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In 1996 a legendary game designer left Capcom to form his own game development company. Tokuro Fujiwara founded Whoopee Camp after an insane career as a video game director and producer that spanned over a decade at Capcom. Fujiwara's credits listings while working at Capcom easily rank him amongst the greatest game designers of the 8 and 16 bit arcade and console era. He is credited with creating Ghosts 'n Goblins, directing and producing multiple games including Sweet Home, Breath of Fire, DuckTales and many other Capcom licensed games from the era, Final Fight 2 and Final Fight 3, and multiple Mega Man games. What would be Fujiwara and Whoopee Camp's first game after Fujiwara left this legacy behind and forged his own path?
Continue reading Tomba!
Jackie Chan has starred in a few video games over the years. After Hudson Soft purchased the licence to use his likeness, they released Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu on NES.
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Lately I've been digging deep into the world of Super Mario, from the 1985 NES release and working my way towards Odyssey, leaving no Goomba unstomped. Many of these games I've played many times, but there are several I hadn't played before and I got to experience them for the first time. Currently I'm 15 games into my project and got to revisit the GameCube staple, Super Mario Sunshine. This game has always stuck out in the series to me, but I haven't quite been able to articulate why. Having so many Mario experiences in such a short time I feel has finally given me the perspective I've always lacked and may allow me to better discuss why I think Super Mario Sunshine feels so out of place as a Super Mario title.
Continue reading We Need To Talk About Super Mario Sunshine
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As I mentioned in my article last month, we often like to search for hidden gems to add to our collections and eventually play if or when we finally get around to it. Sometimes, as was the case last month with Robotrek, we find a game that we feel is better left hidden and come away disappointed. Other times, as is the case this month with Skyblazer, we feel as if we have struck gold.
Continue reading Skyblazer
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The Switch has been out for roughly 8 months as of this article. It's been selling at or above expectations each month. Software attach rates are incredibly high. In general, people seem quite enthusiastic about the system. I picked one up at launch hoping Zelda would tide me over while I waited patiently for much of the future software that has been promised. Zelda didn't strike me like I'd hoped it would. Arms and Splatoon 2 are for a different audience than myself, and while I had a bit of fun playing both with my son, they are not games I've returned to or have ever been interested in playing by myself. As a day one Wii U owner, I've played a significant amount of Mario Kart 8 already, so the deluxe version isn't quite what I want to justify owning the system.
With games like Fire Emblem, Shin Megami Tensei V, Kirby, Dragon Quest and others looming in the distance, I've never been worried that I'll regret my purchase in the long run. But after 8 months, I really do long for something to play that gets me excited to own a Switch. With that in mind, I have very high hopes for Super Mario Odyssey and how it will make me feel to be a Switch owner.
Continue reading Super Mario Odyssey
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I want to take a brief break from my usual blogs about my store to talk about Mighty No. 9 now that I've had several weeks to take it all in. If this is something you'd be interested in reading about please click the link below. If not then we can't be friends......
Continue reading Mighty No. 53......%
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Image shamelessly linked from Game FAQs.
Flying lizards, giant bugs, robots, and dragons as
enemies? Count me in! Wait, what's with the nails?
The mid-late 1980's, and early 1990's were a magical time. Forget Iran-Contra, forget Black Friday, forget the rampant materialism of the Baby Boomer generation, forget "yuppies", and forget the Gulf War. During that period of time, we had Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Karate Kid, G.I. Joe and Transformers, Ghostbusters and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids!, and so much more. And we had video games. If you're reading this, you're likely either from my generation, and have fond memories of the 80's and early 90's, or you're experiencing them for the first time, something I often wish I could do, as I approach 40 years of age. For those in the latter camp, I envy you.
Continue reading Nail 'n Scale, 1992
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As a fan of story based games, I have to say that I love a game that takes you on a ride. Catherine is the kind of game that you can sit back with, relax, and watch an incredibly compelling social dilemma unfold before the protagonist's eyes. Lately, I've been thinking about companies from Japan. So many people have been crying out about the doom and gloom of the market and how Japanese development has been lagging behind while the Western world advances. This couldn't be further from the truth, as Atlus is one of Japanese gaming's oldest surviving names, but fastest risers in the global market. Persona 3 got the name out, Persona 4 kicked the door open, and Catherine broke the door's frame. Persona 5 is currently one of the most anticipated Japanese developed games since Atlus presented its masterfully crafted initial trailer.
