A Goldeneye rip off with Minecraft-esque textures? Paying homage is one thing but to directly copy/paste one of the most iconic levels in gaming is really quite egregious.
The Turok 2 remaster was an absolute godsend for me - I finished all the levels back on the N64 but I couldn’t work out where all the pieces for the Nuke were and finding those Talisman chambers/Flesh portals. You NEEDED those abilities and you had to go back and remember for life of you where you can use that new ability…that angered me 1000x more than the artifacts in Metroid Prime.
But yes, the way you can save any time on the Turok 2 remaster is SO much more enjoyable, the way you can warp between save portals, the near complete removal of slowdown…it’s a brilliant game. Just keep saving when you’re lost and it’ll help you massively.
Good review however I feel the cons kind of miss the point of the game’s overall vibe and how it lends itself to the WarioWare games with its idiosyncrasies - the soundtrack for example is just so odd, especially when some of it is just weird drone and ambient at times. The mini games are totally optional (unless you want to get the bugle!) and the mechanics are so smooth and really acts like a puzzle game which is similar to Wario Land 3…but more diverse. It’s such a step away from the Super Mario formula and that’s what makes it so unique.
I could possibly give this a 10/10 as the level design is just stunning and to speed run the game with the dash button is so satisfying. I got this game possibly in 2001 (?!) for Christmas while listening to Daft Punk’s Discovery and it just reminds me of how timeless this game really is. Anyway, it’s hands down the best platformer on the GBA and I’m so happy to be playing it in handheld mode on the Switch! So yeah, incredible game and I just hope they make a Wario Land 5 with stunning sprite work and more puzzle oriented - Wario World and Wario Land: Shake It both missed the mark on what makes the Wario Land games so odd and creative. I’m currently giving it a 10 for how essential this game really is!
Nostalgia obviously skews my view on this but playing it now still feels so fresh. Personally, this is the best game on the GBA. Metroid Fusion comes a very close second. But this is top tier game design and Nintendo at their weirdest - it’s so off the wall, I hope they understand what makes these games so special.
It’s a shame as it’s increasingly more difficult to purchase new physical copy games in the high street. CEX does not count. GAME is merged with Sports Direct and House of Fraser. It’s a joke. Using online stores are really the only way if you don’t have an independent games shop near you.
And this is why most of my games are digital. I have now 183 games on the Switch since 2017, with so many of them being on sale on the e-shop. The only time I buy something physical is when it’s a big release (not always though) - Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Paper Mario and Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
I did buy Tears of the Kingdom digitally as it was sold out everywhere! But digitally I have games such as Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Pikmin 4, every Sonic game imaginable, all Bayonetta’s, DKC Tropical Freeze….yes I feel bad but if it’s on offer I can’t help myself. This is why digital gaming is so popular. But I still try to buy a game physically every so often.
Super Mario Bros. 3 is an absolute masterclass in game design - the first time I played it was back in 1992 when my dad brought back the NES with 12 games from Germany. That game honestly changed my world, my imagination, my creativity - I honestly cannot comprehend the impact that game had on me. And still until this very day, I find something brand new despite finishing it multiple, multiple times. I adore Super Mario World but it very much felt like a more ambitious Mario 3 with slightly more restrained level design and power ups. I feel Mario 3 is a little more diverse and overall is a more creative game. So my top 5 would be:
5. Super Mario Galaxy 4. Super Mario Bros. 3. Super Mario World 2. Super Mario 64 1. Super Mario Bros. 3
Well if we’re adding NSO games on here then hands down both Pilotwings games are utterly brutal. The final mission on the SNES version is nearly impossible!
Then there’s the remaster of Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (made easier with save states but SO obscure when collecting the Talismans). The music keeps you on edge and you WILL get lost.
Cuphead might also be the most stressful game I have ever played. Period.
Ummm, Lisa Trevor’s diary genuinely creeps me out until this very day. Especially when it becomes more unintelligible and cryptically suggests she’s wearing her mother’s face, which is hanging off her.
@SportyMarioSonicMix so you didn’t have much fun on the first level then? (Ignoring the tutorial level of course). Turning into a t-Rex wearing a little Mario hat and moustache wasn’t charming enough? Oh, and the desert level really isn’t that big…so there’s plenty to do. But any who it’s your opinion. And the Kirby demo was brilliant! Absolutely brilliant. Made me laugh out loud at the transformations.
