Nikoderiko: The Magical World (Multi) Review

We have a new game to review! It's an indie 2D/2.5D/3D platformer--a mix of all three, really! It's Nikoderiko: The Magical World, and the SuperPhillip Central verdict is here.

 Crashing the Country

Allow me to preface this review with something most likely obvious from glimpses of screenshots and/or trailers of Nikoderiko: The Magical World: I'm going to mention the words "Donkey Kong Country" and "Crash Bandicoot" quite a bit throughout this review. When the inspiration is so intense and palpable, it's somewhat difficult not to, especially since Nikoderiko wears its clear inspirations on the main character's rolled up sleeves. That said, does Nikoderiko: The Magical World do anything to cast aside as just being a clone of these two games rolled up into one unique title? 

Despite being derivative, Nikoderiko: The Magical World can be a wheel-y good time occasionally.

Nikoderiko: The Magical Journey has no intention of hiding where it's cribbing its ideas and concepts from. Between collecting letters in levels that spell out "N-I-K-O" to hidden barrels that blast its players into secret bonus areas to perform tasks such as "collect all stars", "defeat them all", or "find the key" for golden trinkets, you sort of have to admire the development team's chutzpah in how brazen and blatant it all is on the Donkey Kong Country side, particularly Tropical Freeze. Then, there's aspects like picking up barrels, treasure chests, and other objects to chuck at enemies or breakable walls, once more to reveal secrets. 

Two secret bonus barrels like this one are cleverly hidden away in each level. 

Not to leave out a certain former PlayStation mascot, Nikoderiko: The Magical World takes aspects from Crash Bandicoot as well, putting players into somewhat seamless transitions from 2.5D gameplay to 3D, either running away from the screen or towards it, Crash-style. There's also purple diamond collectibles, one in each level, to obtain as well, though these don't have asinine conditions like some Crash games where you have to backtrack through somewhat significant portions of stages to collect them. So, Nikoderiko has THAT going for it, at least.

Now, I might not be playing fair to Nikoderiko: The Magical World, as it's not necessarily a detrimental thing necessarily to be derivative. In fact, combining the gameplay styles and dimensions of a 2D/2.5D platformer like Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze with Crash Bandicoot is unique all to itself. Most of the time in the levels, even, it's done in a clever enough way. 

Niko and the other playable character, Luna, play similarly to one another. Though it was preferable to play as Niko to hear all the voice lines and quips the mouthy mongoose had to offer in levels, whereas with Luna, she's silent as can be. That notwithstanding, it might be preferable for some players to control Luna if they don't want to hear dialogue whilst platforming. Your mileage may vary there.

Move over Donkey Kong--Niko is coming for your "king of swing" title!

Regardless, both characters have the same move set. They can jump, hold out a glider to float carefully to the ground or across chasms, they can slide, they can ground pound (though if you're holding a direction while smashing the ground, you'll end up sliding in the direction you're holding, which often results in unwanted hits, deaths, etc.), and they can also jump off walls--though this feels rather "sticky" for lack of a better term. 

True to the game's heavily-DKC-inspired form, couch co-op is available for two players to enjoy the game together. The pros are that players don't share a pool of lives (there aren't lives in this game to speak of, for one), and they have separate tallies of hearts, the health meter of the game. Thus, two well in tune players can say, "We both have one heart left, so while we have this moment of peace, why don't you take a hit so you can come back with two hearts?" It's harder in boss battles to cheese in this way, but still very much possible.

Co-op shows flashes of fun alongside flashes of frustration, too.

Nikoderiko: The Magical World is indeed a challenging game regardless. Sometimes checkpoints are further away from each other than I'd like in certain levels, and some levels in general go on for far too long. Whereas other levels feel like you blink and they're over. That said, levels are generally well designed, offering plenty of opportunities to display some platforming prowess with well telegraphed but also hidden secrets, too. Generally if something looked curious to me during my playthrough, checking it out would usually result in my being rewarded for said curiosity, which is seldom a bad thing in a game like this. 

The level variety is often enjoyable, as well, delivering plenty of unique ideas and creative concepts usually executed at the very least competently and at best really well. One level featured a Crash Bandicoot-esque scenario where a flying dragon chased Niko as I ran towards the camera in this 3D affair, while later in the level the dragon returned, though this time pursuing Niko as he rode a DKC Returns-style rocket barrel. Another level took our mongoose hero and heroine down into the ocean depths, giving both a black silhouette cast against the blue background--again, DKC Returns and Tropical Freeze-style. The deep waters of the level weren't too friendly, but they were remedied with a little help of a seahorse-like animal buddy that could fire a laser to defeat foes with ease.

This dragon doesn't wish to dance, so I suggest you keep moving forward, Niko.

Like Donkey Kong Country (are you tired of the mentions yet?), Nikoderiko: The Magical World sports an assortment of animal buddies as mounts. The aforementioned seahorse is one, while others include a frog that burps up fireballs to eliminate enemies, there's a bat that serves as a flapping-good time for flight, and also a Yoshi-like lizard that chomps up foes and can regurgitate them back at other baddies. Though, the latter is a bit janky to say the least in execution.

If you've seen it done in Donkey Kong Country, you'll most likely see it
(and done marginally worse) in Nikoderiko: The Magical World.

And really, that's a lot of what Nikoderiko: The Magical World is--a janky experience, or at least quite unpolished. Between glitches where my character couldn't pull out their glider for whatever reason, to camera chaos in co-op where the camera just wouldn't pan in an appropriate-enough position that would work for either myself or my co-op partner, the problems with Nikoderiko: The Magical World are plentiful. Small things like characters and objects on the world map not having their textures load quickly enough (at least on the latest Xbox Series S build) so they'd look incredibly "off" aren't immense problems, but put on a pile with everything else, they do--in fact--add up to be quite bothersome.

