One of the first Gameboy games I ever owned. Mario's journey through Sarasaland is interesting. There are lots of enemies here that players wouldn't see again until the most recent Mario adventure in Super Mario Odyssey.
The premise is simple, the evil alien Tatanga has kidnapped Princess Daisy. Mario has to traverse various lands to save Daisy and set things right. Just like Super Mario Bros, this game is all about killing enemies, grabbing coins, and making it to the end of the stages. Each area has a different motif, based off ancient Egypt or the Easter Isles. There is a new power-up, the Super Ball, similar to the fire flowers from the first game but it can bounce around the screen and collect coins.
While challenging, this game is a good place to get started with the series. Nothing is super difficult and the game can be beaten in a reasonable amount of time. There are many differences from Super Mario Bros. Some enemies don't behave, like turtles don't have shells but rather turn into bombs in Super Mario Land.
If you enjoy Mario games and haven't played Super Mario Land, you really are missing out. This portable game was every bit a Mario game as the original. The music is catchy, there are some interesting segments, and it feels like a fun little adventure. Sure the graphics haven't aged well but for the time, it was great to play Mario on the go.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Sunday, September 22, 2019
ClaDun X2 (PSP)
ClaDun was one of my favorite games on the PSP. It was a simple dungeon crawler with sprites and randomized floors/weapons/etc. ClaDun X2 goes even further with the new types of random dungeons and the new classes. It keeps the same great pacing from the first game and adds some additional features.
If the player has never played a rogue-lite dungeon crawler, this is a good series to start with. Basically, each dungeon is a series of randomly generated floors. The story sections aren't random but the ran-geons are. There are random enemies and item drops. If the player dies, they lose all the stuff they collected and portions of the EXP and money they gained. It is a very simple concept but it can be addictive.
The biggest draw here is that the player can design their own character, down to the pixel art. There is a character editor that is a working sprite builder. If so desired, the game can be played as a favorite character from another series. Even weapons can be drawn and designed. The customization is 100% up to the player.
There is some frustration to this game though. It can be a little daunting to go through similar dungeons over and over to try to get a random piece of loot that is only slightly better than what is already equipped. It seems tedious but sometimes addictive. I often would trek through dungeons, just thinking about one more run. Just one more time to get a better artifact to complete my circle or that weapon with the better ability attached.
I would recommend this game to anybody that needs just a simple dungeon crawler. The level of customization isn't seen in any other series and the story isn't half bad. Some of the bosses get a little annoying and sometimes some of the enemies are really broken. I don't typically like games like this but this was a really fun game and continuation to the series.
If the player has never played a rogue-lite dungeon crawler, this is a good series to start with. Basically, each dungeon is a series of randomly generated floors. The story sections aren't random but the ran-geons are. There are random enemies and item drops. If the player dies, they lose all the stuff they collected and portions of the EXP and money they gained. It is a very simple concept but it can be addictive.
The biggest draw here is that the player can design their own character, down to the pixel art. There is a character editor that is a working sprite builder. If so desired, the game can be played as a favorite character from another series. Even weapons can be drawn and designed. The customization is 100% up to the player.
There is some frustration to this game though. It can be a little daunting to go through similar dungeons over and over to try to get a random piece of loot that is only slightly better than what is already equipped. It seems tedious but sometimes addictive. I often would trek through dungeons, just thinking about one more run. Just one more time to get a better artifact to complete my circle or that weapon with the better ability attached.
I would recommend this game to anybody that needs just a simple dungeon crawler. The level of customization isn't seen in any other series and the story isn't half bad. Some of the bosses get a little annoying and sometimes some of the enemies are really broken. I don't typically like games like this but this was a really fun game and continuation to the series.
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Terraria (PSN)
I never really got into Minecraft when it first came out. It was an interesting concept but this was the first open world, craft/build game I played. I have to say, I sunk many many hours into this.
If you have played Minecraft, imagine a game that is similar except it is more combat focused and set as a 2D sidescroller. Then you pretty much have this game. Sure it doesn't feel like Minecraft and they are generally very different but the concepts are similar.
As mentioned before, there is much more focus on combat in this game. Exploration is easy since the world is 2D, it is easier to see things underground than in 3D where your view is hindered but what is in front of you. There are also lots more monsters and bosses to fight.
There is also a ton to craft. Different weapon types, blocks, decorations, exploration gear, etc. There is always something to work toward. The biggest drawback is the fact that to get the really neat stuff, you either have to get really lucky with drops or chests or you have to grind bosses for the materials. Some of the bosses are fun and others are just a nightmare.
There are also some issues with monster spawns. Often times I would just finish a long trek and on the way back get invaded by goblins immediately after having a boss encounter. It may have been poor planning on my part but still, it felt a little annoying.
Whether you like Minecraft or not, this is a fun 2D exploration game. There is a lot to explore, lots of diverse biomes, and if you play on a better supported platform (I played on PS3 and Vita) more updates and mods. If you like grinding for materials and getting super cool equipment or even just designing your own village with the various art pieces, this is a must have.
If you have played Minecraft, imagine a game that is similar except it is more combat focused and set as a 2D sidescroller. Then you pretty much have this game. Sure it doesn't feel like Minecraft and they are generally very different but the concepts are similar.
As mentioned before, there is much more focus on combat in this game. Exploration is easy since the world is 2D, it is easier to see things underground than in 3D where your view is hindered but what is in front of you. There are also lots more monsters and bosses to fight.
There is also a ton to craft. Different weapon types, blocks, decorations, exploration gear, etc. There is always something to work toward. The biggest drawback is the fact that to get the really neat stuff, you either have to get really lucky with drops or chests or you have to grind bosses for the materials. Some of the bosses are fun and others are just a nightmare.
