Video Game Review #466: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood

TurboGrafx-CD

Nostalgia Factor:

I've played through a ton of Castlevania games in my lifetime. The NES games. The Game Boy games. Bloodlines. Super Castlevania IV. Everything I've played, I have enjoyed in some capacity or another. One of my goals in life is to play through Symphony of the Night, which I always hear is one of the greatest games ever made. But in order to do that, I knew that I needed to play through Rondo of Blood first, since Symphony of the Night is essentially a sequel to this game.

This is one of the last classic 2D Castlevania games out there before the series changes direction from linear, level based progression to the Metroidvania style it is known for today. I'm aware that there is also a game out there called "Dracula X" for the Super Nintendo, that is essentially a US port of this game. But I have heard it is NOT a good port, and that this version is the definitive way to play the game. I'll get around to playing that one someday, though.

Back to Rondo of Blood. As far as playing it, I ran into one problem: it was actually never released in the United States. I had to search for... ahem... alternative means to play this game. Would playing a foreign version of this game affect my enjoyment of it? Only one way to find out!

Story:

As much as I wanted to play this game in advance to get ready for Symphony of the Night, there really isn't much to note about this game's story. I could have completely skipped this and been okay. It's the basic "Dracula is coming back after 100 years. We have to take him out!" kind of thing we've seen in multiple Castlevania games now.

Gameplay:

To me, this game reminds me the most of Bloodlines. Controls, graphics, tone, everything. It follows the same Castlevania side-scrolling formula as all the old classics. You go left and right, you jump, you use your whip, you pick up projectiles like axes and holy water. Each stage ends with a difficult boss battle. Not really too much that is new to see here.

The game does let you press the select button to use a screen-clearing special attack, which changes depending on which weapon is in your inventory. That's nice. The game also has different branching paths you can take, like Castlevania III. There is an unlockable character too, but unless I was doing something wrong, you can't pick her until after the game has ended. I tried playing as her to give it a shot and I was not a big fan of how she handles.

Because of the branching paths, the game does have some replay value. I played through it two times. Let it be known that I played through the game using save states. Meaning: saving the game every few minutes or so and reloading the save when I lose a life. I've become accustomed to using them on some of these harder games. Sure, I could have tried struggling through this myself, but the game is so dang tough I would have just ended up getting frustrated. The game does have save slots where you can turn off the system and then come back and start from the beginning of any level you've played. That's good. At least people who are playing on original hardware don't have to restart the entire game each time they turn off the system.

Like I said, the game is very hard. It might be one of the toughest Castlevania games I have ever played. It's not too bad with save states, but I can imagine it must be quite the challenge without them. If I was playing this back in 1993 or whenever it first came out, I probably would have devoted hundreds of hours to conquering and mastering this game. I just don't have time for that anymore.

Graphics:

For the most part, this is a good looking game. I love some of the background effects, like the fire in the game's earlier stages. Some classic Castlevania areas are revisited in this game, like Dracula's Castle and the village from Castlevania II. It was nice to see these areas again, looking better than ever.

Randomly, there are some areas of the game that don't look so good. They lack in detail and the color scheme is just flat out ugly. They remind me of something you'd see on the Sega Master System, not the Turbo-Grafx CD.

Sound:

Castlevania games are known for their great music, and this game is no exception. Expect to hear pretty great renditions of Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears, and Beginning. Conversely, some of the stage music sounds inappropriate for a Castlevania game - kind of like jazzy Sonic music. It's weird. Overall, the game's music is a major plus, I would say.

Overall:

This is a good, solid Castlevania game. I'm not going to say that I'm jumping out of my seat over it, however. I still prefer the NES games to this one. I like it more than the Game Boy games or Castlevania IV. It's right next to Bloodlines for me. Can't say if I like it more or less than that game. I mean, I guess I like Bloodlines more because I gave that game an A-. I never make up my mind until I get to the very end of my review, but I can't see myself giving this an A-. At best it is a B.