Otherwise (and that's not a play on the composer being David Wise--and the music is unfortunately just serviceable this time around, on that note), Nikoderiko: The Magical World is a jack of two trades and a master of neither of them. The Donkey Kong Country and Crash Bandicoot segments of the game are done better by the originals instead of this imitation of both. That isn't to say THIS game isn't worth your time. There are hardly enough Donkey Kong Country-inspired titles to exactly say that we're embarrassed with riches here in this department. Though, if you DO crave something of the DKC style and MUST play something, if you haven't already touched either Kaze and the Wild Masks, Marsupilami - Hoobadventure, or Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, look into those games first before trying Nikoderiko out. All three of those are preferable (and somewhat more original) experiences to at least me.

[SPC Says: C]

[TOP FIVE] 3D Sonic the Hedgehog Games

Greetings, friends! With Sonic x Shadow Generations rushing towards release in a couple weeks' time, I figured it'd be the perfect occasion to look back at Sonic's 3D outings, picking my five favorites of the Blue Blur bunch! These picks are the creme de le corn dog of Sonic: possessing the most complete 3D packages possible, from gameplay to design! And this time around, it's another video upload rather than a written post!

I hope you'll enjoy this video, and I hope you'll tell me and the Central City community which 3D Sonic games you deem to be the best or at the very least--your favorites!

Astro Bot (PS5) Review

A new review presents itself for this Tuesday evening. It's a game that many have bumped up to the top of Game of the Year rumblings and talks: Astro Bot. Well, it's managed to do the same thing for me here at SuperPhillip Central, too! Here's my review!

Fun and charm off the charts in Astro-nomical levels.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the PlayStation brand, which of course, as someone a little bit older than Sony's gaming empire, makes me feel ancient. That notwithstanding, one way that PlayStation celebrates 35 years, as well as one way that it attempts to appeal to a wider audience, is with the sequel to what I consider one of the best pack-in games of all time, Astro's Playroom. This full-fledged sequel, Astro Bot, takes some concepts and ideas from Playroom as well as the PlayStation VR-exclusive Astro Bot: Rescue Mission and creates one of the most compelling reasons--in this reviewer's opinion--to own a PlayStation 5.

Bumming around in the emptiness of space with nothing but their PlayStation 5-shaped ship and some toe-tappin' tunes, we start Astro Bot's story with our eponymous protagonist moving and grooving with myriad other Bots inside the safety of their shi--oh, shoot! An alien UFO attacks said ship and sends the entire vessel, including all occupants, all hurtling towards parts unknown. A crash landing results in our hero Astro waking up in a barren desert wasteland. With a nearby satellite which bestows the coordinates to some of his friends and the desire to repair their broken vessel, yet another rescue mission is on for Astro! Charm pours from every part of Astro Bot, and you'll get an immediate sense of that through the opening cutscenes. What is of the story is rather basic to start, but somehow, someway--and without spoiling anything, of course--the ending managed to pull my heartstrings a little bit. Not too shabby for a platformer.

With lasers shooting from Astro's shoes, does that mean these foes have just been... de-feet-ed? 

As for the said platforming of Astro Bot, our little droid dude does not have the acrobatics or move set of, say, Mario (and how can you not compare a 3D platformer of this scope and size to Nintendo's portly plumber?), but what he has to work with works well. He can jump (which to be fair, is expected of a platforming mascot), he can punch, players can hold the attack button down to perform a spinning punch that can turn on various interact-ables like platforms, lifts, and more. He also has lasers on his feet when he hovers--which has a dual purpose: one for extending the duration of his jump, and the second being to defeat foes underneath him. That's pretty much all there is to Astro's kit, which makes for an accessible lineup of moves, but also for veteran platforming fans, it doesn't bring much of a high skill ceiling either.

That said, in various levels, Astro stumbles upon a chest, when opened, grants him a new power-up ability for use only in that level. It essentially becomes an extension of his move set, adding further utility to Astro. Generally, a given power-up only adds one extra button to remember to press, and when combined with Astro's base move set, you have a complete package that doesn't overwhelm players. 

Whether it's an elephant backpack that causes Astro to inflate himself to fly high in the air and bounce around, a backpack in bulldog form that serves as a means for Astro to rocket his way upwards or forwards, breaking through glass like it was nothing, or green retractable boxing gloves that can pummel obstacles and enemies alike with ease, these extra abilities and power-ups add to Astro's repertoire. They certainly make for even more compelling platforming gameplay than what's already present and accounted for in Astro Bot.

Great for pulverizing baddies, pulling switches, and even knocking projectiles back at enemies,
these gloves have just the right amount of "punch" for the job!

Whereas part of the star is the platforming, which feels phenomenal and one always feels in control of Astro, the other part that the platforming shares the spotlight with is the immaculate level design. Between constantly throwing new ideas at the player in a way that I haven't experienced since Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, and bringing for the engaging and inventive platforming challenges on a consistent basis, Astro Bot definitely does not disappoint in the level design department. 

One level thrusts Astro high above the clouds with skyscrapers jutting out from them in a construction zone, complete with running and jumping along swinging girders before summoning a wrecking ball to demolish the entrance to a building in a phenomenal display of destructive physics (and just plain coolness as well). Meanwhile, another early and extraordinary level that really showcases the power of the PlayStation 5--even more so--has Astro able to switch between tiny and regular-size forms with a press of a button. Astro needs to shift between both forms to solve environmental puzzles and make progress, too. Seeing Astro shrink to the size of a mouse, with camera following in tow, and with another press of a button, instantly grow to his normal size without a loading screen in sight is immensely impressive. 

