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Forums > Contributor Zone > RotW // 3rd - 9th MAY //

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Author: EmP (Mod)
Posted: May 13, 2021 (10:20 AM)
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Here there be reviews.


Burly Men at Sea [SWH] Joe

Joe reviews a narrative driven game, which also has the fun bonus that you’re instantly limited to what you can talk about, because more or less anything you say can be a spoiler. So you have to be cleverly vague (or vaguely clever) and pick through the bone of the review with care. Unsurprisingly, considering my gaming diet, I can completely relate. Joe sticks to his task well and is able to sell the game on its merits while still pointing out the big downfalls. I think the choice to talk about how the game is purposefully outside your wheelhouse was a good call, as was dismantling the endings and how they could and should have been more meaningful.

Venture Kid Mariner

Mariner tackles a middle of the road retro homage, which rank among the least interesting things to write about, so the line about wishing you can knock off early after the first paragraph resonates with me.

I think the only thing holding this review back is the subject material. I really liked the last point being made that if this game was released back in the era it pays homage to, it would be seen as decent but ordinary, so what chance might it have 30 years later.


THIRD - 2in1: Application Driver and Serial Killer / Sniper] Honestgamer

Jason’s appetite for collecting all the games is going to mean he has no shortage of stinkers, and here he has perhaps located the worst of his collection. I think this review is full of some very apt examples that damn the hell out of this mini collection. Putting a car in reverse but not reversing the controls is, frankly, unheard of. Even the most basic games manage to pull this off, but spending time on other indiscretions such as the lack of splash if you drive into a bay, or how pedestrians are indifferent to the slaughter that goes on around them are also important - and amusing - observations.

SECOND - The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass [DS] Dagoss

As you have recently learnt, I hate this ridiculous game. But it’s been a while, I suppose, and I’m open to a fresh take.

And it’s interesting because we do complain about the same things: sailing is a chore, some gimmicks are obnoxious and the constraint revisits to the main dungeon are overplayed. You give these issues no quarter (in fact, if I cared about the star rating we’re forced to leave at the end of these reviews, I might suggest the reviews feels more negative than a ⅘ might warrant) but still come away with a much more positive review. I think the time spent on how the touch controls lift the game are probably the review’s highlight, like how the boring old boomerang is granted a completely new lease of life under the new scheme.

There seems to be a few missing words from this line:
The thrill of adventure and discovery from Windwaker is gone and what is a boring rail shooter.

FIRST - Eliminate Down [GEN] Overdrive

Here’s a game that takes me right back to the day of AOL IM chatrooms and never-ending arguments about the best Mega Drive shooter. This would always rank high, championed hard by Masters and Ruder. Leroux always had Thunder Force IV’s back, but they were all wrong, of course. Bio Hazard Battle is best shooter. I hope they’ve all come to accept this by now.

I had to have a bit of a ramble there, because Rob does not; the entire thing is very focused and it’s also very good. Down gets heavy praise in the opening paragraphs, lauding its ability to wring some very impressive feats from SEGAs little black box. I still remember the bastard fire wall from level seven like it was yesterday! Rob then switches gears into talking abou how so much of the game is level memorisation with some fine example work to back that. These criticisms are fair, but one might argue they’re a genre norm (especially of the times). Even so, prospective players are better forewarned.

If I wanted to criticize (and, I do), I would say that for a parise review, there’s more time spent on the negatives, with only really the opening really praising the game up, but it’s a very good review for a very good game. Just not as good as Bio Hazard Battle.


For us. For them. For you.

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Author: overdrive (Mod)
Posted: May 13, 2021 (04:55 PM)
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I'd say that if were making a Mount Rushmore of Genesis shmups, Eliminate Down, Thunder Force IV and Bio Hazard Battle would all likely be on it, along with MUSHA. Seems I recall one person, give or take, disagreeing with my worship of MUSHA, but I just took that as a sign of some sort of degenerative brain issue, as opposed to a legitimate response.

Either way, that system was just loaded with great shooters. And Thunder Force II, also. And that game actually had 1 or 2 really awesome levels in it. And to be perfectly fair, there are a few Genny shooters I rated as worse that it. Many of which -- like Dangerous Seed, Task Force Harrier EX and XDR: X-Dazedly-Ray -- I have no actual memory of playing, meaning I took steps to wipe those experiences from my brain.


I'm not afraid to die because I am invincible
Viva la muerte, that's my goddamn principle

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Author: dagoss
Posted: May 13, 2021 (05:39 PM)
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I'd be embarrassed for my typo, but this topic had the wrong month in the title. Anyway, I fixed my typo by putting in a pun. There are many puns you could make with "May".

Thanks for the nod, and congratulations to OD for his stellar review. I'm guilty of not taking Megadrive seriously enough and it's always good to see a review that showcases what I missed.


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Author: honestgamer
Posted: May 13, 2021 (08:05 PM)
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Thanks for the very fine topic, and for the comments on my review. This was a really strong week for submissions, I thought, and the gift of quality critiques is always nice to see. Congrats to all, even those who didn't place in the top three on such a competitive week.


"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality

"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world2

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