@JohnnyMind
Perhaps that should be 'many'. I'll see if I can have an edit done. Thank you for reading!
@Smug43
How much time did you spend with it? It's a very competent Metroidvania, but you do need to get deep into it and start flexing the new armour's alternate properties. It does have an austere feel, but I think its 'haunting' vibe was intentional.
@LikelySatan
Thanks for reading, much appreciated.
@Kisrah As I said, it may well work for some. Not for me though. I just wanted to hear normal music after a while. There's only a few tracks too, and they keep repeating over and over.
@GOmar Didn't really have a problem with the enemy designs, I think you may have misunderstood that. I did think battling a giant grandfather clock was totally weird and at odds with a lot of the other elements, and I did feel like enemies and bosses had very few notable creative patterns to work around. Designs were mostly ok though.
@-wc- Hey, no worries at all! I think there may have been a misunderstanding anyway: I didn't think you were implying deception or anything of the sort. Those are smiley exclamation marks, if it helps.
Regarding the score, I honestly didn't (and don't ever) overthink it in terms of what people's expectations might be. I just went with what fit best. Air Twister is fine for dipping into for a quick blast now and then, it's just short-lived owing to its lack of depth and missed creative opportunities.
@-wc- I had no idea how it would be! I didn't write any of the previews, and if you follow my work here and the type of gaming I cover, you can believe I went in hoping for the best!
Keep in mind, a 6 isn't a tragedy, and like all scores it's also somewhat arbitrary. There's some appeal in this one for sure, it's just that the missed hits are a big shame.
@Precinct1313 Thank you, appreciate you reading and the kind comment! Don't be dissuaded by a 6 because scores are always arbitrary. Appeal here will vary depending on what the player is looking for.
@Selim Give it a shot, but don't have Panzer Dragoon expectations. It's rather underfed in comparison.
@Dysnomia Try refreshing the page. The screenshots submitted cycle randomly.
@N64-ROX Technically, I believe you're correct! I think the comment in the body of the review is more about moving from a phone resolution to a 50" monitor. The textures don't work as well as in handheld mode.
@GOmar Totally agree! But perhaps try before you buy, if possible.
@MH4 Not at all! I'm happy to hear feedback of any kind, so no problem whatsoever. Every author has their own style and goes with what they think fits. Sometimes you might find a bit of 'negligent overgeneralisation' occurring in mini-reviews, particularly. I think my main goal here would have been, does the line:
"but the Newgrounds art style, slack animation response, and aggravating rather than enjoyable difficulty curve just turned us off"
Illustrate succinctly and clearly enough to the majority of readers what it is that I didn't appreciate about the former game? I have to be satisfied with it and move on at some point, else I could tinker with it all day against a pressing deadline!
As a couple of you pointed out, it's a format of the site's style guide. You won't find anyone writing "I" on any of the site's articles because in the event one did (as I once did when starting out) it will be corrected to "we" by the editor. If it helps, whenever you see a "we", it will be the opinion of the author unless multiple authors exist on an article.
@MH4
It's an opinion thing really. You think it holds up well, visually, but I could never stand it and still find it ugly. I agree 'Newgrounds style' is a bit blanket, but in a mini-review limited to 500 words a lot of concessions are made (and a lot of post draft cuts) and sometimes a simplistic exaggeration helps to paint a picture or make a point more quickly.
That said, "Newgrounds art-style" is still exact, because it's referring to a game that originated there, and therefore touted a "Newgrounds art style"!
@citizenerased
I certainly didn't experience that problem. As long as you know the course (which is definitely required for winning races) it's not that hard at all. Keep in mind, there's a new tuning system in place too, so you can increase the key parameters of your chosen vehicles in handling, acceleration etc. to make them behave more the way you want. Without having played the original, it's clear Milestone have gone to some lengths to improve on criticisms levelled at it, so I'd assume difficulty balancing is one of them based on what I experienced.
Remains way too easy on Easy, seems totally fine for Normal. You gotta keep your lead and not mess up, because if you get blown out by obstacles or go off course and need to respawn, then yeah, that definitely hurts your placement in the final lap. But I didn't feel like these circumstances or penalties were markedly different from any other arcade racing game in terms of difficulty.
@Roger_Brazil That's the handheld shots. On the actual screen they come off a lot better because it's a smaller size and a higher resolution. Still a bit smudgy, unfortunately.
