Platforming Week was Captured by Banditos

Platforming week came to a halt, mainly due to laziness, but it was also tough to write up decent posts because I was very distracted. It's hard to believe a new game could keep me from playing great platforming games, but it finally happened. I actually got hooked on a game that's nearly new enough to be considered, "relevant." I got sucked into the old west with Red Dead Redemption.

I'd like to give a little background before I delve into this one. For starters, the "Red Dead" name was not new to me at all. I had played Red Dead Revolver years before and enjoyed it as a fun, decent 3rd person shooter with an amazing soundtrack. When I first heard that Red Dead Redemption was going to be a sandbox game, I was skeptical to say the least. I just couldn't quite picture it in my head. I was excited to see the game getting nothing but positive reviews, but I had to see it for myself.

Before I knew it, I was herding cattle, breaking horses, hunting wildlife, and hogtying banditos. I'm not usually one to go for side-quests, but Red Dead Redemption is crafty and had no trouble pulling me away from the main story missions. I would ride towards my destination, and suddenly I would notice a question mark on the map. "Well, I might as well check out the stranger mission," I'd say to myself, and suddenly I was caught up in that instead of arriving at my original destination. Aside from the strangers' missions, there's also a wide variety of random happenings. These are far less involved, but distracted me from the main quest regularly. I might be headed for the next story mission, but as soon as I heard that person yelling that someone had stolen their horse, I started chasing after the thief, swinging my lasso. Because the side-missions tended to be along the way, I couldn't help but get caught up in them. Rather than just being these distant things that are out there for you eventually, side-missions usually met you head on and were in your face. If a side-quest is in some distant optional location, I tend to ignore it completely, but when it's right there in front of me, it's much harder for me to turn down an extra mission.

As is the trend of later GTA games, Red Dead Redemption has a more serious tone than say, GTA III or Vice City. With Red Dead Redemption, however, I mind it much less, as the game makes me think of Westerns, which I tend to think of as being more serious than comical. Generally speaking, I'm much more in favor of the lighthearted nature of the old GTA games, but in this case, I feel the serious nature is warranted. That's not to say the game has no sense of humor, as you'll meet some peculiar characters on your journey that offer comic relief. Not to mention the rampant use of the famous "Wilhelm scream," which, while usually giving me a laugh, also feels quite fitting for a western shoot-out.

Talking about sound brings to mind the game's music. Years earlier, Red Dead Revolver made me fall in love with the soundtracks of Westerns. From the game's title sequence featuring, "Lo Chiamavano King," to the triumphant finale with "Ballata per un pistolero," Red Dead Revolver had a fantastic assortment of songs taken straight from real spaghetti Westerns. (By the way, while those may seem very foreign, there's a good chance you've heard "Ballata per un pistolero" before.) Red Dead Redemption, on the other hand, has a soundtrack almost entirely comprised of original compositions by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson. What's there is excellent, but I almost would like to have seen a little more music in the game. That said, I did enjoy the more subdued, ambient music while riding across the frontier. I'm just being picky.

I have to be picky though, because I really don't have too many other problems with the game. I wasn't keen on the inability to swim, but I wasn't too bothered by it. I just felt they could have given some kind of warning system. Granted, you're not going to be wading through water frequently, but it seems odd that the second you tread too deep, you die instantly. Otherwise, occasionally I came across a visual glitch or two, but in a game as complicated and intricate as Red Dead Redemption, these are easily forgivable. I did, however, find myself unable to complete a mission without restarting. It happened only once, but a horse died under a wagon being driven by a computer character. The wagon couldn't drive over the carcass and I was unable to take the reigns and try to move it, so my only option was to restart the mission. It seems like a fairly uncommon problem, however, and with how much this game has to offer, it was easy for me to overlook.

Speaking of "restarting missions," I haven't played GTA IV, so I'm not entirely sure about its mechanics, but I'm damn sure that in the old GTA games, if you died, you lost ALL of your weapons, and some of your money to boot. In other words, for me, this meant re-loading my last save whenever I died. Red Dead Redemption really doesn't punish you for dying. If in a mission, you'll simply restart from the last checkpoint. Outside of a mission, dying will simply put you back at the last save point you used. This eliminates frustrating deaths where you feel as though you lose a lot of progress.

