Games Beaten 2021

[PartridgeSenpai]

Partridge Senpai's 2021 Beaten Games:
Previously: 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
* indicates a repeat

1. Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland (PS3)
2. Portal 2 (PC) *
3. Atelier Judie: The Alchemist of Gramnad (PS2)
4. Pipo Saru 2001 (PS2)
5. Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon (N64)
6. Atelier Viorate: The Alchemist of Gramnad 2 (PS2)
7. Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SFC)
8. The Legend of Mystical Ninja (SFC)
9. Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg (PS1)

10. Ganbare Goemon 2 (SFC)

Continuing on from beating Mystical Ninja, I moved onto its immediate Super Famicom sequel to stream the following week. While the first SNES Goemon was a game I'd played nearly to completion before, I'd never played the second or third SNES games, so this was a pretty exciting look into how the series progressed from there. I was not let down, as while this isn't exactly a perfect fix, it's a huge step forward for the series to finally bring it out of the 8-bit era that the first SNES entry is still so rife with. It took me almost spot on 3 hours to beat the game via the Wii U virtual console with limited save state usage.

Goemon and Ebisumaru are enjoying a vacation on Okinawa when suddenly Sasuke appears and informs them that not only have the emperor and Princess Yuki been kidnapped, so has all of Oedo Castle! It's all the work of the evil general Magnus, and it's up to Goemon and friends to go across Japan (once again) and save it from the clutches of a vile interloper! There's a fair bit more story in this one than the last one, but it's still just all silly gags (and thankfully no homophobic or transphobic ones, at least not explicitly, as Ebisumaru himself is basically a walking gay joke). The silly stuff is good fun and the story does just as much legwork as it needs to to stich the gameplay together.

That gameplay, while feeling very familiar, has changed a LOT since the first Super Goemon game (which I will call them from here on out, because it's a useful shorthand and the only actual difference between the Famicom and Super Famicom games' titles are long subtitles that I don't wanna type out entirely :b). First of all, joining the team of Goemon and Ebisumaru is now Sasuke, the clockwork ninja! Yae is in the story, but she's sadly not playable yet. However, I played through as Sasuke, and he brings a whole new assortment of weaponry to the team via his throwing kunai (which he can throw infinitely but are weaker than his normal slashes) and throwing bombs (which cost money). The game is still only two player co-op, but it's neat to have more options for playable characters.

The old games' style of 2D platforming segments intermixed with town segments are still here, but that's been refined to what would become a standard for the series. No longer are you being attacked constantly in towns, and they now serve entirely as hubs for you to buy equipment at and ask around for information. This is made a lot easier as the game now has a Super Mario World-style world map (complete with castles that get destroyed once you beat them) that you walk around in from stage to stage. It's ultimately not that complex, save for a few extra stages unlocked by taking different routes/finding secrets in towns, but it's really welcome as a quality of life feature to replay stages and gear up safely in towns.

The 2D platforming stages are largely the same in quality and caliber. There are technically more of them than in the last game (particularly due to the branching paths), but there are also less worlds in total, so there isn't thaaat much of a different in overall "CONTENT", if we're gonna weigh it that way. The quality of life features cannot go unstated though. Where a big problem in prior Goemon games is that they're just a bit too unforgiving with checkpoints, this game really goes the distance to improve that problem. Levels are overall smaller, tighter experiences based around one idea instead of one longer, drawn out thing. Even longer stages, such as the end of the game, that seem to be one long stage are actually subdivided on the world map. This means that even if you die midway through the final boss fight, for example, that you can pick up right from that phase shift, as each large stage of the final stage and even the boss fight's stages itself are split up into manageable pieces. This game even has a save battery in it to save your progress. I really never expected this level of QOL improvements from a Konami SNES game after how unforgiving the first Super Goemon game is, so this was a big plus for me.

Another new thing is another new character: Goemon's own mecha, Goemon Impact! Following a formula a lot like the first N64 game (although not entirely like the rest of the SNES games), many boss fights are followed by a Goemon Impact segment where you first bash through a bunch of buildings and enemies to build up ammo and health for a first-person cockpit-view boss fight. Despite the rest of the game's boss fights and level design being top notch and really good, these Impact fights are honestly one of the lowest points of the game. Your health ticks down mid-fight, Adventure Island-style, so you not only need to avoid getting hit, but you also need to beat these fights quickly. It never feels like your cursor can aim quite fast enough, and some boss attacks I was never able to really figure out how to dodge correctly. They aren't absolute garbage, and they don't ruin the game as they're not super duper hard, but it's clear that Konami is still experimenting with how to make these actually enjoyable to play.

