From now on, all my new posts will be on my own website, www.nicktendowiiu.com instead of here. Thanks for reading over the years and I hope this new site will be even better!
Monday, 9 February 2015
Announcement
Hello everyone, just a quick announcement.
From now on, all my new posts will be on my own website, www.nicktendowiiu.com instead of here. Thanks for reading over the years and I hope this new site will be even better!
From now on, all my new posts will be on my own website, www.nicktendowiiu.com instead of here. Thanks for reading over the years and I hope this new site will be even better!
Friday, 30 January 2015
My Top Ten Handheld Platformer Games!
As promised last month in my "Top Ten Console Platformers" post, this is a list of my personal favourite Platformer games from Handhelds such as the Gameboy, Gamegear and NeoGeo Pocket to name a few! Again in no particular order. Thanks for reading.
10: Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow / Circle Of The Moon / Portrait Of Ruin (DS/GBA)
I used to have a kind of running theme with all the Castlevania games for the GBA and DS. I would always buy one to play while travelling, either on holiday or on a trip. So the majority of my memories of this game are either in a car, caravan or tent! I've played and finished nearly all of the hand held entries in the series, but I've narrowed it down to just three that are clear winners in my eyes.
Firstly, the amazing Dawn of Sorrow for the DS (... see what they did there...). Dawn of Sorrow was the first game for the DS, and is a direct sequel to Aria of Sorrow for the GBA, another impressive entry into the series. DS was a huge game which benefited greatly from being on the DS with a permanent map on the second screen, something the GBA games sorely needed!
Portrait of Ruin is the second game in the DS trilogy and introduced the ability to enter new areas by jumping through portals in paintings around the castle, (much like Mario 64) Meaning there was much more variety in the graphics and environments. The game is a bit more linear however and the overall areas aren't as big to explore as Dawn of Sorrow. Order of Eclessia is also worth playing but is more similar to the NES games being a mostly linear experience with more emphasis on its mission based progression system and new abilities to access new locations.
The last game I chose is the first GBA entry, Circle of the Moon. Although Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of sorrow may look better, its Circle of the moon that really captivated me from start to finish. I'm not sure why but this is a game I could play for hours on end and never get bored.
These days the series has been completely ruined by the need to have 3D graphics and constant action. The newer titles seem to be more based on something like God Of War, than Castlevania. Such a shame because its extremely rare to see these kinds of exploration platformers any more...
9: Metroid Fusion / Zero Mission (GBA)
Not quite up to the incredible hights of Super Metroid, Fusion and Zero mission were none the less fantastic entries into the stellar (interstellar?) series! Fusion really shines as an example of how to turn a huge console game into a handheld masterpiece, breaking down the exploration of Super Metroid into smaller chunks by using different themed environments of a spaceship was a fantastic idea, making the game much more diverse while still containing the whole story in one place and making it more manageable to play in short bursts. Story was a much more important aspect in Fusion than ever before, for the first time we see some of Samus's past and experience her struggle with being infected by a deadly parasite! Of course, all the classic Metroid tropes remain, from having to find all your weapons and items, to scouring every last pixel of the world in search of an elusive energy tank! It's all here and better than ever! It was also a great companion to its bigger brother, Metroid Prime for the GameCube.
Zero mission on the other hand was a remake of the very first Metroid game for the NES, and what an amazing remake it was! forget all these new "HD Remasters"... THIS is how you bring an old game back into the limelight! It is completely revamped and uses many of the newer elements in the metroid series such as a very useful map and fantastic graphics that really are among the best on the GBA. The game is a million times more playable than its NES counterpart and even includes a new section at the end of the game which was the first playable appearance of the fan favourite, Zero Suit Samus, who went on to star in the much loved Smash Bros series (and subsequently some dodgy parts of Deviant Art... >.< )
8: Metal Slug 1st Mission / Gunstar Future Heroes (NGP / GBA)
This game was a complete surprise to me! I wasn't expecting much from an 8-Bit hand-held but I was blown away by how responsive and fun this game is! It has really bright and colourful graphics which really keep the style of its arcade big brothers, and the analogue stick/D-Pad.. Thing on the Neo Geo Pocket is absolutely perfect for controlling the action! A perfect run and gun shooting game and easily the best of that genre I have played, not just on the overlooked NEO GEO, but on ANY hand-held console. A must play!
I haven't played Metal Slug Advance so I can't comment on how that holds up compared to this one. I also haven't played 2nd Mission for the Pocket either, but I expect its just as good, if not better! Time to make a visit to eBay I think...
The other game I added on this spot is Gunstar Future Heroes. Originally I wasn't going to include this, but I think this incredible GBA game deserves a mention, even if it is more of a straight up action game than a platformer. It's pretty similar to metal slug, with many crazy weapons and some insane boss fights, as you'd expect from the developer Treasure!
7: Sonic Advance 2 (GBA) / Sonic Rush (DS) / Sonic Pocket Adventure (NGP)
Sonic advance 2 took everything that made the first Sonic Advance so great and ran with it! literally. SA2 is my favourite of all the hand-held sonic games, it's really fast and fun, theres loads to collect and the music is fantastic! Theres several different character to play as including the new character Cream the Rabbit, who uses a Chao creature as an attack, sending it to fight enemies in her place. I feel sega kind of missed the mark with Sonic Advance 3 by making it too complicated with huge levels and controlling multiple characters at once. SA2 is simple and fun and just the way a sonic game should be!
There's one more that I'd like to quickly mention, that is Sonic Pocket Adventure for the NGP. Kind of a remake of Sonic 2, or it takes inspiration from it. This was the first proper entry in the sonic series that wasn't on a Sega console... (Sonic Blast on Game.Com doesn't count!) Once again it goes to show just how capable the Neo Geo pocket was! it's a fantastic entry in the series with very colourful graphics and great controls. It's a bit easy but that doesnt stop you from enjoying it.