Minor complaints aside, it all boils down to an excellent sandbox experience with a lot to offer and what must be the best Western-themed video game the market has to offer. I remember thinking, back when I played Red Dead Revolver the first time, "The Western seems like such an obvious and perfect choice for a video game, why aren't there more Western-themed games?" While I do still hope more games will try out the genre, they're going to have a hell of a time living up to Red Dead Redemption. Then again, most sandbox games will too. Good luck fellow contenders for "Best game of 2010." You're going to need it.

Platforming Week: Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?

Although it usually is the case, "2-D platforming game" does not ALWAYS have to mean the same thing as "retro platforming game." A fine example of a recent 2-D platformer that wasn't a re-make or re-imagining of a retro title was the 2009 PSP game, "Prinny- Can I Really Be the Hero?" Yes, it's a silly title, for a silly game, but the platforming elements are strong.

Prinny is a game that really came out of nowhere for me. I honestly could not have predicted a 2-D side-scrolling platform game would be a spin-off of a major strategy RPG series. I can only imagine how frustrated someone would be if they bought Prinny thinking it was going to be a strategy RPG. I, on the other hand, was thrilled to see it. In fact, I've never even played a Disgaea game, I was just thrilled to see a solid 2-D platforming title in 2009. Unfortunately, I can't imagine this game has a very large fanbase. Fans of the Disgaea games may not enjoy playing a punishing platformer, and fans of old-school platformers might not like the game's anime aesthetic. A random game that I'm as surprised as I am glad to see. As a humorous side-note, not surprisingly, Gamestop's website incorrectly identifies this game as being in the "role-playing" category.

Soundtrack
The soundtrack in Prinny is a bit lackluster. It isn't bad, by any means, and has a few catchy/memorable tunes, but for the most part, it's simply there. Ironically, this is one of very few games that came with a CD of the soundtrack as a pre-order bonus. Seeing as it was a pre-order bonus, it was free, so I can hardly complain. It's also a portable game, so you're usually listening to the music through the PSP's crappy speakers, which probably doesn't help any. All in all, the music is generally okay, it just isn't anything to write home about.

Difficulty
Despite the cute/silly appearance of Prinny, the game's difficulty is no joke. Up this point I've neglected to mention, the game's gimmick is that you have 1000 lives. That's a lot of lives, but the game takes this into consideration and really ups the ante when it comes to the challenge. I consider myself fairly skilled in the ways of platforming, but by the end, my first time through, I had lost several hundred lives. Worse still, that was on the "Normal" difficulty. Prinny features 2 difficulties, "Normal," and "Hell's Finest." In the normal difficulty, it takes 4 hits to kill one of your 1000 prinnies. In Hell's Finest, however, much like Rocket Knight Adventures, one hit takes you down. 1000 lives may seem like a lot, but with one hit deaths and all the traps this game throws at you, those lives will disappear before your eyes. I personally have not braved the hard difficulty but I can imagine it truly would be hell. I can say that the normal difficulty is plenty hard on its own, but the 1000 lives give you a lot of chances to learn the trickiest parts of the levels. It's a challenge, but it's do-able and ultimately rewarding.

Control
This game features a stiff control scheme for jumping not unlike the original NES Castlevania games. What's different, however, is that Prinny features a double-jump which does allow for some mid-air adjustment. Anyone who played through any of those classic Castlevania games will learn the controls quickly, but others may need some time to get acquainted with them. Jumping isn't complicated by any means, but it is tricky to master. The game also features a dash mechanic, which is complicated. In order to dash, players must hold the circle button to get their prinny spinning. After a brief period of twirling, the prinny will glow, meaning you can release the button and send your prinny running off. While the prinny is in this state, glowing and ready to dash, he is invulnerable to any attack. That sounds useful, but it's extremely difficult to use effectively. Not to mention, if you hold the button too long, all that spinning will make your prinny dizzy and unable to move for a few seconds, rendering him a sitting duck to any nearby enemies. I imagine this technique may be useful in the Hell's Finest difficulty, but frankly, I never really used the dash/dodge mechanic and was able to beat the game just fine. It does add some depth to the game, however, so I have to commend it for that.