The presentation is as excellent as ever. That reliable Konami musical score is bangin', and the graphics have been prettied up quite a fair bit since the last game. It's still very much Goemon, but the colors really pop, and the game has a ton of different music tracks and there wasn't a single miss among them, for my money.

Verdict: Highly Recommended. This is a really solid Japan-exclusive action/adventure game. If I had to hazard a guess as to why it never came out in English, I'd reckon it has to do with the several decade-long idea among Japanese devs that certain games were just "too Japanese" for Westerners to be interested in. It's not a perfect game, as I've already said, but it's a really solid entry and the quality of life improvements and generally better difficulty curve make it an easy game to recommend. The Goemon Impact segments do drag it all down, but not unforgivably so, by any means. Where Super Goemon 1 was more or less a 16-bit version of the formula of the 8-bit games, its sequel really takes leaps and bounds into the 16-bit era and the design improvements that went with it. It's a pretty easy game to play without knowing Japanese as well, and some fan translations recently came out for it as well. If you like action games, this is one you shouldn't let pass you by.

[Gunstar Green]

Turrican 2: The Final Fight (Amiga version on Turrican Flashback for Switch)

What a difference a year can make. On the surface Turrican 2 isn't that different but as you start playing, particularly if the first game is fresh in your memory, the changes become apparent.

First off leaving the game sit at the title screen will actually lead into an intro story sequence with amusing late 70's/early 80's inspired anime-ish artwork. This time we're given a bit more of a story than a manual blurb of the thing is bad, destroy the thing. A group of brave explorers is setting out beyond our galaxy when they're attacked by an army of mutants led by an evil menace known as "The Machine." Our hero, who is given the name "Bren McGuire" and also purple hair, survives by playing dead and dons one of their stock of Turrican powered armors to seek revenge for his shipmates. Why didn't everyone get into their nigh-invincible super powered suits when a hostile ship was approaching? I don't know but I'm sure glad they didn't because it means we've got a video game to play. It doesn't reference or tie into the thin plot of the original game at all. It's possible the first Turrican even featured a different character in the titular suit of armor but we'll never know!

The game starts out much the same as the original in a very lush and open world to more sweet, sweet Chris Huelsbeck tunes. One of the first things you might notice is the smaller HUD as the complicated and janky arsenal of Turrican has been streamlined here in the sequel. Your 360 degree lightning attack is still here and has been nerfed slightly. It still fires in all directions around your character but now it's no longer a bolt of electricity that pierces enemies but more like a stream of projectiles. This makes it less stupidly powerful in boss fights though it's still a very important and useful weapon. As for your main arsenal the spread shot and laser both return, but now the laser can be upgraded to fire much more useful giant shots instead of the powerful but hard to aim thin beam of the first game. A new weapon, the bounce shot, has been added which shoots one round bullet that splits into many tiny bullets that quickly rebound off of walls. It's an extremely useful weapon in the many tight corridors of the game as it completely fills cramped spaces with death.

The "power line" collectible stock attack from the first game makes a return, a quick attack that sends horizontal waves of energy outward from both sides of your character in a pinch. The kind of boring bomb shot and nearly useless mines that I didn't even bother talking about are gone now in favor of letting you drop an infinite supply of bombs like Samus Aran when in your wheel mode. Speaking of which the wheel is now able to be used infinitely instead of just three times per-life, making it far more useful for traversing dangers and finding secrets. It's almost too powerful really but it does help in mitigating many of the game's challenges. A screen clearing super attack can also be done in wheel mode once per life but I never found myself actually using it. All-in-all the game has been polished up by improving what worked and mostly dropping what didn't and isn't as afraid to let you have fun with your abilities.

The game plays out in much the same way, letting you explore in open levels that are even more vast than before. The main reward for doing so continues to be the much needed one-ups as health works in the same way as the previous title, continually draining upon contact with an enemy, and you'll need plenty of lives if you're going to make it all the way through the game. Graphical detail has improved and I found myself much less surprised by what I could stand on or what was a threat to me. Level design has improved across the board as well, though there's still some tricky platforming it's more polished and never quite reaches the levels of jank in the first game. The verticality of the levels will definitely punish you for using your wheel recklessly, though there are also secrets that reward occasional bold use of the wheel. Leaps of faith are unfortunately still an issue but they much less frequently lead to bottomless pits. Most of the boss fights are more fun and are easily better designed than their Turrican 1 counterparts which I didn't talk about much previously because they were just a race to find a way to cheese them before they drained all of your health. Here they have more sensible, predictable patterns and mechanics. Probably my biggest problem that they failed to address is that the level timer is still in place despite the fact that there's even more to explore in Turrican 2's levels. It's such a bummer to find a one-up only for it to be worthless because you spent all of your time searching for it.

