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WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT: THE CYBER SHINOBI
StickyAugust 19, 2023ReviewsMasterSystem, SEGA, ShinobiCheesy
Here’s what I had to say about The Cyber Shinobi for the SEGA Master System…
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last night, I completed The Cyber Shinobi with a whopping score of 1,411,300
points. The verdict… is that this game is pretty alright.
It certainly isn’t mind-blowing or anything, but after hearing how most people
seem to think that this is the worst game in the Shinobi series, I can honestly
say that it doesn’t deserve all the hate it gets. I think the 2D beat ’em up
gameplay that this one goes with is kind of fun in its own way, and it’s a nice
change of pace compared to other titles.
While a few were annoying at first, I found the enemies easy to learn and
understand how to deal with. The bosses were also fair challenges that I enjoyed
fighting, and I like how you can build up a “Power Meter” that gradually
increases how much damage you do in addition to having a Ninjutsu Meter instead
of a set amount of uses.
With the Meter, I found that it allowed for more uses of Ninjutsu as opposed to
the typical “one-and-done” uses you tend to see in other Shinobi games. Plus,
they’re flashy in a way that don’t hurt my eyes, which is always something that
I can appreciate.
In terms of presentation, I’d argue that this game does a decent job at it.
While the gameplay itself is a somewhat “choppy” feel, the sprites are easily
readable, the soundtrack is very catchy, and again, the Ninjutsu powers were
honestly pretty cool, especially the Lightning one. The title screen also has a
neat effect that I found was worth mentioning.
However, this isn’t to say that I don’t have my gripes with the game. Mainly, it
irks me that three of the game’s six stages have at least one part in which if
you stand on a certain platform for too long, it will fall without warning,
resulting in a cheap death. Stage 4 is the only one to actually mark which
platforms will fall, but in Stages 1 and 2, there’s absolutely no warning as far
as I can tell, which is simply artificial difficulty at that point.
It also bothers me that in order to use a ranged attack, you need to press up +
attack to fire a shot, but you can only do this when firmly on the ground. It’s
not the worst thing in the world, but it is important to know.
Finally, Stages 3 and 5 are incredibly short and incredibly bland, respectively.
It caught me by surprise when I reached the end boss that quickly, so that was a
bit disappointing.
But aside from that, this is a game I wouldn’t really mind coming back to in the
future. It’s a short game that I had my fun with, making it a solid 3.5
experience, in my book.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT: SONIC BLAST
August 12, 2023ReviewsGameGear, SEGA, SonicCheesy
Here’s what I had to say about Sonic Blast for the SEGA Game Gear…
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When you’re looking for a game to play, sometimes, you just want a short and
sweet adventure that may not exactly be a masterpiece, but is a fun time to
relax with… and in all honesty, that’s exactly what Sonic Blast was, for me.
For one of the so-called “worst” games in the series, I found myself entertained
throughout. For starters, the game runs rather smoothly, and Sonic himself is
rather fun to control. He has the ability to double jump for the first time in
the series (without needing a shield), and it honestly feels much more useful
than in later games like Colors and Forces.
It helps him traverse the levels just about on the same level as Knuckles, who
still retains his abilities to glide and climb walls. Sadly, though, I don’t
think he’s as good to play here as he is in the console games, so I’d just stick
with Sonic.
The levels, while not particularly special, are an enjoyable romp to play
through, except for Silver Castle Zone. Though, one stage that did stick out to
me was Blue Marine Zone, and for two reasons.
First, the main gimmick of the stage is that there are various tubes that take
you to different parts of the level. You have use the tubes in order to find
paths that lead you past the water currents that try to push you back back to an
earlier part of the stage. This puzzle-like element to the stage kept my
attention, even if the level itself is very slow. Then again, most water levels
in a Sonic game are.
But second, and this is something I really enjoyed, is that instead of having a
5-second countdown before you drown and lose a life, you have a 10-second
countdown before all of your rings start getting drained. It’s not until you run
out of rings that you lose a life, and honestly, this is a mechanic that I love,
as it gives rings much more of a use than most games.
The bosses of the levels are slightly tougher than Triple Trouble’s, but not by
much, as two-thirds of them can easily be beaten by using the same strategy over
and over. Thankfully, the two final bosses are ones that I had a lot of fun
with.
I find it creative how the boss of Silver Castle Zone requires you to reflect
Robotnik’s own attacks back at him, making it a nice change of pace for the
game. As for the unnamed true final boss (which I have dubbed the “Psycho Egg”),
it really puts your timing and estimation skills to the test, as you have to
land on the base of it before quickly jumping on top of its head and moving to
safety to avoid its counterattack.