Time to ironically deconstruct some baddies here at the ol' construction yard!

Levels aren't just one and done linear affairs either. You can rush through them, for sure, but you'll not only be missing out on the superbly placed secrets such as Bots to rescue and Puzzle Pieces to obtain (seriously, some of these are truly hidden in some genuinely crafty and clever locations), but in order to face each boss in the game's six unique galaxies, you'll need to satisfy the amount of Rescued Bots required to open the level's lock. 

Thus, it behooves you to explore as much as possible. Not just to make general progress, but if you're anything like me (and let's be honest, in most cases other than this one you would hope to God you're nothing like me), you'll greatly enjoy thoroughly exploring each and every level to your heart's content. Even if there wasn't something major collectible-wise like a Bot or Puzzle Piece hiding off the beaten path, I'd usually find that my curiosity was rewarded by discovering a secret cache of coins or a photo op location, for instance. 

The level variety and design on display in Astro Bot is nothing short of amazing.

Each galaxy contains two levels that house secret exits in them, warping Astro to a place called the Lost Galaxy. Here, more levels present themselves, a single level opening up for each exit found. Galaxies also contain bonus levels, such as quick battles against a plethora of foes, obstacle-laden bonus courses, and much more. With 300+ Bots to optionally acquire, numerous Puzzle Pieces to collect, and dozens of secret exits, there is a great deal of goodies to be discovered and obtained within Astro Bot.

As stated, rescuing Bots (some, not all) is needed to make headway in the game to fight Astro Bot's bosses. These showdowns are without exaggeration, terrific and massively epic encounters. From the very first one where Astro deals with a King Kong-like goliath of a gorilla, avoiding the beast's held bells as he creates shockwaves while having Astro rocket himself into them, and later the gorilla's teeth to deal damage, you're in for a good time. Unlike the standard levels where it's one hit and Astro's KO'd (though thankfully standard levels contain copious amounts of checkpoints so death is seldom a frustration), boss battles allow Astro three hits to take before our heroic bot is busted. 

Ask not for whom the bell tolls. (Even though we know it tolls for Astro here!)

Without much need to say (yet I'm saying it anyway), Astro Bot is a celebration of PlayStation and its 30th anniversary, and with that, there is a comprehensive amount of references thrown in. Everything from each world--or in Astro Bot's case--galaxy concluding with obtaining one of the stolen parts from a PlayStation 5-shaped ship, to the majority of Bots that are rescued being modeled after characters from games that have graced the PlayStation across its seven major platforms, including handhelds, is an ode to PlayStation and its rich history. 

Aside from these references, each galaxy's conclusion brings with it a level based off one of many PlayStation franchises. These aren't just based off the levels in aesthetics, they pretty much play like an Astro Bot-ified--as it were--version of the games, too. Without revealing anything not seen in official marketing for the game, the level based off Kratos's Norse adventure, has Astro borrowing the God of War's axe, being able to toss it at foes and switches, and call it back to his hand, just like in the more modern versions of the God of War games. Needless to say, there are more levels than just well-known and high-selling goodies. The first themed level had me absolutely giddy as a fan of an early 3D PlayStation platformer, and a certain PlayStation Portable series found its way to Astro Bot as well--lovingly made into a level by Team Asobi. You can tell the team really did its homework when designing these odes to PlayStation in ingeniously crafted level form. Par for the course, really, considering the rest of the game is just as smartly made.

Not one to let an ample opportunity go to waste, Astro even dresses for the part sometimes!

Would stumbling upon and rescuing the same, generic, nameless Bots throughout Astro's adventure have the same impact as discovering a hidden Solid Snake-inspired Bot, or an Alucard from Castlevania? Most likely not, but the references also don't create the pretense that Astro Bot wouldn't be able to stand on its own two feet with just its engaging gameplay, immaculate level design, and immense charm. The references only add to that spark of joy, and your mileage on that will vary depending on how deep your PlayStation knowledge and fandom goes--and also decidedly how well you know and appreciate some of the real deep cuts pulled in Astro Bot, too!

Monkey-see, monkey-climb. This level uses the tilt and shoulder buttons
of the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller to scale these banana-shaped ledges.

When you're not exploring levels and out and about in the galaxy, you're in the Crash Site, the hub of Astro Bot. This hub world is absolutely one of my favorites in a 3D platformer. It consists of the main circular sandy area where all of the rescued Bots congregate, and in a Pikmin-like fashion, there are points around the hub where you can call upon the help of your Bot army to create makeshift ladders, platforms, and swings out of themselves. They can also help you push and pull objects to create new pathways as well. The hub is also where the Gacha machine is, where all of those coins accumulated throughout Astro's adventure may be spent on randomized prizes, such as new costumes for Astro, actions for the Bots in the hub, and different colors for Astro's ride, not-so-coincidentally a DualSense controller. 

Astro Bot is one of the more technically impressive and jaw-dropping games on the PlayStation 5. That goes for aesthetics as well as seeing just how much the physics system gets a workout too, between glass platforms shattering underneath the trail of Astro upon walking on them, to seeing oodles and oodles of beach balls tumble down the waterslide along Astro as seen in the very first level. Astro Bot is a clean, crisp, colorful game that offers a steady frame-rate, gorgeous views, and is just an utter delight to look at. Musically, Astro Bot fares well, too. The catchiness of tunes, some remixed from past Astro Bot games, while most are brand-new works, presents itself throughout each track of the game. It might not be to everyone's liking--as for some, the music might be obnoxious, but for me, it had my toes tapping and head bobbing to it as I played. 

