Top notch stuff here.




Overall:

Horizon Forbidden West has so much going for it, but ultimately its lack of originality is going to bring its final review score down a bit. The graphics, the audio, the storyline - I enjoyed all of these facets of the game. But the gameplay feels all too familiar for me to truly embrace. I know the saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it" but come on. This feels like the exact same game as the original, but set in a new location. It's almost like really, really long DLC or something.

That said, the game did win me over - eventually. I can't say I enjoyed this game nearly as much as the original, but that doesn't mean it isn't still a really good game. I highly anticipate the third game in the series and hope that they make some major changes to its formula. If it's even more of the exact same thing, expect to see its final score drop even further.


THE GRADE:
B+


If you liked this review, check out some of my other game reviews:

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Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Video Game Review #375: Rocket Knight Adventures

Rocket Knight Adventures
Sega Genesis




Nostalgia Factor:
 
Mop Up Duty continues as I make my way through one game after another that I missed out on as a kid. 1993’s Rocket Knight Adventures was next on my list. Why I never played this, I have no idea. I had a Genesis as a kid, and it seems like this game would have been something right up my alley. Even if I didn’t own it, you’d think I would have rented it or stumbled upon it somehow. Heck, I rented a game nearly every weekend from Blockbuster for years and years when I was a kid. But nope – never played this game.

Whatever that reason may have been, I can say I have played through it now. It’s 2022 – about 29 years since this game’s initial release. Would it hold up after all that time? Did I miss out on something special when I was a kid? Let’s find out!




Story:

I’m not really sure what’s going on with this game’s story. Back in 1993, a good portion of each game’s story was explained in the instruction manual. But I don’t have the instruction manual for this game. Not much is explained as you are playing, other than that there seems to be some kind of war or giant battle taking place. You rescue a princess. Doesn’t seem like there’s anything too coherent going on. Didn’t affect my enjoyment of this game though. I couldn’t have cared less about its story. It’s all about the gameplay for me!



 
Gameplay:

For some reason I came into this expecting it to be a shooter, and I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that this was not the case. It’s a 2D side-scroller. You control the titular character. You have two buttons to use: jump and attack. Using the attack button causes your character to swing his sword. Holding down the attack button allows you to charge up a dash attack that you are going to find QUITE useful as you play this game. In fact, if I had to say there was one major gimmick or gameplay element that makes Rocket Knight stand out, it would be this move. You use it a lot, like to cross over long jumps, ricochet off walls, or propel yourself through the air. Mastery of this move is absolutely key if you want to be able to beat this game.

And this game is hard! Normal difficulty starts you with one life and one continue. So basically – two lives. LOL. You die a lot in this game. And I mean a lot. If you attempt to just charge headfirst and barrel your way through this game, you’re going to find yourself back at the title screen before you can count to ten. You have to be cautious and take your time – but be sure not to proceed too slowly as that can be a detriment to your success as well. Luckily there are lots of extra lives to be found, which you can collect each time you make your way through a level so it’s really not like you’re losing a life each time you die.

That brings me to what I didn’t like about this game. When you die, you have to replay long segments of the stage over again. When you find yourself dying as much as I did, you start to get tired of playing through these same, looooong segments over and over again. I wish the game was better at restarting you closer to where you died. But then again, if they did that you wouldn’t be able to collect those extra lives again, which probably messes with this game’s “system.” 

The game is also at times too hard and unforgiving. Some of these bosses you have to be absolutely perfect to beat. That comes through repetition – memorizing patterns and planning your strategies accordingly. But that’s hard to do with such a limited supply of lives – and also when you have to replay such long segments of each stage over and over again. I used save states to make my way through this game, and I am not ashamed to admit it.