Plus, you even start the fight with 99 rings, and in this game, you only drop 10
rings when you take damage, making it a very fair and generous final battle, and
a great conclusion to the game. (Also, I love the machine’s design and how the
center of it looks like an egg yolk. Nice touch.)
Knuckles defeating Dr. Robotnik’s “Pyscho Egg”.
And before I wrap things up, we need to talk about the Special Stages in this
game. As mentioned in my review of Sonic Triple Trouble, I usually don’t like
having to find the Special Stages. So you can imagine the absolute shock on my
face when I came out of this game having had fun finding them.
The locations of the Special Stages that reward the Chaos Emerald (shard)s all
reward thinking outside of the box or simply taking a riskier path, which I find
to be so much better than looking through every single nook and cranny and just
hoping that you found the right one.
For example, in Yellow Desert Zone, the end of the stage has a series of craters
that will shoot you from one to another towards the exit. However, if you figure
out to enter one of the craters that you don’t enter, you’ll find the Special
Stage!
Or how about in Red Volcano Zone, where you can jump over a pit that continues
the main path and get led to a dead-end with a patch of rings pointing in a
diagonal direction. Follow the trail of rings and you’ll find the Special Stage!
What about in Blue Marine Zone, where you can visibly see the Special Ring if
you have a keen eye, and notice that it’s locked behind a gate that requires a
switch to open. Eventually, you’ll come across a switch not too far from it, and
if you go back, you’ll find that the gates are gone and you can enter the
Special Stage!
Whenever a short challenge or an actual hint leads me to a Special Stage, I feel
proud, I have fun! This is how I like to find my Special Stages, and I can’t
believe that it’s Sonic Blast of all games where I finally have fun doing so.
Something nice about them, too, is that each Special Stage can be found twice in
each Zone: once in the first Act for an extra life, and once in the second Act
for the Chaos Emerald (shard).
As the layouts of each stage are specific to each Zone, if you’re good enough,
you can “practice” them in the first Act so that you know what’s coming ahead of
time when you go after the Chaos Emerald (shard) in the second.
It certainly helps that they have a fair difficulty curve, although, the last
Special Stage does get a demanding. Overall, they’re still ones that I enjoy
finding and completing.
A lovely collection of Chaos Emerald (shard)s.
To put it bluntly, I like Sonic Blast. Sure, it may not necessarily compare to
the classics on the Genesis, but for what it is, it’s a cute little game that I
don’t have many complaints with.
Again, the only real complaints here would be the first 4 bosses feeling too
same-y, and the Silver Castle Zone being an un-fun, unfair stage. Aside from
that, nothing!
But why do I like this game as much as I do?
Is it the charming “psuedo-3D” look of the game? The upbeat and cheerful tunes
like Green Hill Zone or the Special Stage? Perhaps features like the underwater
ring drain or only dropping 10 rings when hit?
Actually, that is why, and it’s a great example of why I’ll always keep an open
mind when it comes to playing a new game. It’s like they always say: “one man’s
trash is another man’s hidden gem.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG – TRIPLE TROUBLE
August 6, 2023ReviewsGameGear, SEGA, SonicCheesy
Here’s what I had to say about Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble for the SEGA
Game Gear...
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As I continue my marathon of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, tonight, I played
through and completed Sonic Triple Trouble as both Sonic and Tails, collecting
all 6 Chaos Emeralds and finishing the game with a total score of 356,000
points. Upon revisiting this game for the first time in at least 5 years, I’m
honestly surprised by how “average” I found the game to be.
Compared to the previous 8-bit Sonic titles I’ve looked at thus far, I found
myself uninterested throughout most of the adventure. In many levels, I came out
of them with nothing much to say simply due to how linear or bland some of them
felt to play through.
Admittedly, this may be due to the fact that the game’s levels were designed
around the smaller screen size of the Game Gear, which is something that I can
appreciate, but it doesn’t change how I feel about the levels themselves.
Take for example, Meta Junglira Zone (its name based on the fictional
“Shangri-La”). While I found its music to be rather catchy and enjoyable for the
stage, most of the first Act consists of very similar sections with the glass
spheres from Sonic CD’s Collision Chaos immediately followed by a loop.
Another example would be in Sunset Park Zone Act 2, where I began the level, ran
across the top part of the stage for a bit, and entered a Special Stage. After
clearing it, I dropped down a short height and found that I had already reached
the end of the level.
The levels in this game where just “there,” for the most part. The only
exceptions being Tidal Plant Zone and Atomic Destroyer Zone.
The former was a much slower and un-fun version of Aqua Lake Zone, while the
latter was the only stage where I found the level design to be fun due to its
gimmick of having trap panels that you don’t want to step on. Also, I’m pretty
sure the bouncy and energetic stage theme played a part in my enjoyment, too.
