Games Beaten 2021
Re: Games Beaten 2021
Games Beaten 2021:
1. Golden Axe II (GEN)
2. Time Crisis [Special Mode] (PS1)
3. Streets of Rage (GEN)
4. Time Crisis: Project Titan (PS1)
5. Rayman Origins (360)
6. Borderlands (360)
7. Streets of Rage 4 (Switch)*
8. King of Dragons (SNES)
9. Wild Guns (SNES)
10. Star Fox (SNES)
This is another SNES title I played at friends' places when I was young and enjoyed at the time, but I never owned the cartridge. A few years later, I did get Star Fox 64 upon release and became a huge fan of that game. It might be my favorite game on the N64, and I usually go back to it once a year. Anyway, while I still had access to my partner's Switch, I decided to go back and play the SNES game using the Switch's online service. I'm a big fan of on rail shooters, so I was looking forward to revisiting this game.
The graphics in Star Fox didn't age so well, but I remember finding them impressive at the time. My main issue with the graphics though, is that sometimes I found it difficult to decipher what shapes were supposed to be enemies and which were the allies that accompany you on each mission. I was going ahead and firing at everything my way, but the dialogue would let me know if I accidentally shot at an ally ship. Regarding the soundtrack, I do think the OST adds to the atmosphere of the game, as there's some dark atmospheric music in certain areas, and more upbeat energetic tunes in other levels that go along with the action.
I found Star Fox to be a bit more difficult than the N64 predecessor. I think one of the reasons the game is more difficult is the lack of a lock-on ability. Also, as I mentioned before, due to the graphics, it was sometimes tough for me to decipher what objects on screen were enemies -- but after one or two tries, I was usually able to get the hang of it. The viewpoint in this game also switches up between levels, with some levels the player has a third person view, and others the player has a first person view. I preferred the third person perspective, but the first person levels look and play fine. I finished the game using the easier pathway, but I'd like to try it again by choosing the medium and hard pathways, to check out the other levels I missed.
Although I prefer the N64 release, I still think this game is very much worth playing today. It's a very fun on rail shooter, which there aren't that many of on the SNES, and it's a great example of what the SNES could do. Now that I've finished this game, I'd like to also check out Star Fox 2. Check this game out if you haven't already!
1. Golden Axe II (GEN)
2. Time Crisis [Special Mode] (PS1)
3. Streets of Rage (GEN)
4. Time Crisis: Project Titan (PS1)
5. Rayman Origins (360)
6. Borderlands (360)
7. Streets of Rage 4 (Switch)*
8. King of Dragons (SNES)
9. Wild Guns (SNES)
10. Star Fox (SNES)
This is another SNES title I played at friends' places when I was young and enjoyed at the time, but I never owned the cartridge. A few years later, I did get Star Fox 64 upon release and became a huge fan of that game. It might be my favorite game on the N64, and I usually go back to it once a year. Anyway, while I still had access to my partner's Switch, I decided to go back and play the SNES game using the Switch's online service. I'm a big fan of on rail shooters, so I was looking forward to revisiting this game.
The graphics in Star Fox didn't age so well, but I remember finding them impressive at the time. My main issue with the graphics though, is that sometimes I found it difficult to decipher what shapes were supposed to be enemies and which were the allies that accompany you on each mission. I was going ahead and firing at everything my way, but the dialogue would let me know if I accidentally shot at an ally ship. Regarding the soundtrack, I do think the OST adds to the atmosphere of the game, as there's some dark atmospheric music in certain areas, and more upbeat energetic tunes in other levels that go along with the action.
I found Star Fox to be a bit more difficult than the N64 predecessor. I think one of the reasons the game is more difficult is the lack of a lock-on ability. Also, as I mentioned before, due to the graphics, it was sometimes tough for me to decipher what objects on screen were enemies -- but after one or two tries, I was usually able to get the hang of it. The viewpoint in this game also switches up between levels, with some levels the player has a third person view, and others the player has a first person view. I preferred the third person perspective, but the first person levels look and play fine. I finished the game using the easier pathway, but I'd like to try it again by choosing the medium and hard pathways, to check out the other levels I missed.
