Reviews by Pumpkinate

All reviews - Games (40)

Metroid II: RoS with Chutter the Stutterer

Posted : 7 months ago on 24 October 2012 05:15 (A review of Metroid II: Return of Samus)

Characters
~
Chutter - Experienced public humiliation last time he did one of these events.
Original Heckler - Feeling pretty proud of himself for serving it up to ol' Chutts before.
Heckler #2: The Original brought friends this time.
Heckler #3: That's friends, plural.
Heckler #4: Wait - where is he?

Chutter: H-h-hello ever-ryone. It's Ch-Ch-Chutter again, h-helping Mr. W-Walter Henfield w-with announcem-m-m-ments for Metroid II: R-R-Return of Samus-us, which w-was re-released on the G-Game Boy in 1991 by Nint-tendo R&D1. We t-turn now to-o Walter.
Heckler #2: Man, is this guy stupid! He's so lame, he should come with a cane or something!
Heckler #3: Indeed. The ignoramus of the next century, because this century's apparently wasn't enough!
Original Heckler: Heh-heh. You're dead meat, Chutter. Dead meat. In case you haven't noticed, spinster's not here to save you. Got married or something. Oh, we're going to have fun with you tonight.
*door creaks open* Heckler #4: Sorry I'm late, heh. I was just rehearsing. I have some funny material. You guys are going to laugh!
Chutter: J-jeeze…

Aw, they're mingling. =]

The teenage years for a video game series can be awkward. Developers, not quite sure where a series is heading, may try different stuff. And so you get some real oddities: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, the US version of Super Mario Bros. 2, and WarioWare: Twisted! being some examples. (Well, the WarioWare series as a whole is rather demented.)

But it doesn't end there. Series move on, growing into their adults forms and producing the finest examples of their core gameplay. For Castlevania's part, games like Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, Super Castlevania IV, and Castlevania: Rondo of Blood were just around the bend. The Legend of Zelda series would not too far in the future be responsible for A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening. The Bros. would return in Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World. And WarioWare? It would


Hey Everybody! Lookie What I Got! Let's all laugh at teenage Jimmy Fallon! What a dink!

But, even considering the transitionary nature of these second games - later entries' successes causing them to be assigned merely "prelude of things to come" significance - there's a fundamental question we must ask.

Do they have to be bad?

Chutter N-next up, g-g-g-game mecha-anics a-and elements.
Original Heckler: Yo, Chutter! Your mom works at a Bennigan's! Oooh, burn!
Heckler #2: That's some hokey announcing, man. Where were you born? A hospital not named after a saint or in memoriam of someone special? I'll bet you were! Hahaha!
Heckler #3: Abysmal! Trite rubbish such as this indicates an inborn lack of what we so precisely refer to as 'IT'. You, my dear child, lack 'IT'.
Original Heckler: Good jabs, guys! Keep 'em comin'!
Heckler #4: Yeah! Haha! Your… Like, a relative of yours died of cancer or something. Heh. Right, guys?
Hecklers #1-3: ...

Return of Samus is much more forgiving than its predecessor; with save points, energy and missile refill stations, and less brutal damage dolings, SR388 is a much more hospitable planet. I'd guess it's a right good Southerly planet, if I have any credibility on the positioning of heavenly bodies. And Samus takes advantage of its hospitality by bumping off her kindly hosts. After all, the bounty hunter's mission is that of taking out 39 still-at-large Metroids. Samus knows there are this many on the planet because, well, she's got people on the inside. Connections, baby. She owns this galaxy, and don't you forget it. If Ridley's the leader of the Space Pirates, Samus is the head of the Galactic Mafia. She's dead set on giving SR388 a slaughter it can't refuse.


Quit Monkeying Around! I get that you want to explore, but don't you have 39 Metroids in need of whacking?

Metroid was innovative, while Metroid II is fun. The game was great Metroid on the go while the series was still figuring out just where it was going.

Chutter: S-s-so n-next we turn to-o gamep-play, m-music, and at-at-atmosphere.
Original Heckler: Here's a story: When Chutter was in grade school guess what grade he got on his tests?? An 'A' - for 'Authentically Terrible'!
Heckler #2: Right! I'll bet you kissed the girls and made them cry, Chutts - out of repulsion!
You've created your own universe. You must now eternally suffocate from the air surrounding you, so filled with your life's failures and questions of all that could have been.
Original Heckler: Wow, brutal, fellas! But tasteful, nonetheless! Kudos!
Heckler #4: Uh… Yeah… So, your dad cheated on your mom and your parents got divorced and your mom married an alcoholic who abuses her and now she looks like thirty years older than your friends' moms. Funny, er, right?
Original Heckler: …not exactly how I'd describe it.

Metroid II continues along the path set by its predecessor, with an eerie title theme, a heroic song upon starting to pump you up for beginning of your journey, and various creepy, edge-setting, and ambient songs, along with a happy end-of-the-game track. But where this game really sets itself apart is with its graphics.


Black and White is Beautiful: Some things are just better without color.

Now here me out. Metroid's always been about making the player feel the simultaneous wonder and anxiety of the mystery of the unknown. You go into a big open world, there's both opportunity as well as culture shock. Take away the color, and the world's even more ambiguous. Who said looking at something black-and-white simplifies things? This is a much fairer, more merciful, more benevolent and wise and mighty measure than simply making the backgrounds pitch black.

…though there's some of that here, too.

Chutter: I-if th-there's anyth-th-thing Mr. H-Henfield would like to a-a-add to what he-he's already-eady said, let him *tries to manage a grin* s-s-speak now or f-f-f-forever hold his p-p-peace.
Original Heckler: Hey Chutts! Pick a hand! *puts hands behind his back*
Chutter: U-uhm… Left?
Original Heckler: Too bad! They both say the same thing. And that, my friend, is that you're so stilted you oughta be used to protect houses from flooding!
Heckler #2: Right on, my brother! You emit so much suckage you've been designated a priority environmental hazard!
Heckler #3: My fellow Homo sapien, had you any talent it would be in aiding in the showcasing of talent possessed by fellow men via comparative process.
Heckler #4: Heh. This is going to be really funny… You know, so everyone hates you and you're going to live the rest of your life alone. Hahaha! Why are you guys looking at me like that?

Metroid II isn't a controversial game, and it's not world-renowned. Being a handheld release at a time when handhelds weren't taken very seriously (think a Walter Henfield review), it didn't receive the attention its brand name deserved. In fact, they spat on it and laughed. Following up the seminal Metroidvania and preceding its purest incarnation, Return of Samus was left abandoned, mistreated, abused, never to know peace or joy or even the faintest contentment. It's not like it was poorly-received, or didn't do justice to the series' legacy. It's not like it didn't try its dangedest in all that it did, not like it wasn't deserving of more.

Why, daddy!? Why!?


Stuck in the Middle with You: Unless you're Patricia Heaton and this is the set of that lame ABC show.

Yet most will agree Samus's second outing was at least crucial to the development of the series, as it bridged a great gap between the two buffer releases. Which is all that Metroid and Super Metroid are: buffer games to cushion Metroid II: Return of Samus so she can make it through the adoring fans and paparazzi without being imposed upon. Or, in some reality this is the case.

Chutter: A-as we wra-wrap up this p-performance, W-Walter w-w-will leave us w-w-with a few-ew concluding th-thoughts.
Original Heckler: Forget Walter! You, Chutts, are clearly the star of the show! Look at you - you're glowing! NOT! You're so bad you've dabbled in every existing type of fail throughout your artistic evolution!
Heckler #2: Hahaha! Stupid is as stupid was, is, and always will be!
Heckler #3: Verily, a fingernail of mine own has grown more in the passing week than has your public speaking abilities.
Original Heckler: Is the floor made up of lava, because I'm hearing a lot of burn going on up in here!
Heckler #4: Wait, wait, guys, I just thought of something that's going to be really laughable. So, uh… Dude, you said something really dumb and then felt embarrassed. Ha! I bet you guys are about to laugh, eh? I mean, what I said was true, and that's what makes it funny, you know?
Original Heckler: Stop. Just, please. STOP.

Metroid II isn't hailed an utter classic like other Metroids, but you know what? It's okay with that. It has its circle of fans, the respect of anyone who understands the series' evolution, and the satisfaction of knowing it's a fun, warm, and generous game. Personifications aside, her rosy-fingered scythe cut the thread of elephants and donkeys wept tears from the sky unveiling all sorts of crazy swag behind the coy iron curtain.

Besides Super Metroid, this is one W. Clarence Henfield's favorite classic-style Metroid outing, so sue 'im.


Try Our "New Review Plus": You'll be glad you did!

Chutter: Th-th-thank you, Mr. Henfield, f-fo-for your t-time this eveni-ning. I'd a-ask our audience m-m-members to st-stay s-s-safe on the t-t-t-t-trip h-h-home.
Original Heckler: Yeah, and thanks, as always, for sucking, Chutts! This was almost as good as last weekend's roast of #2's kerni-- …Never mind.
Heckler #2: Wait a minute. When I called you up and asked you to help me lick-and-seal letters annual Halloween cards to the sound team behind the Game & Watch library and you said you couldn't, you were actually talking about my pet kerniffle, Sir Lord Fliffyflarf, behind his back?
Original Heckler: Hold up! I never said such a-
Heckler #2: Oh? You were about to! Tell me, #3, was it a bucket of laughs? To heck with you guys!
Heckler #3: 'Twas funny, to a point.
Original Heckler: What are you talking about? You were crying with laughter so hard you effectively tricked your mind into thinking it was undergoing catharsis at the roast.
Heckler #3: That was a response to internal stimuli.
Heckler #2: Good gravy, man! Speak American!
Heckler #3: Why? Thoust intimidated? Thoust only mean to tone my genius downward!
Original Heckler: He's right. You always suppress me when I talk smart.
Heckler #2: Thoust was plural, you oaf! *grabs Original Heckler's throat with his left hand*
Original Heckler: *grabs back with his right hand* Ack! Ack! Oh, you were - gaggh! - were you? *grabs #3's throat with his left hand*
Heckler #3: *grabs back with his right hand* Aggh! I might well have been! Gack! I certainly meant to include #2 in my proclamation! *grabs #2's throat with his left hand*
Heckler #2: *grabs back with his right hand* So this is what it's - gaggh! - come to!
Heckler #3: Friends we are - gack! - no longer!
Original Heckler: Agh! Fine by me!
Heckler #4: L-O-L. I just thought of something funny to say to you, Chutter. Chutter?
Chutter: *Left when things started to escalate.*