With the levels themselves out of the way, what about the rest of the game?
Well, the bosses are a mixed bag, as they’re either a complete joke or pretty
unfair, like with the third phase of the final boss. The way the Special Stages
are handled here honestly confuses me, too, as it feels like several ideas were
just mashed together without much thought.
Tails fighting Fang in a Special Stage. Source: Wizard Dojo
Firstly, I’m already not a fan of having to find and locate the Special Stages
like in Sonic 3, but having to do that and collect 50 rings before you can even
enter is annoying. In my opinion, this breaks the flow of the game, as with any
hidden goodies, I want to find them naturally instead of searching top and
bottom for them. I can’t tell you how many times I thought I was going to find a
Special Stage, only to be met with a dead end or the usual Ring Monitor.
Even when you do manage to find one, sometimes, you won’t have enough rings to
enter. This means you’ll have to go back to collect them, and then hope not to
drop any when you go back to access the stage. I tend to prefer the “collect 50
rings and reach the goal” method of accessing Special Stages as it lets me keep
the pace going, so adding another requirement on top of my least favorite method
really gets on my nerves.
The Special Stages themselves are pretty weird, too, as they alternate between
two types: a timed 2D platforming maze, and a 3D mini-game where you fly the
Tornado and collect 80 rings before the Special Stage ends.
While I don’t entirely mind either Special Stage, why not just stick to one over
the other instead of having two different types?
Once you reach the end of them, you’re still not done, as you then have to fight
against newcomer Nack the Weasel Fang the Sniper and win. Admittedly, these
fights are pretty easy and don’t take too long to beat, but why can’t I simply
get the Emerald by, y’know, reaching the end of the Special Stage?
It’s even stranger in the case of the 3D ones, as you go from flying the Tornado
to suddenly warping to a fight against Fang. It just really makes things feel
non-sequential.
Now, it isn’t all doom and gloom for this game, as there are some neat gameplay
elements that I feel this game does better than other mainline Sonic titles. For
starters, Sonic has the Super Peel Out move from Sonic CD. Even if it’s
practically useless, I think it’s neat to see here. More importantly, I really
enjoy playing as Tails in this game.
Something that always bothered me about playing as Tails was that, in order to
fly, you needed to keep mashing the jump button over and over to ascend. You can
get used to it, but it doesn’t exactly feel comfortable to do. Here, however,
once you’ve started flying, you can simply move Tails around with the D-pad,
making flight feel much more smoother.
In addition, after Tails bounces off of a spring (or if Tails falls off a
platform), he can preform a short upwards “boost” that can really help you out
if you need the extra height. And that’s not even where it ends!
Tails facing off against Knuckles in his submarine, the Sea Fox.
Going back to Tidal Plant Zone, for whatever reason, while Sonic has to slowly
trudge his way through the level, Tails has access to the Sea Fox submarine and
can use it in both Acts. While in it, he doesn’t have to worry about running out
of air, can freely swim underwater, and can even fire projectiles at enemies.
Even if the Zone is still pretty bad regardless of how you’re playing as, the
Sea Fox alone makes it even a little more bearable. Tails is definitely who I’d
recommend playing as due to his stage-traversal abilities.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where it stands, Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble is a perfectly average game.
I think that its graphics, music, and overall presentation are rather nice. I
love Sonic’s idle animation in this game, some stage transitions are nice, and
the soundtrack is one I found myself singing along to as I played.
However, when it comes to the core gameplay itself, that’s where things start to
get a bit iffy. There are some nice concepts here, as I touched upon just now,
but with pathetic boss fights, generally uninteresting stages, and a very
strange execution of Special Stages, I’m left with mixed feelings towards the
game.
There’s nothing here that deeply angers me, but there’s not really much that
excites me, either.
If you’re looking for a nice and short 8-bit platformer, then this is the game
for you, but when it comes to high-speed hedgehog action, I’d suggest looking
elsewhere.
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Final Rating: 3 out of 5
One comment so far
RE-REVIEW: ALEX KIDD IN THE ENCHANTED CASTLE
August 2, 2023ReviewsAlexKidd, Genesis, SEGACheesy
Three years ago, I wrote my first official post on this blog, that being a
review of Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle for the SEGA Genesis. In that
review, I bashed this game, finding it to be one of the worst video games I have
ever played.
> [OUTDATED] Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle – A Poor Mascot With A Poor Game
However, upon revisiting it and really thinking things over, this game doesn’t
infuriate me as much as it used to. Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t like it,
but I can at least somewhat tolerate its existence. First, the pros.