Although I prefer the N64 release, I still think this game is very much worth playing today. It's a very fun on rail shooter, which there aren't that many of on the SNES, and it's a great example of what the SNES could do. Now that I've finished this game, I'd like to also check out Star Fox 2. Check this game out if you haven't already!
- prfsnl_gmr
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 12202
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:26 pm
- Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Re: Games Beaten 2021
1. Horace (Switch)
2. Ghostrunner (Switch)
3. Mickey’s Adventure in Numberland (NES)
4. Mickey’s Safari in Letterland (NES)
5. Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse (Genesis)
6. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Picross (3DS)
7. World of Illusion starring Mickey & Donald (Genesis)
8. Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse (Game Gear)
9. Land of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse (Game Gear)
10. Legend of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse (Game Gear)
11. Portal 2 [co-op] (PS3)
Although I still haven’t played Portal 2’s single-player campaign, my son and I nonetheless had a really good time working our way through Portal 2’s co-op campaign together In it, you play as two robots, AJAX and P-Body, and you use portal guns to solve a series of first-person platforming challenges. Like the first game, the puzzles are all very well-designed, and the co-op campaign really requires you to think creatively. The game is also very funny, and we’re both still chuckling over some of the jokes nearly a week after beating the game. Playing through the co-op campaign with my son (who learned how to navigate a virtual 3D space by playing Goat Simulator) was a pretty great bonding experience, and we’re both looking forward to playing through the co-op DLC (“Peer Review”) in the near future.
2. Ghostrunner (Switch)
3. Mickey’s Adventure in Numberland (NES)
4. Mickey’s Safari in Letterland (NES)
5. Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse (Genesis)
6. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Picross (3DS)
7. World of Illusion starring Mickey & Donald (Genesis)
8. Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse (Game Gear)
9. Land of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse (Game Gear)
10. Legend of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse (Game Gear)
11. Portal 2 [co-op] (PS3)
Although I still haven’t played Portal 2’s single-player campaign, my son and I nonetheless had a really good time working our way through Portal 2’s co-op campaign together In it, you play as two robots, AJAX and P-Body, and you use portal guns to solve a series of first-person platforming challenges. Like the first game, the puzzles are all very well-designed, and the co-op campaign really requires you to think creatively. The game is also very funny, and we’re both still chuckling over some of the jokes nearly a week after beating the game. Playing through the co-op campaign with my son (who learned how to navigate a virtual 3D space by playing Goat Simulator) was a pretty great bonding experience, and we’re both looking forward to playing through the co-op DLC (“Peer Review”) in the near future.
Re: Games Beaten 2021
Previous Years: 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
1. EYE: Divine Cybermancy - PC
2. Legend of Grimrock - PC
3. Legend of Grimrock 2 - PC
4. Shovel Knight - Wii U
5. Yakuza: Like a Dragon - PS4
6. Yoshi's Island - SNES
7. Vectorman 2 - Genesis
8. Super Mario Sunshine - GC
9. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest - GC
10. Bomberman '93 - TG-16
11. Cannon Fodder - PC
12. Panzer Dragoon II Zwei - Saturn
13. Dragonborne - Game Boy
14. Rock n' Roll Racing - PC
15. The Lost Vikings - PC
16. Blackthorne - PC
17. Contra III: The Alien Wars - SNES
Contra III is your prototypical SNES upgrade to an NES game; bigger graphics, more action, and additional features. In this case you have the ability to equip two different weapons and you can collect screen clearing bombs like a shmup. There's also a gimmicky jump spin fire thing that exists for you to look cool while waiting for a transition.
