alienjesus wrote:I finished up Wario World today. It is a very thoroughly OK game.
The levels were too long, but the game was too short. The game over-relied on it's basic beat-em-up mechanics when it's platforming puzzles were it's strongest point.
Overall, it was decent enough. I wasn't enamoured with it though.
I recall Ex saying about as much about Wario World, too. I guess it's not a must-play, then.
I won't be finishing any more Treasure games before the end of the night, but I spent a bit of time playing Gradius V earlier today. I've finished the arcade version of the original Gradius on one credit before, and pretty much love it. I've also spent a fair amount of time playing Gradius II in the past, but don't quite like it as much. Gradius III I've played a bit, getting good enough to clear the first stage of the arcade version. Gradius IV, and Gaiden I've spent some time with, but feel about as ambivalent about them as I do III. (I haven't played a ton of Rebirth, but it seems really great, from what I have played. Some day I will spend more time with it.) So, I don't know that I necessarily expected a whole lot from Gradius V, even though I've noticed quite a few people talking it up in the past. It does have a fairly strong "Gradius" feel to it; Much stronger than Gradius III or IV. At the same time, it feels a little like Darius Burst, from the graphical style. I don't hate it, but I also don't love the newer 3D model/environment stuff in shooters. I usually don't tend to mind Naomi stuff, though, for whatever reason. So, anyway, Gradius V is pretty easy, up to the second boss. I can't beat it. I hate that thing in Gradius II, and it's way worse in Gradius V. I can no miss up to that point, and still lose all of my continues trying to kill it. I really like the Type 3 ship, which has options set up with two above the VV, and two below, with a distance between them that can be varied with the option button. I don't entirely recall, but I think there might have been a ship type that allows the options to be sort of pinned to certain spots, and short of that, I don't see a way to beat it.
Gradius V does still feel like a Gradius game, but it also feels like a Treasure game. Something about some of the enemy patterns, and a lot about the first boss fight, is very reminiscent of Radiant Silvergun, and Ikaruga. Sure enough, it was Iuchi at the helm again (I had no idea he was involved with Taroumaru). It's always nice to have music by Sakimoto Hitoshi, but it does seem kind of strange in a Gradius game, I have to say. I enjoy it, up to the second boss, but I don't know if I'll really touch it much in the future.