Video Game Review #455: Toki

Toki

Nintendo Entertainment System

Nostalgia Factor:

Toki came out for the NES in 1991. I was nine years old. I remember seeing this game's box art at Blockbuster Video when I was looking for a new game to rent. I never checked out Toki, though. It was one of those games that I classified as "just kind of there." I had heard or read literally nothing about the game - good or bad. So I just assumed it was not worth checking out. If it was a fun game, I certainly would have heard about it, right?

Here we are in 2023. This game has been out for 32 years now, and I am just finally giving it a look. Did I miss out big time by passing on this game when I was a kid? Let's find out.

Story:

You play as a caveman named Toki. Your buxom blonde partner has been kidnapped and you have been turned into a monkey. You have to travel through the mystical jungles of... uh, wherever you are, to retrieve her and turn yourself back to human form.

Gameplay:

I've heard this game described as a run and gun game, or a  2D shooter. I wouldn't say that's exactly right. Sure, it is a 2D side scrolling game. And I guess technically you are shooting projectiles in front of you. I think of this more of an adventure platformer than a shooter, however. This is closer to Mario than it is Contra.

This is a game that handles well and is easy to pick up and play. The controls do exactly as they should. You move left and right, you jump, you climb vines, you jump on enemy heads, and you shoot fireball projectiles in front of you. It's a slower moving game with emphasis on platforming and precision jumping.

Each stage only takes a few minutes to complete, and at the end of it you face off against a boss that has an easily identifiable attack pattern. Just because the pattern is easy to figure out, doesn't mean that the fight is easy, however. Much of the challenge of the game comes from these boss fights. Luckily, they are very fun to figure out and not a chore at all. The frustration you feel playing Mega Man you do not feel here.

The game is very generous with extra lives and checkpoints. This is good because there can be some difficult areas that you will encounter from time to time. Your character can't take much damage. You start off with just 2 hit points. You can find yourself getting killed in a matter of seconds. You get more hit points as the game goes along, so that is a relief. But the challenge is still there. The game is pretty short, but don't expect to simply just breeze through it your first time. Maybe you will on your second time or your third time, but not your first. 

Before I move on, I should mention that there are some interesting gameplay variants from time to time, such as swimming areas or a gimmicky skateboard (?) area later in the game. I hated that part though. The swimming areas are fine, however. They remind me of Mario 3 when you have the frog suit in the Stage 3 water levels.

Graphics:

There's not much to write home about concerning the game's graphics. It looks fine by present day standards, sure. It's a little plain, but overall it is a perfectly okay looking NES game. Nothing great, nothing terrible. Which is one of the reasons I never checked it out to begin with!

If there's one thing that did stand out about the game's graphics, it is the boss design. Some of them are fairly creative. Also, there is a level that has an oddly effective 3D effect to it. I don't know if the game designers did this on purpose. Your character has a reddish hue. The level has a bumpy, dark blue background. The contrast creates a 3D effect that makes Toki seem like he's popping out from the background. It's cool, and I am not sure I've ever seen anything like that in a game before.

Sound:

I like the game's music. It's catchy and it fits the theme of the game perfectly. It won't go down in the all-time pantheon of great video game music, but it does its job. I don't really have much else to say here, as I'm not exactly a great judge of what sounds good or bad in video games. As long as it doesn't suck, I am okay with it! Toki's audio definitely does not suck.

Overall:

I love it when I play a game on a whim, with no idea what to expect, and then I like the game. Now I'm not saying Toki is this tremendous, groundbreaking game or anything like that. I understand that in the grand scheme of gaming it is pretty pedestrian and insignificant. But you know what? I don't care. I had a decent time with this.

I think if I had decided to play this game as a kid, I would have enjoyed it. I don't see why not. It checks all the boxes for fun 2D NES platformers back in the early 90s. And it is not absurdly difficult either. Back in the days of Blockbuster I easily could have rented this and beat it over the weekend. 

I understand that there are other Toki games out there, such as an arcade game and a Genesis version. There's probably more, too. Playing this game did not dissuade me from checking them out by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, now I am actually quite curious to give them a try.

Look, this isn't a game that is going to change the world or anything like that. But if you come into it with low expectations and give it a shot, I think you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was. It's a perfectly fine and serviceable NES title. Easy to pick up and play, fun, challenging, but also kind of short and lacking in replay value. There's not much gameplay innovation either, and the game's mediocre graphics and so-so storyline don't do it any favors.

I thought I'd give this game something in the C range, but it definitely deserves better than that. If only by a little bit.

THE GRADE:

B-

For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click

>HERE<

Video Game Review #454: Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

Nintendo 64

Nostalgia Factor:

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter is one of the very first games I ever played for the Nintendo 64. I didn't have a lot of money to go out and buy games, so I did a lot of renting. I remember renting Turok very early on in the life cycle of the system. I didn't have an N64 memory card - as I didn't realize you needed one for some games. Turok was one such game. Since I didn't have a memory card, if I wanted to beat it, I'd have to beat it in one single playthrough.

This is a tough game. There are giant maps. At this time I wasn't familiar with exploring big 3D maps and simple concepts like finding keys to unlock other levels. I was 100% lost and confused playing this game the weekend I rented it. I liked the game, but I just kept getting stuck and lost in the game's huge levels. Not being able to save the game was a giant inconvenience as well.

I'd end up renting the game a second time later on down the road. I had pulled some cheat codes out of a video game magazine for unlimited health and ammo, and I thought I'd be able to steamroll through this game with a little added help. It didn't work out too well for me. I had to leave my N64 on for about 3 straight nights because I kept getting lost and stuck. I think I was eventually able to beat the game, but it was at great, great peril to my poor overheated system. This must have been about 25 years ago (fun fact: I still have that same N64 console and it works perfectly). Every time I think back on Turok, I think of the frustrating time I had with it. That's one of the reasons I haven't returned to give this game another shot.

Well, the time for Turok's redemption has come. I played this game from start to finish here in 2023, and being a much more seasoned and experienced gamer (with the ability to save!) I have to say I loved every second of it. Read on for my full thoughts.

 

Story:

This must be a game where the majority of its story is told in its instruction manual. I don't have the manual, so I didn't get much out of what the game was telling me. Which was essentially nothing at all.

