61. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
A surprisingly good 2D beat em up! It's a fun playthrough for an afternoon!
Pick your favorite Ranger and go to town whacking baddies. Halfway through each level you transform into Ranger form and get a huge power boost, which is like, Altered Beast cool. The bosses aren't bad either.
Late in the game you do a bunch of Megazord battles all in a row, and while that is awesome, I feel like having them sprinkled throughout the game would have made for better variety.
There's nothing really special or great about this game, but there's nothing really wrong with it either.
Do I recommend this game:
Yeah, it's a fun two hours or so. It's easy enough for anyone almost. I never gave a shit about the power rangers, but if you've got nostalgia for the original show then that's a nice bonus.
Oh, and here's the actual show OP because it fucking rules.
SNES Favorite 75
Re: SNES Favorite 75
60. Utopia: The Creation of a Nation
Populous, Civilization, Actraiser, SimEarth, and SimCity.
I hear Populous is pretty bad unless you're a REAL big fan of this game genre, Civilization is waaaayy too complex to be a good port, SimEarth is kinda a shit game even on PC, ActRaiser is good but splits the focus, and SimCity will be appearing later on this list.
So that leaves Utopia as the SNES 4x/City Building game.
So what is it? It's rather obscure but I put a lot of time into this weird little sci-fi building game. You're the administrator of a new colony on one of ten worlds (ranked from easiest to hardest) and you've got to do the usual thing where you spend money wisely. There's research for new tech, investment in money to make more money, funding for defense, civil, tax rates, birth rates, everything. A surprising amount of depth really.
The twist here is that after a certain point, the aliens you share the planet with will show up and start blowing up your shit.
Battles take place in real time. Enemy tanks move around and you've got to send your ships and tanks to intercept them. Build defensive turrets on the edges of your city and take advantage of impassable terrain to create choke points. Eventually, build up enough of an army to send it to attack the Alien City.
Sadly, for all the good things this game does, it has just as many problems. The controls and the player area of view are terrible. Controlling your tanks and ships is clunky and weird. You have to set "markers" and then send units to that marker. A lot of the time, by the time they reach the marker, enemy units have moved away and you'll have to repeat the process. The later worlds are so ball-bustingly difficult that I never could manage to survive, much less attack the aliens. There's no diplomacy option either, it's kill or be killed.
All in all a fun but flawed game. Your enjoyment of this game will basically be measure by how much you like the genre and how much jank you're willing to put up with. It does have pretty good graphics, though they are tiny. It at least gives a convincing impression of hostile alien worlds.
Do I recommend this game:
See above. Also, it might be better played on the PC for MS-DOS or the Amiga or whatever. Dunno.
Populous, Civilization, Actraiser, SimEarth, and SimCity.
I hear Populous is pretty bad unless you're a REAL big fan of this game genre, Civilization is waaaayy too complex to be a good port, SimEarth is kinda a shit game even on PC, ActRaiser is good but splits the focus, and SimCity will be appearing later on this list.
So that leaves Utopia as the SNES 4x/City Building game.
So what is it? It's rather obscure but I put a lot of time into this weird little sci-fi building game. You're the administrator of a new colony on one of ten worlds (ranked from easiest to hardest) and you've got to do the usual thing where you spend money wisely. There's research for new tech, investment in money to make more money, funding for defense, civil, tax rates, birth rates, everything. A surprising amount of depth really.
The twist here is that after a certain point, the aliens you share the planet with will show up and start blowing up your shit.
Battles take place in real time. Enemy tanks move around and you've got to send your ships and tanks to intercept them. Build defensive turrets on the edges of your city and take advantage of impassable terrain to create choke points. Eventually, build up enough of an army to send it to attack the Alien City.
Sadly, for all the good things this game does, it has just as many problems. The controls and the player area of view are terrible. Controlling your tanks and ships is clunky and weird. You have to set "markers" and then send units to that marker. A lot of the time, by the time they reach the marker, enemy units have moved away and you'll have to repeat the process. The later worlds are so ball-bustingly difficult that I never could manage to survive, much less attack the aliens. There's no diplomacy option either, it's kill or be killed.
