@crimsontadpoles Great review, I love those games and rhythm games are my bread and butter anyway. I swear I must have spent over 2000 hours on Theatrhythm @Ralizah 😂😂
@nessisonett I ditched my copy of the original when the generally superior Curtain Call came out. Despite being terrible at rhythm games, though, I had a good time with it.
@Ralizah Not yet. I only heard about Elite Beat Agents a couple of weeks ago when I unlocked their spirits in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, and got curious about who they were. I love the concept though, so I'll likely get it at some point.
@nessisonett Thanks. I did rather enjoy the demo for Theatrhythm Curtain Call. It does look rather fun, but didn't really appeal to me since I've not played any Final Fantasy before.
@Ralizah Oh yeah true, I was referring to Curtain Call since it was basically the same game with more content. The DLC was brilliant too, with music from Chrono Trigger, TWEWY and Nier.
@crimsontadpoles Having just played PaRappa the Rapper 2 (and having mostly enjoyed it), I'm currently feeling very favourable towards rhythm games. Those videos you posted have only helped, as I loved all three, found them impossibly catchy. They're gonna be stuck in my head all day!
Excellent review! I might have to dust off my ol' DS Lite and go looking for a copy at some point.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
Ever since Roger Moore's raised eyebrow broke free of Earth's gravity in 1979's Moonraker, it's often been said that a franchise or sub-genre has jumped the shark when it inevitably finds itself in space (at which point, I'd ask "Blimey, how high was that jump?!"). After letting gamers explore several small villages, office blocks and other worldly environments, the first-person narrative experience enters similar territory with developer Three One Zero's ADR1FT.
Less of a walking simulator, more of a floating one, ADR1FT flashes back to a brief tutorial on controlling a spacesuit before beginning in medias res, with panicked breathing ringing in your ears as you gaze through a cracked helmet at debris spinning all around you. It's your job to explore this wreckage which, moments ago, had been the sprawling HAN-IV NorthStar Space Station in orbit above the Australian peninsula. Now broken apart into a series of disparate structures, you'll need to make repairs to the station's key systems before you're able to activate an escape pod and return to solid ground. The mystery of how disaster unfolded is there to uncover along the way, provided you're not merely content with the delightful notion of being in space.
No-One Can Hear You Dream: Getting to drift about above the Earth taps into many a childhood fantasy, despite the game's somewhat serious set-up.
To its credit, ADR1FT nails an intuitive control scheme for being in zero-g. Using a combination of analogue sticks, face buttons and triggers to turn, spin and elevate yourself feels surprisingly natural, if sluggish. There's no speed or dynamism to proceedings; those wanting an action-packed, pulse-pounding adventure should look elsewhere. Whilst you won't mind being taught a little patience if you're flailing about outside the station, not with such a gorgeous view to enjoy, some of the internal environments can become a tad samey. Frustration mounts when you remember that the brief tutorial gave you a fully-functional spacesuit, complete with a nippy jet-boost ability, but in the story you've suffered damage and repairs are only made at particular plot beats... and, lo, the jet-boost is one of the last features to get itself fixed.
More important is your oxygen supply, which your damaged suit tells you (in a HAL-esque voice) must be cannibalised with your manoeuvring thrusters from the get-go. This is the gameplay's core twist because now, your health bar is essentially a timer, its countdown connected to how much (or how little) you're prepared to move. Being weightless helps, of course; one short burst in any given direction and you won't stop until you hit anything, but there's a lot to hit. ADR1FT renders a spectacular amount of orbital flotsam, ranging from large antennae to individual leaves from blown-apart hydroponic plants. The latter won't hurt you, but bumping into crates and bulkheads will distort your display and widen the terrifying cracks in your helmet. This fear of physical contact forces you to expend quite a bit of oxygen when squeezing through crumpled corridors.