Catherine was released in Japan and North American in 2011, with Europe and Australia getting a release in early 2012. The plot revolves around infidelity and is one that many of us have likely heard about, if not experienced first hand. Vincent, the games protagonist, gets caught up with a blonde-haired, blue-eyed young beauty named Catherine one night after all of his friends leave him alone at the bar. From here, the player chooses whether he wants to court her for the long run or remain faithful to his girlfriend, Katherine. The girls represent the ideologies of "Law" and "Chaos." Law is doing the right thing no matter how much it might hurt; Katherine is a structured being in complete charge of her life and represents Law. On the other hand, Catherine is more of a loose cannon that Vincent can't seem to get rid of no matter what decisions you make; she represents Chaos. Which one of these ladies will you choose, or will you choose the single life?
Continue reading Psychotic Reviews: Catherine
What do you think of when I say "flash games"? A monkey spanking simulation, tower defense against balloons, or perhaps bloody stick figure kung fu might come to mind. Sure, those games may have their place (kids need something to do on the school computers, right?), but sometimes Adobe's vector-based dev tools end up in exceptionally talented hands. From the vast sea of poorly-animated, shallow gaming experiences available for free on the web, some rise far above the others. In this blog post I pull one such title from the cream of the Flash crop and thrust it into the limelight: Liferaft: Zero.
It's a grappling hook platformer that has you playing as young girls, all clones who are test subjects in a stark white science facility. The scientists watch from high up windows, sip on their coffee, and talk to you through purple computer screens. For some reason they want you to ring that bell over there and go through the door to the next room. Don't like the look of those spikes, but... doesn't seem like there's any other way out of here, so may as well get swinging!
So in standard platforming fashion you can run left & right, jump, but also wall jump and use your aforementioned grappling hook. Rather than swinging from ceilings like in some other grappling-centric games, the hook is used on designated points sticking out from the wall, in open space - you can swing a full 360 around them. By extending & retracting your rope and letting go at the right time, you can use your momentum to land where you need to be. It's the central mechanic and boy oh boy is it a good one.
It's difficult starting out. The spikes may be quite red before you reach the exit, especially if you want the delicious bonus candy. But man, once you get the hang of it, once it clicks... that grappling hook is incredible. It makes this game. It adds so much depth that isn't found in a typical platformer, and mastery of the swing physics really takes some skill. Getting some serious momentum going, swinging around that point, and hurling yourself straight up into the air really feels great - it's kept me coming back for dozens upon dozens of playthroughs. Add in the overall tight controls & fancy wall jumping and you've got some pretty great locomotion going on.
The graphics and sound help to further tie the whole experience together. Liferaft: Zero looks great - tiny, super detailed, colorful pixel art. The player character is 9 pixels tall and everything's zoomed out pretty far! Even so the animations are done well and convey a lot, with her hair blowing in the wind and dust kicking up as she slides down walls. Then there's the sound... there's actually no music, but plenty of crisp sound effects and ambiance. The quick little footsteps, the click of the grappling hook, the echo of the wall jump. It's all another integral part of what makes controlling the character so satisfying.
 Mikengreg are the two-man dev team behind this Flash masterpiece, and their slogan is "Handmade games crafted with love & high-fives." It really shows. Now, I tend to totally gush about the games I love, so I'll say a few quick things: It may not be for everyone, and it really does take a little while to get the swing physics down. But if you like what you see and you stick with it, Liferaft: Zero is a gem.
Originally posted over at my Broccoli Blog.
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Game: Dokuro
Developer: Game Arts
Publisher: Gungho Online Entertainment
Release Date: July 5, 2012 (Japan) - Oct 16, 2012 (North American PSN)
Genre: Platformer/Puzzle
System: Sony Playstation Vita
Dokuro (which means "skull" in Japanese) is a cute fantasy puzzle platformer game for the Playstation Vita. Developed by the same house which gave us the Lunar series, the Grandia series, Ragnarok Odyssey, among many others, Dokuro is a departure from Game Arts' usual offerings. This review is for the Japanese physical release. Dokuro is planned to be released in other regions as well, but only in digital form via the PlayStation Network Store.
The game starts off by introducing Dokuro as a very lowly servant to a demon-type character who is called the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord has captured a princess and imprisoned her (with plans for marriage) in a holding cell located high in the Dark Castle. Dokuro, who seems to be in charge of guarding the princess, falls in love with her at first sight . Little Dokuro has a slight dilemma: free the beautiful princess, or be loyal to the Dark Lord. Like any man would, he chooses the princess and frees her from her cell. Upon being freed, the princess does not thank Dokuro or even acknowledge his kindness. He should have thrown her back in her cell...I would have! Anyway, the path out of the dark castle is riddled with traps, puzzles, obstacles, among other things, and the princess is completely helpless. Lucky for her Dokuro is a sucker for a beauty in need, unlucky for Dokuro she will never appreciate his efforts in assisting her with her escape. You can't help but feel sorry for poor little Dokuro who tries his best to help the princess. Any skeleton with a backbone would have left this cold, shallow, ungrateful princess where he found her, but little Dokuro tries his best to please a woman who may never notice or care about him.
