Aug Together Retro: Animal Main Characters

[laurenhiya21]

Woo! August is here so it's time to play some games with animal/creature main characters! Can't wait to see what you guys play for this month.

[noiseredux]

I am importing the physical edition of Okami on Switch, which comes out on the 9th so I won't be playing until then. But I am excited to finally dive into that one.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Stuff I'm considering...

Donkey Kong Country trilogy (have only ever beaten the first game)
Donkey Kong Land trilogy (have never played any of these)
E.V.O.: Search for Eden
Yume Penguin Monogatari
Kangaroo

[noiseredux]

I remember really enjoying the DK Land games.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I am importing the physical edition of Okami on Switch, which comes out on the 9th so I won't be playing until then. But I am excited to finally dive into that one.

Okami was the best 3D Zelda game until BOTW. Just outstanding. It starts out sssslllloooowwww, however, and doesn’t really pick up until you are about three hours into it. Also, the tone shifts drastically between the first, second, and third chapters. (In the first, you have a clear mission and goal; the second is much less focused, and you basically uncover and resolve a mystery as you proceed through it; the third ties everything together and brings the game to a phenomenal conclusion.)

I don’t want to scare you off it. I just want to set expectations. It took me two attempts to get into it, but I ended up sinking a ton of time into it (I just had to do everything), and I consider it both one of my favorite games and one of the best games ever made.

If you end up enjoying as much as I did, I recommend the DS exclusive sequel Okamiden. It is also extremely solid, and I gobbled it up shortly after its release. (Thinking back, it is easily the best Zelda game on the DS...and I actually enjoyed Phantom Hourglass a lot!)

For this month, I will probably take another shot at Ecco the Dolphin...<shudder>

[Sarge]

I loved both Okami and Okamiden. Once you get past the downgraded visuals, Okamiden in particular is the best Zelda-style game on the system. And like prfsnl_gmr, I enjoyed the DS Zelda titles, so it's better than those.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I loved both Okami and Okamiden. Once you get past the downgraded visuals, Okamiden in particular is the best Zelda-style game on the system. And like prfsnl_gmr, I enjoyed the DS Zelda titles, so it's better than those.

Okamiden is really a technical marvel, and the visuals that Clover squeezed out of the DS are incredibly impressive. Also, you get to play as a super-cute puppy!

[pierrot]

I don’t want to scare you off it. I just want to set expectations. It took me two attempts to get into it, but I ended up sinking a ton of time into it (I just had to do everything), and I consider it both one of my favorite games and one of the best games ever made.

I also spent a ton of time playing Okami when it was released (I finished it with something like 90 hours clocked in the game). I don't know that I like it quite as much as you do, prfsnl, but it was definitely an experience. I feel like some sections of the game start to drag a bit in the middle, but when I got to this place, I was in awe. It was a pretty rad game, for the time. There's nothing like the power of Shodo to dispatch Yayoi/Yamato-period demons.

I've still never played Okamiden, though.


I spent some time on Sonic 3 & Knuckles over the last couple days, and finished it with Sonic and Tails. I had to manipulate the hell out of Tails while fighting the egg robot at the end of Sonic & Knuckles. I died so many times to Tails hitting the Master Emerald laser before me, and falling straight into the pit at the edge of the screen. It's a whole lot easier with just Sonic, but I actually had some fun using Tails to my advantage at different points, like against Knuckles in the Hidden Palace Zone. I only managed to get one of the Super Emeralds, because the second group of Blue Sphere stages are a lot more challenging, and I'm not that good at Blue Sphere to begin with. Also, I don't really remember where many of the large rings are in Sonic & Knuckles. I was surprised to find out that Doomsday Zone is still unlocked with just the seven chaos emeralds, though. I did not realize that.


I'll probably be starting Klonoa 2 sometime soon. I played the first Klonoa a couple years ago, and remember how difficult the platforming got in the last few stages. I used to know someone who said that Klonoa 2 was some serious hotness, but that was a long time ago, and I've never really heard anyone talk about it otherwise. I'm interested in seeing if it really is the hotness, or not.

[Exhuminator]

Lovely OP banner art Laurenhiya21, nice job.

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I've gone through my game collection and found quite a few qualifying candidates for this TR. The criteria qualifications are so open that tons of retro games work. I'm looking forward to seeing what other members choose to play. Hopefully you all will pick more imaginative choices than just Sonic and Kirby. ;p

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I used to know someone who said that Klonoa 2 was some serious hotness, but that was a long time ago, and I've never really heard anyone talk about it otherwise.

Aside from the Lunatea's Veil, people always forget about the GBA entries:

They are not ports, but rather unique series entries focusing on 2D platforming.

[alienjesus]

I’m planning on combining this with my summer challenge to play conkers bad fur day, and I was also thinking I’d play through another Rareware game on N64 with Mickeys Speedway USA. If it’s not too much of a stretch maybe I’ll finish it out with another Rare N64 game and play through Killer Instinct Gold as Sabrewulf.

I’ve already beaten the more obvious Rareware animal mascot games previously XD