The DLC Report: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC #3 - Banjo Kazooie

 Guess this is as close as Banjo-Fourie we'll get?

 Not even gonna try to keep the suspense, Banjo-Kazooie is the best DLC fighter so far. Their moves are an accurante representation of how he moved in the first two games, which is pretty sweet in its own right, but Banjo's also one tough customer. While Hero and Joker came with their own gimmicks, like the Persona gauge or the Random skill selector, but Banjo-Kanzooie are pretty straight-forward, unless you want to consider his limited Golden-Feather a gimmick.

 As for Banjo-Kazooie's stage, Spiral Mountain actually has a gimmick: Periodically it'll turn  around on its edge, changing the arena, such as turning the bridge to Gruntilda's lair into part of the arena or not. It's a simple stage, but darn if it isn't nice to look at Banjo's starting area in full HD, you can even see pick ups such as the 1-Up or an extra honeycomb in the distance.

 Banjo-Kazooie are a perfect pick for Smash, and they are incredibly fun to use. I doubt upcoming DLC characers will be as great as them, but I'm always up for surprises.
10 out of 10

Review #690: Wild Guns Reloaded

 KEEP THESE SNES REMAKES COMIN'!!

 The SNES is my favorite console that I never had, so every SNES remake that comes my way is more than welcome. Wild Guns Reloaded was Tengo Project's first SNES revival, and boy, oh boy, is it a doozy. Just like Ninja Warriors Again, which actually came after this one, this game looks and feels just like the SNES original, albeit with new addition that feel as if they had always belonged. 16-bit quality sprites of this caliber is something of a rarity nowadays, so you'd better believe it was love at first sight.

 What is Wild Guns Reloaded? Basically, a shooting gallery. You are stuck on a 2-D plane, and you can move your character left or right, jump or roll, in order to avoid enemy fire. Moving around also moves a targeting reticule, so that you can shoot into the background. The objective, as if it wasn't obvious, is to defeat enemies without getting hit, as one hit equals death. You may also come across other weapons, with limited ammo, as well as a P-Gun downgrade that deals zero damage but has 50 bullets for you to burn through. You've also got a screen-covering grenade, limited quantities of course, as well as a gauge that fills as you defeat enemies, and once full increases your fire power for a spell. Holding down the shoot button will make your character root in place, so you have to be careful. Dodging is done by pressing Attack+Jump, but dodging may just put you right in front of another bullet, so you can't just attack willynilly.

 Other abilities in your arsenal are the lasso and, well, turning dynamite against your enemies. Continuously tapping the attack button will make your character shoot a stunning attack, deals no damage but freezes the enemy for a very short while on the spot. As for dynamite, frequently you'll find enemies throwing dynamite at your feet. You can grab these sticks and throw them right back at their owner for massive damage.

Progression in the game is pretty formulaic, which is not necessarily a bad thing. There are six different stages in the game, an introductory stage, then you get to choose in which order you play the next 4, and then the final sixth stage. Playing in hard swaps two of the four selectable stages with the new ones. Most stages are made up of three sections. In the first two you have to survive about a minute, every enemy slain shaves off a second from the timer, until a mini boss appears. Then, the last third section is made up of the main boss, usually a giant machine-like enemy of sorts. It's pretty fun and fast-paced.

 The game has four playable characters, each one comes with four different color palettes(To accommodate up to four players using the same character) and you can unlock another four per character by beating the game with them, on any difficulty setting. The two returning characters are pretty much clones of each other, but the two new characters offer new playstyles. There's a new grenadier woman that than lob multiple grenades by charging her attack. This means she has no rapid fire, but can ostensibly cover more ground with a single attack. The other character is a dog and his flying drone. He is the only character that can move while shooting, making him a bit of an easy mode. The drone gets a huge aiming reticule and autoaims towards any enemy inside said reticule.

 The game is tough, like, really, really tough. As if you didn't die in one hit, continues are limited. There's a new 'Training Mode' that grants you infinite lives, thank you very much, but it can only be played solo. It's a shame, because multiplayer mode has shared lives, so you won't be able to enjoy the entire game with other players unless everyone of you gets good. Good luck. This version boasts two new levels, but they are hidden inside the Hard difficulty setting, rather lame if you ask me, since I doubt many people will get to experience them.