Overall Fun Factor
Prinny is a solid platformer that offers a tough challenge and a lot of replay value. One level is "one hour" in the game. There are 6 different "hours" you can play at for each of the 6 different levels, ranging from morning to night. The levels become harder the later in the day it is, changing enemy placements and actually changing the geography of the stage itself. Different times sometimes even result in different boss battles, so to see it all you'll have to play through the game 6 times.

Aside from the replay value, the game's story is exceedingly ridiculous, which in turn is fun. The reason hundreds of prinnies are sacrificing their lives is to collect ingredients for a dessert their master, Etna, is craving. Between levels, you can even go into Etna's chamber and see her yell and bark orders at your prinny. Unnecessary, but entertaining and a nice touch. Being one of those newfangled games, it has a few extra levels purchasable as downloadable content, but unfortunately, they're very pricey at 4 dollars a stage. I bought one of them, and while it was enjoyable, I beat it in under 10 minutes. I'd like to play the others, but 4 dollars a stage is simply too overpriced.

That said, Prinny was a very satisfying game and one that kept me glued to my PSP (and an outlet, thanks to the PSP's poor battery life). So please, NIS America, I'm begging you, bring Prinny 2 to the states. You brought us a visual novel (Disgaea Infinite) but no Prinny 2? I have to admit I'm losing hope of that game ever making it over here. If it does though, I'll be excited to line up for another serving of punishingly addictive platforming once again.

Platforming Week: Rocket Knight Adventures

So far I've shown a lot of love for Nintendo in my choices this week, which isn't surprising seeing as I had a lot of love for Nintendo growing up. There were plenty of other great platforming games on other consoles, however, including Konami's Rocket Knight Adventures which introduced the world to the "mightiest mammal ever to rocket to stardom," Sparkster.

I didn't have a Sega Genesis as a kid, so I didn't know about a lot of the console exclusives outside of Sonic games. In fact, I actually came across Rocket Knight Adventures by chance. In high school, when I was really starting to get into retro games, a friend offered for me to check out some of his Genesis collection he was trying to get rid of since he knew I had very few games for the console. After buying some more well-known titles off of him such as Sonic 2 and Sonic Spinball, he suggested I try "Rocket Knight Adventures." At the time, I hadn't heard of the game at all, so I had nothing to go off of. I can't remember exactly what he told me, but I learned that the main character had a sword and a jet pack, which must have been enough for me to give it a chance. I'm glad I did, as it turned out to be what could be my favorite game for the Sega Genesis.

Soundtrack
I'm going to keep it short and simply say, it's got some damned good tunes. From the triumphant theme of the first stage sending you off on your journey to the fast-paced exciting tunes as you're flying through space, the soundtrack keeps up with the quality of the rest of the game.

Difficulty
This is actually the first of the platformers I've mentioned thus far that has multiple difficulties. The game has 4 difficulty settings: Children, Easy, Normal, and Hard. The game's preset difficulty, strangely enough, is NOT Normal, but is instead Easy. That seems fitting, however, as "Easy" isn't necessarily easy. In fact, Normal only has one life and one continue. Assuming you play well, you'll earn more lives along the way, but that isn't all that forgiving.

Because it's difficult to thoroughly examine each difficulty, I'll give quick summaries. "Children" is fairly easy until towards the end. "Easy" offers a challenge and is probably the way to play, seeing as it is the game's default difficulty. It also is the first difficulty to allow you to play the game fully to the end, as the "Children" difficulty doesn't let you play the final level. "Normal" is the difficulty I enjoy. It's tough and doesn't allow much room for errors, but thanks to extra lives and a continue, there's room for a couple mistakes. "Hard" is a hell of an understatement. It should be called "ludicrious, "insane," or maybe "suicidal." Apparently, Japan and Europe agree with me, as in those regions, the game's "Hard" mode is called, "crazy hard." The "Hard" mode in Rocket Knight only gives you one, single life with no continues. That's pretty ridiculous, but it's actually worse than that. In "Hard" mode, taking a single hit results in death. So until you find extra lives, a single hit ends the game. That puts even the notorious Battletoads to shame in terms of high difficulty. I'm not messing with that.