@calbeau No issues for me, or else I would have highlighted them. I didn't play or review the previous entry, but, for me, the diverse physics for different vehicles and their behaviours according to their weight all worked well. Keep in mind, they're supposed to be toy cars and do succumb easily to simulated gravity effects, so when you have high speed collisions, large jumps, or spinouts, there is a 'floaty' feel at times. Certainly didn't affect the game negatively for me, though. Hope this helps!
@room_909 I’m not an advocate of ratings at all, personally, but they seem to appeal to most readerships. Don’t worry about the score, the words are the real guide. 😉
@room_909 Was a pleasure to do, and very much my field of interest. I’m still playing it now, it’s got its claws in. Big thanks goes to my editor, he was the one who discovered it and decided to have it written up. Looking forward to seeing what you do next!
@demacho Fair comment! I like Karateka's three strike combat simplicity, even if much of the tactical element is backing off, but it sounds like you know your way around Karate Champ very well.
@species8472 It's a softer game owing to its home console friendliness, but I prefer the arcade original.
@somnambulance Certainly not the best the console had, but with practice it's a quite compelling Ninja-em-up.
@nocdaes Didn't play ACA's standalone of Newzealand Story myself. The point wasn't about one particular game, but that the more of these you already own as standalone releases obviously reduces the appeal of the collection. I'm surprised to hear about your noted emulation discrepancies with NZ Story, however, as while Hamster's track record isn't perfect, their ports are generally ok. It sounds as though you more experience with this particular game than me, but I didn't notice those issues on first play or just now on repeat. My experience is the same as @mr_benn , it seems to operate well.
@roy130390 Your English is excellent so let’s not worry about that! I think we will agree on most points regarding DDG, but personally, I’d like to see the license done a different kind of justice, one where visual and aural feedback is based on the original games. That is to say, heavy, hard-hitting, and thrillingly 80s violent. For me, the roguelike aspect is of little consequence and the shopping isn’t really needed. I feel the balancing of the combat and combo systems in Shredder’s Revenge is far superior to DDG in terms of balancing, as are the skill sets of its four characters.
Ultimately, DDG plays well enough, but runs out of steam prematurely. Sometimes less is more, and I think that’s my main takeaway from the experience.
@roy130390 I respect your respectful disagreement Sir Roy! However, you have noted that you don’t agree with certain factors that require more than one play through to glean, yet go on to mention you’ve only done one play through before leaving your comment. The Roguelike aspect being oversold is, IMO, that it doesn’t really fundamentally change the way the game feels at all on subsequent play-throughs. Its affect on the title feels negligible. The difficulty adjustments do a better job of altering the gameplay. If you like certain systems and aspects here, no problem. Constructive criticism is the goal and a 7 isn’t a terrible score by any stretch.
@LEGEND_MARIOID You’re always most welcome, and thanks again for taking the time to read!
@samuelvictor @Clyde_Radcliffe Sorry for the late reply! I did flick through the wallpaper and totally honestly, I can’t remember if there’s an off option and nor do I have access to the game currently to check. Hopefully it’s not a dealbreaker either way.
@BenoitRen I see. You’re correct, no tools were available for measurement of lag, so it was a guesstimate. I’m quite surprised the official measurement is 6.5 frames, it certainly doesn’t come across that way during play.
@WaveBoy I’d actually say shmups and fighting games are the most important of all 2D genres for low latency, because they’re harder to predict than platform games. I know massive lag will cripple all serious competitive games though, 2D and 3D alike.
@dr-gorgo What is your setup there? I also ran the arcade original side by side which is why the review points out that this release is a touch faster and a bit harder, but the lag here isn’t day and night on the setup used for testing (Bravia Game Mode, arcade stick wired/& with 2.4mhz dongle). A TV with poor latency for games or an under par bluetooth pad can add to response time considerably.
@Thomystic Yes, you can use the flip grip no problem. There are actual a few more screen ‘styles’ here than in many shmup releases. The scroll option is an interesting one.
@LEGEND_MARIOID You’re very welcome as ever, thank you for reading!
@BenoitRen I’m a shmup enthusiast and I don’t consider it a dealbreaker. A few frames of lag is barely perceptible and if you have a decent setup (low latency TV and game mode, wired or decent Bluetooth controller) you’ll have no problem with it. Even original arcade games don’t have zero lag in many respects, and the notion that a CRT has “zero” lag is not necessarily true.
Here is a list of shmup arcade games tested from PCBs with lag readings:
@russell-marlow Appreciate your insight there Russell. I’ve owned the PCB for ten years and have one credit cleared Osman countless times. That should qualify me as a trustworthy source for critiquing the switch release, and hopefully a quickly rectified error regarding the character’s name doesn’t render the rest of the review void.