The game is six stages long with a mix of gameplay types. The first, third, and sixth levels are your standard Contra run and gun. Lots of pew pew, multiple bosses, and some environmental hazards. The fourth stage is a jetbike autoscroller stage; it ends up being harder to dodge everything and the stage boss is a total asshole. The second and fifth stages are the requisite early SNES Mode 7 levels, which are also the requisite alternate perspective Contra levels. They are top-down stages where you rotate with L and R and need to take out several key enemies, followed by the boss. These stages are basically gimmes; the stages have little threat and the bosses are straightforward and don't have much ability to hit you.
The double weapon mechanic is a godsend. You can either carry two different weapons for different purposes (e.g. mook vs. boss weapon) or double up so you aren't set back by a death (and you can increase your fire rate by mashing the switch weapon button while firing). You lose your currently equipped weapon when dying, setting you back to the basic machine gun (which is another instance of this being an SNES upgrade; no pea shooter for you). That's another reason not to do the stupid jumping twirly move; both weapons are considered to be equipped so you lose both.
The game is overall more fast paced than the original Contra, and features a lot more bosses. You pretty much always want to be on the move, as otherwise you can get overwhelmed by enemy spawns from behind you; firing back tends to interrupt your rhythm and get you killed by stuff coming from the front. You'll need to learn boss patterns so you don't get killed, but fortunately even the basic machine gun is solid enough to work for bosses. It's a great example of an SNES upgrade to an NES classic.
1. EYE: Divine Cybermancy - PC
2. Legend of Grimrock - PC
3. Legend of Grimrock 2 - PC
4. Shovel Knight - Wii U
5. Yakuza: Like a Dragon - PS4
6. Yoshi's Island - SNES
7. Vectorman 2 - Genesis
8. Super Mario Sunshine - GC
9. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest - GC
10. Bomberman '93 - TG-16
11. Cannon Fodder - PC
12. Panzer Dragoon II Zwei - Saturn
13. Dragonborne - Game Boy
14. Rock n' Roll Racing - PC
15. The Lost Vikings - PC
16. Blackthorne - PC
17. Contra III: The Alien Wars - SNES
Contra III is your prototypical SNES upgrade to an NES game; bigger graphics, more action, and additional features. In this case you have the ability to equip two different weapons and you can collect screen clearing bombs like a shmup. There's also a gimmicky jump spin fire thing that exists for you to look cool while waiting for a transition.
The game is six stages long with a mix of gameplay types. The first, third, and sixth levels are your standard Contra run and gun. Lots of pew pew, multiple bosses, and some environmental hazards. The fourth stage is a jetbike autoscroller stage; it ends up being harder to dodge everything and the stage boss is a total asshole. The second and fifth stages are the requisite early SNES Mode 7 levels, which are also the requisite alternate perspective Contra levels. They are top-down stages where you rotate with L and R and need to take out several key enemies, followed by the boss. These stages are basically gimmes; the stages have little threat and the bosses are straightforward and don't have much ability to hit you.
The double weapon mechanic is a godsend. You can either carry two different weapons for different purposes (e.g. mook vs. boss weapon) or double up so you aren't set back by a death (and you can increase your fire rate by mashing the switch weapon button while firing). You lose your currently equipped weapon when dying, setting you back to the basic machine gun (which is another instance of this being an SNES upgrade; no pea shooter for you). That's another reason not to do the stupid jumping twirly move; both weapons are considered to be equipped so you lose both.
The game is overall more fast paced than the original Contra, and features a lot more bosses. You pretty much always want to be on the move, as otherwise you can get overwhelmed by enemy spawns from behind you; firing back tends to interrupt your rhythm and get you killed by stuff coming from the front. You'll need to learn boss patterns so you don't get killed, but fortunately even the basic machine gun is solid enough to work for bosses. It's a great example of an SNES upgrade to an NES classic.