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Dokuro has basic controls. Jump, attack, and an 'action' button which pushes and pulls objects. In the first cutscene we are shown a special potion which turns whoever drinks it into a warrior. Dokuro gets a hold of this potion early on in the game and with it he can transform into a handsome prince with a sword which the princess does notice. Players are to use Dokuro's true form to jump to hard-to-reach places as he can jump higher and is more nimble. Dokuro's prince form is strong so it is best used for attacking enemies and carrying the princess over obstacles. Unfortunately for Dokuro he can only remain in prince form for about 20 seconds at a time. When he transforms back into the lowly skeleton the princess pays less attention to him. With the default control settings you must use the front touchscreen and rear touchpanel to change shape, which can be bothersome for those, like myself, who don't like touch controls.
Touch controls cannot be completely avoided. During the course of the game, you obtain different colored pieces of chalk each serving a specific purpose. The white chalk acts as a rope, the red chalk acts as a dynamite fuse, and the blue chalk creates pools of water. Your fingers acts as the chalk as you draw your way out of certain obstacles. I don't think it's too intrusive to the gameplay and although I don't really like taking my hands off of the controls, the chalk aspect of the game fits nicely.
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The game's 16 stages are comprised of different areas of the entire castle. Each area has a theme; from a banquet hall to a garden, from a kitchen to an elevator shaft. Each stage is broken up into 10 different puzzles, or 9 puzzles with a boss fight. Each puzzle is timed so that players can measure their performance and improve upon it accordingly. There is no time limit, so you can take as long as you like, but one of the challenges of the game is to finish as quickly as possible. Other than solving the puzzle of each section, there are also platforming elements such as pitfalls and enemies which must be defeated in order to complete the puzzle. Each section contains a gold coin which seems thrown in just to give Dokuro an additional objective aside from assisting the princess. In the overworld map you can choose to retry older stages if you want to better your time or collect a gold coin you may have missed. The end of each section is marked by a radiant flower which the princess is highly fond of. Dokuro has just risked life and limb to protect her and all she cares for is a flower. Every other stage or so does have a boss fight and this is another area where the game shines. The boss fights are fun and are challenging, but not to a point where the fight becomes a chore. For the veteran gamers, they may seem a bit easy. I thought they were just right. Classic game strategy, memorize their patterns then attack accordingly.
The game's art direction is something out of a Tim Burton film. Everything looks so crisp and beautiful on the Vita's OLED screen. The music blends well with the atmosphere which, but some may not like the music's 'French' sound. The game does not have many vibrant colors as mostly everything is dark and monochrome with some color here and there. When Dokuro transforms into the hero, the backgrounds light up with color and so does Dokuro himself. I think this is a great effect. Dokuro is only noticeable when he is attractive. Art imitating life!
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Praises:
The game is very well-designed and quite lengthy so it will keep you busy for hours. I think 10 to 12 stages would have been enough, but at 16 stages you're getting a lot of bang for your buck. Some stages will frustrate you, others will be a breeze. They're all mixed up so you never know what you're getting next. Also, the game is very accessible. People who like to play games imported from Japan are often faced with the same dilemma: not understanding Japanese. Fret not, this game can be played in English. It doesn't stop there. The language options, other than Japanese and English, include French, German, Italian, Korean, and Spanish. The boss fights are very fun and creatively designed. The game is beautiful to look at and fun to play. Nothing I can really say here that I haven't mentioned already. This is a fun game and perfect for a portable system as it is fully enjoyable even in short bursts.
Grievances:
The touch control motion needed to transform was a clumsy add-on. As mentioned previously, it can be redirected to the "R" button which is where it should have been in the first place. The game could have used more audio tracks as the music is recycled throughout the game. The music isn't annoying, but I think given the length of the game, the developers could have taken the opportunity to create some really great atmospheric music to go with Dokuro's gothic/whimsical theme.
The Verdict:
Some might say this game is just a two-dimensional ICO. While that does hold some truth to it, it is barely a rip-off. It is unique in its own right. This game is profound, funny, cute, challenging, and addictive. Trying to best your own clear times creates great replay value. I highly recommend it to any fan of the platforming and puzzle genres. Dokuro is a whimsical, tragic story about a boy stuck in the bowels of unrequited love who would do anything to win over the woman who would never give him the time of day. Maybe.
