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24 Jan 2019
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The Messenger

The Messenger | Jan 24, 2019 | 10:59hrs | rating: 3/5

An 8/16-bit action game (it jumps back and forth between styles) that gives you a map for backtracking once you’ve reached the “end”. Some have called this a metroidvania, but in my opinion, it only uses the very worst aspects of that genre.

– GAMEPLAY: The hit-enemy-to-get-extra-jump move is a fun mechanic, but I often feel like I die unfairly due to half-wonky controls, for example when sticking to walls unwantedly, or the unclear glide mechanic. Except for one section late in the game there isn’t much variation, just room after room that you run through and kill some enemies on the way.
When the big twist comes half-way into the game, I first got excited, but unfortunately it just made the game even more repetitive with constant backtracking in old areas. (And almost never any exploration since the map shows nearly everything.)
– AUDIOVISUALLY: Initially the graphics are too retro for my tastes, and the music is actually annoying (save for a couple of good tracks). It gets better three hours in when the 16-bit style kicks in, but it’s never spectactular.
– STORY/PRESENTATION: There’s a lot of fourth wall humor that often made me chuckle (seems like no indie games take themselves seriously these days!) and although the plot is generic at first, they throw a genuinely clever twist at you later on. I think this is what makes the game for some, and why it’s gotten praise.
– MULTIPLAYER: None.

It’s not a bad game (it works in the “play while watching tv” sort of way), but exploring is super unrewarding since there are so many long corridors that give you nothing, or worse; they’re dead ends because you’re in the wrong “dimension”. I rarely get frustrated by games, but this one did it a lot. But by always using the hint system, the game recovered and had a satisfying (though oddly easy) ending.

20 Jan 2019
Comments: 0

Iconoclasts

Iconoclasts | Jan 20, 2019 | 13:40hrs | rating: 4.5/5

Another metroidvania, and this one feels great from the very first moment. And when it’s nearing the end 10 hours later, I just wanted it to keep going. Luckily it did, at least until I was more or less satisfied.

– GAMEPLAY: Super tight controls and a lot of QoL functions that just make sense, like auto-angling weapons, stomping on enemies, a nice ledge-grab, character-switching, and the star of the game; a multi-purpose wrench that gets more uses as you upgrade it. Combined with wonderful animation and effective sound effects, it just feels great to play.
Though the game is often quite linear due to the heavy focus on story, there’s always moments where you have to explore the current area, and it feels good figure out what to do and where to go due to the clever puzzles and level design.
I also have to mention that the enemy design and especially the bosses are GREAT and feel very fresh/creative.
– AUDIOVISUALLY: Very nice pixel art, with a lot of cute animation that makes the characters come alive. Some of the music reminds me of Metroid Prime, and it’s great, but the non-Metroidy music is more forgettable.
– STORY/PRESENTATION: I rarely care for story in games, but this one mixes gameplay and plot very nicely, with mostly short cut-scenes that develop the characters and slowly unveil its world and religious/political dilemmas. At first I just found it non-intrusive (which was a good thing), but it kept growing on me and even got emotional towards the end.
– MULTIPLAYER: Sadly none, and it’s what one can expect from this genre. But considering the game-feel and object interaction, I’m sure the developer could have put together a great co-op mode.

Just wow. As I finished the game, I felt that it’s one of the best of the generation. It beats Hollow Knight for me, but doesn’t have much post-content or the replayability of for example Celeste. Super recommended though! (And I will try the New Game+ some day.)

17 Jan 2019
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Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. | Jan 17, 2019 | 0:15hrs | rating:3/5

Someone at Resetera brought up the hammer bros difficulty towards the end of the game, which made me want to go and check it out. Warp pipe to world 4, warp pipe to world 8, and there I was.
I still don’t think they’re THAT hard. It’s easy to get past the first shower of hammers and wait right next to the enemy, and when he jumps, you run under them! Or, just run and jump right away.
I finished the game since I was almost there anyway, and got a quick addition to my 52 games in 2019!

Naturally it’s hard to rate/judge a game that’s been around me my whole life. The controls are clumsier than later Mario games, but functional when you know how they work. I still enjoy running through it every second year or so, because it’s so immediate and fast-paced.
Let’s see how replaying NSMBU fares in comparison.

15 Jan 2019
Comments: 0

Guacamelee

Guacamelee | Jan 15, 2019 | 6:24hrs | rating: 2.5/5

One of those metroidvanias that barely feel like one, because you’re constantly shown exactly where to go on the map. As a result, it feels quite linear and mindless, and during the long final area (which felt like half the game), I just wanted it to end.

– GAMEPLAY: You’re very limited at first, but once you’ve unlocked most abilities, it reminds me of Smash Bros (you dodge, double-jump and do tilted attacks), and this is a good thing. The wall-jumps feel a bit clumsy though, especially in combination with corners. Could overall be a bit more fluid/tighter.
They try to throw some gameplay variation at you, but it often feels shallow instead of well developed, like a few rooms with portals (basically what you find in Portal), and running up walls. The dimension swap mechanic is cool, but also under-utilized.
I hope that the second game will further develop what this game really did well, which was the colored special moves! They were often a lot of fun, especially when you were forced to use them well, like with the final boss.
– AUDIOVISUALLY: The artstyle is okay, and I especially like the shadow work. Pet-peeves like no feet-adjustment to tilted floors lower the overall impression a lot. The music sets the right tone but ends up being forgettable and quite repetitive at points.
– STORY/PRESENTATION: The humoristic references worked well enough for me (there’s a lot of them), but the plot was forgettable and bare-bones. Maybe the pacing was a reason why I lost interest?
– MULTIPLAYER: Though you can co-op the entire game with up to 4 players (which is a great addition!), there’s no character interaction and the gameplay-loop just didn’t interest my friend for more than a few minutes.

All in all, it’s a solid game. There are some village side-quests and a bunch of colored gates on the map that don’t interest me enough to get back to, so my final playtime ends with 6:24hrs.

14 Jan 2019
Comments: 0

Wario’s Woods

Wario’s Woods | Jan 14, 2019 | 36:19hrs | rating: 5/5

Whoa, this quickly became one of my all-time favorite puzzle games! It’s a classic “line up the same color” puzzle game, but you’re controlling Toad to do the work.

– GAMEPLAY: There’s so much depth to the controls that you learn new tricks 30 hours into the game. Going for the gold medals in the Time mode fits my gaming tastes perfectly, and even when I beat the records, I kept pushing myself to improve my times.
– AUDIOVISUALLY: It looks super neat for being NES, and the music is memorable.
– STORY/PRESENTATION: Wario taunts you now and then as you clear each puzzle, and that’s all there is to the story. Nothing more is really needed though! The main mode consists of a hundred levels that get harder and harder, and there’s a B mode that occasionally throws in boss fights. It’s a bit mindless but a relaxing way of learning the controls and getting efficient. The star of the game is Time mode, for me personally!
– MULTIPLAYER: There’s a more than functional VS mode, which is a lot of fun even if you’re at different skill levels.

This is a game I never hear anyone talk about, but I highly recommend it to any puzzle/platforming fan!