All in all a fun but flawed game. Your enjoyment of this game will basically be measure by how much you like the genre and how much jank you're willing to put up with. It does have pretty good graphics, though they are tiny. It at least gives a convincing impression of hostile alien worlds.
Do I recommend this game:
See above. Also, it might be better played on the PC for MS-DOS or the Amiga or whatever. Dunno.
Re: SNES Favorite 75
Friday wrote:9. Chrono Trigger
Thad wrote:Did you ever get around to playing Aladdin on the Genesis? Same director.
And also Tommy Tallarico
Re: SNES Favorite 75
Eh, the stuff Tommy Tallarico actually did is perfectly fine.
It's just all the other stuff he claims credit for that's a problem.
It's just all the other stuff he claims credit for that's a problem.
How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks.
Re: SNES Favorite 75
59. The Lost Vikings
Do you like puzzle games? Because I don't. Unless they're Lufia 2 I guess.
Anyway, The Lost Vikings is a puzzle game that's pretending to be an action game. Each of your vikings has a special ability: Olaf the Stout can use a shield to block enemy projectiles, Baleog the Fierce can fight, and Erik the Swift can (gasp) jump like a normal platformer character.
That's right, two out of three of your characters can't even jump.
Anyway, you use them in certain combinations to overcome obstacles and solve puzzle stuff. Some of it toward the end of the game is pretty tough!
It's slow, plodding, and everything I generally dislike in games. But somehow The Lost Vikings pulls it off, with charm and panache.
Do I recommend this game:
Yeah, actually. It's pretty unique even today. I played through it only once and have no plans to ever play it again, but it was an enjoyable enough experience that I decided to go and get ahold of...
Do you like puzzle games? Because I don't. Unless they're Lufia 2 I guess.
Anyway, The Lost Vikings is a puzzle game that's pretending to be an action game. Each of your vikings has a special ability: Olaf the Stout can use a shield to block enemy projectiles, Baleog the Fierce can fight, and Erik the Swift can (gasp) jump like a normal platformer character.
That's right, two out of three of your characters can't even jump.
Anyway, you use them in certain combinations to overcome obstacles and solve puzzle stuff. Some of it toward the end of the game is pretty tough!
It's slow, plodding, and everything I generally dislike in games. But somehow The Lost Vikings pulls it off, with charm and panache.
Do I recommend this game:
Yeah, actually. It's pretty unique even today. I played through it only once and have no plans to ever play it again, but it was an enjoyable enough experience that I decided to go and get ahold of...
Re: SNES Favorite 75
Rank up! Now we're into games that are above average!
58. The Lost Vikings 2
Did you like The Lost Vikings? Cause I did and this is the bigger, badder older brother.
Now Olaf can fart and glide. Baelog gets a bow and arrow. Eric can ram shit with his horns, which is both useful for puzzles and also gives him an actual way to attack. The puzzles and enemies are meaner to compensate. Everything is bigger and badder and better.
This is a refinement of the first game, so no points for originality, but it's such a good upgrade that I consider it a full tier worth higher quality. This time there's like a time travel plot I think? I remember ending up in the technodrome base future where the final boss was a massive pain in my ass to kill. Good shit!
Do I recommend this game:
Actually, I do! And I sort of even recommend it over the first game! Like, just start with this one? I dunno. It might be hard to go back once you're used to big bro though. If puzzle hating Friday likes it, and you've got any love for puzzles, then I can't imagine you disliking this.
58. The Lost Vikings 2
Did you like The Lost Vikings? Cause I did and this is the bigger, badder older brother.
Now Olaf can fart and glide. Baelog gets a bow and arrow. Eric can ram shit with his horns, which is both useful for puzzles and also gives him an actual way to attack. The puzzles and enemies are meaner to compensate. Everything is bigger and badder and better.