Theres clearly no shortage of Sonic fun to be had on handhelds, as Sega also had their own GameGear back in the early 90's there was a plethora of Sonic games released for the system, many of them were ports of the Master System titles that came out at the time, as well as a few exclusives. The best of the bunch for me, is also the first. Although its extremely basic, It was a great alternative to the MegaDrive / Genesis version, and sometimes, I actually prefer it. It has fantastic music and levels and is fast and fun, and much bettere than the 2nd one for Gamegear...
6: Megaman Maveric Hunter X (PSP) / Megaman IV (Gameboy)
Maveric Hunter is a remake of the SNES game Megaman X, and what a remake it is! This boasts some pretty impressive visuals for the PSP and a rocking remixed soundtrack! The game plays almost identically to the SNES counterpart, save for some extra features like the ability to play the whole game again as Vile, and watch an animated movie! This is one of the best MegaMan games ever released and it's a huge shame they didn't continue the remakes for the PSP as they originally planned to do. There was also a planned 3D entry in the Maveric Hunter series by some of the original members of the Metroid Prime team! This too unfortunately got cancelled... Along with Megaman Universe and Legends 3... Capcom. I Hate You.
The other Megaman game I have chosen to mention is the Gameboy version of Megaman 4, or IV as the Gameboy calls it. This was a huge step up from the previous games in the Gameboy series, and actually contains a mix of robot masters from both megaman 4 and 5. The game plays just as well as the NES counterparts and is even more precise thanks to some grat controls and tight level designs! I actually did an entire let's play of it a few years ago! you can watch it all here (actually its a let's play of Megaman III not IV, but they are very similar...)
5: LocoRoco / LocoRoco 2 (PSP)
Easily the most colourful game on the list, LocoRoco is a very strange game where you have to press the L and R buttons of the PSP to rotate the screen and send a singing blob around many maze like stages, sometimes made of jelly. I'm not really sure if it counts as a platformer or not... but I'm including it anyway! It's such a unique game and never looses focus with some very cool level designs and innovative mechanics. The game is simply a joy to play, the same can be said for the sequel. This game kept me glued to my PSP for hours on end, and trust me, once you've stopped playing, you won't be able to get the music out of your head!
The idea of the game is to roll around and collect berries that make your Locoroco blob bigger, and therefor able to get to more places and ultimately grow big enough to split into many smaller blobs, which each begin to sing and add to the already intoxicating cute atmosphere! You can use all these smaller Locoroco's to solve puzzles and wake up a giant tree at the end of each stage.
4: Super Mario Land / Super Mario Land 2 / Wario Land (Gameboy/GBA)
Its no secret that Super Mario Land 1 is one of my all time favourite Super Mario games. I even wrote a whole post just on how much I love the game... So It's probably easier to point you to that rather than repeat myself here! This is another game which I did a let's play for many years ago!
As for Super Mario Land 2, it is a much bigger game, and many people would say its also a much better game too. I still prefer the first one though. This one had loads of cool new powerups that haven't been seen since, including bunny ears which let you hover, a space suit for a few moon based levels and even a bubble which lets you float above the level for a short time! This is definitely a very unique game in the Mario series, as, like the first game, this is not set in the mushroon kingdom and has such strange areas as a Lego land, a land set inside a bees nest, a Halloween themed area and the inside of a turtle to name a few! It also introduces Wario for the first time, who would soon go onto star in his own game, Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land.
3: Klonoa Empire Of Dreams / Moonlight Museum (GBA / Wonderswan)
Any of you that read my "Top Ten Console Platformers" will already know of my love for the Klonoa series! This continues with the hand held entries, I've only played two out of four of the handheld games, but I love the ones I have had a chance to play. They are far more puzzle focused than the main game, separating each level into one big area in which you have to manipulate enemies and boxes to find keys which open certain doors. Theres loads of collectibles scattered about and plenty to unlock along the way. It's a joy to play, and the boss fights and mini games make a welcome change of pace every so often!
2: Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure (DS)
It's hard to believe this very odd platformer/puzzle combo came out of EA of all places! The game is half something like Kirby, and half Bejeweled. Its a strange combination but works surprisingly well! As you play through the main adventure as Mr Hatsworth, you can also manipulate the puzzle blocks on the lower screen at the same time, making links to send powerups to the platformer game on the top screen! It's a really interesting mechanic and works far better than you could ever imagine! It also has really nice visuals and great gameplay to go with it! Definitely an underrated DS gem!
1: Kirby's Dream Land / Dreamland 2 / Nightmare In Dreamland / Super Star Ultra / Mouse Attack / Triple Deluxe (Gameboy / GBA / DS / 3DS)
Every main kirby game is pretty much the same... so why not include all of them!
Starting on the original gameboy, the very first Kirby game ever, Dream Land, did not include a whole lot of anything... You could fly and... well thats about it. There were no abilities to be gained from the enemies, instead you could just suck them up and spit them out. The game was incredibly short, clocking in at under 20mins for a full playthrough! Despite all these shortcomings though, it was a fantastic game, loved by many for its simple gameplay and very cute style.
The second game in the dreamland series greatly improved on every single aspect of the first game, giving you a range of enemies to eat and transform into, as well as taking a leaf out of Kirby's Adventure's book and giving the game a proper hub world. This made for a much larger and better game.
Next in the hand-held line of kirby games was a GBA game, a remake of the NES and Famicom game, Kirby's adventure. This was a brilliant update with fantastic graphics and remixed music! You could even play the whole game through as Metaknighgt once you completed it! Unfortunately I've lost this one and the price of the cart is getting excedingly expensive each time I look... I'll skip over the next GBA entry as it's one of the only Kirby games I don't enjoy. It was called Kirby and the Amazing Mirror.