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Castlevania: SotN with Dramer the Exclaimer

Posted : 7 months, 2 weeks ago on 9 October 2012 06:38 (A review of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)

Characters:
~
Dramer - Indiscriminately exclaims whatever so happens to enter his mind
A heckler - Really thinks he's the bee's knees

Dramer: GREETINGS! ANNOUNCER! I'M THE ANNOUNCER FOR THE CASTLEVANIA SERIES, AS SELECTED BY WALTER HENFIELD! CATS! MOTIF! RED OCTOPUS INK! AS YOU MAY HAVE DISCERNED - GREASE OIL GOES "CLUCK!" - I SUFFER FROM MILD COPROLALIA, WHICH - HAUZER! - CAUSES ME TO SAY RANDOM, SOMETIMES INAPPROPRIATE THINGS ON COMPULSION. NEVER MIND THAT PEOPLE WITH TOURETTE SYNDROME VERY RARELY EXHIBITION THIS CONDITION, BECAUSE THE MEDIA SURE HASN'T! THIS EVENING'S GAME - GAME, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? - IS 1997's CASTLEVANIA: SYMPHONY OF THE NIGHT FOR THE PLAYSTATION!
Heckler: My word, this guy's a loser!
Dramer: HECKLER'S A LOSER!
Heckler: No, my friend, you are a-
Dramer: HECKLER SUCKS!
Heckler: Wait - can he do that?

Of course.

Dramer: HAPHAZARDOUS EXTRAPLORATION! AND: STUPID HECKLER IS LAME!
Heckler: This isn't how it's supposed to work! Walt?

So what, exactly, does it take to reinvent a classic series with an established formula while maintaining the vibe and honoring the legacy of what came before? From 1996 through to the early 2000s, many video game series were going 3D - and gamers would argue that a lot was lost in the translation. But certainly there's more to Symphony of the Night's faithfulness than its being restricted to a flat plane? Was it the whippable candles? The smorgasbord of Halloween-themed enemies? The feeling of isolation in a castle ruled by Dracula and his minions? Could the game's immense quality have had something to do with its being a Castlevania game in all that this entails?


Look At It! LOOK AT IT!!: This is what happens when you try to transfer Castlevania faithfully into 3D.

Along with Super Metroid, Alucard's solo debut for the series sits regally at the top of the Metroidvania canon. And successfully exemplifying both a given series as well as a whole new genre is no small feat.

Heckler: Before you say anything, I just wanted to point out that your voice is very, very loud and dumb and lame and -
Dramer: WORKS AT SKIPPY MCDOO'S AS THE GUY IN THE DADDY LONGLEGS COSTUME!
Heckler: Hold up - first off, how did you know that? Secondly, a mascot is the heart and soul of a business!
Dramer: IS INTERESTED IN "WOMEN" AND "GREEN ALIEN CHICKS".
Heckler: Okay, okay! So you've looked at my Facebook page - stop trying to pretend like this is all apart of your stupid exclamatory disorder!
Dramer: I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! THIS STUFF JUST ENTERS MY HEAD FROM NOWHERE AND I SAY IT DUTIFULLY!

Here the Castlevania series took a new path. Well, several - a whole lot of paths, really. But all within the same game. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest before it had featured the mentioned Metroid-like non-linear travel and an RPG level-up system, but Simon's Quest to Symphony of the Night was an even greater leap than that of Metroid to Super Metroid. (Aided, of course, by the double jump.) This game's map is clever and interactive; you might say it's a "creature of Chaos" with a mind of its own. There's even an alternate castle, for all you kinky folks who can't attain your thrills through traditional means.


The Garden of Forking Paths: Jorge Luis Borges had an infinite number of paths ahead of him, and none of them involved seeing the Metroid series take off???

And that RPG system seldom distracts your attention, since Alucard gets tougher as enemies do the same. If you enter an area and are completely obliterated right off the bat (heeheehee…), you'll know you've done something horribly, horribly wrong. You then have the option of training against the strongest enemies you can handle, until your experience hits its current plateau. What sucks (heeheehee…) is that it's extremely inconvenient to get to the coveted Level 99, though the plateaus are relative to progress such that there's not much at stake (heeheehee…) in heading into the latter parts of the game without such intense training. By the time Alucard reaches level 50-or-so, he'll have undergone a total revamping (heeheehee…).

Alucard - awakened from his centuries-long slumber to investigate the reappearance of his estranged father's castle and the disappearance of the current Belmont heir - controls so seamlessly, his catchphrase might as well be "I Am the Wind". Richter's also available as a reward for destroying Dracula with all the right paperwork signed. You get to play the whole game over (sans story, experience, item accumulation, and everything else that subversive Alucard tainted our sweet innocent series with) as the Belmont himself!

Heckler: Simon?

No, not that one - the Belmont. The one after the other one?

Heckler: Christopher?

Spiky hair, blue body, moves really slowly?

Heckler: Okay, I got an answer for "spiky hair" and "blue body" which isn't a Castlevania character at all, and an answer for "moves really slowly" which covers the entire Belmont family.

I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific, Hecks. I for the life of me can't understand what you're trying to say. Moving on.

Dramer: HECKLER DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT A "METROID" OR A "VANIA" IS! NEVER PLAYED LUIGI'S MANSION BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID IT WOULD BE TOO SCARY! NEVER FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET A STARTING POKEMON IN RED VERSION AND USED HIS CHRISTMAS MONEY TO BUY THE BLUE VERSION BECAUSE HE THOUGHT IT'D BE EASIER! ALAS, NO DICE!
Heckler: Hey! You didn't even say what section of the review we're at!
Dramer: NEEDS AN ANNOUNCER TO LET HIM KNOW IT'S THE #@$*! PRESENTATION SECTION!

If the previous generation's Castlevania offerings achieved the perfect grim-and-gritty Halloween video game atmosphere, Symphony of the Night handles things on the stylish-and-flashy front. Think about it this way: when the devil shows up to deceive you, he's not going to appear as the very thing you imagine evil to be. No - he's going to be, on the surface level, everything you find attractive and presentable. Such is the case here - at least, if you find dark corridors and gigantic, fly-ridden corpses attractive and presentable. Some of us do. But you get the idea - the sprites got style, the artwork's got class, the whole castle's got mojo, the music's got dipplyfoo, the sound effects got sneersolblé, and that dashing Axe Lord's just got IT.


Keepin' it Real: The Count likes to keep up appearances. For example, his high-up Keep is rather swanky.

Dramer: AT PRESENT WE TURN TO CONTENT WHICH DOESN'T FIT INTO THE OTHER SECTIONS!
Heckler: …and?
Dramer: …
Heckler: That's it? You're not going to shout about how I have a dislocated earlobe? Or how the ridges formed at the joints of my fingers are in an uneven amount from one hand to the other? Or how I was the top heckler of substitutes at my school?
Dramer: NO, I WASN'T, BUT THANKS FOR VOLUNTEERING THE INFORMATION!

You know those branching pathways in Dracula's Curse and Rondo of Blood? For the Castlevania fanbase, that would be Symphony of the Night. The game indeed honors the series' legacy, and even many fans preferring the straight 2D platforming agree on this, but the change in direction for the foreseeable future created quite a rift.


Conflict Makes the World Go Round: Hesiod once said there are two types of strife. I assume he was talking about those experienced at either end of a quarrel.

The thing is, when you repeat a simple formula like straight-forward platforming, there's a lot of room to tweak the basic gameplay elements. With something continuing in Symphony of the Night's legacy, every little detail is automatically filled out so that whatever big variation on the formula you can fit in has to fit said formula and not the other way around. It's a one-way street, with our Metroidvaniacal series director driving the buggy in question.

It's also a break story-wise, as you're not playing as a Belmont, nor with a whip, nor with relative autonomy from those parasitic "dialogue" things. This is a heart-wrenching tale of a family of three separated by the loss of its cornerstone, the husband and son heading in separate directions (get the Metroidvania theme already??) until converging for this final conflict. The game's dialogue can be over-the-top, of course, but you'll learn to love it - in fact, that's one of the Relics you need to get past one of the obstacles later on in the game.

Dramer: SOME FINAL WORDS ON THE MATTER FOLLOW!
Heckler: You're a-
Dramer: SUCKED HIS THUMB WELL INTO HIS TWENTIES! ONCE ACCIDENTALLY STEPPED ON A BUG AND WEPT IN HIS MOMMY'S ARMS FOR WEEKS! HURT HIMSELF CUTTING BUTTER WHEN HE WAS NINETEEN!
Heckler: Wait - that - how do you know these things?
Dramer: TAKES HIS GUINEA PIG OUT OF ITS CAGE AND CUDDLES UP TO IT EVERY NIGHT!
Heckler: Hey - (sniff) - the doctor said I wasn't getting enough sleep and the therapist told me I needed to allow myself to become physically close to someone or I'd never be able to move on from the abuse I suffered at the hands of my childhood caterpillar! (boohoohoo!)

Symphony is a successful reinvention of the series (if owing a bit to Simon's Quest) and a superb game in its own right. It offers a large, haunted castle or two to explore freely, RPG elements which add depth and a feeling of growth to the experience (heeheehee…), gorgeous, stylish visuals and a haunting multi-genre score which together creates an engrossing Halloween atmosphere, a more involved story about a non-Belmont with no respect for his father, and a legacy we'll not soon be rid of - like when you used to eat gum drops in preschool and have yet to shed the nickname "His Sternumlessness".

Symphony of the Night just so happens to be the reviewer in question's favorite Metroidvania of all, and that's saying a lot given the record of quality the genre has.


Demons Begone! And make me a sandwich!