Re: Games Beaten 2021
Games Beaten 2021:
1. Golden Axe II (GEN)
2. Time Crisis [Special Mode] (PS1)
3. Streets of Rage (GEN)
4. Time Crisis: Project Titan (PS1)
5. Rayman Origins (360)
6. Borderlands (360)
7. Streets of Rage 4 (Switch)*
8. King of Dragons (SNES)
9. Wild Guns (SNES)
10. Star Fox (SNES)
11. Guardian Heroes (SS) [2x]*
I'm a huge fan of beat 'em ups and Treasure, but I missed out on Guardian Heroes when it originally came out, as I didn't own a Saturn until around 2007 and my friends that had one did not own this game. When I first had a chance to try the game on Xbox Live Arcade on the 360 years ago, I jumped on the opportunity and purchased it through digital download, which is super rare occurrence on my end, as I've only purchased a handful of games digitally. I really enjoyed the title and recently had the opportunity to get the Saturn version and was excited to revisit it.
Treasure did a great job with the graphics in Guardian Heroes. I'm glad they ended up sticking to their guns and going with 2D, as the character and enemy sprites, and the backgrounds look great IMO. It's awesome to see the large sprites of some of the bigger bosses. The Saturn is a 2D workhorse and it's pretty impressive to see the system handle most of the battles, which are pure chaos, due to the amount of enemies in most scenes. I've ran into slowdown in some rare instances, but it doesn't come up very often. The soundtrack has a good variety of tunes, everything from upbeat and happier sounding tunes, laidback jazzy tracks, and some dark but energetic tunes. Sometimes the happier sounding tracks sounded a little out of place to me, but overall I do like the songs and got used to them being in the backdrop of a chaotic battle. In that regard, it reminds me of the Marvel vs. Capcom 2 soundtrack a bit.
Regarding the gameplay, Treasure included a good amount of moves for the five playable characters in the game. Each character has their own playing style too, with different specialties and a unique move set. This game is very different than a traditional beat em up, with the controls resembling more of a fighting game and set on a 2D plane, with no ability to move up and down throughout the level as most games in the genre. To make up for this, the player can move through three separate planes, similar to a Fatal Fury game. Guardian Heroes throws a ton of enemies at you at once, and the battles get hectic with the amount of enemies and the combo system, in which the player has a chance to mix up their arsenal of moves and the ability to juggle enemies. There is also an experience point and leveling system in which the player has the chance to customize their character throughout the playthrough. Guardian Heroes also contains branching paths, with a total of 30 stages, however you will only see a selection of the stages depending on the decisions made by the player, which gives the game good replay value. Along with the branching paths, there is also a variety of final boss scenarios and a few hidden areas and items.
I like to play as Han as he was the first character I tried when I first gave the game a go, so for these two playthroughs I chose Han as I have his moves memorized. The first time I played through the game on Easy and the second time I played through on Normal, which enabled me to unlock an additional character and a few more characters for the versus mode. I'm interested in trying to play through the game again as Randy and Ginjirou as they both seem fun. Also, I like the fact that the Undead Warrior accompanies you throughout the game, so even if you're playing alone, you have a partner with you.
Can't say I have much criticism for this title, but it'd be cool if you could save a character even after a playthrough and continue to build up their experience and continue to use them numerous times. Also, the cutscene and dialogue segments can be a bit long with no option to skip them, so this game probably wouldn't be your first choice if you have a time limitation on your gaming session.
Even though Guardian Heroes plays very different than the usual game in the beat 'em up genre, I think Treasure did a great job changing things up while still keeping things fun. I highly recommend this one if you haven't played it already!
1. Golden Axe II (GEN)
2. Time Crisis [Special Mode] (PS1)
3. Streets of Rage (GEN)
4. Time Crisis: Project Titan (PS1)
5. Rayman Origins (360)
6. Borderlands (360)
7. Streets of Rage 4 (Switch)*
8. King of Dragons (SNES)
9. Wild Guns (SNES)
10. Star Fox (SNES)
11. Guardian Heroes (SS) [2x]*
I'm a huge fan of beat 'em ups and Treasure, but I missed out on Guardian Heroes when it originally came out, as I didn't own a Saturn until around 2007 and my friends that had one did not own this game. When I first had a chance to try the game on Xbox Live Arcade on the 360 years ago, I jumped on the opportunity and purchased it through digital download, which is super rare occurrence on my end, as I've only purchased a handful of games digitally. I really enjoyed the title and recently had the opportunity to get the Saturn version and was excited to revisit it.
