Nintendo has graced us once again with new additions to the Game Boy emulator for Switch Online, which means I have more old shit to play! BACKGROUND:
I had no idea this game was even a thing, let alone that a) it was a Game Boy launch title, and b) Intelligent Systems had a hand in developing it. Learn something new everyday. SUMMARY: Alleyway is a clone of Breakout, a legendary Atari game from the arcade era developed by industry legend Nolan Bushnell and the two co-founders of Apple (Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak). The basic premise of this game is controlling a paddle to bounce a ball, using it to break a layout of bricks (while taking care not to miss the ball by moving the paddle from side to side). It's a classic game that's been done so many times that the genre it spawned is still commonly referred to as "Breakout clones." Other notable titles in the genre include the equally iconic Arkanoid to more out-there entries like Ricochet: Lost Worlds (a personal favorite of mine; I talk about that game here). Honestly, I think it's unlikely that anyone who can read my blog hasn't seen a Breakout clone at some point in their life; the more likely thing is that people may not know what that kind of game is called, or the progenitor of the genre. In any case, I hope my explanation suffices, and that the bits of trivia I shared are interesting. Many games have evolved the Breakout formula in the decades since the original's release with all sorts of wild mechanics. Alleyway... doesn't really do that. Most of the game is the standard paddle-and-ball action that serves as the core of games of its kind, and you don't really get any gimmicks like power-ups or multi-balls. The only really notable mechanic is how the paddle shrinks every time the ball hits the ceiling, which in all fairness is a neat way to keep things challenging. The main source of variety in this game is in the brick layouts for each level, which is honestly shallow because there are only a handful of layouts that are used multiple times in the game. The layouts themselves are pretty generic, save for one set of regular levels and the bonus levels, which are patterned after sprites from Super Mario. Where the game mixes things up is when they reuse brick layouts, as every second level will have the bricks scrolling horizontally, while every third level features the same layout, but descending line per line Puzzle Bobble-style (though bricks are deleted once they pass a certain threshold). I wish there were more designs for the layouts in general, but the scrolling and descending levels are a fun way to freshen things up a little bit. Every fourth level is a bonus level, which, as mentioned, features a fun layout of bricks that look like various Mario sprites (like Mario himself, or a Koopa). Things work a little differently here, as the ball will not bounce off the bricks (it will instead go through them as they're broken), and there's a time limit. The goal here is just to clear as much of the board as you can, which will net you points (they do matter, as every 1000 is an extra life). The graphics are pretty basic (which is fine; the original Breakout itself looked simple), though amusingly, there's an opening cutscene that shows Mario entering a vessel that turns out to be the paddle you're controlling (the story behind that, I don't know). In terms of music, you get pretty much nothing apart from bonus levels, which made the game kind of boring. VERDICT: There's honestly not much to say about Alleyway, as it doesn't really do anything notable with the game it's borrowing from other than the occasional moving level layouts, the odd Mario sprite, and the shrinking paddle mechanic. I have a soft spot for simple-as-hell arcade games, so I had my fun with this game, but I can't say that it does anything to set itself apart from other Breakout clones or engage me enough to keep playing past the couple dozen levels there are. It's a serviceable game that delivers what's expected of a Breakout clone, but that's about it. If you're interested in the Breakout clone genre, you're probably better off playing the original (which is both an "essential" game for its impact on gaming, as well as the perfect showcase of the core experience of the genre it pioneered), or checking out the many Breakout clones that have since come out that add new mechanics to the formula, like Arkanoid (which expanded upon the foundations by adding stuff like power-ups to the mix). That being said, there's nothing really wrong with Alleyway if you want something on the simple side; if you just want a Breakout-style game with not a lot of set dressing or chaos, this game will suffice. - end -
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You have no idea how long I've been itching to talk about this show. I'm going straight into this. X-Men '97 is set a year after the finale of the original X-Men: The Animated Series (which premiered in 1992). By this time, the remainder of the team is left to carry on after Charles Xavier's death at the end of the original series (erm, spoilers for nearly 30 years ago). Many threats, new and old, remain, and humanity still lives in fear of mutants, so the X-Men have their work cut out for them. I watched the entirety of the original animated series all the way through before starting this season, and I had a pretty fun time seeing it tackle classic X-Men storylines with surprising faithfulness to the original comics (while still having its fair share of meaningful changes). That said, it was very much a cartoon of its time, with its fair share of rough edges that show that it was subject to content restrictions (it was a kids' show, after all), as well as eventual budget cuts and animation studio changes. The sequel series feels like several steps up from the original, with more profound and mature dialogue, the freedom to really dive into the deeper themes the X-Men series has always explored, incredible animation (especially the fight choreography; the difference between the basic cartoon fights of the original and the combat here is night and day), and a clearer narrative throughline (as opposed to the more episodic formula of the original). I'm honestly amazed at how much better this show is as a whole compared to its predecessor (which, to be clear, is no slouch). While all these improvements are very much welcome, this show also strikes a balance by keeping a lot of what worked in the original. The continuity is pretty much the same, the tone doesn't veer off too far from what came before, and the overall look of the show isn't drastically different (apart from the modern touch-ups, of course). I didn't grow up with the original X-Men animated series (my starting point was the Fox movies and X-Men: Evolution), so I can't speak to nostalgia, but as someone who did watch the show all the way through recently, I think I can say that the sequel has the same spirit of its predecessor while improving as many aspects of it as possible. I don't really want to go into detail with what transpires throughout the season (because I don't want to spoil anything that happens), but as with the original, X-Men '97 adapts several classic comics storylines for its episodes. They take more liberties here with some changed details as well as blending together several aspects of different arcs into one story, but due respect is definitely given to the source material as many iconic aspects of the comics are adapted rather faithfully. The show also boldly branches out beyond the legendary run of Chris Claremont, as we get more than a few adaptations of storylines past that point (something I found really exciting). X-Men is nothing without its diverse cast of characters, and I think this show goes above and beyond by giving viewers what I feel are the definitive adapted versions of these iconic heroes and villains. Whether it's the improved animation showcasing their powers at their absolute best with creative and breathtaking sequences (e.g. Cyclops, who gets to use his optic blasts in awesome ways that also highlight his spatial awareness), fantastic character arcs that see them have their very identities and beliefs challenged with life-changing events (Storm is a good example of this), interpersonal dynamics that are put through the wringer by what happens throughout the season (Rogue and Gambit's romance being a prime example), or the continued exploration of various viewpoints through their perspectives (Magneto is the prime highlight here), they give the characters a hell of a lot to do, and I couldn't be happier as a lifelong fan. For the sake of keeping this post neat and tidy, I will tackle my individual feelings on as many characters as I can in its own section. That will be its own spoiler section, for obvious reasons, but I think the fact that I am even compelled to write a whole thing just for the characters should speak to how well I think this series did in tackling these characters. This show had bombshell after bombshell throughout the season, as there were plenty of events that completely changed the status quo for the X-Men, both as a unit and for the individuals. The premiere episode ends with a big one off the bat, and that eventually leads into an unthinkable event in the middle of the season (something I still can't believe the writers had the spine to do), which then sets the stage for the latter half of the season. I think there were a few pacing issues for some of the storylines (Storm's arc felt rushed to me, for instance), and one or two things were kind of just glossed over (Bishop's part in the story is the most notable for me), but for the most part, I was fully invested in the week-to-week of this season, and I am so glad that a second season is guaranteed given how things end. Though the show is under Marvel Studios' Marvel Animation banner, they take care not to muddy the waters by diving into any sort of multiverse shenanigans (apart from a singular, brilliant instance that doesn't really affect anything). However, they do not shy away from showing that this continuity is very much close to the Marvel Universe of the comics, sprinkling amazing cameos and references to characters and locations outside of the X-Men umbrella. Of course, they don't rely on these cheeky Easter eggs at all for their narrative, but it was an absolute delight to see all these nods, nonetheless. The X-Men animated theme song is iconic, and not only do we get an awesome remix of it for the show, they faithfully recreate the title sequence as well. It's not just a mere facsimile, though, as they add or remove characters to the intro (Morph is finally on there, for example), and showcase different scenes every episode (which include recreations of old shots) that kind of hint at what's in store for the episode. They even recreate the character select screen end credits of the first season, which was fun. Overall, I absolutely adored X-Men '97. Between its phenomenal handling of characters, bold and prescient tackling of the ever-present themes that the X-Men has always been an allegory for, respect for the comics it took inspiration from, and just the overall glow-up of the animation, this show completely blew me away. Nearly every episode left me super antsy for the next one to drop, and they all had more than a few moments that reaffirmed why I still love comics and superheroes (and the compelling stories that you can tell with them) as much as I do to this day. I already can't wait for the next season! I really hope more people take heed of what this show accomplishes, as I think it's a testament to how neither animation, comic adaptations, or the superhero genre are exempt from delivering compelling stories, challenging themes, or engaging characters. Anyway, here's the spoiler section! Don't come in here unless you've seen the show already! I'm serious! Get outta here! This year's a good year to be an X-Men fan, and with X-Men '97 just having its season finale (thoughts on the show in a later blog entry), I was in the mood to read some X-Men comics. BACKGROUND:
A while back, Marvel made a bunch of their Infinity Comics (their vertical format digital comics designed specifically to be read on smartphones) free to read for all. I figured I'd read them when I found time as well as a contrived reason; well, my contrived reason for today is "X-Men '97 season finale," so we're reading the X-Men comic. SUMMARY: X-Men Unlimited is a sort of collection of different stories (each with different creative teams) focusing on the various mutants in the Krakoan Age. For the sake of keeping things neat, I'll organize my thoughts per story arc. Since each batch of issues also features a different artist, I can't really give a concise summary on the art style of the series. What I can say as a whole is that each artist makes clever use of the Infinity Comics format in creative ways, like in super long panels depicting stuff like a massive height or a sheer drop. Issues #1-4, #22-25 In these issues, Wolverine is on a mission to rescue mutants kidnapped by terrorist organization AIM (most notable for their beekeeper-wearing henchmen). You get a healthy helping of Logan's narration as he tears through AIM bases searching for the kidnapped mutants, and as he goes along, allies come along to help him. Fellow mutants like Nightcrawler, Strong Guy, Cannonball, and even Warlock tag along to assist Wolverine in his rescue mission, but as they're taken around the world by AIM's machinations, Logan quickly suspects that there's more going on than meets the eye. The last issue of this arc that I read ends with Logan successfully rescuing everyone who was kidnapped on his watch, but not before he fights against a mysterious foe who seems to know him and seems to be in cahoots with AIM for some nefarious purpose. I'm definitely intrigued enough to learn more, but this comic was plenty fun on its own for featuring Wolverine being the best there is at what he does. X-Men Green (issues #5-11) This story arc centers around Nature Girl, a mutant whose powers connect her intimately to the natural forces of the Earth (including its plants and animals). After witnessing a sea turtle die due to choking on plastic, Nature Girl decides she's had enough and basically declares war on humanity for their environmental negligence, and she ends up killing people to further her goal. Her violence against humans is against Krakoan law, so the Quiet Council (the leaders of Krakoa) dispatch Wolverine in order to bring her in to stand trial. Nature Girl is fully aware that her actions will make her an outcast, but her conviction stands firm as she calls on animal allies to help her fight people harming the environment and keeping Wolverine occupied. Curse, a young mutant labeled an outcast for her dangerous jinxing powers (and her dark nature), joins Nature Girl in her quest, and together, they kill more than a few people. After a battle against an oil company employing the services of villain Black Mamba, as well as a serendipitous encounter with unaffiliated villain Sauron, Nature Girl and Curse are eventually brought back to Krakoa to stand trial, but things end on an unexpected note. I really enjoyed this story, as Nature Girl's descent into violent antihero for the environment was truly unsettling. Curse was an interesting character herself, as she's basically a twisted individual herself (but for reasons unexplained), and her powers have an interesting tradeoff in that the jinxes she verbalizes can't have good effects since that seems to seriously harm her. I'm interested to see how their story continues with where I ended the story. Paradise Lost (issues #13-20) Longtime villain Juggernaut is a force for good now, as he leads the team of reformed supervillains known as the Unstoppables on a mission to rescue an unlawfully detained mutant. The rescue mission immediately gets complicated, as Juggernaut uncovers a plot centered around the Warden, who