Even the coins in Astro Bot are PlayStation themed! 

All in all, Astro Bot constantly brought me joy with its creative levels and charming presentation throughout my 8-10 hour initial playthrough. I knew I really thought the game was something special when almost immediately after beating the game for the first time and collecting all there was to collect (earning the Platinum trophy, too), I started a fresh save file to enjoy a new playthrough all over again. It takes a special game to have me do that, and wouldn't you know it--Astro Bot is such a game. 

It gave me cozy feels with its abundance of charm, it delivered rewards through thoroughly exploring its well crafted and designed levels, it presented me with "one more time" desires with its challenging bonus levels, and it kept me engaged from beginning to end, and then, as stated, back to the beginning again with a new playthrough. Astro Bot not only offers a magical gameplay experience that utilizes the DualSense controller in innovative (but fortunately for accessibility reasons, optional) ways, but also offers a game that is a shining example of pure, unadulterated fun in videogame form. 

[SPC Says: A]

Introducing the Start of a Brand-New "Experimental" Video Series: Mario Superstar Baseball (GC)!

Thank you, everyone, for your patience with new video content and updates on my YouTube channel! Your wait will hopefully be deemed as worthwhile with a brand-new video series! It's Mario Superstar Baseball as part of the SuperPhillip Sports Network! Enjoy this experimental new series, having myself do impromptu commentary over my playthrough of the Mario Sunshines/Fireballs in the game's Challenge Mode! 

I learned two major things while making this video: 1) How to splice two videos together to seamlessly look like I'm commentating live as opposed to over recorded footage, and 2) I suck at baseball terminology! 

Regardless, I hope you'll like what you see and listen to! I'm always desiring constructive feedback, so feel free to hit me up in the comments with what you think! Thanks, all!

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines (NSW, XBS, PC) Review

We continue our theme of platformers, particularly indie ones, with Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines from Medallion Games. I review this title as played on the Xbox Series S.

These Grapple Dogs are out of this world.

The last time we left Pablo and friends, our puppy protagonist had just defeated an evil robot named Nul. After the battle, a mysterious being not-so-subtly alluded that the fight was far from over with a new threat lingering in the shadows. Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines picks up immediately from there with a new mission: collect all four Allkrystal pieces before the multiverse as our heroes know it is destroyed by the aforementioned new threat, Vyr--and a new playable character, the brooding, gun-toting Luna.

What follows is that of four worlds, each containing one piece of the shattered Allkrystal, each guarded by one of Vyr's commanders. Though first, Pablo and Luna must venture through several platforming levels both exploration and obstacle course-based to gather enough jewels to open the way to each boss's domain. 

Our protagonist Pablo is getting into the swing of things.

Like its predecessor, Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines contains a multitude of levels, featuring an abundance of platforming challenges, and--as expected from the title--points to use each dogs' grappling hook to swing across chasms and over obstacles and hazards. Levels are linear affairs, but there are plenty of opportunities to explore off the beaten path, whether for extra berries--the currency of Cosmic Canines--or more interestingly, hidden jewels and treasure chests containing new skins for Pablo and Luna's grapple hooks. It's to players' benefit to explore levels fully, as these previously mentioned jewels are the means to progress in worlds, opening gates that lead to even more levels.

Venture through the ocean blue (or in this case, the waters beige) of the world map.

Each character has their own separate set of stages to move through, utilizing their unique abilities. Pablo can charge and punch enemies, as well as bounce to generate more height. Whereas Luna's most prominently featured ability is that of her firing her gun, which she can shoot in 360 degrees with the use of the right analog stick. She also has a helpful dash, whether on land or in midair that takes a brief period to recharge before being able to use it again.

Run and gun (or dash and bash) as newcomer Luna!

Levels offer a dynamic range of gimmicks, mechanics, and platforming challenges for players. One level had Luna firing at targets that turned on and off blocks that could be used to either leap on or off of, slide down or climb up wall jump-style, or to block enemy fire or obstacles like lasers. Eventually some multitasking was needed, as I was required to both swing and aim at a target at the same time before making a jump to the newly revealed block created by the shot target. Meanwhile, another level featured a pink and orange shade that turned all characters into silhouetted form. The level would change shades on different beats (also displayed visually with a meter at the top of the screen for less rhythm-inclined players like myself), thus shifting which platforms were stable and solid to stand on.

In addition to level gimmicks, there are various power-ups to be found in Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines. Both characters stumble upon them in their respective levels, but the utility in how they use them is different. With the shock power-up, Luna gets what is essentially an electric shotgun, firing short bursts that absolutely demolish enemies that are too close for her comfort. It also charges up light bulbs, which in turn turns on certain platforms to be used. Meanwhile, Pablo's shock power-up form grants him the ability to roll into a ball and glide along electrical panels in an impressive and utterly delightful and fun way. 

Pablo's brand of flame power-up grants him the ability to charge in any direction in fireball form.

Previously, the first Grapple Dog tied the berries that you collected in levels with 100% completion, requiring players to gather them all to fully finish a level. This time around, berries are mainly the currency used in Toni's--Pablo's bunny girlfriend--shop. Here, health upgrades, grapple hook cosmetics, and character outfits for both Pablo and Luna can be purchased. It's nice to have some use for berries in this sequel rather than just having to collect them for a rote completionist purpose. 

Berries are also spent to open up special bonus challenge levels, where a central mechanic or power-up of the game is explored and focused on with greater depth. The goal of these challenge levels is either reaching the level's finish line, or in what comes off as an ode to Super Smash Bros.--whether intended or not--breaking all of the targets or collecting all of the level's berries within a time limit. 

Whereas Luna's flame power-up grants her a freakin' flamethrower! Flame on!