Treasure did a great job with the graphics in Guardian Heroes. I'm glad they ended up sticking to their guns and going with 2D, as the character and enemy sprites, and the backgrounds look great IMO. It's awesome to see the large sprites of some of the bigger bosses. The Saturn is a 2D workhorse and it's pretty impressive to see the system handle most of the battles, which are pure chaos, due to the amount of enemies in most scenes. I've ran into slowdown in some rare instances, but it doesn't come up very often. The soundtrack has a good variety of tunes, everything from upbeat and happier sounding tunes, laidback jazzy tracks, and some dark but energetic tunes. Sometimes the happier sounding tracks sounded a little out of place to me, but overall I do like the songs and got used to them being in the backdrop of a chaotic battle. In that regard, it reminds me of the Marvel vs. Capcom 2 soundtrack a bit.
Regarding the gameplay, Treasure included a good amount of moves for the five playable characters in the game. Each character has their own playing style too, with different specialties and a unique move set. This game is very different than a traditional beat em up, with the controls resembling more of a fighting game and set on a 2D plane, with no ability to move up and down throughout the level as most games in the genre. To make up for this, the player can move through three separate planes, similar to a Fatal Fury game. Guardian Heroes throws a ton of enemies at you at once, and the battles get hectic with the amount of enemies and the combo system, in which the player has a chance to mix up their arsenal of moves and the ability to juggle enemies. There is also an experience point and leveling system in which the player has the chance to customize their character throughout the playthrough. Guardian Heroes also contains branching paths, with a total of 30 stages, however you will only see a selection of the stages depending on the decisions made by the player, which gives the game good replay value. Along with the branching paths, there is also a variety of final boss scenarios and a few hidden areas and items.
I like to play as Han as he was the first character I tried when I first gave the game a go, so for these two playthroughs I chose Han as I have his moves memorized. The first time I played through the game on Easy and the second time I played through on Normal, which enabled me to unlock an additional character and a few more characters for the versus mode. I'm interested in trying to play through the game again as Randy and Ginjirou as they both seem fun. Also, I like the fact that the Undead Warrior accompanies you throughout the game, so even if you're playing alone, you have a partner with you.
Can't say I have much criticism for this title, but it'd be cool if you could save a character even after a playthrough and continue to build up their experience and continue to use them numerous times. Also, the cutscene and dialogue segments can be a bit long with no option to skip them, so this game probably wouldn't be your first choice if you have a time limitation on your gaming session.
Even though Guardian Heroes plays very different than the usual game in the beat 'em up genre, I think Treasure did a great job changing things up while still keeping things fun. I highly recommend this one if you haven't played it already!
- BoneSnapDeez
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 20118
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 1:08 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Games Beaten 2021
Nicole is best girl.
Re: Games Beaten 2021
BoneSnapDeez wrote:Nicole is best girl.
QFT
And Randy is best boy.
Dope Pope on a Rope
B/S/T thread
My Classic Games Collection
My Steam Profile
The PC Engine Software Bible Forum, with Shoutbox chat - the new Internet home for PC Engine fandom.
B/S/T thread
My Classic Games Collection
My Steam Profile
The PC Engine Software Bible Forum, with Shoutbox chat - the new Internet home for PC Engine fandom.