@RetroOutcast I agree with all of your criticisms (to the point where I cited them in the review) but I don't think a 7 is an overreaching score. At its best, it's an incredibly fun, violent and energetic blast that keeps upping the ante in-line with your increasingly developing powers and weaponry. There's some insane stuff you can do in it, and the procedural element is surprisingly well-programmed. It's also, as you said, rough-looking, overlong and bogged down with everything that could possibly be bolted on to it. But it's worth bearing in mind that some people will consider that a plus.
@Sinton apparently yes, they should be working their way through the series. Could have easily been a compilation package though. I’m not sure if the final entry, originally for Nintendo’s Satellaview, will make an appearance though, as Colombus Circle obtained the license for it and released it as a physical Super Famicom cartridge in Japan in 2017.
@drj Very much appreciate you reading. Pricing is always contentious with re-releases, however it’s worth noting this one does more than most. It’s certainly the best version out there.
@riccyjay Ok very much appreciate your point of view on this. I’d prefer it to be clear for google and future visitor reference purposes so I’ll look into having some tweaks made to the wording.
EDIT: Ok I’ve scanned back through and realised I didn’t actually say the modes were exclusive. We’re you referring to the “Switch’s all-new modes” line? Because I can see how that might be misinterpreted and I can have it adjusted.
If you can overlook the emulation and presentation issues I'd still recommend it for the price. If you're a stickler for that stuff (and really, you should be) then perhaps wait in hope for a patch. They're still very interesting and well designed games.
@OldManHermit
The score indicating “good”, is because, despite the issues, one can still reap a lot of enjoyment from the collection as it is. You just have to overlook a seriously dropped ball in regards to general presentation and emulation quality. If you can ignore those things, $30 is a reasonable price for the wealth of content and the quality of the content. If, however, you’re like me and expect arcade re-releases to be handled with respect, you may want to wait for a patch (fingers crossed!)
Hey many thanks to both of you for this correction. I’ll put in for a fix ASAP. I only know the main character isn’t called Osman, but the narrative is so confusing that at the point in the cutscene at the end of stage 2 I could swear that they refer to him as “Abdullah the Slaver” and then send him to be banished in the desert.
@steely_pete No worries. Based on your info, I also think it's unusual they decided not to mention the Gal Gun link at all, so I can only assume they decided the product would be more saleable without acknowledging the connection.
@Dualmask @BrianJL @Ralizah @LastFootnote The review states that in the text:
"Grim Guardians is a bit more streamlined than your average Metroidvania, and we like that. While there are plenty of alternate paths — and some annoying retreads should you get dropped into basements — it’s less broad and roaming than the usual genre fare; again, closer to the formulas established in Curse of the Moon."
However, it's still closer to a Metroidvania than any traditional Castlevania: locked doors, very layered stages, backtracking through the university's earlier sections for power-ups, secret areas out of reach until certain properties are acquired are all present. But it's definitely on the 'lite' end of the spectrum, closer to Circle of the Moon.
@steely_pete @SuntannedDuck2 Hands up! I had no idea these were the Gal Gun gals. I'm not that up on my ecchi fandoms even though I covered that game. The issue perhaps is that Inti Creates didn't state the relationship between this and Gal Gun anywhere in the press release, anywhere on their official website, and it isn't mentioned on the Nintendo eShop page. Strange but true. It's like they didn't want to mention the connection to Gal Gun at all. Make of that what you will.
@nhSnork @Sora181 It's a good point. I finished Portrait of Ruin on its initial release and should have mentioned it. But deadlines were tight and a lot of editing went in to whittle down the word count to just include the core details. Sometimes things don't always make it in, sadly.
What is a man? A miserable little pile of deadlines and word count limits!
As a Minter fan it will certainly please you, and a 7 is an admirable score. The only small point of note is that the entry-level for understanding this one is higher than many of his others. It takes an extra level of work. Regardless, when you do first fire it up, remember to immediately pause and change the button set up to operate with two buttons rather than one. It doesn't really function well on its defaults.
"However, it is unprofessional that they allow it to influence their score of the product."
It has been discussed and reviewed by the site management. All stand by the decision to allow the score as it acts as an indicator of the poor practice of the publishers and their exploitation of the fanbase. Genuine complaints from people accidentally buying "the wrong game" from the eShop have been appearing almost as soon as the 'anniversary' version launched.
You may deem it unprofessional, but just like you claim pricing and value vary in the eyes of the consumer, others consider it a resolute position to take in an industry that too often turns a blind eye to exploitative market practices.