It looks good, it sounds good, and it plays good. I can't see fans of the classic Castlevania games not liking this. But then again - there is its difficulty. It is quite hard. As I said, maybe the hardest Castlevania game out there. So be warned!

As much as I liked the game, I found that something was missing when it came to my enjoyment of the game. I don't know if it was the tough difficulty, the lack of originality in the stages, or what. Pretty much every Castlevania game, good or bad, has a moment in it that stands out. I can't say the same for Rondo of Blood. There is no signature moment I'll think of when I look back on this game.

It's just a good, solid game. And that's not a bad thing. But to me, it is not a great game - which is what I've come to expect from Castlevania. I like this, and I would encourage anyone with the means to check it out. But you're okay if you miss it. 

THE GRADE:

B

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Video Game Review #465: Freeway

Freeway

Atari 2600

Nostalgia Factor:

Being a child of the eighties, I have many great memories of the Atari 2600. A game that always stood out to me when I was a kid was Freeway. My grandparents had a 2600 at their house, and often the easiest way to keep me entertained was to plop me in front of the TV and have me play some games. I remember they had Joust, Dig-Dug, Ghostbusters, E.T., Mario Bros., Vanguard, Keystone Kapers, Yar's Revenge, Warlords, and many other games. But one that I played the most was Freeway. Of all the games they had, it was the simplest in concept. But I always found myself coming back to it time and time again over the years.

I don't know when it was that my grandparents packed up the Atari 2600 once and for all, but eventually they did. Poof. Just like that Freeway was gone from my life. Let's say they packed it up in 1993, which is probably a very generous estimate. That means that at the very least, 30 years have passed since I've played this game.

I had almost completely forgotten about this game until the other night, when I found myself scrolling through a list of old games on my RetroPie. My eyes lingered on Freeway. As soon as I realized what this game was, fond memories of it started to fill my mind. I knew right then and there that I had to play this game. And play it I did. 

How does it stack up in the year 2023? That is what we are here to find out.

Story:

This game doesn't have a story. You are a chicken trying to cross the road without being hit by a car. That is literally all you need to know about this game.

Gameplay:

This is an extremely simple game as you can only do two things: you can move up or you can move down. The goal is to make it across the street (going up) without getting hit by a car. If you get hit, you go back to the beginning of the stage (all the way down to the bottom). Once you successfully cross the street, your score goes up by one point and you are transported back down to the bottom of the screen. Guess what? You have to cross the street again. The whole purpose of the game is to cross the street as many times as you can within the allotted time limit. The player with the highest score wins.

I don't remember this from when I was a kid, but apparently this is a two-player only game. There is no option to play single player. If you do only have one player, the second player just sits there at the bottom of their side of the screen and never moves. I can see this game being fun with two people trying to race across the street faster and earn the higher score. With one player, the game is extremely limited.

The first time I tried the game, I scored 17 points. My opponent obviously score 0 because I wasn't playing with a second person. My next game I scored 21. My final game: 28. And that was it. I was done with the game. Nothing more to see or do here. Just a very basic, very repetitive game.

I'd say I played it about ten minutes, if that. There is just really not a whole lot to see here. When I was a kid, I could play this for hours on end. As an adult... not so much. Just look at the GIF below. That's it. That's the entire game. Looks fun, huh?

Graphics:

This isn't really a game you play for its graphics. It looks like something a kindergartener could have drawn up on a piece of construction paper. You can tell the chicken is a chicken. You can tell the cars are cars. You can tell the road is a road. I guess that's all you really need, huh?

Sound:

I'm sorry, there just isn't much to say here. There's no music, only sound effects. The entire game consists of the buzzing sound of traffic, with an occasional beep of a car horn thrown in for good measure. It is about as basic sounding of a game as you can get.