I rather enjoy how this game lets you use 1,000 of your money for a Continue
when you die. You even get to keep all of your items instead of starting from
scratch, which is something that you don’t see often in an old-school title.
It’s pretty neat, and alongside that, said items aren’t one-and-done uses, here.
You can actually equip and unequip an item to save it for later. So long as you
don’t lose a life while an item is equipped, they’ll stay with you forever, and
that’s honestly a cool feature that rewards playing the game well and only using
your items in dire situations.
Sadly, that’s pretty much about it when it comes to the good, as we’re already
on to the “gripe section” of this review.
Something I mentioned in my original review was the game’s slippery controls.
After suffering playing through Kid Chameleon, I can tell you that they’re not
the worst. They’re still slippery and floaty, but not the worst.
But, Alex is still an incredibly weak character who can barely do anything
successfully without the Power Bracelet item that lets you fire shockwaves with
any punch or kick. Trying to kill an enemy otherwise will most likely result in
a cheap death due to your pitiful range.
When it comes to the Rock-Paper-Scissors mechanic, no doubts about it, it’s
still incredibly dumb.
You have to win these games not only to obtain items in the shop that you
already paid the money for, but to also defeat bosses and progress. The latter
of which is honestly worse as you lose a life if you fail to win them.
I know that there’s an Amulet item that shows what your opponent is thinking of
choosing, but that item shouldn’t be a requirement in the first place.
Heck, I brought this idea up in my original review: it would’ve been better if
the bosses always displayed what they were thinking, as the battles would
instead be reflex-based challenges as you scramble to choose the counter to what
your opponent may or may not select for the round.
Alex playing a game of “Janken” for a Magic Robe. Source: AL82 Longplays
Poor game mechanics aside, the rest of the adventure is serviceable enough.
Besides Hiho Forest, there aren’t many levels that I would call “frustrating” or
“horrible.”
In fact, I still really enjoy the final level, the Sky Castle, just as much as I
did last time. I think it puts your reflexes to good use and has some fun tricks
and traps that aren’t too punishing. Plus, its music is still my favorite song
in the game. The desert theme ain’t too bad, either, but the helicopter theme…
yuck.
With all that said and done, that’s about all I’ve got to say on the game. There
were about as many good things I had to say as there were bad, making for an
experience I can only describe as “okay.”
While Alex Kidd still isn’t a game to write home about, I could honestly see it
making for an alright “kid’s first video game” due to its relatively
easy-to-learn gameplay and bright colors.
The adventure isn’t too long, lasting only 11 levels of relatively short length,
so if you’ve got a Kidd of your own or maybe a younger sibling, consider
checking this one out together. Maybe the time shared will be a more
consistently fun experience than the game itself.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Final Rating: 3 out of 5
One comment so far
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT: THE REVENGE OF SHINOBI
July 31, 2023ReviewsGenesis, SEGA, ShinobiCheesy
About two weeks ago, I completed The Revenge of Shinobi for the SEGA Genesis.
Here’s what I had to say about it…
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Every time I play through The Revenge of Shinobi, I’m left wishing for a
modern-day remake. Not because the game is bad by any means, but because things
like poor level design bog down an experience that is otherwise really fun and
enjoyable.
Before anything else, I want to get the bad out of the way, as there are aspects
about this game that I enjoy.
The main problem I have with it is that its enemy, boss, and level design can be
very unforgiving at times. Admittedly, most levels are relatively manageable
enough, but when they aren’t, those levels stick out like a sore thumb.
In some cases, the challenge comes from having to make pixel-perfect double
jumps, which are already hard enough to pull off as you need to be at the peak
of your jump, beforehand. I personally don’t like this type of double-jump, but
that’s just how it is in Shinobi series and even then, it isn’t the worst thing
in the world once you get the hang of it.
What is the worst is trying to get through a stage without getting hit, a task
that tends to be impossible when you’re constantly being surrounded by enemies.
Stage 8-2 is the worst offender of this, as it’s a maze in which you need to
enter the correct doors that lead to the exit, but there are several enemies
constanting jumping and flying around as you try to do this. It certainly
doesn’t help that there’s nothing to push you in the right direction as far I as
I can tell. Whenever I reach this point in the game, I find myself looking up a
guide as I honestly can’t beat the level without doing so.
Bosses like Monster G and the Ninja Master himself (who I just call “Zeed” after
the criminal organization you’re trying to take down) are also really annoying
and can easily kill you in just two hits. Thank goodness for modern features
like save states and rewinding, because trying to beat these guys in one go is
absolute torture.
