TheNintendoBoy

"Wait for SOR3 then, it had double-tap running goodness!!"

Yeah, but SOR3 had a crap soundtrack, and old man instead of Max, ugly levels.. etc.

I meant that they should add a run-move to this as an option. It would make the game perfect imo.

"Dragon's Curse is a cutesy time-waster, but it is certainly not in the same class as Zelda 2 or Faxanadu. Get this only if you have extra Wii points to spare. 3/5."

It's more manga than cutesy though.
Zelda 2 and Faxanadu are so flawed that I would almost call them broken. Faxanadu has really crappy controls, strange level design that can get confusing and frustrating, and the environment gets very repetitive. Zelda 2 has pretty much the same flaws, except the control is slightly better but on the other hand it's more confusing. The dialogue is crap, all towns look the same, most difficult enemies are easily defeated by jumping and slashing their heads, the difficulty curve is actually Reversed.. Finally both these games soundtracks are much worse than WB3/Dragon's Curse.

Upon playing this recently, I think this version is a mixed bag. Sure, the graphics are updated slightly and it plays a bit smoother than on SMS so it's easier to control..
But the story, while there isn't a lot to it to be honest, was completely ruined! It sounds like early 90s american marketing with slang like "totally radical" and "vicious dudes" put in it. It really ruins the atmosphere of that cool intro level.

The music and sound fx is better in some places but worse in others. It often sounds cheesy and dated with different harmonies and rhythms in some songs, though the overall sound quality is improved. The new "enemy death" sound is pretty annoying though.

Also, there seems to be a bug in this version that makes you have to pick up heart pieces in the correct order or they won't appear! It didn't happen to me but I've read about it a few times.

I loved this one, mainly for the cool atmosphere in Subcon, multiple characters, and all the interesting new bosses/minibosses. But I think the "grabbing" mechanic could've been improved upon like it was in the Wario games for GB, and the dungeons get really repetitive after a few worlds.
It's also easier than SMB/SMB3.

some of them were too dark, and they all had black borders..

so do you get free trials or just videos? looks like you made a typo.

@Pablo - Nope, it's 2-player alternative. So yeah, you take turns playing.. :/

"Thunder Spirits next?"

You mean the almost butchered version of Thunder Force 3? I'd pass.

This hasn't aged well imo. It's very slow paced an unforgiving. I also don't like the upgrade system at all, but maybe that's just me.

Anyway Life Force is much better and it's 2-player as well, but remember to get the PCE/TG16 version.

I would like a run move, please! C'mon, Golden Axe had it?

It would be cool to see an update with wii-mote support, as controlling this game with a joypad is very tedious.

I did miss the little elves from the prequel and some backgrounds were a bit bland, but overall it's an improvement and just as fun to play in coop as the original.

@Tobias, apart from the ones Dazza mentioned, Bio-Hazard Battle is also a fun, challenging 2-player horizontal shooter and it has a unique feel to it. The weapons system is very simple though.

Just to clarify, I love everything else about the game, but overall it's a 4/5 game..

Well, it sounds like Kid Chameleon or some other long platformer like Kirby's Adventure would be the best choice for you, as this one does require some brain work later on. There's lots of exploring to do and different abilities to use at the right spots.

I think the old school series of Castlevanias are slightly overrated as a whole. The stiff controls, knockback and frustrating segments of some levels are harder to stomach today, when the graphics and sound aren't as overwhelming. Still, it's very much worth playing and I'd give it a 4/5.

Only get this if you don't have the patience to wait for a better version.

R-Type still works pretty well on the SNES as it's pretty slow paced and tactical for a shooter, so if you like the R-Type style of gameplay, you won't be disappointed.

I say let the girl die and avoid this game.

One of the better puzzler series for the NES, but harder to get into than for example Solomon's key do to the unique game mechanics. This will last you a long time and it's highly recommended.

@Jonno - I'd say go for it. While Dragon's Curse lacks multiple towns and npcs, the gameplay is much smoother and more fun overall. It's also more challenging.

While the audio quality in this one isn't the best (I wouldn't call it crude though), the songs are still very good, especially later on.

I don't get why people are calling it generic because of the platforming format? The game is full of original and fun game mechanics, the graphics are much better, and I think this is one of the first games that could be defined partly as a "rhythm" game.

I would've preferred a zombies ate my neighbours styled system for collecting humans though, to remedy the backtracking.