Dramer: IS AN EMOTIONAL MESS WHO ATTEMPTS TO CIRCUMVENT HIS CRIPPLING SELF-LOATHING BY TARGETING THOSE TOO MEEK TO CALL HIM OUT ON IT!
Heckler: Y-y-y-you kno-ow wh-wh-what, you d-d-dummy? You're a - a - a jerk-person! Why a-a-are y-you b-b-b-bullying m-m-m*Bawls mid-mid-life crisis.* (sob-sniff-things-which-might-incite-sympathy-if-they-didn't-make-him-look-flat-out-pathetic) M-m-m-meany-eany-head! I h-have f-f-friends! I d-d-don't care wha-at y-you th-(boohooohooo! snort-moan-cry)
Dramer: HAS A RUBBER STAMPER HE LIKES TO CALL "BARTLEBY"!
Heckler: *Runs through the aisle towards the door, trips over his own feet, and crawls the rest of the way.*

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Metroid with Chutter the Stutterer

Posted : 8 months, 3 weeks ago on 4 September 2012 06:41 (A review of Metroid)

Characters:
~
Chutter - The announcer, a well-meaning stutterer
A heckler - Thinks he can do it better
Local spinster - Still searching for a suitable husband

Chutter: H-h-hello, f-folks! This-this is a review of M-M-Metroid for the N-Nintendo Entertainment S-S-System, which w-was released in 1986 and developed by Nint-tendo R&D1. I-I've b-b-been asked by Mr. Henfield to intro-intro-troduce the p-parts of the r-r-review.
Heckler: Boo! Where'd you get this loser? *throws apples, which hit Chutter in the stomach*
Chutter: M-m-my uncle is f-f-f-friends with the m-manager of the theat-theater…
Heckler: YOUR uncle is friends with the manager of the theater. Ooh, burn!

Now, now, folks.

The platforming genre - restricted to two dimensions during the NES era - is a staple of video gaming. Role-playing games, fighters, racing, first-person shooting, sports games, the puzzle genre, and simulation all had obvious prerequisites to their creation. Role-playing games can trace their origins to tabletop RPGs; fighters to man's expression of his inability to get along; first-person shooters to subjectivism and gun usage; sports games to the age-old tradition of combining exercise and competition; and puzzles to real world brain benders that have been used to keep people's minds sharp; while simulation itself is a practice in replicating true-to-life experiences. But platformers - with their jumping-based play styles and unique game worlds - are a crop totally born of video games.

What pre-Metroid platformers - save for a handful of lesser-known games - all had in common was that they either confined the player to one screen or took him or her in one direction from Point A to Point B. When Metroid came around, it changed the industry with its open world, freely explored at the one's personal whimsy - with necessary restrictions.


Big Whoop: So, Lance, you can get from one end to the other. Call me when you've ventured off the beaten path a little.

Chutter: A-a-and intro-troducing t-t-t-t-h-h-h-he gameplay.
Heckler: You see, now that stutter didn't make a lick of sense. You can't just separate the 'T' and the 'H' like that.
Spinster: Now you leave the poor boy alone! He's cute, mind.
Heckler: Aw, stuff a gingerbread cracker in it, dame. *Throws beer nuts, pummeling Chutter all over.*

Metroid has a sprawling, open 2D map for the main character - Samus Aran, a space bounty hunter for the Galactic Federation who is tasked with eliminating the Space Pirates before they use the mysterious and deadly Metroid species to lay waste to the entire galaxy - and this map allows her to visit any previously-explored section at any time. However, only one path is to be taken from the start, and going along the intended direction and attaining upgrades to Samus's abilities gives her the edge over dead-ends that were before impossible to make it past.


To the Left, to the Left: Flip the Frog understands the value of backtracking.

Samus controls better than she has any right to - and I'm not trying to be sexist or anything. With jumps that are maneuverable in mid-air, guns and missiles which can be shot upwards as well as during grounded movement, and that always-endearing Morph Ball form whereby Samus curls up into a ball and rolls around just as Sonic the Hedgehog would do five years later, this game is quite easy to pick up even for gamers spoiled by controls in more recent releases - at least in the controls department.

This isn't to say that Metroid is perfect despite its innovativeness, though. You can't view the actual game map, something that's necessary here as opposed to in a release like Super Mario Bros. which plays left-to-right. When you gain a power-up, it's anyone's guess as to what it does because the game sure doesn't tell you. And oh, the damage taken from enemy attacks is brutal compared to the hour it takes to regain the health in question back, and it doesn't help at all that writing down your password and then re-starting the game puts Samus at 30 HP. This presents an interesting dichotomy - there's a big, wide map that you want to explore and yet the developers' mission seems to have been crushing such fanciful notions.

Chutter: Now it's t-time f-f-for us to t-t-turn to the graphics-ics and m-music.
Heckler: You have more trouble getting it out than my constipated cockatiel. *Throws paper airplanes that whirl around the stage before crashing violently into the announcer.*

The makers of Metroid don't simply set you up with a large world and say, "You go for it, babe!" One of the defining traits of the series is the overall sense of isolation, of dread, of anxiety. When someone plays Metroid, that person really is all alone in the journey. The atmosphere created by the game, in the sci-fi spirit of the Alien movie series, serves to give Samus's surroundings an air of mystery and uncertainty - things humanity arguably finds to be scarier than anything else.


Our Helter Skelter Romance: You move me in so many different ways, my dear Metroid.

Visually, Metroid does this, even if the makers seem to have had it in their heads that the only way to achieve such a feeling would be to leave out any sort of background beyond the pitch black we ended up getting. This is a NES release, mind, and it's going to have an 8-bit charm that's lost on the newer demographics, but the only real thing that can be said negatively about the graphics are that there's no depth to the background. The score, however, doesn't take the easy way out - caught somewhere in-between music and background noise, it serves the purposes of being listenable as well as grating. As if the reality of enemies being able to knock your health down several tanks in three or four seconds weren't enough to set you on edge, the presentation plays on the player's nerves (turnabout is fair play… okay, I'll stop now).

Chutter: N-n-now for miscellane-aneous s-stuff. *Reads card carefully.* And I-I'm sup-p-p-posed to t-t-tell you that there a-are CDs o-o-of this-is performance availab-ble in-n case y-you *cringes as he reads the last part* w-want to relive the Ch-Chutter joy-oy of the definit-tive M-Metroid review experience-ence.
Heckler: Yeah, no. *Slings rubber bands at Chutter.*

Just like the Alien series, the Metroid games' inclusion of a strong, independent female is notable. The surprise of it all was made all the more shocking in that this would only be revealed at the end of the game, after you've established all your preconceptions of who this "Samus" guy is. As in the case of Alien's (no, that's the possessive of the first film) Ellen Ripley, the protagonist was originally going to be a man. If not for one creator thinking out loud how neat it'd be if the bounty hunter ended up being a woman, we might have gotten a hero named Samis Aman.

Heckler: Boo!

Hey now, you're free to leave your comments in the dropbox as you leave!


No Turning Back: That basketball in the net? Ellen Ripley totally shot that on her way out.

Chutter: The n-n-next wuh-wuh-one is p-p-p-
Heckler: Prolonged enunciation!?
Chutter: P-p-pr-
Heckler: Prone to stuttering!?
Chutter: Pre-pre-pre-
Heckler: Predictable speech patterns!?
Chutter: Pret-
Heckler: Pretends in vain he's not a tongue-tied trainwre-
Spinster: SHUT UP!!!
Heckler: *Silence.*
Chutter: *Silence.*
Spinster: Not you, dear. Do continue! It's quite interesting. :]
Chutter: P-pretty much c-c-concluding thoughts.
Heckler: *Throws cat, which lands on Chutter's face and digs its claws into his head even as the announcer struggles to get rid of it.*

…yeah. So anyway, it's plain to see Metroid's a groundbreaking debut for the series, although not quite the complete, refined experience that one Super Metroid would later be. It's like any physical foundation: we owe it a lot for laying the groundwork for our gaming, but we've since built the roof and walls and doors and windows and white plastic erasers and thimbles on top of it, and man do those things count.

Is it still a classic? Yes. And its effect on platforming is permanent - from the series that were reinvented in its image, to those that were created specifically for the style, to all the licensed properties and one-offs that owe their existence to this seminal work.

This particular reviewer will never be the same for what Metroid has done in his life, as it has spawned his favorite genre in all of gaming.


Power-ups Only: Be sure to leave the upgrades we gave you in the bin on your way out!

Chutter: That-at's a-a-all, lady and g-gentleman….
Spinster: Good show! *Takes off her shawl and throws it at the performer in true fangirl style. It lands on his head.*
Chutter: *Acknowledges nothing and exits the stage in shame.*

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Gimme a "platformer!" Gimme a "virtual pet!" WTS!?

Posted : 8 months, 3 weeks ago on 29 August 2012 05:37 (A review of Monster Tale)

Comparisons with Dreamrift's previous effort, Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure, are imminent: though much, much easier, Monster Tale - directed by Peter Ong and released in 2011 on Nintendo DS - is a platformer on the top screen of the system with a different kind of action - in this case, pet raising - on the bottom. Like Henry Hatsworth, there's more to pay attention to than in a more straightforward game and it can get very frenetic when it needs to be. The inclusion of Chomp, a monster who grows stronger and acquires new abilities and Forms as the game goes on, is much like a much more fleshed out, central version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night's familiars system; too, its breaking up of levels into different maps with a connecting hub and guiding of the player through the journey with goal spots on the maps is very kin to Metroid Fusion, which deviated from Super Metroid's subtlety to much controversy. Similarities considered, Monster Tale is a unique, engrossing game with a lot to delve into for those interested in the investment.

The "Monster Tale" is light-hearted, without even an adult character around to make things too realistic: 5 young children from the human world have found their way into Monster World, each escaping his or her dissatisfaction at being a kid and ruling the Monster Kingdoms with little iron fists. Meade, Deanu, Zoe, and Ethan each rule one such Kingdom, with Priscilla residing as Queen supreme. One day in the human world, a young girl named Ellie is woken up from her sleep by a loud noise. Following the noise, she makes her way to the forest, where she finds a glowing band sitting on the ground. She is transported to Monster World and, band on her wrist, begins exploring and collecting abilities. When she finds a large egg and it hatches before her, a little red monster which she names "Chomp" comes forth and the two set out to find his mother. Soon she finds out that Prince Chomp's mother used to be the queen of Monster World before she was dethroned by some kids. Ellie's agenda then turns to freeing the Monster Kingdoms and returning Chomp to his mother. The plot sets up the cute game fittingly and doesn't lose itself into the darker aspects of dictatorship, which would kill the intended whimsy.

