Review #588: Nintendo 64 Memories: Dual Heroes

 HENSHIN!... feels like I've used that one before.

Part 1: The Flashback
 Yet another crappy N64 fighting game that I wanted to own! I've always loved Super Sentai/Kamen Rider-esque characters. I knew the game was bad, magazines told me so, but... I loved fighting games and I loved the designs!
 I know for a fact that I managed to rent the game once or twice, although it definitely wasn't one of the most memorable experiences I had.

Part 2: Today
 Well, I think the character designs have held up if you're into the whole Sentai shebang. The game is fairly simple, A attacks, B guards, Z allows for free movement and Down-C kicks. This is yet another button masher, there're no special moves(Kinda), just attack strings. Pressing Guard twice and then holding the button down will have your character do his Sentai pose and enter a special mode that grants his or her attacks special properties for a short while. You also get access to super moves by tapping Guard, Guard and Punch or Guard, Guard and Kick. This Super Mode can only be used once in a match though, and you need to find an opening since it takes a while for your pose to take off!

 In a weird change of pace, blocking attacks actually recovers your health. It's not something common in fighting games, and I don't think it's the best of mechanics, since it could make battles needlessly long. Despite how rigid the game can be, I felt like the movements and combat had some grace to it, and you can even juggle enemies on the air! Some stages feature walls on which you can deal extra damage, while others allow winning(Or losing!) by ringout.

  As far as modes go, you have your usual Arcade Ladder, VS Player and VS-AI. VS Ai is kinda interesting because you select an opponent based on various different AI types. As a matter of fact, there's yet another mode, 'Robot', in which you can 'train' Robot's AI by fighting it with various characters. It's nothing more than a gimmick, really. Lastly, you can unlock 4 bonus characters, but you need a controller pack in order to save your unlocks.

 So, Dual Heroes.... it's bland. It really is. Even on the N64 you could do better with games like Fighter's Destiny. Still, I think that the game is worth a look if you are into Sentai characters, because these characters really do look cool, and the animations are flashy enough as to make up for the lack of depth.
 4.0 out of 10

Review #587: Nintendo 64 Memories: Dark Rift

 The darkest rift isn't bad enough for this one.

Part 1: The Flashback
 Dark Rift was one of the first games I rented and one of the first I purchased. Alright, so I was a dumb kid and I loved fighting games, so of course, I loved this game. I don't have many memories of me actually playing this game with other people, but my father was probably one of its many victims, since he'd be forced to play crappy N64 fighting games with me.
 On the other hand, I know for a fact that I played this game by my lonesome a ton of times, and I used to main Zenmuron, I mean, what kid doesn't love edgy robot ninjas?
 ...he was still my go-to guy this time around though.

Part 2: Today
 Fun fact: This is the second game in the 'Trilogy of Terror' I've played for my blog! The fist one being Cardinal Syn. Fun fact two: There's a reason this game is part of the Trilogy of Terror. Dark Rift simply isn't very good... although it's probably not as bad as you've been led to believe.

 The C-buttons are used for Kick, Horizontal Attack, Vertical Attack and Blocking, the L and R buttons are your sidesteps, B is your grab button and A is your... special button? Holding A and moving the directional pad in certain motions performs special moves, but characters have, at most, two A button attacks, most have a single one, which makes me wonder just why this was needed. Why not have the projectile attack as the A button and have a few characters have a second A attack by tapping it while moving or something? Attack strings are surprisingly smooth, but moving around feels very clunky.

 There're 10 different characters(Counting the secret bosses), and something I found rather neat back then, and still did today, was how your character's look depended on whether you were the first or second player. Being allowed to choose between each costume would've been, probably, a better idea, but I thought it was a neat touch then and I still think so today. Kinda. The music has a mixture of a few really GOOD song and a lot of very bland tunes. Regardless of which song you get, none of them fit a fighting game, which is kinda hilarious. The game is a bit light on modes too, all you get is an Arcade ladder, VS Player and Practice.

 Dark Rift is a button masher through and through, with very little content and very little depth to be found. That said, I think it can be fun for a few minutes if you can turn your brain off and enjoy a simple battle of weirdos, because, honestly, characters have very different and weird designs, and attack animations are surprisingly smooth, for the most part.
 3.5 out of 10

Review #586: Nintendo 64 Memories: Jet Force Gemini

 Did anybody call for the exterminator?