I would like to think I would have mastered this game as a kid. If I had this for the Genesis, I would have sunk so much time and energy into it. And that’s because the game is just so much fun. I love the level design and the gimmick of charging up your attack and letting go. The bosses are creative. I love collecting things and figuring out the best way through each stage. The creative audio and visual design, which I’ll get to soon, make this game’s charm undeniable. As soon as I picked this game up, I knew I was going to love it. And I did.




Graphics:

For something that came out in 1993, this game looks sensational. I love the character design. Animations are terrific. Everything is so colorful and full of life. You can tell a lot of thought and effort was put into this game’s look – and it pays off. It’s impossible to not be charmed by this game’s visuals. If Castlevania: Bloodlines and Sonic the Hedgehog had a baby, it would look like this game.




Sound:

This game sounds really terrific too. The music has that classic Genesis feel to it that is hard to put into words. Every song is electric and full of energy. Sounds almost like this could be a Sonic soundtrack. Really, really good stuff. Sound effects are top of the line too. I can’t say anything bad.


 

Overall:

It’s a shame I missed out on this when I was a kid. I know I would have absolutely loved it. If I had grown up with this game, it could have gone down as one of my favorite Genesis titles of all time. And you know what? It still might. I may be missing out on the nostalgia factor of being able to say I grew up playing such a great game – but the fact of the matter is that this is still a really great game.

It’s an absolute beaut when it comes to its presentation. The graphics and the music are top-notch. The gameplay is perfect. Your character handles well. The stage design is fun and creative, as are the enemies you face. I can’t say enough about how much fun I had with this. There are some drawbacks, sure, such as the difficulty and the fact that replaying areas you’ve already beaten over and over again can be quite tedious. And why couldn’t they give you more lives and continues?

But even the negatives can’t tear this game down for me. I absolutely loved this game. I now have a new possible top-ten favorite Sega Genesis title. It’s that good. I wish I’d grown up with this game. I would have devoted weeks and weeks of my time to it when I was a kid. Rocket Knight Adventures has earned its way into my rotation of games that I revisit every few years - and I can't wait to introduce my son to it when he is old enough. That may not sound like any kind of huge accomplishment - but I have high standards. In my mind, it is!


THE GRADE:
A-




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Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Video Game Review #374: Mystic Warriors

Mystic Warriors
Arcade




Nostalgia Factor:

We’re up to 1993 now in my Mop Up Duty review tour. Little Danny boy was 11 years old and in the 6th grade back in 93. Jurassic Park and The Fugitive were the top films in the box office. I was playing things like Cool Spot, Eternal Champions, and Zombies Ate My Neighbors for the Sega Genesis. Aside from trying to keep myself out of the sights of my alcoholic and abusive stepfather, life was good.

I’ll tell you what I wasn’t doing in 1993: playing Mystic Warriors. In fact, I had never even heard of this game until earlier this year (spoiler alert: it’s 2022). The thing about it that caught my attention was the descriptor that this game was a spiritual successor to Sunset Riders. That was enough to immediately get my attention. I absolutely loved Sunset Riders, and I wanted more of it. In fact I was kind of irritated when I found out that it didn’t have any sequels. Well, here ya go Mr. Dan. Mystic Warriors. The closest thing you’ll ever see to a sequel to Sunset Riders.

Would the game be any good? Um, yes. But before I spoil too much for you, we should probably move on with the formal review.
 



Story:

I absolutely love this game’s cutscenes, but the story itself is quite unremarkable. You control one of five different ninja characters, who seem to be part of a resistance group fighting the evil Skull Enterprise. Depending on which character you pick, one of your team will be kidnapped by the enemy. You spend the rest of the game attacking the Skull and fighting to get your lost partner back. Spoiler alert: you save your partner, but the rescued ninja sacrifices his or herself in the escape attempt. The rest of the game consists of your group taking revenge on the Skull.




Gameplay:

It wouldn’t be terribly inaccurate to refer to this game as Sunset Riders with ninja stars. That’s basically what it is. For those of you who haven’t played that game (what are you doing, go play it now!), I will further explain.