At the conclusion of each world, there is a battle against one of Vyr's righthand commanders. These battles are highly varied. One has a big blob of a boss pursue Pablo as our protagonist performs various platforming feats to reach points in the level where he can deal damage to the boss blob, while another features Luna in a more traditional battle of endurance against a boss with a shield who can only be damaged from above or from behind. The bosses are tougher endeavors than the main game, but they're also incredibly rewarding to beat.

Between completing levels--searching high and low for collectibles--speed-running levels to aim for gold medals, and beating bosses, there is a lot to do within Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines. You won't be left wanting for more content. Even after the base game is completed, there are much more difficult post-game levels to explore and complete for the "true ending" of the game. 

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines does come equipped with two helpful accessibility measures for if the game gets too arduous or if players would prefer a breezier time. These are the abilities to nullify damage as well as jump infinitely, making the game and its various platforming challenges less, well, challenging. These can be turned on and off at any time, and there is no genuine penalty for using them.

In my experience with the Xbox Series S version of the game, I did encounter times where my character grappled and glitched unnaturally across the screen and through objects, to the point where the camera did not follow. Additionally, I received two error messages from a system level while playing, both when I used the leaf-grapple just over a ledge. I had to force-quit the game and restart, which was a bit vexing considering how long some levels can feel when you're scouring them for secrets and collectibles. That said, those glitches and errors were rare. 

Pablo goes to the poles (and climbs them, too)!

To me, and I'm sure this is no unique opinion, Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines looks the part of a Game Boy Advance game that never was--offering colorful, crisp, and detailed visuals that wouldn't be foreign to Nintendo's handheld. Locales look lovely, whether they're rain-drenched battlefields, futuristic cities full of monkey citizens, or desolate post-apocalyptic deserts. Well, as lovely as something post-apocalyptic can look, that is! The music is full of bops, delivering bouncy tunes and warm vibes when appropriate and foreboding and ominous sounds at more tense moments and levels.

Medallion Games managed to make an even more impressive sequel with Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines. The varying play styles of both playable characters has each feeling different and fun to use, the level gimmicks keep things fresh, and the secrets and collectibles are generally fun to find and well hidden. Some minor to maddening glitches and some difficulty jumps may rub some players wrong, but if you do decide to give this Grapple Dog sequel a chance, you'll most likely be in for a dog-gone good time.

[SPC Says: B+]

Gimmick! 2 (Multi) Review

For your Sunday night and for the first day of fall, a new review arrives on SuperPhillip Central. It's Gimmick! 2 from Bitwave Games, and here's the SPC verdict.

A star is reborn

The original Gimmick! released on the Nintendo Famicom back in 1992. The 16-bit Super Famicom was the new hotness in Japan at the time (and had been for a while), so the game was pretty much overshadowed, despite Gimmick! itself being one of the more technologically impressive Famicom games by virtue of being a late release in that system's life. Sunsoft of America opted to not localize the game in North America, but recently it finally saw its way to our shores--albeit digitally--via a remaster. 

Now, 32 years after the fact, Gimmick! 2 launches onto the Nintendo Switch (the platform of which this game was played on for this review), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and PC. While the game has a colorful, charming, and whimsical appearance, don't be fooled--Gimmick! 2 is one challenging 2D platformer, but also one that's immensely rewarding.

Our green plush toy turned living, breathing hero Yumetaro is back, and once more he's to rescue his young owner who has been taken away by a mysterious but mischievous sorcerer. The opening scenes deliver the story with partially animated cartoon stills that set up the story swiftly, thus thrusting players right into the action soon after.

When his owner is taken to a faraway, fantasy land by a nefarious sorcerer,
Yumetaro is on the job to rescue her!

Gimmick! 2 gently eases players into said action with some mild platforming challenges, and introduces (or in this case of players of its predecessor--re-introduces) players to its main mechanic--throwing a star. Yumetaro can conjure one of these stars at any time, summoning it over his head with both arms raised. This simple-seeming star has a multitude of utility to it. Yumetaro can throw it, hitting enemies with it as well as various star-shaped switches to activate rainbow platforms. 

A little star power here and there is what the job calls for!

More interestingly (though not to say the previous actions aren't fun to do), he can rebound it off walls and leap onto it, riding it as it bounces around. This action is mandatory for most of the game's challenges. Seeing as the physics for the star are so true-to-life, it's a matter of throwing the star with enough momentum, at the correct angle, and with the right velocity to have it either smack enemies with it, hit switches, or ricochet it off walls properly to get the job done.

Scratch that--make that a LOT of star power is what the job calls for!

In many aspects, Gimmick! 2 is as much a puzzle-platformer as it is an action-platformer. It's all about finding the right angle to throw your star, leaping correctly onto said star as it rebounds, and using it to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. 

I mentioned before how Gimmick! 2's colorful and cartoon-y appearance belies a truly tricky platformer, and while it's true that the game is challenging at its core, it's also rather lenient with checkpoint placements and amounts. I found failing a certain jump or sequence definitely gave me that addicting "I gotta try this ONE more time" feeling, which naturally turned into "I gotta try this TWENTY more times". Needless to say, some frustration was found, but moreover, I was overall enjoying my time banging my head (and Yumetaro's star) against the wall in an effort to push through and persevere.

The main game of Gimmick! 2 isn't overly long. It's six or so levels and a starting run (factoring in figuring out how to get through levels and solve platforming puzzles) will most likely take anywhere between 3-5 hours. With enough practice, a full playthrough of the game can be as short as 1-2 hours. That said, there's plenty to discover in each level outside of the main path. A myriad of treasure chests containing collectibles in the form of cosmetics like different headgear, as well as various skins for Yumetaro and his star, are strewn about each level. Many of these are placed in some truly fiendish to either find or reach locations. 