The player only controls Ellie, a la Henry Hatsworth, in full; her jumping has a decidedly floaty feel to it and takes a little getting used to. Still, floaty controls are preferable for this game's purposes to clunky, stiff controls, and the eventually collected ability to slide against and jump off of walls helps a lot with going up vertical corridors and large rooms. 'B' is used to make her jump and, later, to launch off of and eventually climb walls a la Mega Man X; 'Down' plus 'B' to perform a roll on the ground which helps Ellie get into narrow crawl spaces; 'Left' plus 'Left' or 'Right' plus 'Right' quickly has Ellie do a brief dash in either direction; 'Y' serves to have her beat at foes with her Satchel; 'Up' plus 'Y' to execute an uppercut, causing the savior of Monster World to jump into the air; 'Y' plus 'Down' while in midair to crash down on anything below; and 'A' to use the Band to fire blasts at enemies (this sapping her Super Meter, which is then restored by using melee attacks). She'll also gain various button combos that enhance these abilities later on: a Melee String upgrade expanding her Satchel attack to a five-part sequence of attacks, for one; and Band Blaster upgrades that increase the distance, rapidity, and effectiveness of her shots and allowing her to fire while in mid-air. There are 16 abilities to attain in all, and half of these are Band Blaster-based - though useful additions to the game's combat, they seem to have been included mostly to solve arbitrary obstacles in the latter half of the game. Ellie begins her journey with 4 hearts - which may be temporarily reduced in halves or all at once based on how severe a given blow is - and by purchasing 3 extras and finding 3 on her journey, she can end up with 10. She can also increase the damage she does against enemies, her blaster efficiency, the restoration rate for recharging her Super Meter, and the frequency at which enemies drop treasure.

Chomp, unlike Ellie, can be present both in the top screen as a familiar-helper who follows her around and fights alongside her, or in the bottom screen - the Pet Sanctuary - where he'll mostly recover and eat food, taking care of a few obstacles in either top or bottom here and there. He can be transferred from screen-to-screen with the 'X' button, or by tapping the bottom screen with the stylus while Chomp is in the top screen. While topside, the prince of Monster World's Pet Meter will drain, and while he attacks and takes damage it will drain even faster. Chomp must be sent down low in order to quickly recover his Pet Meter. When Ellie obtains an item other than money from defeated enemies, it will fall to the Pet Sanctuary - 18 such items can be contained in the Sanctuary at once, along with the odd enemy and obstacle. While in said lower portion of the DS system, Chomp will use up the items, gaining experience and increasing his stats. He'll also send them up above to help Ellie with enemies - a soccer ball, for instance, will fly to the top screen and bounce against the ends of the screen, damaging hostile monsters in its wake, while a camera will flash and stun enemies for just enough time to give Ellie the advantage. Between Ellie, Chomp, and the action on both screens, there's quite a bit to keep track of, and things can get exciting at times.

There are 30 Forms for Chomp, 10 in each of 3 categories: Adolescent, Teenager, and Adult. One is started out with the adolescent Foundling form, which levels up as it gets fed and helps Ellie defeat enemies. In the Evo screen in the game menu - opened, oddly enough, with the 'Select' button where as the map screen is opened with 'Start' - one can view the trees for each age of development: starting with the Foundling, two locked forms are depicted beside it which are unlocked with experience and the right food, reading material, exercise routine, and the like. That is, the earlier locked Forms for each category will easily become available as their parent Form gains experience and stat upgrades, but then the last few evolutions will require a specific diet for Chomp (the player can select previously-available Forms at any time later in the game). What's more than a little odd and somewhat annoying is that if a parent form levels up to 30 without being given the proper nurturing, any Forms branching off from it are inaccessible without starting the game over entirely. No change in diet or routine at the max level of 30 will correct this. This should only be a major factor for big completionists, as it's not more than the last handful of Forms in each tree that can be locked permanently, and besides this the second and third tree sections are locked early on in the completion of their preceding sections. Unlocking new and different incarnations of Ellie's companion is still satisfying; though, the only ultimate reward to it all is that the player has every Form upon completion - which may or may not deter one's motivation and disappoint those that find out when they've already gone the distance.

Chomp's forms come in different shapes and sizes, getting bigger with each stage and having different features as one progresses through the tree. Each one has an elemental affinity of Fire, Water, and Earth; between Chomp and his enemies, which also have said affinities, Fire attacks are strong against Earth, Earth against Water, and Water against Fire. The pet prince also has a range of stats; from an initial number depending upon the form to a max number of 999, there is: STA, or Stamina, which makes his Pet Meter sap at a slower or faster rate; ATK, or Attack, which gives him his offensive power; DEF, or Defense, which decides how much damage he takes from enemies; SPD, or Speed, which allows him to move more or less quickly on either screen; and INT, which decides the amount of experience gained and rate at which little/medium/big Chomp eats/uses/completes an item in the Pet Sanctuary. There are many different kinds of items, from foods like cookies and squash, to exercise items that include dumbbells and bicycles, as well as toys like toy cars and video games, reading material such as books and scrolls, artistic things including paint brushes and cameras, and such oddities as soap and meteorites. Each of these gives different Forms their allotted experience toward leveling up, along with a free small stat boost for the trouble.

One monster among all those Ellie and Chomp contend with through the game, Jinx, will offer help - for a price. At Jinx's shop, one can purchase Pet Sanctuary items and certain mentioned upgrades to Ellie's own stats. Being able to simply buy items for Chomp rather than attain them from the right enemy is quite convenient. There are 6 maps to be explored in all: the Olympus-like Ancient Ruins which connects all the rest to one another; kid king Meade's own world, Meadeland; kid king Deanu's world, Deanuford; ruling brat Zoe's, Zoetopia; trouble-making young'un Ethan's realm, Ethanica; and, finally, Primhedge Palace, master queen Priscilla's centralized place of ruling which, in addition to the Ancient Ruins, also connects to remote parts of the lower 4 kid rulers' kingdoms. Filling out the maps is easy as there's not much in the way of possible divergences from the intended path when going to a given part of the game's goal, except into one or two rooms placed to the side or perhaps into previously-unlocked areas. Albeit non-linear by the time all the maps are completed, the adventure over the course of the game is quite linear as far as open world sidescrollers go. There's also a lot of backtracking between these kingdoms, but this only gives the player many opportunities to fight enemies and earn money and treasure for Chomp.

Graphically, this is a colorful and cartoony-looking game, with lots of bright hues and cutesy super-deformed anime art. Ellie has a very confident yet innocent expressiveness to her sprite, with Sonic the Hedgehog-cobalt hair and the lovable determinedness to go along with. Each of Chomp's Forms and each of his Skills has its animations in full. There are a few minor enemies that are re-colored versions of weaker ones and the pillar of energy that surrounds Ellie while saving is noticeably Flash-like, but for the most part the visuals more than meet the need even if they're not stunningly gorgeous.

Ian Stocker, best known for his work with indie developer MagicalTimeBean, provides a nice, whimsical score. Of the standouts: 'The Tale Begins (Monster Tale Main Theme)' is a sweet and mellow lullaby; 'This New World (Ancient Ruins)' uses the same tune but with much more energy, starting the player out with a little motivation for the journey ahead; 'Meet Meade (Meade's Theme)' is a sassier rendition of some notes from that last one; 'Scratch Pit Showdown' is an intense fight song; 'Aquarium Surf Battle' is a surfing theme with a sense of imminence appropriate for the accompanying boss battle; and 'Primhedge Palace' captures both Priscilla's titular prissiness and her grandiose malevolence.

The controls may be floaty and the Form locking frustrating, but these don't hold back the fun of guiding Ellie through the 6 maps and acquiring and powering up Chomp's different Forms. There's a lot of backtracking involved and a lot of encouraged improving of both Ellie's and Chomp's stats, and thus this title is likely more for Metroidvaniacs and RPG fans than for those preferring a straight-forward approach. Though a one-of-a-kind game, its free-roaming exploration, role-playing elements, and pet simulation make it sufficient enough for nurturing different cravings for different personalities.

Game Rating

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Juste good old fun

Posted : 10 months, 3 weeks ago on 3 July 2012 03:06 (A review of Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance)

When control of the series transferred back to Koji Igarashi, his team would work on the Game Boy Advance's next Castlevania title after Circle of the Moon and move on to the following game hastily. With poor sales and critical reaction, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance hasn't received the same acclaim as Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo's later work, Aria of Sorrow and the Nintendo DS Castlevanias. It's undeniably easy, the story isn't original or even that important to the overall timeline, and it's pretty blatantly rooted in Symphony of the Night, but this is a truly fun experience with haunting environments, enemies, and overall tone.

Again as with previous entries a friend of the protagonist is manipulated by Dracula, eventually giving rise to a vaster, darker plan than anyone could have predicted - save for the player. In this case it's 50 years after Simon Belmont defeated Dracula and now Juste Belmont, his grandson, also hunts for the Count's relics as chosen descendant of the Belmont clan. His friend Maxim Kischine appears to him for the first time since Maxim left for training 2 years before, without any memory of his training other than that Lydie Erlanger, the childhood friend of both, has been kidnapped. They travel to a strange castle where the two split up in search of Lydie. But something is strange about the castle, as if there's more to it, something else under the surface - and how literally so! The plot isn't anything new, the characters' personal motivations being pretty simplistic and the overall outcome easy to see in advance, but the confusion surrounding the castle's secret enhances that aspect of the gameplay and makes it that much more satisfying.

Juste Belmont is the first of his family who's programmed to control smoothly - in fact, just as he resembles Alucard, he moves and operates much like him as well, albeit with the Vampire Killer whip. As usual, 'A' makes Juste jump, 'B' makes him attack, 'Up' plus 'B' activates a sub-weapon, 'Start' opens the pause menu, and 'Select' opens the map. In this case, 'L' and 'R' make him dash left and right, respectively - no matter the direction he's facing - so he can get close to enemies and crack his whip at them and evade their attacks swiftly. Returning sub-weapons include: the Dagger, Holy Water, Boomerang, Axe, and Holy Book; new to this title is the Sacred Fist, which has Juste unleash a flurry of punches directly in front of him. The magic system herein operates on a less-is-more philosophy, Spell Fusion simply creating spells that activate when the 'Up' plus 'B' sub-weapon command is activated. The Spellbooks are the Fire, Ice, Bolt, and Wind Books, which cast elemental spells based on whichever sub-weapon is equipped, as well as the Summoning Tome, which summons a different monster for each sub-weapon equipped. It's not nearly as deep as the other Game Boy Advance Castlevania systems, though it does its job well and didn't distract KCET from the gameplay.