is kidnapping various people with powers for some unknown experiments. After Juggernaut succeeds with his original rescue mission, he heads back out to get to the bottom of things. Joining the fracas is none other than Deadpool, who gets looped into the action due to his mercenary shenanigans. Upon realizing that his current contract is more unethical than he's comfortable with, he tags along with Juggernaut on his mission. Their mission culminates in quite the showdown with the Warden, who reveals his master stroke in terrifying fashion. Having not been caught up with Juggernaut's recent comic appearances, this arc was a breath of fresh air. Juggernaut still being this unstoppable force of destruction but working for the force of good (as well as having a brain instead of being a dumb brute) was enjoyable to read, and it was just as fun to see him be a genuine hero, think things through, and have character struggles (with regards to the circumstances as to why he's sent on this mission) just as much as it's fun to see him just demolish everything in his path. Deadpool is mostly just comic relief here, and while he has his fair share of funny quips and stylish violence, he doesn't do much else. Out of the other characters that make an appearance, I enjoyed Primus (whose well-spoken nature is a great addition to the Unstoppables), Arnim Zola (who becomes the butt of a joke in one issue), and a cameo by Black Tom Cassidy (whose longtime partnership with Juggernaut is showcased in a brief but meaningful character moment). Downtime (issue #20) I can't comment on much here since this is the only issue of this arc that I read in this batch, but the gist is that Multiple Man, Strong Guy, and a bunch of their allies are swarmed by strange aliens/monsters while on some sort of vacation. I want to know what that's about. VERDICT: The first 25 issues of X-Men Unlimited had more than enough for me to sink my teeth into, from a reformed Juggernaut, Nature Girl turning to the dark side, and Wolverine kicking ass. Every story arc here had something to it that left me wanting to read more, and I'm tempted to sign up for Marvel Unlimited to see how some of these story arcs end. You can read these issues for yourself (and more) via this link (disclaimer: Marvel may choose to not make this free anymore without prior notice): X-Men Unlimited | Series Spotlight | Marvel Comic Reading List - end - With this playthrough, I'm halfway through the Castlevania Anniversary Collection! BACKGROUND:
I've seen enough of this game in videos to know what's going on here, but I've never played it all the way through myself. SUMMARY: Castlevania is set very early into the series timeline, as it follows Trevor Belmont's journey to vanquish Dracula. He doesn't have to go in alone, though, because along the way, he can meet some valuable allies who want a piece of the vampire lord. As you play, you'll have the chance to meet three companions: the acrobatic pirate Grant, the powerful mage Sypha Belnades, and Alucard, son of Dracula (what does his name spell backwards?). Other than that little wrinkle, this is your standard "kill Dracula" adventure. Whereas Simon's Quest was quite the departure from the first game, Dracula's Curse takes it back in the other direction, feeling very close to the original in terms of overall gameplay and even aesthetic. Here, you're back to a linear platformer where you go through a series of levels that eventually end in a boss battle until you reach Dracula himself. Thus, if you've played the first Castlevania, you should feel right at home, as pretty much all the mechanics you know from that game are here. The level design is back to the more thought-out, punishing layouts of the first game, as there are a fair share of perilous obstacles riddled with deviously placed enemies. There are more level elements to contend with that add to the challenge, like moving platforms (including the gears and pendulums in the clock tower levels), flowing water, falling blocks, platforms that flip over and drop you when you jump on them (my personal favorite, because they force you to rethink your jumps), and acid that melts blocks. In terms of enemies and bosses, there's a healthy mix of old and new, with some foes returning from the previous games, and others (like the cyclops and the headless warriors) making their grand debut. Some of these new mechanics work well in concert with the overall level design (requiring careful thought to navigate, but not insurmountable as obstacles), while I feel like others come across as cheap (like the falling blocks), tedious (waiting for acid to melt blocks obstructing your forward path), or a little unforgiving (the auto-scroller sections). Overall, I'm glad that this game was a return to form compared to the less planned-out designs of Simon's Quest, though there's definitely stuff here I didn't quite enjoy. In addition, the game adds a ton more sections with stairs, which isn't fun at all, because they behave exactly the same as they do in the first Castlevania (you can't jump onto or off them, you move slowly, your ability to attack is severely hampered), and this game enjoys bombarding you with enemies wherever there are stairs. One of the major differences in this game involves the companion characters. At various points in the game, you can choose to recruit Grant, Sypha, or Alucard (you can't bring everyone along, sadly; you only get one of them). If you choose to do so, you will be able to swap between your companion and Trevor freely, and your companions have different abilities compared to Trevor. Trevor is pretty much your all-purpose character, as pretty much all of the game is still designed around his jump and his whip (which makes sense, since you can absolutely choose not to have companions at all for your playthrough). He also has access to all the sub-weapons from Castlevania 1, which are as useful here as they were from the game they came from. Grant is more mobile, able to jump higher and slightly farther than the rest of the cast. Along with his ability to cling to walls or ceilings, he's decently equipped to avoid combat or reach otherwise inaccessible places (allowing you to get the occasional bonus or even skip some platforming sections). His attack, however, isn't great, as it's a short-range dagger strike, and for sub-weapons, he only has the throwing dagger and the axe. Sypha stands out as unique due to her unique sub-weapons, which are elemental spells. She can cast fire, ice, or balls of lightning, which can be quite potent depending on the situation. Apart from that, she isn't much better given her basic attack is whacking a staff, but if you have hearts to spare, her spells can get you out of many sticky situations. Alucard definitely feels like the most overpowered, as his attack is a projectile that can upgrade to become a three-way spread shot. He also has a special ability to transform into a bat, allowing him to just fly past enemies and obstacles (provided you have enough hearts, as the transformation consumes them). In terms of power, he honestly isn't all that great (the main benefit of his attack is really the range and not the damage), but as far as mobility goes, he can make a lot of harrowing sections in the game feel like a breeze if you use the bat transformation wisely. While I said that this game is a linear experience (and that is true of the individual levels), the game doesn't fully abide by that between levels. At specific points during the game, you are given the choice of taking an upper or lower path, and your choice will determine the next set of levels you traverse. The choice is more significant than it seems, as one of these forks in the road actually has you go through an entirely unique set of levels depending on your choice, while another allows you to skip an entire stage completely. Moreover, the split paths determine whether you meet Sypha or Alucard, so if you want to try the other character, you'll have to play through again and pick the other path. I played through the game twice to see all the levels, and I was quite delighted to see how much different a playthrough can be just based on one or two choices. Not only were the levels in one path completely different from the other, each path also gave you a unique companion to play as. It didn't feel like an "illusion of choice" situation at all, as while the two paths converge eventually, the levels and bosses you go through are distinct from the path you didn't take. The game has slightly different endings depending on who you have as a companion when you beat Dracula. It's mostly just flavor text, but I thought it was neat to have a unique ending based on who you're with. The most worthwhile is probably Sypha's, as that ending sets the stage for the rest of the series timeline. It also does the whole Metroid "wait, she's a girl?" reveal since Sypha is introduced as a guy when you first meet her, but the combination of already knowing Sypha is a woman and having seen that twist before dampened its impact for me personally. For my second playthrough, I actually played the Japanese version of Dracula's Curse (which is accessible in the Anniversary Collection). Apart from small variances like different sprites and character names, the most prominent difference in the Japanese version is how Grant plays. Instead of an ineffective melee attack, Grant actually throws his dagger a considerable distance as his normal attack, making him significantly more powerful as a result. I ended up playing through a lot of the game as him because of how effective his attack was in this version. As I mentioned, the art style goes back to that of the first game, so everything's back to being more colorful and high contrast compared to the muted tones of Simon's Quest. The levels themselves feel even more varied, as there's a mix of the familiar (castle interior, the clock tower) with new locales outside the castle (a ship, more forests, more bodies of water, and more underground areas). The music is excellent as well, with more than a few catchy tunes that rival the likes of Vampire Killer (which actually makes a return in this game) and Bloody Tears. VERDICT: Dracula's Curse feels more like the direct sequel to Castlevania 1 than Simon's Quest, as it is a game that builds upon every aspect of what was established before as opposed to taking the core experience and going boldly to a new frontier. A lot of what I enjoyed of the first game was present here, but the whole thing doesn't feel like a cheap rehash thanks to the meaningful additions of branching paths and the companion characters on top of new enemies and levels. Although there are a few sections I did not enjoy playing through, I had a great time playing through this twice and seeing all there is to see. This is an essential stop if you're looking into exploring the Castlevania series, and that's not just because it introduces three of its most iconic characters (including, of course, Alucard). This game is one of the principal inspirations of the Castlevania animated series on Netflix (which saw Trevor, Sypha, and Alucard band together against Dracula), and its gameplay was used as an inspiration for Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (I played that a long while ago, and I talked about it here). Both the international and Japanese versions of this game are playable through the Castlevania Anniversary Collection: Castlevania Anniversary Collection on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - I'm back again with another indie game, and it's one that's been sitting on my wish list for way too long. BACKGROUND:
I remember seeing this at a Nintendo indie game presentation from way back and immediately being sold on its premise. I put it on the wishlist immediately, but there it sat for entire years until I chanced upon a sale recently and finally picked it up. Better late than never, right? PLOT: You play as a woman who has decided to move to Alaska in order to fulfill her childhood dream of being a musher who races with a team with sled dogs. She's also here to pretty much find herself after dealing with struggles in her personal life, and she hopes that this is the fresh start she's been looking for. After making a long drive, the last leg of her journey serves as her final test, as she must assemble a team of sled dogs (alongside her buddy Chomper, who lived with her prior to the events of this game) and go mushing across the Alaskan wilderness to her new home (previously owned by her friend Margot). Determined, our protagonist decides to brave the journey, learning to survive, forging a deeper bond with her new companions, and reflecting on the new direction her life is taking. Our main character only really has the dogs for companionship, so she mostly talks to herself or to them throughout the story. She's not shy about expressing her struggles, but she's quick to pick herself back up after a bad situation, and she's got a sense of humor when it comes to a lot of what's going on. She's also quite caring towards her dogs, which I can always connect with because I love dogs. Throughout certain points of the journey, you're able to select the main character's disposition towards specific situations or just the general outlook she has on her journey, and it can vary from completely determined to a rather "go with the flow" mindset. These choices don't really change the story all that much, but it's interesting to hear those different perspectives and reframe her overall views on her change of lifestyle. The dogs you meet are very much characters themselves, as they have unique dispositions that are showcased by going through certain encounters. One of the dogs, for example, is impulsive and gets itself hurt going after a porcupine, but in a later encounter, it learns restraint. These are far from full character arcs, but these moments do a lot to give these dogs personality. Thanks to these moments, I found myself more attached to these pups than I would be normally. Any runs that fail before getting to the cabin for the first time are revealed to be "dreams" that the protagonist has prior to her journey, which I thought was a funny way of rationalizing multiple attempts within the context of the narrative. Once you have your first successful run and reach the cabin, all future runs are framed as training exercises for your sled dog team, and failures simply see you return home. While the stakes are high every run since you can 100% run into danger and injury, the game doesn't go as far as to give you complete bummer endings or anything of the sort. The Alaskan wilderness you traverse here is mostly bare, but you do meet some wildlife and encounter quirky behavior from animals, and you occasionally run into remnants of previous inhabitants or explorers. Discovering examples of the latter help hammer home that the player character is, in one sense, completely alone, and that she has to fend for herself and her dogs in order to finish her journey. PRESENTATION: The game's art style has mostly realistic-looking elements, but goes for a cel-shaded look, and that style makes the wilderness you explore (which, outside of the wide expanse of snow, features forests, frozen bodies of water, and mountains) look gorgeous while not looking too stylized. The scenery looks almost painterly (with the night sky being the personal highlight for me), and the animals look and move like the real things, just in a different art style. There are a few chill music tracks in the game, but for the most part, the audio accompaniment you get are the ambient sounds of the environment, which I thought was well done. Also breaking the silence are animal sounds (which sound realistic) and the main character talking to herself out loud. In the case of the latter, I thought the voice acting was well done, as I thought the performance effectively conveyed a wide range of emotions (which is important since you never see the main