Besides, actually reading the review indicates the quality of the product and recommends it according to circumstantial relevance.
@drj Goddamnit, no wonder on the one run where I pulled that off on Zetsu it didn’t actually work! Thanks so much for the info, I’ll have that amended. Thank you for reading, and I agree, it doesn’t feel like 6 frames.
@World Agreed, basic memorisers like Gradius and other old school STGs like Tiger-Heli, etc, can be far more difficult and punishing than Danmaku stuff.
@Judgedean As stated in the review, with the right setup you won’t register any lag. If the Switch’s portability is what you’re after, you can go with this confidently.
@BuhBuhBuhBanned It doesn’t have cutscenes, no, unless you count the ending. It does have a premise, but it’s in the manual rather than the game.
@Daggot Bullet hell games when taking into account scoring processes have always had a high entry barrier though. Akai Katana is almost 12 years old.
@KeeperBvK I agree 😆 I didn’t write that. But it is one of the best of the Hori’s nonetheless.
Comments 321
Re: Review: 9 Years Of Shadows - Unique Ideas Elevate This Scrappy Metroidvania
@JohnnyMind
Perhaps that should be 'many'. I'll see if I can have an edit done. Thank you for reading!
@Smug43
How much time did you spend with it? It's a very competent Metroidvania, but you do need to get deep into it and start flexing the new armour's alternate properties. It does have an austere feel, but I think its 'haunting' vibe was intentional.
@LikelySatan
Thanks for reading, much appreciated.
Re: Review: Air Twister - An Arcade Blast From Yu Suzuki's Past, And A Missed Opportunity
@Kisrah
As I said, it may well work for some. Not for me though. I just wanted to hear normal music after a while. There's only a few tracks too, and they keep repeating over and over.
@GOmar
Didn't really have a problem with the enemy designs, I think you may have misunderstood that. I did think battling a giant grandfather clock was totally weird and at odds with a lot of the other elements, and I did feel like enemies and bosses had very few notable creative patterns to work around. Designs were mostly ok though.
Re: Review: Air Twister - An Arcade Blast From Yu Suzuki's Past, And A Missed Opportunity
@-wc-
For what it's worth, I'd rather play Air Twister than Mighty No.9.
Re: Review: Air Twister - An Arcade Blast From Yu Suzuki's Past, And A Missed Opportunity
@-wc-
Hey, no worries at all! I think there may have been a misunderstanding anyway: I didn't think you were implying deception or anything of the sort. Those are smiley exclamation marks, if it helps.
Regarding the score, I honestly didn't (and don't ever) overthink it in terms of what people's expectations might be. I just went with what fit best. Air Twister is fine for dipping into for a quick blast now and then, it's just short-lived owing to its lack of depth and missed creative opportunities.
Re: Review: Air Twister - An Arcade Blast From Yu Suzuki's Past, And A Missed Opportunity
@-wc- I had no idea how it would be! I didn't write any of the previews, and if you follow my work here and the type of gaming I cover, you can believe I went in hoping for the best!
Keep in mind, a 6 isn't a tragedy, and like all scores it's also somewhat arbitrary. There's some appeal in this one for sure, it's just that the missed hits are a big shame.
Re: Review: Air Twister - An Arcade Blast From Yu Suzuki's Past, And A Missed Opportunity
@Precinct1313
Thank you, appreciate you reading and the kind comment!
Don't be dissuaded by a 6 because scores are always arbitrary. Appeal here will vary depending on what the player is looking for.
@Selim
Give it a shot, but don't have Panzer Dragoon expectations. It's rather underfed in comparison.
@Dysnomia
Try refreshing the page. The screenshots submitted cycle randomly.
@N64-ROX
Technically, I believe you're correct! I think the comment in the body of the review is more about moving from a phone resolution to a 50" monitor. The textures don't work as well as in handheld mode.
@GOmar
Totally agree! But perhaps try before you buy, if possible.
Re: Mini Review: Alien Hominid Invasion - An Explosive, Superior Sequel
@MH4
Not at all! I'm happy to hear feedback of any kind, so no problem whatsoever. Every author has their own style and goes with what they think fits. Sometimes you might find a bit of 'negligent overgeneralisation' occurring in mini-reviews, particularly. I think my main goal here would have been, does the line:
"but the Newgrounds art style, slack animation response, and aggravating rather than enjoyable difficulty curve just turned us off"
Illustrate succinctly and clearly enough to the majority of readers what it is that I didn't appreciate about the former game? I have to be satisfied with it and move on at some point, else I could tinker with it all day against a pressing deadline!