The RPG elements from Symphony of the Night and Circle of the Moon are present here as well. STR or Strength affects how much damage enemies take; DEF or Defense affects how much damage Juste takes; INT or Intelligence affects MP recovery rate; and LCK or Luck affects drop rate of rare items. Enemies that Juste meets throughout the game give less and less Experience as he goes up in level, 50 being around the highest he can get without grinding ridiculously against 1 EXP-yielding monsters. Simon's grandson can't equip alternate weapons to the Vampire Killer, but he can collect different kinds of "tips" that he can equip one at a time onto the end to give an extra effect. He can also equip armor to his Body and to his 3 Goods outlets, though the accessories equipped to the latter give better or worse stat alterations depending on which opening they're equipped to. 12 Relics will be collected, too, 3 of them adding extra abilities to Juste's moveset (the Slide, Double Jump, and High Jump), 3 of them allowing display of enemy names and damage, and 6 being Dracula's parts, these giving stat boosts and allowing Juste access to the final fight with Vlad himself. The odd Merchant will supply Juste with whatever he needs that he isn't able to collect in the game itself, including armor, accessories, and other items such as Potions and Castle Maps.

As the player will discover mid-way through the game, there are two layers to the castle which are identical structurally but contain different enemies, different aesthetics, and occasionally different objects to interact with. Exploring each map and filling in the blank spots is satisfying and addictive, and there's enough variety between each castle that it feels like a much better execution than Symphony of the Night's Inverted Castle was. Exploring as much as possible is rewarded, too, as much of the progression and advancement is achieved by way of specific castle interactions and with items found in little nooks just as much as it is by defeating bosses and gaining new abilities. There's even a room in the castle which is empty to begin with, Juste decorating it with furniture and art as he collects these; this is a quirky if unnecessary distraction.

Unlike in Circle of the Moon, once the game is beaten there are a couple rather interesting alternate modes to enjoy. The first is Maxim Mode, in which the player can play as Maxim Kischine in true free-roaming style, leveling up and exploring the entire castle with no strings attached - be it plot or the need for upgrades to his abilities. His control scheme is the same as Juste's, but he uses the Stellar Sword as his main weapon, is much faster, Triple Jumps instead of High Jumping, can perform a Screw Attack-esque roll at the end of a Triple Jumps, exclusively uses a Shuriken sub-weapon which he sends out and eventually returns to him - much like the Cross but moving in a circular motion and always coming back to Maxim, and has a couple exclusive spells. This is very much like Richter Mode in Symphony of the Night, and playing as Maxim is much more satisfying than playing as the main character with alternate stats as in Castlevania's GBA debut.

Besides this there's Boss Rush Mode, which has become a must for every Castleroid since. Depending on the difficulty level - Easy, Normal, and Hard being the options - Juste will fight the game's first five bosses, the first ten, or all of them one after another save for Maxim. At the beginning of the massacre Juste will be able to pick his sub-weapon of choice from a series of candles, and in-between each individual bloodbath thereafter he'll be able to replenish his hearts in an identical room with candles. This mode is a speed runner's dream come true, as the game itself counts and makes a record of the time taken to complete the whole course. Also, Maxim and the 1986 NES Simon Belmont can be taken through the mode, the latter by using the famous Konami Code while said company's logo is displayed. There's no in-game reward for beating this mode with a particular time, but conquering it with three decidedly different vampire hunters itself is reward enough - and giving the player useful items for making good time would be implemented in future Castlevanias featuring this mode.

Graphically, the series' second Game Boy Advance outing is as much of a looker as one could ask for on the system. Juste's sprite is stiff while standing still, carries an annoying trail of bright blue behind him as he moves, and has an ugly design overall, but it animates walking rather elegantly. Enemies are pretty and colorful, yet still intimidating - some taking up the entire screen's height. Though many are returning, there are plenty of well-made enemies all-new to the game. The environments are not only detailed, but quite varied - even between two castle versions of the same area. Harmony is much the graphical superior of Circle of the Moon, though some will prefer the latter's appearance for its dark and brooding nature.

Michiru Yamane, the composer responsible for the scores to Castlevania: Bloodlines and Symphony of the Night, returns for the music to this game. The compositions are truly brilliant, but suffer from a terrible chiptune-like quality - something that works for catchy old-school tunes, not sweeping arrangements along Symphony of the Night's lines. Both the amazing and less pleasant tracks leave the player wondering how they would have sounded in better quality. Still, when they shine they shine, and several are notable examples: 'Name Entry' is simply cool; 'Theme of Juste Belmont' has a beginning similar to 'Theme of Simon' before taking its own fast-paced route; 'Theme of Dracula' has the feel of impending evil; 'Last Battle' is chaotic and heroic at once; and the remix of 'Vampire Killer' that plays while playing as Simon Belmont in Boss Rush Mode is as fantastic a variation on the tune as had been done prior.

Despite having the simplest magic system of the 3 Game Boy Advance Castlevanias - Spell Fusion not nearly as massive as Circle of the Moon's DSS or Aria of Sorrow's Tactical Souls - Harmony of Dissonance is appealing for its creepy atmosphere, compelling dual castle, and for overall being an intensely fun Metroidvania. Different gamers generally have their own favorite when it comes to these uniquely appealing games, but as usual the middle child often receives less attention, despite its great - though inhibited - music, its bright yet eerie graphics, the compelling castle maps that are so addicting to fill in, the incredible Boss Rush Mode, and the amount of depth that is there - which is more than substantial. In this game, there truly is something so harmonious about the chaos of Castle Dracula.

Game Rating

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Oh, that Dracula...

Posted : 11 months, 1 week ago on 19 June 2012 07:23 (A review of Castlevania: Circle of the Moon)

Following the devastation that was Castlevania on the Nintendo 64 and the revised Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness's failure to undo the damage dealt by it, Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe (KCEK) needed redemption. The safest way of doing this would be to take inspiration from the series' last critically-acclaimed entry, and that would be Symphony of the Night. While that masterpiece justified 2D gaming in a world rapidly transitioning into 3D, the need for two-dimensional Castlevania platforming was no more obvious than when the antithesis fell so directly flat on its face. As a Game Boy Advance launch title, Circle of the Moon adapted Symphony's formula to lesser hardware and did so expediently, an admirable feat. Despite the deep Dual Set-up System, the game's greatest asset, it's ultimately a watered-down version of Alucard's 1997 adventure - though it certainly saw KCEK off from the series on a high note, this a year and a half before their shutting down.

The plot is basically a re-worked version of Symphony's, but instead of the father-son dynamic this game has a more prominent rivalry component. The dialogue isn't as artful or melodramatic as said release, and reduces the hero, Nathan, to mostly uttering one-word exclamations. Descendants of the Belmont clan, Nathan Graves and Hugh Baldwin, have been trained by the latter's father, Morris Baldwin, to become vampire hunters. 10 years prior, Morris and Nathan's parents had destroyed Dracula, the Graveses dying in the process. Now, in 1830, Morris has entrusted Nathan with the Vampire Hunter whip, much to Hugh's chagrin. When the vampire Camilla resurrects the Prince of Darkness once more, the three enter the castle, but are too late, as Morris is captured and his two apprentices are sent down to the Catacombs. There they split up, Nathan intent on defeating Dracula and rescuing his master and Hugh intent on going it alone and proving himself greater than his rival. When the series was given back to Koji Igarashi, who created it exclusively for almost a decade beginning with Harmony of Dissonance, he controversially removed Circle of the Moon's story from the overall timeline.

Nathan Graves operates more like a Belmont than Alucard, with the same weight and rigid movement. He can use: 'A' to jump and again to double-jump when he finds the appropriate power-up; 'B' to whip and, when held, to automatically spin it around in a circle, without requiring the player to manually brandish it as in Super Castlevania IV; 'Up' and then 'B' to use a sub-weapon (the traditional Dagger, Holy Water, Boomerang, Axe, and Stopwatch - the Holy Water being particularly effective compared to its previous series iterations); 'Left' or 'Right' twice on the D-Pad to dash, once that power-up is collected; 'Down' and then 'A' to perform an offensive slide on the ground; 'L' to turn on DSS magic; 'R' in conjunction with other buttons to perform special abilities that must also be won first; 'Start' to view the pause menu; and 'Select' to view the map. As stated, some of these abilities must be earned first as Magic Items, though the amount of actually useful ones versus the amount of ones that simply remove an obstruction are split down the middle. The Dash Boots, Double, Kick Boots, and Roc Wing are useful in their own ways, but the Tackle, Heavy Ring, Cleansing, and Last Key are hardly used for anything beyond making passage possible or, in Cleansing's case, significantly easier.

The RPG system has been greatly simplified. Rather than two qualities each that affect damage dealt and damage taken, there are simply STR (Strength) and DEF (Defense), along with INT (Intelligence, which affects MP recovery rate) and LCK (Luck, which affects drop rate of items) - the latter two having no direct effect on combat in this case. Equip armor and stat-altering items are also in a smaller amount (for instance, 5 HP-restoring items compared to the dozens in Symphony) and fewer categories (Body, Left Arm, and Right Arm for armor and Use for expendable items). HP, MP, and Hearts Max Increases are to be found throughout the castle, HP and MP maxes increasing by 10 points and one's Hearts max increases by 2 hearts. Experience gaining in Circle of the Moon is less natural than it was in its predecessor, and thus there's more and longer grinding involved, but the amount that enemies give the player doesn't diminish over time, and thus the highest level of 99 is quite achievable. Even in this state, the enemies offer a veritable challenge without DSS involved, and though the game's nothing a seasoned conqueror of the NES games will sweat over, it's closer than Symphony of the Night to being true to the series' reputation for difficulty.

The Dual Set-up System, or DSS, involves the player collecting 20 different magical cards from enemies, 10 Action cards depicting Roman gods and 10 Attribute cards depicting mythological monsters. The system is based around selecting one card of either type, the Action card deciding the type of effect it will have and the Attribute card deciding what elemental attribute will go along with it. By collecting every card, the player will unlock all 100 spells in the game, a truly formidable selection even when compared to those that would come later. Of the spells, there are elemental whips and alternate weapons, stat alterations, protective barriers, sidekick-esque familiars, devastating summons, and others. Pretty much every Belmont ability from games prior to Circle are included in some shape or form, thanks to DSS.