The next proper hand held kirby game came on the DS in the form of Kirby's Mouse Attack, (or Squeak Squad if you're from America) This game was more of the same, with a few new enemies to eat. The main difference in this game was the inclusion of a band of naughty mice, called the Squeak Squad! They run around stealing treasure and it's up to kirby to chase them down and get it back! The only reason Kirby's interested in chasing down these mice is because they ran off with his strawberry shortcake! Clearly Kirby has no interest in the millions of kirby dollars he could get from all that treasure!
After this came another Re-Make in the form of Kirby Super Star Ultra. I wrote a post on this a while ago, so here you go!
The latest new game in the series is on the 3DS, called Kirby Triple Deluxe. It makes great use of the 3D effect as the game plays out on two planes at once, so you can move into the background and foreground. Theres also a really fun game hiding behind this cool mechanic, and it's one of the best and most replayable kirby games to date! With loads to find and collect in each stage and amazing unlockable keychains! I wish they were real! :(
Once again that ended up being much more than 10 games! Never mind.
Thanks for reading!
10: Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow / Circle Of The Moon / Portrait Of Ruin (DS/GBA)
Firstly, the amazing Dawn of Sorrow for the DS (... see what they did there...). Dawn of Sorrow was the first game for the DS, and is a direct sequel to Aria of Sorrow for the GBA, another impressive entry into the series. DS was a huge game which benefited greatly from being on the DS with a permanent map on the second screen, something the GBA games sorely needed!
Portrait of Ruin is the second game in the DS trilogy and introduced the ability to enter new areas by jumping through portals in paintings around the castle, (much like Mario 64) Meaning there was much more variety in the graphics and environments. The game is a bit more linear however and the overall areas aren't as big to explore as Dawn of Sorrow. Order of Eclessia is also worth playing but is more similar to the NES games being a mostly linear experience with more emphasis on its mission based progression system and new abilities to access new locations.
The last game I chose is the first GBA entry, Circle of the Moon. Although Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of sorrow may look better, its Circle of the moon that really captivated me from start to finish. I'm not sure why but this is a game I could play for hours on end and never get bored.
These days the series has been completely ruined by the need to have 3D graphics and constant action. The newer titles seem to be more based on something like God Of War, than Castlevania. Such a shame because its extremely rare to see these kinds of exploration platformers any more...
Zero mission on the other hand was a remake of the very first Metroid game for the NES, and what an amazing remake it was! forget all these new "HD Remasters"... THIS is how you bring an old game back into the limelight! It is completely revamped and uses many of the newer elements in the metroid series such as a very useful map and fantastic graphics that really are among the best on the GBA. The game is a million times more playable than its NES counterpart and even includes a new section at the end of the game which was the first playable appearance of the fan favourite, Zero Suit Samus, who went on to star in the much loved Smash Bros series (and subsequently some dodgy parts of Deviant Art... >.< )
8: Metal Slug 1st Mission / Gunstar Future Heroes (NGP / GBA)
I haven't played Metal Slug Advance so I can't comment on how that holds up compared to this one. I also haven't played 2nd Mission for the Pocket either, but I expect its just as good, if not better! Time to make a visit to eBay I think...
The other game I added on this spot is Gunstar Future Heroes. Originally I wasn't going to include this, but I think this incredible GBA game deserves a mention, even if it is more of a straight up action game than a platformer. It's pretty similar to metal slug, with many crazy weapons and some insane boss fights, as you'd expect from the developer Treasure!
7: Sonic Advance 2 (GBA) / Sonic Rush (DS) / Sonic Pocket Adventure (NGP)
Sonic advance 2 took everything that made the first Sonic Advance so great and ran with it! literally. SA2 is my favourite of all the hand-held sonic games, it's really fast and fun, theres loads to collect and the music is fantastic! Theres several different character to play as including the new character Cream the Rabbit, who uses a Chao creature as an attack, sending it to fight enemies in her place. I feel sega kind of missed the mark with Sonic Advance 3 by making it too complicated with huge levels and controlling multiple characters at once. SA2 is simple and fun and just the way a sonic game should be!There's one more that I'd like to quickly mention, that is Sonic Pocket Adventure for the NGP. Kind of a remake of Sonic 2, or it takes inspiration from it. This was the first proper entry in the sonic series that wasn't on a Sega console... (Sonic Blast on Game.Com doesn't count!) Once again it goes to show just how capable the Neo Geo pocket was! it's a fantastic entry in the series with very colourful graphics and great controls. It's a bit easy but that doesnt stop you from enjoying it.
Theres clearly no shortage of Sonic fun to be had on handhelds, as Sega also had their own GameGear back in the early 90's there was a plethora of Sonic games released for the system, many of them were ports of the Master System titles that came out at the time, as well as a few exclusives. The best of the bunch for me, is also the first. Although its extremely basic, It was a great alternative to the MegaDrive / Genesis version, and sometimes, I actually prefer it. It has fantastic music and levels and is fast and fun, and much bettere than the 2nd one for Gamegear...
6: Megaman Maveric Hunter X (PSP) / Megaman IV (Gameboy)
The other Megaman game I have chosen to mention is the Gameboy version of Megaman 4, or IV as the Gameboy calls it. This was a huge step up from the previous games in the Gameboy series, and actually contains a mix of robot masters from both megaman 4 and 5. The game plays just as well as the NES counterparts and is even more precise thanks to some grat controls and tight level designs! I actually did an entire let's play of it a few years ago! you can watch it all here (actually its a let's play of Megaman III not IV, but they are very similar...)