This is a refinement of the first game, so no points for originality, but it's such a good upgrade that I consider it a full tier worth higher quality. This time there's like a time travel plot I think? I remember ending up in the technodrome base future where the final boss was a massive pain in my ass to kill. Good shit!
Do I recommend this game:
Actually, I do! And I sort of even recommend it over the first game! Like, just start with this one? I dunno. It might be hard to go back once you're used to big bro though. If puzzle hating Friday likes it, and you've got any love for puzzles, then I can't imagine you disliking this.
Re: SNES Favorite 75
Small correction: Olaf's glide, Baelog's bow and Erik's ram were already in the first Lost Vikings.
Fun fact: The company who made Lost Vikings was called Silicon and Synapse, who would later go on to be better known as Blizzard. There are a few Lost Vikings references in World of Warcraft.
Fun fact: The company who made Lost Vikings was called Silicon and Synapse, who would later go on to be better known as Blizzard. There are a few Lost Vikings references in World of Warcraft.
Re: SNES Favorite 75
Oh that's right. They did gain new abilities though. Olaf got the fart and Baelog got the cybernetic arm. I forget what Erik got.
Looks like rocket boots for a double jump? God it's been forever since I played these games.
Looks like rocket boots for a double jump? God it's been forever since I played these games.
Re: SNES Favorite 75
The inaccurately-named Blizzard Arcade Collection has both Lost Vikings games (as well as RPM Racing, Rock n Roll Racing, and Blackthorne), for those willing to give their money to Blizzard.
It's a Digital Eclipse collection, which means not only is it quality, it's got extras that aren't in the original games. Not only does it have both the SNES and the Genesis versions of Lost Vikings, it has a new version that modifies the SNES game to add the extra levels that were only in the Genesis version.
It's a Digital Eclipse collection, which means not only is it quality, it's got extras that aren't in the original games. Not only does it have both the SNES and the Genesis versions of Lost Vikings, it has a new version that modifies the SNES game to add the extra levels that were only in the Genesis version.
Re: SNES Favorite 75
57. Sim City
The one, the only, the classic. Simple, elegant, and fun.
What is there to say about Sim City classic?
Oh, right. More roads won't solve your traffic problems. Just like in real life. In fact just don't build them at all. Train supremacy.
Though it's been eclipsed and outclassed by the multitude of city sims that came after it, it still holds up as a fun builder even today. And because it's old and simple, it lacks a lot of the more irritating "features" that came with added complexity. Balance your RCI zones and make sure you put all your polluting shit on the edge of the map so half of it becomes someone else's problem and you're pretty much golden. You can micromanage so that your zones combine if you really want to. Unlike real life, the more cops the better.
SimCity OG can be played either for max population or just to fuck around and make cool or weird shit. SimCity is one of those games, like Stardew Valley, that's just so chill and imbued with universal appeal that I could recommend it to almost anyone.
Do I recommend this game:
Yeah I just said I do pay attention jesus
I mean I guess a complete action junkie might hate this game. But it was beloved by kids everywhere and it's not like the concepts are that hard to grasp. Sadly it does not have YOU CAN'T CUT BACK ON FUNDING YOU WILL REGRET THIS so 0/10.
The one, the only, the classic. Simple, elegant, and fun.
What is there to say about Sim City classic?
Oh, right. More roads won't solve your traffic problems. Just like in real life. In fact just don't build them at all. Train supremacy.
Though it's been eclipsed and outclassed by the multitude of city sims that came after it, it still holds up as a fun builder even today. And because it's old and simple, it lacks a lot of the more irritating "features" that came with added complexity. Balance your RCI zones and make sure you put all your polluting shit on the edge of the map so half of it becomes someone else's problem and you're pretty much golden. You can micromanage so that your zones combine if you really want to. Unlike real life, the more cops the better.
SimCity OG can be played either for max population or just to fuck around and make cool or weird shit. SimCity is one of those games, like Stardew Valley, that's just so chill and imbued with universal appeal that I could recommend it to almost anyone.