The game also has more of a sense of humor about it, especially revolving around its most basic enemy which is a little robot walker that appeared in the first game. You can now jump on their heads like a Mario enemy which flattens them a bit and sends them running away in terror. Later in the adventure you come across giant versions of this enemy which announce "make my day" as they enter the screen despite still not being very threatening. Part way through the game you find a ship like at the end of the first game when you make your escape to the end credits and you're treated to three brief but very well realized shmup levels a few years before Gunstar Heroes would pull such antics. As your ship launches it amusingly flies by and leaves behind a Force module from R-Type. This is in reference to earlier works by Manfred Trenz as he produced an R-Type clone for the Commodore 64 called Katakis which actually got Irem's attention and convinced them to let him do an official port of their arcade classic to the machine. Because of this pedigree the shmup stages are actually quite fun and thankfully not very difficult so even if you're not big on the genre this shouldn't impede your progress much.

This game has its own take on the dreaded World 4 of the last game in its World 5. Here the creepy Giger-esque scenery goes full-on Contra as it's an even more blatant rip off of the Aliens franchise, complete with funcional Xenomorph heads and eggs that hatch health draining face huggers. Thankfully this level is a lot more manageable than the nightmare world of the first game and exploring will actually lead to power ups and extra lives this time instead of subjecting you to a hellish marathon of item starvation. Unfortunately there are a lot of ways to die instantly in this level if you're not careful. It's not quite as atmospheric though, and without the upbeat level afterwards the final boss just kind of shows up out of the blue, dies and the game ends rather anticlimactically. The boss isn't even "The Machine" big baddie from the intro sequence, just a big generic looking robot that will leave you scratching your head over the sudden finale. Then again this game is far from "The Final Fight" considering there are more titles in this collection.

Despite the somewhat flat ending Turrican 2 objectively improves on the original in just about every way possible. While I still think the original title is worthwhile in some of the things it does differently and in the more atmospheric tone it sets, Turrican 2 does cause its predecessor to suffer from "First Game Syndrome" in the same way a game like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 does. It's a more polished experience with a more mature grasp of game design and a better understanding of what they had created with Turrican. It's still an extremely difficult game but I think it's a worthy one.

One thing I forgot to bring up is that the original two Duke Nukem games sort of "borrowed" some graphical assets from Turrican and Turrican 2. I don't think Rainbow Arts/Factor 5 or Apogee have ever made any kind of statement about this, and considering Turrican's papa, Manfred Trenz, is also known for his blatant Super Mario rip-off, The Great Giana Sisters, and Turrican 2 especially "references" one of 20th Century Fox's properties pretty obviously perhaps they felt those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Now I personally don't think stealing assets is quite the same as putting Xenomorphs in your game but it was a different time and these games weren't really directly competing with each other given the lack of success for the Amiga in North America and the gaming market on DOS at the time was an extremely niche and undeveloped place. It's just kind of cool to think that Duke Nukem got its start because the Apogee guys liked Turrican.

[Note]

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)

I've been curious about the Rayman series but didn't end up checking out the games earlier. I saw it was a viable option for January's Together Retro which was themed around games of 2011. I figured this would be a good time to jump in, as I only saw positive reviews on the game. I also haven't played many modern platformers, so I was about to find out what I've been missing.

The graphics are stunning in this game and the presentation is really well done. The development team did an impressive job with the visuals -- the character and enemy animations are great. The backgrounds are colorful and extremely detailed and the cutscenes look like something from a Saturday morning cartoon. I'm a bit mixed on the music for this game though. There are some tunes I like, but others that just sound a bit too childish, and I found kinda annoying. That's really my only gripe with this game.

Regarding gameplay, the controls are very precise and the levels are designed extremely well. I like how each level has some hidden areas, it definitely felt rewarding to stumble upon them as you go through each stage. There's a few different type of things to collect, but their not required and the game doesn't feel like a collect-a-thon IMO. There are some portions in the game I found to be somewhat tough to get through, but I never felt like it was unfair. It just took some practice and multiple tries to get down. Most of the tougher levels were towards the end of the game, unless you are counting the skull teeth stages. I managed to get the first two skull keys, but the other levels were intense. After a ton of tries, I couldn't manage to get the third or fourth. Respect to anyone who was able to get all the skull teeth, seems like a very difficult task, but it's not necessary to finish the main game.