This is a side scrolling 2D shooter. You control your ninja of choice. The basic goal of each stage is to make your way from the left side of the screen over to the right. Enemies will come at you from all angles, popping out of windows or taking shots at you while crouched behind barrels or boxes. Shoot them with your ninja stars. If you ever find yourself getting rushed by a group of enemies, pressing the attack button while in close will unleash a sword attack that does major damage and can hit multiple foes at a time. As you make your way to the right, you’ll uncover items such as power ups that increase the attack radius and speed of your weapons, or food that replenishes one bar of your health meter. Unlike Sunset Riders, this game gives you a health meter where your character can take three hits before dying. I’m very glad that one hit does not kill you in this game!

At the end of each stage is a boss. These bosses are bullet sponges with sometimes predictable/sometimes wild and random attack patterns. This is an arcade game where you’re supposed to die a lot and pump quarters into the machine, so often these fights simply turn into a war of attrition. 

While each stage follows the same basic formula, there are a few stages that offer something different. There’s a stage that takes place going downhill on skis, another one on a train. I mean, you’re still shooting enemies, moving around, and evading fire, but at least you aren’t walking around on the ground?




Graphics:

I am in love with this game’s graphics. As I mentioned before, the game’s storyline sucks. Even so, the cutscenes are still a joy to watch because of the artwork and the coloring involved. Just look at the screenshots I’ve posted.

Things look just as good when you’re actually playing the game, too. The 2D sprites look terrific. The animation is great. The stage design and the background graphics are downright stunning at times. This game truly is a Saturday morning cartoon come to life. If Sunset Riders and the C.O.W.-boys of Moo Mesa had a love child, it would look like this game.




Sound:

This is the one area of the review where I will be a debbie downer. I’m sure this game’s music is great, as most 90s Konami titles tend to have great music. I certainly didn’t have any complaints as I was playing through the game. But now that it’s over (and I played through this game twice for this review), I don’t remember a single thing about this game’s music. Same for the sound effects, too. I’m sure they are fine – because if they weren’t I would have noticed. But nothing special or memorable in the long run.


 

Overall:

You really can’t go wrong with Mystic Warriors. It has everything you’d want to see carried over from Sunset Riders, with its own unique flair thrown into the mix. It’s fun, it’s great to look at, and it also provides an excellent time if you are playing with other people. I won’t say it is as challenging as Sunset Riders, nor does it offer the same replay value that game does. But it is still really good.

A lot of people have never heard of this game, and that is a travesty. I myself had never heard of it until just this year, and it came out in 1993. If you have friends over and you want to impress them, turn this game on and let the good times roll. You won’t regret it. Overall this game didn’t leave the same impact on me that Sunset Riders did, but it is still a very good game. If you’re sleeping on this game, wake up! It is definitely worth your time.

 

THE GRADE:
B+


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Monday, June 13, 2022

Video Game Review #373: Life Is Strange 2

Life Is Strange 2
PlayStation 4


Nostalgia Factor:

While they aren’t necessarily my favorite games in the universe, I’ve always enjoyed the Life Is Strange series. I’ve been aware of the existence of this game, Life Is Strange 2, for a couple of years now, but it’s never been a priority for me to play. The series as a whole has always been one of those “I'll play it whenever I get around to it” kind of series. Thanks to GameFly, I finally got around to it. 

Would this game be as good as the two that came before it, or would I find that the change in scenery completely destroyed everything Life Is Strange had going for it? Let’s dive in.




Story:

Since these games are mainly story driven, this will probably be the longest segment of my review.

Life is Strange 2 starts out innocuously enough. You play as Sean, the older of two brothers. You live with your dad. Through exploring the house and talking with people, it is made clear pretty early on that the mom ran out on the family. Sean’s younger brother, Daniel, accidentally unleashes telekinetic powers that he wasn’t aware he had on a bully, injuring him. Sean and Daniel’s father come running to assist, but a trigger happy police officer (in a not-so-subtle nod to current events when this game came out) guns him down. An enraged Daniel again unleashes his powers, killing the officer.