You play as Turok, a man who looks like a shirtless Native American chief wearing a headband with a feather in it. He's armed to the teeth with a bunch of high powered weapons and tech. He is fighting against dinosaurs, humans, and strange alien looking creatures with guns. This is very much a sci-fi heavy game. I hear it is based on a comic book series. I'm sorry to say I've never read it before.

What the purpose of the game is, why you are there, what you are doing: nothing is explained in the game. That's okay. I put the story aside and focused on the gameplay, which is really the only important thing here.

Gameplay:

The control scheme on the N64 controller is very off-putting. It's the worst thing about this game. It's so awkward. Using those yellow C-buttons to move around is a terrible idea. Whoever came up with this control scheme was tripping.

Luckily I was able to play the game using *cough* modern hardware. The game controls like a dream on a standard double analog stick controller. My review will be a little bit biased in this regard. I really enjoyed this game, but if I had been forced to play through it on the standard N64 controller, I may be singing a different tune right now.

This is a fairly standard first person shooter at least as far as gameplay goes. You run, you jump, you shoot enemies. If you've played Quake or Half-Life or anything like that, you'll be right at home here. The main thing you have to learn about this game is how to advance through its levels. After the introductory segment, there is a main hub where you can access each level in the game. The later levels are locked. You have to play through the early levels and collect the keys hidden within them in order to lock the later levels - and eventually the end of the game.

At first this was a very daunting thing for me. This game's stages are absurdly long. This isn't Doom or anything like that where you can finish a stage in 5 to 10 minutes. Some of these stages are literally hours long. The thought of having to comb through these stages to collect missing keys was anxiety inducing for me. Luckily, this isn't as daunting as it seems. The stage map comes in great handy and shows you where you have been and where you haven't. These keys are also not too cleverly hidden. I missed some keys towards the beginning of my playthrough and had to replay some stages. But as the game went on, I made dang sure to scour every corner and collect everything in sight. And I don't think I missed any more of them.

The game can be difficult if you don't know what you are doing. There are some platform intensive areas where falling can result in instant death. These areas require precision jumping, where one mistake can set you back ten minutes. In addition to the tough platforming. Enemies can really do some major damage to you in short periods of time, before you even know what is going on. The bosses are no slouches either. I remember getting wrecked by the guy and the cars the first time I faced off against them.

And as I said, the levels are freaking huge. This is one of those games where you can explore the same area for 3 hours, not realizing you're missing a switch or something obvious that opens up a new area. Combine this with the difficulty and you've got a game that can be very intimidating for new players to pick up. I think that was my problem with Turok back in the 1990s. I was intimidated by it. I wasn't ready for it yet. I'd like to think I was ready now.

From the second I first picked this game up, I was having fun. Visiting these old stages was like a trip down memory lane. I'm not sure I even thought I'd come back and play Turok again due to my negative feelings toward it. But I had a blast. It wasn't too hard. I knew what I was doing. I understood how to read the map, and how to identify areas where keys might be hidden. I played Turok the way it was meant to be played.

I ended up putting about 10 hours or so into the game before beating it. I'm glad to say my thoughts on the game have flip flopped completely. If you'd asked me two weeks ago what I thought of Turok, I would have shrugged my shoulders and given a blasé answer. Ask me now, and I say it is a freaking awesome game. It reminded me of some of the best things I've seen in other shooters. I severely underrated this when I was a kid. I won't call it a masterpiece or anything like that, but this is certainly one of the better shooters I've played in my life.

 

Graphics:

There are things about the graphics that haven't aged well. The fog, the blur, some of the textures. Turok definitely has the feel of an early-era Nintendo 64 title. That said, a lot about it holds up surprisingly well. I love the atmospheric feel of the game. You really feel like you're in a jungle or a cave, wherever you happen to be in the game. Some of the buildings and structures look really cool. The dinosaurs are fun to look at. The stage design is surprisingly intricate and large in scope, which is a bit of a surprise for a game of this era.

Sound:

This game has some great atmospheric music. It complements the tone and the look of the game perfectly. There is a particularly catchy tune that stood out to me each time I'd hear it.

Sound effects are good, too. No complaints from me. It is always really satisfying to pick up an item or one of those little triangles because of the sound it makes. I also love the snippets of voice acting. "I am Turok!"

Overall:

What a difference a few decades make. The leap from forgettable and frustrating to one of my favorite first person shooters ever made is a thing of beauty. 

There is just so much to like here. The environment. The combat. The challenge. The exploration. The puzzle solving. The thrill of discovery. The fun places you go. The music. The action. I just really had a fun time playing this on my most recent playthrough. I'm not saying this is without flaws, especially on the original hardware. The control scheme sucks, and the fact that you need a memory card to save was a major kick in the nuts to me when I was a kid.

If you have the means to revisit Turok, you need to do so, especially with the improved versions that are out there today. I'm curious if there is anyone out there that changed their mind on it like I did. Didn't really like it as a kid. Didn't play it for 25 years. Loved it as an adult. Truly a game ahead of its time, and one I didn't think I was quite ready for back in the late 90s.

THE GRADE:

A-

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

Half-Life

Goldeneye 007

Quake 64

Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition

Doom 64

For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click

>HERE<

Video Game Review #453: King of Demons (Majuu Ou)

King of Demons

Super Nintendo

Nostalgia Factor:

This is the first time I've ever questioned what name I should file a game review under. King of Demons was never officially released outside of Japan, where it is known as Majuu Ou. The copy I played for this review was an English translation found on my Retropie. Majuu Ou = King of Demons. I decided that for consistency's sake, because all my other game reviews have English titles, I'd go with King of Demons. Plus, I know that if I was a casual reader and I saw the title Majuu Ou, I'd figure this was some Mah-Jongg game or something and keep scrolling.

I didn't know much about this game when I decided to fire it up. I only became aware of the game because I'm in a retro gaming Facebook group, and I saw a discussion thread about this title. I thought it looked cool from the screenshots, and I'm always looking to try something new, so I fired it up blind.

What would my impressions of the game be? Let's find out.