 Wild Guns Reloaded is really good. It's fast paced, oldschool arcade action with SNES aesthetics. I love it. While I'm not particularly fond of the genre, and I think the game might be a tad too challenging for its own good, I'm all up for SNES remakes. It's a fun time for as long as it lasts, and I can't help but admire the fact that they took their time to actually add stuff to the game, stuff that doesn't feel out of place and actually adds to the game, just like they did with Ninja Warriors Again.
7.0 out of 10

Review #689: Quest - Brian's Journey

 Can you redeem the unredeemable?

 I've always known that Quest 64 had a Spelunker-like spin off on the Gameboy.... but it wasn't until very recently that I learned that it actually had TWO games on the Gameboy, the other one being Quest - Brian's Journey, an official 8-bit demake of the original game! This game is more than an interesting curiosity, as it adds a lot of story and quality of life fixes that makes it a superior game, even if it has a few flaws of its own.

 The game follows the exact same story from the Nintendo 64 game, although now we get proper dialogue and cutscenes(Even if most are little more than text). Honestly, Brian gets to speak and interact with other characters, and some things have been tweaked a little(We see Solvaring stealing the jewel, and you get to clash with Leonardo and travel alongside him and Fiora for a bit), heck, we actually get explanations for some of the things that happen, making the game have an actual story. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure that this was the original script they had for the N64 game, but they didn't have the resources and know-how to implement it on the newer hardware. Characters like Lavar, that one guy from the desert's hidden city, actually plays a pivotal role in the story, being the one who steals the Eletale Book, and there's an explanation as to why Leonardo appears in Beige's castle.

 I was so amused by all the changes that I'll mention a few: Now you do the Ice Cavern dungeon before doing Cull Hazard and getting the Wind orb, however, after getting the Wind Orb you're teleported back to Epona how then teleports you to the Water Orb's whereabouts. Killiac, that Viking guy, became a boss when you first board the ship, who tries to board you, but then gets chummy with Brian and actually helps him during the end of the game. Cull Hazard features a new Dragon miniboss who must be fought twice, once when going for the Wind orb and another one when you're forced to backtrack. Shilf, the Limelin Town's ruins' boss is now fought during said backtracking segment, however, you face her in the desert's hidden town, which now became part of the main plot instead of just a bonus area. Lavar, the guy from the desert, is now a boss that is fought twice, once inside the Ruins(Taking Shilf's place) and another one when you first enter Beige's castle. Fargo is now fought in the Ruins after defeating Lavar, there's no Volcano boss. The biggest change is also the worst. After entering Beige's castle you're taken back to Melrode Town, the very first town, and after Leonardo and Fiora join you(They don't fight, they are just there to talk with Brian) you're forced to backtrack all the way into the desert's hidden city, y'know, the one place where there's no Wings item to take you. You'll either have to do the Volcano or the Ruins dungeon again, neither which is particularly short. And afterwards you have to go to Dondoran, only to be told to return to Cull Hazard so that you can then return to Dondoran again. It's a complete waste of time and it happens right next to the end of the game, which kinda kills the momentum the plot had been gaining. To be fair, seeing various NPCs you've interacted with throughout the game lend Brian a hand is kinda heartwarming, but not worth it. Backtracking is never fun, unless it's a Metroidvania. It doesn't help that the encounter rate is through the roof, and while you can get lucky enough to get the Warrior's Badge through the lottery(Or, y'know, reload a savefile until you win) to lower the encounter rate, it doesn't make it any more palatable.

 Fighting works just like it did in the Nintendo 64 game, you take turns with the enemy, casting spells by mixing the four elements: Fire, Earth, Water and Wind. Using spells now makes more sense, as in, if you want to use healing magic you need to level up both water and earth, which makes sense and I think this was the way they thought up the system for the Nintendo 64 version, but either run out of time or thought it'd be too complex? Regardless, it's a welcome change, I think. There's still a lot of different spells, although I just stuck with Wind Cutter Level 3, Healing and the basic level 1 spells. By the end of the game I started experiment with the Avalanche Spell, and it's just as broken as it's always been. That said, Magic Barrier and Spirit Armor tend to miss, so you can't abuse them any more. Which kinda sucks, because while the game is rather easy, the final boss can kill you in two hits, so you're expected to use those spells while you try to sneak in Wind Cutter Level 3. Not gonna lie, the final boss is nigh impossible, and very luck-based. It's a shame, because most of the game is pretty fair, specially once you learn to recognize the tough enemies.