As one final note about the difficulties, it should be noted that the American version is the most insulting to include the "Children" difficulty. Hell, if Wikipedia's to be believed, in Japan, that same difficulty is referred to as "Normal." The "Normal" we got is "Very Hard" in Japan and Europe.

Control
The game controls very well. I actually prefer this game's jet pack control scheme over the system that was used in the Genesis sequel, "Sparkster," and eventually in the recent release of "Rocket Knight" that came out just this year. In the latter 2 titles, the jet pack charges on its own and has a designated button used only for rocketing. RKA's jet pack was used by holding the attack button. Both schemes work well, but RKA's is simpler and more comfortable for me, personally.

Overall Fun Factor
You're an opossum with armor, goggles, a sword, and a jet pack. Hell yes. As if that weren't enough, the game offers a lot of variety in level design including riding a mine cart, going in the foreground and background in front of and behind a waterfall, and having to make jumps through an upside-down reflected image. That STILL isn't all the variety this game has to offer, though, as there are a few sections of the game that play out like a horizontal shoot-em-up, such as Gradius or R-type. All of this variety adds up to an extremely fun game that has a lot to offer.

With all the games that have been re-released over the years, it baffles me that Rocket Knight Adventures hasn't seen the re-release love it ought to. It certainly should be on the Wii's virtual console at least. It would be a shame to have a gem like this one go unnoticed and be under-appreciated.

Platforming Week: Kirby's Adventure

I'm going to do my best to avoid having this be "Nostalgic Platforming Week," but yesterday's post got me thinking about other games from my childhood, most of which, were platformers anyways. At the time I didn't enjoy having a game's difficulty beat me to a bloody pulp, so Kirby was an obvious and enjoyable choice.

Soundtrack
You may notice how much this section is beginning to sound like a broken record. I must point out, however, that that is a good thing. Like the other games I've mentioned this week, Kirby's Adventure has enjoyable and memorable tunes. The light, cheerful tone of the game is conveyed nicely through fun, playful tunes. I may abandon this section later in the week since it always sounds like I'm repeating myself, but a good soundtrack helps keep the game in your memory and add to the overall enjoyment. Good tunes certainly don't make good games on their own, but we'd certainly be missing them if they weren't there. Can you imagine a Mega Man game that didn't have at least one good tune? Scary thought...

Difficulty
Like most Kirby games, the game is pretty easy. The neat thing about the game however, is that the different abilities allow for multiple boss strategies and ways to clear stages. It may be a little on the easy side, but that never detracts from the fun.

Control
Simplistic, but never lacking, Kirby's Adventure's controls are easy to learn and feel comfortable nearly instantly. A jumps, B uses copy abilities, up makes him fly, down makes him eat inhaled enemies. Simple and comfortable, what more do you need?

Overall Fun Factor
To put it simply, the strongest aspect of Kirby's Adventure is that it's fun. The many abilities acquired through copying enemies is an extremely fun mechanic that keeps things interesting the whole way through. Kirby's copy ability is well-known, but it's important to remember that Kirby's Adventure is the first game in which Kirby has this ability. In fact, while this wasn't his first game, I would argue that Kirby's Adventure is where Kirby's legacy truly began. Before Kirby's Adventure, Kirby didn't even have his signature pink appearance... well, in America at least. Even so, Kirby's Adventure is the game that introduced the most beloved and recognizable feature of Kirby to the series. (And Meta Knight. He's pretty cool too). I often am torn between Kirby's Adventure and Kirby Super Star for the title of "favorite Kirby game," but without a doubt, Kirby's Adventure is the game that made Kirby games what they are today (excluding the spin-off games).

I would like to end this time, looking towards the future. Kirby hasn't had a major console release (excluding handhelds) since the N64 game. That was literally a decade ago in 2000. There were teases several times along the way that Kirby was finally going to be reappearing on our TV screens, but the only thing we got was Kirby Air Ride on the Gamecube in 2003, and that was ultimately a large disappointment, and not a standard Kirby game. It should come as no surprise that I'm extremely excited to see Kirby finally returning to the major console spotlight after all these years. So here's hoping that Kirby's Epic Yarn brings Kirby back to his former glory. I'm a little skeptical since he's lost his usual copy ability, but the game still looks very promising. Best wishes, Kirby.