Story:

This is one of those games where the story doesn't really matter. There are no cutscenes at the beginning of the game, no text that explains what's going on. You're just tossed right into the action. I'm sure if I had the manual, it would explain things in there. But I don't.

There are some story sequences later in the game, but not much is explained. As you make your way through each stage of the game, your human character gets more and more demonic. You find out that he is trying to save his daughter from Satan, or something similarly outlandish.

The gameplay is the real winner here, so let's move onto that.

Gameplay:

I've heard this game described as "Castlevania with a gun", and I have to say that this description is not entirely inaccurate. This a pretty straightforward side-scrolling 2D shooter. It's not hectic or fast paced like Contra. It is definitely more slow and deliberate, like Castlevania. Even the player movements and the theme are similar.

You start out as a very human character who fires a gun. You can hold the shoot button to charge up an extra powerful attack. You'll need to do this for some of the game's tough boss characters. This is a linear game. Each stage, you start on the left side of the screen and essentially make your way to the exit on the right, fighting enemies and jumping over obstacles the entire way through. There are lots of mini bosses in this game. Each stage ends with a big boss fight.

These boss fights are one of the more memorable things about the game. The bosses have distinct patterns you have to recognize in order to defeat them. Some are pretty easy, while others require some trial and error. As you get deeper into the game, they begin to get a little frustrating - especially when you reach the final level, which contains a massive boss gauntlet. You have to make it through all of them with one life, or you start the level over again. It fucking sucks.

After each stage your character becomes a little more demonic in appearance. This changes the gameplay because it opens up more powerful attacks and more maneuverability, like the ability to double jump. Or could you double jump before? I don't remember.

Anyway, the game constantly keeps you on your toes, because the differences in your character from stage to stage result in you, the player, having to adjust your gameplay style to match the strengths and weaknesses of these different demonic forms. It definitely keeps the game fresh and interesting.

On the whole, this is a very challenging game. I used save states as I played (I know, I know), so I was able to make it through the entire game with a little finagling. I can only imagine how tough it must be to make it through the game without being able to save at any point you want. I died dozens of times regardless. I bet it would have been a very different, very much less pleasant time playing this game "honestly". I bet if I had played this as a kid, I would have mastered it - if only because I had unlimited free time and I played my NES and Genesis games to death. When I added a new game to my collection, I mastered it. Unfortunately, King of Demons never made it stateside. I'd try to master it now, but time is not as limitless anymore as an adult, and there is a whole lifetime of games out there that I've never played before. I can only dedicate so much time to one title before I have to move on.

I beat this twice, and I think I'm done with it for a while.

Graphics:

This is a great looking game. I would have been absolutely floored if I had played this back in 1995 when it first came out. It looks so much better than everything else I'd been playing at the time. The levels are very atmospheric and carry this sense of otherworldly dread with them. They are also extremely beautiful and very well-designed. Just look at the light and the clouds in the screenshot above. Freaking epic.

This whole game looks great: the backgrounds, the stage design, the characters, the colors. The enemies are terrifying and the boss creations are pulled straight from the wildest imaginations out there. Definitely one of the most impressive 16 bit games I have ever played. It looks really stunning.

 

Sound:

This game has some really good music that matches the otherworldly weirdness of the game's tone. Other songs are oddly upbeat and completely clash with what is happening on screen. But hey - at least I can remember the game's music, which is more than I can say about a lot of retro games I play. 

Sound effects are good too. Nothing particularly special, but they fit perfectly with the visuals, the music, and the tone of the game. This is an atmospheric title you should play with headphones on.

Overall:

For a game I played on a complete whim, King of Demons is a real winner. I always like to think in my mind that I've played every great retro game out there, when in reality that isn't even remotely true. I had never even heard of this game before, and it delivered to me one of the best experiences I've had on the Super Nintendo. It's better than Super Castlevania IV. It's better than a lot of things I've played.

I'm so very glad I played this. I have a feeling this will become a go-to game for me that I can pop on at any time when I'm feeling bored - similar to things like Contra, Mario, the original Castlevania, Vectorman, etc. All this being said, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. This is a good game, yes. It's a surprising game, too, considering its beautiful graphics and presentation quality. 

But it's not an all-time great. Not even close. It does have a lot of flaws, mainly its story and its difficulty. And it just doesn't seem to have that universal appeal that a lot of games of its time seemed to have. Putting on this game for a group of friends is not the same as putting on Super Mario World. While they may play Mario World for hours, I have a feeling they'd get bored with this - especially considering the difficulty. Even though I personally prefer this game, I understand it isn't for everybody.

If you have the means to play this game, I'd recommend doing so. You'll probably know within the first five minutes of playing if this game is for you or not. It grabbed my attention right off the bat. I'm curious to see what it does for you.

THE GRADE:

B+

For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click

>HERE<

Video Game Review #452: Immortals Fenyx Rising

Immortals Fenyx Rising

PlayStation 4

Nostalgia Factor:

I've been interested in this game since the moment I first became aware of it. I thought the graphics looked amazing, and the premise of an open world game in ancient Greece, complete with magic and gods appealed to me. But still, I was in no rush to go out and buy the game. I'm a gamer who never buys anything brand new. I only buy when there is a sale or if I can find it used for cheap. Well, this game falls into the latter category. I bought a used copy of this game at Gurnee Mills back in 2022, along with a handful of other cheap games.

I finally got around to playing this after it sat in my backlog for more than half a year. The reviews I'd read coming into it had all been positive. I had high expectations for it. Would it live up to those expectations? Let's break it down!

Story:

You pick either a male or female character. I made my character a woman, so I'll refer to Fenyx as "her" throughout the entirety of my review. Just so you know.

Fenx is a passenger on a ship that crashes onto the Isle of the Gods. All her shipmates are turned to stone. Fenyx explores the area looking for help, only to discover that the gods have had their essences stolen by the evil Typhon. As Fenyx explores, she gets more and more powerful. She discovers all kinds of famous artifacts that are known in Greek mythology (like her wings) and incorporates them into her arsenal. She is also infused with powers from the gods as she completes missions for them. Over the course of the game you essentially transform from just a normal person into the ultimate badass.