There's just one map in the game, and it features plenty of unconventionally-shaped rooms that don't adhere to the standard square or rectangular form that Iga would stick to in his games. The HP, MP, and Hearts power-ups are generally either hidden in the abundant breakable walls leading to secret rooms or hallways set completely to the side of the main path, instead of their placement feeling naturally apart of the rest of the castle. The game's progression feels similarly stilted, with a whole, isolated section of the castle being blocked off by one obstacle with one escape route. The Battle Colosseum is a nice side-quest to the main game: Nathan has to defeat all the enemies in a horizontal, rectangular room before advancing to the next one, and must continue slaughter-after-slaughter - with breaks for heart-replenishing and escape - until he reaches the end, where he'll be rewarded with the Shining Armor, the best armor in the whole game. Completing this is entirely optional, and yet it's a novel concept and a likely inspiration for Harmony of Dissonance's Boss Rush Mode, which would become a staple feature of every Iga Metroidvania afterward. As in Super Metroid, the developers - either intentionally or accidentally - left room to skip ahead. As a result, it's possible to ignore the Underground Gallery and Underground Warehouse and go straight to the Underground Waterway after defeating Adramelech; however, the uncleansed water will still be poisonous and the enemies will be stronger than the player might be prepared for. While this was either a conscious decision or an unintended one, both speedrunners with a mission and totally unaware players have skipped these large portions of the game.

There are several extra modes to be played upon normal completion of the game, or Vampire Killer Mode. The first is Magician Mode, in which Nathan has greater Intelligence and MP and boosts these stats faster than normal upon leveling up, as well as having every DSS card in his possession from the start; Fighter Mode, in which he has greater Strength, Defense, and HP - stats which go up more quickly than in other modes - and can level up faster; Shooter Mode, which makes sub-weapons much stronger and gives Nathan a much greater amount of Hearts that he can increase even more by leveling up, as well as the Homing Dagger sub-weapon, being able to seek out enemies that aren't directly in his line of fire; and, finally, Thief Mode, which starts him out with extremely high Luck and greater potential to increase it - with all of these modes, stats that aren't improved are generally lowered. Also, by combining the Black Dog and Pluto cards and turning on DSS Nathan will transform into a skeleton that can throw bones, occasionally an incredibly large and powerful one, but that is killed in one hit. By equipping the Bear Ring before using this spell Nathan will turn into the BearTank character from Rakuga Kids for the Nintendo 64, which can shoot missiles and lay bombs but is also KO'd by one enemy attack. It might have been a better use of these characters if they were featured - without the same vulnerability - in extra modes to the Nathan campaign, along with an alternate mode in which the player could control Hugh Grant. Playing with alternate stats offers some variability, but not as much as well-balanced extra characters.

The graphics are a great aspect of the game, but hindered it due to the hardware of the time. The castle is truly dark and gritty, and enemy sprites are menacing; but since the original Game Boy Advance had no backlighting, it became an issue. Nowadays, it's easier to appreciate them, though Nathan's and the rest of the humanoid primary cast's sprites are rather bland and, barring Camilla's, don't have much personality to them. The is likely due to their small size, which limits the pixel amount that could be spent on them, though this doesn't seem to hold back Dracula's lesser minions. The music, by Takashi Yoshia, is up to the series' high standards, though the majority of the score is made up of rearranged versions of songs by other series composers; the re-workings are of high quality, however, and the new tracks blend into the tone set by the other ones. Of the original music, there are: 'Awake', playing in the Catacombs; 'Fate to Despair', heard in the Eternal Corridor; 'Proof of Blood', going with Nathan's final battle with Dracula; and 'Repose of Souls', which ends the game on a soft and nostalgic note. Of the redone songs, there are: 'Vampire Killer' from the original NES Castlevania; 'Clockwork', 'Aquarius', and 'Nightmare' from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse; 'Clockwork Mansion' from Super Castlevania IV; 'A Vision of Dark Secrets' and 'Dance of Illusions' from Rondo of Blood; 'Sinking Old Sanctuary' from Bloodlines; and 'Sign of Blood Pulse' and 'Shudder' from Castlevania for the Nintendo 64. The Gregorian chant title and save screen track isn't even a new version, but an exact copy of Rondo of Blood's 'Requiem'. While the graphics didn't complement the original screens they were viewed on and the music is borrowed for the most part, they create the classic series atmosphere effectively and are surely strong points.

If scrapping most of the intricacy of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, the handheld iterations that followed would provide interesting alternative magic systems, and Circle of the Moon's DSS is one of the most engrossing. The colosseum is a fun side-adventure as well, and the game's challenge is more in line with what's expected from the series. Though atmospheric, its dark colors made it hard to look at on the non-backlit Game Boy Advance, and it's overall not as complete an attempt at the Metroidvania formula as it could have been. Being the first of its kind on a sixth generation handheld system, it's definitely an impressive effort. The next year, Koji Igarashi and his team would be back to recreate Symphony of the Night - and then again, and then again.

Game Rating

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Symphony for the Devil

Posted : 11 months, 2 weeks ago on 13 June 2012 08:51 (A review of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)

It's not always noted, but even the standard platforming Castlevanias started to dip in quality after Rondo of Blood. Lead by former programmer Koji Igarashi, with art by Ayami Kojima and a score by Castlevania: Bloodlines's Michiru Yamane, the sequel to that spark of vampire-slaying brilliance came in 1997 - though it was completely beyond what anyone could expect. Albeit preceded by the early series titles Vampire Killer for the MSX and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest for the NES, the Metroid-inspired gameplay herein is more thoroughly-developed than in these, and moreso than it even needs to be due to its unnecessarily intricate RPG system. Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and all hands involved hit the stake on the head when they made Castlevania: Symphony of the Night; unfortunately, that left room for years' worth of attempts to top it or at the very least recreate its glory, to mixed results.

The game marks a shift in the series in which the stories become more involved. The current heir to the Belmont destiny, Richter, has gone missing, and with Castle Dracula standing high against the Wallachian skyline, a hero not of the Belmont clan is forced to take up the battle. Waking from his three-hundred year slumber, before which he had aided Richter's ancestor Trevor Belmont in defeating the Dark Lord, Alucard rises this time to take down Count Dracula - his father - all on his own. The dialogue can be melodramatic - the voice acting not always helping - but this is truly an emotionally-charged tale about a father and son who took different paths away from the same tragic experience. It also introduces the formula that would persist through its spiritual successors: a wayward ally becomes the enemy, though later on it becomes clear that he is merely a pawn in a larger scheme to resurrect Dracula. Initially this plot structure would be recreated without much change to the recipe, but later on Koji Igarashi would start varying it up.

Alucard's controls mark a sharp turn in the way Castlevania characters would handle. The relegation of 'X' to jump, '◯' and '⬜' to operate what's held in either hand (most likely a sword in one, a shield in the other), 'Up' plus one of these buttons to attack with a sub-weapon, '△' to slide back quickly, the L1, R1, and R2 buttons to transform (into a Fog, Bat, and Wolf, respectively), the ability to use most weapons to attack diagonally-downward while crouching or jumping by pressing 'Left' or 'Right' and 'Down', and the option to use spells with longer button combos, is pretty convenient considering the complexity of Alucard's moveset. Still, it's in the simple way the character moves, jumps, and attacks that makes him feel so much lighter than the Belmonts have traditionally. For those craving such an experience, Richter Belmont still plays, with a vaster moveset, as he did in Rondo of Blood.

The traditional sub-weapons return: the Dagger, which is a lightning quick, straight shot at the enemy; Holy Water, which is thrown on the ground where it burns briefly; Cross, which in this case works as a heart-draining crash that encompasses the entire screen (for Alucard at least); the Axe, which is tossed, spinning, diagonally-upward before falling diagonally-downward; and the Stopwatch, which briefly stops time to catch minor enemies totally off-guard. Carried over from Rondo of Blood is the Holy Bible, which when used encircles the main character, hurting enemies that come too near. New here are: the Rebound Stone, which works like the Dagger until it hits a surface, at which point it ricochets off until it hits an enemy or flies off the screen; the Aguen, which smites an enemy with lightning upon contact, this being prolonged by continuing to press the attack button; and the Bibuti, sacred ashes which fall on the ground and hurt wicked passers-by. Some of the extra sub-weapons introduced in this game aren't altogether necessary, but this presents a big aspect to the game: how there's more depth than there necessarily needs to be.

This is no more apparent than in the general RPG system and all the alternate attacks and abilities. Like in Simon's Quest, Alucard can improve his stats to overcome enemies once too powerful to touch. ATT, or Attack, determines how much damage Dracula's only son can do, with his STR, or Strength, accounted in this calculation; DEF, or Defense, decides how much damage Alucard can take, with his CON, or Constitution, taken into consideration; INT, or Intelligence, affects how powerful sub-weapons and magic are against enemies; and LCK, or Luck, increases Kid Dracula's critical hit rate and likelihood of enemies leaving behind rare items. Too, he can make use of a variety of weapons, shields, and stat-altering items in his Left and Right hands and alter his stats - and, in the case of the cloaks, appearance - with Head, Body, Cloak, and two Other equip outlets. There are a number of Spells that Alucard can buy and learn, activated via button combos - usually a number of D-Pad presses with a shape button at the end. Familiars, enabled one at a time by turning on a corresponding Relic, follow the half-man/half-vampire around and attack enemies in their own unique styles, getting stronger and bringing in extra effects as they grow up in level. The baby of the beast can have general abilities added to his roster by way of other Relics - namely: transformations into a Wolf, Bat, and Mist (a la Bram Stoker's essential work) and power-ups to these alternate forms; jump abilities; the ability to see enemy damage and enemy names; and general stat upgrades. Of course, much of this is entirely unnecessary, as the game isn't challenging by any means if the player levels up consistently and uses the right weapons and armor. Familiars and Spells are fun, but aren't a huge help as the player won't be pushed very hard to use them.