Thankfully, every second room of the station had a container full of oxygen cylinders in it, and they're all intact, teasingly winking a green indicator at you from right in front of the door you were about to head through anyway. In addition, every third or fourth room boasts a wall-mounted, unlimited oxygen refill station, and every sixth or seventh room contains a suit repair alcove which, whilst filling the cracks in your helmet, fills your tank back to maximum. So, that tense trade-off between staying mobile and staying alive? It's not exactly Sophie's Space-Choice.
Grasping for Breath: Whilst the idea of a health bar / timer hybrid is a novel one, the over-abundance of oxygen cylinders can undercut any potential tension.
From what I did listen to, however, there's a solid hook to the narrative. Questions surrounding the (accidental?) destruction of the station plague your protagonist from start to finish, and you'll learn all sorts about your fellow crewmates, none of whom survived but all of whom had different opinions about you. Be prepared to roll your eyes at a stereotype or two (Deadbeat Dad, Wide-Eyed Innocent, Recovering Addict, Best Friend "Who's Like Family To Me" and so on) but the way everything rounds back on your character can give you something to mull over on those slow commutes between A, B and C.
Park in It, Man: Clues both subtle and blatant build to some interesting questions for your protagonist, even if a lot of the nuance can get lost amongst the stars.
Otherwise, you're generally left alone by appropriately low-key audio design, with all sound effects muffled by your bulky headgear and the eerie silence of space. There are unwelcome attacks from a generic, synthetic sci-fi score as you fetch specific components or tap at certain computer screens; these five-second noise loops create an intrusive dirge that was aiming for atmospheric, but overshot by a mile and firmly face-planted in the annoying range. Take my advice and switch the music off in the options menu. You won't be missing anything, and can hum to yourself instead (which is preferable even if you can't carry a tune, trust me).
This all sounds like I'm heading towards a negative conclusion but, truth be told, I enjoyed ADR1FT for what it was. It scratches the itch for space-based gaming in a unique, non-violent way, and tumbling through the void amidst the remains of a space station can be an evocative experience. Giving its plot a scalable dimension is great for those who aren't bothered by story (or indeed, for those who crave it) and makes it one of the better examples of its sub-genre.
The perfect peaceful game for those looking to break up a backlog overstuffed with samey shooters, ADR1FT could easily have been calling Houston to report a problem, but instead becomes one small step in the right direction for walking simulators.
Even without having any walking in it.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
Very nice write up there of Rhythm Paradise @crimsontadpoles it looks and sounds quite fun and quirky.
It's a shame I'm absolutely awful at rhythm games though... I can only do like the easiest of settings before it gets too much 😂
Some nice visuals there @RogerRoger (As were your unused shots in the screenshot thread that actually brought me here!)
It sounds like it would quite a tense and unique experience were there not an abundance of oxygen tanks everywhere.
It's not quite my cup of tea (... Which is an apt comparison I suppose as I've never liked tea or coffee) but I'll be sure to make note of it for when I do fancy something that isn't my usual fare!
Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Thanks for reading! It's an incredibly pretty game when it wants to be, especially for a small 2016 release. Knowing that it isn't gonna stress you out too much should help, but don't expect it to transform you into a fan of such games, either.
Worth a fiver, maybe a bit more but when it hits a tenner I'd perhaps question its value for money.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
I recently completed Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD (Switch), an HD remaster of a Wii era title.
Ready to go on adventure!
Gameplay:
A marble maze/obstacle style platformer, most levels see you tilting the stage around with the right analogue stick in order to guide a monkey (within a ball) to the end goal, avoiding obstacles & collecting bananas while trying not to fall off, all under a strict time limit. While simply getting through a level is one thing (and even this can become a challenge starting in the second half), real masochists can try to beat their high scores by shaving seconds off their best times & trying to collect all the bananas in a level (bundles of them are often just off the beaten path on perilous detours), the latter of which I wouldn't even dream of doing outside of the first few worlds.
An example of the kind of level you'll have to tightrope your way through in the post game.