 

Overall:

I suppose this was a good game to visit, just for old time's sake. But let's be real. This game is basic AF. Basic concept, basic controls, basic sound effects, basic graphics. You can see and experience everything this game has to offer in about ten minutes. I'm not being a hater. There is just nothing here to keep you engaged. Maybe, and I mean maybe playing with a second person makes you get more than ten minutes out of this. Maybe even twenty or thirty!

I suppose I'll pop this in and play it with my son someday. I can't imagine this game will turn into a favorite of ours. We'll probably one play it one time and that will be it. And I imagine that will be the experience of a lot of people checking this game out in present times. This might have been a great game back in like 1985, but that was a long time ago. Games this basic and this devoid of replay ability just don't cut it anymore.

THE GRADE:

D

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Video Game Review #464: Sea of Stars

Sea of Stars

PlayStation 4

Nostalgia Factor:

This game completely popped up out of nowhere for me. I was scrolling through a list of games to check out on PS Plus Premium, when I saw this. I opened it up and watched a preview video. I was immediately charmed by the graphics and presentation of the game. I wanted to check it out, but I had never heard anything about it. Was it any good?

I immediately did a Google search for the game and saw that it was brand new. Most early reviews for the game were positive, comparing it 16-bit classics like Chrono Trigger. Sold. No need to read any further. I made up my mind then and there to check this game out.

What, me, playing and reviewing a brand new game? Impossible! But here we are. This is probably the only time I'll play a brand new game, for free. Normally I'm someone who is willing to wait it out for years looking for that cheap sale. No need to with this game!

Story:

I haven't really read too many reviews of the game to know the stance that the general public has taken on its story. So I don't know if this statement is controversial or not. But I'll get it out of the way first: this game's story is the weakest thing about it. The game itself is fun and addicting with beautiful graphics and great music. But the story? It is kind of a confusing, Kingdom Hearts-esque mess.

It starts off promising enough. You play as Valere and Zale, two young kids who are in training to be Solstice Warriors. The game has a lot of lore to it, and many key things are left unexplained. Where is this taking place? Who are the Solstice Warriors? What are these creatures they are being trained to fight against?

Things are slowly explained as the game goes on. Valere and Zale quickly grow up in the game's opening hour as they go through training. When they get out of training, they are sent on their first mission. They are joined by childhood friend Garl, who was left without an eye when he was attacked by a creature while venturing into a forbidden area with Valere and Zale when they were kids.

At first I didn't really trust Garl. I thought he'd show up holding a grudge because of the eye, and because his friends abandoned him to attend to their training. But those thoughts were quickly squashed. Garl is the friendliest, most happy go lucky character I think I've ever seen in an RPG. His attitude is infectious, and he really grew on me quickly. 

The game takes you all across this game's world as you travel around, fighting Dwellers and helping the citizens of the planet. In the early goings of the game, while things are a bit more simple, the story is much easier to follow. It isn't until the game dives into the Fleshmancer, the Alchemist, the Sea of Stars, all these other things that it quickly goes off the rails. Seriously, the entire second half of this game, I had NO idea what was going on. Everything is so over the top and nonsensical. I always liken it to Kingdom Hearts when games get all wild like this. I made that comparison with Death Stranding, too. When are these game makers going to learn that simpler is better?

At some point I ended up playing because of the combat and the gameplay. I had no idea what was going on with the storyline anymore, and it saddened me. I remember one mission has you baking a giant loaf of bread in a volcano in order to make peace with a big dragon/demon entity. Shortly after that, things take a turn from fantasy to sci-fi when you visit another world using the Sea of Stars. Another big villain awaits that you must defeat.

Valere and Zale are about as generic of protagonists as you can get. They are all about doing the right thing and having honor and blah blah blah. The side characters are much more interesting. Garl and Serai really carry the main party, as far as their personalities go. I won't spoil too much, but when a major character in the party dies, things REALLY go off the rails. I won't even pretend to know what was going on for the last few hours of the game.