Anyway I’m a tad fatigued now, just had to pop on here and unleash myself for a moment. Interesting article and opinion piece, but one I don’t agree on.
@avictorao okay...so what about games that just loop on endlessly like puzzle games? Or simulation based games like The Sims orAnimal Crossing? You don’t really finish those type of games. And there’s a little Nintendo bias there about them being immune to it, that’s a bit subjective as I personally found GOW just gripping from start to finish.
I understand what you’re saying, I’m not having a go but I actually feel it’s an achievement for a lot of people to finish a game but also they want to see through it to the end. If you’re talking about change it’s really to do with the quality of the game surely? And for £50-60 I sure as hell wouldn’t be happy with a 5 hour game I can tell you that! Especially if I’ve been waiting for it for a long time. Again your idea of having options, I understand it...but it would never work for the types of games implied. Like it works for games like Streets of Rage for example, but not a AAA game. But that’s just me.
@GameCollector84 brilliant analogy my friend, all my favourite games I have finished 100%. And I finish them multiple times. Why? Because they’re my favourite games.
@avictorao that’s a ridiculous idea, a lot of people like a blockbuster experience so I expect a game like The Last of Us to be around 15-20 hour mark. How could you possibly cut the game for different audiences, game designers put so much energy into the overall gameplay, helps you build your inventory sufficiently, get you used to combat more so the build up is gradual and most importantly the flow of the story! How can you cut that out?? Imagine cutting out major parts of the world in Breath of the Wild! That would be insane.
Also God of War and Ghost of Tsushima are both 20 hours long, I finished them both around that time and thought they were both the perfect length! Am I going mad here? To see a 5 hour version of these games? Jeez.
@Einherjar yup, it’s really a non-article personally. You play in your own time and no-one will ever judge you for that. In fact in all my years of playing games I have yet to see this topic even remotely debated. Just enjoy what you have. However you better finish Yakuza 🤣🤣
Is this meant to be some mutation of ‘woke’ culture in gaming? That we have the right to not finish games? Not the most timely piece also as many people currently don’t have a disposable income, so that renders that point instantly moot. And you’re the Queen of Games with no one telling you how to play them...sorry but when was this ever an issue? To be pressured to finish a game? If you’re speaking for the people than this a completely facile and cringe-inducing argument as people can do as they please with no sense of judgement.
What confounds me more than anything is that as a games journalist you instantly lost all sense of credibility by proudly stating not to finish games. That’s totally fine, you don’t need to finish a game to review it, but to have the audacity to write an article about making a strong stance against this is a tad concerning. Skyrim and BOTW are the only two games you really delve into and yes, I agree, they are vast open exploration based games that might not necessarily need completing to be reviewed. However this is my main issue: you have only focused on these type of games.
I believe as a games journalist you should be finishing games as much as possible, understanding that there are time constraints. Just play a bit of Super Mario 3D World? Okay great, wait there’s a whole after-game that’s another 20+ hours worth of gameplay. So then all of a sudden your credibility is questioned. And this is my point - if you have this attitude towards all types of games then I really have little reason to trust your opinion.
I can do what I please in my free time and if I want to finish a game or not. I’m not a games journalist - you are, however.
Comments 19
Re: PSN's 'Agent 07 - Revenge' Reportedly Uses Assets From GoldenEye 007
A Goldeneye rip off with Minecraft-esque textures? Paying homage is one thing but to directly copy/paste one of the most iconic levels in gaming is really quite egregious.
Re: Turok Receives A New Update For Nintendo Switch, Here's What's Included
The Turok 2 remaster was an absolute godsend for me - I finished all the levels back on the N64 but I couldn’t work out where all the pieces for the Nuke were and finding those Talisman chambers/Flesh portals. You NEEDED those abilities and you had to go back and remember for life of you where you can use that new ability…that angered me 1000x more than the artifacts in Metroid Prime.
But yes, the way you can save any time on the Turok 2 remaster is SO much more enjoyable, the way you can warp between save portals, the near complete removal of slowdown…it’s a brilliant game. Just keep saving when you’re lost and it’ll help you massively.