Do I recommend this game:
Yeah I just said I do pay attention jesus
I mean I guess a complete action junkie might hate this game. But it was beloved by kids everywhere and it's not like the concepts are that hard to grasp. Sadly it does not have YOU CAN'T CUT BACK ON FUNDING YOU WILL REGRET THIS so 0/10.
Re: SNES Favorite 75
56. Pac Man 2
Sometimes people will be like "wow, such and such game that just came out is so weird and unique! it's truly something singular, what an oddball" and i will smile, shake my head sadly, and walk away.
Pac Man 2 is the most insane videogame ever made. I don't care if it's good or bad, because what is even happening? Who made this? Why? Is it fun? Yes? No? Does it matter? Goggle at it. Bow down before it. Dread it, run from it, Pac Man 2 arrives all the same.
For those of you not in the know, Pac Man 2 is a game in which you do not control the main character. Instead, you will watch, dumbfounded, as Pac Man kills himself in a variety of ways over and over again as you frantically mash NO STOP TURN AROUND and shoot him in the face with a slingshot. Slowly, bit by bit, you will chisel away at what this thing, this creature, wants you to do. You will shoot Pac Man just enough that he will angrily avoid a hazard. You will calm him by bribing him with food. You will watch him get killed by a dog. You will watch him walk off a cliff. You will, sitting there in your chair, question reality itself. Would real life allow this piece of media to exist? Surely instead it would not. And thus, we live in a Simulation. A Simulation, I am convinced, whose sole purpose it is to study the effects of Pac Man 2 on a sentient species.
I sat down one afternoon and beat this game without any guides or help. It took me six hours. I do not know why I did it. A certain kind of masochism that I no longer possess. I will rake myself over the coals of a souls-like for a year before I will return to whatever the fuck this game is.
Do I recommend this game:
No. Stay away. Or, discard your sanity and enter. But be warned: There is no coming back from Pac Man 2. You cannot unsee it. From then on, you will be changed. The scars will not be visible, but they will be there. A forlorn reminder that reality is not real, that logic and reason are ultimately frail and fleeting, puny and insignificant in the face of chaos and the universe. Pac Man 2 is the god that devours. When the universe is so old that even the black holes have died, Pac Man 2 will remain. And it will be smiling.
Sometimes people will be like "wow, such and such game that just came out is so weird and unique! it's truly something singular, what an oddball" and i will smile, shake my head sadly, and walk away.
Pac Man 2 is the most insane videogame ever made. I don't care if it's good or bad, because what is even happening? Who made this? Why? Is it fun? Yes? No? Does it matter? Goggle at it. Bow down before it. Dread it, run from it, Pac Man 2 arrives all the same.
For those of you not in the know, Pac Man 2 is a game in which you do not control the main character. Instead, you will watch, dumbfounded, as Pac Man kills himself in a variety of ways over and over again as you frantically mash NO STOP TURN AROUND and shoot him in the face with a slingshot. Slowly, bit by bit, you will chisel away at what this thing, this creature, wants you to do. You will shoot Pac Man just enough that he will angrily avoid a hazard. You will calm him by bribing him with food. You will watch him get killed by a dog. You will watch him walk off a cliff. You will, sitting there in your chair, question reality itself. Would real life allow this piece of media to exist? Surely instead it would not. And thus, we live in a Simulation. A Simulation, I am convinced, whose sole purpose it is to study the effects of Pac Man 2 on a sentient species.
I sat down one afternoon and beat this game without any guides or help. It took me six hours. I do not know why I did it. A certain kind of masochism that I no longer possess. I will rake myself over the coals of a souls-like for a year before I will return to whatever the fuck this game is.
Do I recommend this game:
No. Stay away. Or, discard your sanity and enter. But be warned: There is no coming back from Pac Man 2. You cannot unsee it. From then on, you will be changed. The scars will not be visible, but they will be there. A forlorn reminder that reality is not real, that logic and reason are ultimately frail and fleeting, puny and insignificant in the face of chaos and the universe. Pac Man 2 is the god that devours. When the universe is so old that even the black holes have died, Pac Man 2 will remain. And it will be smiling.