Long story short: if you can make sense of this game's story, you'll probably like it a lot more than I did. I think it does not hold a candle to Chrono Trigger or most of the classic Final Fantasy games I have played. It is serviceable and it takes you all across the interesting world of the game, but it is absolutely nothing I'll remember in the long run.

Gameplay:

This is where Sea of Stars shines: its gameplay. It is very easy to pick up and play, especially for classic JRPG veterans. Combat is turn-based (hallelujah!) but employs a timing based attack/defense system, similar to what you'd see in Paper Mario. If you hit the x button just as your character is landing an attack, it does extra damage. If you hit x as you are being hit, you can block the attack and take less damage.

Gone are random encounters. You can see enemies on the game map and decide if you want to fight them or not. Some, you can't sneak past so you have to fight them. But I enjoyed this. You really get to explore your surroundings thoroughly. A pet peeve of mine with random encounters is how it can take FOREVER to explore an area because you are constantly getting attacked. That doesn't happen here.

The whole game moves along at a brisk pace. Save points are plentiful, as are campfires where you can rest up to restore your HP and MP. You can also use these campfires to cook meals, which act as healing items in your inventory. Normally I don't like crafting systems in games, but everything is super easy and self-explanatory here.

The game does a great job at auto saving. You won't explore a whole dungeon, only to die in a freak encounter, and then have to do the whole thing over again. The game saves quite often, and when you come back, you come back with full health. Rarely did I find myself dying and then having to play through areas that I'd already beaten before. There are a few areas in the game where this happens, but you're never set back more than 3 or 4 minutes.

Combat is surprisingly tough. You are going to die a lot in this game, but due to its user friendly nature, you are always able to come right back and try the fight again. There are some spots where you have to grind, but luckily battles are more fun than tedious. Compare this to Grandia, where I was just having an awful time with the grinding and the load times - and the fun factor difference is night and day. In fact, I am currently in the middle of a Legacy of Legaia playthrough. That game has the same issues as Grandia. I started Sea of Stars and beat the entire game, and I still haven't come back to that other game yet. Sea of Stars completely usurps these older, slow moving games in so many ways.

I don't have much to complain about when it comes to this title's gameplay. It is fun and addicting and kept me coming back for more. I liked the combat and the gameplay way, and I mean WAY more than its story. If I had to nitpick, it would be the repetitive nature of some of the battles. It seems like you're just doing the same thing over and over most of the time.

Graphics:

This is a truly great looking game. I love the pixel art style. It is a great homage to the 16-bit era of gaming. But it looks even better. The colors, the detailed landscapes, the smooth animation... it all just looks really, really good. Anyone who grew up in the 90s playing this type of game will be able to appreciate this game's look.

I'd love to see more games come out with this style. Imagine a Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, or even a Xenogears remake that looks like this. Or a new Final Fantasy game. Take my money! It is such untapped potential. Why aren't these games being made?

Sound:

This game has a very good soundtrack. Right away I knew I was going to like the music during the upbeat and adventurous theme that plays during the segment when you are kids. The battle music is memorable. The victory music too. And the little tune that plays when you take a nap. Love it.

Music during story segments is subdued and atmospheric. Sound effects are nice as well. Just overall very well done all across the board as far as the game's audio goes.

Overall:

If only this game had a better story, it could have been one of the greatest RPGs ever made. The graphics are great. The music is great. The gameplay is fun and addicting. The game is challenging, but very user friendly at the same time. It moves along at a brisk pace. All the trappings are there for an all-time great game.

BUT. I didn't care what was going on. Like, ever. At any point during this game. The highlight of the game for me is early on, when you visit the island where all the people are stuck, and can never leave. That was interesting. Reminded me of a fairy tale, almost. But overall it amounts to a side quest in the grand scheme of things. I still don't know what the point of this game's story is, or what the heck was going on half the time. I think there was a point where I lost interest and just started skimming over what the characters were saying. Once I caught myself doing that, that's when I knew for sure I was not invested in what was going on.

