Games Beaten 2017

[dunpeal2064]

Got a couple new clears in this weekend!

Midnight Resistance (Genesis, 1CC):

This is quite a lovely run 'n gun, and this conversion definitely falls into the realm of "Port that may surpass its arcade original". The biggest barrier to entry will likely be the odd control scheme. The arcade game was played with two sticks, ala Robotron, and of course converting that required some liberties be taken. Highly recommend sticking with the default controls (A to initiate autofire, Hold B to lock your directional aim, C to jump). It feels similar to Atomic Runner (Another Data East gem of a port), in that it quickly goes from awkward, to totally badass once you come to grips with it. Its a fairly short romp, and with pretty forgiving difficulty throughout, though there is enough to keep you on your toes. Music is out of this world, fairly sure Sakimoto worked on this conversion as he did the other DECO>Home ports, and the work here is stunning. Its not a Contra 3, for sure, but I think its the sort of game with enough charm and fun gameplay to warrant a look nonetheless.

Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis, 1CC, Axel)

Finally, holy crap. Been working on this clear off and on for too long. I am only now really coming to grips with the nuances of this genre, having spent recent time with Final Fight 2/3, The Ninjawarriors Again, etc. Coming back to SOR2 after this made a huge difference, and the game became much more managable when approached correctly. I wouldn't be surprised if this game is considered an easy 1cc to Beat em Up veterans. After getting this clear, and having a rush of confidence, I went to SOR1 thinking I could nail that one down, but NOPE! That game is much leaner and meaner, imo. Not much to say on the quality of the game, as its fuckin SOR2. Still not sure which of the trilogy is my favorite, and I could see an argument being made for any of the 3.

[Xeogred]

SoR2 is my favorite.

Dear Esther looks great, been thinking of hitting it up myself sometime soon.

[dunpeal2064]

SoR2 is my favorite.

I'll share my thoughts on the series

SOR - While less full than the later games, I really love the brisk and constant pace the game keeps. It is so much faster than 2 and 3, to the point of almost feeling like its from a different series. Also, cop car is rad. Of the three, this feels the most arcade-like. As swift and action-packed as it is though, I do find myself missing specials and far better sprites. Very good ost here, of course, which I think often gets overshadowed by the sequels.

SOR2 - Easily the most well-made and balanced of the three. If I had to pick an objective best, this would be it. Big sprites, varied enemies, lovely stages, sweet special moves, wonderful ost. It just does everything right.

SOR3 - Ambitious in almost every corner. Hidden playable characters, expanded moveset including running and vertical rolling, insanely risky (but imo absolutely wonderful) ost. Feels like SOR turned to 11. In doing so, as often happens with ambitious sequels, it comes out less balanced and well made than SOR2. (Speaking to BK3, since SOR3 also had the misfortune of getting butchered in localization, unlike the other two).

All 3 are just damn, damn good. As someone who tends to take ambition over perfection, I often lean towards 3 (I also love that music so so much), but its a tough pick.

[Exhuminator]

The only reason I can't is because it is a pure walking sim; most others incorporate some degree of puzzle solving to give the game a little more gameplay, and that little bit of interactivity is needed to push me over the edge.

This is what you want.

--


98. Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection | PC | 2008/2017 | 9/10

In 2001, Falcom released a PC game called "Zwei!!", the German word for "two". Two, because you used two protagonists simultaneously as you played the game. In 2008, Falcom released "Zwei II", a PC sequel with a mostly standalone story. In 2017, XSEED localized Zwei II for English audiences as "Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection" (henceforth Zwei), releasing it on GOG and Steam. Like its predecessor, Zwei stars two simultaneous protagonists; Ragna, a red headed treasure hunter seeking his kidnapped sister, and Alwen, a vampiric sorceress trying to claim back her stolen throne. On one of his explorations Ragna flies to Ilvard, crosses aerial paths with powerful adversaries, is defeated midair, and crash lands, nearly dying. Alwen happens to see the event and saves Ragna's life, at the cost of a blood pact. Long story short; Ragna and Alwen become bonded partners, both symbiotically helping each other in their individual quests.



Zwei is an action-RPG, with simple controls. There is a melee button that causes Ragna to attack with his anchor gear, a vicious whip-like weapon with serious slicing ability. There is a magic button, that causes Alwen to attack with various magical capabilities. A simple example of how this works is for Alwen to cast freeze on an enemy, and then Ragna to kill it while it's frozen. Because switching between the two allies is instantaneous, utilizing their combat combo attacks is a frequent asset. Ragna's anchor gear is upgrade-able over time, and Alwen continuously learns new spells throughout the adventure. Both characters can also gain armor and special items to increase their combat effectiveness. Another important part of combat is pets. The player will have the ability to gain a pet and train it (i.e. let it follow you as you fight). Pets follow Ragna and Alwen as they explore dungeons. I chose a dog, who started out fairly useless. Eventually the dog evolved into a hell-hound, having the ability to attack enemies with magic, dig up hidden items, and collect enemy item drops. The latter was very useful, as enemies explode like pinatas into showers of coins and food when you kill them.