Re: Mini Review: Alien Hominid Invasion - An Explosive, Superior Sequel
@PtM @Milton_Burle @ButterCashier @JackieCMarlow
As a couple of you pointed out, it's a format of the site's style guide. You won't find anyone writing "I" on any of the site's articles because in the event one did (as I once did when starting out) it will be corrected to "we" by the editor. If it helps, whenever you see a "we", it will be the opinion of the author unless multiple authors exist on an article.
@MH4
It's an opinion thing really. You think it holds up well, visually, but I could never stand it and still find it ugly. I agree 'Newgrounds style' is a bit blanket, but in a mini-review limited to 500 words a lot of concessions are made (and a lot of post draft cuts) and sometimes a simplistic exaggeration helps to paint a picture or make a point more quickly.
That said, "Newgrounds art-style" is still exact, because it's referring to a game that originated there, and therefore touted a "Newgrounds art style"!
Re: Review: Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged - A Cool, Creative Racer That Expands The Playset
@LEGEND_MARIOID Always welcome! Was nice to do something not 2D and thirty-years old for a change, ha ha.
Re: Review: Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged - A Cool, Creative Racer That Expands The Playset
@citizenerased
I certainly didn't experience that problem. As long as you know the course (which is definitely required for winning races) it's not that hard at all. Keep in mind, there's a new tuning system in place too, so you can increase the key parameters of your chosen vehicles in handling, acceleration etc. to make them behave more the way you want. Without having played the original, it's clear Milestone have gone to some lengths to improve on criticisms levelled at it, so I'd assume difficulty balancing is one of them based on what I experienced.
Re: Review: Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged - A Cool, Creative Racer That Expands The Playset
@citizenerased
Remains way too easy on Easy, seems totally fine for Normal. You gotta keep your lead and not mess up, because if you get blown out by obstacles or go off course and need to respawn, then yeah, that definitely hurts your placement in the final lap. But I didn't feel like these circumstances or penalties were markedly different from any other arcade racing game in terms of difficulty.
Re: Review: Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged - A Cool, Creative Racer That Expands The Playset
@Roger_Brazil
That's the handheld shots. On the actual screen they come off a lot better because it's a smaller size and a higher resolution. Still a bit smudgy, unfortunately.
Re: Review: Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged - A Cool, Creative Racer That Expands The Playset
@calbeau
No issues for me, or else I would have highlighted them. I didn't play or review the previous entry, but, for me, the diverse physics for different vehicles and their behaviours according to their weight all worked well. Keep in mind, they're supposed to be toy cars and do succumb easily to simulated gravity effects, so when you have high speed collisions, large jumps, or spinouts, there is a 'floaty' feel at times. Certainly didn't affect the game negatively for me, though.
Hope this helps!
Re: Mini Review: Raindrop Sprinters - A Compellingly Pure (And Brutal) Arcade Throwback
@room_909 I’m not an advocate of ratings at all, personally, but they seem to appeal to most readerships. Don’t worry about the score, the words are the real guide. 😉
Re: Mini Review: Raindrop Sprinters - A Compellingly Pure (And Brutal) Arcade Throwback
@room_909
Was a pleasure to do, and very much my field of interest. I’m still playing it now, it’s got its claws in. Big thanks goes to my editor, he was the one who discovered it and decided to have it written up. Looking forward to seeing what you do next!
Re: Review: The Making Of Karateka - A Great Start For Digital Eclipse's Gold Master Series
@demacho Fair comment! I like Karateka's three strike combat simplicity, even if much of the tactical element is backing off, but it sounds like you know your way around Karate Champ very well.
Re: Review: Taito Milestones 2 - A Better Selection With The Fabulous Triple-Screen Darius II
@Sinton They are, yes. Released and collected by the same company.
Re: Review: Taito Milestones 2 - A Better Selection With The Fabulous Triple-Screen Darius II
@species8472
It's a softer game owing to its home console friendliness, but I prefer the arcade original.
@somnambulance
Certainly not the best the console had, but with practice it's a quite compelling Ninja-em-up.
@nocdaes
Didn't play ACA's standalone of Newzealand Story myself. The point wasn't about one particular game, but that the more of these you already own as standalone releases obviously reduces the appeal of the collection. I'm surprised to hear about your noted emulation discrepancies with NZ Story, however, as while Hamster's track record isn't perfect, their ports are generally ok. It sounds as though you more experience with this particular game than me, but I didn't notice those issues on first play or just now on repeat. My experience is the same as @mr_benn , it seems to operate well.