I can say with great certainty that Sea of Stars is a very good game. I wish I could refer to it as a great game, but I can't. I wanted to love it so much! I still recommend it to anyone interested in the genre. As I said, it is a very good game. But if you are hoping for an all-time classic, this game just manages to miss the mark.

THE GRADE:

B+

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Video Game Review #463: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

PlayStation 3

Nostalgia Factor:

I've played through this game three times in my life now. Once when it first came out, another time back in 2013, and just now - here in the year 2023. I've always enjoyed this game, but now that it is "old", how would it stand up compared to modern day games? That's what we are here to find out.

Story:

This game has to have one of the best stories ever seen in a Star Wars game. If you are a fan of the franchise and you've never played this before, you are in for a real treat. It takes place somewhere between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The game focuses on Starkiller, a secret apprentice under the control of Darth Vader. Vader uses Starkiller as a tool for hunting down and defeating the last remaining Jedi. When his work is done, Vader tries to talk Starkiller into defeating the Emperor with him so Vader and Starkiller can rule the galaxy together.

Unfortunately the Emperor learns of this plot, and surprises Starkiller and Vader as they are talking. To prove his loyalty and to throw ALL the shade at Starkiller, Vader presumably kills Starkiller and casts his body into space. But as we all know, floating around in the frozen vacuum of space is not a death sentence in the Star Wars universe. Vader sends someone out to fetch Starkiller, and as a way to undermine the Emperor sends him out to join the newly formed Rebel Alliance. The hope is that this will distract the Emperor and leave him in a vulnerable position.

You'll encounter all kinds of Star Wars characters like Princess Leia and Bail Organa. At the end, you are given a choice between fighting the Emperor or Darth Vader. I played the DLC this time around, and the DLC follows the "what if" scenario if you kill Darth Vader. Starkiller essentially becomes the new Darth Vader, pursuing the Rebels on Tattooine and Hoth. Another bonus level sends Starkiller to the Jedi Academy where he seeks to uncover the truth about his father.

I had forgotten how involved this game's story is, and I am seriously pumped to play the sequel to see what happens to Starkiller next. I mean, I have already played the sequel but that was like ten years ago and I don't remember shit.

Gameplay:

If you are looking for a Star Wars game that makes you feel like the ultimate Force-wielding badass, you have come to the right place. It took me a level or two to really understand the intricacies of combat. You start off with just a Force push and a lightsaber melee attack. As you play you unlock more and more Force powers, such as lightning, a repulse attack, and a lightsaber throw. You can also pick up enemies with the Force and toss them around. It is particularly satisfying when you pick an enemy up and throw them into other enemies.

The focus of the game is combat over exploration, so you are going to find yourself battling through waves of enemies. When combat clicks with you, and you fully understand how to control the powers at your disposal, the game becomes a ton of fun. You really do feel like the ultimate badass.

While the focus of the game may be its combat, there are some puzzles to solve. These mainly involve grabbing things in the environment with the Force and manipulating them to your will. I rarely got stuck as I played this game, as it is pretty linear and straightforward. But one thing that often tripped me up was something so simple it always made me laugh. You can knock open some doors by using Force blasts. I'd always walk right by these doors, confused as to where I was supposed to be going. I wasted so much time when the answer was staring me right in the face.

Unlike other Star Wars games, you won't find a lot of variety here. There is no space combat or speeder bike riding or anything like that. It is 100% on-foot. You start each level at a fixed point and you have to make your way to a fixed point, fighting hordes of enemies in the process. The only real exploration you do is taking side paths to uncover secret items or power ups.

The game is quite challenging from time to time. I remember a stage where you have to knock out all these generators that are lined up outside a structure in a big circle. Each time you take one out, a forcefield lowers and sends more and more enemies after you. It just keeps getting progressively more difficult as you go on. Another stiff challenge for me was the giant hangar battle towards the end of the game. It must have taken me a solid ten attempts (at least!) to make it through this part. I remember it being tough when I last played it ten years ago, as well. It's such an intense battle, with stuff coming at you from every angle. If you aren't careful you can find your health completely depleted in a matter of seconds.