5: LocoRoco / LocoRoco 2 (PSP)
The idea of the game is to roll around and collect berries that make your Locoroco blob bigger, and therefor able to get to more places and ultimately grow big enough to split into many smaller blobs, which each begin to sing and add to the already intoxicating cute atmosphere! You can use all these smaller Locoroco's to solve puzzles and wake up a giant tree at the end of each stage.
4: Super Mario Land / Super Mario Land 2 / Wario Land (Gameboy/GBA)
As for Super Mario Land 2, it is a much bigger game, and many people would say its also a much better game too. I still prefer the first one though. This one had loads of cool new powerups that haven't been seen since, including bunny ears which let you hover, a space suit for a few moon based levels and even a bubble which lets you float above the level for a short time! This is definitely a very unique game in the Mario series, as, like the first game, this is not set in the mushroon kingdom and has such strange areas as a Lego land, a land set inside a bees nest, a Halloween themed area and the inside of a turtle to name a few! It also introduces Wario for the first time, who would soon go onto star in his own game, Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land.
3: Klonoa Empire Of Dreams / Moonlight Museum (GBA / Wonderswan)
2: Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure (DS)
1: Kirby's Dream Land / Dreamland 2 / Nightmare In Dreamland / Super Star Ultra / Mouse Attack / Triple Deluxe (Gameboy / GBA / DS / 3DS)
Every main kirby game is pretty much the same... so why not include all of them! Starting on the original gameboy, the very first Kirby game ever, Dream Land, did not include a whole lot of anything... You could fly and... well thats about it. There were no abilities to be gained from the enemies, instead you could just suck them up and spit them out. The game was incredibly short, clocking in at under 20mins for a full playthrough! Despite all these shortcomings though, it was a fantastic game, loved by many for its simple gameplay and very cute style.
The second game in the dreamland series greatly improved on every single aspect of the first game, giving you a range of enemies to eat and transform into, as well as taking a leaf out of Kirby's Adventure's book and giving the game a proper hub world. This made for a much larger and better game.
Next in the hand-held line of kirby games was a GBA game, a remake of the NES and Famicom game, Kirby's adventure. This was a brilliant update with fantastic graphics and remixed music! You could even play the whole game through as Metaknighgt once you completed it! Unfortunately I've lost this one and the price of the cart is getting excedingly expensive each time I look... I'll skip over the next GBA entry as it's one of the only Kirby games I don't enjoy. It was called Kirby and the Amazing Mirror.
The next proper hand held kirby game came on the DS in the form of Kirby's Mouse Attack, (or Squeak Squad if you're from America) This game was more of the same, with a few new enemies to eat. The main difference in this game was the inclusion of a band of naughty mice, called the Squeak Squad! They run around stealing treasure and it's up to kirby to chase them down and get it back! The only reason Kirby's interested in chasing down these mice is because they ran off with his strawberry shortcake! Clearly Kirby has no interest in the millions of kirby dollars he could get from all that treasure!
After this came another Re-Make in the form of Kirby Super Star Ultra. I wrote a post on this a while ago, so here you go!
The latest new game in the series is on the 3DS, called Kirby Triple Deluxe. It makes great use of the 3D effect as the game plays out on two planes at once, so you can move into the background and foreground. Theres also a really fun game hiding behind this cool mechanic, and it's one of the best and most replayable kirby games to date! With loads to find and collect in each stage and amazing unlockable keychains! I wish they were real! :(Once again that ended up being much more than 10 games! Never mind.
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, 22 January 2015
F-Zero Retrospective
Join me as we take a lighting quick look at the fastest racing series ever! Seriously, it leaves Wipeout and Extreme G in the dust! YOU GOT BOOST POWER!
Compared to the rest of the games in the series, it is extremely basic, with only fifteen courses, split over several Grand Prix modes. There are only four cars to choose from. It may not seem like much, but due to the games fast pace and tight controls its endlessly replayable even today!
This is also where the famous Captain Falcon got his first appeance, these days though all he seems to do is punch people...
People in Japan were lucky enough to get an expansion for the game if they owned the Satellaview adaptor for the Super Famicom. Allowing players to effectively download new content for games over a sattel;ite connection. These expansions, called BS F-Zero Grand Prix and BS F-Zero Grand Prix 2 introduced new cars and tracks.
To play the game you had to hook up this lovely looking piece of kit and link it up to a sattelite connection which would then download the game onto the cart! Downloading games and DLC way before consoles had a proper internet connection!
Some online companies have released the game as a repro, which makes the ROM avaliale to buy as an actual cart that can be played on the SNES!
The game runs at a constant 60fps making for a very smooth experience, and although some people complain about the lack of graphical detail, I don't really see it as a problem considering most of the time you're going too fast to notice anyway!
As well as the obvious GP and Time Trial modes, the game also introduces a new mode, Death Race in which you have to try and destroy as many other opponets as you can using new attacks which are performed by using the Z or R buttons.
The soundtrack was equally amazing with some tunes that are still thought of today as some of the best in the industry. Just listen to some of these...
Much like the SNES game before it, F-Zero X also had a Japan only expansion released. This expansion came on the underappreciated 64DD System. It allowed players to design their own tracks and gave them access to even more new levels as well. This is extremely hard to find and expensive these days and a very sough after collectors item! I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of it in Japan last year... but I think thats as close as i'll get to owning it for a long time...
As one of the first GBA games I owned, it got a LOT of playtime and I was able to learn all the nuances of the controls, including the underlooked technique of tapping the accelerator as you go round a corner to improve the handeling. This is a really important technique to master if you don't want to be sliding round the stage like a lunatic!