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If you like the art and music, here are free downloads from the publisher.
http://dokuro.gungho.jp/wallpaper_bgm/
No backups, pirates, or emulation. Reviewed copy:
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This is Pac-Land, a Platformer for the TurboGrafx-16 that I acquired recently. It's exactly what you'd expect from a Pacman Game: Good, simple fun.
The object of this game, as should be expected from a Platformer, is to reach the right side of a Level, starting from the left side, while evading hazards that will make you lose lives. The twist is that you can use the classic Pacman Power Pellets to (obviously) eat the Ghosts that would try and stop you from making it to your goal. At the bottom of the screen is a score multiplier that will deplete as you traverse the level. The higher the multiplier when you finish, the better your score.
Every 3 rounds, you'll have to guide Pacman back home using a special pair of boots that allow him to perform multiple jumps in a row. Every 2 trips (8 rounds) you make, you'll get a different cutscene. I made 4 trips before it got too hard for me.
Is this game repetitive? Yes, but I still think it's pretty fun. I don't think Pac-Land is very rare, so if you have a TG-16 and some extra cash, go pick this game up. If you enjoy challenging platformers, you'll like it.
Also, could anyone suggest any other good platformers for the TG-16?
So last night I officially completed my 10th and final game from my Summer Gaming Challenge list
1. Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (Wii)
2. Vay (Sega CD)
3. Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)
4. Wario Land (VB)
5. Battletoads/Double Dragon (SNES)
6. Panzer Dragoon (Sat)
7. Kung Fu (NES)
8. Gex (3DO)
9. Chrono Cross (PS)
10. FFXII (PS2)
11. Final Fantasy VIII (PS)*
It was great to get this many games crossed off my backlog, especially so many games that are well known and that I probably should have finished years ago.
My favorites were easily Vay and Sin & Punishment. Its hard to say which one I liked better since they are obviously so different its extremely hard to compare them. Vay was very simple and I just happened to be in the mood for simple while I was playing so that was very nice, but the parts I loved the most was the Working Designs humor spread throughout the game, and the major plot twist part way through. I liked the humor so much that I literally talked to every NPC in the game mulitple times to get every ounce of comedy I could squeeze out of them. Generally I dont spend a lot of time with NPC, but I felt compelled to this time around.
Sin & Punishment was just a non-stop actionfest. It looked fantastic, played flawlessly and was both fun and frantic at the same time. One of the best games I've played on the Wii and probably even on any current gen system.
The only really snoozers on the list for me were Super Mario Sunshine and Final Fantasy VIII.
The use of the jet pack nozzle on Mario took away all the platforming elements from the game almost entirely. The game had a very unique style, but felt borrowed from something else and not very "Mario" to me. The music, setting and characters all seemed very un-Mario.
FFVIII drove me nuts from the beginning. The Draw system seemed pointless, GF were not my cup of tea, levelling was pointless, the main characters was a douche from the get go and never got any better, the supporting characters were all very uninteresting. I didnt actually finish the game, but was saved at the last dungeon about 30 hours in. I feel I gave it more than a fair chance.
Both Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy XII surprised me.
I came in with very low expectations of FFXII. The story and characters kept me interested enough to keep plugging away with a battle and levelling system that I didnt particularily enjoy at the beginning. Luckily both grew on me over time and I'm glad I got to see how the story played out from start to end. Not a fantastic game, but decent.
Chrono Cross was similar. Slow start and akward battle/levelling. The story was kind of unusual, but not that intriguing at first. That changed drastically during the last several hours of the game. Not only did the story make much more sense and get a lot more interesting, but it made the plot from Chrono Trigger seem even more epic that it already was. It was pretty cool at first having so many different characters available for your party, but it became apparent fairly quickly that I'd never use 90% of them. Glad I stuck with this one to the end because the last few hours of plot were wonderful.
The rest of the list were solid entries into their respective genres. The blend of both series in Battletoads/Double Dragon was incredible. The pacing and boss fights in Panzer Dragoon were spot on. Kung Fu, while simple and short, had kind of a Super Mario Bros fun to its simplicity. Warioland was what you'd expect from a Wario platformer, it didnt blow me away, but it delivered what I thought it would. Gex was slightly less interesting than I thought it would be, but was average and worth keeping around for the novelty.
Definitely a fun way to clear a few games off my backlog and already have a few games in mind for next year!!
