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52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

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bikingjahuty:
37. Elemental Master (Genesis)

This is another old school SHMUP I've never played, and up until fairly recently I didn't even realize it was made by Technosoft, who also made the awesome Thunder Force games. On the heels of replaying one of my favorite SHMUPS, Thunder Force IV, I decided to finally try Elemental Master out and I wasn't disappointed...well, mostly.


Elemental Master gets massive brownie points for being original and creative. Instead of a space ship or some sort of flying fantasy craft like what you see in Sorcerer Striker, you're instead on foot as a spell casting sorcerer. You are given four levels to choose from in the beginning of the game, very similar to the Thunder Force games, and in each one you're granted a new elemental ability upon completion of that level. These abilities come in the form of different fire modes that you can scroll between at will, again, similar to the Thunder Force games. You're also given the ability to shoot both in front of you and from behind. There are also quite a few hazards and obstacles in each stage which definitely make them far more terrestrial rather than just being able to fly over everything like in most SHMUPS. Unfortunately a lot of the level design, enemy placement, and boss design isn't the greatest. There are moments where you think, "wow, how is this SHMUP not talked about more!" and then a few seconds later you'll be thinking, "wow, this game kinda sucks." Overall though, I did enjoy playing Elemental Master, even if its gameplay is not the greatest at times.


One aspect of Elemental Master that definitely carries this game beyond being a forgettable, mediocre SHMUP is its visuals and presentation. Elemental Master has an impressive variety of enemy types, which keep things fresh between stages. There are also a lot of hazards and other stage elements that are unique to specific levels, making them stand out more from one another beyond one stage being the lava/fire level, one being the forest level, the next one being a water level, and so on. This game also has some of the coolest SHMUP bosses I've seen in a 16-bit SHMUP, all being a variety of fantasy characters and monster. Unfortunately there is little strategy in defeating them and their fairly static in their attack patters. The one final aspect of Elemental Master's impressive presentation are the various still image cut scenes that happen between certain levels. I really appreciate when SHMUP attempt to place some sort of narrative or story in them, and this one, while fairly generic, was still a welcome addition, particularly in those cutscenes which were well illustrated and fine to look at as each scene played out.


Finally, it would be a crime if i didn't mention Elemental Master's audio, which like most Technosoft games I've played, is pretty damn good. The game definitely has a catchy, awesome OST that also will make you massively nostalgic for the good ol' days of 16-bit console gaming. I'm absolutely addicted to the way music sounds coming out of the Genesis and the folks at Technosoft knew how to compose so excellent music through the console. Other sound effects like explosions, you're various fire modes, and the sounds of certain enemies are also a welcome addition to Elemental Master's overall sound quality.


While I can't say I'm in love with Elemental Master, I can at least say I did enjoy my time with it, even if it is inferior to most other Technosoft SHMUPs I've played. I at least have to give this game credit for how unique it is, especially for the time it was released. I just which the gameplay was a little more enjoyable and polished. (3/26/25) [34/50]

bikingjahuty:
38. Cruis'n Exotica (N64)

Unlike Cruis'n USA and Cruis'n World, I lack really any nostalgia for Exotica, mostly because I only played it once or twice in the arcades growing up. Meanwhile, USA and World were played countless times and so many different places I went to growing up that both those games are very sentimental to me now. Unfortunately, my enjoyment of Cruis'n USA and World is heavily rooted in my nostalgia for them, seeing how neither game is anything special when it comes to racing games, even racing games from the 90s. Without that childhood nostalgia, I'm mostly left with my current year impressions of Cruis'n Exotica, which aren't stellar for the most part.


Cruis'n Exotica's gameplay is actually a downgrade over the previous two games. While all three games utilize more or less the same rubber band racing gameplay that many arcade racers of the time used, where Exotica falls short compared to its two predecessors is the AI's increased aggression and also the crash physics. In the previous two games, most other drivers did a decent job at trying to hit you and other cars, however in Exotica you'd think the AI from some unreleased bumper car car was programmed in instead. This is annoying by itself, but seeing how crashing in Cruis'n Exotica mostly just makes you and your opponents bounce of each other, it gets kind of annoying and ridiculous as you try and race through each of the tracks. As for the tracks themselves, they are definitely on par with the previous games in terms of track design and difficulty. Exotica does have more tracks with unpaved roads, which sometimes can get confusing as to where the track begins and ends, but this isn't too much of an issue overall.