character's face at any point in the game). GAMEPLAY: The Red Lantern is a survival roguelike where the goal is to manage resources such that you and your dogs survive the trip to the cabin at the end of the trail. The game has a first-person perspective where you travel automatically, only stopping or slowing down when there is a point of interest where you can make a decision, or you manually decide to set up camp. There are two stats you need to watch out for as you travel: hunger and dog energy. The former is spent every time you enter encounters on your journey, while the latter decreases as you pass trail markers. If any of these meters hit zero, it's curtains for your run. You'll have to weigh whether or not to enter encounters and manage your resources wisely in order to make sure you have enough of each to go the distance. Your basic resources are meat, bullets, birch, and medkits. You start with a set number of these at the beginning of every run, and getting more of these will require you to enter encounters and make the right choices. Meat is how you restore the two meters I mentioned, bullets are spent when you hunt or defend yourself from hostile animals (both result in additional meat), birch (used to start fires used for cooking; dogs can eat meat raw no problem, but you get a debuff if you do), and medkits to heal either your own injuries (getting two injury debuffs ends a run) or a dog's injuries (a dog getting injured reduces the max size of the dog energy meter). Encounters happen mostly at random as you travel (and is the main thing that's shuffled around every run), and for a lot of them, you are given a choice on what action to take. An easy example is running into some animal (like a caribou); you can choose to observe it, hunt (and enter a shooting minigame), or move on. Some choices are straightforward, while others subvert your expectations with events like unexpected animal encounters when checking a place out, or serendipitously finding helpful items. There are an assortment of encounters in the game with all sorts of choices that you can make. I'm not sure how many unique encounters there are, though I've seen a few repeats only a couple of runs in. Regardless, I enjoyed the variety of scenarios that take place (which range from harrowing to humorous), and I liked that not all the choices have a predictable outcome. These encounters really capture the feast-or-famine nature of living off the land, and the mechanic works amazingly well in a roguelike setting. As you travel, you have the choice to travel the left route or the right route when there's a fork. This will cause you to go through different locations (like forests or frozen lakes) and try to find or avoid specific encounters. You can check your map as you go to see what lies ahead and plan your route if you're trying to find something specific. The journey won't be a walk in the park, as you are bound to be afflicted with status debuffs the longer you go. The most common one is Tired, which decreases the max size of both your meters. You can also sustain an Injured debuff; if you get injured again while in this state, the run ends. There's also a Cold debuff caused by eating meat raw, which causes hunger to also deplete when passing a trail marker. Your only real way to deal with these debuffs is by setting up camp. At any point between encounters, you can choose to set up camp, which lets you perform special actions. Camp is the only time you can eat meat to replenish your meters, and you'll have to split your rations between you and your dogs wisely depending on the situation. If you want to avoid the Cold status, you'll have to start a fire to cook your food, which uses up the birch resource. If anyone's injured, camp is where you use medkits to heal, and finally, you can choose to sleep to restore both meters to their max size at the cost of one hunger bar. I don't know if this is experience talking, but I was surprised to finish a run on my second try. In any case, you can find special encounters that unlock permanent upgrades that persist across runs, like the axe (which lets you harvest birch from trees) or cute little booties for your dogs (which makes meat twice as effective when restoring their energy). You can check your journal in between runs, which tracks everything you've seen (from animals to locales), has a checklist of to-dos (think of them as the game's achievements), and features stickers of special items and the dogs (serving as collection trackers). Accomplishing some of the game's tasks (which the game doesn't tell you explicitly; these are more things you discover on your own) also provides a permanent upgrade, as these will increase your starting resources every run. Once you clear a run for the first time, you can hang out at the cabin and pet or play with the dogs. This doesn't really do anything, but hey, there are few things as rewarding as showering dogs with affection! You also unlock Zen Mode, where you can just relax as the dogs run to their hearts' content. At the beginning of the game, you go through a whole process of recruiting the four other dogs that will become your sled team, and you meet them one by one and learn of their traits (which play into the special encounters they will have on the run). After beating the game once, you can actually go back and recruit the rest of the dogs you skipped or didn't see, allowing you to take them on runs and find their special encounters. VERDICT: I thought The Red Lantern's blend of survival gameplay and narrative-driven roguelike randomness was a really fun concept, and the early game was quite challenging in that there was a genuine struggle to maintain resources and that the unknowable outcomes of the encounters truly captured the unpredictability of the wilderness. While the overarching tale of our main character is basic, I also enjoyed her self-banter as she braved the elements and connected with her rambunctious pack of pups (who themselves showcase their personality in certain encounters). I also thought the game getting easier as you play thanks to special encounters was a novel way to make the game accessible to people who may struggle in the beginning. However, that combined with a finite number of encounters that I can eventually memorize made future runs almost trivial for me, so I can't say this has the replay value I was looking for outside of getting all the journal entries. All that aside, I think this was a lovely game, and I'm very happy to have finally played it. This is a game I can highly recommend if you want a different flavor of roguelike where what makes or breaks runs are choices that affect the story of your journey, and your main objective isn't combat but managing resources. There are a lot of other games with these individual elements, but I've yet to see anything else that blends them together in this way. It's also pretty forgiving as a roguelike since more attempts eventually guarantees that you unlock more things to start the run with, so I feel that even the less versed in this typically ruthless genre can get the hang of this game with no issue. However, if you're on the other side of the fence (like I am), you may beat the whole thing incredibly quickly and be a bit disappointed to find that the game legitimately only gets easier from there. Lastly, this might be obvious, but it bears saying: dog lovers, this is definitely a game for you! In fact, here's a Steam link: The Red Lantern on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - Another week, another arbitrary manga pick. Let's see what I have in store this week. BACKGROUND:
I was reading the synopsis for a bunch of manga I knew nothing about in my library in an effort to see which ones would interest me. The synopsis for this isn't particularly groundbreaking compared to some of the more fantastical titles I own, but it's certainly the spiciest premise of the few I took a look at. This kind of drama isn't really my thing, but hey, the whole point of me doing this for the past year and a half is to get into media and genres outside my usual wheelhouse, so we're giving this one a fair shake. SUMMARY: Sayaka has been happily married to her husband Kazuma for the better part of ten years, and while everything else seems perfect, Sayaka doesn't quite have everything she wants. Early on, we learn that she wants to have kids, but it becomes apparent as the story progresses that Kazuma has no interest. This frustrates Sayaka, who shares her troubles with her close friend Rui (who's pretty supportive). As Sayaka mulls over her whole situation, a bombshell is revealed to the reader: Kazuma is having an affair, and he's been at it for a while. Now, that by itself would be one thing, but the real headline is that he's cheating on Sayaka with none other than Rui. Sayaka is none the wiser, but as she becomes increasingly frustrated about her own wants, she starts becoming wary of her husband being unfaithful. She's none the wiser for now, but her paranoia (well, it's paranoia to her at the moment) combined with her unmet aspirations is beginning to cause conflict between her and Kazuma. Obviously, Kazuma's behavior is unacceptable here, though I don't really understand what he gets out of this particular arrangement. He's clearly not fully satisfied with Sayaka as a partner, but he also wants her to keep being his idea of a wife while also getting to sleep with Rui (who he doesn't seem to be as into as you'd think). Then again, I suppose I should know better than to make sense of what an adulterer is thinking. Who intrigues me more here is Rui, as she is fully aware of what she's doing, and she seems to almost be thrilled by the fact that she's taking Sayaka's man from right under her nose. I have a feeling that there's more to this than just Rui desiring Kazuma more, and that there's an element of her doing this because she (for whatever reason) has it out for Sayaka. Either way, I am very curious as to what would happen when the other shoe finally drops and Sayaka finds out. Naturally, I felt bad for Sayaka, as everything else about her life seems perfect apart from her not getting what the one big thing she wants out of her marriage, which leads to disagreements and fights between her and Kazuma. Again, I don't know goddamn shit about relationships, but it clearly seems tough to have a really important desire and learning that your partner is opposed to it in some way, and Sayaka clearly doesn't know how to navigate that. Once it's revealed that Sayaka was being cheated on, I couldn't help but be frustrated for her, as her suspicions are not unfounded, and the ease in which Kazuma finds a way to keep her off his scent is infuriating. It's no wonder people who have had the misfortune of being cheated on have serious trust issues; that shit is manipulative as fuck. Because things aren't spicy enough, the volume ends with Sayaka revealing that she isn't a saint herself, as she has been telling her own share of lies. It's revealed that she has lingering feelings for Akiyama, an ex of hers, and would you look at that, the man himself makes an appearance to set up the cliffhanger leading into the second volume. I can only imagine how this will add to the drama, of which there is already plenty. The art style is rather detailed, with the highlights for me being the well-drawn faces and the abundance of detailed textures. There are some steamy visuals to go along with the spicy drama as well, as you get a few sex scenes. These are mostly between Rui and Kazuma, which adds to my feelings of sympathy towards Sayaka, as these two appear to be more sexually compatible and more passionate with each other. VERDICT: Guilty is as soap opera as you can get, with a whole story centering on a hidden affair where both participants have a close relationship with the main character. I'm not really sure what the throughline for this story is meant to be, but I am at least curious about what the hell happens when Sayaka learns the truth, and if I'm right about Rui and she's doing this in spite of Sayaka. Outside of that, I don't think my indifference towards this kind of drama has changed, so unless something completely unexpected happens, I'll probably just skip to the chapters that satisfy my curiosity. If you're into this kind of drama, you may get just what you want from this book. I personally don't get the appeal of stories like this (apart from seeing the ensuing car crash when characters discover truths), so I can't make anything beyond that basic recommendation. - end - Derryck Plays - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (Castlevania Anniversary Collection) [Nintendo Switch]5/8/2024 I continue playing through the Castlevania Anniversary Collection with this title. BACKGROUND:
I'm fairly familiar with some of this game's most iconic elements (because they're just that iconic), but apart from that, I've only watched gameplay of this online. There are some strong opinions on Simon's Quest, so I'm looking forward to finally playing it for myself and seeing what the fuss is about. SUMMARY: Simon's Quest is set some time after the events of the original Castlevania. According to a mysterious woman, Dracula has placed a curse on Simon Belmont, and his only hope of lifting it is resurrecting Dracula (by assembling his body parts, scattered after his defeat) and ending him all over again (hopefully once and for all). It continues the classic Castlevania cycle of Dracula always coming back, but I found the twist of Simon being the one who brings him back notable. This game is an immediate departure from its predecessor, as it isn't just a linear romp through a series of levels until you get to the final boss. Instead, Simon's Quest is the first Castlevania game to fit the Metroidvania mold, as you are meant to explore an entire world map in a nonlinear fashion in order to get to the end. Primarily, your main objective is to find and conquer all five of the game's mansions (which each house one of Dracula's body parts) then resurrect and defeat Dracula in the ruins of his own castle. Resurrecting Dracula isn't as straightforward as walking around and finding the mansions, however, as many of them will require you to solve puzzles or find hidden paths in order to unlock the way forward. In order to figure all that out, you'll have to talk to the NPCs in the game's various towns for clues and even to acquire the necessary items to unlock certain roadblocks. On paper, this RPG aspect would be fun, but unfortunately, the NPC clues are a tad too cryptic to be of any help. It didn't take me long to relent and pull up a walkthrough so I knew what to do, and I'm glad I'm did because unlocking the path forward in the later areas of the game seems impossible to figure out on my own. Plus, some of the most crucial hints (which are just as cryptic as the NPC dialogue) are hidden secrets that you won't even be able to find on your own until you have a specific item that would be difficult to get if you didn't know what you were doing. Towns also feature churches with priests you can talk to, which is the only real way to heal damage. On one hand, having an actual, reliable way to heal makes this somewhat easier than the first game, but on the other, you have to actually go to a town to make use of this (so running the gauntlet by exploring a world is still perilous in some fashion). Exploration itself is fine since the map is manageable for its size (though it doesn't hurt to have a walkthrough so you don't get lost), though you'll have to do a lot of backtracking through annoying enemies as you play. Apart from that pain, exploring the world was serviceable (though not particularly satisfying given figuring out how to unlock areas requires you to decipher strange NPC dialogue). Perhaps one of the most iconic aspects of this game is the day/night cycle. Every time you see the infamous "What a horrible night to have a curse" dialog pop up, the game turns to