Well I think the dialogue and story is a downgrade from Shining in the Darkness, but the gameplay, while simple by today's standards, is pretty fun and highly addictive.
I couldn't put the game down once I'd started playing it.

The sequel Is better in every way though, especially in the level of challenge.

I really disagree about the graphics, it's not much better than late NES quality. Everything is well drawn and fits together, but there's a significant lack of shading, making everything look really flat, and the color choices are pretty bad (maybe it's just the hardware).

Anyway, it's a fun, crazy game that is much better than the prequel imo.

Yeah, multiplayer's where it's at with the bomberman games. I felt Super Bomberman 5 was slightly better than this one, but it didn't add anything that a casual gamer would really care about.

I have to say I really disagree with this score.. Surely, it must be the nostalgia and respect for the beginning of such an excellent series that made you give it 4 stars?

I played it long after ALTTP, and while I wasn't expecting to be blown away or anthing, I didn't find it to be much fun at all.

I'll list my main gripes:
- I personally hated how in the beginning you had to (or were free to if you want to put it that way) "test" different paths until you took the one you're supposed to begin with.

- The forest and mountain "mazes" are simply retarded. I mean where's the fun in repeating the same screen over and over until you get it right, with no clue whatsoever as to how to get out of there?

- The boss fights were pathetic overall. I had a harder time fighting regular enemies like darknuts and wizzrobes.

- Either the translation is crap, or the original script is. It really ruined the atmosphere for me, though I did find some lines to be unintentionally funny. I know it was considered good for a console game at the time, but that doesn't mean I should have to put up with it now!

- Since ALTTP manages to retain all the good aspects of LoZ while adding alot more to it, making it feel like a remake, you might as well get that one instead.

I actually love the special attacks because of their over the top quality, and the soundtrack is my personal fav of the three.

As much as I love Sonic, I think it's easy to spot a few things that would shave off that fifth star.
- No spindash, once you've played Sonic 2, you can barely play without it. This could be added easily!
- Gameplay elements that slow down the action too much, prime examples of this are Marble zones block pushing and lava "boat" riding, and pretty much the entire Labyrinth zone.
- The bonus level was very tedious to control, even though I personally loved it.

Sloppy game, as admitted by the developers themselves. Get Alien Crush, or wait for Dragon's Fury which is even better.

I just wish Ristar's walking speed was a tad faster. Perhaps they'll update it if we all ask them real nicely?

Excellent run 'n gun action. My only complaint is that the levels can sometimes be very flat and repetitive. I guess I'm just spoiled after playing the Metal Slug games.

Yeah, they did ruin the presentation in this one, it feels really rushed overall. I mean, couldn't they have put some classic 16-bit Sonic gfx into it instead of this comic/tv series crap?

I personally can't make myself like the soundtrack. It's probably Koshiro's worst MD OST after Streets of Rage 3, with bad sound quality and poor (maybe just unfitting) melodies.

Also, the level design lacks the polish of the Zelda series but the fighting is a bit more fun imo.

My respect for this somewhat disappointing sequel was renewed when I saw someone get through almost the entire game on the motorbike.
I just don't get why they added Janken into the shops, it almost ruins the gameplay.

Btw, in the japanese version, the loser of a janken game gets stripped of his/her clothes

Heh, I actually kinda like it, somewhat. The atmosphere is pretty cool and I love the music. Well it's the nostalgia talking..

I think the game is a bit too short and not user friendly enough to get the full score. Once you know the moves though, it's alot of fun.

This game wipes the floor with Zelda 2 though, and the soundtrack isn't just jolly, it's superb!

Right. We have bad jumping, slowdown and the checkpoints are too far between for such a hard game. Everything else is really super, but it's no 5/5 in my book.

I think the game gets better with multiple plays, but the character system is way too unforgiving as you'll often end up not having the right character available to finish a level. If you don't mind trial & error, you may want to check it out.

I've tried to like this as I love the sequel, but I think the mechanics for some of the puzzles are way too frustrating, like when you guide a sinking object with your nose and it keeps falling down.

I also discovered this game long after it's release, but it managed to create a very memorable experience for me, and it also has something that the soldier games lack which is a 2-player mode. But I agree that the gameplay doesn't stray far from the usual formula, and the graphics aren't varied enough to stay interesting throughout, so I'd give it a 4.