- BoneSnapDeez
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 20118
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 1:08 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Games Beaten 2021
1. Richard Scarry's Huckle and Lowly's Busiest Day Ever (Pico)
2. Countermeasure (Atari 5200)
3. Alex Kidd: High-Tech World (Sega Master System)
4. Kirby's Dream Land 2 (Game Boy)
5. Night Stalker (Intellivision)
6. Space Battle (Intellivision)
7. Utopia (Intellivision)
8. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (Intellivision)
9. Kirby Super Star (SNES)
10. Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES)
11. Kirby Slide (e-Reader)
12. Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch)
13. Love Hina Advance: Shukufuku no Kane wa Harukana (Game Boy Advance)
2. Countermeasure (Atari 5200)
3. Alex Kidd: High-Tech World (Sega Master System)
4. Kirby's Dream Land 2 (Game Boy)
5. Night Stalker (Intellivision)
6. Space Battle (Intellivision)
7. Utopia (Intellivision)
8. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (Intellivision)
9. Kirby Super Star (SNES)
10. Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES)
11. Kirby Slide (e-Reader)
12. Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch)
13. Love Hina Advance: Shukufuku no Kane wa Harukana (Game Boy Advance)
Re: Games Beaten 2021
BoneSnapDeez wrote:Nicole is best girl.
marurun wrote:
QFT
And Randy is best boy.
I'll have to play through the game as these characters!
Re: Games Beaten 2021
1. Golden Axe II (GEN)
2. Time Crisis [Special Mode] (PS1)
3. Streets of Rage (GEN)
4. Time Crisis: Project Titan (PS1)
5. Rayman Origins (360)
6. Borderlands (360)
7. Streets of Rage 4 (Switch)*
8. King of Dragons (SNES)
9. Wild Guns (SNES)
10. Star Fox (SNES)
11. Guardian Heroes (SS) [2x]*
12. World of Illusion (GEN)
Castle of Illusion and World of Illusion were both games on my to-get list for the Genesis, and with last month's Together Retro theme being based around 8-bit and 16-bit Mickey and Donald games, it was a good time for me to finally grab a physical copy of each and give them a go. I didn't originally get a Genesis until 1993 and while I was young at the time, I've realized that it was late in the system's lifespan, so I missed out on some of the earlier titles on the Genesis like this Disney platformer. I posted my thoughts of the game in the TR thread yesterday, but going to expand on them a bit here.
I really like the graphics in this game, the character sprites look really good, and I think the Mickey sprite looks better here than in Castle of Illusion. I think the backgrounds are more detailed and colorful than its predecessor. The soundtrack is also awesome and I especially enjoyed the tunes in the water level and the last level. The cover art is also pretty great IMO, and I wonder if it's an illustration that was made specifically for the game, similar to Castle of Illusion.
Regarding the gameplay, I find the controls to be a bit smoother in World of Illusion as opposed to the earlier Genesis title. I do like the cape attack mechanic as it's unique and it's kinda fun to see what type of harmless creature the enemy will turn into after being swarmed by the cape. I don't have any issues with the butt bump in Castle of Illusion, it's a fun move, but it took me some time to get used to pressing the jump button twice to activate the attack. Another aspect to the controls that I appreciate in comparison to the earlier title, is the ability to run and the ability to crawl through certain areas is also a nice addition.
Another element that I liked in World of Illusion are the scenes where the characters are flying. It's a sequence that switches the gameplay up for a bit, which I appreciate in platformers. Both the carpet scene in the clouds and the scene where the character is riding on a cork through the starry night were fun to navigate through. It's also a nice touch that Mickey and Donald each have an exclusive level in solo mode, and I believe I read there's another exclusive level in co-op mode. I really like the fact that each character has their own unique playthrough and I wish more games from this era featured something like this.
My main critique, which is nothing major, is that it's pretty short. It'd be nice if there was maybe one or two more levels or an adjustable difficulty setting, but it's also nice to be able to finish a quick game. Anyone looking for a real challenge, you're not going to find it here. There's not much strategy needed for most of the bosses, and you won't have too many patterns to figure out, which is understandable due to the original target audience. I had only given this game a few tries and ended up managing to finish it in about an hour.