Overall, I really enjoyed this game a lot and it was a surprise hit for me. I'm new to the Rayman series, and would definitely like to check out the older entries and possibly Rayman Legends. Appreciate the Racketeers who recommended this title, as it totally lives up to the praise. I missed out on a lot of games from this era, so if anyone has any other recommendations for platformers from around the same time, definitely let me know. Check this one out if you haven't already!

[Markies]

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)



I completed Mega Man 7 on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System this evening!

The Mega Man games on the NES were some of my favorite games growing up as a child and it was real blast going through them again in recent years. My favorite game in the series is Mega Man 2 because it is almost perfection. I'm also a big fan of Mega Man 3 as well, but I think it goes a bit too long in my tastes. Once the charge shot was introduced in Mega Man 4, I think the games were changed too much. It was no longer a fast paced action platforming experience as you had to pause every so often to charge your shot. Mega Man 4, 5 and 6 are great games, but I just prefer the originals. So, after I beat the NES games, it was time to move onto the SNES games. It took a while because the game is very expensive, but I finally found a copy of Mega Man 7 and the Fortune Cookie decided I should play it this year.

The best parts about Mega Man 7 is the music and the graphics. These are staples of the series as Mega Man 2 having the best soundtrack on the NES. Thankfully, they don't disappoint just because they moved to the SNES. The tunes here are fantastic and have some really great sound to them. Also, the sprite work in the game is phenomenal. Capcom always does great sprite work and it shows here as well. The game looks bright and absolutely beautiful.

Unfortunately, aesthetically is probably the best part of Mega Man 7. Once you get to the game itself, things become really hard, really fast. It is the same basic gameplay as the later games with a charge slot and the ability to slide. The biggest change is that you can collect bolts to buy upgrades, Extra Lives and E-Tanks. Because of that, the game is so much harder than the NES games. Mega Man is so much larger, so you are taking damage constantly and you are always missing jumps because of his size. The bosses have patterns that make it hard to avoid and the Wily forms are some of the hardest in the series. Seriously, that final Wily form is atrocious.

Overall, I had a mixed experience with Mega Man 7. It's still Mega Man, so it mostly plays great while looking and sounding beautiful. However, once you dive deep into the game, it becomes mostly a chore to play. The NES Mega Man games were mostly fair while Mega Man 7 is mostly not. If you are a hardcore Mega Man fan, then this is worth owning. Otherwise, play it on one of the many collections.

[Gunstar Green]

Wily Capsule 7 is one of the hardest moments in any Mega Man game. They wanted to make a boss you couldn't beat without E-Tanks and they largely succeeded. Some people can do manage to beat it tankless but I never could.

The game was developed in three months though so it's kind of insane it turned out was good as it is.

[BoneSnapDeez]

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)

Anyone who's played a modern Kirby game will observe that the pink puffball can hop around between various game "modes" -- one of which is typically the main quest while the others comprise "bonus content." This design dates back to Kirby Super Star (1996), though there is no singular main quest here, rather there's a series of discrete adventures and a couple of true "mini-games" to take on. At first this arrangement may appear disjointed, though the game ends up unfolding beautifully with Kirby being gracefully transposed from one idiosyncratic setting to the next.

For the most part, Kirby Super Star is a 2D platformer, and the first Kirby game of this type on the Super Nintendo (the 16-bit Kirby games that precede it include a golf game and a puzzle game). Controls have been altered to fit the newer, more elaborate controller in the same way that Mario and Mega Man controls received an overhaul. B is now used for jumping, with Y for attacks (the typical suck, blow, or air puff being the default offensive moves). The up button is no longer used for flying, as that's now accomplished by tapping A repeatedly. It's a little tougher on the thumbs and causes Kirby to "bob" while flying, and it works well within the confines of this particular installment, which features less empty air and a larger assortment of corridors and low ceilings. Kirby can also run, duck, slide, and block enemy attacks. He's certainly more agile than he looks.

As introduced in Kirby's Adventure, our hero is able to swallow particular enemies and absorb their abilities. There's a myriad of powers to acquire: a beam that whips, bombs that travel in arcs, cutter boomerangs that return to sender, a swiftly-moving wheel (in this case Kirby becomes the wheel), and more. Each power is denoted onscreen by a new icon in the status bar and a cutesy hat that Kirby dons. If an enemy delivers a heavy blow to Kirby, Kirby will lose his power in the form of a floating star which can be inhaled and reactivated within a small time window.