Part 1: The Flashback
 I followed this game for a long while, y'know before the characters' designs were finalized and Juno was still sporting the red helmet. As a matter of fact, I think I was surprised when I saw the cover art and Juno and Vela looked nothing like they did on the few screenshots I had seen.
 I think I finally got this game on Christmas, and boy oh boy, did I play the hell out of the game. I never managed to complete it, and I didn't this time around either, but it's not because the game is bad, au contraire, but rather because despite how GOOD the game is... I just don't feel like searching for every Tribal.
 I think the upgrade-mid game was one of the neatest surprised in a game yet, suddenly all your characters got cooler-looking armors, more abilities and the ability to go to any previously explored planet. It was freeing and, well, fun. It's a shame that the game hides the true ending behind having to rescue every Tribal!.
 The game also had a multiplayer component, I dabbled a bit in Co-Op, but found it very lame, but spent a lot of time in the VS. modes. Fun times, fun times....

Part 2: Today
 Surprisingly, the game has held up quite well. As with most N64 games the camera is an issue, no doubt about it, but you can work around it with the R button to quickly, and awkwardly, snap it behind you. Aiming is a bit tough, but it might be my old analogue stick, and moving is a bit more slippery than I would've liked, but it's alright.

 As a third-person shooter, Jet Force Gemini delivers in high octane action by spades. You can play as any of the three heroes(Juno, his sister Vela or their dog Lupus) and they each have a unique ability. Vela can dive underwater, Juno can resist lava and Lupus can hover for a while. Initially, each character has their own set of levels before arriving into Mizar's Palace, once they meet up and you defeat Mizar, for the first time, you can pick any character and travel back to any previously visited planet, even planets that were visited by other characters.

 The shooting is where the game really shines: few shooters are THIS gratifying. You'll have to face an army of alien ants, and nothing feels as good as landing shots. The audiovisual feedback is just so perfect, shoots feel squishy when they hit flesh, and metallic when they hit walls and the copious amounts of blood and dismemberment just add to how rewarding it feels. You'll do yourself a great disservice if you don't play the game with the rumble pack! The only area where the shooting falters is on the bosses, which are very poorly designed. You have to shoot at specific parts during specific motions while being restricted to moving either left and right. They aren't very fun.

 I'm quite tolerant to backtracking, I do love metroidvanias. And, initially, this game does it quite well. You defeat Mizar, and now you get neat jetpacks, the ability to turn into ants while stepping on certain panels and the ability to go anywhere. And while you're not given any hints, now you can gather the five-colored keys with every character and go through doors that used to be locked, into new areas and even new planets(Even if they are a bit on the smaller side). It's great, and I had fun going back into new areas. What isn't very fun is being forced to rescue every single Tribal, cute bear-like aliens enslaved by the ants. If you're close to the end of a stage and you accidentally kill or get a Tribal killed... you have to redo the entire stage. Some areas require a specific character in order to rescue every Tribal, since it has to be done in one go. Best part about it? There's no way to know on which areas or planets you've already rescued the Tribals on, so you have to keep track by yourself. It's just not fun.

 Even if you're not planning on rescuing every Tribal, the game is very easy to recommend thanks to how well it has aged. The shooting is fun and feels better than in most shooters you can find nowadays, even if you have to come to terms with the aiming.
 8.5 out of 10

Review #585: Nintendo 64 Memories: Deadly Arts

 No move is deadlier than developing a bad fighting game.

Part 1: The Flashback
 I never owned this game, and finding a place where I could rent it was tough, but dangnammit, that cover was badass and I loved fighting games at that time, so I needed to try the game. And I can clearly remember renting it once. I don't remember how I felt about the game, but the fact that it didn't leave an imprint in my mind and how I never cared about it afterwards... I think I didn't like it too much.

Part 2: Today
 It's horrible. The 10 playable characters are as uninspired as they come, while the cover artwork is pretty darn decent, the game's engine does the art no favors. Add to that how poor the animations are and how stiff everything feels, and you've got one bland looking game.