There are two other types of levels, bonus levels (of which one exists in all 10 worlds, about halfway through), and boss levels (one of which caps off each of the 8 main game worlds). Bonus levels aren't all that much different from regular types, and see you trying to collect all bananas within them before time runs out or you fall off (there's no end goal other than collecting all the bananas, and you move on to the next level no matter whether or not you succeed).
Next up are the boss levels which see you fighting bosses most often in arena style showdowns. Your goal in these is to avoid their attacks as to not be knocked off the platform (make sure you don't fall off on your own as well!), until you get the chance to hit their telegraphed weak point. These can be really tough for a variety of reasons, such as the fact that they often eschew the "3 hit rule" most other 3D platformer bosses live or die by (instead usually taking 4-6 hits to beat, usually changing their tactics either halfway through or after each hit they take), combined with the fact one good hit is all it can take to knock you out (and make you start over), and the fact that the game isn't really designed around such fights at all. You don't have any control over the camera, and while this isn't much of an issue in the rest of the game where you're mostly moving forward all the time (the camera is set to turn towards whatever direction you're moving), it can be an issue with these arena style fights (though a couple regular levels in the first world have a similar setup, seemingly as a bit of a tutorial to help you get to grips with them). One exception is the 4th world boss, which takes on the form of the level itself (you just need to survive a gauntlet and reach it's weak point on it's head) and gameplay wise fits the rest of the game much better. Needless to say, these are very hit & miss in terms of their difficulty.
A couple of cutscene images of the thematically appropriate 4th world boss (while they appear mostly barren here, there are obstacles on each of it's segments you must clear/avoid during gameplay itself to reach it's head).
Outside of the main game there are 10 minigames to try out. The only ones I tried out are "Monkey Target", which sees you trying to glide as far as you can and land in the middle of a bull's eye, and one that was a scrolling shmup. They are decent enough, and although you may get more out of them if you have others to play with, you won't last more than 2 or 3 rounds by yourself.
There are six different monkeys to play as (they each have different stats for speed, weight, etc.), as well as Sonic the Hedgehog, who is new for this release and is unlocked after clearing the 8 main worlds (bananas are replaced with rings when playing as him), though he can't be used in the minigames.
The biggest change compared to the Wii release (other than the addition of Sonic & the HD resolution), is the fact that it now controls with an analogue stick rather than motion controls (I haven't played the original, but from what I've heard this makes this the better playing version, although much easier than other entries because levels were designed with the looser motion controls in mind, though I personally still found it to be one of the toughest platformers I've played on Switch, and gave up about halfway through the second post game world). Other than that the two post game worlds now simply unlock consecutively after clearing the world before them (in the Wii version they were unlocked after the seemingly impossible task of clearing all the main worlds without using a continue), and it lacks 40 extra minigames the Wii version had (probably were designed around Wii waggle and couldn't be translated well or meaningfully without them).
Audio/Visual:
It has many different world themes, from jungles, ghost ships, outer space, and more, and it's mix of a bright & colorful pallet, and catchy arcade style tunes, means that you can't get too upset with it, even if your on your 40th or 50th attempt to clear a level.
Various shots of levels, I even included a Sonic shot.
The theme song (I think BANANA~NA Love) is upbeat & irresistibly catchy (more than once I lingered on the title screen to give it a listen).
Being a remaster of a Wii game, it's not a surprise to say I noticed no performance issues whatsoever. It's a great port.
Story:
These sorts of games usually don't have much story, and that's the same here. It starts out with a pirate gorilla stealing a bundle of golden bananas, and while you take one back with each boss you defeat (with the aforementioned ape being the final one), there isn't any sort of theming tying them together, with few of them being monkeys/apes (half, if a yeti counts), and even less being pirates. It's really not an issue, though, though strong theming always makes these things better.