There are also some issues with monster spawns. Often times I would just finish a long trek and on the way back get invaded by goblins immediately after having a boss encounter. It may have been poor planning on my part but still, it felt a little annoying.
Whether you like Minecraft or not, this is a fun 2D exploration game. There is a lot to explore, lots of diverse biomes, and if you play on a better supported platform (I played on PS3 and Vita) more updates and mods. If you like grinding for materials and getting super cool equipment or even just designing your own village with the various art pieces, this is a must have.
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (PS3)
When the first Borderlands came out, I had never played a game with a loot system like it. Then the sequel came out and I loved the series even more than ever. This game was just as good.
Now I'll preface this by saying, I'm not the best at shooting games. I am a decent sniper and in all the Borderlands games I have played I typically stick with sniper rifles as my main weapons. In this game, I decided to be stupid and play only as Claptrap. Which wasn't a mistake.
In this entry, they introduce the oxygen system (because it takes place on the moon) and lower gravity. I negated the oxygen thing by playing as Claptrap, who doesn't need air. It does kind of take a little of the challenge out of the game but not so much because Claptrap is such a terrible character.
The story is between Borderlands 1 and 2, so if you have played both of those this will seem pretty similar. It is a good setup to the second game and you see references to both games in it. All the fan favorite characters are there and there are some good moments throughout. It isn't as memorable as the second game in terms of events but still a decent story for the series.
There are ton of new guns in this one with a new gun type, Lasers, and a new equipment item, O2 tanks. Lasers were okay. I don't recall them being spectacular but the reason behind them not being in Borderlands 2 is pretty funny. Being Claptrap, I didn't have to deal too much with the O2 tanks. They do give some decent bonuses and using them for the special ground pound attacks adds just one more tool to the vault hunters arsenal.
My biggest gripe with this game or rather with the series in general, is that some of the challenges are impossible to do solo. I usually play solo because I screw around too much to keep teammates. There are times in this game that I have to use really cheesy tactics to get by. Yes, it was designed as a co-op loot shooter but don't penalize me by making it stupidly hard or have to grind for legendary equipment just to maybe get a chance to win. Some of the optional missions and bosses are just outright unfair but this is something the whole series does. At least the main story missions are all doable solo without much cheesing or grinding.
As a whole, I love the Borderlands series. This was a fun addition and I am definitely looking forward to the third entry. I didn't play the DLC like I did for 1 and 2 but maybe someday. It is out on PS4 and PC now under the Handsome Collection, so there is really no reason not to get into the game. Catch a ride!
Now I'll preface this by saying, I'm not the best at shooting games. I am a decent sniper and in all the Borderlands games I have played I typically stick with sniper rifles as my main weapons. In this game, I decided to be stupid and play only as Claptrap. Which wasn't a mistake.
In this entry, they introduce the oxygen system (because it takes place on the moon) and lower gravity. I negated the oxygen thing by playing as Claptrap, who doesn't need air. It does kind of take a little of the challenge out of the game but not so much because Claptrap is such a terrible character.
The story is between Borderlands 1 and 2, so if you have played both of those this will seem pretty similar. It is a good setup to the second game and you see references to both games in it. All the fan favorite characters are there and there are some good moments throughout. It isn't as memorable as the second game in terms of events but still a decent story for the series.
There are ton of new guns in this one with a new gun type, Lasers, and a new equipment item, O2 tanks. Lasers were okay. I don't recall them being spectacular but the reason behind them not being in Borderlands 2 is pretty funny. Being Claptrap, I didn't have to deal too much with the O2 tanks. They do give some decent bonuses and using them for the special ground pound attacks adds just one more tool to the vault hunters arsenal.
My biggest gripe with this game or rather with the series in general, is that some of the challenges are impossible to do solo. I usually play solo because I screw around too much to keep teammates. There are times in this game that I have to use really cheesy tactics to get by. Yes, it was designed as a co-op loot shooter but don't penalize me by making it stupidly hard or have to grind for legendary equipment just to maybe get a chance to win. Some of the optional missions and bosses are just outright unfair but this is something the whole series does. At least the main story missions are all doable solo without much cheesing or grinding.
As a whole, I love the Borderlands series. This was a fun addition and I am definitely looking forward to the third entry. I didn't play the DLC like I did for 1 and 2 but maybe someday. It is out on PS4 and PC now under the Handsome Collection, so there is really no reason not to get into the game. Catch a ride!
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Dead Space 2 (PS3)
Dead Space was a rare gem for me. I'm not a huge fan of the survival horror genre but something in Dead Space really stuck with me. Going into the sequel, I was hopeful. I wasn't disappointed.
Dead Space 2 is a good sequel to the first game. Not just set on a single ship but a whole great big area this time. While the story does get a little odd, especially towards the end. It is definitely a good ride.
The weapons and crafting system are back. Getting power nodes to get better and have an easier time. Each weapon has its use and some are better at fighting certain enemies. Some are better than others but the player is never really forced to use a weapon.
As a sequel to a good game, this was a fun experience. It wasn't as good as the first game but there are moments in it that do really bring back the fear from the first game. Although Isaac no longer feels like a simple space engineer anymore.
Dead Space 2 is a good sequel to the first game. Not just set on a single ship but a whole great big area this time. While the story does get a little odd, especially towards the end. It is definitely a good ride.
The weapons and crafting system are back. Getting power nodes to get better and have an easier time. Each weapon has its use and some are better at fighting certain enemies. Some are better than others but the player is never really forced to use a weapon.
As a sequel to a good game, this was a fun experience. It wasn't as good as the first game but there are moments in it that do really bring back the fear from the first game. Although Isaac no longer feels like a simple space engineer anymore.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)