Experience is gained rather naturally until about level 60 or so, when most enemies only give the virtuous vampire 1 EXP. The shop in the Long Library allows Alucard to purchase items like potions and armor and receive boss advice from the Librarian, and unless one abuses the system there should be more than enough money to go around. Taking immense inspiration from the Metroid series, the map is non-linear with many branching paths as well as a definite interconnectedness, though like with any game in the style most areas will be blocked off until the necessary power-ups are collected and bosses defeated. However, with all that Symphony provides, it absolutely cannot be written off as an empty, verbatim Super Metroid clone. For instance, at the end of Alucard's trek through Castle Dracula, fighting the boss correctly will allow the player access to an Inverted Castle, a decidedly more free-roaming version of the main castle which is the same structurally but reversed up-and-down and left-and-right and with stronger enemies and different collectibles. Depending on how much of the two castles one explores - the intended max being 200.00% - different endings will play at the end of the final fight with Dracula. All things considered, the game is a whole lot larger than Super Metroid, with an extra map, deep role-playing elements, and more variety in the enemies and levels.

As far as the presentation goes, the goal was clearly to show a more suave and sophisticated side of Castle Dracula without forsaking the grit and edge so apart of its core. This was achieved. The castle is dark and yet has a definite class to it, with areas such as the Marble Gallery, Long Library, and Royal Chapel being prime examples of the classier parts, while even the dingier dust buckets like the Castle Entrance, Castle Keep, and Colosseum have a certain fashionability to them. The sprites, too, are stellar. Alucard's is the main item here, and it's a far cry from how he looked in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. He has flowing silver-white hair, a cape that sweeps elegantly as he walks, and an after-image that accentuates his movement; not to mention, his walk is lighter and less rigid than that of the typical Belmont. Richter returns from Rondo of Blood, too, albeit with no changes beyond the extra poses necessary to animate his new abilities. Maria, finally, is completely redone as the older, more physically mature Belmont in-law that is much more suitable as a love interest for Alucard. Several enemy sprites make returns - mostly from Rondo of Blood - including minor enemies and bosses alike. There are a number of vibrant new characters to go along with, though, so the game has the extra variety of an already-created cast without depending solely on those pre-made. The success of this is all thanks, of course, in no small part to Ayami Kojima's official artwork for the game. The box art for previous series games had been impressive, and Kojima honors this tradition while applying her own flavor to the mix. The heroes are more feminine, with long hair and aristocratic clothing, yet still cool and to be taken seriously. When this style was pushed aside in favor of an anime aesthetic when the Nintendo DS Castlevanias came along, it was to massive dismay.

The score by Michiru Yamane is nothing short of all-time classic orchestration. Where with Castlevania: Bloodlines she opted for an old-school sound due to the hardware limitations, Symphony's music is her completely breaking free of such inhibitions, producing masterfully perfect music rivaling the very best of any series. There are: especially epic and grand pieces such as 'Dance of Illusions', 'Tower of Mist', 'The Tragic Prince', and 'Finale Toccata'; tracks which set the player on edge; namely, 'Door of Holy Spirits', 'Curse Zone', 'Enchanted Banquet', 'Door to the Abyss', and 'Death Ballad'; some hard rock tracks like 'Prologue' and 'Festival of Servants'; generally gothic beauties; for example, the Gregorian chant 'Prayer' along with 'Dracula's Castle'; songs which reflect the class and propriety of Castle Dracula, including, 'Dance of Gold' and 'Wood Carving Partitia; the necessary more subtle and less overwhelming themes; for instance, 'Requiem for the Gods', 'Crystal Teardrop', 'Abandoned Pit', 'Lost Painting', 'Dance of Pales'; just as well as the upbeat and high-energy ones, which include ''Marble Gallery', 'Rainbow Cemetery', 'Wandering Ghosts', 'Heavenly Doorway', and 'Blood Relations'; along with the generally dark, sombre, and brooding themes, such as 'Metamorphosis Am 1', '2', and '3' and 'Moonlight Nocturne'. There are too many standouts across the whole album to name just a few, and every track serves its purpose of supporting the gothic yet eloquent atmosphere that is so decidedly different from previous series entries. The only drawback to the music is the end credits theme, 'I Am the Wind' by Cynthia Harrell, which is a nice soft and sweet pop ballad on its own, but is very inappropriate for the end of this particular game.

Though notable for championing 2D gameplay in a gaming world rapidly vacillating toward 3D, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night would be the end of the tradition of having two-dimensional console entries. Instead, the series would fumble over the N64's Castlevania and its revamping, and the 2D games - now exclusively "Metroidvania", as it was quickly called - would be relegated to Nintendo handhelds.

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Hey, Metroid. Care to return a favor?

Posted : 11 months, 3 weeks ago on 5 June 2012 06:39 (A review of Aliens: Infestation)

Sometimes things are all out of order: deadly extra-terrestrials burst out of people's chests, the government claims ownership, and the creative rights battle of the century ensues. Sometimes they make complete sense - this being the case with Aliens: Infestation. As the Alien movies inspired the Metroid series, the former now calls the latter in for a "you owe me one" redemption, and co-developers WayForward Technologies and Gearbox Software's Nintendo DS release Aliens: Infestation becomes a meta-homage. Its use of Metroid's non-linear exploration and progression by way of power-ups by no means cuts back on the decided Alien charm, it being specifically reminiscent of classic series gaming such as the Nintendo Entertainment System's Alien 3. The end result isn't a total knockout, but it's got a lot to offer.

Continuing where Alien 3 left off, the Colonial Marines of Alpha Squad have come to the USS Sulaco upon receiving a distress call, and they soon find that an attack of some sort has laid waste to much of it - though it's hard to tell what exactly went down. They soon learn that alien lifeforms are aboard the ship and that those in charge are protecting this secret along with the aliens themselves for corporate gain. There are 4 characters accessible at the beginning of the game, each with his or her own dialogue, and as they perish they can be replaced with marines found in the game's different locations - up to 19 in all. The story is an adequate continuation of the trilogy, but its great achievement is how the varied perspectives contribute unique light to it. Since each marine is so different personality-wise and yet no different gameplay-wise, there's a party of 4 for every type of player.

There are a lot of buttons to keep track of, but there's nothing about the concepts behind the control scheme that are too difficult to get accustomed to. 'Y' makes the chosen character fire his or her main weapon, and when used in conjunction with the D-pad allows for it to be aimed up-left, up, and up-right in addition to left and right; 'B' jump; 'X' use grenades and other secondary items; 'Left' or 'Right' and 'A', when the blue meter is full enough, allows the interchangeable main character to perform a roll on the ground for quick low-level travel; 'L' has him or her stay in one place while firing a weapon diagonally upward; 'R' when held allows the player to run, gradually sapping the very same blue meter; and lastly, the touch screen can be used to select weapons and other items. No button goes unused, but it's all for typical functions. The 19 different marines aren't too convenient to control as: their basic abilities never change through out the game; the blue meter for the functions of running and rolling is limiting and unnecessary; and they aren't able to navigate and move quickly during a fight to say, swiftly turn and shoot a Xenomorph that has sprinted to the other side of the marine or has taken to walking on the ceiling. The controls are not what one would call clunky, but they are limited.

There really are no new abilities collected throughout the game's progress, but there are weapons which can be carried one at a time, along with explosives and items that make accessing new areas possible. Of the weapons, there are: the Pulse Rifle, which shoots consistent but weak bullets; the Shotgun, which has pauses in-between shots but is much more powerful; the Flamethrower, which spews forth a cloud of fire; the Smartgun, which fires quickly and effectively; and the Pistol, which fires weak but unlimited shots and acts as the main weapon when the player's current selection runs out of ammo. These weapons can be upgraded to have an extra stock of ammunition, and there are plenty spares of such upgrade so that missing one or two isn't a problem. The explosives are: the Grenades, which can be thrown to explode on contact with an enemy or after a few seconds; Grenade Rounds, which can be shot out at enemies in a quick, straight fashion; and Explosives, which can be set in place on a floor and blown from a distance. The player can also set Flares that mark a red spot on a map so as to remember to revisit it. Finally, there are a number of items that simply open a blocked path: the Welder, which can open doors that have been melted shut and close doors before Xenomorphs in the other room break through; the Wrench, which fixes pipes so they don't leak steam; and 6 Security Access Keys, which simply open different levels of blocked doors. The items don't really do anything beyond opening a path, and there being eight of them which basically do the same thing makes progressing repetitive and unrewarding, but the weapons certainly make the game easier as a play through lasts.

There are five parts to the game: visit 1 to the Sulaco, LV-426/Acheron, visit 2 to the Sulaco, Phobos, and visit 2 to the Sulaco. The progression is mostly based on unlocking parts of the map by getting key cards and other helpful items, and though its apparent aim is to stay true to the gameplay of Alien 3 while giving a much more Metroid-esque experience, the gameplay can get stale after a while. The atmosphere is dead-on, there are lots of aspects that should be familiar to fans of the film series, and overall there's a lot of redeeming value to the gameplay, but it certainly can't rival Metroid.

The fact that a lot of thought was put into the release by those at WayForward and Gearbox is easily seen in the Marine Roster: there are bios for each of the 19 Colonial Marines as well as their commanding officer, complete with his or her age, rank, status, and a rather in-depth bio. Each character is indeed unique and different, and one is motivated to find them all in order to fill said roster. Also included is the Knife Trick mini-game unlocked upon defeat of the second boss in the game. In it, a picture of a hand on a table is displayed, and as redness fills in the gaps between fingers the player must "stab"/tap them before the next one appears at a different spot; this all before the time runs out. It's a fun extra, though certainly not a game-changer.

The graphics are all very dark and grim, opting for a style true to the source material which completely contrasts WayForward's gorgeous, bright sprite work for Shantae: Risky's Revenge. The character designs by comic book artist Chris Bachalo are well-done and evocative of their personalities, and the sprites themselves are colored differently for each marine with their own pose while resting in Communications Rooms. The background music is quite effective at setting the player on edge. The ending credits theme by Guyz Nite is pure gold, being sweet and somber musically while not taking itself too seriously lyrically.

The gameplay isn't anything too fantastic, but all the atmosphere of an Alien movie, or a Metroid game, or both, is there. The possibility of losing all of a party of Colonial Marines and getting a game over makes each fighter that much more precious, and the varying dialogue between marines is fun and keeps things fresh. The game doesn't stand out among classics like Super Metroid or Symphony of the Night, but it's a significant Metroidvania game for the full circle it creates: here the emulator becomes the emulated.

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Mastering the spirit needed for backtracking...