Fenyx's ultimate goal is to defeat Typhon, restore the essence of the gods, and free the island. Before I go on I should tell you I'm skipping over an important part of the story. The entirety of this game is narrated orally by Prometheus to Zeus in "present time", as if this is a story that happened long ago. Present day Zeus is being threatened by Typhon, and he wants to know how to defeat him. Prometheus makes a bet with Zeus that if a mortal can defeat Typhon, he will free Prometheus from his imprisonment. Thus begins his story.

Turns out, this is all happening in real time. Fenyx arrives and defeats Typhon for Zeus. Zeus goes back on his promise to Prometheus, however, when he finds out Fenyx is his daughter. She is no mortal.

The whole story is infused with a lot of fun and is bursting with personality. Most of the important Greek gods are represented here. They are all portrayed almost like over the top cartoon characters. The game definitely has a sense of humor. When you meet Ares, he has been turned into a rooster. Hephaestus is a tree. You do tasks for them and restore them back to their full power. If you like Greek mythology you will like this game. Where God of War is grim and serious, this game has a more zany approach.

If you aren't into Greek mythology, you may find yourself skipping through a lot of boring cutscenes. I'm not a big Greek mythology person myself, so during some of these long, drawn out "funny" conversations I found myself getting quite impatient. I'm sure the dialogue is tailored to people who are really into this shit. And that is just not me.

Gameplay:

I've heard that this game is similar to Breath of the Wild. I have never played Breath of the Wild before, so I can't tell you if if this is accurate or not. I've always wanted to play that game, but I don't have a Switch yet. Since that game is often built up as one of the greatest games ever made, that must mean Immortals Fenyx Rising is also an incredible, amazing game, right? Well, I hate to say this, but if Breath of the Wild is similar to this game, I don't really have an urge to rush out and get it anymore. Not that this game is bad or anything, far from it, I just didn't find it to be particularly original or groundbreaking of a gameplay experience.

Of the games out there that I have played, I'd compare this to some kind of mashup of the Horizon series, Assassin's Creed, Nier, and the Witcher - but with a more magical and lighthearted tone to it. It's fun, addicting, and I'd even go so far as to say this is a really good game. Maybe even a really, really good game. Best thing to do is go out there and play it for yourself.

The game starts with a world that is wide open. You have to climb to the top of the nearest statue and "survey the area". This takes the fog off the map of the region that you are in. You can then use your Greek mythology equivalent of binoculars and further survey the area in greater detail, adding things like collectibles, enemies, treasure chests, and vault locations to your map. Also on your map you have quests from the gods and goddesses that you must complete. This is one of those games where there are about a bajillion things on the map, literally everywhere you turn. For someone with OCD like me who has to collect everything in sight, this game drove me nuts - but not in an unpleasant way.

It was very addicting. Just one more chest. Just one more adamantine shard. Just one more vault. One more puzzle. Immortals kept me up for many long nights after my three year old would go to bed. This game took a few days for it to really hit its groove with me, however. Those first few playing sessions, I wasn't really "feeling it" like I thought I would. After a while, though, the game really began to grow on me.

Combat is very fun. You have standard strong and regular attacks. Different button combinations result in different attack combos from your character. You can fire arrows. You can parry and counter. You can dodge, which slows things down to Matrix-speed if you perform it successfully. You can pick up and throw things at your enemies. You even learn magical powers that will help you in battle.

One of the things I really liked about this game is the fact that your enemies have a stun meter. Performing strong attacks against them, or throwing things at them, or using special attacks fills up this stun meter. When the enemy character hits their breaking point, they lose consciousness while their meter drains again. While they are knocked out, they are defenseless and can be relentlessly pummeled by your attacks.

This whole game has you going from location to location on the map - collecting things, fighting enemies, and performing missions. Along the way you also pick up crafting items and other collectibles that you can use to level up your character. Your "home base" in this game is the Temple of the Gods, where you can use the things you have collected to level up your character and his or her weapons. You can also craft potions, adjust your appearance, buy items from Hermes's shop, and take quests off the bulletin board of the gods. You are going to find yourself fast traveling here quite often.

Also on the map you will find vaults, which take you to the pits of Tartarus to solve puzzles and perform trials. Some of the mechanics in these vaults are quite neat. I like the rolling balls and the boxes that float when you hit them, and can be tossed around to act as ledges to jump on. These puzzles and trials are quite clever and really make you use your head. I heard that there is something similar to this in Breath of the Wild, and that's where a lot of these comparisons come from. As I said, I haven't played that game - so I really can't comment one way or the other.

While I've talked about things I like about the game so far, let's discuss the negative. The difficulty level of the game is high, and will result in you dying a lot. The problem? The load times are absolutely hideous. You have to sit through these loading screens when you fast travel or enter a vault, too. Ugh. I lost so much time of my life sitting through these loading screens, and I am getting mad just thinking about it.

The early portions of the game don't do a good job explaining things for you, either. I don't need my hand held, but some direction would have been nice. I had to figure out how everything worked on my own. Normally I wouldn't care, as this formula works quite well in some other games. The problem here is that there are some areas early in the game where it would say I didn't have the correct "Godly powers" to continue, and other areas where I was encountering fights I could not possibly win. One quest even had me jumping from cloud to cloud to collect some missing artifacts, but the gaps between clouds were too big and my character clearly was not able to make it across all the way. I had absolutely NO idea what I was doing wrong.

The storyline can also be a bit dull from time to time. It's hard to take these cartoon caricatures seriously. Zeus and Prometheus's endless banter is annoying. Some of these conversations in the cutscenes are overly long. I was tempted to skip through them from time to time. 

The absolute worst thing about this game, however, was a glitch that occurred about halfway through it. I was suddenly not able to save or use fast travel. I looked it up online, and there was no fix for it other than to load an old save state. I pushed forward, hoping that if I made it to a point where the game would auto-save, I wouldn't lose my progress. I probably played for over two hours. When I turned the game off and came back to it, I was back at my last save point directly after the glitch began. Couldn't save or fast travel still. I had lost all that progress. But wait! The only way to fix the glitch was to load an old save file from before the glitch occurred. The problem? My last save file was from over two hours ago. So I again would have to play through a large chunk of the game for a second time. This nearly ruined the game for me. I almost stopped playing. But I liked this game so much, I couldn't stay away.