Treasure chests like this one are placed in some truly tricky locations,
requiring an eagle eye and some steady thumbs to pull off the platforming moves to reach them!

In addition to those optional treasures for cosmetic goodies, in order to get the "true ending", featuring an extended final level and series of boss encounters, players must discover hidden items placed in the most difficult of locations and miniature obstacle courses. These demand your star-throwing acuity be at the top of its game and a level of mastery, too.

To help aid with some (see: definitely not all) of the difficulty in Gimmick! 2, there is an Assisted mode. Truth be told, this is still an incredibly challenging game even with Assisted on. The original Gimmick mode features less health for Yumetaro, as well as more enemies and hazards to worry about, too. So, think of Assisted mode as a means to ease into the game better before tackling the more challenging Gimmick mode.

Spikes like these purple urchins are instant death, so leap and tread carefully, Yumetaro! 

On the presentation side of things, Gimmick! 2 is a charmer with a gorgeous hand-drawn art style brimming with color. It all runs at a smooth FPS too, which is especially necessary for a game where precision and timing are of the utmost importance when platforming, so any nasty frame-rate hitches would be unwelcome. What IS welcome, however, is the music done by veteran video game composer David Wise of Donkey Kong Country fame. The music is suitably catchy, hummable, and offers a slightly ambient sound.

While the relatively high price tag ($24.99 USD) for a relatively short game might seem like a gnarly proposition, Gimmick! 2 delighted and dazzled me with its cute, charming graphics on top of its occasionally grueling platforming challenges. While the game is quite difficult--especially when aiming for the aforementioned "true ending"--it's one where failures aren't extraordinarily punishing, simply putting you back to the closest checkpoint, at most, a mere minute away. Gimmick! 2 is in essence a game with retro-style challenge mixed with modern sensibilities. This mix makes for an excellent 2D platformer that with enough practice and patience will hopefully delight and dazzle you, too.

[SPC Says: B]

A copy of Gimmick! 2 was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.

BAKERU (NSW) 100% Playthrough - Episodes 1 & 2

BAKERU recently released on the Nintendo Switch and Steam after a lengthy wait for localization. In fact, I had practically given up on it coming Westward. Fortunately, Spike Chunsoft published and helped localize the game for Western audiences, and now we get to enjoy developer Good-Feel's Japanese fairy tale adventure.

A bit impromptu of a decision, but I've opted to start a 100% playthrough on my YouTube channel, SuperPhillip Plays, of the game, split up into digestible episodes and with timestamps. This is a no-commentary run, so enjoy the pure gameplay featured!

 

Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn (Multi) Review

Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn officially released today on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Steam, and the Xbox Series of consoles, the latter of which this review is based off of. Here is the SuperPhillip Central verdict.

Without a shadow of a doubt, you will get schooled.

The original Shadow of the Ninja is an NES cult classic, known for its compelling combination of awesome action platforming and punishing but fair difficulty. It's currently available as a game to play as one of Nintendo Switch Online's offerings, specifically in the NES catalog. Now, decades later, the title is remade and reborn, getting a new lease on life with added features, a new level, and lots of polish with Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn. Keeping that aforementioned combination of action platforming and punishing but fair (for the most part) difficulty, Reborn is hardly a game for the timid, and that isn't always the player's fault, either.

Being a relic of the NES era, there isn't a massively deep narrative or plot to Shadow of the Ninja's remade incarnation. What you get is two ninjas--Hayate and Kaede--who are on a mission to take down a dictator who leads a dystopian country. That's pretty much it plot-wise, but it serves a serviceable enough purpose to get to slaying enemies and evading death traps of all shapes and sizes in the six level campaign. 

Which ever ninja you choose to start out with is less of a choice of skill set--they both seem to play similarly for the most part (save for slightly different but discernible physics)--and more on aesthetics. Each start out with a ninja blade and a kusarigama--a spear that extends from a chain. The former is perfect for melee and honing in on close-by foes, while the latter is excellent for not only keeping space between enemies but also taking them out from afar before making a perilous jump, for example. The kusarigama can be fired in all compass directions when possible (i.e. there aren't walls or floors in the way), and both the blade and chain can be temporarily upgraded once for better utility. 

Ninja gear discovered in levels in all sorts of locations makes for the bow that wraps your ninja's offensive package together. These come in the form of myriad weapons, abilities, and health-bestowing items to utilize in a pinch. From traditional shuriken and kunai to less typical ninja fare like shotguns and miniguns, your ninja can acquire quite the arsenal--though only a handful of ninja gear can be equipped at once before they're tossed away upon collecting a new one.

The ninja gear that you keep in your possession by the end of a level is put into the shop for permanent access, where at the beginning of a given playthrough you use the money you've earned from slaying enemies to purchase an assortment of ninja gear to start your next playthrough. The highest amount of money you've earned is the benchmark for future playthroughs, so there's never any worry about messing yourself over with a low budget to buy gear on a playthrough.

The six levels themselves are sometimes overwhelming affairs. Practically every few steps in a level sees your ninja encountering some kind of enemy, trap, or pit to deal with. Yes, in these levels death is less of a possibility--it's more of a certainty. Fortunately, levels are also split up between multiple sub-areas, which serve as checkpoints. Now, that doesn't mean that these sub-areas aren't lengthy endeavors onto themselves, meaning that I never died deep into a sub-area and had to redo tons of progress. Oh, I definitely and frustratingly did. But at the very least there's the option to continue that is available after the somewhat patronizing and overlong "Game Over" screen plasters itself on your screen--a screen that I got a little TOO used to.