Boss battles are plenty fun in this game. I struggled with the first few before I realized I was overthinking things. Just really go to town attacking your enemies, and don't let up your attack unless it is because you are dodging their attack patterns. Also, you should expect to have to deal with quick time events in this game. I'm one of those people that puts my controller down during cutscenes or when I think I've beaten an enemy. I have to say, I was caught off guard by these more times than I care to admit.  If you are a QTE hater, most of them are fairly easy and give you unlimited attempts to pass them. Don't stress about them too much.

While I tend to like games with a little more diversity in their gameplay, I never got tired of playing The Force Unleashed. This is a fun, fun game. I think the challenge adds a lot to it. You can never let up. You can't just coast because the game is easy. You have to always bring your A-game. When I first started playing through this again, I wasn't quite sold on it right away. Within an hour or two, I was hooked. I was just as hooked in 2023 as I was when I had played it in the past. The Force Unleashed isn't just a product of its time. It still holds up as a good game today.

Graphics:

Back when this game first came out, it looked amazing. As a Star Wars fan I was completely blown away by the production values of the game. It almost looked like it could stand in as another movie in the series.

In 2023, a whopping 15 years after its initial release date, I have to say it still looks pretty good. When I first started playing through that intro stage where you play as Darth Vader, I was a little "ehhhhh" on the game's graphics. Things were rough around the edges and the environments weren't as detailed as other games I was used to playing (for reference, I had just finished playing through Death Stranding and Doom Eternal for the PS4). But the more I played this game and the more its environments opened up to me, the more impressed I became.

This game just completely nails that "feel" of Star Wars that makes it so special. The shiny, meticulously cleaned walls inside of Imperial Facilities. The lighting. The flashing of the computers and control panels. It is like you walked onto a set of one of the movies. The cutscenes and the giant battles are cinematic and amazing. The stage where you have to grab a freaking Star Destroyer out of the sky with the Force wowed me as a young man, and it wowed me as a 41 year old too.

When you play The Force Unleashed you aren't just playing a good game. You're getting a world class Star Wars experience.

Sound:

The sound in this game is impeccable. You have to start with the music. The whole game contains sweeping, loud, in-your-face music that really pumps you up in the heat of battle. And it is pulled directly from the original Star Wars trilogy. Expect to hear a ton of favorites as you make your way through the game. Never fails to get the blood going.

Sound effects are great too. Blaster bolts, the comforting vroom vroom of the lightsaber. Everything sounds perfect. If you mess up the music and sound effects in a Star Wars game, you are doing something wrong.

Voice acting is good, as well. All the characters put forth convincing, if somewhat "off" performances. I guess you can chalk it up to the technical limitations of the PS3. But I won't complain too much.

Overall:

I am surprised at how well this game has held up over time. Once you get through the opening chapter of the game, everything starts to look and feel like classic Star Wars. It's like you are playing through a completely unbefore seen side tale to the original trilogy. 

I love how this game fully embodies what it would be like to be someone who is lost to the Dark Side and uses the full evil arsenal of powers to his ability. I said it before and I'll say it again: you feel like the ultimate badass playing through this game.

The music is great, the story is interesting. If you are able to check out the DLC, I'd advise you to do so. It does add some surprising value to the base game. I had a fun time with The Force Unleashed in 2008, I had fun time with it in 2013, and I had a fun time with it in 2023. For me, I don't think the appeal of this game will ever go away. This was a pleasant surprise, and I am very, very happy I decided to revisit it. Maybe I'll need to revisit the sequel soon, too?