Re: Review: Wario Land 4 (GBA) - A Boisterous But Impeccably Designed Platformer
Good review however I feel the cons kind of miss the point of the game’s overall vibe and how it lends itself to the WarioWare games with its idiosyncrasies - the soundtrack for example is just so odd, especially when some of it is just weird drone and ambient at times. The mini games are totally optional (unless you want to get the bugle!) and the mechanics are so smooth and really acts like a puzzle game which is similar to Wario Land 3…but more diverse. It’s such a step away from the Super Mario formula and that’s what makes it so unique.
I could possibly give this a 10/10 as the level design is just stunning and to speed run the game with the dash button is so satisfying. I got this game possibly in 2001 (?!) for Christmas while listening to Daft Punk’s Discovery and it just reminds me of how timeless this game really is. Anyway, it’s hands down the best platformer on the GBA and I’m so happy to be playing it in handheld mode on the Switch! So yeah, incredible game and I just hope they make a Wario Land 5 with stunning sprite work and more puzzle oriented - Wario World and Wario Land: Shake It both missed the mark on what makes the Wario Land games so odd and creative. I’m currently giving it a 10 for how essential this game really is!
Nostalgia obviously skews my view on this but playing it now still feels so fresh. Personally, this is the best game on the GBA. Metroid Fusion comes a very close second. But this is top tier game design and Nintendo at their weirdest - it’s so off the wall, I hope they understand what makes these games so special.
Re: House Of The Dead 2: Remake Blasts Onto Switch This Spring
We absolutely need this on Switch.
To protect the LOOIFEE cycle
Re: Physical Game Sales Took A Nosedive In The UK Last Year
It’s a shame as it’s increasingly more difficult to purchase new physical copy games in the high street. CEX does not count. GAME is merged with Sports Direct and House of Fraser. It’s a joke. Using online stores are really the only way if you don’t have an independent games shop near you.
And this is why most of my games are digital. I have now 183 games on the Switch since 2017, with so many of them being on sale on the e-shop. The only time I buy something physical is when it’s a big release (not always though) - Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Paper Mario and Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
I did buy Tears of the Kingdom digitally as it was sold out everywhere! But digitally I have games such as Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Pikmin 4, every Sonic game imaginable, all Bayonetta’s, DKC Tropical Freeze….yes I feel bad but if it’s on offer I can’t help myself. This is why digital gaming is so popular. But I still try to buy a game physically every so often.
Re: Best Super Mario Games Of All Time
Super Mario Bros. 3 is an absolute masterclass in game design - the first time I played it was back in 1992 when my dad brought back the NES with 12 games from Germany. That game honestly changed my world, my imagination, my creativity - I honestly cannot comprehend the impact that game had on me. And still until this very day, I find something brand new despite finishing it multiple, multiple times. I adore Super Mario World but it very much felt like a more ambitious Mario 3 with slightly more restrained level design and power ups. I feel Mario 3 is a little more diverse and overall is a more creative game. So my top 5 would be:
5. Super Mario Galaxy
4. Super Mario Bros.
3. Super Mario World
2. Super Mario 64
1. Super Mario Bros. 3
Re: Most Stressful Nintendo Switch Games
Well if we’re adding NSO games on here then hands down both Pilotwings games are utterly brutal. The final mission on the SNES version is nearly impossible!
Then there’s the remaster of Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (made easier with save states but SO obscure when collecting the Talismans). The music keeps you on edge and you WILL get lost.
Cuphead might also be the most stressful game I have ever played. Period.
Re: Nintendo Expands Switch Online's Game Boy Advance Library Later This Week
Wario Land 4 please. And then consider making Wario Land 5 with the same level of creative license and an incredible soundtrack.
Re: Random: Arctic Monkeys Song Potentially Makes Obscure DS City Builder Reference
This changes everything. Album is now a classic.
Re: Memory Pak: The Scariest Resident Evil Scene No One Talks About
Ummm, Lisa Trevor’s diary genuinely creeps me out until this very day. Especially when it becomes more unintelligible and cryptically suggests she’s wearing her mother’s face, which is hanging off her.
That’s real horror there!