Re: Review: Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons - Likeable, But Lacks Its Peers' Punch
@roy130390 Your English is excellent so let’s not worry about that! I think we will agree on most points regarding DDG, but personally, I’d like to see the license done a different kind of justice, one where visual and aural feedback is based on the original games. That is to say, heavy, hard-hitting, and thrillingly 80s violent. For me, the roguelike aspect is of little consequence and the shopping isn’t really needed. I feel the balancing of the combat and combo systems in Shredder’s Revenge is far superior to DDG in terms of balancing, as are the skill sets of its four characters.
Ultimately, DDG plays well enough, but runs out of steam prematurely. Sometimes less is more, and I think that’s my main takeaway from the experience.
Re: Review: Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons - Likeable, But Lacks Its Peers' Punch
@daveMcFlave
Thank you sir, I very much appreciate you reading and taking the time to comment.
Re: Review: Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons - Likeable, But Lacks Its Peers' Punch
@roy130390
I respect your respectful disagreement Sir Roy! However, you have noted that you don’t agree with certain factors that require more than one play through to glean, yet go on to mention you’ve only done one play through before leaving your comment.
The Roguelike aspect being oversold is, IMO, that it doesn’t really fundamentally change the way the game feels at all on subsequent play-throughs. Its affect on the title feels negligible. The difficulty adjustments do a better job of altering the gameplay. If you like certain systems and aspects here, no problem. Constructive criticism is the goal and a 7 isn’t a terrible score by any stretch.
@LEGEND_MARIOID You’re always most welcome, and thanks again for taking the time to read!
Re: Mini Review: Gimmick! Special Edition - A Rare And Wonderful 8-Bit Gem
@samuelvictor @Clyde_Radcliffe Sorry for the late reply! I did flick through the wallpaper and totally honestly, I can’t remember if there’s an off option and nor do I have access to the game currently to check. Hopefully it’s not a dealbreaker either way.
Re: Review: Ray'z Arcade Chronology - M2 Delivers Fine Ports Of Taito's Trilogy
@PKDuckman I’ve brought this up in several of
my reviews covering their releases before. It’s not a very nice way to treat the retro gaming fan base.
Re: Review: Batsugun Saturn Tribute Boosted - The Best Home Release Of Toaplan's Final Shmup
@BenoitRen I see. You’re correct, no tools were available for measurement of lag, so it was a guesstimate. I’m quite surprised the official measurement is 6.5 frames, it certainly doesn’t come across that way during play.
Re: Review: Batsugun Saturn Tribute Boosted - The Best Home Release Of Toaplan's Final Shmup
@gingerbeardman My pleasure, thanks so much for reading.
Re: Review: Batsugun Saturn Tribute Boosted - The Best Home Release Of Toaplan's Final Shmup
@WaveBoy I’d actually say shmups and fighting games are the most important of all 2D genres for low latency, because they’re harder to predict than platform games. I know massive lag will cripple all serious competitive games though, 2D and 3D alike.
@dr-gorgo What is your setup there? I also ran the arcade original side by side which is why the review points out that this release is a touch faster and a bit harder, but the lag here isn’t day and night on the setup used for testing (Bravia Game Mode, arcade stick wired/& with 2.4mhz dongle). A TV with poor latency for games or an under par bluetooth pad can add to response time considerably.
@Thomystic Yes, you can use the flip grip no problem. There are actual a few more screen ‘styles’ here than in many shmup releases. The scroll option is an interesting one.
@LEGEND_MARIOID You’re very welcome as ever, thank you for reading!
Re: Review: Batsugun Saturn Tribute Boosted - The Best Home Release Of Toaplan's Final Shmup
@BenoitRen I’m a shmup enthusiast and I don’t consider it a dealbreaker. A few frames of lag is barely perceptible and if you have a decent setup (low latency TV and game mode, wired or decent Bluetooth controller) you’ll have no problem with it. Even original arcade games don’t have zero lag in many respects, and the notion that a CRT has “zero” lag is not necessarily true.
Here is a list of shmup arcade games tested from PCBs with lag readings:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1geRt-WqJa3LBAftHNTpKGbvosnHDynEryOIQMaWKnfc/htmlview
Re: Review: Star Gagnant - Takahashi Meijin Tests Your Trigger Finger With A Simple Shmup
@bluemage1989 Initial pricing is a crucial deciding factor for many people. The point of a review is to cover all bases and help with that decision.