The graphics in Cruis's Exotica's N64 port are pretty good for the most part, and probably even an upgrade over Cruis'n World's, which you would hopefully expect. Levels are creative and colorful, and several even have you racing in places not on earth or locations like Atlantis, which don't actually exist. Even places like the Amazon Rainforest are spiced up by including dinosaurs which is a cool addition. There are also a few levels that don't exactly scream "exotica" for me, mostly the Ireland and Holland stage, but these levels do have some redeeming qualities to make them somewhat interesting. There are also quite a few selectable cars in Exotica, some of which require you to unlock through completion of various modes. Some of these vehicles include solar powered lunar rovers and forklifts, which make them more amusing.


As for Cruis'n Exotica's audio, it's decent for the most part. The tracks that play while you're racing are a bit generic sounding and there aren't many of them, but they are feel appropriate given the theme and overall vibe of this game. There is also an enthusiastic female announcer like in the previous games that will comment on the stages you pick or what's going on during the race. This definitely adds some character and charm to Exotica that definitely makes the game just slightly more memorable and enjoyable. There are also some unique sound effects thrown in to compliment the unique action of the various stages. Sometimes this is the sound of whales or fighter jets flying overhead. Again, nothing crazy, but certainly a welcome addition to the game's overall audio design.


Cruis'n Exotica on the N64 is a fine game for the most part, however you're likely to get bored with it fairly quickly, especially now since there are may much better racing games available, even other Cruis'n series games. Luckily the game only takes about 20 minutes to beat, unless of course you want to unlock all the different cars in the game, which will appropriately increase the amount of play time. For me, this is a decent game to throw in my N64 if I'm bored, but honestly if I was going to revisit an old Cruis'n game, I'd probably just play World and possibly even USA instead. (3/26/25) [29/50]

bikingjahuty:
39. Ridge Racer 64 (N64)

I feel like I've been on a role this year in terms of playing pretty fun, enjoyable games. Unfortunately when you play enough games, you're bound to run into a stinker or two. That's precisely what happened tonight while playing Ridge Racer 64. For the record,I have pretty limited experience with the RR franchise, having only played the original a handful of times years after its heyday in mid 90s arcades. From what I remember, the original RR was an enjoyable little arcade racer, but certainly nothing remarkable in any way. Unfortunately its translation on N64 hardware lowers the ball into downright annoying and poorly made territory.


RR64's greatest sin is its terrible controls and gameplay. Your car's stearing is ultra touchy and you'll often go slamming into a wall at the slightest press of the left or right d-pag buttons on on the analogue stick. To make matters worse there is an awfully implemented drift mechanic which is far more of a hinderance than something to help you get around tight corners. It's more akin to hitting a patch of black ice, followed by you struggling to correct the car from spinning out. It happens all the time if you let go off the accelerator button for a moment while turning and makes this game mostly unpleasant to play. Your best strategy is actually just holding down the accelerator button at full throttle constantly and bouncing yourself off the walls around the tracks. Too bad the collision physics are also mostly trash too.


Visually, RR64 fairs better with the stages looking a lot more detailed than many other n64 racing games. The only problem is there are so few of them, it's easy to get bored fast while playing. The cars are also mostly unique and cool looking, vaguely resembling real life JDM race cars. The graphics, while not amazing, are definitely the best part of this game, followed closely by RR64's audio, which is good, but not great.