 Leveling up is very similar to how it worked on the N64 game. Getting hit raises your defense, using magic raises your mana, using your staff raises your HP and your agility(how much you can walk on your turn) by running our. I'm not sure how you raise your staff's attack power, but I think it has to do with how many elemental levels you have. As per the original game, winning fights nets you elemental experience, and once you reach 100% you can raise the level of one of your four elemental magics. You can also find spirits spread around dungeons and towns which give you a free elemental level. A very neat touch is how most spirits are hidden exactly where they were in the original game. You now longer restore mana by walking, but rather you gain one mana for each turn that passes. As for me, most of the game I alternated between a physical staff attack and a simple magic spell in order to keep my stats evenly raised. Sometimes, when I wanted a few quick mana levels I'd spam Level Cutter 3 against normal enemies. By the end of the game I had 250 HP and 140 MP, and even then, the final boss could cream me in TWO hits. Absolutely insane.


 Enemies drop items now, but your inventory caps at 20. What really sucks is that you can't discard items, so if you want to grab something from a chest your best bet is to use a healing item to make room. Either that or enter a random encounter so that you can waste one of your useless battle items. It doesn't help that there aren't any item descriptions, so sometimes you'll have to Save, which you can do pretty much anywhere, anytime, use the item to see what it does, and then reload. Spells, much like items, also lack in-game descriptions, forcing you to trying them out. A new item are Spirit Stones, which you may find in chests or from defeated enemies, which you can then use in Limelin town to play the lottery. There are 10 possible items, but there are three you'll want: Warrior's Staff, for more power, Warrior's Cape(Probably increases your defense?) and Warrior's badge which decreases the encounter rate(Barely noticeable, go for the cape!). Spirit stones are too rare and precious to waste on a loss, so save before playing the lottery until you win. You have to wait FIVE minutes after purchasing a ticket, and once the pigeon comes to tell you if you won or lost, you then have to return to the monastery and find the postbox to claim your item, in case you won. And nobody tells you about this.

 While it's not a 1:1 demake, it's pretty close. Most towns look pretty similar to its 3-D counterpart, although dungeons have been changed the most. Some are easier to navigate, some are slightly less annoying to navigate, but I'd say that all in all, it's a better designed game. It's still easy to get lost in a few dungeons, albeit for different reasons: Every corridor looks the same and sometimes it can be hard to notice if you are treading old ground. On another note, I love hearing this 8-bit renditions of the original game's soundtrack.

 Well, I'm glad I played Quest - Brian's Journey. This feels like the game they wanted to make but couldn't. It's still not great, not by a longshot, but you can tell that either they listened to criticism or had an easier time programming this version. I think that it's fair to say that the Imageneer really believed in their vision, and that that's why they didn't just give up due to poor reviews.
6.5 out of 10

Review #688: 64 Memories - Cruis'n Exotica

 The cruise never ends. Until it did, with this latest entry.

 Part I: The Flashback
 ... well, this is the first time I ever played the franchise, so I've nothing to say to preface Cruis'n Exotica.

 Part II: The Review
 It's the best one yet! After Cruis'n World took us around the world, there was only one way Exotica could go: By taking us... around the world again. But we've also get to visit the underwater city of Atlantis, and instead of going around the moon, we go up to mars. Yeah, the theme around this one isn't great, but the 12 tracks in this game are fantastic, easily the best selection yet. I mean, any semblance of reality was thrown out the window, but wet get colorful, fun tracks that are fun to go through. On another note, the car roster saw its size pumped up to 28, and they are unlocked just by playing the main mode, so every time you play, win or lose, it feels like you're working towards something, making it a very rewarding endeavor. Beating the Exotica mode unlocks two filters, Wacky and Insane, that make the game play like one crazy acid trip.

 This game plays JUST like Cruis'n World, which means it includes the unnecessary 'trick' system, although, to be honest, it's a bit more useful here since you can double tap A and flip off of another car. That said, with Exotica they fixed something they should've fixed a long time ago: The framerate. Most of the time the game plays like silk, at a steady 30FPS. A few tracks can see a few drops when it gets crowded with cars and effects(Such as smoke or water in the distance), but nowhere near as bad as the first two games where. This makes this game the superior Cruis'n experience, it feels great to play it. Heck, colliding with other cars works much better than it did before, no more weird stiffness.