Sean and Daniel go on the run. Their ultimate goal is to evade law enforcement, make it to the border, and cross over into Mexico. The bulk of the game consists of your wacky on-the-road adventures. On this journey you’ll encounter different scenarios that put the relationship between Daniel and Sean to test. You stop at your grandparents’ house, you befriend a boy who thinks he has special powers (when in reality Daniel is using his own powers to trick the poor kid), you hop on a train, you work at a pot growing hippie commune, you get separated, you reunite with your mother, you rescue your brother from a zany religious cult that worships him, so on and so forth.

The game ends at the border wall (some more not-so-subtle commentary on current events when this game was release), where Sean and Daniel are taken into custody by ICE after being stopped from crossing by vigilantes. I’ll get into this a bit later in my review, but how you’ve played the game and the choices that you’ve made (and continue to make) craft what kind of ending you receive. I got the ending where the brothers escape custody and cross the border, where they eventually settle in and create their own auto repair shop in memory of their father. I’m not sure what the other endings are, but I’ve heard that there are endings where some of the characters die and some endings when you don’t make it past the wall and get arrested.

Overall it is a pretty good story. There are some moments when the game tries to shove social issues down your throat, but it is what it is. I don't disagree with the concept of trying to teach some kind of morality lesson, but please be a little less obvious. The game is at its best when it is focused on the relationship between the two brothers. Being the younger of two brothers myself (and I am also named Daniel…. Hmm….) the story resonated pretty well with me. I won’t say that this game is as memorable as its predecessors, but the whole “on the run and road tripping with psychic powers” thing was pretty cool. There are some memorable scenarios and encounters you’ll experience while playing these games. Some of them will stick with me for a long time.


 

Gameplay:

Since this is a story driven game, little focus is placed on the actual gameplay. Most areas consist of you (in control of Sean) walking around and examining things. During conversations you are often given different decisions on how you’d like to proceed. The choices you make affect the way the game plays out. For example, when you are escaping from the religious compound you are given the decision to have Daniel use his powers to kill his captors or to spare their lives. Alternatively, you can use the gun you picked up earlier (not an option if you didn’t pick it up). The ripple effect of your choices is felt throughout the entire game.

One of the main moral dilemmas I encountered was whether or not to encourage Daniel to use his powers or to keep them a secret and only use them when it is absolutely necessary. The advice you give Daniel and the morals you choose to teach him affect his behavior and what choices are available to you during certain scenarios. A lot of these games just kind of give you the illusion of choice, but in Life Is Strange 2 I felt like these choices really mattered.




Graphics:

I don't think I've ever looked at a Life Is Strange game and thought: wow, this looks so spectacular! Spoiler alert: I still haven't.

The character models are serviceable, but nothing that couldn't be done on a PlayStation 3 or any "last gen" systems - although I guess you could consider the PS4 a last gen system by 2022's standards. Where this game shines is in the small details. Any time you enter a house or someone's area of residence, you immediately feel like this is a real, actually lived in environment. Small touches and details adorn every corner.

While I wouldn't say this is an amazing looking title like Ghost of Tsushima or Horizon Zero Dawn, it doesn't need to be. Life Is Strange accomplishes everything it sets out to do visually, keeping things grounded and as simple as the plot dictates.




Sound:

The voice acting steals the show in this game. Everything falters if you don't believe in Sean and Daniel, or if they come across as unrealistic or annoying in their portrayals. Not only is their relationship well-voiced and very believable, the same can be said for the rest of the cast.

Every once in a while you'll come across some awkward dialogue or some stilted delivery, but it's so few and far between I don't hold it against the game at all.