THE GRADE:

A-

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Video Game Review #462: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

Game Boy

Nostalgia Factor:

I have always been aware of how beloved this game is. Lots of reviewers out there hold this game up on a pedestal as one of the best retro handheld Mario games out there. Because I never owned a Game Boy growing up, I have never had the chance to play it. Well, as you loyal readers know, in the last couple years I've learned how to emulate, and I also have a RetroPie that I purchased online. There's no excuse for me to not play this game anymore.

Its time has finally come. Super Mario Land 2, are you as good as everyone says you are? It is time for me to find out.

Story:

While Mario was off adventuring during the original Super Mario Land, Wario was busy taking over Mario's home, brainwashing its inhabitants into believing that he was their new leader. Mario returns, and must gather the 6 Golden Coins he needs to gain access to Wario's castle. After defeating Wario, the spell is lifted and Mario regains control of his home turf.

Gameplay:

This game seems to be heavily inspired by Super Mario World. The overworld map is very similar to what you'd see in that game, but with the ability to tackle the game's stages in any order you'd like. On the map you will find six different zones, each one representative of a different set of levels you must conquer. Beat the levels in the zone, defeat the boss at the end of these levels, and you get a golden coin. Once you've mastered all zones and have collected all the gold coins, you can enter the castle for the final showdown with Wario.

If you have played essentially any 2D Mario game out there, you'll be able to pick up and play this with relative ease. I mean, it's Mario. You run, jump, collect coins, break blocks, collect mushrooms to get big, jump on your enemies, kick turtles shells, etc. It looks, plays, and feels like a classic Mario game you'd play on the NES.

The zones you must conquer are all varied and different, and give the game some personality. There is a tree zone, a mini zone, a space zone, a robot Mario zone, a Halloween themed zone, and a zone where each level takes place inside a giant turtle. I wouldn't say these zones are as memorable as the ones in Mario 3, but I can appreciate the effort the game puts forth to make things different.

The whole game is like a poor man's Mario 3 or Mario World. The gameplay is very similar, but everything is a bit easy and over simplified - making it not nearly as fun as those two games. It's still fun, but not in an iconic, all-time classic kind of way. You can beat this whole thing in an hour or two with ease. I didn't count all my character deaths, but I swear I didn't die more than one or two times my entire way through this. One ups are plentiful, so if you are coming into this as a seasoned Mario vet, be prepared to beat this on your first attempt.

Graphics:

This is a good looking Game Boy game. Take Mario 3 or Mario World and drain the color out of them, and this is what you get. It's probably one of the better looking Game Boy games out there. I'm not sure I'm ever going to be completely wowed by the graphics of a Game Boy title, but at the same time I have to say that this does not look bad at all. As far as Game Boy games go, this is probably as good as it gets.

Sound:

This may be the most forgettable Mario soundtrack I have ever heard. Much of the iconic retro Mario music is missing, and the original tunes for this game are nothing to write home about. Just like with the graphics, I won't say it sounds bad, but when I think back on the game in 10 years I am certainly going to remember nothing of its music. 

Overall:

I am very glad I played this game. My entire review might come across as a bit negative, but I still had a fun time playing this. Can it hang with the classic NES Mario games? I mean, it can hang with them, sure. But exceed them? Not a chance.

This is a good Mario game for beginners, or people who do not like much of a challenge. Veterans will cruise through this game with no problems whatsoever. It is a good, fun, and fast paced Mario game. I'm sure I would have absolutely loved this back when I was 10 years old. If only I had a Game Boy growing up.

Playing it now at the ripe age of 40, having no nostalgic memories of the game, I can't really get too excited about it. It's a perfectly fine game, and a nice alternative to the other Mario titles that I've played a thousand times in my life. But after hearing all the hype, I was expecting something a bit more substantial than this.

I looked back at my review of the original Super Mario Land, and I gave it a B+. While this is objectively a better game, there is just something missing here that I am failing to get excited about. I wish I could put my finger on it. I'm probably doing this game a major disservice with my underwhelming final score. It is what it is.

THE GRADE:

C+

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