If you're a fan of platformers and never tried this one, I can recommend it, especially if you're looking for something easy. If you're looking for something that is gonna test you, this is not the game to go for. While I also tried Castle of Illusion and enjoyed it so far, I haven't been able to beat it just yet, but I'm going to continue to do so. Give this one a shot if you're in the mood for something light and fun!
2. Time Crisis [Special Mode] (PS1)
3. Streets of Rage (GEN)
4. Time Crisis: Project Titan (PS1)
5. Rayman Origins (360)
6. Borderlands (360)
7. Streets of Rage 4 (Switch)*
8. King of Dragons (SNES)
9. Wild Guns (SNES)
10. Star Fox (SNES)
11. Guardian Heroes (SS) [2x]*
12. World of Illusion (GEN)
Castle of Illusion and World of Illusion were both games on my to-get list for the Genesis, and with last month's Together Retro theme being based around 8-bit and 16-bit Mickey and Donald games, it was a good time for me to finally grab a physical copy of each and give them a go. I didn't originally get a Genesis until 1993 and while I was young at the time, I've realized that it was late in the system's lifespan, so I missed out on some of the earlier titles on the Genesis like this Disney platformer. I posted my thoughts of the game in the TR thread yesterday, but going to expand on them a bit here.
I really like the graphics in this game, the character sprites look really good, and I think the Mickey sprite looks better here than in Castle of Illusion. I think the backgrounds are more detailed and colorful than its predecessor. The soundtrack is also awesome and I especially enjoyed the tunes in the water level and the last level. The cover art is also pretty great IMO, and I wonder if it's an illustration that was made specifically for the game, similar to Castle of Illusion.
Regarding the gameplay, I find the controls to be a bit smoother in World of Illusion as opposed to the earlier Genesis title. I do like the cape attack mechanic as it's unique and it's kinda fun to see what type of harmless creature the enemy will turn into after being swarmed by the cape. I don't have any issues with the butt bump in Castle of Illusion, it's a fun move, but it took me some time to get used to pressing the jump button twice to activate the attack. Another aspect to the controls that I appreciate in comparison to the earlier title, is the ability to run and the ability to crawl through certain areas is also a nice addition.
Another element that I liked in World of Illusion are the scenes where the characters are flying. It's a sequence that switches the gameplay up for a bit, which I appreciate in platformers. Both the carpet scene in the clouds and the scene where the character is riding on a cork through the starry night were fun to navigate through. It's also a nice touch that Mickey and Donald each have an exclusive level in solo mode, and I believe I read there's another exclusive level in co-op mode. I really like the fact that each character has their own unique playthrough and I wish more games from this era featured something like this.
My main critique, which is nothing major, is that it's pretty short. It'd be nice if there was maybe one or two more levels or an adjustable difficulty setting, but it's also nice to be able to finish a quick game. Anyone looking for a real challenge, you're not going to find it here. There's not much strategy needed for most of the bosses, and you won't have too many patterns to figure out, which is understandable due to the original target audience. I had only given this game a few tries and ended up managing to finish it in about an hour.
If you're a fan of platformers and never tried this one, I can recommend it, especially if you're looking for something easy. If you're looking for something that is gonna test you, this is not the game to go for. While I also tried Castle of Illusion and enjoyed it so far, I haven't been able to beat it just yet, but I'm going to continue to do so. Give this one a shot if you're in the mood for something light and fun!
- Markies
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 1415
- Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 4:29 pm
- Location: St. Louis, Missouri
- Contact:
Re: Games Beaten 2021
Markies' Games Beat List Of 2021!
*Denotes Replay For Completion*
1. Midtown Madness 3 (XBOX)
2. X-Men 2: Clone Wars (GEN)
3. Sonic Adventure 2 (SDC)
4. Mega Man 7 (SNES)
5. Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra (PS2)
I beat Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra on the Sony Playstation 2 this evening!