night, and enemies take more hits to kill. Towns also become dangerous places during night, as you can't enter shops or churches, and enemies actually show up. There is a silver lining here, as enemies drop more hearts at night, so you can make the most out of the horrible curse and farm a bit should you need it. While this mechanic definitely has its detractors, I personally thought it was clever for how simple it is. Day/night cycles weren't a common mechanic during this era, and I appreciated the sense of looming dread they present. The first time around, you'd probably go "oh god, what does that mean," then once day rolls around (and you understand exactly what perils the night brings), you're now on edge because you don't quite know when night will come next, and that when it does, there's nothing you can do about it. It's amazing how a simple line of dialogue and shifting the colors to make everything look darker can be enough to evoke a strong emotion out of a player; it's a fantastic counterexample to those who would say that gameplay can't make their players feel or those who assert that an involved narrative or strong artistic vision in aspects other than gameplay is the only way to elicit a meaningful response or interaction with the player. Simon himself controls largely the same way he did in the first game, weird jump and all. This would be fine if it weren't for the fact that the platforming in this game is less about navigating obstacles and more moving back and forth from point A to point B. Backtracking feels more like a chore since you have to be the same level of cautious with the controls as you would be in the original Castlevania; otherwise... into the pit you go. As far as level design goes, the layouts you encounter aren't as nearly well thought-out as the ones you see in the first game; apart from enemies camping stairs or the occasional fish creature jumping out of the water, you won't run into anything as devious as Castlevania 1's enemy placement. This is kind of disappointing with regards to the mansions, which function as the equivalent of dungeons (and one would logically expect a modicum of challenge here compared to the overworld). You also get the occasional platforming section where you zigzag across poorly placed blocks, which just feels awful to navigate given the jump doesn't feel designed around platforming that precise. Speaking of mansions, a lot of them have empty space that sadly lead to dead ends, and only two of them even have boss fights (which, hilariously, you can skip entirely since the doorway to the Dracula item that you need doesn't lock up, and you're free to walk past them). It's a bit of a shame, because I really was expecting more for what are supposed to be the most challenging parts of the game. This game features a bit of progression for Simon's strength, as he can buy stronger whips (which aren't necessary, but having them makes enemies less of a chore to fight since you don't have to wail on them for as long) and can level up (which raises his max health). Both of these are tied to hearts, which function both as currency and XP instead of being your ammunition for sub-weapons (though it's mostly the former; the latter is more of a cumulative thing you'll get without really trying). Many of the required items have to be purchased from certain NPCs (some of whom are hidden, by the way) using your hearts, and if you're going out of your way to avoid conflict, you'll be displeased to find that the only way to get hearts is to kill enemies. It's entirely possible that you'll have to grind to get what you need (which thankfully isn't bad since enemies respawn, but is still inherently a chore), and you have to be careful not to die. Death isn't that punishing outright since you spawn right where you were after regardless of whether you have continues or not, but if you run out of continues, you lose all your hearts. That means you have to grind all over again if you need to buy something, and boy, does that feel like shit. A few of the items you can acquire are sub-weapons, which can be used as alternate sources of damage like before. The two you can buy are the dagger and the holy water, which work identically to their Castlevania 1 counterparts. The holy water has an additional function in this game, as it can destroy breakable blocks and reveal fake blocks, which I thought was neat. And since hearts don't function as ammo here, you can spam these with no problem. All the other sub-weapons require some optional exploration and side quests, but they're worth getting for their utility. You have the Sacred Flame, which lays down a lingering flame pillar, the Diamond (a bouncing projectile), and stronger versions of the dagger (with the gold variant dealing a ton of damage). These do follow the typical Castlevania conventions and use hearts as ammo, but once you've bought all the necessary items, you'll have a surplus of these anyway. The other items serve various functions. Stuff like the crystals, garlic, and the cross are glorified keys that unlock stuff, and you can also acquire laurels that you can consume for a brief period of invincibility. Interestingly, the Dracula items you get in the mansions have functions, like Dracula's Rib (which can be equipped to give Simon a shield), which I thought was neat. The game also has a password system you can use, though with modern emulation having save states, they will likely find little use apart from putting in specific ones so you start with certain items (basically functioning like cheats). Interestingly, the game has three endings, all tied to how quickly you beat the game (kind of like Metroid, but with actual story ramifications). They all tell of Simon's fate after he defeats Dracula, and while the alternate outcomes are about what you'd expect, they actually make complete sense in terms of time being the deciding factor of which ending you get. In terms of visuals, the only real change between this and the original Castlevania is the choice of color palette. Compared to the more vibrant first game, the palette here is more muted, which I don't mind, but it certainly doesn't stick out in my memory as much. The music is solid for what limited tracks there are, but the highlight will remain the iconic Bloody Tears track, a track so legendary that it's become the de facto theme of the entire series. It's appeared in many other Castlevania games since, and is so iconic that it's practically required to be present in any big Castlevania crossover (see: Smash Ultimate and Dead Cells). Hell, the Netflix animated series even gets a rendition of it during Season 2's finale (which made me very happy when I watched it the first time). One other thing I'll note is how painfully slow text in dialog boxes shows up. It makes the day/night cycle extra agonizing (because you can't skip the text for it), and it's understandably one of the big reasons why many players hate that mechanic to begin with. VERDICT: I can totally see why Simon's Quest isn't looked upon as fondly compared to other entries in the series. Its proto-Metroidvania approach isn't as satisfying as later entries in the series, between tedious backtracking and grinding, NPCs (the only way to figure out how to progress) being obtuse, and the fact that it isn't nearly as challenging as its predecessor likely disappointed some fans. Admittedly, I'd agree with a lot of the criticisms commonly leveled at this game, as I ran into my fair share of frustrations dealing with these highlighted elements. That being said, I really appreciate what they were going for here, as this is the first real foray into Castlevania becoming a Metroidvania (the very platforming subgenre it lent its name to), it introduced iconic elements that have since become series staples, and had a novel day/night mechanic that added a wee bit of terror in an era where making people feel scared with your 8-bit graphics was challenging. While there's stuff I definitely did not enjoy about this game, I'm still very glad I played it because I got to appreciate the foundations it set for the rest of the series (and, eventually, games as a whole) as well as some of the actual gameplay elements that I thought were executed well. It also helps to have had a walkthrough, though; that made the overall experience less frustrating. If you're going to play this game, I definitely recommend making the most out of emulation tools like save states and using a walkthrough to mitigate a lot of the frustrations this game offers. Outside of that, I think there's merit in checking this game out, not only for its historical significance (both as a notable sequel to a legendary game, and how it eventually influenced the future with its Metroidvania sensibilities), but also to appreciate stuff like the day/night cycle (which I still think is brilliant) and to see how poor localization (which is often cited to be the reason behind the unhelpful NPC dialogue) can detract from a game's overall experience. If you're still not convinced that Simon's Quest (or even the original Castlevania) is an interesting case study into various aspects of game design, Egoraptor's Sequelitis video gets into a whole comparison between this game and its predecessor. It's a must-watch if you have even a passing interest in game design, though do note that this is still ultimately one person's opinion (I personally disagree with a number of things Arin brings up in this video). Sequelitis - Castlevania 1 vs. Castlevania 2 - YouTube Here's the link to the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, where this game is included: Castlevania Anniversary Collection on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - This was one of my most anticipated games of the first half of 2024, so I'm quite excited to talk about it. BACKGROUND:
I first saw this game at a Nintendo presentation, and I immediately fell in love with its gameplay concept. It was to the point where I resolved to buy the game on day one, so here we are. PLOT: You follow the story of Kril, a hermit crab content to live out his life alone at the tide pool until a somewhat literal loan shark repossesses his shell after he's unable to pay taxes. Determined to get his home back and return to a life of solitude, Kril ventures into the ocean, where he finds that a phenomenon called the Gunk is wreaking havoc on the underwater civilization and turning creatures into mindless monsters. Unwillingly thrust into an adventure, Kril faces powerful foes, goes on a treasure hunt, and uncovers a mystery on his journey to claiming his shell, and the experience just might change him. The story is pretty straightforward as the beginning, as Kril simply does what he has to in hopes of reclaiming his shell, which eventually escalates to him unwillingly participating in a treasure hunt so he can basically use the riches to pay for his home back. Throughout this journey, he meets all manner of characters, including some unsavory ones willing to step on others for the sake of wealth, and regular folk just trying to get by. The whole treasure hunt goes in quite the detour after the truth about it is revealed, and it leads to an interesting exploration of this world's past as well as its more mystical elements. Kril has a bit of a character arc, as he starts out just wanting to get his home back and get out of the busy, treacherous ocean with no regard to anyone else. As he goes on his quest, he learns more about how the pollution is affecting the ocean, meets well-meaning folk trying to eke out a living in it, and finds himself questioning if his old existence (especially after all he accomplishes in his adventure) is really worth all this trouble. There's something compelling about Kril growing throughout his quest, especially considering it all starts with a very straightforward, selfish goal. As I mentioned, you meet all sorts of characters, and even the generic NPCs stand out with their hilarious dialogue. In general, the dialogue is quite funny, with plenty of room for different kinds of humor, puns, and cheeky commentary contextualized within the game's wild setting. Speaking of, the game's world is that of an underwater civilization driven primarily by a trash-based economy, which totally isn't an allegory for our world being driven by and slowly destroyed by industry. I was plenty entertained by the whole story of the ocean gradually falling to ruin due to its denizens (including your stereotypical capitalists) indulging in the riches of the obviously dangerous trash, but I did also enjoy the story eventually exploring the dark, primordial forces that lie in the deep, as well as the exploration of what came before in terms of the undersea civilization. While I found the pollution angle more interesting, it was still amusing to see this game tackle some common themes for soulslikes (while not getting too lost in the doom and gloom that is also typical for the genre). PRESENTATION: The art style is goes for bright and cartoony for its characters, though the environments you go through are an interesting contrast, as apart from the opening area and the main city (which makes use of the trash as set dressing in clever ways), the underwater locales look completely ruined by the pollution, and everything looks awful as a result. Outside of that, the natural parts of the ocean do look pretty in the aesthetic, and I personally enjoy how the view takes on a cinematic aspect ratio when you lock onto enemies. I'm quite concerned that this game may not be as well-optimized on Switch, as even in docked mode, the models and textures don't look all that polished (especially when I compare it to footage of other versions), things blip in and out of existence, and the game's performance takes a nosedive in certain situations (like going through loading zones), sometimes to the point that the game is unplayable until I reset. While I didn't mind the dip in quality too much, it is quite noticeable, and the frame rate drops are certainly frustrating. I really hope the other versions don't deal with these problems. The game does have the occasional cutscene, which mostly just uses in-game graphics, but the highlight is the voice acting, which I thought was solid. I wish there were more voiced lines overall, but I enjoyed most of the performances here. Did you know Michael Reeves has a voice role in this game? I thought he did a great job here. I thought the music (while used a bit more sparingly than I would like) was similarly solid, with most of the tracks fitting the chill vibe of exploring the ocean. The combat and boss themes are an interesting change of pace, since they up the tempo and even switch up the genre. GAMEPLAY: Another Crab's Treasure is a soulslike, a subgenre 3D action RPG with a heavy emphasis on deliberate combat against challenging enemies and bosses, features a fair share of exploration (with a touch of Metroidvania-style backtracking), and progression based on using the stuff you earn from killing stuff to level up your stats. This game pulls quite heavily from the conventions of the genre, and while I'll point out those similarities for the sake of discussion (this is my first time talking about a soulslike in full on the blog, so I'll take the time to do it), I will focus primarily on highlighting differences or mechanics that make this game unique. As Kril, your main weapon is a rusty fork, which has a light attack (which has a four-hit combo with a slow but powerful last hit) and a strong charged attack. You are also able to roll and sprint, but unlike the typical soulslike, there is no stamina tied to either, making dodging/disengaging more lenient (though the roll still requires precise timing if you want to make the most out of the invincibility it gives you). It's not a lot in terms of basic actions, but they were able to carry me through most of the game without relying too much on special tools. You also have a "hover" (it's technically a "swim", since