Re: SNES Favorite 75
55. Mega Man X2
WELCOME TO MEGAMAN X2, THE WORST MEGAMAN X GAME ON THE SNES
hello yes this is Friday, age 17 or whenever the fuck I played this for the first time
Why is this the worst MMX on the SNES? Simple. MMX1 is the best Megaman game ever made (or at least tied for 1st) and MMX3 lets you play as Zero. Yes, only one life. But still. I don't care that you can fight evil Zero in MMX2, that's if you fuck up and don't get all the parts to repair him. NON-CANON ALSO THE FIGHT IN 5 IS BETTER
MMX2 doesn't really do a lot or add anything significant to the franchise. Also, it's level design is by far the most annoying and shitty of the SNES games.
But, I mean. It's still a MMX game. And that means fun.
Do I recommend this game:
Yeah, but only for Megaman fanatics. It's not as terrible as the truly terrible Megaman games, but it's below average. I'd recommend like 10 Megaman games to someone before I said to try this out.
WELCOME TO MEGAMAN X2, THE WORST MEGAMAN X GAME ON THE SNES
hello yes this is Friday, age 17 or whenever the fuck I played this for the first time
Why is this the worst MMX on the SNES? Simple. MMX1 is the best Megaman game ever made (or at least tied for 1st) and MMX3 lets you play as Zero. Yes, only one life. But still. I don't care that you can fight evil Zero in MMX2, that's if you fuck up and don't get all the parts to repair him. NON-CANON ALSO THE FIGHT IN 5 IS BETTER
MMX2 doesn't really do a lot or add anything significant to the franchise. Also, it's level design is by far the most annoying and shitty of the SNES games.
But, I mean. It's still a MMX game. And that means fun.
Do I recommend this game:
Yeah, but only for Megaman fanatics. It's not as terrible as the truly terrible Megaman games, but it's below average. I'd recommend like 10 Megaman games to someone before I said to try this out.
Re: SNES Favorite 75
54. Super Mario Kart
This game usually ranks a lot higher on the lists I've watched on youtube of SNES games. Usually top 20 or even top 10. I get it. It was amazing for its time. Released as a direct answer to "why can't I play F-Zero with a friend what the fuck Nintendo", Nintendo scaled back the size of the tracks and added Mario bullshit. And the result spawned a franchise that endures to this day.
But how does it hold up today?
Well, it's okay.
It's alright.
The problem is there just isn't a whole lot of depth to the game. Once you learn all the tracks and all the tricks on the tracks, that's... pretty much it. Yeah, it's got 2p battle mode, which is fun to shoot your brother in. Yeah, it's got 150cc mode for those who want to hurt themselves. 150cc is pretty much "drive perfectly and never fall behind, the game mode" and if that's your thing then you might enjoy what Mario Kart has for you.
Unlike SimCity, I think the original Mario Kart has been pretty much obliterated by its own sequels. There's no real reason to play this anymore beyond a quick jaunt to go "wow, mode 7. cool. alright back to mario kart 8"
That being said, it's still got a lot of charm and it's not, like, bad. Just outclassed. Nintendo pulled off a miracle making a game this smooth and fun on the tech at the time.
Do I recommend this game:
Eh, solid neutral. Take it or leave it. You might be able to get some fun playing with your kid. Mario Kart is one of those games that's like an ore deposit. It's fun while it lasts, but once you mine it out, there's not much left to do but remember the good times.
This game usually ranks a lot higher on the lists I've watched on youtube of SNES games. Usually top 20 or even top 10. I get it. It was amazing for its time. Released as a direct answer to "why can't I play F-Zero with a friend what the fuck Nintendo", Nintendo scaled back the size of the tracks and added Mario bullshit. And the result spawned a franchise that endures to this day.
But how does it hold up today?
Well, it's okay.
It's alright.