 As for modes, there are three of them. Cruis'n Challenge has you taking 12 different stages, in any order that you want, each stage being made up of two point A-to-B races(They take up one track and split it into two smaller tracks, just for this mode), one 3-lap race and a drag race that rewards you with turbos that you can then use in any other mode. Cruis'n Freestyle lets you race on any of the 12 tracks in the point A-to-B format. Lastly, Cruis'n Exotica is the traditional story mode that has you playing the 12 tracks in order, you have to place 1st in order to progress and continues are limited, but it's not too hard.

 Man, I'm glad I gave the Cruis'n series a try, because they became some of my favorite games ever. Cruis'n Exotica fixes the biggest problem the series had been dragging behind since the first game, its framerate, while keeping everything that made it so good intact. The theme may be all over the place, but it's hard to care when the game is this good. It's a shame the series ended here, but I'm gonna be giving the Fast & Furious/Cruis'n-in-name-only Wii game a try sometime down the line.
 9.5 out of 10

Review #687: 64 Memories - Mortal Kombat 4

 Unpopular opinion: Mortal Kombat 4 is actually good.

 Part I: The Flashback
 Well, I already talked about it in the Rampage World Tour review, but I got Mortal Kombat 4 the very same day I got that game, so it makes sense to pair them up. I adored this game as a child, probably one of the games I played the most with my father, although I don't think my friends were quite into it as I was.

 Part II: The Review
 I know it's rich coming from someone who thinks Mortal Kombat didn't get good until the reboot, but I think 4 is the exception. I mean, it's not great, not by a long shot, but I think it's the most fun Mortal Kombat could get back then. The dial-a-combos thing seems to be universal between all characters this time around, which I think in a game like Mortal Kombat is kinda better. In Tekken it's simple to figure out moves since each button is a limb, but when you have 'High' and 'Low' punches and kicks, it doesn't make much sense how dial-a-combos work. Regardless, as per usual with the franchise back then, it's the super moves that set each character apart. That and the newly implemented weapon mechanic, in which every character has his/her own weapon. Some are undeniably betters than others, but if you can knock it off you opponents' hands you can then pick it up for yourself. Some stages also have stage-weapons, such as rocks, and this are massively overpowered, but easy to sidestep.

 The fights go about pretty fast, which I like, although there's a certain slippery quality to the physics that I kinda enjoy. Sometimes attacks will go through other attacks, or some super moves when comboed into won't look as right as they should when connecting(or missing!), but it's not too bad. I love how crass the 'MAXIMUM DAMAGE' mechanic is, whenever you deal up to 45ish% of damage to your opponent, the game will just push you back into the ground, allowing the enemy a respite and making infinite combos impossible. It's so inelegant that I can't help but smile at how ridiculous it is, despite getting the job done! Since the Nintendo 64 wasn't too hot as far as available storage on the cart goes, all the cutscenes were remade in engine, which is kinda endearing, but on the upside, the Nintendo 64 version has NO LOADING TIMES, which makes the PS1 version obsolete by a landslide. That said, having no in-game movelist is unforgivable.

 I really like Mortal Kombat 4. It's a very clear case of style over substance, but if you don't mind turning off your brain for a spell, it can be quite entertaining for a retro fighter. I'd take any newer Mortal Kombat entry over this one, yes, even despite how much nickel-and-diming Warner Brothers is trying to get out of the series, but as far as the older entries go? This one's my jam.
 6.5 out of 10

Review #686: 64 Memories - Rampage World Tour

 No, that's not King Kong.

 Part I: The Flashback
 So me, a kid with a Nintendo 64, had friends, also kids and also with Nintendo 64s, and this one day a buddy told me about this game he rented in which you played as a giant monster, climbed on walls and leveled a city, you'd also drink a liquid of sorts and turn into a giant bat. It doesn't matter who you are, if you were 10 or so, that would sound AMAZING. And so I'd tell my parents about this game and how I HAD to own it. And eventually, I did. My father came home one day with two carts, which was very weird since whenever they bought me a game it would be brand new. Now, he said that he threw the box and manual away, pretty weird, but I'll always think he simply purchased them as used games but didn't want to tell me, since my mother used to have this weird negative bias against used stuff. One of those carts was Mortal Kombat 4, and the other one, Rampage World Tour, the game I had been longing for. I think I liked it quite a bit, and I remember taking turns with my sister when taking the chemicals that would turn your monster into VERN, the giant bat-creature.