Overall:

I enjoyed this game. I am a big fan of these story-driven narrative drama types of games. Life Is Strange 2 delivers some fun and memorable moments. It's also an easy platinum. It's not the best game in the world, and I don't think it hits as hard emotionally as some of the others in the series - but overall I still liked it.

Here's my biggest gripe with the game - and it's not even a problem with the actual game itself. The physical edition (which I rented through GameFly) is supposed to be the "complete edition", but it lacks the very last episode of the game. You have to use a code to download the last episode. Since I was only renting the game, I didn't have the code. Even if I did, it likely would have been used already a long time ago. So what happened? I had to buy the last episode. After paying to rent the game I had to pay to finish it. I was so mad. I almost didn't buy it out of spite, but I wanted that platinum, dang it. And I was so close. I haven't bothered complaining about it to Sony or Square Enix or GameFly or whatever. I know nothing will happen.

So that is what I hate most about the game. Luckily for the game, I can put that aside when it comes to the score I give it. I'm still going to be mad about it though.



THE GRADE:
B-

 

Other Life is Strange reviews:

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Thursday, June 9, 2022

Video Game Review #372: TMNT IV: Turtles in Time

TMNT IV: Turtles in Time
Super Nintendo




Nostalgia Factor:

Since the last two games I played for 1992 Mop Up Duty were so painfully bad (Contra Force and Blaster Master Boy), I was in desperate need of something to lift my spirits. Enter Turtles in Time for the Super Nintendo. Now, this may seem like a little bit of a cheat considering I'm only supposed to be playing games I have never played before. But I truly have never played this version of the game. I've played the arcade game. I've played Turtles in Time: Re-Shelled for the PlayStation 3. But the Super Nintendo version of the game? Never played it.

Coming in, I knew all about this game's reputation. Many people consider this one of the best Super Nintendo games ever released. Even more people consider this to be the single greatest console beat 'em up of all time. While I certainly enjoyed the arcade version of the game, I would never say I was infatuated by it or that I thought it was amazing or anything like that. It was a good beat 'em up, sure. Maybe even a very good one. Heck, I gave it an A-. But the SNES version was supposed to be even better.

Time to satiate my curiosity! Is the hype for this game justified? Let's find out.




Story:

This version of the game shares the exact same storyline with its arcade counterpart. Shredder has stolen the Statue of Liberty and challenges the Turtles to come find him. The Turtles fight through a series of stages until they arrive at the Technodrome. Having fallen into his trap, the Turtles are sent back in time, where Shredder hopes to ditch them forever. His plan fails (of course), and the Turtles battle their way back to present time, where they are able to defeat Shredder once and for all. Or at least until the next Turtles game.




Gameplay:

I've played and reviewed seemingly dozens of games in the beat 'em up genre for this blog, so I really don't think at this point I need to explain how they work. Turtles in Time takes the formula previously established in the series and sets out to deliver the best version of the game possible. While the graphics and presentation are top notch (we'll get to them later), what makes this such a beloved game by so many people is its fun factor.

Anyone can pick up and play this game. You've only got two buttons to use (punch and attack). Your character moves with ease. There's no need for a tutorial or anything of that nature. That makes Turtles in Time very welcoming to casual gamers or people that are unfamiliar with the genre. Want a second player to tag along with you on your adventure? Throw a controller to mom, dad, or your significant other - even if they aren't gamers. You'll have fun. They'll probably have fun too. As I said, this is a very easy game to pick up and play.

The game consists of ten stages. Most of the stages are your typical beat 'em up affair. You fight through a bunch of bad guys and defeat a boss character at the end. Got it. Some of the stages throw little wrinkles at you. There's a side-scrolling sewer surfing stage. There's a Mode 7 stage where you ride hoverboards and fight enemies. There's even a new stage set in the Technodrome that ends with a battle where you have to lob bad guys at the camera in order to hit Shredder, who is attempting to shoot the Turtles with a cannon.