Platforming Week: Donkey Kong Country 2

Thanks to a long (but excellent) night filled with fun and fighting games, this will be a shortened (and cheapened) post. Still, I would like to try and keep up with a post a day, so I'll give it a shot.

Whereas Castlevania IV was a game I played several years after the SNES still had games coming out, Donkey Kong Country games were childhood favorites. I remember getting excited around the release dates of Donkey Kong Country 2 and 3 in particular. Donkey Kong Country 2, however, stands out in my mind easily as my favorite of the 3. The other 2 were good (though 3 was my least favorite... that stupid big baby...) but my heart lies with 2. I even remember being at my friend's birthday party when I was still in elementary school and his big present being Donkey Kong Country 2. I was so excited to see the game... But enough with the nostalgia. Let's talk about the game at hand.

Soundtrack
The original Donkey Kong Country definitely had some great music but DKC2 certainly lives up to if not surpasses its predecessor's soundtrack. Many of the tunes are memorable, but I have to admit, nostalgia does play a role in this regard. Nevertheless, tracks like "stickerbrush symphony" from the thorn/bramble levels are very catchy and will remain favorites of mine for years to come. One other thing I really like about the game's music (and this isn't as attributable to nostalgia) is the death music. Not so much the tune itself, but the fact that it changes. All of the levels have a death tune that fits the theme music of the level you're on. While this isn't a major plus, it certainly is noticeable and a nice touch. After all, while you'll still be hearing the death music a fair amount, it makes it less annoying to hear different themes for different levels.

Difficulty
None of the Donkey Kong Country games are known as being "the hardest games ever," or anything, but Donkey Kong Country 2, as I recall, was the toughest of the 3. It never feels too difficult, but I never felt it was too easy. It finds a decent balance, and thanks to battery back-up save points, you'll rarely be sent back more than a level or two after a game over. Not to mention, after you reach a save point in a world, assuming you have a few coins, you can go back to it after any level and save your game. This allows you to go through some of the toughest sections of the game without having to replay any levels... or, it would if it weren't for bonus rooms and DK coins, but I'll address that later.

Control
There isn't a lot to be said here other than that the game controls well. The cartwheel-to-jump in mid-air is a fun mechanic carried over from the first game that allows for long, tricky jumps. It also should be noted that Diddy and Dixie control slightly differently, allowing for more variety.

Overall Fun Factor
With varied play mechanics such as barrel blast timing, roller coasters, and hot-air balloons, the game avoids feeling stale or mundane. Different animal buddies with different abilities add variety and keep things fresh as well. Everything sounds pretty great, right? Well it is... but there's one thing I am not as big of a fan of. To really beat the game and see the game's true ending, you'll have to discover hidden bonus rooms and DK coins. This leads to some blind jumps and aimless wandering... things I don't like to see in platforming games. Luckily, as a kid, I avoided this problem by using a small pocket guide that shows the locations of the coins and bonus rooms. Some might call it cheating, but I enjoyed myself a lot more than if I would have repeated levels over and over again until I finally found all the secrets. The bonus challenges themselves are entertaining and varied, but I'm not as keen on their hidden nature. I can see why some people might like these hidden rooms, but to me, they are an early version of "fetch quests," which unfortunately would later come to dominate the platforming genre. That aside, there's a lot of great platforming to be enjoyed in DKC2 and it will always be remembered as one of my favorite games from my childhood.

Platforming Week: Super Castlevania IV

Most of you reading already know this, but Super Castlevania IV was actually not the first Castlevania game I played. Instead, I had a bit of an odd introduction to the series with the Nintendo 64 Castlevania. Calm down, take it easy... set that hate aside. I say that simply to illustrate what a drastic change I was in for playing Super Castlevania IV the first time and what a treat it was for me.