you're underwater), which is mostly used for the occasional platforming section. The game overall doesn't restrict your movement too much and lets you hop on a lot of things, but I would be wary of slopes, as the game has a fair bit of jank in this regard and you can get stuck in a falling state (or more amusingly, in a T-pose). This is annoying (especially considering there are a surprising number of spots you can get stuck in), but there is a "die instantly" option in the pause menu, presumably for situations like this. There are plenty of bottomless pits to fall into, but they thankfully only do some damage instead of outright killing you (which is what tends to happen in games like this). There's also no fall damage, so this game is also lenient in that regard. That said, platforming sections that involve swimming across chasms to and from climbing nets can be a little frustrating, since you might not always immediately see where you're supposed to go, and it sometimes feel like the hover/swim doesn't last long enough for you to clear gaps. The world is decently big, with lots to explore, plenty of optional stuff to find, and the ability to open up shortcuts to make backtracking easier. This game follows genre conventions and spreads out a number of Moon Snail Shells, which serve as your fast travel points, checkpoints, and the place where you rest and level yourself up. They're basically the equivalent of Dark Souls bonfires, if you are familiar with the analogy, and just like them, using these will respawn enemies that you kill. Killing enemies nets you microplastics (hilarious idea for a currency), which are your equivalent of souls (again, using the Dark Souls analogy). You can use these to level up one of your four stats: vitality (your health), attack (your damage), resistance, and MSG. The last two are tied to the shell mechanic, which I'll get into shortly. There are a decent variety of enemies as well. They look visually distinct (very important, since you need to be able to distinguish them so you know what to do in a fight), they have unique attack behaviors, and even the most basic ones are a danger if you're being careless. A lot of the challenge in soulslikes is surviving a trek from one checkpoint to the next, and this game offers that well by giving you a gauntlet of enemies that are placed in spots that make engagement unavoidable (or even tricky on your end, in the case of enemies with ranged attacks standing far outside your reach). The bosses are the highlight of any soulslike, and while I always wish there were more, there is a solid roster here considering the scale of the game. I found most of them to be engaging fights, whether it's because they have a number of challenging but fair attack patterns to navigate, they have some sort of amusing gimmick, or they just have a funny theme (a lot of them wield trash weapons as well, and I always found that charming). Both bosses and enemies can be staggered thanks to a balance mechanic, which builds up the more you hit a foe. Once you've filled up an enemy's balance meter, a powerful attack (like a charged attack) will Capsize them, knocking them down and giving you a few precious seconds to deal damage for free. You don't have to go for this at all (a contrast to other games, where they only way to progress the fight efficiently is to stagger them with such a mechanic), but it's satisfying to pull off. Sekiro is perhaps the most notable example in recent memory to have this as a core mechanic, so you can use that as a point of comparison. You also navigate through a fair share of status afflictions, with the most prominent being Gunk (which is equivalent to being poisoned and can be inflicted by hazards in your environment). The game borrows heavily from the Souls series in the implementation here as well, as you get a very similar status buildup meter that then inflicts you with the status if it fills up. There aren't too many status effects in this game, though they're thankfully more varied than different flavors of instant death. The common soulslike trope of having on-hand but limited healing is also present in the form of Heartkelp, and to continue the Dark Souls comparisons, they are the equivalent of your Estus Flasks. As is convention, you can only carry a set number at a time, and the main way to replenish your supply is to rest at a checkpoint. This game is a bit more forgiving, as you can actually harvest Heartkelp at specific gathering points, though you can't go above your max carrying capacity. Dying also takes a cue from genre conventions, as you leave all your currency at the spot that you died (or nearby, if you fell off somewhere). You can go back there and get all your stuff back (which includes whatever shell you were wearing at the time, if any), but if you die before you do that, you lose it all. The game grants you a mercy with bosses, as you are spawned directly over where your stuff is close to the boss, effectively removing the tedium of the "walk of shame" back to the boss as well as the risk of losing your stuff in the fight itself all at once. Now, let's get into what makes this game unique in terms of mechanics. The main one is Kril's ability to use garbage as makeshift shells, giving him extra defense. Simply having one equipped increases your ability to take hits, but of course, you can retreat into your shell to fully block attacks. When you do this, your shell health (which has its own health bar) decreases, and if it hits zero, your shell will break. Don't fret too much, as there are typically plenty of shells littered in the seafloor, and later on, you can spend microplastics to buy shells or even ensure that you spawn with your favorite ones when you come out of a checkpoint. There are nearly 70 shells you can find, and while the variety in design alone is delightful, there's more to them than that. Each shell has its own stats like the defense they offer, their shell health, and their weight (which determines the ease in which you can dodge). Some shells even offer small stat bonuses to your attack, resistance, or MSG. These are all things worth considering when choosing shells, as the variations in stats can affect how you approach combat. The resistance stat factors into the shells as they determine a shell's ability to take damage, so leveling it up is not a bad idea. Resistance also makes you less susceptible to status buildup, which is a bonus. What differentiates shells the most are their respective Shell Spells, which you can think of as their special abilities. There are a wide variety of these spells that you can use (from offensive, defensive, and even healing), but they will all cost Umami. Umami is simply the equivalent to your magic/mana, and you can replenish charges simply by landing hits with your fork. Again, you don't need to use Shell Spells to succeed in battle, but they really turn the tide if used judiciously. For offensive spells, their damage is tied to the MSG stat, so if you want to be a spellcaster, you can invest in that when leveling up. I personally found more use in utility spells, but a lot of the offensive spells are pretty good for dealing damage at range or dealing a lot of balance damage on bosses. Certain bosses also give you Adaptations when you defeat them, which are powerful spells that you can use regardless of if you have a shell or not. These cost a lot of Umami to cast, but with how powerful they are (especially when they're leveled up, which you can do at some point), it makes perfect sense that they're expensive. A couple of them are even used Metroidvania-style to unlock barriers in the world, which I thought was really neat. As you explore, you'll find umami crystals (either from breaking the formations you see or by defeating bosses and enemies with glowing eyes), which you will primarily be using to level up your skill tree. You can unlock a number of useful skills here, like a one-time shell restoration when it breaks (which happens once per rest at a checkpoint), brief invincibility when your shell breaks, a backstep dodge, and more, but I will highlight the most notable ones here. The most significant to me is perhaps the ability to parry, which involves releasing block right as an attack hits your shell. Doing this perfectly gives you a solid opening (as most enemies are briefly stunned), as well as give you a massive bonus to the enemy's balance damage. Hitting these parries is extremely satisfying (especially on bosses), and there's even an additional skill that lets you follow up with a powerful attack immediately after a successful parry. The backstep is plenty useful since it's a quick dodge that ignores your shell weight, but an additional skill allows you to perform a powerful attack if you time the dodge perfectly. The closest, most recent equivalent to this mechanic in another game is Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom, where a perfectly timed dodge lets you unleash a powerful attack in slow motion. Early on into the game, you unlock the ability to grapple, which is mostly used for the platforming sections. Once you have access to the skill tree, you can now use this ability in combat to either reel in enemies Scorpion-style (complete with a brief window to deal a lot of damage for free) or pull yourself towards enemies Sekiro-style for massive damage. You will have to spend a resource called Barbed Hooks for these grapple-based abilities, and like your healing, you can only carry a set number of these at a time, and unlike Heartkelp, you have to scavenge or buy these since you can run out. I would say it's worth the trouble, though, because both these moves are so much fun to use, and they can really turn the tide of a battle. While you really only have the fork as your main weapon, a skill allows you to turn it into a hammer by attaching a loose shell at the end of it. I thought this was such a cool mechanic that makes use of your immediate environment, and it's such a great risk/reward system (you get more powerful attacks, but your attack speed is much slower, and you're sacrificing a shell you might need if you're in trouble). Exploration not only gives you more opportunities to find valuable umami crystals for upgrading your skill tree, as you can find all sorts of helpful items. These include health upgrades (not unlike your Zelda heart containers), additional umami slots (letting you cast more spells), additional carrying capacity for your Heartkelp and Barbed Hooks, and even items you can turn in to permanently upgrade your fork's base damage. You can even find optional bosses and adaptations by exploring, and I'm quite satisfied that my penchant for exploration was well-rewarded. If you're all about minmaxing your stats, there's also the stowaway mechanic, which are additional equippable items that are attached to your shell (meaning they are only in effect if you are wearing a shell). You can equip three of these at a time, but each one has a specific slot value (which you can expand by spending microplastics). A good comparison here would be Hollow Knight's charm system, which has the same general mechanics but serves a slightly different function. There are a wide variety of bonuses you can get from stowaways as well, from straightforward stat bonuses, more granular improvements (like better dodge rolls, additional charged attack damage), and even unique abilities (like one-time stowaways that revive you once, or stowaways that make you immune to certain types of damage). Many of the really good ones are optional rewards you get from exploring, but the ones you get from enemy drops or at the shop can be helpful in themselves. The soulslike is a genre noted for its difficult games, and while the devs clearly set out to craft a challenging experience, they also recognized that the challenge isn't going to be fun for everybody. Their answer to this is Assist Mode, which allows players to toggle and adjust certain features to their liking and have their own tailor-made difficulty experience. While I played the game normally and enjoyed the difficulty, it is nice to have this option available for those who want it, and I am glad that the implementation is thoughtful. I'm of the opinion that alternate difficulty options should be thoughtfully designed and not just come down to fiddling with enemy or player strength and calling it a day, and assist modes like the one here are the kind I want to see more of. Tangent aside, the most hilarious option is assist mode is the ability to give Krill a gun for a shell. The gun one-shots everything, including bosses, and it's hysterical. I didn't use this for my main playthrough since I wanted to beat everything fair and square, but I did mess around with it a little after. If you're playing through this game, you definitely need to try this mode at least once after you've played through a chunk of the game. My playthrough was not without its fair share of frustrations, as I encountered a bunch of problems in the game. Of course, there's the performance issues I mentioned (with the worst instance being the frame rate going to hell in the middle of a boss fight), and the stuff I mentioned about stuff flickering in and out also happens to stuff you need to interact with (particularly frustrating in platforming sections), as well as the occasional jank with slopes. That is sadly not the extent of it. I've also encountered multiple crashes (including one after I beat the final boss on the first try, before which the game explicitly tells you it won't save, so that was great), a situation where trying to pick up all my junk while climbing a net bugs the game out, and an infuriating episode where a piece of terrain you can't escape out of counts as a valid surface for my junk to be in, so I had to improvise to somehow retrieve all my microplastics. I was not pleased by any of these moments, and it's my hope that these are addressed in future patches (which seems to already be happening based on my checking at the time I wrote this). VERDICT: Outside of some very notable gameplay issues that vexed me, Another Crab's Treasure was pretty much everything I hoped it would be. It doesn't reinvent the wheel with its soulslike gameplay, but it delivers on everything I could want from a game of that genre (lots to explore and plenty to fight), makes certain elements more lenient, and has a host of mechanics that make the already solid combat feel satisfying and unique (especially with everything revolving the shells). I had a ton of fun with this game despite all the problems I ran into, and I find myself wishing there was more game to play with how much fun I had. I don't know if the problems I mentioned are endemic to the Switch version, so to be on the safe side, I'd recommend playing this on other platforms, as well as to wait for post-launch patches to come out. Outside of that, I think this is the perfect soulslike for anybody to try, even if you're not into them. I think this game deftly balances delivering the trademark challenging experience fans of the genre expect while making things easier to get into (that's not even getting into assist mode) and giving less experienced players less to worry about, all while having a charming setting and the one-of-a-kind shell mechanic. Give this game a go! Here's the game on Steam: Another Crab's Treasure on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - I'm once again unable to select what to read out of literally hundreds of titles to choose from, so I have let other people decide for me this week. BACKGROUND:
I decided to read this for this week after a dear friend recommended it to me and I saw the title again on the list of recommendations another friend gave me a while back. I don't know anything about this (when have I ever?), but I am quite excited to give it a read thanks to these two ringing endorsements. SUMMARY: A Silent Voice follows the story of Shoya Ishida, a sixth grader whose idea of fun involves a bit of reckless endangerment. Everyday, he dares his two friends to do increasingly dangerous things for the hell of it, but as time went on, said friends have started growing out of his childish antics. Shoya becomes restless due to boredom as a result, but that all changes one fateful day. Enter Shoko Nishiyama, a deaf girl who recently just transferred to Shoya's school. For whatever reason, Shoya develops a fixation towards messing with her, finding her condition "alien" and beyond comprehension. The fixation eventually develops into disdain, as he becomes increasingly vexed by everyone having to be accommodating towards Nishiyama's condition. He then makes it his personal mission to bully Nishiyama, and he does increasingly terrible things to her (while the rest of his peers enable him) all just to get a rise out of her. Things continue to escalate until the school administration is forced to step in due to Nishiyama's mother complaining, and at that point, literally everybody turns on Shoya as they finally call out his actions. Shoya is frustrated by this turn, and he begins to resent Nishiyama for what is frankly a case of karma on his part. He continues to give Nishiyama a hard time until, one day, she just transfers out of the school. While he was a pariah pretty much before this point (he gets a taste of his own medicine in spades throughout this stretch), Shoya is left completely socially isolated for the entirety of his high school life after this point, and he ends up not caring much for life as a result. The volume ends before the story really begins, as Shoya is compelled to reconnect with Nishiyama during the last chapter. It seems like the story here is Shoya making up for his misdeeds and redeeming himself by being the friend Nishiyama never had in the sixth grade, which I'd say is a very interesting journey I want to see unfold. Honestly, I didn't know what to make of Shoya. At first, he seemed like one of those kids who refuses to grow up as he indulged in reckless activities in the name of fun, which isn't unusual, but I have never heard anybody do so with the rationale of "defeating" boredom. I'm not really sure what would cause a kid to think that dangerous shenanigans are the only way to keep oneself occupied, but I suppose it doesn't need to be justified; the mindset only serves to contextualize why he ends up going after Nishiyama. Everything Shoya does to Nishiyama is reprehensible. You'd think kids aren't capable of such cruelty, but I know from experience that shit like this can happen and still happens in schools. It was genuinely upsetting to read through the awful things Nishiyama is subjected to, and although the bullying that comes back around on him is not something I find acceptable, I honestly found myself not having much sympathy when he was finally called out and isolated for his actions. I don't think this volume's ending is a definitive sign that Shoya truly understands the consequences of his actions, as it seemed like he was only compelled to reach out after being pushed to the absolute lowest point and seeking absolution wherever he can find it. That being said, it does show that he is capable of some level of introspection, and I find any flawed individual who can swallow their pride to do that (and to make even minuscule efforts to change and make amends upon their realizations) admirable, more so than anyone who is just "naturally good." While I certainly found myself wanting to kick Shoya's head in for all the things he does in this volume, I don't think I can hate him as much as the people around him. A lot of his peers let Shoya do as he pleased (even laughing along with him) because they shared the same frustrations, but they all jump on the chance to label him the sole perpetrator when consequences came knocking on their door when they are just as culpable for what Nishiyama had to go through. I will fully admit that I am the furthest thing from a saint, and that I have inflicted my own share of cruelty on others for frivolous reasons, and while I look back at myself in disgust at those moments, I hate myself more when I reflect on moments where I turned a blind eye on the cruelty of others. For that reason, I detested the other characters in Shoya's school more. They're all pretty shitty (like Shoya's former friends who bully him back even though they laughed along with his bullshit, or the duplicitous girls who enabled Shoya because they hated Nishiyama, too), though I feel like Shoya's teacher is the biggest piece of shit of the bunch. Yeah, he rightly reprimands Shoya for his behavior, but he clearly has no love lost for Nishiyama, either, and he fails to hide it. Worse still, he lets the entire class turn on Shoya and bully him back, which is not something a responsible adult in charge of children should be condoning. What makes this whole mess feel even worse is the fact that Nishiyama is a nice girl. She has the patience of a goddamn saint, as she of all people is the one who apologizes when others express how they're inconvenienced by her disability, or even when people are straight up mean to her. Hell, she shows that same kindness towards Shoya and is the only person who didn't ostracize him when he finally took heat for his actions towards her. It took Shoya crossing several more lines until Nishiyama snapped back, and even then, all she could express was how she was trying her best. I feel awful for her, and while Shoya being a massive piece of shit would have been more than enough for me to feel that way, it's again the complicity and less overt ableism of the other characters that have me extra sympathetic to her whole ordeal. Other characters outside of the ones in Shoya's school include Shoya's mom, who is singlehandedly raising him and her sister. I feel pretty bad for her since she can't seem to get through to her son, and she unfortunately takes the heat from Nishiyama's mother, whose harsh personality even extends to her own daughter (as she is shown to be willing to forego her daughter's happiness for the sake of "preparing" her for the harsh reality of how people treat her). Curiously, Shoya's sister is this offscreen presence who has meaningful dialogue but isn't drawn in panels (at least not in this volume), and her seemingly defining trait is that she goes through boyfriends disturbingly quick. The art is pretty well-detailed, and I noticed quite the variety when it comes to the linework. I also found it notable how varied the faces are drawn, as characters like Nishiyama get fully detailed eyes while Shoya has simpler ones. VERDICT: Vol. 1 of A Silent Voice was not an easy read, as Nishiyama's harrowing days in sixth grade were painful to see unfold. However, all this sets the stage for what I feel might be an interesting story where we see a terrible person grow past who he was and make genuine amends by reconnecting with the person he wronged. I'm not really sure how that journey will go, but I am curious as to what exactly Shoya will do after running into Nishiyama again, and that may be reason enough to keep reading. This is a heavy, dramatic story, so I'd only recommend it if you're prepared to get into something like that. Outside of that, I think it's worth reading if I'm indeed right and this is a story about a deeply flawed individual who did shitty things taking the first step to redeeming himself and changing for the better, because I feel like too many people (at least on the Internet) have become obsessed with unattainable moral purity and haranguing others who can't meet such lofty standards. I think a story like this with a protagonist as frustratingly human as Shoya is something such people really need to sit down and read about, lest they forget that even people like him can strive to be better. - end - Among the eight games in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection is this fascinating oddity. BACKGROUND:
The only reason I know about this game is because it was kind of a big deal that this was one of the games in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection. The reason it was a big deal was because this game was Japan-only for nearly 30 years, and through the collection, it finally sees the light of day in other regions. On top of that, the version that was released for the collection is a brand-new English localization, which was way more than what I expected for a rerelease of an old Famicom game. SUMMARY: Kid Dracula is a silly Castlevania spinoff that, as far as I can tell, isn't canon and only ever cheekily references the main games (if it is canon, the Castlevania timeline is a lot weirder than I remember). In this game, you play as a titular character, who awakens from a deep sleep to find that some demon dude named Garamoth has proclaimed himself top dog of the demon world. Kid Dracula doesn't take that sitting down, and he sets out on an adventure to take down Garamoth and claim his spot as the Dark Lord. It's a straightforward story, but I personally find it amusing that the entire conflict can be boiled down to "aw hell no, I'm the Demon King!" The game itself is a 2D platformer where you go through nine decently long levels. As Kid Dracula, you can run and jump to deal with standard platformer obstacles, and in order to deal with enemies, you can shoot quick projectiles until they die. As far as level design goes, this game isn't nearly as punishing as the original Castlevania, but there are more than a few sections that require a bit of caution due to hazards like instant-kill spikes or tricky enemy placement next to bottomless pits. Where the game gets interesting is when you start unlocking Kid Dracula's various spells after defeating each boss. You can cycle between these spells like you would Mega Man's abilities, and in order to use them, you simply have to charge your attack. A lot of these spells are alternate attacks, like the base charge shot (just a big fireball), the homing spell (which fires five homing pellets), the bomb spell (explodes on impact), and the ice spell (freezes enemies briefly and lets you use them as platforms). Out of these, the homing spell is easily the most useful for obvious reasons, although certain enemies are much easier to take down with the bomb. Two of the spells are more for utility than they are for offense. The bat spell, for example, transforms Kid Dracula into a bat, allowing you to fly around for a brief time at the cost of not being able to attack (great for weaving through obstacles or bypassing platforming sections, but with the unfortunate tradeoff that simply bumping into floors or walls reverts the transformation). There's also the updown spell, which briefly reverses gravity and lets you walk on the ceiling, although this is more situational and only sees meaningful use in a couple of sections. I thought these spells were neat, largely because I didn't expect them (the first few spells you unlock are all offense-oriented). Every level ends in a boss fight, and they're all pretty straightforward in terms of attack patterns and overall behavior. A good number of them are pushovers if you use the homing spell, while a few offer a slight challenge either because they have specific weak spots or spell weaknesses. The most notable boss fight of the bunch completely subverts expectations in a hilariously silly way, and I'm not going to spoil what it is. The nine levels are mix of typical platformer worlds (like an underwater level, an ice level, and outer space) and more inspired locales (like ancient Egypt and a metropolis meant to be New York City), each with their own set of enemies and hazards to deal with. The most notable of the bunch to me is easily the first level, because it's a rendition of Dracula's castle from the original Castlevania (complete with gear platforms and a lot of the original color scheme). I loved the variety here, because it's a nice change of pace from the usual settings these games take place in. You start the game with three hearts, though you can bump this maximum up to five if you pick up optional heart containers along the way. As for extra lives, your main opportunity to earn these are the bonus games in between levels, though all four of the bonus games are games of chance (meaning you're definitely not guaranteed 1-Ups every time). Also, you need medals to even play these bonus games, and the only way to get medals is to kill enemies with spells to make them drop. That part isn't hard, although if you want to guarantee at least a couple of extra lives, you may be compelled to farm for medals, which doesn't sound like much fun. The game's presentation is also a far cry from the usual Castlevania offerings, with simpler and more colorful visuals, more inviting stages as opposed to something like the interior of a spooky castle, goofy-looking enemies that are more or less the opposite of the typical ghoulish monsters (one of the bosses is literally just a giant chicken), and more upbeat, cheerful music. VERDICT: Kid Dracula is quite the departure from the usual gothic horror of Castlevania, leaning fully into cartoon silliness with its presentation and some of its story moments. As far as gameplay goes, its 2D platforming is more on the basic side with relatively easier difficulty and not too many notable mechanics outside of the spells (which were fun to mess around with), but I was nonetheless charmed for the brief time I played through the whole thing. It's always interesting to play a game that was region-exclusive for a long time, and I'm glad this fun little title is now more easily accessible to an international audience. If you're interested in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, chances are your interest leans more towards the major main series entries in the collection, and that makes complete sense (I bought the collection for the exact same reason, after all). That said, I think this game is worth taking out for a spin in between playing those main series games. Not only do I think there's value in experiencing this previously region-locked novelty at least once, I also think it works well as a fun little break if you're going through every game in the collection one by one. Speaking of the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, here's a link. This is the most accessible way to play the original Kid Dracula: Castlevania Anniversary Collection on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - The first Saturday in May is almost upon us, which means another year of free comics to enjoy. Fully Booked's schedule for this year's event is delayed by a couple of weeks, so I can't partake in the festivities until then, but I can continue a tradition of mine in the meantime. THE THEME: Once again, I check out five FCBD titles from previous years, taking care to keep things diverse in terms of publishers so I can showcase just how many of them participate in this event. Of course, keeping my selection varied is also good for me, as it makes my reading session interesting. THE COMICS: DAWN OF DC: WE ARE LEGENDS (FCBD 2023) Publisher: DC Comics Writers: various Artists: various This special edition collects a few previews for some of 2023's upcoming titles, each focusing on new DC heroes. The first focuses on Xanthe, a Chinese spirit envoy with a cool sword and some magical powers, as she teams up with Batgirl and John Constantine against some supernatural creatures. Next, we follow Red Hood as he investigates criminals making off with dangerous tech, but he instead finds that the Vigil, a new trio of vigilantes has beaten him to the punch. Last, there's City Boy, a young man visiting Gotham with some strange powers (which he uses to find stuff to make money with). Lots of interesting characters all around, and I want to see more of them. THE INTRINSIC #1 (FCBD 2011) Publisher: Arcana Comics Writers: Sean Patrick O'Reilly, Casey Jones, Erik Hendrix Artist: Allan Otero The Intrinsic is a big crossover event featuring a lot of Arcana's