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The history of licensed games has not been good. That is a generous way of saying it. Very few games based off movies or TV shows have a chance of being acceptable. I must admit that this game I will be reviewing is not a great licensed game like Goldeneye or Scott Pilgrim Versus the World, but I will say that it is certainly a good game, and it is worth your time. Also, it is a game you would never expect to be good, and exploring the nooks and crannies of the Gamecube library to find the diamonds in the rough is what this blog is all about. Well, it isn't so much of a diamond as... let's say a jade, shall we? Okay, enough with the metaphors; let's examine why KND is worth your time.
Gameplay
I have always maintained that for a game to be good, first and foremost, it MUST have solid gameplay. Very few remembered and respected games ever released have had universally-recognized poor gameplay. In fact, if done right, a game can be carried almost entirely by solid gameplay. Indie games have proven this time and time again. While this is not entirely the case for KND (it has a few other redeeming features worth noting), its solid play mechanics and tight controls are certainly the best part of the game. Throughout the game, you play as 5 characters, each with different abilities specific to them, and while none of them are particularly unexpected or new, they add a good level of depth to the game through skill-specific puzzles. The game as a whole is just very well-constructed and has a inexplicable addictive element to it, and is a case study in excellent execution of game mechanics over everything else. Most of the game switches between four genres through the aforementioned 5 characters: Third-Person Shooter, 3D Beat-Em'-Up, 3D Platformer, and the most interesting of the four, 2D SHMUP. The 3rd-Person Shooter is rather generic, but the levels are generally fun and challenging to even things out. The Beat-Em'-Up stages contain the most puzzles, and have enough variety in them to keep things fresh. The 3D Platformer stages are probably the least interesting, but put a large emphasis on exploration. This changes things up and makes you re-think your strategy about how you approach a level, but for some reason, these levels feel half-baked. The final level type is perhaps the best of them all. The 2D SHMUP stages are well-designed and present a good challenge and utilize a bullet-absorbation system similar to games like Ikaruga in which you use a shield to absorb enemy fire and release it later for a super attack. These levels are always the most rewarding and fun to play, and actually measure up quite favorably to other SHMUPs on its own. Finally, the final boss battle comes out of nowhere, and is a 3D giant robot battle on the surface of the moon. It's as fun as it sounds. The game actually plays more like an N64 platformer, if that makes sense. It has that "early 3D experimental" vibe to it that makes it feel rather charming.
I do have some criticisms about the game, though. As I said, the game certainly doesn't do anything new, but instead just does what has already been done very well. Also, many of the levels tend to drag on, and generally last about half an hour. In some levels, this means unnecessary waves of extra enemies that serve only to fill out the level. Also, two of the characters you play as have essentially the same type of genre, and could have stood for one more type of level to make things even more interesting. Other than that, I have little complaints with the gameplay.
Gameplay: 8.5/10
[img width=640 height=461]http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/662/662056/codename-kids-next-door-operation-videogame-20051031044150160_640w.jpg[/img]
Story
In the game, you play as 5 operatives in the worldwide military organization known as the Kids Next Door, who fight against various villains who symbolize the tribulations of childhood. For example, one villain, Stickybeard, is a pirate who "sails the seven suburbs" stealing candy from kid's houses. Another is Knightbrace, an evil dentist who controls an army of hypnotized retainer-wearing kids to do his bidding. You certainly can't fault the game for a lack of imagination in story, despite just being based on the TV show. When the game starts, you learn that all the villains have escaped from the KND's high-security moon prison, and you have to go recapture them all. Sure, it's a rather simplistic and silly story, but it suits the gameplay and the show it is based on quite well. As for the dialogue, most of the lines feel rehearsed and cheesy. There are a few good lines, and even two Star Wars references at the end of the game [I swear that I heard someone repeat "It's a trap!" in context during one of the last SHMUP levels set in space!], but for the most part, don't expect much out of the character's lines. Many of the villains are actually somewhat clever in their portrayal of things that kids hate. I named a few before, and even though they are from the show, and not made specifically for the game, they prove to be amusing and comical.
Story: 6.5/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/662/662056/codename-kids-next-door-operation-videogame-20051031044157909_640w.jpg[/img]
Sound
The soundtrack in KND is nothing special at all. It sounds like stock tunes slightly remixed and repurposed for the game, and are few ear-catching tracks; the ones that you do notice are ones done in an intentionally gaudy, 60's spy movie style that actually feel pretty appropriate. Other than those odd few tracks, the soundtrack is uninspired and bland. Th sound effects are only a little better. Just like those few good songs, the sound effects are silly and overdone, but given the nature of the game, they fit very well. Try to think of it like the sound effects in an old Batman of Hanna-Barbera cartoon. I like to think that the developers did this on purpose, but I don't think I would go that far. Overall, don't expect any ear candy from Codename: Kids Next Door. One last thing; I wasn't able to find any of the music for this game uploaded anywhere, and I'm too lazy to rip the audio myself, so I was unable to put in a sample for you in this review. I hope that's alright; here's just another screenshot. Sorry.
