 |
|
Feb 9th, 2008 at 01:46:12 - Gradius 3 (SNES) |
GAMEPLAY
I definitely got the flow of the game better the second time. It was especially noticeable as I had to start from the beginning again as the game does not allow you to skip levels which have already been completed previously. However this did give me the opportunity to flex my improved skills. Because I didn’t die so easily, I did collect many more power ups which greatly decreased the difficulty of the next parts. Unfortunately, I found that power ups can become a sort of crutch. Once you die your power ups are taken away and you’re set back to a check point. Without four drones and a force field, the enemies are suddenly much more threatening.
I also had more chance to try the different versions of the different power ups from the different sets. The choices made at the beginning can significantly alter the strategies the player can execute later in the game. Some power ups make it easier to flank the enemies while others are more suited to defend the player.
DESIGN
Gradius III has some issues in overall design. It has a good reward system for the short term in the power up system, but it has nearly no reward system on a larger scale. Very infrequently the player may earn an extra life, but that’s about it. It also has problems keeping the player interested. Most likely due to hardware limitations, most new environments are the old environments in different configurations with a different color pallet. There are also a pretty limited number of different types of enemies. The only thing that really keeps the player interested is the constant action which it executes well. The problem is, every time the action is interrupted, as by the game-over screen, it gives the player a chance to think about whether it’s really worth jumping back in the game.
The game is also mostly a game of progression. There is very little dynamic behavior in the enemies, the majority of which travel on fixed paths. This may let the hardcore players set up routines, in order to play a perfect game, but for the rest of us it is merely boring. Gradius III also lacks a strong tone. The different levels don’t differ much in appearance. The space levels have identical star fields. The game is also very linear. The screen constantly pans forward leaving the player little freedom of movement. The game is rather lacking in design, and as a result it’s entertainment value is shortlived.
add a comment  - read this GameLog  |
|
Feb 9th, 2008 at 00:37:34 - Gradius 3 (SNES) |
SUMMARY
Gradius III is a shmup for the SNES. The objectives are simple, survive wave after wave of enemies by dodging and shooting them while collecting powerups.
GAMEPLAY
Gradius III is an extremely hectic game. This is often par for the course for shmups, but I haven’t played too many of them. This series shares a common core gameplay mechanic. This is a unique powerup system. A set of upgrades chosen before playing is attained by collecting the right number of powerup tokens and pressing the powerup button. This turned out to be a very important to succeeding in the game. The player is faced with a fairly limited number of powerup tokens and so must choose whether it is worth saving up for the more expensive upgrades. Furthermore, you have to spend all your tokens at once, so if you pass up a less expensive powerup, you can’t go back.
Each powerup has a distinct effect. The speed upgrade is the most useful and the cheapest, but the least impressive as there is no graphical change when it is activated. The missiles are useful for attacking land based enemies. Laser weapons are more powerful and look cooler. The second most useful upgrade, but one of the most expensive, is the “option” upgrade. This creates a little invincible drone that mimics the players actions and increases the firepower at the user’s disposal considerably.
The game is very hard, but I can see its appeal. After losing soundly for a while, I started to get into the sort of zoned out pure reflex mode you have to be in to play the game successfully. I started to see significant increases in my ability quickly. It was a very good example of flow. I hope that the game continues to be interesting, and that I don’t end up playing the same levels over and over again.
read comments (1)  - add a comment - read this GameLog |
|
Jan 26th, 2008 at 01:55:28 - Donkey Kong Country 2 (SNES) |
GAMEPLAY
In the second play session I mostly came across more of the same but with slight variations on the theme. I worked through two more regions with very distinct themes. The first area had been a pirate ship. The next two were a volcano and a swamp respectively. Many areas also included animal helpers which could be ridden. These imbued me with new abilities such as flight or higher jumping.
I also had to fight bosses at the end of each region. While they were a nice change of pace and contributed to the themes of the region, they were rather predictable and not particularly difficult to beat.
DESIGN
One of Donkey Kong Country 2’s strong points is a cohesive style. Levels are very good at conveying an atmosphere. The levels inside of the volcano all have orangish hues. The music echoes like it might in a cave. In contrast, the swamp levels are composed with hues of greens with music infused with the sounds of chirping frogs. All of the music in the game is top notch and I actually find myself humming the tunes every once in a while.
The game also has several features which were innovative for the time. The game gives the player two characters to use. They each have slight variations to their abilities. Each also has the ability to pick up and throw the other across gaps. The level designs take advantage of these abilities well too.
read comments (1) - add a comment - read this GameLog |
|
Jan 26th, 2008 at 00:44:30 - Donkey Kong Country 2 (SNES) |
SUMMARY
Donkey Kong Country 2 is a platforming game in which you take control of two monkey protagonists as they journey to rescue Donkey Kong from the evil Kaptain K. Rool and his Kremling minions.
GAMEPLAY
It is very easy to pick up Donkey Kong Country 2. The controls are fairly intuitive. I did, however, play the game on the Wii virtual console with a Gamecube controller, which is decidedly sub-optimal, but I can't fault the developers for this. There's no way they could have predicted the circumstances in which I played it.
Besides the minor button placement issues, which I was able to overcome readily my play experience was very positive. Gameplay is varied and well polished all around. At multiple points in every level there are miniature bonus rounds which can be entered through barrel cannons. These bonus rounds have various objectives such as collecting stars or destroying enemies. Afterwards the player is rewarded with a banana coin which can be used to pay for hints an tips from the protagonists family members.
The levels themselves also vary greatly. While most are standard platforming levels others include underwater levels and minecart rides. Enemies mostly follow reptilian or insect themes but they mostly have differing weaknesses and behaviors to keep the player on his toes.
The game was very fun. The gameplay has aged to an extent; the characters don't have a huge variety of abilities, but those they have are very well tuned. They can be used in different situations to achieve varied goals. The different jumping challenges are well put together. The spacings are just wide enough to pose a challenge,but there is still enough leeway that it doesn't become tedious. Besides this, most of the hardest platforming is optional, leading to bonus stages. There are also checkpoints placed at midway through the levels.
One area in which the game is lacking is narrative. It doesn't matter so much, as narrative would probably only pose a distraction from the excellent platforming gameplay.
add a comment - read this GameLog |
|
|
 |
| Scrawnto's GameLogs |
|
Scrawnto has been with GameLog for 16 years, 10 months, and 13 days |
view feed xml
|
| Entries written to date: 10 |
|