The problem is there just isn't a whole lot of depth to the game. Once you learn all the tracks and all the tricks on the tracks, that's... pretty much it. Yeah, it's got 2p battle mode, which is fun to shoot your brother in. Yeah, it's got 150cc mode for those who want to hurt themselves. 150cc is pretty much "drive perfectly and never fall behind, the game mode" and if that's your thing then you might enjoy what Mario Kart has for you.
Unlike SimCity, I think the original Mario Kart has been pretty much obliterated by its own sequels. There's no real reason to play this anymore beyond a quick jaunt to go "wow, mode 7. cool. alright back to mario kart 8"
That being said, it's still got a lot of charm and it's not, like, bad. Just outclassed. Nintendo pulled off a miracle making a game this smooth and fun on the tech at the time.
Do I recommend this game:
Eh, solid neutral. Take it or leave it. You might be able to get some fun playing with your kid. Mario Kart is one of those games that's like an ore deposit. It's fun while it lasts, but once you mine it out, there's not much left to do but remember the good times.
Re: SNES Favorite 75
RANK UP! Now we're getting good!
53. F-Zero
SPEAKING OF MODE 7
F-Zero is like a tech demo that went "lol why not also be a really fun game" and the devs were like "ummm okay but you'd need like the fucking best racing game music tracks in history so that zoom go fast feels even faster zoom go fast" and F-Zero was like BITCH I GOT YOU FAM
So I put this up a tier above Mario Kart. I'm sure you're sharpening your knife even as you read this, but come on man. Mario Kart is slllloooooow. It's got charm, sure, but does it have EXPLOSIONS?!
F-Zero has no 2p mode, which was such a shame that eventually Nintendo was like "FINE 99p MODE THEN" but that's not really in the scope of this review. So let's focus on what F-Zero does have:
1. fuckin' amazing music tracks
2. cool sci-fi go fast hovercars
3. blistering difficulty
4. this
Let's see your pathetic little Yoshi in go-kart do that shit
Do I recommend this game:
Only if you're not a LOSER
53. F-Zero
SPEAKING OF MODE 7
F-Zero is like a tech demo that went "lol why not also be a really fun game" and the devs were like "ummm okay but you'd need like the fucking best racing game music tracks in history so that zoom go fast feels even faster zoom go fast" and F-Zero was like BITCH I GOT YOU FAM
So I put this up a tier above Mario Kart. I'm sure you're sharpening your knife even as you read this, but come on man. Mario Kart is slllloooooow. It's got charm, sure, but does it have EXPLOSIONS?!
F-Zero has no 2p mode, which was such a shame that eventually Nintendo was like "FINE 99p MODE THEN" but that's not really in the scope of this review. So let's focus on what F-Zero does have:
1. fuckin' amazing music tracks
2. cool sci-fi go fast hovercars
3. blistering difficulty
4. this
Let's see your pathetic little Yoshi in go-kart do that shit
Do I recommend this game:
Only if you're not a LOSER
Re: SNES Favorite 75
52. Mega Man X3
lol you can play as the girly robot in this one
Do I recommend this game:
No go get a ps1 and play X4 instead idiot
lol you can play as the girly robot in this one
Do I recommend this game:
No go get a ps1 and play X4 instead idiot
Re: SNES Favorite 75
51. Ninja Warriors
Ninjas? Check. Beat em up? Check. Robots? Check. Girl ninja? Check. Insanely dark ending for no reason? Check.
what more could you ask for?
Ninja Warriors plays great and has that classic beat em up flow. It's not a game you really care about, but it's certainly fun as fuck in the moment. It's pretty much the exact game I think of when I think of the concept of the average SNES game. Which goes to show the power of the SNES library, really. The "average" game is pretty good.
As far as how it ranks against other beat em ups at the time, well, it's no Streets of Rage 2. There's even a few beat em ups on the SNES I'd rank higher. But you won't regret giving this a spin for a half hour.