Posted : 11 months, 4 weeks ago on 29 May 2012 07:51 (A review of Shaman King: Master of Spirits)

If a single magic system in all of Castlevania's history had to be picked out as the best, there could be no doubt as to which one it would be: the Castlevania Sorrow titles' Tactical Soul system. With Shaman King: Master of Spirits, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan applies this system to the world of the Shaman King manga and anime series, which is based around shaman utilizing spirits of the deceased in battle to see who will be the Shaman King with ultimate power. The Tactical Soul system is a nice fit for the license, and Master of Spirits maintains the same amount of depth, adding a "Decks" feature in which arrangements of spirit equipments can be switched back and forth in-game - an improvement which would later be utilized in Dawn of Sorrow. The game does have some issues, but it's still a more-than-satisfactory means of satisfying a Castlevania craving.

The plot has no bearing on the manga/anime, though it incorporates all the important characters from the story, which feels forced most of the time. Interrupting Yoh Asakura and his friends' well-earned free time from the Shaman King Tournament, a figure who calls himself "Magister" arrives. Proclaiming that he wishes to resurrect the Shaman King from 4,500 years back, he attacks Anna (Yoh's fiancee), causing the book in her hand - The Tome of the Shaman - to be torn apart with its pages scattered. In order to resurrect Mephias, Magister must now retrieve the pages of the book, and in order to stop him, Yoh Asakura must do the same.

Yoh will collect Guardian Ghosts in the maps as well as from enemies and non-player characters, and he can equip five at a time to his Head Phones, Left and Right Glove, and Left and Right Sandal slots, once the four extra ones are found in the game world. The spirits are either Active or Passive, Active ones being activated by pushing the shoulder buttons and Passive ones creating an automatic effect simply by equipping it. Of the five slots, only the Left and Right Gloves allow Yoh to use Active spirits; 'L' and 'R' respectively activate the assigned ghosts. There are four "Decks" of this, allowing the player to - by pressing select while playing the game - switch between different combinations of this. This is a great innovation, though having four Decks makes switching around something the player can't do during combat or in other circumstances that call for a quick change.

There are 68 such ghosts to Aria of Sorrow's 120 souls, the most important ones being: Amidamaru, Yoh's personal spirit who allows him to perform devastating sword combos; Tokageroh, who allows Yoh to push crates; Corey, who freezes fires so they can be destroyed; Eliza, who protects him from poisonous gas; Silva's five spirits which, when equipped all together, allow the prospective Shaman King to blast totem poles that block the way; Mic, who gives him the ability to sprint and jump longer distances; Lee Pai-Long, who lets him slide through tight crevices; Grand Tao Dragon, which lets him skip to the end of a particular map if he's already gone to the end once; Chloe, who lets him latch onto and swing from hooks a la Simon Belmont; Blocks, which literally allows Yoh to create temporary platforms; and Magnescope, which lets the player look around.

Some of the ghosts sap Yoh's SP while others activate automatically. Most of the Guardian Ghosts are mildly amusing but ultimately useless, as was the case in Aria of Sorrow. Moreover, many of them give Yoh abilities he should have automatically. Just as Soma Cruz, in Aria of Sorrow, collects abilities and souls that are automatically apart of his moveset once he collects them, too would abilities like Lee Pai-Long's down-slide, Eliza's protection from poison, and Magnescope's allowing one to look slightly beyond the screen have been better off being automatic or activated as it would be in another platformer. Instead, the player has to pick a small handful of these upgrades to use at once.

Yoh will also collect: 20 Magatama Beads, which increase his maximum health a good deal with every four he obtains; 12 pages to The Tome of the Shaman, which increases his SP one bar every time he gets four; up to 99 Leaf, Pebble, and Doll items, each of which work as ammo to certain Spirit Control abilities; food and other antidote that heal him from damage or poisoning, respectively; and Yen, which he may use to purchase food or antidote while in the overworld map. The Leaves, Pebbles, and Dolls aren't put to much use, while the Magatama Beads and Tome Pages would have been better off as 20 mini-upgrades since having Yoh's bar update in increments makes collecting the first three Magatama Beads in a collection of four much less satisfying.

The game is broken up into several somewhat linear paths connected by dots on an overworld map. There's definitely a non-linearity to the levels and the world as a whole, but until the player picks up the Grand Tao Dragon, the levels must be re-traversed in full in order to get back to that previously out-of-reach spirit or Magatama Bead one remembers seeing earlier. This wouldn't be the worst injustice, but considering the map is quite sprawling, with some journeys from one end to the other surpassing ten paths, this quickly becomes very tedious.

The game as a whole feels like Castlevania, thanks in no small part to its graphics. The world and its enemies have a very Circle of the Moon or Aria of Sorrow-type feel to them, and though this would be unavoidable in any game with such a premise, it does feel more than accidental. The music is great orchestration, standout tracks being the beautifully haunting 'Western Cemetery' and the subdued yet impelling 'Tao Grounds'. There's also: the lively and danceable 'Eastern Cemetery'; the pleasing 'Northern Fields'; the march-like and then sweet 'Southern Mountains'; the soft and happy-go-lucky 'Jungle Ruins'; the ominous, then sweet, then ominous again build up of 'Industrial Area'; the quiet and calming 'Ice Land'; the energetic 'Boss'; and, of course, the triumphant and then eerie 'Main Menu'.

Master of Spirits has a deep spirits system, a sizable world, and a healthy challenge, but tedious backtracking and some problems with the way said spirits system is utilized hold the title back from being as great as its spiritual predecessor.

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My name is Jack, and I am clunky

Posted : 12 months ago on 25 May 2012 07:28 (A review of Samurai Jack: The Amulet Of Time)

Cartoon Network-based licensed games haven't generally been known for their stunning quality. With such a bad reputation for cheap filler, most gamers shrug off any new Cartoon Network-centric release before even knowing what it's about; a mistake when it comes to Virtucraft's Samurai Jack: The Amulet of Time. Based on the animated series Samurai Jack, The Amulet of Time is a non-linear sidescrolling adventure which retains the overall feel of said program.

Though not entirely based on the TV show, the game follows the basic premise; additionally, it has an actual resolution which the show's original run never did. The nameless Samurai who has come to call himself "Jack" is truly a man out of time. While battling Aku, his arch-nemesis, he was sent forward to a period when the demon has established his rule over the world. After training for a time with monks, he feels ready to travel the world in search a way to return to his own era so he can negate this future created by Aku. Upon leaving, the monk gives him an ancient amulet which appears to be intended for Jack to use; his mission thus is to collect the four elemental jewels that were once apart of the amulet and somehow use it to go back in time. All the while, he must contend with robots, monsters, and a world completely and utterly foreign to him.

Jack doesn't control fluidly; in fact, he's quite slow and heavy. Adding to this, the game's default controls have the 'A' button as the attack button and assign the 'B' button to jumping, though this can be adjusted via the Options in the pause menu. Initially: he's able to Run by double tapping on the D-pad; he can Crawl by pressing 'Down' and then moving, and can then Roll from a crawl by clicking the jump button; and he can perform a Wall Flip in which he kicks off of walls by jumping into them, turning away, and immediately pressing jump. He does learn a number of abilities which make him more effective as the sidescrolling Samurai star he is: the Double Jump, which is activated whenever he clicks jump while already in the air; and the Super Jump, which gives Jack's starting jump extra height and can be activated by holding 'Up' and then jumping. Necessary for besting many of the game's obstacles are a number of combat abilities activated by pressing 'L' while equipped, including: the Bow and Arrow, which can shoot targets to move obstructions; the Viking Hammer, which knocks down breakable walls; and, though not necessary for exploration, there's also the Ice Shield, which blocks enemy attacks at Jack's frontside. He also adds four elemental gems to the titular amulet, resulting in four different offensive blade maneuvers: the Earth Attack, which destroys hallow floors below the brave blade-wielder; Fire Attack, which melts walls made of ice; Ice Attack, which freezes water and turns gushes of it into temporary bridges; and the Wind Attack, which , though it doesn't help at all in unlocking otherwise inaccessible parts of the map, creates a strong wind attack that deals a great amount of damage to enemies. Except for the standard double jump, these upgrades don't add anything that's really game-changing, as most of them do the same thing (get a wall out of the way) but simply have different names.

There's a rather involved RPG system, with a Health and Special bar (the latter powering extra weapons and amulet attacks), as well as Attack and Defense points for Mech, Earth, Wind, Fire, Ice, Shadow, and Light elemental attributes. While just about all of these can be accentuated by equipping items for Jack's Armor, left and right Gauntlets, left and right Rings, and 3 Sword Gems, and can be powered up to 999 by returning to the monk's temple and trading rejuvenation items for stat upgrade items, this is overkill; Jack is pretty capable of beating every enemy that stands in his way with minimal equipping of armor and improving of stats. Thus, a play through is ridiculously easy unless the player equips absolutely nothing and cares not a whiff for upping Jack's stats; though there's still some wandering in store. The game is indeed a Metroidvania sidescroller, with backtracking and an open world to explore. However, the nonlinearity exists within different stops on the road, and as such the map exists as several small open maps that are connected by a straight path. While the underground cave connects a few different areas and warp points can be unlocked later in the game's duration, the progression still feels largely linear and backtracking is somewhat strained due to this.

The world presented is appropriately representative of that of Samurai Jack. Though the graphics may be overly-simplified, this is because the visuals are successful in capturing the look of the series. Equally typifying of the series - yet much more appealing on its own merits - is the background music. There's a very fitting oriental sound to it all (the TV show/menu theme excluded), with an electronica basis to a lot of it. The score is cool and intense; in fact, it's probably the best aspect of the game. What's more, by collecting the Bagpipes item in the game, the player can listen to the 16 tracks used throughout the dystopian future world that Jack explores. The presentation fares better than the actual gameplay, though the musical themes steal the show.

Samurai Jack: The Amulet of Time is a pretty solid effort, even moreso when compared to other Cartoon Network franchise games. Still, Jack's controls are sluggish, it's not very challenging, the map is way too linear for the type of game it is, and the power-ups don't change anything fundamental about Jack's abilities for the most part. In short, the main reason to play this game is to re-experience the cartoon's atmosphere: with an incredible score and authentic visuals, this effort feels just like the television series. As it is, those who pass this one off as standard Cartoon Network video game fare just don't know jack.

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