 But, hey, beauty is only skin-deep, right? Sadly, the game plays as bad as it looks. A is a punch, B is a kick, R blocks and the C-buttons are used to sidestep. Stringing attacks feels all kinds of wonky, and the occasional no-reason-camera-flip is a dumb, dumb addition.

 As for modes, you've got your traditional Arcade Ladder, Team VS, Tag-Team VS(It's not what it sounds like, you form a 3-man team, by defeating the other two in combat, and then proceed to fight the remaining characters) and, finally, practice. It's only noteworthy feature is the create-a-character, it's not too in-depth, but you can have your character learn any move from any playable character, and thus create your own warrior. It takes a ton of battles to be able to learn everything you want, though.

 No. Don't even think about it. Deadly Arts is worth nobody's time, just go play Fighters Destiny or Smash Bros. and let this game be forgotten by time, it's the only kindness this game deserves.
 2.0 out of 10

Review #584: Nintendo 64 Memories: Fighters Destiny

 Hit the mat, loose the match.

Part 1: The Flashback
 You know that game? Y'know, the one you always used to rent, always wanted but never got? That game, for me, was Fighters Destiny. I don't think there was a game I rented more times than Fighters Destiny, it was, and still is, one of the most original fighting games I've ever played. Characters were, for the most part, fairly forgettable. I could only remember Ryuji, Ninja, Ushi the Cow, Master and the Joker, the last three only because of how tough it was to unlock them. On another note, I was hoping that buying this game used would come with the secret characters unlocked, but alas, it was not to be.
 Unlocking characters was so tough! I only got to see Boro, Rob and, I think, Ushi one time. On yet another note, I just managed to unlock Ushi this morning which makes me feel all kinds of happy and fulfilled. I don't think I'll be unlocking the other characters however.

Part 2: Today
 Well, it's certainly an old game. It's stiff, slow paced and somewhat clunky. But it's also really, really fun. Controls are simple: A is a high attack, B is a low attack, A+B is a grab, L dodges or sidesteps and R blocks and that's it, and that's all you'll need. Attack strings and movement isn't as smooth as we've grown accustomed now a days, but I think they aren't too bad and they sorta fit the game.

 You see, this isn't your traditional fighting game with life bars, it's more of a sparring match competition. Once you deplete your opponent's life bar he doesn't just drop down, no, he gets dizzied, which makes him easier to put down or allow a free throw. For, you see, the point of a match is to earn points. Knock down your opponent? Three points. Throw him down? 2 points. Make him drop out of the ring? 1 point, etc etc. How much points anything is worth can be changed at will, as well as how many points players need to earn in order to win. There's also a time limit, and if neither player felled each other, the 'judge' will grant 1 point to whoever did better. This is what makes the game so unique and so much fun, something you can't find on any other fighting game.

 The game features 8 base characters as well as about 5 secret characters. Unlockable characters are... well, they are rather tough to unlock, so good luck. Every character has a small, but unique, moveset and you can expand it by playing Master Mode and beating the Arcade Ladder.

 There's a neat amount of modes, besides your Arcade, VS and Practice mode, there's also Record Mode, which has Survival, self explanatory, Fastest(Time Attack against the secret characters) and Rodeo, in which you must last as long as you can against the never-tiring Ushi the Cow, last more than a minute without knocking him down(Or getting downed yourself!) and you can unlock him... provided you've beaten the game with Abdul already.

 I'm happy to report that Fighters Destiny does hold up, albeit entirely on the merit of its originality. It's not the N64's answer to Tekken or Virtua Fighter, both franchises blew it out of the water(Tekken 3 was out one year earlier!!), but what it does it does quite well.
 8.0 out of 10

Review #583: Nintendo 64 Memories: Chameleon Twist

 Slimy tongue action.

Part 1: The Flashback
 Ah, Chameleon Twist, one of the first N64 games I purchased. I hadn't even rented it first, but I liked the cover and that was enough for young lil me. I LOVED this game, with capital letters. I used to play as Fred, every day, every time.

 I had completely forgotten about the VS Battle Mode, but as soon as I entered the stage select and then all the memories came flooding in: I actually played the VS mode, and I actually enjoyed it. I don't remember against who I played it, however.

Part 2: Today
 It's bad. I can applaud the game for its creativity with the mechanics, using the tongue is great fun, it's just so enjoyable twirling and twisting it around in order to eat every you can. And those that avoided your tongue can simply be done with by shooting the aforementioned eaten enemies.