Sound: 5/10
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Graphics
Another bland part of the game. The whole presentation is about what you would expect from a licensed game. The game runs in 480i in 4:3, the standard for Gamecube resolution. The character models are simple, but fluidly-animated. Everything looks smooth and cartoony, but that still is not excuse for a lack of detail. The framerate seems to dip when there is a lot of action on screen, which is pretty disappointing, considering the capabilities of the system. However, the game was also released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt, and assume that it was mainly programed for the lower-end PS2, and the GC and Xbox versions are ports. A little platform optimization never hurt anyone. Nothing really stands out about KND's graphics. There were only a few real "wow" moments, and they were all on the last few levels of the game. While they were really neat, it was because it was in contrast to the rest of the game. The graphics are certainly not bad, but they're not good. They're passable, which, as I said, is about what you would expect from a licensed game. No more, no less.
Graphics: 5/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/662/662056/codename-kids-next-door-operation-videogame-20051031044152300_640w.jpg[/img]
Extras/Value
Hey, some good news! Codename: Kids Next Door has a ton of secrets and extras available in the game. In each level, you can collect things called Rainbow Monkeys (the game's equivalent of Mario's coins or Sonic's rings) which unlock various things once you collect enough of them. You can unlock concept art, training arenas, weapon upgrades, character costumes, and even the ability to play through certain stages as the villains and their minions! A game like this reminds me of early 3D platformers that had no end of secrets and extras; another reason why I believe this game plays a lot like an N64 platformer. There is a mountain of unlockables, and some do not come from collecting Rainbow Monkeys, and instead force you to scour each level to find them. Unlocking these can unlock entirely different modes, like boss rush, etc. While I don't think the unlockables are incentive enough to replay the entire game, they do entail some level of replay value, and certainly gives you a rewarding feeling to unlock them. As for the value, I found my copy of the game for $3. I don't believe any game is bad enough that it is not worth $3. Gamestop is currently selling it for $6, but I would wait it out for a better deal, if I were you. Six dollars is still a pretty good deal, but I did better, and you can, too.
Extras/Value: 9/10
[img width=550 height=686]http://images.wikia.com/knd/images/d/d9/B51a17.jpg[/img]
Overall
If you go into this game expecting greatness, you will be sorely disappointed. There is no reason to think that this game is a tragically-underrated beacon of quality. What you will find, though, is a perfectly good game that will entertain you for several hours, and keep you hooked until the end through steady pacing and fun level design. There are just times when a game is just supposed to be fun, and this really is one of those times. If you can spare some pocket change and a few hours of your life, then I doubt you will be disappointed with Codename: Kids Next Door. It has a charming personality and plays on and with the tropes of platformers in a very good way. KND is a game that you would probably have never have even considered picking up, which is why I reviewed it in the first place. What I am trying to say is, if you play KND, you will easily get your time and money's worth, and it will probably put a smile on your face, too. 
Overall: 7/10
This is Lisalover1, making high-level artillery out of soup cans and 2x4's.
[img width=420 height=584]http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/gamecube-games/27-1.jpg[/img]
Sega's history after the Dreamcast is mostly regarded to be a sad one. Many fans felt abandoned by the company, who once was known for making very creative and fresh games that stood out in quality and had a lot of heart. Unfortunately, games such as these rarely sold well, and eventually forced Sega out of the console market altogether. Sega started to produce more cookie-cutter games to appease the masses, and lost a little bit of its soul in the process. But, every once in a while, even today, the company will release a game that has the brilliant and radically different appeal of what they used to be. In a word, it has the Sega spirit. Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg is one of those games.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Billy Hatcher, at its core, is similar to games like Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, or Jak and Daxter, all of which fall under the sub-genre of 3D platformers nicknamed "Collect-A-Thons", due to the fact that the way to advance in these games is to collect certain trinkets for achieving goals in the game, eventually giving you access to new levels. In Billy Hatcher, you must collect Emblems of Courage in each world to advance. While that is the main premise of the game, the genius comes in how you play the levels. In the game, Billy Hatcher is given a Rooster Suit by the chicken god, which gives him the power... [pause for dramatic effect] of eggs. Throughout the adventure, Billy and his 3 friends can roll around eggs they find in the world, and use them as weapons, or roll over fruit, to make them grow, and eventually hatch them to use whatever item or power-up is inside. For example, hatching one type of egg summons a creature that you can use to attack large groups of enemies. Another egg type gives you a new rooster comb for the rooster suit, which augments an egg's attack power. There are over a hundred different eggs you can hatch, which gives the game a lot of variety.