Food serves two purposes in Zwei. One, it replenishes lost hit points, and two, it gives experience for leveling up. It might sound strange to level up from health restoratives, but I found this system worked surprisingly well. It gives the player full control over how and when they level up, but the necessity of using food also as health restoratives keeps the player from just eating all their food as soon as they get it. The player also has the ability to combine ten food items of one type into a more powerful type, making redundant low level food drops become seriously useful. Other ways of upgrading have to do with finding anchor gear parts hidden away in dungeons, or by running across a rather flamboyant gym instructor (he will train Ragna and Alwen). It's possible to purchase equipment upgrades of course, as enemies drop lots of penne (money). One good way of making penne is by finding "mysterious treasures" in dungeons, which the player donates to a local museum for profit. Not only does the player get rewarded financially, but it's fun to see the museum grow with visually interesting exhibits.



Most of the player's time is spent exploring isometrically angled dungeons. Every dungeon is filled with enemies, and has multiple floors with starting points and ending points, hidden treasures, puzzles that range from simple to byzantine, some platforming (yes you can jump in Zwei), and ultimately a boss battle. An interesting aspect of dungeon delving is there are often forks (with save points nearby). Sometimes the forks are gated by abilities the player doesn't have yet. Thankfully warping back to these forks is easy, due to the every save point acting also as a warp point. Exploring forks always leads to a great reward, but isn't always necessary. I say that because Zwei is a rather easy game. If you have experience with action-RPGs, you'll probably fly through most of Zwei. Except for perhaps the very last dungeon and final final boss, but even that stuff isn't too bad. The formulaic style of Zwei's dungeons didn't become overly redundant to me, rather I enjoyed the cyclic flow of their designs.



For being a nine year old PC game (at the time of this writing), Zwei still looks very nice, especially if you crank all of its visual settings to max at a high resolution. The graphical style is cutesy, but not overly so. (The awesome bosses still look menacing.) Musically Zwei is amazing, with Falcom's "Sound Team jdk" performing yet another fantastic OST as they always do. The controls are simple, responsive, and tight... if you use a controller, as any reasonable person would. And XSEED's localization here is just brilliant. Both the textual translation and vocal dubbing are 10/10 perfection. And that's very much appreciated, as Zwei is a rather comical affair that benefits from such professional treatment. (I laughed out loud literally at more than a few moments in this game.) XSEED's work brings to life a plot that is both interesting, emotional, and humorous, with characters you're sure to love (service penguin!). From top to bottom, aesthetically, aurally, interactively, and localization-ally, Zwei's entire presentation is absolutely solid. Even the game's menu systems are impressive. Plus, Zwei didn't crash a single time in 19 hours of playing... not something I can often say about modern PC games.



If you put modern Ys, Threads of Fate, Gurumin, and Secret of Mana in a blender, you'd end up with Zwei. If that combination sounds fun to you, don't hesitate to buy this. In the west, Falcom is known in the mainstream for Ys and Legend of Heroes. It's so sad that all too often Falcom's other English available releases are ignored. I deeply hope that Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection doesn't get cast aside by casual RPG players as Brandish: The Dark Revenant, Xanadu Next, and Nayuta: Endless Trails were before it. Zwei has so much to offer a genre enthusiast, from its fantastic main quest, to its deep optional content, even down to its expansive beastiary. There's even a new game plus mode, that allows the player to access high level dungeons that weren't available in the initial playthrough. If you enjoy breezy lighthearted action-JRPGs, you absolutely owe it to yourself to play this one. As long as this review is, I still haven't done Zwei justice in touching on all its merits and innovations. Let me just say this in closing; Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection is a masterpiece of its genre.

[Sarge]

Wow, high praise indeed. My interest upgraded another notch. Perhaps when I'm in the throes of Thanksgiving holidays I'll pick it up. Assuming I'm not still collecting Power Moons in Super Mario Odyssey... good grief, are there a lot. I'd almost argue too many.

[Exhuminator]

Wow, high praise indeed. My interest upgraded another notch.

All I can say is; nobody does action-JRPGs better than Falcom.

[Blu]

1. Runbow - Wii U
2. Battlefield 1 - Xbox One
3. Until Dawn - PS4
4. Super Mario Sunshine - Gamecube
5. Titanfall 2 - Xbox One
6. Wario Ware, Inc: Mega Party Game$ - Gamecube
7. Pikmin 2 - Gamecube
8. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Wii U
9. Dawn of War 2 - PC
10. Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising - PC
11. Sonic Mania - PS4
12. Castlevania IV - SNES
13. Super Monkey Ball - GameCube

In honor of JMustang1968's favorite series of all time, I decided to play through the original masterpiece of Super Money Ball. It's a 3D Marble Madness with Monkey's in hamster balls. The stages are wacky and zany. You collect bananas and try not to fall off of floating stages. There's a speedometer for some reason! I think it was pretty good, and will likely come back and try the intermediate and advanced stages at a later time. My goal is to beat Yakuza 0 and Cuphead next!

[dunpeal2064]

Oh man, Super Monkey Ball is so good. Highly recommend checking out the higher difficulties, as that is where the game truly starts to shine. It and its sequel both are among my most favorite Gamecube games.