With six levels, Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn might not seem like a lengthy endeavor of a game. Truth be told, if you have the skills to rush through every level like a master ninja, then Reborn won't give you too much longevity. Fortunately, most of us aren't equipped with that advanced skill set. Instead, you'll find yourself replaying levels, making slow but steady progress, earning new ninja gear to assist you on future playthroughs, and finally, FINALLY, making enough headway to take down the final boss and successfully beating the game. 

There are two difficulty modes in Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn--normal and hard. The first is the base difficulty, suggested to beginners and standard players alike. The latter presents more enemies, advanced attack patterns for said enemies, and just a more arduous journey--which the base difficulty of normal is no cakewalk to begin with! Co-op play is also offered for two players locally, which serves as a nice way to lessen the difficulty burden, but unless you can find a co-op partner who can put up with the level of challenge on display, then you'll probably be going it alone.

That said, here comes the troublesome part of Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn--and it's a bit of a doozy: the controls. While hacking and slashing feel wonderful and are done well, it's other mechanics that don't hold up so well. This includes climbing, which makes it so simple tasks like clinging to pipes were efforts in frustration as my ninja would either climb to the other side of the pipe to take damage or drop out completely from the pipe, also taking damage from the fall into the abyss. Then, there's wall climbing, which is all too aggravating and requires double tapping the A button when on a wall to scale it. It's quite clunky and finnicky, offering nowhere near the precision and grace required for some of the later stages' platforming challenges.

Last but not least, the ninja gear you stumble upon that I touched on earlier is a bit cumbersome to switch between. Rather than being able to cycle through all your options with the unused rear triggers, instead you are forced to hold the ninja gear button and press left and right on the D-Pad to cycle through your options. It's rather challenging in the heat of battle to madly switch to the proper ninja gear you want. It made for situations where I'd die and get a game over, right before being able to select a healing ninja gear, for example. 

Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn looks divine with its upgraded visuals. The spritework is tremendous, offering immensely and painstakingly detailed characters, and the biggest charmer here is that of enemies, especially those large ones like the yellow robotic bully that loves to fire flames from its flamethrower. The backgrounds and environments are no slouch either--and that's an understatement. Everything oozes atmosphere and the aesthetics are stellar. The soundtrack has gotten a boost and improvement too, and the tunes feature the guidance of the original composer, Iku Mizutani, delivering a lovely 80s/90s hard rock sound to it.

Depending on your level of patience and perseverance, Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn may be a tough ask to consider playing. This is a massively difficult game, which sometimes isn't helped by the clunky climbing controls or the on-the-fly ninja gear switching. It's also a short game to experience all of the content available, but most players will not exactly be able to breeze through it to see it all in a fast fashion. If you're willing to put in the effort and contend with the level of challenge offered, Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn is a remarkable 2D action platformer that properly transitions the NES original to a new era.

[SPC Says: B-]

A copy of Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.

The Tuesday 10s - The Titles That Shaped My Gaming Tastes

The Tuesday 10s return with a very special unordered (other than by A-Z) list, and I don't mean a Full House-style "very special episode" type of list either. No, instead, it's something near and dear to me, something I used to look back on my gaming history and do my best to properly analyze and identify those games that influenced and shaped who I am. These ten titles made me the type of gaymer I am, molded my tastes, and in part, made me who I am today, if we want to get utterly philosophical about this.

After you've checked out and hopefully read my ten picks, I'd be eager to read what some of your games that shaped your tastes (no need to post ten), if you'd be so kind to do so in the comments section below.

Banjo-Kazooie (N64)

Let's start off with a 3D platformer that takes claim as my favorite 3D platformer ever made. It's Banjo-Kazooie, featuring a robust repertoire of moves to learn, delightful and expansive worlds to explore, copious amounts of colorful characters to meet and engage with, and a plethora of secrets hidden inside Gruntilda's Castle and the worlds within. While Super Mario 64 innovated and revolutionized the gaming world, it's the iterative Banjo-Kazooie that has since stuck with me. It took the remarkable foundation that Mario 64 laid down and went to town on it. It presented me with my love for collectathon platformers in three dimensions (especially when they don't overwhelm the player--sorry, Donkey Kong 64) and continues to bring me joy. 

Breath of Fire (SNES)

One of the first role-playing games I ever played was a wondrous introduction to the genre for me: Breath of Fire. It was an albeit rather basic RPG, but a perfect intro to what the genre was all about. You had your turn-based battles, a sprawling world to explore, an engaging enough story, and one of the more important aspects of games that I've grown to greatly appreciate: a sensational soundtrack. Really, Breath of Fire was the beginning of my love for RPGs, and also one of the first games to make me shed tears due to a certain combo of story and music, showing that I could connect with games on an emotional level. Truly something special to me.

Final Fantasy II (SNES)

We move from one Squaresoft-published game to another with Final Fantasy II, at least that's how it was numbered back then. I'll spare you the well-known details on the numbered entries in the franchise. Regardless, Final Fantasy II started my love for the Final Fantasy series, opening me up to various aspects and constants in the series that I would discover myself appreciating to this day--whether that's familiar summons, items, monsters, places, characters like Cid, etc. And although the mainline games are not the ones I stick with, rather it's the spin-offs that I adore--and that's been a thing for as long as I can remember--Final Fantasy II was essentially the gateway game into the Square's role-playing world.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

Honestly, so many early games within The Legend of Zelda series could take a place on this list, but no doubt the one that bestowed its most influential impact on me was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I recall and remember fondly thumbing through each issue of Nintendo Power leading up to the game's release--heck, back when the game was simply titled Zelda 64 and Link still had his traditional green tunic with brown undershirt as opposed to the white undershirt he'd don in-game. I'd obsessively soak in every detail from every screenshot, every preview prose written in the magazines. 