Negatives aside, I still had a fun time with this game. When things "clicked" for me on my third or fourth day of playing this game - I was not able to put it down until I was finished with it. Very fun and addicting title.

Graphics:

This game looks really, really fantastic. It's bright, colorful, and bursting with life and personality. The landscapes are beautiful. The different areas of the map are wonderfully designed. The humans, gods, and enemies all look great too. I really like how my created character looked. She was super hot.

The vaults may be the most memorable thing about the game for me visually. I love the trippy effects, the colors, and the way the stars and the background design looks. They all seem to have that mystical, magical quality to them that - to me - are one of the defining aspects of this game.

Sound:

Everything in this game sounds great. The music, the ambient sound effects, the voice acting. It really helps bring this world to life and add to that magical quality of the game. I loved my character's voice. Not only did she look cute, but she sounded like the part as well, especially with that accent of hers. Such a fun character!

My one complaint is something I've already mentioned: the constant bickering between Zeus and Prometheus that you listen to as you play. It gets old, fast.

Overall:

Despite my initial misgivings, this game grew on me fast. Its slow start is something that I will forget over time. When I think back on my time with the game, I'm going to think of exploring the map, performing challenges, solving puzzles, collecting items, and the game's sweet, sweet combat system.

This is a very fun and addictive game. If you are like me and you like exploring a game's map to full completion, collecting everything in sight, and unlocking everything there is to unlock, you will like this game. If you like Greek mythology and are looking for something more lighthearted than God of War, you will like this game. If you like puzzle solving and platforming challenges, you will like this game. There is something here for everyone.

I'd definitely recommend Immortals Fenyx Rising. I came into the game expecting to give it a B+, but the more I sit here talking about the game and the more I keep building it up in my own mind, I think it's better than that. 

THE GRADE:

A-

For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click

>HERE<

Video Game Review #451: Vectorman 2

Vectorman 2

Genesis

Nostalgia Factor:

The original Vectorman really helped prolong the lifespan of the Sega Genesis. It was 1995, and the 32-bit Saturn had already hit store shelves. I hadn't bought my Saturn yet, but personally I was ready to kiss the Genesis goodbye. Out with the old, in with the new, right?

But then along came Vectorman. I thought it looked so good, I asked for it for Christmas. The game blew me away and quickly became one of my favorite Genesis titles. It was such a hit that it spawned a sequel that came out almost exactly one year later.

By the time the sequel rolled around, I had finally purchased a Sega Saturn and was no longer buying games for the Genesis. I was still very interested in Vectorman 2, though. I rented it from Blockbuster Video and played it for a weekend before returning it and never playing it again for a very long time. Sadly, I didn't enjoy my time with the game. I had read reviews that it was better than the first one, but I did not think so. It was just more of the same, this time with an uninspiring story and frustrating enemies that appear out of nowhere and constantly cheap shot you. The graphics and presentation were still good, but the originality and the fun factor that came with the first game had completely vanished.

I wouldn't play it again until about 2008 or 2009 on the Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for the PS3. Again, I didn't like it. How would I feel about it in 2023? Would it be three strikes, yer out for Vectorman 2?

Read on for my full breakdown.

 

Story:

I don't have Vectorman 2's instruction manual, so maybe I am missing something. Not much is explained in the game, unlike the first Vectorman - which had a decent if uninspiring story. I mean, at least it had something, which is more than can be said here.

In this game, Vectorman is doing his garbage cleanup job and flying around in space when his vessel is shot down by an unknown assailant. He crash lands back to the planet and fights a bunch of enemies, progressing through a series of levels until he beats an unidentified boss character that looks like a spider. And then the game ends.

Who is this boss character? Who shot Vectorman down? There is almost nothing narratively that explains why Vectorman is fighting and why he is where he is. Is there anything going on here, as far as its story goes? 

Beats me.

Gameplay:

As much as I am harping on this game's story (or lack thereof), its plot doesn't really matter. Is it fun to play? That's all I care about. Unfortunately, it is not.

On the surface this looks just like the original game. Same look, same controls, same feel. It's the stage design and some questionable decisions the programmers made regarding enemy placement and behavior that are different. 

Stage design is flat out weird. Some stages feel like the original game, but others don't fit at all. There are 22 stages in this game, and most of them can be beaten in a minute or two by just racing to the level exit. Other stages are big and labyrinthine and can be challenging to navigate. Like the forest stage, for example. You have to make your way through a large forest, jumping from branch to branch until you navigate your way to the end. There is knockback in this game, so you are going to constantly find yourself getting hit and knocked back down to the ground again. Then you have to start your slow ascent. This happened to me a LOT. Seriously, this stage was getting on my last nerve and it was only, what, the third stage of the game?  

Another odd stage design involves the roller skating levels. You roller skate through what looks like an old abandoned office complex or something like that. You move too fast. Momentum carries you right into enemies. It's difficult to time your jumps. The levels are just a pain in the arse to play through. And what does this game decide to do? Give you three of these stages, randomly placed throughout the game. When you think you are done and can kiss these levels goodbye, here comes another one.

The game constantly finds itself caught between being too hard and too easy. One stage you'll race through and complete in a minute and a half, the next one you find yourself dying ten times. Some consistency would be nice.

Aside from the stage design, the enemies suck too. This game is filled, and I mean FILLED with what I call "gotcha" moments. Enemies pop up off the side of the screen without enough time to avoid them. You'll come across blind jumps where you don't know where you are going to land. Nine times out of ten, it'll be on an enemy, or between two of them. Bullets and projectiles hit you from seemingly nowhere. Flying enemies swoop in and hit you before you have time to react. When you kill them, they respawn and immediately come right back after you.

I'm all for a difficult platformer. I'm a big fan of Contra, Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man, etc. But I consider those games to be fair in their difficulty. When you lose a life, it is because you screwed up, not because the game came up with some new kind of way to pull a "gotcha!" on you when you were least expecting it. This game is one big gotcha.

Not to say it is a complete failure. I enjoyed some of the boss battles. I like the different enemy forms Vectorman can take. I liked the bonus stages. I liked exploring each stage and collecting as many items as I could. I like the levels where you have to "dig" your way out of the dirt. I especially liked the tank levels, and considered them to be a fun break from the normal action. They have a bit of a Moon Patrol vibe to them.