Joe Musashi raining down shuriken on a samurai. Source: Retro Gamer
Still, none of this prevents me from enjoying the core gameplay itself,
alongside the abilities that our protagonist, Joe Musashi, has in his arsenal.
I love the mechanic of having a limited supply of shuriken that you can use for
long-range attacks, as it encourages you to be smart and resourceful, just like
a ninja. If you’re within close range of an enemy, you can instead kick or slash
them with your katana, being able to save those shuriken for later.
This style of gameplay works wonders in making you feel like you are Joe
Musashi, and that you are a stealthy ninja with cool weapons and Ninjutsu
abilities. Speaking of which, Joe has some neat powers that are quite helpful in
many cases, including summoning a thunder shield that protects you from a few
hits and creating flame pillars that clear all enemies on the screen.
In all honesty, I usually end up only using the Ninjutsu of Ikazuchi (the
thunder shield) as I prefer being able to take some extra hits and just skip
past good chunks of the more frustrating levels, but having various options to
choose from is a very nice thing.
Even with all of the game’s flaws, I find myself coming back to The Revenge of
Shinobi often due to its satisfying gameplay. Plus, the game’s music is no
slouch, either, with Ninja Step being my favorite song from the game. It’s so
dang groovy and I love hearing it play in the factory levels.
While this game could definitely use a remake, nowadays, if you set the
difficulty to “Easy” and go in with a few save states prepared, then I’m sure
you’ll find at least some amount of enjoyment when it comes to taking down Neo
Zeed’s empire.
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Final Rating: 3.6 out of 5
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WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT: SONIC 2 (MASTER SYSTEM)
July 30, 2023ReviewsMasterSystem, SEGA, SonicCheesy
Here’s what I had to say about Sonic 2 for the SEGA Master System...
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Following my completion of Sonic 1 (Master System), I went ahead and took on its
sequel, which was originally a game I ended up really not liking years ago. At
least, I didn’t like the Game Gear version. However, upon revisiting the game
years later and playing the Master System version with a much larger aspect
ratio, I’m honestly rather surprised by how much I enjoyed this one!
Most of the levels here had some pretty fun gimmicks and level theming.
Under Ground Zone is a cave full of lava that has some mine-carts you can ride
in. It’s a pretty neat first level as its not the usual green and grassy area
most Sonic games start off in.
Aqua Lake Zone sees you bouncing across water and has a fun stage mechanic in
the second Act where you have to careful ride up in a bubble without touching
anything along the way. I didn’t really think much of it the first time I played
this game all that time ago, but this time, it ended up being a very fun stage
with some really good music.
Gimmick Mountain Zone lives up to its name by having things like rotating gears
that fling you around, conveyor belts, moving platforms, and a few more
mine-cart sections. This stage is still my favorite in the game after Aqua Lake
Zone due to its color scheme, level design, and overall aesthetic. Its theme is
also another one I quite like.
These are a few examples of levels that I really enjoy due to their unique
settings and stage mechanics, and I had a smile on my face as I played through
them.
Not all are perfect, however, as Sky High Zone definitely falls flat on its face
when it comes to execution. The idea of using a hang glider to soar across the
stage is fine, but the controls for it are confusing and counterintuitive.
You would think that by diving down and swooping back up, you would gain some
more height, not unlike the Cape Feather from Super Mario World, but no.
Descending only does just that, and all you can really do is lightly tap left on
your controller in order to keep on moving straight ahead. It’s not the worst
thing in the world once you get the hang of it (no pun intended), but without
the knowledge, it’s pretty dang easy to end up falling into a pit of spikes.
Besides that, the rest of the Zones were pretty fun, even Scrambled Egg Zone, a
stage notorious for its various tube puzzles that require split-second decision
making. Honestly, I ended up liking this stage as a penultimate challenge. Even
if some were difficult, you can always just take the easy way out pause to see
which direction you should take next.
The boss fights of these stages were also really fun (not counting the true
final boss I needed to use Save States to beat). Just like in the previous game,
for whatever reason, you don’t get any Rings before fighting the boss, but
that’s not really a problem as you can get into a good pattern with most of
them.
I rather enjoy the Balance Master boss fight, where you’re first shown the boss
being attacked by its own weapon before it starts to attack you. You then have
to piece together the fact that you can’t directly attack it, but must instead
blow up said weapon before it gets the change to attack you with it.
Finally, finding the Chaos Emeralds here was, in my opinion, much more
straightforward than in the previous game. There wasn’t a single one that I had
to look up, and I was able to figure out what I needed to do in order to get
them.