pantheon of characters. In this preview of coming attractions, Philosopher Rex sees a vision of the apocalypse (brought upon by Apollyon), and he must continue recruiting heroes to help turn the tide (including Kade, who is perhaps the most recognizable character I know from Arcana). He's still missing one more fighter, and they may just be the most unlikely of them all. MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC (FCBD 2020) Publisher: IDW Writer: Jeremy Whitley Artist: Trish Forstner In this one, Twilight Sparkle is now ruler of Equestria, and the whole kingdom is in a tizzy preparing for her first sunrise. We follow Spike's perspective as he checks on the other main ponies who are helping out with preparations, and he checks in with the pony of the hour as she has a bit of an existential crisis. It's standard wholesome fun with adorable art, which is par for the course for MLP. SCAM: CROSSWORDS #0 (FCBD 2014) Publisher: ComixTribe Writer: Jason Ciaramella Artist: Joe Mulvey Here, we follow the titular character as he commits some heinous crimes, but it seems like he has some bigger plans in mind. Not much to go off of in terms of the story in this zero issue, but I am digging Crosswords' design. TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (FCBD 2022) Publisher: IDW Writers: Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird Artists: Sophie Campbell, Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird We get two stories in this one. The first is a prelude to the Armageddon Game event, which sees a seemingly alternate version of the Turtles leave a bunch of soldiers as a bloody mess. I thought the way this story was framed seemed familiar, and that was reaffirmed when I saw the second story: it's literally the entire first half of the first ever issue of TMNT, and the Armageddon Game prelude takes heavy inspiration for its story, action, and dialogue from it. It's pretty cool to compare and contrast the two, and it's always amusing to see the dark, gritty roots of the series (which was itself heavily inspired by Daredevil) and how that contrasts to the incarnation of the Turtles that eventually became pop culture hits. Once again, I enjoy doing these and reading a wide variety of stories from across the many publishers that exist, and I look forward to continuing the tradition in the years to come. As for the actual Free Comic Book Day, I'm excited to take advantage of the sale and pick up something new for my collection. PANEL(s) OF THE WEEK: - end -
We have one more game from April's Switch Online updates, and it's a quirky one. BACKGROUND:
I have no clue what this is, and I certainly didn't know that Hebereke was a whole series by Sunsoft. Guess I have more homework to do. SUMMARY: Sugoi Hebereke is a brawler-style fighting game where you face off against up to three other players in square arenas. The fights take place from a top-down perspective, and the idea is to beat the shit out of your opponents until they run out of health and transform into cute little slime blobs. I played the equivalent of arcade mode, where you have to win three rounds to proceed, though I'm not sure this rule can be changed in versus mode (sorry, I can't read Japanese, so I don't know what the menus say). There are eight playable characters at the start, and they each have their basic combos and two special moves accessible through specific inputs. You're not going to get insane Tekken-level combos or anything like that, but their moveset is more than enough for the chaotic action and for delivering an ass-whooping to opponents. The special moves (all of which are unique) can be devastating if used correctly, like the freeze breath or the bomb. There's also a stun mechanic that I'm not sure how is triggered, but anyone that gets stunned is in for a world of hurt. All you really have in terms of mobility other than walking around is jumping, which is handy for avoiding attacks. You can also get jump attacks to knock other people out of the air, which is fun. There isn't much of a universal way to close gaps between you and foes, so it's possible that a campy play style can succeed (especially considering every match has a time limit). In terms of stages, you have a decent variety, and they don't just differ in terms of visuals. Many of them have unique hazards like fans that push you down and bumpers that knock you around. You can even jump onto some of these stage fixtures in order to keep yourself safe, which is neat. On occasion, flying creatures drop power-ups onto the stage. These range from the straightforward (like restoring your health), dangerous in the right hands (an instant death countdown that you can pass onto opponents by hitting them), or downright bizarre (a pickup that transforms unsuspecting victims into vegetables). Playing against CPUs, these didn't really feel too important in the grand scheme (I can win just fine by straight fisticuffs), but they do come in handy when you happen to get them. The art style really shines between all the colors, the adorable character designs, and the goofy animations (from the characters executing their moves to the ridiculous hit animations when certain moves hit characters). The stages are all pretty varied themselves, covering a range of locales, boasting a lot of background detail, and even having the occasional weather effects in the foreground like thunderstorms and fog. VERDICT: Sugoi Hebereke is a pretty straightforward fighting experience with the most basic of mechanics, but I thought it was fun for what it was. Outside of the novelty of cute animal characters beating the living shit out of each other, the potential of chaos was pretty high between wild special moves, wacky power-ups, and the variety of stage hazards. I'm probably good in terms of single-player playthroughs, but I imagine this will be way more fun against actual people. I think this would make for a solid party game for four friends between how easy it is to pick up and how it lends itself well to frenetic chaos, so if you're looking for something akin to Smash Bros. but substantially different, you may find this interesting. Of course, its variety pales in comparison since there aren't as many characters, stages, or mechanics to mess around with, but if you just want to have some fun for a brief time, I don't think you can go wrong with this one. - end - I've been neglecting my PC backlog as of late. Time to fix that. BACKGROUND:
I did not know of this game's existence until it was made free to own for a week to celebrate the release of its sequel. It looked interesting to me, so I added it to my library. PLOT: After a seemingly out-of-left-field opening scene, the game is shown to take place inside a creative depiction of an unnamed person's mind. You play as Dusty, who represents the mind's sense of courage, who is called upon after an extended absence to help deal with nightmares (who are also personified here) who are spreading fear throughout the mindscape. Joining him is Piper, a bird creature who serves as a Navi-type companion for you throughout the game. At first, Dusty only takes on the quest for his own ends, but nevertheless, he journeys to every corner of the mind to vanquish the manifestations of fear that are threatening to bring ruin to everything. I think the allegory that is this entire game is pretty obvious right from the start, to the point where I felt like it was beating me over the head with it by the end. We get creative, whimsical representations of both creative, logical, and conscious thought, the on-the-nose nightmares and the fears they represent, and the whole journey of one's sense of courage striving to make it out after being buried deep for so long. I don't think it's revolutionary by any means (we've gotten plenty of media that have the same concept, after all), but the overall message still gets across. You only really get to know the person whose mind you're exploring through the collectible memories, and those memories honestly resonated with me more than what was actually going on. For one, the real-life events that lead to the manifestations you encounter as Dusty are telegraphed several kilometers away (so there's no element of surprise when you get to the finale). For another, so many of the memories shown are ups and downs of life that I myself have experienced (or an alternate outcome to something that did happen in my life), and for whatever reason, I felt their weight significantly more than the rather heavy main plot. As much as I appreciate the overall themes the game was going for, I personally feel like the ending doesn't do those themes due justice. The entire plot of the game represents a journey to overcome fears in order to keep moving forward, but what actually ends up happening to the person whose mind we're exploring doesn't really reflect that. I'd elaborate, but this is obvious spoiler territory. I didn't really find many of the characters in the mindscape that notable since they're meant to be personifications of familiar concepts. Most of them are just that, though many of them dial it up with the puns (which, depending on your sense of humor, will either be delightful or groan-inducing) just so it's clear what they're about. I suppose the one character that strikes me as notable is Dusty himself; for a personification of courage, there's a cynicism to his character at the start that really stood out to me. Call this reading too much into things, but I think I've felt firsthand what that characterization is meant to represent. PRESENTATION: The first thing that caught my eye about this game was its beautifully painted aesthetic (which was actually painted by hand). Whether it's the vibrant Freedom Isles that depict creative thought, the impressive structure of the Clockwork Town (meant to be the logical side of the brain), or the unnerving atmosphere of the Pathway (representing the scattered conscious thoughts of the person), pretty much every frame of this game was a delight to look at. Each region of the mind took their themes to heart with their respective level designs, which take on a somewhat surrealist approach (with everyday objects forming the platforms you walk on and oddities like musical instrument vegetation). I also thought the music was excellent, featuring both a diverse assortment of instruments and genres to give each locale a vibe that complements the visuals. The most notable bits of the soundtrack to me are how specific characters (mainly the nightmares) have musical numbers. The lyrics themselves are as on-the-nose as the personifications themselves, but I loved the idea of presenting this game as a musical. That said, they don't really commit to this idea, as only a handful of characters get musical numbers, which is a shame because I also loved how their themes each had a unique motif. This game also features a fair bit of voice acting, which didn't really blow me away. The dialogue itself varied from generic exposition to witty jokes, but something about the actual performances of most of the cast kept me from fully getting into their lines. GAMEPLAY: Figment most resembles a Zelda-style adventure game in my eyes. You explore the mindscape in this isometric view that is reminiscent of many a dungeon crawler, and as one may expect from a Zelda-like game, there's both combat, exploration, and puzzles to be had. Combat is perhaps the most barebones of the core elements, as the most you can do is swing your sword, charge a Spin Attack (very Zelda), and dodge roll. Not even the bosses gave me any difficulty, as pretty much every enemy was slow enough that you'll see their tells coming decades before they have a chance to hit you. That there's an XP system that gives you extra health is irrelevant unless you really don't want to think and just want to face-tank anything the game throws at you. Exploration isn't significantly more impressive, as most of the game is linear, and you'll only need to backtrack if you happen to forget something in the previous level. There are optional areas, sure, but unless you're rushing to get to the end, you likely won't miss them. For what it's worth, the levels themselves are delightful to look at, so I was happy to take my time going through them. Apart from certain areas with cycle-based hazards you have to navigate around, you can have a mostly chill time walking around. I think where this game shines is with its puzzles. Most of your roadblocks on the way to the end involve a variety of puzzles, from simply picking up items and using them at the clearly marked locations, sokoban-style puzzles, different varieties of pattern memorization, and gimmicks like rotating windmills to blow away noxious gas. None of them require any serious brainpower, but I found a lot of them engaging. In particular, I really enjoyed how inventory items can be brought to other levels to unlock secrets if you figure out how to grab them without impeding your forward progress. The otherwise lackluster boss fights are also redeemed in my eyes thanks to the final encounters also being a puzzle in itself. Granted, the actual puzzles aren't difficult, either, but it's certainly more engaging than wait for the opening then wallop them with your sword. As mentioned, there are collectible memories you can find, and save for the first one, acquiring each involves a completely optional puzzle. Solving them is a lot of fun, since they involve paying attention to the available items you come across throughout your playthrough, observing the environment for useful clues, or deciphering quirky puzzles through trial and error. I definitely found myself wishing there were more of them just so there'd be more puzzles. VERDICT: Even if aspects of it didn't really blow me away, I still had a fun (albeit brief) time with Figment. I appreciated what its concept was going for (even if the underlying story didn't stick the landing for me), the visuals and the music were wonderful, and despite being quite easy for me overall, I enjoyed exploring the world and solving its many puzzles. If the sequel improves on the elements I noted, I might go and play that, too. I think this is an excellent casual game given its relatively lenient difficulty; even if you die a bunch, the game autosaves frequently enough that you're never inconvenienced. If you're looking for complex combat, a vast world to explore, or highly complex puzzles, this honestly isn't it. However, if you just want to chill with a game you can knock out in around six hours and enjoy some lovely art and tunes to boot, Figment is well worth trying. Here's Figment on Steam: Figment on Steam (steampowered.com) It's also on mobile, if that's more your thing: And here's the soundtrack on Spotify: Figment (Original Soundtrack) - Album by Stöj Snak | Spotify - end - The animal theme has been a fun little idea for a monthly manga reading prompt, but I have one more before April ends. BACKGROUND:
I rarely ever know anything about the manga I read prior to checking them out, so I don't even know why I even keep this section sometimes. SUMMARY: A young kitten is separated from her mother and siblings while taking a walk outside. She looks everywhere for her family, but she just gets even more lost and narrowly avoids all sorts of danger. Sad and alone, the kitten is found by a small family (a little boy named Yohei, and her parents) and is taken in. The catch here is that in the apartment they live in, animals are forbidden, so they must be a little discreet with what they're doing. At first, the parents take in the kitten with the intent of eventually finding someone who can adopt them. Unfortunately, no one seems to be available, and after a while, the family just decides to keep the kitten and be quiet about it amongst neighbors. The kitten is named Chi, which is apparently shorthand for "pee" in Japanese, as young Yohei repeats the word every time the kitten does it. The volume is split into bite-sized chapters detailing this journey, and once the status quo is set, you get chapters focusing on the typical things cat owners deal with (like picking out treats, dealing with scratched furniture, the frustrations of housebreaking, and a particularly traumatic pet visit). What makes this comic stand out is that Chi herself is a character with her own thoughts, and the book always shows what she's thinking at any given moment. Chi's story is obviously sad, but what makes it sadder for me is how she still longs to go home to her mother long after she's taken in. She does grow to love her present company (to the point that she gets upset when they're gone for a long time) and get a sense of the people she now shares a home with, but the fact that she still thinks about her actual family makes me wonder if there will be a point where she does see them again. The family as characters are pretty straightforward. Yohei is pretty excited about the cat, and while Chi has a habit of messing with his toys or scratches him in response to something, he takes things in stride (kind of surprising given how young he is). The mom and dad seem like pretty understanding parents, and their compassion for Chi shines through as they were willing to keep Chi despite the potential trouble they can run into with the owners of the apartment. The mom isn't too thrilled about Chi wrecking things or peeing everywhere prior to be housebroken, though, and I found it funny how the dad is a little disappointed when Chi refuses to interact with him after associating him with the vet visit she really didn't enjoy. As far as visuals go, Chi's Sweet Home stands out for two reasons. First, the English version is printed left-to-right, as opposed to the norm where the right-to-left format is retained. Secondly, this collected edition is in full color, and I loved the slight watercolor quality to it. The art style itself is pretty adorable, as both Chi and her human caretakers get simple yet highly cartoony facial expressions. VERDICT: Chi's Sweet Home is as sweet as the title implies, as while the circumstances that lead to it are sad, Chi finding a new family and learning to cherish their company the same way was quite wholesome. I found a lot of humor in seeing Chi act like a typical cat while also seeing her internal childlike thought process, and I enjoyed seeing Yohei's family quickly treat Chi as part of the household. I would read more of this book just to see Chi's exploits with her new family, but I'm also curious if she ever finds her original family at any point, and if the owners of the apartment catch wind of them keeping a pet and they're forced to either move or send Chi away. If you're a cat person (I like cats and dogs equally, so I'm not sure I can be considered as one), I think this is a book you'll enjoy. Chi gets into a lot of situations cat owners are bound to relate to, and the book actually showing what she's thinking is really funny; I found myself wondering if that's what goes inside the head of the cats I looked after. - end - I finally got around to getting the Castlevania Anniversary Collection on sale, so I have a handful of retro titles to play in my spare time. Let's start from the beginning. BACKGROUND:
Castlevania is a legendary game series by a storied game company (well, when you ignore Konami's fumbles in the modern era) that spans decades and console generations, introduced a lot of iconic characters and tropes, and eventually helped define an entire subgenre of platformers. Even as a kid, I knew about this series, but despite owning multiple consoles and handhelds that had Castlevania games, it wasn't until I was older when I'd finally get the chance to finish one. I played the original Castlevania (the very same one we're talking about here) during my stint buying Virtual Console titles on the 3DS when I was in college, and my feelings on it being a true-blue classic hasn't changed. A lot of what I felt back then (and the reasoning why) still stands upon replaying it in 2024, and the next section will be dedicated to articulating that. I'll take this time to talk about the Castlevania Anniversary Collection itself, which I think is a decent collection overall. You can use save states should you need or want them, and there's a whole extras section where you can check out all sorts of fun stuff and learn neat info regarding all the classic games that are bundled. Collections by themselves are neat by giving you multiple games for the price of one, but this one goes the extra step by giving fans or newcomers some bonus stuff to look at. SUMMARY: Castlevania is a 2D platformer where you play as Simon Belmont, a member of a legendary family of hunters who are sworn to defend humanity against the forces of darkness. He journeys to a castle in hopes of defeating the nefarious Dracula, but he'll have to brave through the creatures of the night first. This story has been told many times since this game first came out (including in animated form), but it's always nice to see its humble beginnings. As Simon, you have the slow but formidable Vampire Killer whip as your main weapon, and in addition to your signature strut, you have an odd jump that takes a lot of adjusting to if you grew up with more modern platformers. The main thing about Simon's jump is that you can't move yourself once you're in the air; that means you have to commit to a forward jump or a neutral jump and live with whatever consequences that come as a result. As such, platforming that would otherwise be trivial in most other games ends up feeling extremely perilous, especially considering falling into any pit (it doesn't matter if you came in from above and there's logically somewhere to land) will kill you instantly. While I have gone on record in saying that I love platformers with a lot of moments where you get an uninterrupted flow of movement by skillfully playing around the game's mechanics, I quite enjoy how this game is the opposite of that. The jump being the way that it is made me more cautious as a player, and I found it worthwhile to be patient and actively deliberate my movements. There are only 18 levels in this game, which isn't a lot even by the standards of 1987 (the original Super Mario Bros. had 32, for reference), but I think they went all in with quality over quantity in terms of level design. The layouts are treacherous by themselves, as there are a lot of opportunities to fall to your death between moving platforms, stairs you can't jump on (or off), and that one place with crushers that can squash you. Hell, even small gaps are scary in this game, because if you jump incorrectly, there's no way to get yourself out of that jump. What elevates this game's level design is its use of enemies. The enemies themselves aren't very complex; they have one or two behaviors, and barring a few annoying exceptions, they're typically predictable in terms of how they move or attack. Rather, it's how they're placed throughout the level that makes them threatening. Otherwise innocuous foes like bone-throwing skeletons or flying bats feel like nigh insurmountable threats just by placing them somewhere you absolutely have to tangle with them, like atop the stairs or flying about as you jump across floating platforms. Combine that with your slow whip and the nature of your jump, and the whole philosophy of approaching the levels with caution comes together nicely. Even the enemy count is something that feels deliberate, which may come as a surprise given other noteworthy games of this era go full tilt and overwhelm you with endlessly spawning enemies (see: Ghosts 'n' Goblins or the original Ninja Gaiden). There are only specific spots where enemies spawn continuously (and at a steady rate), and they're often in sections with no other obstacles (so the goal is to inch your way forward as you weather an incoming onslaught from both directions). The most iconic non-boss section of this game is emblematic of this fact, as one of the levels has you push forward as an axe knight (which takes a lot of hits and keeps walking out of your whip's range while throwing axes at you) and a relentless horde of Medusa heads (which move in a sinusoidal pattern) come at you. I always think of this section when I ponder Castlevania's level design; it absolutely looks and feels insurmountable, but it never feels unfair because the enemies you face are predictable, and you're taught how they behave earlier in the level in less perilous circumstances. This section feels like a sort of final exam of everything you've learned where you try to take what you've learned and try to forge a path forward with that knowledge, and it feels completely rewarding to conquer the challenge in the end because it's your efforts and understanding that carries you through. I have grown to adore gameplay designed with this sense of satisfaction in mind, and it's awesome to see design sensibilities like this be more or less perfected early on into the history of video games. Now, it may seem like Simon's got his work cut out for him with everything I've just described, but there's a mechanic that helps him bridge the gap a little bit. Throughout the levels are breakable candles you can whip, and while they occasionally drop money bags (which increase your score, which serves no real purpose in this game other than for gaining extra lives), you'll typically pick up hearts. In this game, hearts don't heal you; they're ammo for your sub-weapons. Sub-weapons are the power-ups of this game, and at the cost of hearts, you can throw them out for an alternate way to deal damage. All of the sub-weapons here have become Castlevania staples, from the throwing axe (thrown in an upward arc), the boomerang cross (travels far and can hit more than once), the throwing dagger (which travels farther than your whip), the holy water, dropped on the ground and leaves a lingering flame), and the stopwatch (doesn't do damage, but stops time, letting you whip enemies worry-free for a few seconds). Given how sub-weapons provide alternate options to kill enemies (largely in terms of hitting them in situations where your whip just won't cut it), they are incredibly valuable and worth farming ammo for. Sections with enemies overhead don't feel as threatening when you have the axe, and you can keep yourself at a safe distance from enemies no problem if you have the cross. It's no surprise that this mechanic has since seen much use in the many games that followed over the decades, because having tools that let the player bypass the innate limitations imposed upon them is a surefire way to giving them a sense of excitement and satisfaction when they make the effort to find them. The sub-weapons truly shine in the game's six boss fights, which are plenty tough (but not impossible) if you fight them with just the whip. However, if you happen to have the exact sub-weapon that counters the boss, you can rinse them with very little issue provided you have hearts to spare. Even Dracula (who is up there as an iconic fight in all of games, thanks in no small part to being an early example of a multi-phase fight) goes down like a chump if you pick up a certain sub-weapon. Wrecking bosses typically feels satisfying regardless of the game you're playing, but it feels more so here considering the legitimate struggle you may have gone through just to get to the boss. Although this game is completely linear in terms of structure, you can actually find the occasional secret by whipping the correct walls. The most iconic example of this is the hidden chicken, which restores your health, but you can also pick up the II and III multi-shot power-ups, which let you throw out two and three instances of your current sub-weapon at once respectively. The sub-weapon multipliers feel extra satisfying when you bring them to a boss, because you can rip them apart in seconds with some well-placed throws. The original Castlevania is emblematic of the 8-bit era with its presentation, with simple but effective pixel art as well as chiptune-heavy music. The former stands out for solid-looking sprites (especially for the bosses, who are kind of the who's who of classic monsters) and surprisingly vibrant colors for a game with dark themes (just look at how orange Simon is), while the latter delivers with catchy tunes that fit the more deliberate pace of the gameplay. While I do enjoy the other tracks (like the buildup to the encounter with Dracula), Vampire Killer remains the most iconic track in the entire game, leaving a strong first impression as the theme of the opening levels. The Castlevania Anniversary Collection also includes the Japanese versions of every game in the collection, so I took the time to try out the Japanese version of this game for a little bit. The main difference I noticed immediately is that you can select an Easy Mode that, among other things, does away with the knockback reaction when Simon gets hit (which makes most platforming sections less threatening). VERDICT: Playing through Castlevania again only reaffirms its status as an all-time classic in my eyes. Though its basic story has long been since eclipsed by later games eventually having the capacity for more complex narratives, I think the game's stellar and thoughtful level design stands the test of time with how satisfying it still feels to overcome the difficulty it presents, and I'd say the visuals and music aged pretty well considering how long ago this was made. I loved this game the first time I played it, and I still love it now. There's no argument here: this is absolutely an "essential" game in the ever-growing pantheon of video games, and everyone ought to play this game at least once. I know that its controls will feel dated to many, and that the overall difficulty is daunting, but this is one of a number of exceptional cases where I will implore that players grant this game their patience. I strongly believe that this game is a master class of presenting a formidable challenge that doesn't feel unfair, and that it's a great example of how a game being designed to have the player play at the pace it dictates and within its limitations instead of their own can be as satisfying as having full agency and freedom to do as you please. I'm no stranger to the discourse that pits these two schools of thought against each other, as many people sadly dismiss the idea of difficulty as merely an attempt to be exclusionary towards a subset of players while not considering that designing gameplay to be a certain level of difficulty is a creative choice made by the people who make the games. Now, I'm about to go into a tangent here, but I feel like I have to express the following somewhere. Folks who make this argument about difficulty tend to steer the conversation towards how it goes against accessibility (which I need to make clear is an important, but entirely different conversation), and I feel like this game (which doesn't require insanely fast reflexes and has intuitive gameplay you don't need to wrap your head around) is an effective demonstration that the two concepts aren't as tightly coupled as some people think it is. I also heavily disagree with the notion that all games should be "accessible" (in the sense that they shouldn't be difficult, not that disabled people are physically unable to enjoy them), because it's just a way of saying that all games should appeal to everybody, which is completely impossible for any form of artistic medium. It'd be like saying things that don't cater to my exact tastes don't deserve to exist (or worse, arguing that their existence is discrimination), which is unfair to creators who have a specific vision in mind (and who have every right to make something exactly how they want to). Anyway, you can play this game (and many others) via the Castlevania Anniversary Collection. Here's a Steam link: Castlevania Anniversary Collection on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - |
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