While this game is similar in structure to its arcade counterpart, there are enough key differences here for me to count this game as its own separate entity. There's some new stages for the SNES version. Some new boss characters. The aforementioned Mode 7 section - that's an SNES addition. So is the boss battle where you throw enemies at Shredder. Speaking of throwing enemies, the ability to chuck them directly at the camera is something that is brand new to this version of the game. All in all you are getting roughly the same experience you would get if you played the arcade version of the game, but I don't think it's a stretch to say that the SNES has more to offer, particularly when it comes to replayability.

Turtles in Time gives you a brand new ending if you can beat the game on hard mode, so that gives you reason to try playing through on a higher difficulty if you complete it on normal. Usually I play a game on its default normal setting - and then when I beat it I am done with the game and move onto the next one. Turtles in Time actually gave me a reason to stick around and play the game on hard.




Graphics:

While this game isn't as well-animated as its arcade counterpart, it still looks pretty darn good. I absolutely love how it looks like an episode of the cartoon brought to life. It's bright, colorful, and loyal to the source material. Each stage has its distinctive look and feel. Even though you're basically doing the same thing over and over again in this game (beating up enemies), the variety in enemy types and landscapes that you battle through really give the game a fresh feeling stage in and stage out.




Sound:

If there's an area where the SNES version comes up noticeably short compared to its arcade counterpart, it is in the sound department. Right off the bat, I noticed that the amazing rendition of Pizza Power that normally accompanies the game's opening is nowhere to be found here. That's pretty disappointing. Other than that, the stage music is still pretty good. My favorite tune still has to be the one from the Sunset Riders-esque Old West stage.

Where Turtles in Time truly excels in the sound department is in its sound effects. I've heard other reviewers say that a key to making a good beat 'em up is that you have to have a satisfying "thwock" sound when you are beating up your enemies. This game definitely delivers on that front. These have to be the most satisfying punching and kicking sounds I have ever heard in a video game before. Ever.




Overall:

Grading this game is going to be tough for me. While I acknowledge that there is more substance here than you can find in the arcade version of the game, it does suffer in other areas. The animations, the graphics, the music. Don't get me wrong, this game excels in all of those areas, but in comparison to the arcade game they are inferior. You also only have a two player mode in this game, as opposed to the four players offered by the arcade.

So while this game does have things that the arcade version doesn't, it's also missing some things too. On the whole, I care more about gameplay than any audio or visual perks that the arcade version may offer. So you could say I prefer the SNES version of the game when all is said and done. But I don't value it significantly higher than the arcade version. While this version gets the slight nod, they're both on a nearly identical playing field, in my opinion. Not enough to give them separate final grades. The arcade version of the game got an A-. This one will too.

Really, you can't go wrong with either game. If you want to play Turtles in Time, pick whichever version is more convenient for you. If you have them both, you should probably go with the SNES version. It gets the edge for me, but only by the smallest of margins.



THE GRADE:
A-




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Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Video Game Review #371: Contra Force

Contra Force
Nintendo Entertainment System




Nostalgia Factor:

Now that the abomination known as Blaster Master Boy is in my rearview mirror, it's time to move onto my next game review from 1992: Contra Force for the NES. I had never heard of Contra Force before, so as soon as I became aware of its existence I knew I had to check it out.

Within the last year or two I had played through the entire Contra Anniversary Collection for the PS4. I was really curious why this game wasn't on the collection. Turns out that this game was originally not a Contra game. It was known as Arc Hound overseas before its Japanese release was canceled. The game was still brought to the US, however, where it was rebranded as a Contra spinoff.

The game is absolutely terrible, however, so I can see why Konami wouldn't include it on their anniversary collection. I'm sure they want everyone to forget about this game's existence. It didn't work! Here I am to tell you how terrible this game is.




Story:

I played through this entire game twice and I still couldn't tell you what is going on with its storyline. There are "cutscenes" before the game and in between each level, but the characters seemingly speak non-sequitur nonsense to one another. I'm going to chalk this up to an extremely poor English translation. Long story short: you play as the good guys and you have to defeat the bad guys and save the world/the country/the city... whatever makes you feel the most important.