The score has nothing to do with the price, however. It wouldn't have gotten a higher score if it was cheaper.
Re: Review: Cannon Dancer - Osman - The Bold, Concise Strider Sequel You Always Wanted
@russell-marlow
Appreciate your insight there Russell. I’ve owned the PCB for ten years and have one credit cleared Osman countless times. That should qualify me as a trustworthy source for critiquing the switch release, and hopefully a quickly rectified error regarding the character’s name doesn’t render the rest of the review void.
Re: Mini Review: Nightmare Reaper - A Roguelite, Boomer-Shlooter Bloodbath
@RetroOutcast I agree with all of your criticisms (to the point where I cited them in the review) but I don't think a 7 is an overreaching score. At its best, it's an incredibly fun, violent and energetic blast that keeps upping the ante in-line with your increasingly developing powers and weaponry. There's some insane stuff you can do in it, and the procedural element is surprisingly well-programmed. It's also, as you said, rough-looking, overlong and bogged down with everything that could possibly be bolted on to it. But it's worth bearing in mind that some people will consider that a plus.
Re: Mini Review: Cyber Citizen Shockman - A Belated Western Debut For The First (And Worst) Shubibinman
@Sinton apparently yes, they should be working their way through the series. Could have easily been a compilation package though. I’m not sure if the final entry, originally for Nintendo’s Satellaview, will make an appearance though, as Colombus Circle obtained the license for it and released it as a physical Super Famicom cartridge in Japan in 2017.
Re: Review: IGS Classic Arcade Collection - An Excellent Selection, Poorly Presented
@JohnnyMind Thank you, appreciate you taking the time to read it!
@Ristar24 Considering the content, it is a shame on this one. A patch would be lovely.
Re: Review: Castle Of Shikigami 2 - A Fine Version Of The Best Game In The Bullet-Hell Trilogy
@drj Very much appreciate you reading. Pricing is always contentious with re-releases, however it’s worth noting this one does more than most. It’s certainly the best version out there.
Re: Review: Castle Of Shikigami 2 - A Fine Version Of The Best Game In The Bullet-Hell Trilogy
@LEGEND_MARIOID You’re very welcome, thank you for reading!
Re: Review: Castle Of Shikigami 2 - A Fine Version Of The Best Game In The Bullet-Hell Trilogy
@riccyjay Ok very much appreciate your point of view on this. I’d prefer it to be clear for google and future visitor reference purposes so I’ll look into having some tweaks made to the wording.
Re: Review: Castle Of Shikigami 2 - A Fine Version Of The Best Game In The Bullet-Hell Trilogy
@riccyjay
EDIT: Ok I’ve scanned back through and realised I didn’t actually say the modes were exclusive. We’re you referring to the “Switch’s all-new modes” line? Because I can see how that might be misinterpreted and I can have it adjusted.
Re: Review: Castle Of Shikigami 2 - A Fine Version Of The Best Game In The Bullet-Hell Trilogy
@-wc- Thank you for reading!
Re: Review: IGS Classic Arcade Collection - An Excellent Selection, Poorly Presented
@JohnnyMind The score hasn't been changed. It's accurate to the quality of the games on board, the price, and the package overall.
Re: Review: IGS Classic Arcade Collection - An Excellent Selection, Poorly Presented
@Ristar24
If you can overlook the emulation and presentation issues I'd still recommend it for the price. If you're a stickler for that stuff (and really, you should be) then perhaps wait in hope for a patch. They're still very interesting and well designed games.
Re: Review: IGS Classic Arcade Collection - An Excellent Selection, Poorly Presented
@OldManHermit
The score indicating “good”, is because, despite the issues, one can still reap a lot of enjoyment from the collection as it is. You just have to overlook a seriously dropped ball in regards to general presentation and emulation quality. If you can ignore those things, $30 is a reasonable price for the wealth of content and the quality of the content. If, however, you’re like me and expect arcade re-releases to be handled with respect, you may want to wait for a patch (fingers crossed!)
@MARl0
I’m sure I’ve played worse!
Re: Review: Cannon Dancer - Osman - The Bold, Concise Strider Sequel You Always Wanted
@Selim Yes, that's specified at the beginning of the review.
Re: Review: Cannon Dancer - Osman - The Bold, Concise Strider Sequel You Always Wanted
@BrazillianCara @russell-marlow
Hey many thanks to both of you for this correction. I’ll put in for a fix ASAP. I only know the main character isn’t called Osman, but the narrative is so confusing that at the point in the cutscene at the end of stage 2 I could swear that they refer to him as “Abdullah the Slaver” and then send him to be banished in the desert.