It's a pretty simple game compared to X with fewer courses and cars, but it has more connent than the original. It also has some great music and track designs including a course in the sky and track obstacles such as sliding sand and wind which pushes the car around the track, making it even harder to stay in control! Once again boost is awarded after each lap, unlike X however, you only get one single boost per lap, making for much more precide racing lines in time trial mode!
As well as all the modes from the previous games, this one introduces the biggest update so far, a Story Mode. This mode was a challenge mode of sorts with each challenge proving more difficult than the last. They are all very memorable and probably caused many controllers to be thrown at walls by frustrated playes at the time! (Me included...)
GP Legend was for many what Maximum Velocity should have been, with the retun of fan favourite characters and new versions of classic courses like Mute City and Big Blue aswell as new versions of their iconic themes! This game also incuded a story mode, which was even more in depth than GX, made to tye inwith the new Anime that was airing at the time. As with GX, the story mode is split up into smaller races and challenges. Overall, this game was a great addition to the series and a huge improvement over the first GBA game! It was also the last F-Zero game that would ever get a release outside of Japan...
The last F-Zero game was a Japan exclsive for the first time since the add on for F-Zero X. It was a direct sequel to GP Legend and seems to be more of the same. I have not played this one so I can't really commenton how good it is. From what I've seen it also includes a story mode and something a lot of fans had hoped would make a return, a track editor! It's a shame this never got an international release. Maybe Nintendo will be kind enough to put it on the Virtual Console one day? Probably not but one can dream!
The most promising signs of a comeback come from the WiiU though. Not only does Nintendo Land feature an F-Zero area. Mario Kart 8's newest DLC features an enture course based on the series, as well as the inclusion of the Blue Falcon as a new vehicle!
F-Zero
Back in 1990, this game blew peoples minds with its incredibly smooth and fast MODE 7 graphics! Not only were the graphics outstanding for the time, it was also a very fun game to play... If you had the skills needed to survive flying through futuristic cities at over 1000MPH! I really wish I was around back then to experience peoples reactions to it. As it stands today, the game is still a blast to play and is avaliable on the Wii and WiiU Virtual console for everyone to enjoy.
Compared to the rest of the games in the series, it is extremely basic, with only fifteen courses, split over several Grand Prix modes. There are only four cars to choose from. It may not seem like much, but due to the games fast pace and tight controls its endlessly replayable even today!
This is also where the famous Captain Falcon got his first appeance, these days though all he seems to do is punch people...
BS F-Zero Grand Prix
People in Japan were lucky enough to get an expansion for the game if they owned the Satellaview adaptor for the Super Famicom. Allowing players to effectively download new content for games over a sattel;ite connection. These expansions, called BS F-Zero Grand Prix and BS F-Zero Grand Prix 2 introduced new cars and tracks.To play the game you had to hook up this lovely looking piece of kit and link it up to a sattelite connection which would then download the game onto the cart! Downloading games and DLC way before consoles had a proper internet connection!
Some online companies have released the game as a repro, which makes the ROM avaliale to buy as an actual cart that can be played on the SNES!
 |
| Avaliable at: http://melbourneconsolerepros.com/product_info.php?products_id=81 |
F-Zero X
The jump to the 64Bit era made the snes F-Zero look like a sunday driver simulator in comparison! This entry in the series is still regarded as the best by many. A huge jump in graphics was coupled with an enoumous character roster, with 26 different vehicles to choose from, each with adjustable stats to improve speed or acceleration.
The game runs at a constant 60fps making for a very smooth experience, and although some people complain about the lack of graphical detail, I don't really see it as a problem considering most of the time you're going too fast to notice anyway!As well as the obvious GP and Time Trial modes, the game also introduces a new mode, Death Race in which you have to try and destroy as many other opponets as you can using new attacks which are performed by using the Z or R buttons.
The soundtrack was equally amazing with some tunes that are still thought of today as some of the best in the industry. Just listen to some of these...
F-Zero X Expansion Kit
Much like the SNES game before it, F-Zero X also had a Japan only expansion released. This expansion came on the underappreciated 64DD System. It allowed players to design their own tracks and gave them access to even more new levels as well. This is extremely hard to find and expensive these days and a very sough after collectors item! I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of it in Japan last year... but I think thats as close as i'll get to owning it for a long time...F-Zero Maximum Velocity
The first handheld game in the series took a lot of inspiration from the SNES game, with simmilar graphics and gameplay. The simmilarities end there though, this game was kind of strange in the fact that none of the original cars were included, instead, gamers were introduced to a whole new range of vehicles which have never been seen since...
As one of the first GBA games I owned, it got a LOT of playtime and I was able to learn all the nuances of the controls, including the underlooked technique of tapping the accelerator as you go round a corner to improve the handeling. This is a really important technique to master if you don't want to be sliding round the stage like a lunatic!It's a pretty simple game compared to X with fewer courses and cars, but it has more connent than the original. It also has some great music and track designs including a course in the sky and track obstacles such as sliding sand and wind which pushes the car around the track, making it even harder to stay in control! Once again boost is awarded after each lap, unlike X however, you only get one single boost per lap, making for much more precide racing lines in time trial mode!
F-Zero GX/AX
Co-Developed by SEGA and Namco, this three way colaboration created one of the best games for the Gamecube, and a superb entry in the series. This game boasts incredible graphics that still hold up well today and gameplay that was as fast and precise as ever. Maybe even more so with the GameCubes analogue L and R buttons providing much more control over the use of the air breaks which help with making sharp corners.As well as all the modes from the previous games, this one introduces the biggest update so far, a Story Mode. This mode was a challenge mode of sorts with each challenge proving more difficult than the last. They are all very memorable and probably caused many controllers to be thrown at walls by frustrated playes at the time! (Me included...)