Gameplay:

Right off the bat you can tell this isn't your typical Contra game. You can pick from four different characters to play as. Each character has two lives. When you run out of lives with a character, you have to use a continue and restart whatever level you are on. If you play strategically, you can switch your character mid-level to someone who has all of their lives left. So if you know you're about to die and waste a continue, switch over to someone else!

The action is a lot slower than your average Contra game. Whereas you might have something like five or six enemies on the screen at one time in a mainline Contra game, there rarely seems to be more than two or three in this game. Your character moves VERY slowly. Most of the time you can see your enemies coming a mile away and position yourself to take them out before they can hit you. Each stage ends with a boss character. Each of these boss characters are major bullet sponges. Some are easy, some are a pain in the neck to destroy.

Contra Force uses a Gradius-like system to upgrade your weapons. Unlike past Contra games, you can't pick up weapons like the spread gun or the laser through item drops. Instead you pick up little briefcases that contain one upgrade point. You can see a little meter on the bottom left corner of your screen. You can hang onto these points to cash them in for a powerful upgrade (but risk losing all these points if you get killed) or you can use these points right away for more minor weapon improvements. This is probably the thing I liked the most about the game, how it attempts to do something different. That's about all the praise I can muster for Contra Force. I guess it's got a good soundtrack too, but I will get to that later.

Before I start bashing this game, let me talk about its overhead stages. There are two of them in the game. In these stages, you can move up, down, left, and right on the game board. You shoot enemies. You make it to the end of the stage where you fight a boss. You can do everything you can normally do in a side-scrolling stage except for jump. As far as fun goes, these stages are... fine. They're about as fun as the side-scrolling stages. Which really isn't saying much.

Contra Force on the whole is a giant drag to play. It's slow. It's ugly to look at. When there is a lot of action happening on the screen (and sometimes when there is not) the action gets choppy and slows to an absolute crawl. And this game is slow to begin with! I don't know if I've ever encountered more intrusive slowdown in a video game before. Sheesh.

I just didn't have any fun playing this game. It's such a sloppy game, not worthy of the Contra title. Again, I can see why Konami probably wanted us all to forget about Contra Force. It sucks.




Graphics:

This game takes a giant step back from the original Contra, which came out in 1988. The original Contra has color. It has personality. This game just looks so incredibly drab. The characters are unremarkable looking. The pixel art is very half-assed. I've already harped on the slowdown. This looks like an early era NES game, as opposed to something that came out near the end of the system's life cycle.

There are a few well-designed areas in the game that have nice backgrounds to look at. They are few and far between, however.




Sound:

I won't completely bash Contra Force in the sound department. The sound effects are on par for what they should be for this type of game. Some of the stage tunes are catchy. Really, the music is probably the best thing about this entire shit show of a game. There were a few moments where I felt like I was playing Batman or Mega Man for the NES because the music was so on-point. I wish I could say it was enough to make this game enjoyable.




Overall:

Coming off my miserable experience playing Blaster Master Boy, I'm really disappointed that I had to suffer again with yet another crummy game. I'm going to have to pick something fun for my final 1992 game review, because sheesh.

Is Contra Force as bad as Blaster Master Boy? No. While I derived zero enjoyment from Blaster Master Boy, I will say that this game had its occasional moment. I like what this game is trying to do, it just doesn't execute its vision very well. With a little polish and a little added attention, this game may have actually been something. Instead it will have to settle for its place in history - a mere shadow of the Contra series it is based upon. Only play this if you are morbidly curious about this "forgotten" Contra game that is not available on any of the collections out there. This is not a good game, but I wouldn't say it is an absolute piece of trash either. Contra Force avoids a failing review score by the skin of its teeth.


THE GRADE:
D-



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