Conclusion:
This was a pretty fun, albeit tough experience. It may be easier compared to the rest of the series (as many claim, though I can't confirm), but taken on it's own it can still be a stiff challenge, and one of the toughest I've had on Switch. And even though it has it's rough edges (such as the bosses), a bucketload of charm keeps it from feeling too irritating.
The end to an exciting journey.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
@RogerRoger Great review! Those visuals definitely caught my eye. This game sounds like the developers decided to make an elongated version of every video game's dreaded water level. Glad to hear it was at least enjoyable instead of frustrating this time around, however!
@RR529 Solid review. I had my eye on this, but I'd heard mixed things. Not being a Monkey Ball vet, however, I think your experience with it is probably more informative to me.
If nothing else, it is a very vibrant little game. Good screenshots.
It's nice to see SEGA lending the blue blur's star power to this.
@Tjuz Thank you! Despite all that time drifting around, I never once thought of it like that but you're right, it's essentially one giant underwater level. I quite like underwater levels, when done properly, so that might explain why I gave ADR1FT a bit of a pass for all of its issues!
@RR529 Great write-up of Banana Blitz there. I was curious whether or not the game was worth a look-see on my partner's Switch, as I've played some previous entries in the series and reckon he might enjoy the novelty. Glad to hear that it's a technically solid port, as I'm always a tad wary around SEGA games, and analogue stick tilting is a huge tick in the "yay" column for me, too. The inclusion of Sonic might just tip me over the edge someday, so thanks!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@Ralizah, @RogerRoger, Sonic doesn't have unique levels. The only things that change when playing as him (other than his stats) are that bananas are replaced with rings, and I think the soundtrack is slightly altered.
I also forgot to mention that while you can go back and replay regular levels at any point after you complete them, in a bit of an odd decision you can't do so with the boss levels. While you can retry them as much as you want if you lose (even if you run out of lives), once you clear a boss level it becomes locked again until you decide to replay all of that world's levels again at least once each (though you don't have to play them in order, or at one time). The boss levels are easily the game's weakest point, so it's not something you're likely to get upset about, but it's such an odd limitation.
The bonus levels have a similar limitation (you can't replay them unless you go back and replay half of a world's regular levels), but this at least makes some sense so you don't continuously grind them for extra lives.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
@RogerRoger Neato. It might be a short and samey experience, but this still seems like an utterly unique take on a simulation/survival game. Also interesting how it seems to adopt an optional, Metroid Prime-esque approach to lore and storytelling, where you have to actively engage with it.
Might be something I'll try out if it comes to PS+ or goes on sale for cheap enough.
Thanks for your write-up!
@RR529 Ah, that's a shame to hear. No NG+ mode, I take it?
@RR529 Hmm, okay. That does seem odd, locking the boss levels away like that. Despite your honest detailing of their faults, I thought they sounded unique and kinda fun. Thanks for the warning!
Something tells me it'd make for quite a divisive PS Plus game, given people's reactions since the service switched to two monthly offerings, but you never know. If it were free, then I'd obviously recommend it, if only for the lovely visuals and novelty of floating about amidst all that debris.
Didn't know that about Metroid Prime, but I do wish more games would offer scalability of story. I really appreciated how it never stopped me to info-dump. Hate it when games do that.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
This morning I finally played through the demo disc that came with my PSVR (to be honest, I forgot I even had it until I ran across it the other day), so some brief impressions on the demos I played (I think I tried everything that didn't require a Move controller, or that I didn't already own).
Battle Zone - Futuristic tank battle game with you in the cockpit of a tank (from the developers of the Sniper Elite games). It was a fun enough experience, but with a quicker pace than I was expecting, battles taking place in open arenas, and promises of procedurally generated elements, it seems like something where you could get overwhelmed pretty quickly.