Unfortunately, none of these pluses are enough to change my mind on the game. Overall I still found it to be a frustrating and forgettable experience. I didn't like it when I first played it. I didn't like it in 2008. I didn't like it in 2023. Three strikes and you're out, indeed.

Graphics:

Without question, the graphics are the best thing Vectorman 2 has going for it. First thing I noticed were the lighting effects when Vectorman fires his weapon. It lights up the whole screen, which is good because some of the early levels can be a bit dark.

You'll notice a marked improvement in character animation. Vectorman moves smoother than ever. He is portrayed with greater detail. Most of the enemies look good too. Sometimes they get a little boring, like you are fighting the same thing over and over again.

But what really makes this game stand out are the terrific background environments. It's tough to fully appreciate in a still image, but the tornado effects in the screenshot above look really, really great. Very immersive and well animated. Other stages are beautiful in their own way, such as the lava stages and the forest stages. I did not like the roller skate levels. They look bland, and to make matters worse, the game reuses these backgrounds far too many times.

Sound:

Right away, the game gives you a blast of that classic Vectorman music from the first game. Immediately got me into the mood to play this game. Part of me thought in the back of my mind that they should have come up with a new theme song. But they didn't.

The game sounds just like the first one. Stage music is good and has that techno beat to it. I wouldn't say anything in particular stood out to me. I finished this game about five days ago and I can't think of one single original song from this game that stands out in my mind. Drawing a complete blank. I remember the soundtrack being good, though. Oh well.

The sound effects, on the other hand, are very memorable. The sound of firing your weapon, picking up items, the timer running out, etc. are all classic Vectorman. They sound terrific.

 

Overall:

If only we were grading this game on its audio and visual presentation, Vectorman 2 would do quite well. This is possibly the Genesis at the brink of its capabilities. You won't find very many games that look or sound better than this.

But the game isn't any fun. I'm sorry, but it's not. I play these games to have fun. All 450 reviews I've written so far have all boiled down to one thing: am I having fun playing this? Generally I am pretty easy to please. My last several reviews have all been in the A range. Even if the game isn't great, just give me an enjoyable time at the very least, and you get a B. I can't say Vectorman 2 is average. Definitely below that. But by how much?

Sadly, this game had a lot of potential. I love the first Vectorman. I'll post the link to my original review of that title below. But this game, even though it looks and plays like the first game, is nowhere near as good, unless you like getting cheap shotted left and right, no matter how cautiously you make your way through the game. I wanted to explore these big levels and collect things, but I felt that I had to constantly push forward because I was always under fire. You get hit a lot. You die a lot. I had some success just rushing to the level exit and not exploring, but where is the fun in that?

It all comes down to execution. This game almost had it. Almost. Fix some fundamental flaws, and I probably would have really liked this game. Unfortunately, we don't live in an alternate reality where this game is good. Three strikes, you're out. I have learned my lesson. I'm never playing Vectorman 2 again.

THE GRADE:

D

My review of the original

Vectorman

For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click

>HERE<

Video Game Review #450: Metroid Fusion

Metroid Fusion

Game Boy Advance

Nostalgia Factor:

I've recently discovered the Game Boy Advance, and I have to say that I have been very impressed with many of its offerings. In particular, Metroid: Zero Mission is a game that I really, really enjoyed. It reinvigorated my interest in Metroid, and has made me want to play through other games in the series that I've never checked out before. Metroid Fusion is one such title.

I've heard lots of good things about Metroid Fusion over the years, but I've always written it off because of its handheld status. Well, now that I am taking the Game Boy Advance more seriously, I knew I had to give the game a shot. Would it live up to the high praise?

An emphatic yes! Read on for my full thoughts.

Story:

I'm the type of person who likes to play through things chronologically. My original intent was to play through the Metroid series in order. After all, I have played and reviewed the original NES Metroid and Metroid: Zero Mission - its remake. These are the first games chronologically in the series. I wasn't sure where Fusion took place, but I figured I'd play it anyway since Metroid games typically are not plot heavy.

As luck would have it, this is one of the very last games in the Metroid timeline. Go figure! But that was okay. In the past (my pre-blog days) I had played several Metroid games out of order, like Prime, Prime 2, Other M, and Super Metroid. I'd put the pieces together eventually.

In this game, Samus is infected by a mysterious X parasite while on the surface of a planet. Her life in danger, scientists inject her with a vaccine containing Metroid DNA to try and combat this parasite, since the Metroid is its natural predator. Samus is saved. Both she and her suit become super powered with the Metroid and X infusion. When there is an explosion at a nearby space station, Samus is sent to investigate. There, she discovers the X has gone rampant and is overtaking the station. She sets out on a mission to stop it.

While on her mission, Samus is stalked by the S-AX, which has chosen to mimic Samus's physical form. It kind of shows up from time to time to scare you, but it cannot be defeated in battle. You have to hide from it or run. These segments always made me think of The Terminator.

Samus discovers that there are Metroids hidden in the station's laboratory. The Federation (or whatever it is called) is experimenting on them to try and use them "for the good of humanity." It's just like Weiland-Tutani in Alien. Will humanity ever learn? 

Samus decides the only way to wipe out the X is to destroy the station. The Federation tries to stop her, because they want to use the X "for the good of humanity" as well. Sigh. Samus sweet talks the station's security system, which she names Adam after some guy named Adam from a previous game. In a touching moment, Adam demonstrates the humanity of its namesake by defying Federation orders and allowing Samus to set the auto destruct timer and escape.

Samus battles through the S-AX clone and the Omega Metroid as time winds down. She gets in her ship and takes off just in the nick of time. The end.

I have to say, this is the single best storyline in a Metroid game I have ever played. The storylines for these games have always been second fiddle to the gameplay in my opinion. This is the first Metroid game where the story really stands out on its own, and is memorable. To top it off, the game is a blast to play, too. It is almost the perfect package.