 You also get to use your tongue in order to vault or make your way to a pole over a pit, as a matter of fact, once your tongue snaps to a pole, your character will fly directly towards the pole, following whatever twisted form you shot your tongue in, but at any time you can press the A button to spin around it... something you can only do once and your chameleon will instantly let go after you let go of the A button or you complete a 360 spin. This could've lent itself to some fun platforming, and it was fun when I was a kid, but stage 5, Kid's Land, is a perfect example of how wonky it can be. Being limited to a single spin sucks, and you have get the right length of distance between yourself and the pole in order to perform the necessary spins onto moving platforms. Great on paper, annoying in practice. I think more freedom, like being able to continue your way towards the pole after spinning or being allowed multiple spins, could've helped alleviate it.

 There's a bunch of collectible crowns peppered throughout all six stages, but they do pretty much nothing, albeit if you collect 50 of them you can enter a bonus billiards game on stage 6. There're only six stages, you only need to play 3 of them and you can finish all six stages in little more than an hour.

 Still, the game's biggest issue is the camera. There are two modes: Static and Dynamic, both suck. Static has horrible angles, and pressing the C buttons moves the camera but on the same fixed angle, which won't help you any, while Dynamic moves all over the place and can be a chore to get it to move how you want it to when you need it most. The camera kills most of the enjoyment you can get out of the game. Thank god for infinite lives.

 Despite how much I lambasted the game... I think it's still worth a look, if only because of how original it is. Your mileage may vary on how fun the mechanics are, but I think anyone would get a kick out of fooling around with your Chameleon's tongue. At least for a couple of minutes.
 4.5 out of 10

Review #582: Klonoa - Door to Phantomile

 A $150 classic.

 Klonoa on the PS1 is more than just a 2.5D platform game, it's an investment. Having become a bit of a rarity nowadays, Klonoa commands a hefty price, and, as luck would have it, it just might be one of Playstation's best platforming games.

 As with other, future Klonoa games, the story is a bit hard to decipher, but it amounts to Klonoa and Huepow, a round, sprite-like entity that inhabits Klonoa's wind ring, are the best of friends and on a day like any other come to find out about Glahdius and Joka, two miscreants up to no good. Klonoa is a good pupper-thing, so of course he jumps at the opportunity to stop them. The story will take them through 6 worlds, 2 stages each, as they go through the various lands of Phantomile. Something I did not see coming was the game's tone, it's not as whimsical and quirky as Klonoa 2, but rather, bittersweet, with a plot that isn't afraid to delve into some rather depressing themes. I think this is the first time I can say that I enjoyed the plot of a Klonoa game.

 By now you know the drill, Klonoa is a simple game with two basic mechanics: Jumping and Capturing. With one button Klonoa jumps and with the other one he shoots a wind bullet a few meters in front of him, any enemy that gets hit by it gets captured by Klonoa, who can then use it as a platform to perform a second jump upon or as a projectile. The entire game is built upon using both mechanics in increasingly more complex situations, just as jumping from enemy to enemy or figuring out how to use enemies in order to reach a certain part of the level.

 The game's puzzles are never as complex as they would get in future installments, but I can appreciate the simplicity. While Klonoa can take 6 hits in this game, as opposed to 3, this game definitely felt more challenging than Klonoa 2 or Klonoa Advance 1. I think that while the other games tried to come up with more interesting puzzles, this one was content with putting your platforming skills to the test, so it's not as much about figuring puzzles, but rather, having to overcome platforming sections with challenges that can kill you if you don't have the ability or reflexes needed.

 Klonoa isn't worth the $150(And upwards!) price it commands nowadays, but then again, which game does? Despite that, and sadly, Klonoa- Door to Phantomile is a fantastic game filled with charm and fun gameplay. If you ask me, I think Klonoa 2 is a teeny, tiny bit better and cheaper, so it's a better alternative, but it's not like it's a complete substitute, as both games have slightly different flavors. The game is a bit short, probably around 4-5 hours long if you try to collect everything and unlock the bonus stage, so you might want to think twice about taking the plunge with this one, even if the game is oozing quality.
 9.0 out of 10