I appreciate having that cleared up!
Re: Review: Grim Guardians: Demon Purge - A Creative, Character-Swapping Ode To Castlevania
@SuntannedDuck2 No worries!
Re: Review: Grim Guardians: Demon Purge - A Creative, Character-Swapping Ode To Castlevania
@steely_pete No worries. Based on your info, I also think it's unusual they decided not to mention the Gal Gun link at all, so I can only assume they decided the product would be more saleable without acknowledging the connection.
Re: Review: Grim Guardians: Demon Purge - A Creative, Character-Swapping Ode To Castlevania
@Dualmask @BrianJL @Ralizah @LastFootnote
The review states that in the text:
"Grim Guardians is a bit more streamlined than your average Metroidvania, and we like that. While there are plenty of alternate paths — and some annoying retreads should you get dropped into basements — it’s less broad and roaming than the usual genre fare; again, closer to the formulas established in Curse of the Moon."
However, it's still closer to a Metroidvania than any traditional Castlevania: locked doors, very layered stages, backtracking through the university's earlier sections for power-ups, secret areas out of reach until certain properties are acquired are all present. But it's definitely on the 'lite' end of the spectrum, closer to Circle of the Moon.
@steely_pete @SuntannedDuck2
Hands up! I had no idea these were the Gal Gun gals. I'm not that up on my ecchi fandoms even though I covered that game. The issue perhaps is that Inti Creates didn't state the relationship between this and Gal Gun anywhere in the press release, anywhere on their official website, and it isn't mentioned on the Nintendo eShop page. Strange but true. It's like they didn't want to mention the connection to Gal Gun at all. Make of that what you will.
@nhSnork @Sora181
It's a good point. I finished Portrait of Ruin on its initial release and should have mentioned it. But deadlines were tight and a lot of editing went in to whittle down the word count to just include the core details. Sometimes things don't always make it in, sadly.
What is a man? A miserable little pile of deadlines and word count limits!
Re: Review: Akka Arrh - A Scrapped Atari Shooter Gets A Psychedelic Llamasoft Refurb
@Grumble Thank you for reading! Much appreciated.
As a Minter fan it will certainly please you, and a 7 is an admirable score. The only small point of note is that the entry-level for understanding this one is higher than many of his others. It takes an extra level of work. Regardless, when you do first fire it up, remember to immediately pause and change the button set up to operate with two buttons rather than one. It doesn't really function well on its defaults.
Re: Mini Review: Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection - A Great But Gouging, Exploitative Package
@jamesthemagi
"However, it is unprofessional that they allow it to influence their score of the product."
It has been discussed and reviewed by the site management. All stand by the decision to allow the score as it acts as an indicator of the poor practice of the publishers and their exploitation of the fanbase. Genuine complaints from people accidentally buying "the wrong game" from the eShop have been appearing almost as soon as the 'anniversary' version launched.
You may deem it unprofessional, but just like you claim pricing and value vary in the eyes of the consumer, others consider it a resolute position to take in an industry that too often turns a blind eye to exploitative market practices.
Besides, actually reading the review indicates the quality of the product and recommends it according to circumstantial relevance.
Re: Review: Akai Katana Shin - One Of CAVE’s Very Best Horizontal Bullet Hells
@drj You’re very welcome, thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it.
Re: Review: Akai Katana Shin - One Of CAVE’s Very Best Horizontal Bullet Hells
@drj Goddamnit, no wonder on the one run where I pulled that off on Zetsu it didn’t actually work! Thanks so much for the info, I’ll have that amended. Thank you for reading, and I agree, it doesn’t feel like 6 frames.
Re: Review: Akai Katana Shin - One Of CAVE’s Very Best Horizontal Bullet Hells
@World
Agreed, basic memorisers like Gradius and other old school STGs like Tiger-Heli, etc, can be far more difficult and punishing than Danmaku stuff.
@Judgedean
As stated in the review, with the right setup you won’t register any lag. If the Switch’s portability is what you’re after, you can go with this confidently.
@BuhBuhBuhBanned
It doesn’t have cutscenes, no, unless you count the ending. It does have a premise, but it’s in the manual rather than the game.
@Daggot
Bullet hell games when taking into account scoring processes have always had a high entry barrier though. Akai Katana is almost 12 years old.
@KeeperBvK I agree 😆 I didn’t write that. But it is one of the best of the Hori’s nonetheless.