Gameplay:

This game is very easy to pick up and play. Right off the bat I took notice of the crisp, responsive controls. Moving left, right, jumping, ducking, and firing your gun all came as second nature to me. I also enjoyed the space station setting of the game as well. It's much more of a familiar setting than the usual dark alien planet full of caves and caverns. Not even one minute into the game, I was like "yeah, I'm gonna have fun with this one."

If you are familiar with Metroid, you should be familiar with the formula of the game. You've got a big, open 2D environment. Many areas are blocked off or unavailable to you when you first come across them. You have to find weapon or character upgrades later on, and then backtrack to access areas you couldn't before.

There is a main hub in the space station - the habitation level. There are six different sections that peel off from that main hub. One is a rainforest habitat, one is a laboratory, one is shrouded in darkness, etc. They all bring something unique that adds to the diversity of the game's environment. Since you are on a space station, just simply walking around a bunch of metal corridors that all look the same would have been boring, so I am glad they spiced things up a bit.

Throughout the course of the game you are going to be visiting each of these six sectors. The game's navigation computer guides you where you need to go, and marks your destination on the map. While this may seem a bit hand-holdy at first, you'll quickly realize that things are not so straightforward. You may know where you need to go, but when you find your path blocked off, it is all up to you to figure out what you have to do next. Not gonna lie, I turned to the internet for help on a few occasions when I was getting stuck.

I like the map system. Everything is very user friendly and easy to figure out. I know some people probably like the "wandering blindly" aspect of Metroid, but I like to be guided in the right direction. Life's too short for that shit.

Power ups are a little different here. When you destroy an enemy, it releases some kind of X cloud into the air that you have to collect. Yellow is for health and green is for missiles. If you don't get them quick enough, they'll either regroup and form a brand new enemy, or zap over to an existing enemy and make them stronger and more powerful. I totally loved this added wrinkle. Definitely makes the game more interesting and adds a much needed spark to the usual Metroid formula.

Bosses in this game are plentiful. They hover right on the edge of being too hard and too easy. Too easy in the sense that their patterns are easily recognizable, and you can adapt your strategy quickly. Too hard in the sense that they deal a MASSIVE amount of damage to you. If you get stuck in a corner or if the boss breaks its pattern and catches you in its crosshairs, you are going to be in for a world of hurt.

That leads me to my next talking point: the difficulty. I "save scummed" my way through this game, so I didn't have too tough of a time with this. But the enemies deal huge amounts of damage to you, unlike anything I've seen in past Metroid games. For example, I'll have nine health tanks and full health. I will make my way through an enemy-infested corridor, getting hit about three or four times. When I emerge from that corridor, I'll find that I'm down to one health tank left. WTF? How much damage are these enemies inflicting?

If I had played through this game without save states, no doubt I would have found myself dying dozens and dozens of times. The game is pretty generous with its save points, but this would have still been pretty annoying to me. Not a game breaker or anything, but still annoying.

Overall, I still found the game to be quite enjoyable. This is perhaps the best 2D Metroid I have ever played. Granted, I have only played Metroid, Zero Mission, and Super Metroid. But those are all widely heralded games. For this to be mentioned in the same breath is quite the accomplishment. And the idea that it is even better than those games? Let's just say that this will bode well when it comes time for me to post my final grade.

Graphics:

Don't let the fact that this is a handheld game scare you off. This game looks incredible, and it easily could be passed off for a 16-bit title. If you just handed me the controller and didn't tell me what system I was playing, I would have guessed that this is a Super Nintendo game. And a gorgeous one at that.

Samus looks great. The sprite and character design is wonderful. The cutscenes are awesome. The level design is top notch. I love all the little environmental effects you run across. Everything is bursting with color and personality. Definitely a fantastic looking game.

Sound:

Right off the bat, the game greets you with a twist on that classic Metroid intro tune, this time infused with music that sounds like it was ripped straight from Star Fox. Whatever it is, it works. 

The music of Metroid Fusion definitely helps make this entire game a very immersive and atmospheric experience. The sound effects do their part as well. You really feel like you're a part of this big, action-packed science fiction romp on a space station. The only thing this game is lacking is a new original tune of its own. Something you hear and immediately shout out: "that's from Metroid Fusion!" I feel as if in two weeks you played this game's soundtrack for me, intermixed with music from other Metroid games, I wouldn't be able to tell you which songs came from this game and which ones didn't.

Overall:

If you've been paying any attention to this review whatsoever, you should know by now that I really liked playing this game. I've only played and reviewed two Metroid games so far for this blog, but this is easily the best of the three. As much as I like the original Metroid, when I think back on my time with that game, it is nowhere near as good as my time with this one. I gave both that game and Metroid: Zero Mission the score of A. If Fusion is better than both of these games, does that mean it should automatically get an A+?

On principal, no. After all, I gave Zero Mission an A as well even though I said it was better than the original Metroid. I think I overrated the original Metroid just a little bit. But all of that is a moot point because this game deserves an A+ on its own merits. I just can't see 2D Metroid games getting any better than this. This is the greatest Metroid game I have ever played. And the fact that I expected so little out of it, and I wrote it off as "just a handheld game" is one of the craziest things about it. This game came out in 2002 and I am just playing it now in 2023 for the first time ever. That's just wild to me. 21 years.

Should you play Metroid Fusion? Yes. Don't walk to the game, run! If you're a fan of Metroid or a fan of this type of game in general and you haven't played this, you are missing out big time. Don't make the same mistake I did and keep putting it off!

THE GRADE:

A+

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

Metroid

Metroid: Zero Mission

Axiom Verge

Blaster Master

Blaster Master Zero

For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click

>HERE<

Video Game Review #449: Blast Corps

Blast Corps

Nintendo 64

Nostalgia Factor:

Most people nowadays have forgotten all about Blast Corps, but when I was a kid this game was a big deal. It was an early release for the Nintendo 64, and I remember being completely blown away by the wide open areas, the hidden secrets, and the amazing explosions and visual effects.

I never actually purchased this game, but I liked it so much that I ended up renting it from Blockbuster Video twice. Both times I would end up getting stuck on the exact same mission - Oyster Harbor. Little did I know at the time that I was very, very close to beating the game. But I just couldn't figure this mission out.

Decades would pass before I would give Blast Corps another shot. It came out in 1997 and here I am in 2023 finally coming back to it in order to complete some unfinished business. It might have taken me 26 years, but I was going to beat this game once and for all.