F-Zero AX
As well as the GameCube release, thwere was also an arcade version with completely different tracks, called F-Zero AX. This was the first of what was planned to be many arcade games using the new Triforce system. The system allowed players to take their gamecube memory cards and use them in the arcade to upload and download data such as custom cars and high scores. Sadly, these machines are extremely hard to find these days. I was lucky enough to find one on holiday one year and it was a fantastic experience to play F-Zero in an arcade machine like that!
F-Zero GP Legend
F-Zero Climax
The last F-Zero game was a Japan exclsive for the first time since the add on for F-Zero X. It was a direct sequel to GP Legend and seems to be more of the same. I have not played this one so I can't really commenton how good it is. From what I've seen it also includes a story mode and something a lot of fans had hoped would make a return, a track editor! It's a shame this never got an international release. Maybe Nintendo will be kind enough to put it on the Virtual Console one day? Probably not but one can dream!Gone but not forgotten...
Although there hasn't been a new F-Zero game in over 10 years, Nintendo keeps reminding us about its existance, through some subtle and not so subtle inclusions in other games. From Captain Falcon's contunual appearences in the Smash Bros. Series. To a model of the Blue falcon in Animal Crossing.
Most of the games are available to play now on the WiiU thanks to the virtual console, so if you're interested in playing some, go check them out!
Thanks for reading!
Monday, 19 January 2015
Why I'm excited for Rodea the Sky Soldier!
What excited me most about this mysterious game is the fact that it is being developed by none other than Yuji Naka himself! For those of you that don't know, Yuji Naka was head of Sonic Team for a long while, working on such prolific games as the original Sonic The Hedgehog, Phantasy Star and NiGHTS Into Dreams to name just a few of his greatest achievements. In 2006 he left Sonic Team in order to persue his own career and start up a new company, Prope.
Prope was created due to a new scheme within Sega that promoted the development of independent creators and companies. The first game Prope created was a simplistic, but fun game for the Wii simply called Let's Tap. The game had you place a Wii Remote on a box and literally tap the box in order to play the games. It's really fun and unique and definitely an interesting game worthy of a place in any wii gamers collection!
Their next proper game (not counting IOS and WiiWare titles, of which there were many) was another interesting experimental game called Ivy the Kiwi? Released for the Wii and DS in 2010.The Game involves you drawing a line of ivy using the Wii Remote or touch screen in order to guide a small bird to the exit of continually more challenging levels. The game was met by plenty of praise for its fun mechanics and excellent hand drawn graphics! Another sadly overlooked title in the Wii's library!Apart from a few minor releases, not much was heard from Prope until the announcement of a game called Rodea the Sky Soldier in 2010. There was a short video shown off but since that announcement, it seemed like the game was set to disappear as news articles began to report that Prope was having a lot of trouble finding a publisher for the game. Actual developemnt was reportedly finished by 2012, but contact with the chosen publisher, Kadokawa games, was proving to be difficult.
Naka himself said in an interview, “We have finished developing the Wii version and we have already submitted it. That was around a year ago. But it seems like they are still considering the [details of] the 3DS version. It might be close to being finished, but we havent spoken to Kadokawa in a while, so I’m not sure. Kadokawa never said they’re not going to sell it, so I would guess they’ll release it sometime in 2013 or so. That has to get cleared up. Because of that, I’m not sure what’s going to happen to the game.”
Now, five years after the original announcement, it seems the game is finally about to be released, albiet for an all new platform, the WiiU. I have high hopes for the game and I'm sure many other share my excitement. All I can do now is hope it actually gets a release in the UK!
There was recently a big launch event in Akihabara with talks from developers so have a Google if you want to find out more!
Below are some videos! The original trailer and the new WiiU trailer! Enjoy.
Also seems like the game will have some fantastic music too!
Also seems like the game will have some fantastic music too!
Thanks for reading!
Friday, 16 January 2015
My Top Ten Console Platformer Games!
I love 2D platformers! In no particular order (because it was too hard to decide) these are my Top Ten 2D Platformers for consoles! Handheld Platformers will have their own post soon!
10: Mischief Makers
Something of a hidden gem for the N64, I had read about it many times in Nintendo magazines but it wasn't until I borrowed a friends copy at Uni that I finally played it for myself! It's a very unique platformer with a strange gameplay mechanic, you pick things up and shake them and different things happen when you do that. The game has some very clever level design that plays to this mechanics strengths. Also hidden away in each level is a yellow gem, collecting these actually increased the length of the ending. It's a lot of fun to explore the levels and find them! The boss fights are fun and creative with each one being killed in a different way, the music and graphics are equally strange and brilliant. A true N64 classic! Shame I didn't play it sooner!
9: MegaMan classic series
As you all already know if you read these posts, i'm a huge megaman fan so it should come as no surprise that i'm including the games here, it was too hard to pick just one game from the series, so i'm including the whole 8-bit series, including 9 & 10. they all are pretty much the same game with minor changes between then so play all of them and think of them as new levels expansions and you'll have just as much fun no matter which one you decide to play! 4 is my personal favourite but that's probably because that's the one I grew up with. The megaman X games are also (mostly) amazing and definitely worth a play! Especially 1, 2 and 4.
8: Donkey Kong Country Series.
Especially DKC2! All the DKC games, including the newer ones on the Wii/WiiU are all really good platformers, with tight controls and varied gameplay which includes using the abilities of other characters, such as Dixie Kong and her propeller hair which lets you hover for a short time, you can even play as Cranky Kong in the latest game using his walking stick as a Pogo stick which makes for some really cool speedruns! The music in all the games is excellent, with tracks ranging from traditional jungle music, to ambient music, rock music, and everything in between, they are all really fun to listen to! The gameplay is really smooth and the levels are very challenging, but not impossible. Its a game of skill and rewards players who take time to explore thanks to many hidden items and secrets! It's also well known for being one of the first games to use digitized 3D graphics! The gameboy and GBA versions are also worth a look, especially the Donkey Kong Land series for the original Gameboy, which are entirely new games based on the first three DKC games!