“Hmm, there’s a batch of springs right before some more springs that I can’t
easily reach. I wonder if building up enough speed in order to bounce off of
both of them will lead me to the emerald…”
I will say, though, I might’ve been lucky when it came to Gimmick Mountain’s
emerald, as you need to walk through a fake wall that isn’t entirely too obvious
in order to reach it. Then again, even as soon as the first level, you’ll most
likely find out that there are a few fake walls throughout the game that lead to
some goodies. Heck, there’s quite a few in Gimmick Mountain, itself.
As I said before, I was honestly surprised to see how much more I enjoyed this
game playing through it again. I wondered why I didn’t like it as much before,
and why most people don’t really like it all that much. Then I realized… the
Game Gear version is the one most people have experienced.
The screen crunch in that version makes finding the Chaos Emeralds and getting
through the game itself an absolute pain. It’s honestly a shame, too, as having
the wider aspect ratio made this a game I had a good time with. It sucks that
the Game Gear version is the only one that keeps getting re-released, even in
recent compilations like Sonic Origins Plus.
If you haven’t given the Master System version of this game a try, I’d recommend
checking it out. Maybe you’ll like it more, maybe you’ll still think it isn’t
that great. But with unique and creative level ideas, fun boss fights, and some
really good music, Sonic 2 for the SEGA Master System is a game I think I’ll
keep coming back to in the future.
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Final Rating: 4 out of 5
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WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT: SONIC 1 (MASTER SYSTEM)
July 29, 2023ReviewsMasterSystem, SEGA, SonicCheesy
Greetings and salutations, my loyal readers! It certainly has been a hot minute
since I’ve last posted something to my blog, and that’s honestly a darned shame.
I’ve wanted to consistently write posts here, but finding the drive to do so has
been rather difficult.
However, I’ve realized that upon completing a game, I tend to write down my
immediate thoughts about what I played without really overthinking anything
in-between, kind of like writing down something in a personal diary or journal.
This has inspired me to begin the What I Thought About series, a series of
reviews where I share those exact thoughts, giving you a glimpse into my final
impressions about what I just played.
Without further ado, here’s what I thought about Sonic 1 for the SEGA Master
System…
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Tonight, I completed Sonic 1 (Master System), collecting all 6 Chaos Emeralds
and beating the game with a total score of 413,600 Pts.
Overall, I honestly really enjoyed this one. I found most of the Zones to be
rather fun with some nice momentum-based platforming, and I honestly did enjoy
finding the Chaos Emeralds rather than having traditional Special Stages. That
being said, the Bonus Stages that were here were rather fun.
The challenges and ideas presented here were rather fun. One notable challenge
being how you collected the Chaos Emerald in Labyrinth Zone. It’s in plain sight
inside a pit of spikes, but prior to reaching it, there’s an Invincibility
Monitor. So, you have to quickly rush to it while invincible to safely pick it
up.
I also really enjoyed Jungle Zone, as the music is just very swinging and fun,
and I really liked the stage mechanics like rolling on logs and the small
streams of water that pushed you back. This is a stage I’d honestly love to see
make a return.
The game was not without its cheap moments, though, as for whatever reason,
every boss act doesn’t have anything Rings, making it very easy to lose lives. I
also hated Labyrinth Zone itself due to the fact that there’s even less air
bubbles for you to breathe in, and its somehow an even slower stage than the
Genesis version.
Also, I have no clue how you’re even expected to find the Chaos Emerald in Scrap
Brain Zone, as you need to fall in a specific pit with no indication that
there’s a teleporter to the Emerald in it. The same kind of goes for Sky Base
Zone, but at least in that stage, you’re shown where the Emerald is and could
theoretically realize that there’s only one other path that could lead to it.
But aside from those gripes, this game was pretty alright and I had a nice time
with it.
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Final Rating: 3.8 out of 5
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SONIC ADVENTURE DX POST-GAME THOUGHTS
March 3, 2022ReviewsMemories, SEGA, Sonic, Sonic AdventureCheesy
*** SPOILER WARNING ***
For the first time ever, I have finally 100% completed Sonic Adventure DX. All
x130 Emblems, all x60 Missions, all 10+ hours of Chao Garden grinding, and all
x15 Achievements have been conquered. To celebrate, tonight, I will take some
time to talk about some general thoughts that came to mind after I beat the
game, or my “Post-Game Thoughts,” if you will.
I want to make it clear that this is not necessarily an in-depth review of the
game, but instead a series of things about the game I just wanted to get out and
share with the world. This is going to be a hefty one, so to those of you who
plan to brave all of these heartfelt thoughts in one sitting, I sincerely and
genuinely appreciate it.
Without further ado, let’s begin with my thoughts on the conclusion of the game
and go from there.