For better or worse, the N64 is filled with racing games. In other words, go play one of the others on the console; there's a decent chance it'll be better that RR64. (3/26/25) [24/50]

bikingjahuty:
40. Android Assault (Sega CD)

I've dabbled in this game before, but never seriously sat down and played through it before. While Android Assault does have some admirable traits, mostly its OST and graphics, its gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. The game revolves around various shot type power ups you can collect and use one at a time. Unfortunately, all, but two of these shot types felt a lot less useful and often became more of a handicap to use. So i just avoided those specific ones and stuck to the spread shot and hoping attacks. If you collect enough power ups of a specific type, your jet fighter ship transforms into a mech. While being the mech means your shot is as powerful as it possibly can be and also your shot charge powers up faster (more on that soon), oh, and you can take an extra shot without using up one of your ships, it also makes you a much larger target in a game that often already puts you into a lot of narrow corridors where it's easy to hit the floor or ceiling on accident while trying to avoid enemy bullets. The charge attach I mentioned has to do with an alternative version of your fire mode where if you refrain from firing your basic shot for a few seconds, it charges up and allows you to unleash a much stronger attack. You really have to time this attack just right, and even then you sometimes find yourself in crappy situation before its fully charged. The gameplay isn't terrible, but it isn't great either, which is unfortunate because Android Assault is a pretty visually appealing game. There is a lot of enemy variety, many of which are either mechs, various space craft, and various other cool lookinh enemies. The sprite work is pretty damn good, although the animations are a bit lacking compared to various other Genesis/SCD SHMUPs. The audio is also pretty good as it benefits from the Sega CD's disk based audio making it a lot clearer and less gritty than your standard Genesis game. It's not an amazing OST, but pretty good and fits in well with the action in this game. Android Assault is a fun game to at least try out, and while it is nowhere near as good as a few of its Genesis counterparts like Thunder Force IV, it's still worth a play if you can manage to find a copy for a good price or I suppose emulate it. (3/27/25) [30/50]

bikingjahuty:
3. Gradius Gaiden (PS1) - ABANDONED

There are several game franchises that I've desperately tried to get into for years, and every time I think enough time is gone by and that series might finally click with me, I'm more often than not disappointed to find I still dislike them quite a bit. Such is the case with most of the famous Gradius series. I've mostly enjoyed the bulk of Parodius games I've played, but as for the core series, every time I try to get into it I'm left disappointed, underwhelmed, frustrated, or some combo of all three. Unfortunately that's what happened in attempting to get into one of the most acclaimed from the Gradius series, Gradius Gaiden.


Gradius Gaiden plays a lot like the rest of of the games from the franchise where you're picking up power up pickups that allow you to scroll through your power up options, making your ship faster, your shot types more powerful, and even giving you shields to withstand a hit from enemies. My problems with Gradius Gaiden, as well as most other Gradius games, lies not in this system per se, but in its ability to power up maroon you, blind side you with beginner's gotcha traps, but worst of all, using arbitrary stage checkpoints that you return to when you die. Stage checkpoints were a common feature in a lot of 80s and early 90s SHMUPs, but with Gaiden being released in 1997, it has literally no excuse to keep using these. Having to replay entire sections of a level again is as annoying as it sounds, especially when you don't have enough power ups to get through it as easily as you would have before dying. Too much of Gradius Giaden's gameplay is rooted in outdated, annoying SHMUP mechanics that I'm so thankful the genre has mostly moved past.


Visually, Gradius Gaiden is fine looking, but isn't anything special in regards to its enemies, bosses, and stages. The game definitely feels like more of a game from 1990 than 1997, which given games like Dodonpachi and Battle Garegga were eating this game's lunch all day long around the time it came out, Gaiden is comparatively unappealing to the eyes. The audio, while slightly better, is mostly generic and not anything memorable either.


I was only able to get through about three stages of Gradius Gaiden before turning it off. I definitely could have gritted my teeth and made my way through the rest of the game, but by stage 3 I was so done with it I couldn't help but turn it off. I'm 90% convinced I will never be able to get into the bulk of the Gradius series, especially since the much loved Gradius V is another title from the franchise I just couldn't get into. This game isn't for me, but I respect that other's really love this series. Maybe I'll try again in another five years or so to get into Gradius again lol. Who knows! (3/28/25) ABANDONED

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