The game uses the same game engine as in Sonic Adventure 2, and it shows. You are timed in each level, and scored based on your time, the number of eggs hatched, number of enemies defeated, and how many combos you preformed [by taking out multiple enemies in a single attack], and gives you a grade, accordingly. This kind of system creates an "I can do better" mentality that made the Sonic games fun long after you beat them. Each level gives you a new objective, and you must obviously complete that objective as quickly and efficiently as possible. I should mention that if you are the type that likes to speedrun through games, this is a good one to consider. There are plenty of tricks and secrets in each level that you can exploit to finish faster, and are a joy when you find them. The only major flaw I can say about the game is it has an uncooperative camera, which, especially when your egg is at full size, makes it hard to see around your and where you're going. Overall, Billy Hatcher will give you your fix for a good 3D platformer, if that is what you're after.
Gameplay: 7.5/10
[img width=480 height=360]http://www.nintendospin.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/billy-hatcher-and-the-giant-egg-image1.jpg[/img]
Story
Not much to say here, but what do you expect; it's a platformer. Basically, Billy Hatcher is a normal kid who goes to see his friends one day, when they see a wounded chicken, about to be attacked by a crow. Billy saves the chicken, which turns out to be one of the guardians of Morning Land, the game's setting. The chicken god then gives Billy and his friends rooster suits, and gives them the task of saving Morning Land from the Crow Army. Soon after, Billy's friends are kidnapped, and Billy must free them, with one held in each of the first 3 worlds. By freeing his friends, new missions are unlocked in each world, where you play as them instead of Billy. As I said, it isn't much of a story, but a game like this doesn't need a very elaborate plot. It is what it is, and it's good for that purpose.
Story: 7.5/10
[img width=480 height=360]http://img.youtube.com/vi/U8kugY_EQGc/0.jpg[/img]
Sound
The soundtrack in Billy Hatcher is lighthearted and upbeat; it suits the game very well. It is very reminiscent of the music in games like Yoshi's Island or the Kirby series. It's just good music that makes you feel good. Even in boss fights, the tunes are distinctively juvenile [in a good way, though], with a clearly exaggerated tone that feels comical, yet dangerous, as if it was ripped right out of an old Batman cartoon. It's hard to explain, but you will understand when you hear it. If I had to describe the game's soundtrack in one word, it would be "Catchy". You'll probably find yourself humming the tunes later, and enjoying it. I must also say that the main theme of the game, while somewhat irritating, still got stuck in my head, and is fun to listen to.
The characters in Billy Hatcher have almost no voiced dialogue, with the only exceptions being for a few words and some exclamations. My only problem is that there are actually a bit too few of said sounds and exclamations, leading to some of them being noticeably recycled at points. But, for the most part, the characters open their mouths about as often as Mario, so don't worry about annoying Sonic-esque voices.
Sound: 8.5/10
Graphics
Billy Hatcher is yet another fine-looking Gamecube game, running in 480p progressive scan, and boasting an exceptionally detailed opening FMV. The visuals in the game are colorful and cartoony, with very few sharp edges, making for some very virbant and lively scenery. The character and enemy models are creative and interesting, as are the bosses of each world, which are spectacular to see in motion. The graphics could have been a bit smoother, but that's just me looking for a flaw; there's always room for improvement in any game. While not among the ranks of some of the best graphics on the 'Cube, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg has an endearing art style that Sega has spent years trying to perfect through previous games.
Graphics: 8/10
[img width=640 height=512]http://image.jeuxvideo.com/images/pc/b/h/bhgepc012.jpg[/img]
Extras/Value
There are certainly a lot of neat extras in Billy Hatcher, enough to warrant the purchase alone! The first is the multiplayer battle mode, in which up to 4 players fight in an arena with eggs, in a standard last-man-standing fight. There are actually some pretty clever strategies you can come up with in this mode. For example, there is one egg exclusive to the multiplayer mode that lets you plant a fake egg that explodes when another player touches it. I like to place it in an empty egg nest [where new eggs spawn from in the game], so opponents can't tell the difference between the fake egg and the real egg. You can imagine how funny it is to watch. The multiplayer mode could have used a couple more arenas and features, but as it stands, it is solid, and well worth a play with your friends. It really reminded me of Donkey Kong 64's multiplayer battles, now that I think about it.