Eve: Valkyrie - Spaceship flying cockpit shooty game. It looked pretty decent from what I could tell, but the demo never loaded properly no matter how many times I tried. The camera would load up too far back, so I was looking at the back of my own headless body. At first I assumed I was in the back of some sort of 2 seater craft until I realized my head was "inside" the back of the cockpit, and the body in front of me leaned with my movements.
the Persistence - Sci-fi themed survival horror FPS. It didn't have the best first impression as the title screen was blurry AF, but once into the game it looked fine. In the demo you're in a space ship/station and have to make your way to some sort of control room, but space zombies stand in your way. I tried the demo a few times but it's brutal. It only takes 4 or 5 hits for you to die, and more often than not you're forced up close & personal if you need to dispatch a zombie because your main weapon is some sort of sci-fi taser that requires you to get close to be in range, and takes 2-3 hits to kill one. You can put up a brief shield that protects you from their attacks, but you have to be right on the money on the timing or it won't work (needless to say, you don't want to be up against more than one at a time). There is the occasional health pack or fabrication credits pack lying around (the latter of which lets you purchase more powerful, but limited use weapons if you have enough credits, at certain kiosks you run across), and there are also lockers/hidden panels you can access that might have extra health packs, fabrication points, or even a weapon, but they're a gamble because their unlock mechanism might malfunction & blow up in your face instead, chipping away at your health (heck, I was doing decently on my third run until I opened one that had a live grenade which killed me instantly). Furthermore, there do seem to be some alternate paths/dead ends throughout the level, which can make progression tricky since you don't have a map on you (instead there are map kiosks within the level that you can check to get your bearings when you find one). Finally, the aiming system is odd. Every other shooter I've played in VR tracks the position of the Dualshock or a Move controller for aiming (think aiming in a light gun or Wii shooter), but you don't aim at all here. Instead, you automatically shoot into the middle of your field of vision (theoretically this makes it easier to shoot since you just have to be looking at your target & shoot, but it's so different to anything else I've played that I fumbled around quite a bit, and that probably added to the difficulty I had). I did start to feel a tad queasy by the time I was done (and I usually don't), but that could simply be down to the fact that it was the last game I played, after playing a number of demos with different gameplay & motion quirks, and not down to this or any other game individually.
Rez Infinite - VR conversion of a PS2 rail shooter. It has a real "inside a computer" polygonal digital theme going on, and was a real trip. One of the cleanest looking VR games I've played. May consider it in the future.
Star Child - Made by the same studio responsible for the Lucky's Tale games (the first of which was a VR title itself) it made no attempt to hide that it's literally a "2D" Metroid in everything but name. You'd think a sidescroller wouldn't really be that impressive in VR, but it looked glorious (especially intimidating was the massive scorpion/xenomorph hybrid alien that stalked your little heroine from the shadowy cliffs in the background). Unfortunately, I believe they recently delayed the full game indefinitely, so we'll probably never get to see it complete.
Thumper - Some sort of trippy rhythm "auto runner" game. It features a metallic beetle racing along an infinite "Hot Wheels" style track amidst abstract environments, and you've got to hit the right button prompts along with the beat in order to clear levels. Normally not my kind of game, but I actually got pretty into it. Certainly the kind of experience that really shines in VR.
Tiny Trax - A cartoony slot car game, where the VR perspective lends itself well to some pretty crazy track designs. It's easy to pick up & play, but hard to master. I tried it with a variety of the different cars on offer, but even after feeling like I had gotten the hang of the mechanics, I came in last every single time. Fun though.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
@RR529 I'm a huge fan of Rez Infinite as a regular PS4 game, so can only imagine what it must be like to play in VR. Be warned, though, that it's quite short. A playthrough of its new, specifically-designed-for-VR-headsets level takes fifteen minutes, maybe less. If they've adapted the entire game for VR, then you're looking at about ninety minutes, possibly two hours at a push.
Loved reading your thoughts, as always. The fact you felt queasy after playing so much reinforces my own aversion to VR. I have great spatial awareness and orientation but, even though I live alone, the idea of any kind of sensory depravation makes me real uncomfortable.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
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