7: PLOK
A quirky platformer for the SNES. It may not be the most well known of games on this list, but it does have a dedicated fan base, especially now that the the creator has been releasing a new PLOK comic strip. The game has you playing as PLOK on a quest to find his missing flag. He travels all round the (quite large) map in search of it. Encountering many strange creatures and lots of fleas along the way. At one point you also get to play as PLOK's grandfather in a black and white flashback. You throw your arms and legs at the enemies to defeat them as well as getting many optional weapons and power ups from hidden presents within the levels. There power ups can range from weapons such as a shotgun or a fireman's hose, to vehicles such as helicopters and motorbikes! The game also has loads of secrets and awesome boss fights!
6: Rocket Knight Adventures/ Sparkster
Definitely my all time favorite Sega Megadrive game! Rocket Knight Adventures was a complete surprise for me and exceeded all my expectations of it. I got it from a bootsale one day along with about ten other Megadrive games. I didn't think much of them but as soon as I put in RKA (to try out for a few minutes) I was hooked and spent the rest of the day playing it non stop, all the way to completion! This sparked (pun intended) my obsession with the series and thus, I eventually tracked down the other two games in the series Sparkster and... Sparkster. They are both very different games, one is a direct sequel for the Megadrive and the other is a different game for the SNES. Both are excellent but neither live up to the magic of the original. There was also a reboot on XBLA and PSN a few years ago, but I was very disappointed with it. So stick to the originals! I can't recommend them highly enough! Go play them! :D
5: Kirby's Fun Pak (AKA Kirby Super Star)
8 Games in one! Well that might be a bit of a lie. It's more like 4 games and some mini-games, but even so, this collection is packed full of fun! A game I remember fondly from my childhood, each game in the collection is equally memorable, from discovering secret paths in Dynablade, to scouring the caves of Great Cave Offensive for treasures and travelling through space in the slightly surreal Milky Way Wishes. This game is still just as much fun today as it ever was and easily the best Kirby game you can get! Also worth checking out is the DS remake, called Kirby Super Star Ultra. It can also be played on the Wii and WiiU virtual console.
4: Super Mario All Stars / World
This special cartridge came bundled with every main Mario game at that point, each game was completely remade with amazing colourful 16-bit graphics and enhanced music. This is by far the best way to play Super Mario 1, 2, 3 and Lost Levels. The inclusion of Super Mario World is just an added bonus and not included on the original release or on the Wii re-release which was seen as a pretty lazy celebration for Mario 20th anniversary. Either way, this collection is the definitive Mario collection and has endless replay value.
3: Castlevania 1/3/4/Rondo Of Blood
I simply couldn't decide between these four which one was my favourite... Castlavania always has a special place in my game library. The controls may seem slightly clunky and maybe even seem archaic to some, I personally believe that the restrictive ocntrols actually improve the experience making it much more a skill based game than some other, more forgiving platformers. The levels are perfectly designed to compensate for the stiff controls, and memorisation is key to progressing through the games deadly castles and surroundings. Add to this precise gameplay a wealth of different power ups and some superb music and you have a classic game series. Just avoid Castlevania 2 at all costs!
2: Sonic 2
My favoirite of the side scrolling sonic games. This game improves massively on sonic 1 and keeps the originals straightforward level design. With countless improvements including Spin Dash, Tails, (although its disputable if tails could be considered an improvement or not...) Much improved bonus levels and generally faster gameplay. The game is a blast to play through and doesn't let up from the moment you start playing! The music is fast and catchy and the levels themselves are all bright and colourful! I chose this over the more popular Sonic 3 & Knuckles because I feel that game got too big for its self and lost some of the simplicity which makes sonic 2 such a joy. Even so, both games are definitely worth a play and have aged wonderfully!
1: Klonoa 1/2
Almost the complete opposite to Sonic, Klonoa is a much slower, more carefully designed game. With an emphasis on puzzle solving and using enemies to your advantage (e.g using them to help you get to hidden areas). The main gimmick to these games is the ability to use a ring to pick enemies and objects up, throw them, or use them to make an extra jump. As well as this interesting mechanic, you can also hover for a short time using Klonoas ears to give you a little extra reach with your jumps.
The games are both really fun and colourful. Although they may look 3D, they play out strictly on a 2D plane, making use of a moving camera to give the game added depth. There's also a ton of fun mini games throughout the levels. The first game was also re-released on the Wii and is a fantastic upgrade to the PS1 original! The GBA and Wonderswan games are also worth checking out if you enjoy these, they are even more puzzle focused though so don't go in expecting much action and you'll have a good time!
OK so that was actually 38 games... Never mind!
:)
10: Mischief Makers
Something of a hidden gem for the N64, I had read about it many times in Nintendo magazines but it wasn't until I borrowed a friends copy at Uni that I finally played it for myself! It's a very unique platformer with a strange gameplay mechanic, you pick things up and shake them and different things happen when you do that. The game has some very clever level design that plays to this mechanics strengths. Also hidden away in each level is a yellow gem, collecting these actually increased the length of the ending. It's a lot of fun to explore the levels and find them! The boss fights are fun and creative with each one being killed in a different way, the music and graphics are equally strange and brilliant. A true N64 classic! Shame I didn't play it sooner!
9: MegaMan classic series
As you all already know if you read these posts, i'm a huge megaman fan so it should come as no surprise that i'm including the games here, it was too hard to pick just one game from the series, so i'm including the whole 8-bit series, including 9 & 10. they all are pretty much the same game with minor changes between then so play all of them and think of them as new levels expansions and you'll have just as much fun no matter which one you decide to play! 4 is my personal favourite but that's probably because that's the one I grew up with. The megaman X games are also (mostly) amazing and definitely worth a play! Especially 1, 2 and 4.