But Kirby need not fight alone. New to Super Star is the ally system, which has thus become a staple of the series. At any time Kirby may relinquish a special ability to summon an ally who possesses such ability. These allies are automatically controlled by the computer AI, though a second human player can take over at any moment. This renders the game a fantastic co-op experience, especially if a younger or more inexperienced player is left in charge of the ally role, as lives are only deducted if Kirby's lifebar hits zero. Plus, the screen scrolls along with Kirby's movements, with a lagging ally teleporting to the present locale. Assuming Kirby possesses no ability of his own, he is also able to transform an ally back into a hat and inhale it for the acquisition of a given power. Doing this and then dumping the ally back out again is actually one of the game's little exploits, as it refills the ally's HP completely. On a similar note, an ally with zero HP will launch into dramatic "death throes" for several seconds before expiring, sparking up and flailing around. Any ally who touches an enemy during this display will inherit its ability and a newfound lifebar.

Combat has been smartly modified to accommodate the buddy system. Enemies can now withstand multiple hits before surrendering, leaving plenty of work for Kirby and his pal alike. Attacks themselves are additionally more elaborate, in a way that almost resembles the mechanics of a beat 'em up. For instance, if Kirby possesses the bomb ability he will lob a bomb as a default attack. But he can also propel a bomb straight forward by pressing Y while dashing. Or, he can casually place an explosive by his feet by pressing down and Y. Other abilities are even more elaborate -- as a "fighter" Kirby possesses no less than ten moves! There's nary a reason to experiment with every single maneuver the game offers, but playing around with Kirby's moveset is an absolute treat. Controls are flawless, as one always expects from a Nintendo platformer, and the game moves forward at a brisk clip not seen in any Kirby title thus far. Super Star also goes heavy on the light (heh) puzzle elements. There are no true head-scratchers but a myriad of casual mazes and some scattered "flip the correct switch" segments.

Now, for Kirby's quests. There is some wiggle room in regards to which order these must be completed, though some specific quests must be finished to unlock others. At the front of the queue is Spring Breeze. It's no secret that Kirby developers were very proud of that initial installment, Kirby's Dream Land, as they can't stop sneaking elements of it into the subsequent games. And that's exactly what Spring Breeze is: a truncated remake of Kirby's Dream Land. Short and sweet with no real challenge or secrets, it serves as a sly tutorial for newcomers. It can easily be knocked off within a single brief sitting, and wraps up with a comically fast credit roll.

Next up is Dyna Blade, where Kirby must ultimately battle a giant bird that threatens Dream Land. The stage design is more ambitious here, with a larger emphasis on wielding specific powers to break through certain obstacles to uncover secret items and hidden switches. There are hidden stages and even a simple world map to traverse. Again, everything is pretty easy here and feels designed to ease the player into the nuances of the new game mechanics.

Gourmet Race is a charming little diversion: a series of three brief foot & air races that can be completed individually or sequentially as part of a grand prix. Kirby's opponent is the affable King Dedede, and the goal is to both collect the most food and reach the exit before Dedede does. Each races scarcely lasts over one minute so the whole thing is wrapped up pretty quickly.

The Great Cave Offensive is where things get really interesting. This hour-long "Metroidvania" segment has Kirby doing his best Pitfall Harry impression, as he enters ancient ruins seeking treasure. There are sixty treasures in all, displayed via a handy menu. Some of the items are pretty funny: for instance, Kirby can acquire the Triforce, a Mr. Saturn, or Samus Aran's Screw Ball. The scenery is pretty cool too: the ruins eventually give way to a serene crystalline watery area, an old multi-floored tower, and a verdant garden that eventually loops back to the entrance in the ruins. Some of the later treasures are very difficult to obtain, though things are easier with a second human player assisting. Thankfully, no treasures need be gathered to exit the Offensive; the tally simply contributes to the overall game completion percentage total. The most inspired bosses make their first appearance within the Offensive, too. There's a big fat whale (named "Fatty Whale") that leaps from background to foreground and sends rocks tumbling down towards Kirby and his ally. There's a chameleon that hides by blending into the background before leaping out to strike (a similar character is featured in HAL's obscure 1988 FDS release Fire Bam). There's even a quasi-turn-based RPG battle against fiends that materialize out of computer file windows, with Kirby receiving some humorous types of "experience points" upon victory.