As cool as being able to play as Super Sonic was, the grand finale kind of left
me feeling a bit “empty” for lack of a better term. To get the good out of the
way first, in my opinion, Super Sonic controlled very smoothly and much better
than Unleashed’s Dark Gaia fight. Now while the fight itself was cool, the
ending felt a bit sloppy. The day is saved, Sonic goes off on his own for look
for some more adventure , but the city is still a total mess and Tails’ doofy
line at the end, while funny, doesn’t make matters any better.
Also, in terms of the fight itself, I wish we got to hear more of Open Your
Heart. The song brings back such amazing memories of the intro and main menu
screens, but that’s honestly all I can associate with it because of Perfect
Chaos having a second phase theme. It isn’t a bad one, but it would’ve been
neater if that one was used for a pre-fight cutscene or at least just the first
phase.
Anyway, on a similarly-related note, the game as a whole… sadly wasn’t as
amazing as it once was, to me. It isn’t the worst Sonic game of all time and
Sonic didn’t necessarily “have a bumpy transition into 3D” as every game
journalist likes to say, but the game certainly isn’t perfect.
Still, there are so many things that I love about the game. Most of the levels
are fun, the music is phenomenal, and this game gave us Chaos, the God of
Destruction! He was always a character I loved seeing because I always thought
he looked so cool. Could we please see a live-action Chaos in the movies,
Paramount? Pretty please?
More about the music, though, let’s talk about it for a second. I love this
game’s soundtrack and we need more of it in the current Sonic series. This game
has so much diversity with its genres. Rock, jazz, hip-hop, techno, you name it,
it’s all here. Those first three are my favorite genres of music, by the way,
and I wonder if this game has something to do with that… hmm…
Anyway, that variety is beautiful, and I would love to see more of it. Team
Sonic Racing’s soundtrack had a good mix of music that reminded me of this era
of Sonic, and I would love to see it return. Here’s hoping.
In conclusion, fully playing this game again for the first time in years brought
back so many memories. The voices, the models, the graphics, and all the amazing
quotes like “come on ‘ya big drip” and “get a load of this,” ohhh, it’s
wonderful.
While this game is no longer my favorite in the Sonic series from a reviewing
standpoint, it certainly is from a nostalgia standpoint, and for that, I am
grateful to have relived all those moments and memories all over again. Thank
you so much for the great times, Sonic Adventure. I’ll see you next game.
(Continue to the bottom to see my favorite and least favorite parts about the
game!)
Favorite Gameplay:
Sonic – It was to be expected. The sense of speed can be quite fun and being
able to use the Spin Dash in a 3D space is a blast. It’s honestly something I
enjoyed Sonic Lost World (3DS) for.
E-102 Gamma – Locking-on to several targets and taking them all out at once
always feels so rewarding. Plus, Gamma’s story is great and I love the way his
voice sounds. Out of everything from the game, he was just as fun as I
remembered and playing as him again was just as great.
Least Favorite Gameplay:
Big – It’s not so much the fishing that I don’t like, but the A Rank Missions
that take forever to complete. At least the Hit!! music is an absolute banger.
Chao Racing – No. I spent over 8-10 hours just grinding for this mode. Raising
Chao themselves can be nice and cute, but racing them and hoping that your stats
and luck are actually good enough to win is not fun at all.
Favorite Stage(s):
Casinopolis – More so in Knuckles’ case, but the music here is great. The NiGHTS
Pinball also has good music, even if I sadly don’t use it as much to get Rings
in the level.
Lost World – This one surprised me as it was always the most forgettable level
for me. Either way, it has some great presentation and I really like the
atmosphere here.
Red Mountain – This one was always my favorite stage in the game. You have the
first part with a jazzy exterior before going inside to see all the volcanic
inside as a fantastic hip-hop remix of Act 1’s theme plays. Oh, it’s so good!
Hot Shelter – This was another one I really liked, mostly for the second Act’s
music alone. That saxophone + techno hybrid is pure bliss to my ears.
Favorite Boss(es):
Perfect Chaos – As I mentioned previously, I felt that Super Sonic controlled
very smoothly and even if relatively short, it was still pretty fun to blast
through a flooded Station Square to defeat Chaos.
Egg Viper – Get a load of this! Jokes aside, this one was such a tense fight
back then and the orchestral music really made this encounter do-or-die, and
ending it all off by having to safely jump to the only safe platform that
remained was always a nail-biting moment.
Beta Mk-II – This one was always at the top of my list. I really loved the
showdown between Gamma and his modified brother. His new appearance made him
feel like he changed entirely, no longer being the same robot Gamma used to
know. Even if there was never any actual dialogue between the two, it felt like
he wasn’t messing around, this time, and the silence may have contributed to
that. The stylishness of his attacks accompanied by one of my absolute favorite
tracks in the entire game made this such a memorable fight for me.
