Category: Diary
Phantasy Star II (Switch): COMPLETED!
Phantasy Star II was never my favourite game in the series. It’s the one I’ve played the least, the one I struggled with the most, and the one which has the worst dungeons ever. But I still really like it. Compared to the original, despite appearing on more powerful hardware, this sequel seems such a step backwards in many ways. The dungeons are no longer rendered in 3D, which is the biggest change, instead being the more usual JRPG “almost …
Into the Breach (Switch): COMPLETED!
I’m not sure following Mario + Rabbids with another, but totally different, turn based strategy game was necessarily the best way to get started with Into the Breach. For starters, moves are done in the opposite order (baddies first) and baddie attacks are “locked” in that they’ll still attack the same direction and number of spaces away even when moved during your turn. This is a core gameplay mechanic, and is pretty clever, as you can force them to fire …
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Switch): COMPLETED!
No, I didn’t think a crossover between the worlds of Mario and the Rabbids would work either, but somehow, it does. Perhaps it’s partly because the gameplay doesn’t borrow from either party, and Mario + Rabbids becomes its own thing. Instead of precision platforming or nonsensical minigames, this game provides a fun turn based strategy game interspersed with some puzzles (mainly of the switch pressing or block pushing variety). It’s not quite Xcom or Ubisoft’s earlier Nintendo title Ghost Recon: …
Membrane (Switch): COMPLETED!
Membrane is an unusual platform puzzle game, where your controls are jump, shoot blocks, and shoot triangles. You can use the blocks, which stick together, to build bridges, act as conduit between electrical pads, become walls, barriers, ladders and so on. The triangles “break” these blocks and revert them to non-sticky blocks that you can collect back up – useful, since you’ve a limited amount. The plot, such that it is, is you’re a sort of synapse in a body. …
Super Smash Bros Ultimate: COMPLETED! (Switch)
It’s 2019, and the first game to be completed this year is Super Smash Bros. And by complete, I mean, the MASSIVE new single player mode – “World of Light”. In brief, this mode is a huge map with lots of fight events on it. Some are simple one-on-one brawls, some have quirks like gravity that randomly flips or after a few seconds one hit kills you, and others have a number of unusual fighters such as an army of …
Ristar (Switch): COMPLETED!
I did have a longer post for this but the WordPress app swallowed it and I can’t be bothered repeating myself. What I basically said, though, is that I’d unfairly maligned Ristar for years because I didn’t like it and it wasn’t Sonic, but actually giving it time it’s not that bad at all. It’s still no Sonic, but it’s a decent enough game in its own right. EDIT: ONE YEAR LATER! I found the post the WordPress app ate. …
Sonic 3D: Flickies’ Island (Switch): COMPLETED!
Many times over the years I’ve tried to play this, and every time the slippery controls, wonky collision detection, and overuse of pressing diagonals have put me off before the first boss. So what’s changed this time? Why did I play it completion? I’ve no idea. It’s still awful. It’s six generically themed levels, with sound effects nicked from Sonic 3, and a badly realised Flicky collecting mechanic. It’s not Sonic, it’s not Flicky, and aside from being technically very …
Ninja Gaiden (Switch): COMPLETED!
I have to admit, I never really played any of the Ninja Gaiden games originally. I knew they were hard, but oh my word was this hard. There’s no way in hell I’d ever get close to completing it without save states, and it is just that it is difficult – it’s a mess in terms of collision detection, and baddies that respawn if you back-track a single pixel. These two things often conspire against you, as you’re knocked back …
Phantasy Star (Switch): COMPLETED!
The Phantasy Star games are some of my very most favourite RPGs. Phantasy Star III was my first one, but I later played the original and, although it wasn’t quite the same, it was also excellent. Since those days, I’ve completed the first game several times – on the Master System originally more than once, in an emulator, and in the Game Boy Advance Phantasy Star Collection. But, loading it up briefly aside, not for over a decade. Until today. …