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Continue reading Unloved #28 - Overlord
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Continue reading Unloved #27: Deadly Creatures
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Continue reading Unloved #26: Cursed Mountain
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Continue reading Unloved #25: Red Steel 2
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Continue reading Unloved #24: Shatterhand
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Continue reading Unloved #23: Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros Treasure
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Continue reading Unloved #22: UN Squadron
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Heading back to the trusty ole' NES again for this one!
Would it surprise you if I said this game for the NES was a platformer/shooter with a space theme? No you say. It does seem to be a common style of game on the system (see previous Blogs such as Xexyz or Journey to Silius). I assume that why this title often gets overlooked.
[img width=512 height=448]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/MetalStormgameplay.jpg[/img]
What people are missing out on by not playing this game is something pretty neat though. Wait for it................................upside down platforming. It might sound a little hokey at first, but its actually a ton of fun. At any time during the game you can switch from a gravity obeying mech warrior to an upside down robot with a gun.
Each stage has some form of rooftop so that you can always bounce back and forth as desired. Sometimes this is to collect powerups, other times for tactical strategy and others yet for the sheer enjoyment of it.
[img width=512 height=448]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/MetalStormboss.jpg[/img]
Most of the levels are designed pretty straightforward, but stages 4 and 6 really stand out to me. In level 4 you play the whole area, including boss, trapped in a box. The box moves around the screen at (mostly) stationary enemies. Some you can kill and some you cannot. This makes for some very interesting platforming even though your stuck in a box.
Level 6 gets even better yet. The level scrolls downward constantly while you trek to the right of the screen. I have a hard time describing how cool it is so I found a video to help me out.
To get to the stage 6 part just skip ahead to about 2:30:
Metal Storm probably gets lumped in with a lot of other games because of the style and theme which I think is unfair. It actually translates the Sci-Fi setting into a really cool and playable game play mechanic. Definitely check it out if you haven’t yet. It can be a little harder to track down than some other NES games, but if you can find it for under $15 you've got yourself a solid deal.
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Continue reading Unloved #19: Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
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Continue reading Unloved #18: Fire N Ice
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Continue reading Unloved #17: Journey to Silius
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Continue reading Unloved #16: Iggy's Reckin' Balls
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Continue reading Unloved #15: Lost Magic
To keep up with the expectations of being a staff blogger, I'll no longer be focusing on the Gamecube exclusively for my Unloved series. Instead, I'll be highlighting any game for any system I think needs some more attention. Being mostly familiar with Nintendo systems there is a good chance that many games will be for Nintendo released systems, but when the chance arises I will definitely give some time and respect to other systems.
Look for a quick write up on Power Blade for the NES in the next few days and let me know what you think. Thanks
It seems weird highlighting a game that had a Player's Choice release and is based off of a hugely popular Nintendo character, but many people seem to look past this game. While Wario World definitely doesn't live up to the high standards of the 3D Mario Platforming games (which it would no doubt be compared to), it rightly deserves its own spotlight.
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The graphics really aren't anything to write home about, but the overall art style makes up for that. The levels and characters are all brightly colored and vibrant (Carnival theme, jungle theme) or dark and gloomy (Ancient Egypt theme) when appropriate. Everything has a rounded slightly cartoonish look to it which suits Wario as a character. Sure he is a villain, but his reputation is as a comical villain so it works nicely.
The game is played almost in a 2D fashion. The camera is fixed on the side so it has a side-scroller feel to it, but at the same time you have some 3D depth to move around in. And the level design it really great! Along with your standard "reach the finish" goal of most platformers there is an excellent mix of fighting, exploring and puzzle solving. And it wouldn't be a true Wario title with out a little treasure hunting and mini-gaming thrown in for good measure. If you're one that finds typical platformers too repetitive you may enjoy this title more as it breaks up the platforming with the other styles of gameplay, although they are still very platforming based.
Now my (and many others) main gripe with this game is the length. Even if you're going for the perfect file with all treasures you probably won't spend more than 10-12 hours on this game. Just a straight ol' run through will probably net you around 7 hours of game time for a first playthrough.
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If you're looking for a slightly unusual platformer with many little quirks thrown in this is probably the title for you. Or if you're just looking for a fun, cheap game to kill an afternoon or two with this would definitely do the trick. Looking for something with a lot of depth that you can really sink your teeth into... keep looking. For everything Wario World is it is wonderful.
6/10
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