 Bonus flashback, a few years ago I played Rampage 2 - Universal Tour. It was awful, but I suspected, based on memory alone, that it was worse than the first game for the simple fact that I could very easily tell that a lot of features where removed and the new additions(Different stats, more monsters, super move) were but fluff that didn't help the game in any way. And I was right. I popped in the cart, to make sure it was working, and expecting to get bored soon, but what happened was that I played the entire game all the way to the end. Just like that. On the very same day it arrived. Don't get me wrong, it's not a good game, but it's much better than the sequel.

 Part II: The Review
 Based off an Arcade game of the same game, Rampage sees you taking control of any of three monsters, Lizzie the giant Lizard, George the giant Gorilla and Ralph the Giant Wolf, as they lay to waste the entire world. All three monsters are pretty much identical, what changes are their favorite food and favorite item, which only changes which items heals them the most and grants them the most points. The game takes place on a 2-D field, and you can climb on either side of any building, as you punch and kick their walls down. You could also simply get to the top, and start smashing it with downward jumps or downward punches. If you're not in a hurry, it's better to hit them on the sides to uncover items for health, power ups(FIRE BREATH!) or even silly interactions(Soap makes your monster spew a bubble).

 Cities are sprawling with people, either inside buildings or running across the streets, and you can eat them for points. Or kick them into a bloody splatter. The game is 129 short stages long, with a few secret levels, and your objective on each stage is to destroy every building. But the police and the army won't make it easy for you, so you'll have to deal with an endless petering of bullets and lasers. Bullets are tiny and fast, so it's pretty much impossible to avoid damage, thank god for what appears to be infinite lives. There is a main objective, believe it or not, bring down every SCUMM facility around the world, and you can alter how you travel by finding flags inside buildings and hitting them until you see the country you want to travel to. SCUMM stages also feature the purple waste that turns you into the flying bat-creature VERN, make you overpowered and invulnerable. Only one player can drink the power up, so in a three player game you might have to duke it out for the right to turn into VERN.

 The game's sequel actually took some features out of the game, like the VERN transformation and the ability to jump on to space ships or tanks, in order to use their firepower for your benefit. That said, it's still a very simple, repetitive game, and by stage 20 you'll have seen EVERYTHING the game has to offer. Honestly, unless you're into pick-up-and-play games, just steer clear off Rampage World Tour. But if you can't, skip the sequels and get the original(Well, technically, the arcade game is the original), it's the best one.
 4.0 out of 10

The DLC Report: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 - The Black Order Free Update #1

  As usual, Cyclops can't help himself from leading, so lead the DLC he does.

 The new Free DLC of things that should've been in the game from the get go just released and it kinda misses its mark. Colossus and Cyclops are brilliant new additions to the cast, both being pretty fun to use and can even synergize with each other on 3 of their skills, which instantly makes pairing them a great idea. What isn't so great is the way to unlock things.

 A new rift was added, with 10 new challenges, which sounds neat, but just like the Rifts before them, they are made up of recycled boss fights, locations and enemies, so you'll be replaying stuff you've already played. Worse of all, unlocking the new costumes is a pain in the butt, since these are some of the hardest challenges in the game, some even having a level 94 requirement. NINETY FOUR!!! For a flippin' Ms. Marvel costume! Spider-man's costume requires perfecting the entire grid. Thanks, but no thanks. Regardless, a 94 level requirement implies having played the game on the four previous difficulty settings, which means, like me, you'll have gone through the game and the various rifts over and over again, so having replay things I've already played(Even if not under the conditions the new challenges place on you) all these things countless times, so excuse me if I'm not exited at the idea of having to play the Ultron/Ant-man fight again.

 Basically, the new content is neat, Cyke and Colossus are fine, but the new rift is more tedious and annoying than fun. A better idea would've been a Rift tailored around leveling up your two new characters, so that they hit level 60 or so by the time you are done with the rift. As it stands, costumes are bonus content for people that have played the game at least three different times and don't care about repeating stuff under new restrictions and limits.
 6.0 out of 10