Do I recommend this game:
I do, actually. I think it's got spectacle, if not the greatest substance. Play it, try out the three characters, and then walk away. You won't regret your time spent.
Ninjas? Check. Beat em up? Check. Robots? Check. Girl ninja? Check. Insanely dark ending for no reason? Check.
what more could you ask for?
Ninja Warriors plays great and has that classic beat em up flow. It's not a game you really care about, but it's certainly fun as fuck in the moment. It's pretty much the exact game I think of when I think of the concept of the average SNES game. Which goes to show the power of the SNES library, really. The "average" game is pretty good.
As far as how it ranks against other beat em ups at the time, well, it's no Streets of Rage 2. There's even a few beat em ups on the SNES I'd rank higher. But you won't regret giving this a spin for a half hour.
Do I recommend this game:
I do, actually. I think it's got spectacle, if not the greatest substance. Play it, try out the three characters, and then walk away. You won't regret your time spent.
Re: SNES Favorite 75
50. Secret of Evermore
Finally, a fucking game I can talk about beyond memes and a few sentences.
SoE is a very weird, very ambitious, and very flawed video game. But there's a lot of good that can be excavated here, with your fingernails, like extracting a ball of gunk from a socket.
The game is unique in that it is the only game developed by Square America. Jeremy Soule did the music, his first videogame project, and it's a very unique OST. Mostly ambient nature sounds, nevertheless the game has some incredible standout tracks. the Devs intentionally copied Secret of Mana's mechanics but there's no real tie between the two games otherwise.
So why does this game have a semi-infamous reputation? Why is everyone's favorite SoM over this?
SoE is darker, more dour. There's no 2p or 3p mode, which sucks. It's got a very muted color palette, especially compared to SoM's bright and cheery one. The combat is finicky, even moreso than SoM. There's an emphasis on slow, plodding exploration. Move around slowly, sniffing for ingredients with your dog. Combat is even slower than SoM, and more punishing. It's like if someone saw SoM and went "what if we made a game like this, but like, we sucked some of the life and cheer out of it and made it even more frustrating?"
Sounds bad, right? Well, it was! Sort of. But it also sort of had a certain appeal. Sure, it can't compete with SoM. But if you take the game on its own terms, and let it into your mind, well, something weird happens. Its not ashamed to be doing its own thing. It doesn't care that its dark and slow, in fact, it wants to be those things. As you plod along slowly, with only your dog by your side, carefully conserving your materials for spells, only using them when you have to, you realize that this is actually a pretty hardcore immersive experience.
What am I saying? think of it this way. Secret of Mana is the superior game in almost every respect. Better combat, mechanics, magic system. More fun. Bright and cheerful with bright and cheerful bombastic music tracks. But if you let it, Secret of Evermore will pull you down into it. You'll be there with the Boy and His Dog every step of the way, exploring dark caves, infested swamps, burning volcanos, sliding deserts. You'll haggle for the best trade deals in the marketplace right there next to him, not noticing that this is actually just a big hassle and waste of the player's time. You'll feel the tension of being deep inside a dungeon and running low on heals and supplies.
There are games that prioritize fun and player satisfaction. And then there are games that instead opt for something else. An experience. The world of SoE is hostile and dangerous and cruel. The mechanics are flawed. The enemies are balanced too hard. Everything just feels weird and off. But it's different on purpose. Calling SoE a cheap rip off of SoM is as wrong as calling Lies of P a cheap rip off of Bloodborne.
I went back recently to play Diablo 1 and realized how old that game was. It had none of the player-focused bells and whistles. But it had something Diablo 2 (and especially Diablo 3) did not: it had a real sense of dread. Diablo 1 is the most immersive Diablo game. And SoE does something similar. It shows you a world that was not made for you.
Do I recommend this game:
Nope. What this game has to offer does not appeal to most.
Finally, a fucking game I can talk about beyond memes and a few sentences.
SoE is a very weird, very ambitious, and very flawed video game. But there's a lot of good that can be excavated here, with your fingernails, like extracting a ball of gunk from a socket.