Soundtrack
The Castlevania series is known for having excellent soundtracks, and Castlevania IV doesn't disappoint. From subdued, eerie atmospheric tracks to Simon's exhilarating and powerful theme, the game has a wide variety of music. I'm not saying all of the music is memorable, but if it isn't getting you pumped, it's usually contributing to the atmosphere. Not to mention, towards the end of the game, some of the classic themes from previous Castlevania games return triumphantly to pump you up for the final battle. The soundtrack adds a lot to the experience and helps make a great game even better.

Difficulty
Castlevania IV is, with little doubt in my mind, the easiest game in the classic Castlevania series. This, however, does not mean that Castlevania IV is an easy game by any means. Super Castlevania IV poses enough of a challenge that it feels satisfying to beat, but not so much of a challenge that it results in feelings of extreme frustration and shouting at your television. This is a delicate balance that many platformers struggle with.

It should be noted that I have completed Castlevania IV several times, so it's difficult to remember how much harder the game was for me on my first attempt. I'm sure it took me many more continues than it does today, but thanks to its password system, I was always able to pick up not too far from where I left off. It has recently come to my attention that if you play through the game a second time without resetting or turning the game off, you will be able to play a harder version. I realize I'm not taking that into account when considering the difficulty, but to me, playing a game through to the end usually is considered "beating" it. It's not as though Dracula suddenly flies away and you don't kill him so you have to start all over to get back to him. It doesn't pull that crap.

Control
Perhaps the biggest reason Castlevania IV seems easier than its predecessors is its control. Castlevania I and III (and II, I suppose) feature that stiff jump mechanic, where if you line up a jump wrong, you're done. Castlevania IV allows you to change your jump in the air, which is a lot more forgiving. Not only that, but Simon can whip in 8 directions. That's 6 more directions than usual, and damn does that help. While rarely useful, Simon can even move while crouching. These play mechanics make for a lot fewer cheap deaths. There certainly still are some deaths you'll never see coming the first time, but not nearly as many as you'll encounter in Castlevania I and III.

Overall Fun Factor
Less frustratingly cheap deaths = more fun. A wide variety of levels, such as a rotating room and swinging chandeliers add to the fun as well. Add a neat Indiana Jones style whip-swinging mechanic and you've got icing on the cake. Simply put, this game is fun and I'm glad I played through it again today. I technically can't call it my first Castlevania, but some would say I could still call it my first "real" Castlevania. I prefer just to call it a damn fine example of a platformer.

A Brief Introduction to "Platforming Week"

Jump!

This past week, my good friend over at Cinema is Cinema wrote about a different RPG each day of the week. I may not be as well-spoken as he is, but I figured I could give this "daily post week" thing a shot. However, in the interest of keeping things slightly different, I figured I would stray from talking about the same genre of games. Instead, I've decided to talk about the genre I played first and grew to love even more as time went on: the platformer.

Anyone who knows my taste in games at all knows I am a huge fan of platforming games, or, as I like to call them, "Go right and jump games." Why do I love them so much? That's a damn good question, and unfortunately, I don't really have an answer. Perhaps it's the fact that it's how I started playing games. Maybe it's because of the feeling of satisfaction I get upon completing a level. It could be that "easy to learn, tough to master" mentality that's so prevalent in most platformers. I really can't say, and as such, it's difficult to objectively review platformers. After playing a game, I can tell you whether or not I enjoyed it, but the more I try to analyze it, the more confused I get. Therefore, I likely will not be looking at too many specific qualities, but a few main things I will mention in each game will be the soundtrack, difficulty, control, and overall fun factor of the game.

To conclude this introduction, I would like to point out that I'm not claiming the games I write about are the "best platforming titles of all time" or anything like that. They're simply games that stand out in my mind as enjoyable platformers. It goes without saying that there will be many popular fan-favorites that I will not be mentioning. The platformer is a genre that's seen hundreds of titles so it would be nearly impossible for me to play all of them. That being said, it is a genre I truly love and will continue to play more games in.

I will kick off the week tomorrow with a look at the first 2D Castlevania I played and what is likely my favorite of the "classic" series before the "metroidvania" style gameplay, "Super Castlevania IV."