After I had purchased Xenosaga II, I was walking around a local game store and found a near mint copy of Xenosaga III. The game was a bit expensive, but not even close to the price the game fetches today. I already had II and I realized that the game was only going to get harder to find, so I decided to complete the trilogy and picked up Xenosaga III. Last year, I played through Xenosaga II and I was ready for a long break from the series. I enjoyed it somewhat, but there were also many parts that I did not enjoy. However, the Fortune Cookie had other opinions, so I soon realized that I would be finishing off the Xenosaga trilogy much faster than I had anticipated.
After the misstep of Xenosaga II, I was a little hesitant playing Xenosaga III, so I am happy to say that Xenosaga III is without a doubt the best in the series. I'm still wrapping my head around the story, but at least everything wraps up nicely. All loose ends are tied up and any existing plot threads are answered by the end of the game. I'm a little confused on the overall story, but the character arcs all made sense throughout the entire series. Much like previous games, the music and graphics are unbelievable. The game has many, many hours of spoke dialogue and it is all really good. The character development isn't all that great, except for maybe Shion, who takes a major role throughout the entire game. The game also has a nice flow to it as you never felt over or under leveled. I felt at the correct level throughout the entire game with battles not too hard or too easy. But what really drew me into the game is the battle system. It is very basic and bare bones and feels like RPG Comfort Food. The long and boost heavy battle system is shelved for a more simple battle system with character based Special Attacks. Add to that an addictive skill tree and you have somebody who is in RPG heaven and enjoyed every moment of the 56 hours.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Xenosaga III. It pains me to say this as the game goes for close to $200, but it is the best in the series and worth playing through the other games to get to it. If you love or enjoyed any game in the series, this game is worth it to play it. If you are new to the series, start with the first one as this one would make no sense to you. But, sometimes, they really do save the best for last.
*Denotes Replay For Completion*
1. Midtown Madness 3 (XBOX)
2. X-Men 2: Clone Wars (GEN)
3. Sonic Adventure 2 (SDC)
4. Mega Man 7 (SNES)
5. Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra (PS2)
I beat Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra on the Sony Playstation 2 this evening!
After I had purchased Xenosaga II, I was walking around a local game store and found a near mint copy of Xenosaga III. The game was a bit expensive, but not even close to the price the game fetches today. I already had II and I realized that the game was only going to get harder to find, so I decided to complete the trilogy and picked up Xenosaga III. Last year, I played through Xenosaga II and I was ready for a long break from the series. I enjoyed it somewhat, but there were also many parts that I did not enjoy. However, the Fortune Cookie had other opinions, so I soon realized that I would be finishing off the Xenosaga trilogy much faster than I had anticipated.
After the misstep of Xenosaga II, I was a little hesitant playing Xenosaga III, so I am happy to say that Xenosaga III is without a doubt the best in the series. I'm still wrapping my head around the story, but at least everything wraps up nicely. All loose ends are tied up and any existing plot threads are answered by the end of the game. I'm a little confused on the overall story, but the character arcs all made sense throughout the entire series. Much like previous games, the music and graphics are unbelievable. The game has many, many hours of spoke dialogue and it is all really good. The character development isn't all that great, except for maybe Shion, who takes a major role throughout the entire game. The game also has a nice flow to it as you never felt over or under leveled. I felt at the correct level throughout the entire game with battles not too hard or too easy. But what really drew me into the game is the battle system. It is very basic and bare bones and feels like RPG Comfort Food. The long and boost heavy battle system is shelved for a more simple battle system with character based Special Attacks. Add to that an addictive skill tree and you have somebody who is in RPG heaven and enjoyed every moment of the 56 hours.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Xenosaga III. It pains me to say this as the game goes for close to $200, but it is the best in the series and worth playing through the other games to get to it. If you love or enjoyed any game in the series, this game is worth it to play it. If you are new to the series, start with the first one as this one would make no sense to you. But, sometimes, they really do save the best for last.