Another cool feature of the game is that it utilizes the Gamecube-to-Game Boy Advance link cable. If you had a GBA and link cable, you could upload minigames onto your GBA that stay there as long as you leave your GBA turned on. Some of the minigames are actually really good, in that except for length, they look and feel like actual GBA releases! The NiGHTS game alone is almost makes up for the lack of a real portable NiGHTS game. In fact, they're so good, I feel bad referring to them as minigames. Most of the games are scaled-down versions of classic Sega games, such as NiGHTS into Dreams, Puyo Puyo, Chu Chu Rocket, and even Billy Hatcher itself. Remember what I said about the Sega Spirit? This is what I mean. This is the Sega that we all know and love; the Sega that never forgets who they are, and who will always look after its fans. Unfortunately, it is also the Sega that rarely shows its face. But this is exactly what happens when it does. Once again, I cannot emphasize enough how well-made these minigames are! Actually, if I remember correctly, a while back, some hackers found a way to extract these games from the disc, and make them into actual GBA roms! Now that's saying something. Speaking of classic Sega, you can also hatch hidden Sega characters in certain stages, by getting all the hidden coins on that stage. You can use these characters to help you fight. Some of the characters you can unlock are NiGHTS, Amigo, Rappy [A common enemy in Phantasy Star Online], and of course, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. There are a few more you can find, but I can't remember them right off-hand. Still, it shows that Sega really gave it their all with this game, down to the very last detail.
I would definitely say that Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg is worth a purchase. It's currently only $5 at Gamestop, so you can buy it with just spare change. Most gamecube games can be had for very cheap prices right now, so if you're looking to beef up your GC library, you might want to start soon, before Gamestop stops carrying Gamecube games. So, get Billy Hatcher while you can, because you might not have the chance later, for the same price.
Extras/Value: 10/10
[img width=533 height=400]http://i.testfreaks.se/images/products/600x400/63/billy-hatcher-and-the-giant-egg-gamecube.831039.jpg[/img]
Overall
Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg is, for all purposes, the kind of game that defines who Sega is, was, and will always truly be. The Sega we normally see is not the real Sega; it is just its new parent company, Sammy. They took over, and things haven't been the same since. But, the real Sega is buried deep beneath that huge mass of shovelware and awful sequels. People are always talking about "the last great Sega game", but I have to disagree. There is no end to Sega, they will always be there, but they won't always be the ones in charge. But, Sega will try their hardest to give us the games that its' fans love, as often as they can. This game, along with a few others, are reminders to always let us know that they care. They really still care.
Overall: 8.5/10[/b]
This is Lisalover1, off to go give my Sega Saturn the playtime it deserves.
[img width=358 height=515]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/MetalStormCover.jpg[/img]
Heading back to the trusty ole' NES again for this one!
Would it surprise you if I said this game for the NES was a platformer/shooter with a space theme? No you say. It does seem to be a common style of game on the system (see previous Blogs such as Xexyz or Journey to Silius). I assume that why this title often gets overlooked.
[img width=512 height=448]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/MetalStormgameplay.jpg[/img]
What people are missing out on by not playing this game is something pretty neat though. Wait for it................................upside down platforming. It might sound a little hokey at first, but its actually a ton of fun. At any time during the game you can switch from a gravity obeying mech warrior to an upside down robot with a gun.
Each stage has some form of rooftop so that you can always bounce back and forth as desired. Sometimes this is to collect powerups, other times for tactical strategy and others yet for the sheer enjoyment of it.
[img width=512 height=448]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/MetalStormboss.jpg[/img]
Most of the levels are designed pretty straightforward, but stages 4 and 6 really stand out to me. In level 4 you play the whole area, including boss, trapped in a box. The box moves around the screen at (mostly) stationary enemies. Some you can kill and some you cannot. This makes for some very interesting platforming even though your stuck in a box.
Level 6 gets even better yet. The level scrolls downward constantly while you trek to the right of the screen. I have a hard time describing how cool it is so I found a video to help me out.
To get to the stage 6 part just skip ahead to about 2:30:
Metal Storm probably gets lumped in with a lot of other games because of the style and theme which I think is unfair. It actually translates the Sci-Fi setting into a really cool and playable game play mechanic. Definitely check it out if you haven’t yet. It can be a little harder to track down than some other NES games, but if you can find it for under $15 you've got yourself a solid deal.
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