8: Donkey Kong Country Series.
Especially DKC2! All the DKC games, including the newer ones on the Wii/WiiU are all really good platformers, with tight controls and varied gameplay which includes using the abilities of other characters, such as Dixie Kong and her propeller hair which lets you hover for a short time, you can even play as Cranky Kong in the latest game using his walking stick as a Pogo stick which makes for some really cool speedruns! The music in all the games is excellent, with tracks ranging from traditional jungle music, to ambient music, rock music, and everything in between, they are all really fun to listen to! The gameplay is really smooth and the levels are very challenging, but not impossible. Its a game of skill and rewards players who take time to explore thanks to many hidden items and secrets! It's also well known for being one of the first games to use digitized 3D graphics! The gameboy and GBA versions are also worth a look, especially the Donkey Kong Land series for the original Gameboy, which are entirely new games based on the first three DKC games!
7: PLOK
A quirky platformer for the SNES. It may not be the most well known of games on this list, but it does have a dedicated fan base, especially now that the the creator has been releasing a new PLOK comic strip. The game has you playing as PLOK on a quest to find his missing flag. He travels all round the (quite large) map in search of it. Encountering many strange creatures and lots of fleas along the way. At one point you also get to play as PLOK's grandfather in a black and white flashback. You throw your arms and legs at the enemies to defeat them as well as getting many optional weapons and power ups from hidden presents within the levels. There power ups can range from weapons such as a shotgun or a fireman's hose, to vehicles such as helicopters and motorbikes! The game also has loads of secrets and awesome boss fights!
6: Rocket Knight Adventures/ Sparkster
Definitely my all time favorite Sega Megadrive game! Rocket Knight Adventures was a complete surprise for me and exceeded all my expectations of it. I got it from a bootsale one day along with about ten other Megadrive games. I didn't think much of them but as soon as I put in RKA (to try out for a few minutes) I was hooked and spent the rest of the day playing it non stop, all the way to completion! This sparked (pun intended) my obsession with the series and thus, I eventually tracked down the other two games in the series Sparkster and... Sparkster. They are both very different games, one is a direct sequel for the Megadrive and the other is a different game for the SNES. Both are excellent but neither live up to the magic of the original. There was also a reboot on XBLA and PSN a few years ago, but I was very disappointed with it. So stick to the originals! I can't recommend them highly enough! Go play them! :D
5: Kirby's Fun Pak (AKA Kirby Super Star)
8 Games in one! Well that might be a bit of a lie. It's more like 4 games and some mini-games, but even so, this collection is packed full of fun! A game I remember fondly from my childhood, each game in the collection is equally memorable, from discovering secret paths in Dynablade, to scouring the caves of Great Cave Offensive for treasures and travelling through space in the slightly surreal Milky Way Wishes. This game is still just as much fun today as it ever was and easily the best Kirby game you can get! Also worth checking out is the DS remake, called Kirby Super Star Ultra. It can also be played on the Wii and WiiU virtual console.
4: Super Mario All Stars / World
This special cartridge came bundled with every main Mario game at that point, each game was completely remade with amazing colourful 16-bit graphics and enhanced music. This is by far the best way to play Super Mario 1, 2, 3 and Lost Levels. The inclusion of Super Mario World is just an added bonus and not included on the original release or on the Wii re-release which was seen as a pretty lazy celebration for Mario 20th anniversary. Either way, this collection is the definitive Mario collection and has endless replay value.
3: Castlevania 1/3/4/Rondo Of Blood
I simply couldn't decide between these four which one was my favourite... Castlavania always has a special place in my game library. The controls may seem slightly clunky and maybe even seem archaic to some, I personally believe that the restrictive ocntrols actually improve the experience making it much more a skill based game than some other, more forgiving platformers. The levels are perfectly designed to compensate for the stiff controls, and memorisation is key to progressing through the games deadly castles and surroundings. Add to this precise gameplay a wealth of different power ups and some superb music and you have a classic game series. Just avoid Castlevania 2 at all costs!
2: Sonic 2
My favoirite of the side scrolling sonic games. This game improves massively on sonic 1 and keeps the originals straightforward level design. With countless improvements including Spin Dash, Tails, (although its disputable if tails could be considered an improvement or not...) Much improved bonus levels and generally faster gameplay. The game is a blast to play through and doesn't let up from the moment you start playing! The music is fast and catchy and the levels themselves are all bright and colourful! I chose this over the more popular Sonic 3 & Knuckles because I feel that game got too big for its self and lost some of the simplicity which makes sonic 2 such a joy. Even so, both games are definitely worth a play and have aged wonderfully!
1: Klonoa 1/2
Almost the complete opposite to Sonic, Klonoa is a much slower, more carefully designed game. With an emphasis on puzzle solving and using enemies to your advantage (e.g using them to help you get to hidden areas). The main gimmick to these games is the ability to use a ring to pick enemies and objects up, throw them, or use them to make an extra jump. As well as this interesting mechanic, you can also hover for a short time using Klonoas ears to give you a little extra reach with your jumps.
The games are both really fun and colourful. Although they may look 3D, they play out strictly on a 2D plane, making use of a moving camera to give the game added depth. There's also a ton of fun mini games throughout the levels. The first game was also re-released on the Wii and is a fantastic upgrade to the PS1 original! The GBA and Wonderswan games are also worth checking out if you enjoy these, they are even more puzzle focused though so don't go in expecting much action and you'll have a good time!
OK so that was actually 38 games... Never mind!
:)
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