[Ack]

1. Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide (PC)(Action)
2. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (SNES)(Fighting)
3. DRAGON: The Bruce Lee Story (SNES)(Fighting)
4. Eradicator (PC)(FPS)
5. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (PC)(FPS)
6. D-Force (SNES)(SHMUP)
7. Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon (PC)(RPG)
8. Dying Light (PC)(FPS/RPG)
9. Dying Light: The Following (PC)(FPS/RPG)
10. Gauntlet: Slayer Edition (PC)(Hack and Slash)
11. Dear Esther: Landmark Edition (PC)(Walking Simulator)
12. Dead Pixels (PC)(Run and Gun)
13. Half-Life: C.A.G.E.D. (PC)(FPS)
14. Hell Yeah: Wrath of the Dead Rabbit (PC)(Action Platformer)
15. Half-Life 2: Episode 2 (PC)(FPS)
16. Sugar Cube: Bittersweet Factory (PC)(Platformer)
17. Zombie Shooter (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)
18. Torchlight (PC)(Action RPG)
19. Descent II (PC)(FPS)

I finally got around to finishing Descent II off this weekend. It's a tough game, building off the ramping of difficulty in the first, but the sequel continues the trend to almost stupid levels. By the end, nearly everything you're up against fire multiple missiles, use tracking weapons, or break into swarms of smaller enemies to harass and attempt to interdict your progress. Level design remains highly creative throughout, though the thematic element to the game doesn't hold up. If you want some fun fire fights in six degrees of freedom, where up is whatever you decide it to be, Descent II is a great follow up to Descent.

Let's talk a bit about what I like: this game is a true sequel. The plot is a direct continuation of the first, but more importantly you start out fighting enemies that were top tier in the previous game. In short, you need to be on your A game from the get go, or you're never gonna make it through to the first boss. If you want to play Descent II, play Descent first to find out if you're good enough to handle it. If you've beaten Descent, graduate to Descent II. If you can't beat Descent, you won't be able to hack it in the sequel, so give up and go home now, kid.

Once again, the level layouts offer some spectacularly twisty mazes and corridors that can just as easily disorient a player as they can offer advantages to surprise and lay waste to the killer robots you're up against. The 24 levels of Descent 2 are broken into sections, with each "world" consisting of four levels. These worlds all have themes, be it aquatic and tropical subterranean elements, magma falls, darkened ice planets, etc. The only place this seems to fall apart is in the final area, where there doesn't seem to be a discernible theme tying it together. While the levels themselves are ingeniously crafted, I would have greatly appreciated a link between them to help continue the flow of the previous areas. Now every 4th level features a boss, and these guys are often hidden within large arenas and hold some nasty tricks for the player, particularly the farther you get. You do have an array of weapons to take them on, but so do the bosses for dealing with you, and they're often able to cloak or teleport around to stymie your efforts. And this is where I start to have some criticism for Descent 2.

First, you don't ever get an explanation for what any of your weapons do. Your equipment does provide some info, and many of the weapons are self-explanatory, but if you asked me what a Mercurial Missile does, I have no idea other than I hit things with it. I mostly stuck to the Gatling and Gauss cannon when I wasn't using the base laser fully upgraded. Missiles were for when I needed to drop something nasty quick or needed to manipulate a trick shot, such as a smart missile against a wall to take out an entrenched opponent. Now you do get explanations of enemies at each new set of levels, and these explanations prove invaluable. Read them thoroughly, because you're gonna have to go up against them, and they're more than capable of chewing you a new one. But this same courtesy does not extend to bosses, and that can make them a slog, particularly the final boss. He's a special case though; most of the others, you just need to connect enough times to bring them down.

The final boss represents a problem though. He has a weak spot on his rear, but you're never given a hint of that, and if you're not abusing cloaking drops, he's going to keep facing you and laying waste with his shaker missiles. He's the first enemy you fight that has something like this that I know of, and I threw about forty lives against him before I finally figured out I was aiming for the glowing bit on his rear. This is why you save before the big encounters, folks. In my defense, that glowing bit is hard to see, and he can wipe you out in a single shot if he gets you directly (and those little bastard missiles of his are seeking), so getting close enough to spot the target is an exercise in suicide. I find he's indicative of the final area though, where theme is dropped in exchange for raw toughness.

So, the question: is Descent II right for you? Go play Descent, and that will tell you if you're worthy of the attempt. If you are, Godspeed. You're either crazy good or just plain crazy...or likely both. Join the ranks of both, folks, and fly the narrow, claustrophobic mines.

[Sarge]

Speaking of Descent, I picked up one of the few clones of it, Forsaken, in a thrift store the other day. Turns out it's a pain to get running on modern operating systems. There is a source port, though. The website's link is busted, but I did find it by looking at one of the earlier revisions of the page on github and using the file sharing link there. Haven't put any time into it beyond finally getting some version of it working, though.

Descent II came with my computer, or at least a demo version of it that went to stage 8. I remember how rough that final boss was, too. Tough stuff for sure. I still love those games, though.