The game is unique in that it is the only game developed by Square America. Jeremy Soule did the music, his first videogame project, and it's a very unique OST. Mostly ambient nature sounds, nevertheless the game has some incredible standout tracks. the Devs intentionally copied Secret of Mana's mechanics but there's no real tie between the two games otherwise.
So why does this game have a semi-infamous reputation? Why is everyone's favorite SoM over this?
SoE is darker, more dour. There's no 2p or 3p mode, which sucks. It's got a very muted color palette, especially compared to SoM's bright and cheery one. The combat is finicky, even moreso than SoM. There's an emphasis on slow, plodding exploration. Move around slowly, sniffing for ingredients with your dog. Combat is even slower than SoM, and more punishing. It's like if someone saw SoM and went "what if we made a game like this, but like, we sucked some of the life and cheer out of it and made it even more frustrating?"
Sounds bad, right? Well, it was! Sort of. But it also sort of had a certain appeal. Sure, it can't compete with SoM. But if you take the game on its own terms, and let it into your mind, well, something weird happens. Its not ashamed to be doing its own thing. It doesn't care that its dark and slow, in fact, it wants to be those things. As you plod along slowly, with only your dog by your side, carefully conserving your materials for spells, only using them when you have to, you realize that this is actually a pretty hardcore immersive experience.
What am I saying? think of it this way. Secret of Mana is the superior game in almost every respect. Better combat, mechanics, magic system. More fun. Bright and cheerful with bright and cheerful bombastic music tracks. But if you let it, Secret of Evermore will pull you down into it. You'll be there with the Boy and His Dog every step of the way, exploring dark caves, infested swamps, burning volcanos, sliding deserts. You'll haggle for the best trade deals in the marketplace right there next to him, not noticing that this is actually just a big hassle and waste of the player's time. You'll feel the tension of being deep inside a dungeon and running low on heals and supplies.
There are games that prioritize fun and player satisfaction. And then there are games that instead opt for something else. An experience. The world of SoE is hostile and dangerous and cruel. The mechanics are flawed. The enemies are balanced too hard. Everything just feels weird and off. But it's different on purpose. Calling SoE a cheap rip off of SoM is as wrong as calling Lies of P a cheap rip off of Bloodborne.
I went back recently to play Diablo 1 and realized how old that game was. It had none of the player-focused bells and whistles. But it had something Diablo 2 (and especially Diablo 3) did not: it had a real sense of dread. Diablo 1 is the most immersive Diablo game. And SoE does something similar. It shows you a world that was not made for you.
Do I recommend this game:
Nope. What this game has to offer does not appeal to most.
Re: SNES Favorite 75
I went to the liquor store the other day and they had the title screen music from SimCity playing. I couldn't quite place it so I had to ask "okay what Super Nintendo game is this, I know I recognize it".
SNES SimCity is the best SimCity despite the notable handicap of not using a mouse. The music is a large part of why. Also, the one-of-a-kind gifts you get at certain milestones are a neat little addition unique to that version. And it's got a ton of Weird Nintendo personality with Dr. Wright and tiny scowly Bowser and shit.
Though if you want the PC version, it's still pretty great and it's free/open-source; search for micropolis.
SNES SimCity is the best SimCity despite the notable handicap of not using a mouse. The music is a large part of why. Also, the one-of-a-kind gifts you get at certain milestones are a neat little addition unique to that version. And it's got a ton of Weird Nintendo personality with Dr. Wright and tiny scowly Bowser and shit.
Though if you want the PC version, it's still pretty great and it's free/open-source; search for micropolis.
Re: SNES Favorite 75
I will admit that when I recently played through Link's Awakening I may have made a sound like a happy schoolgirl when I saw Dr. Wright. Actually Link's Awakening made me make that noise quite a few times.
Re: SNES Favorite 75
Friday wrote:Do I recommend this game:
No. Stay away.
Fuck you, Pacman 2 was the fucking best thing to happen in video games that decade.
How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks.
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