Total Playtime: 40 Hours, 40 Minutes
Favorite Songs:
And now, we conclude these Post-Game Thoughts with my favorite songs from the
game. I have created a public playlist containing what I believe to be my Top 25
which you can visit with the link right here.
To those of you who have made it to the end of this post, thank you. Once again,
I greatly appreciate the fact that you took some time out of your day to read
all of this. Or maybe you didn’t and only skimmed through some parts. Either
way, thanks for checking out this post at all.
I know I have my fair share of memories with this game, but I want to know what
some of yours are. Do you have any favorite stages or songs you love? Feel free
to let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear what you have to say.
Until next time, take care.
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SONG APPRECIATION #5: SMB2 SPACE COLONY (BANANA MANIA)
February 9, 2022Song AppreciationMusic, SEGA, Super Monkey BallCheesy
Every now and then, I’ll come across a song that catches my attention. A song
that makes me imagine a certain type of scene or fills me with a strong feeling
or emotion. Whenever that happens, I’m scrambling to share that sense of joy and
powerful emotion with anyone I can, anytime, anyplace.
The second song we’ll be talking about today is one of my favorite remixes from
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania.
The game is a remake/remaster/compilation of Super Monkey Ball, Super Monkey
Ball 2, and Super Monkey Ball Deluxe, filled with over hundreds of levels from
those three games. The game also features a new soundtrack, with some songs
being remixes of the music from the original games.
While some of the remixes can be hit or miss, for the most part, I don’t mind
them. If you purchased the original soundtrack like I did, you have the added
perk of being able to listen to both sets of music, listening to a remix you
might like on one stage, and listening to the original on another, but that’s
beside the point.
What I want to get at is that there is one remix that stands out above the rest,
for me, as I honestly like it more than the original, with that remix being of
the Space Colony theme from Super Monkey Ball 2.
The original is by no means bad at all. It fits the setting of being up in outer
space and has a relaxing and soothing sound to it. However, the remix takes the
part at 0:51 and, in my opinion, makes it shine brighter than before.
With the added synths and extended melody, this theme made the Space Colony
levels a kind of immersive experience when playing the game with headphones, as
if the music represents the beauty of the stars above the sky.
I absolutely loved playing through these stages with this music, as it really
allowed me to keep trying again when I failed without getting too frustrated.
For a game as difficult as Super Monkey Ball, I sure needed it.
The lovely sounds of this remix, the push it gave to keep going, and the already
(inter)stellar look of the Space Colony itself when playing are what make me
recommend giving this theme a listen as soon as possible.
SMB2 Space Colony composed by Hidenori Shoji, Saori Yoshida, Satoshi Okamura
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SONG APPRECIATION #4: TIDAL TEMPEST BAD FUTURE (JP)
February 9, 2022Song AppreciationMusic, SEGA, Sonic, Sonic CDCheesy
Every now and then, I’ll come across a song that catches my attention. A song
that makes me imagine a certain type of scene or fills me with a strong feeling
or emotion. Whenever that happens, I’m scrambling to share that sense of joy and
powerful emotion with anyone I can, anytime, anyplace.
Today, we’ll be taking a look at two songs from SEGA games I really like, the
first being a song from the Japanese soundtrack of Sonic CD.
The game sees our blue boy, Sonic the Hedgehog, on the floating Little Planet
that Dr. Robotnik has chained to the ground. Sonic sets off to collect the 7
Time Stones, warping through the past, present, and future in order to prevent
Robotnik from mechanizing the planet.
In the game, when Sonic travels to the future without collecting all the Time
Stones or destroying the Badnik Teleporters in the past, he ends up in a Bad
Future where Robotnik has succeeded in his goals. The music in these levels
really fit the situation Sonic’s found himself in, but one theme that I think
does a great job of this is Tidal Tempest’s Bad Future.
The music has a heavy techno vibe and I’ve always loved it for that. For me, it
reflects the state of Tidal Tempest after Robotnik’s taken over Little Planet:
destroyed and under Robotnik’s control. What was once a peaceful and beautiful
cavern has now become an industrialized mess, and if Sonic’s too late, this is
the way it’ll end up.
Now, this may be a hot take, but I think I may like it more than Stardust
Speedway Bad Future. While I do think it’s a good theme (both the Japanese and
American versions), I feel like it suits the race with Metal Sonic more than the
Bad Future, itself. Because of this, Tidal Tempest’s theme is one of the first
on my mind when I think of a “bad future.”
Tidal Tempest Bad Future (JP) composed by Naofumi Hataya, Masafumi Ogata
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