Story:

This game has an absolutely ridiculous storyline, but for one reason or another it still works. A nuclear tanker has gone out of control. If it hits anything it will detonate, likely killing millions of people in the process. It's your goal as a member of the Blast Corps to clear the way for the tanker so it can continue its slow roll forward. You have to demolish buildings, knock down street signs, and pretty much destroy any obstacles that may get in this tanker's way. If it hits even one little thing: boom. You failed.

And that's pretty much the whole game. Don't expect any more depth than that. It's basically Speed meets Rampage - except you are destroying buildings with vehicles instead of giant monsters.

After you've cleared the way to the test site, you then have to collect six missing scientists who can assist with the safe detonation of the tanker. In a very typical Rare twist, you have to revisit old levels to find these missing scientists. After you have done so, the tanker arrives at its destination and is safely detonated. Phew!

But wait! Before the Blast Corps can relax, a few bonus missions involving outer space become available to you. Really, this game is bonkers - and I'm 100% here for it.

Gameplay:

The concept of each stage is very simple: destroy everything in the path of the tanker before it has the chance to collide with any objects. If the tanker hits anything, it explodes and you have to start the stage over again. There are no lives in this game, so you can keep retrying each stage an infinite number of times before you pass it. The game is also non-linear, meaning you can select most stages to play through in any order you'd like. So if you are struggling with one stage, you can exit out, pick another stage, and come back to the one you were struggling with later.

There are a variety of vehicles you use as you make your way throughout the game. Each has its own unique function and control set. The bulldozer is very straightforward: just run into whatever you want to demolish. In the occasion you come across a building that can't be knocked down, you can use the bulldozer to push bombs into it to take it down. There's also a dump truck that you can use to swing into buildings to knock them down, but controlling this thing can be a major hassle. I understand the concept of swinging your caboose into things, but it can be very hard to pull off. Some levels it works great, while other levels the thing just won't skid at all. It just turns where you want it to turn. The lack of consistency drove me nuts as I was playing this!

Hmm... what else is there? There is a motorcycle-looking thing that fires missiles. There is a robot that rolls into buildings. A flying robot that comes crashing down onto buildings. There's a yellow truck that smashes powerful beams out from both of its sides. You can even control things like trains, boats, police cars, cranes, and race cars to get you to and fro.

While the concept of Blast Corps seems straightforward, the game is filled with lots of nuance. You can't just go around smashing things with no strategy. Using the terrain comes in handy. You can drive over hills and ramps to go flying into the air, which allows you to take down buildings more effectively. The game also has you switching vehicles in the middle of the mission quite often. You may start off in the dump truck, but you might reach an area where you have to hop onto a train and ride it for a little while to get to the next area. Exit the train and hop into a bulldozer to finish the level. The game progressively gets harder and harder as you go. You really have to get creative trying to find ways through some of these missions. It almost becomes more of a puzzle game than anything else. I got stuck quite often playing through this, because I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to do next. But I didn't mind this at all. Look at how repetitive a game like Rampage can be. This game benefits greatly from the strategy aspect. It gives things a lot of life and longevity.

This game is also filled with bonuses and collectibles. You get bonus points for rescuing civilians. There are hidden satellites you can activate periodically throughout the game. There are little light-up pods on the ground that act as collectibles when you drive over them. While everything seems straightforward at first, I had a blast (pun intended) coming back to some of these levels and mopping up everything I left behind. As I mentioned earlier, the game makes you revisit some old stages to rescue scientists to help you successfully detonate the tanker. I loved these stages, as the game really flexes its creative muscles with its puzzles and environments. A stage may look like a simple farm field your first time through it, but coming back to revisit it, you'll notice just a TON of hidden stuff you didn't see before.

I came into this game expecting to only mildly enjoy it from the memories I have of it as a kid. Turns out it exceeded all my expectations quite easily. This is a surprisingly deep and fun game, and it has definitely jumped into my top ten Nintendo 64 titles after this playthrough.

Graphics:

This game was a visual masterpiece when it first came out. While it definitely shows its age nowadays with its slowdown, choppiness, ugly pixels, and muddy textures, I forgive it for that. The world of the game is so fun, bright, and creative. Things may look simple on the surface but when you really dive into this game, you can't help but be impressed by its depth.

Explosions and special effects still look really good. I like the small little details like the shiny textures of the robot vehicles you can command. This game definitely looks and feels like a Nintendo 64 game, but in the very best possible way.

 

Sound:

I just love this game's music. It's classic Rare at its finest. You hear everything from honky-tonk country themes, similar to what you hear in Banjo-Kazooie, to music that sounds like it is inspired by Goldeneye (although this came out first). Everything is fast, upbeat, and super catchy. Really gets you in the mood to wreck some shit.

I like the little snippets of voice acting, too. I really looked forward to hearing "you're just trying to impress me" at the end of each successful mission. It males everything worth it. 

Overall:

This game has no business being this good. I picked it up with the expectation that I'd like it, but it wouldn't be anything special in the long run. There's a reason it has been forgotten by so many people, right?

Well those people are STOOPID. You can even throw me into that category for ignoring this game's existence for the last 20 some years. This is a great game. It's nonstop fun from beginning to end. I had a blast completing the missions, discovering the secrets, and exploring everything this game has to show you. It's a surprisingly deep titles that you can play in a myriad of ways. Want to sit down and waste a whole day on this game? Go ahead. Want to play it in short bursts? A mission here, a mission there? That works too. In fact, that's how I played the majority of this game until I made it to the end. Then I dedicated a few hours straight to sit down and finish this thing off.

There's not much I can say about this game that is bad. Normally when a game pulls some nonsense on you and makes you replay old levels to find things you missed, it irritates me. Look at Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins or Jet Force Gemini, two games I didn't even bother to finish. With this game, I happily went back to comb through those old levels.

When I first sat down to write this review, I intended to give it a B something and call it a day. Now that I've actually sat down and reflected on the game, it is so much better than that. The fact that this game has been ignored for so long is practically a crime. If you have the means to play Blast Corps, go out and play it now.

THE GRADE:

A

For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click

>HERE<