Re: Hands On: Kirby And The Forgotten Land: More 'Super Mario 3D World' Than 'Mario Odyssey'
@SportyMarioSonicMix so you didn’t have much fun on the first level then? (Ignoring the tutorial level of course). Turning into a t-Rex wearing a little Mario hat and moustache wasn’t charming enough? Oh, and the desert level really isn’t that big…so there’s plenty to do. But any who it’s your opinion. And the Kirby demo was brilliant! Absolutely brilliant. Made me laugh out loud at the transformations.
Re: Soapbox: It's Time To Normalise Giving Up On Games Early
Anyway I’m a tad fatigued now, just had to pop on here and unleash myself for a moment. Interesting article and opinion piece, but one I don’t agree on.
Re: Soapbox: It's Time To Normalise Giving Up On Games Early
@avictorao okay...so what about games that just loop on endlessly like puzzle games? Or simulation based games like The Sims orAnimal Crossing? You don’t really finish those type of games. And there’s a little Nintendo bias there about them being immune to it, that’s a bit subjective as I personally found GOW just gripping from start to finish.
I understand what you’re saying, I’m not having a go but I actually feel it’s an achievement for a lot of people to finish a game but also they want to see through it to the end. If you’re talking about change it’s really to do with the quality of the game surely? And for £50-60 I sure as hell wouldn’t be happy with a 5 hour game I can tell you that! Especially if I’ve been waiting for it for a long time. Again your idea of having options, I understand it...but it would never work for the types of games implied. Like it works for games like Streets of Rage for example, but not a AAA game. But that’s just me.
Re: Soapbox: It's Time To Normalise Giving Up On Games Early
@GameCollector84 brilliant analogy my friend, all my favourite games I have finished 100%. And I finish them multiple times. Why? Because they’re my favourite games.
Re: Soapbox: It's Time To Normalise Giving Up On Games Early
@avictorao that’s a ridiculous idea, a lot of people like a blockbuster experience so I expect a game like The Last of Us to be around 15-20 hour mark. How could you possibly cut the game for different audiences, game designers put so much energy into the overall gameplay, helps you build your inventory sufficiently, get you used to combat more so the build up is gradual and most importantly the flow of the story! How can you cut that out?? Imagine cutting out major parts of the world in Breath of the Wild! That would be insane.
Also God of War and Ghost of Tsushima are both 20 hours long, I finished them both around that time and thought they were both the perfect length! Am I going mad here? To see a 5 hour version of these games? Jeez.
Re: Soapbox: It's Time To Normalise Giving Up On Games Early
@Einherjar yup, it’s really a non-article personally. You play in your own time and no-one will ever judge you for that. In fact in all my years of playing games I have yet to see this topic even remotely debated. Just enjoy what you have. However you better finish Yakuza 🤣🤣
Re: Soapbox: It's Time To Normalise Giving Up On Games Early
Is this meant to be some mutation of ‘woke’ culture in gaming? That we have the right to not finish games? Not the most timely piece also as many people currently don’t have a disposable income, so that renders that point instantly moot. And you’re the Queen of Games with no one telling you how to play them...sorry but when was this ever an issue? To be pressured to finish a game? If you’re speaking for the people than this a completely facile and cringe-inducing argument as people can do as they please with no sense of judgement.
What confounds me more than anything is that as a games journalist you instantly lost all sense of credibility by proudly stating not to finish games. That’s totally fine, you don’t need to finish a game to review it, but to have the audacity to write an article about making a strong stance against this is a tad concerning. Skyrim and BOTW are the only two games you really delve into and yes, I agree, they are vast open exploration based games that might not necessarily need completing to be reviewed. However this is my main issue: you have only focused on these type of games.
I believe as a games journalist you should be finishing games as much as possible, understanding that there are time constraints. Just play a bit of Super Mario 3D World? Okay great, wait there’s a whole after-game that’s another 20+ hours worth of gameplay. So then all of a sudden your credibility is questioned. And this is my point - if you have this attitude towards all types of games then I really have little reason to trust your opinion.
I can do what I please in my free time and if I want to finish a game or not. I’m not a games journalist - you are, however.
Re: Poll: Rate Your Favourite SNES Games
@6thHorizon yes yes, Mortal Kombat and Micro Machines 👍👍
Re: Poll: Rate Your Favourite SNES Games
If you could pop Mortal Kombat II in there perhaps...the SNES version destroys the Mega Drive one!