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Continue reading Unloved #28 - Overlord
[img width=366 height=522]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/DeadlyCreaturesTitle.jpg[/img]
Continue reading Unloved #27: Deadly Creatures
[img width=550 height=769]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/CM-Title.jpg[/img]
Continue reading Unloved #26: Cursed Mountain
[img width=550 height=754]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/redsteel2cover.jpg[/img]
Continue reading Unloved #25: Red Steel 2
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Continue reading Unloved #24: Shatterhand
[img width=550 height=764]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/ZW.jpg[/img]
Continue reading Unloved #23: Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros Treasure
[img width=563 height=391]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/un_squadroncover.jpg[/img]
Continue reading Unloved #22: UN Squadron
[img width=358 height=515]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/MetalStormCover.jpg[/img]
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.
[img width=352 height=500]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/Lamentcover.jpg[/img]
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
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.
[img width=256 height=359]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/g.jpg[/img]
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.
[img width=400 height=300]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/g1.jpg[/img]
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
This was the first release of the infamous Capcom Five (4 in reality and 1 if you want to be even pickier) for the Nintendo Gamecube. For myself PN03 really captured that old 2D Arcadish feeling but with a 3D environment. I cant really think of any other game that has done that for me.
[img width=340 height=474]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/z-9.jpg[/img]
First of all as far as 3D games go this one is quite short. This is remedied by having multiple difficulties and a large amount of unlockables. Even though this game can be finished within 2-3 hours on your first playthough I logged about 15hours into it in the first week I started playing. To unlock new suits and weapons you use the points you receive from destroying enemy robots. These same points are used to keep track of your highscore. I found that to be a very addictive combination. The ability to unlock loads of goodies is a great incentive to really push that highscore.
As for controls its really a matter of taste. It uses "tank controls" similar to the first few Resident Evil games. I just happened to have played a lot of RE2 as a kid and am a huge fan of the play style so I found it very comfortable to jump into. I understand most peoples reservations about them though. With that said its much more stylish and fluid than RE's tank controls. First of all there is very little back tracking. Your always pushing forward quickly to get a good time (which translates to good score) so you don't have to move around a lot. The shoulder buttons act as quick dodges to either side and your character runs at a nice speed when moving forward. This helps keep it seem much faster paced than the RE controls.
The art style and play style complement each other amazingly. The game mostly takes place inside futuristic, huge, white, strangely clean buildings. Your human/robotic character has all very charismatic movements that resemble dancing at times. With a neat techno style music it really ties your characters movements together with the atmosphere somehow.
The enemies in the game are quite boring and repetitive, but fit in well with the style of the game. The bosses on the other hand are enormous and interesting. The last few boss fights are intense, difficult but fair, and just all out fun.
The only real flaw I saw in this game was the story. Its really not a long enough game to develop a story properly yet they attempt to. It just makes the ending twist seem anti climactic. Add this to the fact that there are only 2 characters that ever interact and it just seemed pointless. It also disrupts the fast paced gameplay a few times which is annoying in a game like this.
[img width=480 height=373]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/z1-3.jpg[/img]
Its really hard to describe the unique style this game has to it so I highly recommend checking out some youtube videos to see just what I mean. Heres a link to one to start you off:
It seems to be a very underrated game that falls under a lot of peoples radar. It is definitely one of my favorite Gamecube titles and can be found for very cheap though so grab it if you come across it. Easily worth the few bucks it costs!!
Final Score - 8.5/10
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