Ocarina of Time was the first instance I can remember of a game living up to my seemingly impossible hype. It opened me up to the concept of a living, breathing world; thinking in a three-dimensional space to solve puzzles; thinking outside of the box for said puzzles; and falling in love with the mysteries and urban legends within Hyrule. Ocarina of Time persists in my mind to this day, living rent-free, as it's my favorite game ever made. Sure, I prefer the 3DS remake nowadays, but that doesn't take anything away from this highly important and influential Nintendo 64 gem.

Mario Kart 64 (N64)

While I played a fair amount of Super Mario Kart and F-Zero on the Super Nintendo, it wouldn't be until Mario Kart 64 where my love for arcade racing games--particularly the cartoon-y, wild and wacky style--would take shape and plant its foot in my heart, much like one would plant their foot on the pedal. Mario Kart 64 nowadays is my least favorite in the Mario Kart franchise due to lack of content, slippery steering, and such (though--to be fair--it's still enjoyed by me), but at the time I was absolutely addicted to the game. Between aiming for first place in each race of every cup on every difficulty, to meticulously exploring each track, even going backwards down tracks to see what sights I could discover (which no doubt annoyed Lakitu according to his constant holding up his "Reverse" sign), Mario Kart 64 was such an eye-opener for me. It definitely planted the seed of racing game love that would take root, grow, and prosper to this day.

Mega Man X (SNES)

There are plenty of platformers that shaped my love for the genre--my favorite gaming genre, might I add, at that--and Mega Man X is the one that brought forth my desire for lots of action while doing all the running and jumping the genre is primarily known for. It also gave me my adoration and appreciation for Capcom's Blue Bomber. Mega Man X was introduced to me by Nintendo Power. It was the first issue my older brother and I ever received via subscription, and it was an impressive silver cover commemorating the magazine's 50th issue. I was amazed by the Robot Maverick designs, how cool everything seemed, and just how much I wanted to freaking play this awesome-looking game! Needless to say, I soon was able to, and thus, my love and respect for Mega Man began, as did the continuation of my passion for platformers.

Resident Evil 4 (GC)

The most recent game that shaped my gaming tastes is one that I didn't think I would have bothered with. Perhaps I wouldn't have if I hadn't been quite a bit of an overzealous Nintendo fan back in the GameCube era. Fortunately, that zeal lessened in a toxicity sense to more of an enjoyable fandom. Regardless, Resident Evil 4 was once a GameCube exclusive--or at least planned that way. Without both its exclusivity and the copious amount of coverage in Nintendo Power, I no doubt would have been delayed to my Resident Evil fandom. I would have also missed out on one of my favorite games of all time. Really, Resident Evil 4 was an entry point to Resident Evil, horror games, and heck, even cosplay as I would go on to dress up as the debonair protagonist Leon S. Kennedy on streams and such. As such, in a bizarre way, perhaps I can thank my Nintendo fanboyism at the time for introducing me to one of my favorite games ever made.

RPG Maker (PS1)

This next game, or rather software for the purpose of creating your own RPGs, RPG Maker was one that turned me on to the idea of making games and doing so for fun. It taught me the basics of scripting and if/when statements, but in a visual form that was easy enough for even my simple mind to pick up on. I learned that I really love making and designing game worlds, building stories in games, and concocting all of the bits and pieces that make up the genre that so many love. Of course, the PlayStation 1 entry was as basic as all get out, not offering much, especially compared to what we see on PC nowadays, but it was a nice and pleasant start for my hobbyist game-creating career. It also taught me the utter importance of not utilizing third-party memory cards, lest you find 50 hours of work corrupted. Yeah... A lesson learned the hard way, unfortunately, with lots of tears from middle school-aged me.

Star Ocean: The Second Story (PS1)

If Breath of Fire and Final Fantasy II opened my eyes to the world of role-playing games, titles on the PlayStation like Wild ARMs and Star Ocean: The Second Story cemented my love and passion for the genre. The latter especially brought forth to my attention the idea of dual protagonists and real-time action combat. It also introduced me to composer Motoi Sakuraba whose Star Ocean: The Second Story soundtrack remains one of my favorite game soundtracks of all time. Essentially, the concepts that I was taught from Breath of Fire, Final Fantasy, and Star Ocean would go on to influence how I design my own RPG that I'm currently in the process of developing. So, if the game finally launches (who knows when that will happen, as RPGs are quite the time investment) and players end up disliking it, we now have some martyrs to blame.

Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)

It wouldn't be a list of games that shaped this gaming superhero as a gamer without mentioning one of the very first titles I ever remember playing. That was Super Mario Bros. 2 (the Western release and not what's known as The Lost Levels here). Perhaps Super Mario Bros. 2 was an early example in my life that taught me that I could persevere and overcome challenges with enough persistence and patience. I recall struggling with the game considerably--understandably so considering my age and it being my first game--but slowly making progress with each attempt. 

Eventually I hit a roadblock with the ice world and dealing with a combination of slippery platforming and those white enemies that would skate across the ice. For months I battled that level, always taking too much damage or falling into the abyss below, but eventually I did it--I made it to a new screen--one with whales. I cherished that moment. Making it to that new screen was my white whale as a kid, funnily enough, and making it was one of my proudest moments growing up. I would eventually clear the game, but nothing compared to pushing through and smashing through that earlier roadblock.

Not only did Super Mario Bros. 2 show me through sheer will and determination that I could overcome that kind of challenge and be proud of myself for it, but of course, it also introduced me to a little known plumber named Mario. I wonder whatever happened to that guy...