Revenge of Meta Knight has Kirby tracking down the titular villain and his cohorts within an airship that is poised to attack Dream Land. This is one of the more frantic game modes: each stage has a time limit and there are many auto-scrolling and windy segments. There's some amusing dialogue displayed at the screen's bottom: Kirby's enemies go from cocky to frantic as he approaches their hideouts. Find secret areas and the bad guys bemoan the fact that Kirby has stolen their foodstuffs. Bosses are pretty slick and mostly of the mechanical nature, and the mode concludes with the classic Meta Knight sword fight.

The rules are changed up a bit in Milky Way Wishes. Here, Kirby obtains his abilities from specific icons, not from enemies, and he can equip and swap an ability at any time from a menu (this also means that Kirby can continuously spawn a buddy). The levels are trickiest here, with some looping mazes and areas that are outright impassible unless the correct abilities are first uncovered and equipped. The anticipated "shmup" segment is found within this mode too, and the ultimate villain ends up being a somewhat challenging entity called Marx (not Karl).

Completion of Milky Way Wishes unlocks The Arena. This is a randomized boss rush of every boss found in the game, and even some minibosses for good measure. Given the quirkiness and peculiarities of these combatants, this mode is a joy to play through. Kirby is given but a single life bar, but the challenge is ameliorated by a series of health-restoring items (to be rationed out) and the option to choose a new power and buddy (out of two available) after reach round. The developers had some fun "trolling" here as one of the "bosses" is but a lone Waddle Dee and "sleep" is occasionally offered as a power-up. When The Arena is wrapped up a sound test is revealed, which really marks the end of the whole Super Star experience, unless one goes for 100% completion.

Oh, the two mini-games: these can be played at any time and are just kind of, like, whatever. Megaton Punch has Kirby attempting to punch a planet(!!!) harder than his opponent. This is accomplished via well-timed button presses, when specific icons line up on screen. Samurai Kirby is one of those painful "quick draw" games and a rehashing of the one seen in Kirby's Adventure. Very difficult for those not playing on original hardware, due to that inherent sliver of input lag. In any event, these mini-games don't exactly "do" much and can safely be skipped.

In terms of aesthetics, the game looks gorgeous. Sprites are big, chunky, and colorful, and Kirby has never looked cuter or pinker. There's tons of animation as well: of background elements, on the faces of Kirby and his allies, and of fully-rendered cutscenes that precede and conclude the game modes. The soundtrack is additionally very strong, comprised of remixed old tunes and a generous helping of new ones. The classics sound great coming from the SNES sound chip, and so many of the new tracks are compositionally fascinating. There's the catchy Arabian tune that plays throughout The Great Cave Offensive, the "Russian-sounding" straight-up banger that is the Gourmet Race theme, the subdued "retro computer" track played during the RPG parody battles, and much more. Unlocking the sound test after The Arena is an absolute blessing.

All told, this is one of the all-time great Kirby games and altogether one of the best platformers of its era or any era. The "episodic" structure of the game comes together brilliantly, with each freshly-revealed mode offering up new surprises not seen in the last. Add in some finely-tuned original mechanics and lovely aesthetics and we're left with a bonafide classic. Play without hesitation.

[PartridgeSenpai]

So glad you enjoyed Super Star as much as I do, Bone
It really is one of the all time greats. It's definitely my favorite Kirby game, personally. I'm so happy that the SFC Mini comes with it! It was a game I imported rather than bought domestically (for complicated reasons but ultimately it was for shipping fee-related stuff), so I have a lot of nostalgia for the Japanese version rather than the English one X3

[BoneSnapDeez]

I've had this copy since 1996 or 97. Love dat Kirbz.

[prfsnl_gmr]

First, the final boss in Mega Man 7 is the best final boss in any Mega Man game. So tough! Once you figure it out, though, you can get through it without getting hit.

Second, Kirby Super Star is still my favorite Kirby game. Great review, Bone!

.....

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)

I played the Mickey Mouse games for Together Retro, and I wrote about them in that thread. I’ll be playing a lot more of these this month, and I hope more of you will join me.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Picross is a no-frills Picross game. It’s fine, and it was free.

[Syndicate]

...kind of a quick one, sort of easy too but hey it was fun. I won't have too much time to get through stuff until fall, but I'm going give it a go when I can.

1. Donut County

...oddly enough I played through Megaman 1-8 last year, I thought 7 was pretty decent and the final boss wasn't too bad. Now Megaman 8 and those snowboarding levels, argh.