Messages

1

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: July 10, 2025, 07:55:14 pm »

47. Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus [PS5] - finished Jul 9th, 2025



47. Who Hit Mute On Uncle Marcus

This game is dank lol. Maybe dank is self described. Dank as in a moldy dish rag on a placenta dragon's door hinge. It's a silly flash in the pan that ends way too soon. It doesnt get where it needs to go. Like if someone double dog dared your crush to kiss you.  It's like your hearts racing, you dont know what to feel. It sorta was what you imagined, it sorta wasnt and in the end? You dont know what to do but hope for it to extend upon itself and it never does.  It's this FMV British comedy soup that is funny at times. But since its basically a 15 minute episode of Ricky Gervais's the office with half the humor and twice the amount to unpack. I personally think it needed more time to get into its footing. It's a clustered up little mess of amusement. Maybe worth 2 dollars. Heres the issue... I paid 4 lol.


So essentially you are Abby. A family outcast who I suppose is close to Uncle Marcus. It doesnt extend into why she is. Uncle Marcus confides in you the details of a big mystery of how he was poisoned by someone in the family. And you are tasked to interrogate a set of family members (aunt, mom, cousins and grandmother) to find evidence. This is not a spoiler because its literally the games title and description in store lol. Once you gather evidence you can hopefully save Uncle Marcus or unviel the truth.  Theirs most likely many different endings. The issue is the game is over as fast as it starts.  I mostly got this game because I was itching for another game like Erica.  Erica is also an fmv. The game is actually camera footage of real humans and actresses and that game was 10/10 incredible and I beat it 3 times it was so engrossing. Like an unraveling hbo max movie. It felt like I was digging into an actual mystery. Shutter Island style. And this game? Its something I imagine would come on adult swim at 3am when everyones off to bed. Something you watch only out of lack of options. It just doesnt have any major unraveling. Its too short. And it's rare I ever say that.  But it just is. You cant just put someone at the helm of a 30 minute murder mystery and rush that to that extent.  But maybe some will find enjoyment in its novelty.

69/100

2

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: July 10, 2025, 07:43:42 pm »

46. Taiko No Tatsujin: Rythym Festival [PS5] - finished July 7th, 2025



Taiko No Tatsujin Rythym Festival is a fun little (not so little) Japanese treat to grace American audiences in recent memory. (I know it did decades ago. But I mean how massively popular it has become has had a recent spike to it). You know those cute little Japanese candy poppers that explode? Or the sodas with the marbles in them? That Japan has had for decades but have now since become trendy in the states? That is this game. A hidden treat that I think is dabbling into a space in American gaming where guitar hero would have once lived. The rythym genre! And i'm happy its gained some cult like attention. Sorta riding along the lines of games like Dance Dance Revolution which were games that blew up to popularity in tokyo arcades and then made it to be ported to pretty much every worldwide form of delivering entertainment. Im surprised their wasnt a dance dance revolution on dvd players using a remote to play the darn thing. Oh wait....


There was lol.



However Taiko No Tatsujin at its greatest value NEVER waivers from what it is.  I played the vita version which was released almost a decade before Rythym Festival. Its the same exact game. Different songs and UI of course. But it doesn't play around with becoming too saturated or too ambitious. And I feel its such a delightful pick up and play game because of it.  Its just faithful and fun.  Colorful and cute.

Players must simply hit the outer rim of a drum (a taiko peripheral. Sold seperate) for blue notes. And center drum for red notes although the game can also be played via controller. This raises accuracy and easiness of the game.  But removes some of the immersive realism of drumming away. Which is a optional trade off for casual play on the couch.

The songs are mostly J Pop, but their are some K Pop (such as black pink's dudududu) and English songs such as Disney's frozen II and classics such a bethooven symphony no.5.  The set list is varied, juicy and ripe with fun. And even though I maybe know 5 words in Japanese. It's something that every song beems with life. They have different tones, poignant appeal and lush visuals that compliment the intent of delivery. Melodies. Rock, japanese techno. It all is a big rave in a world so foreign to me and I do love that.   It can also be noted that if you buy the japanese copy of the game like I did. And play it on an ntsc playstation 5. The ps5 will automatically translate it to the language on your ps5. Its no different than owning the american copy aside from paying 30 dollars less lol. 


Overall the controls are smooth. The character Don Chin that looks sorta like a spring roll with green outer skin is adorable.  He is accompnied by a cloud with yellow strings?  I honestly feel like being non lingual in the games language makes it more abstract. I cant tell what the creatures are. But based on what ive read online. Japanese speakers and natives also find the game fairly off the wall and wild in terms of what is going on.  Theirs a lot of colorful visuals. It's one of the most colorful games I have ever played. 

Overall its a concise rythym game that has a smooth UI. Fun tracks. However lack of vocals, guitar or synths make it one dimensional. So you have to love drums. And particular ONE drum. To enjoy it.  It was fun for the many hours I put into it. However I actually think my vita experience was even better.

87/100

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General / Re: July 2025 - Recently added to collection/recently purchased

« on: July 10, 2025, 07:34:51 pm »

Got my collectors edition of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 on the 8th.  I was worried the board included would be a cheap plastic eall hanger made for video game collectors and not an actual skate deck to save money. I was happily mistaken



In a world of 70 dollar games. The deluxe editoon is priced at around 69.99. Standard is 50.  So 70 dollars worth of the collectors edition is game alone. Which means this deck is 50.  That is a massive bargain for a birdhouse deck of limited run based on their website 52 to 72 is the average.  So i'm actually really stoked with the quality!

The orange amber wood grain is so sick. 


As for the game itself.  It's just like thps 1+2 but with 3+4 levels.  They removed the 4 story features but with nostalgia goggles taken off.  4's story elements were useless and unnecessary anyway.  I enjoy the streamlined experience. 

I think for the price this CE is tons of value and the deck is art gorgeousness on the other side.  I shoulda took a picture lol.   I think Tony Hawk made such a turn around.  From being borderline ruined as a franchise to redemption.  Cool to see. 

Happy gaming everyone

4

General / Re: July 2025 - Recently added to collection/recently purchased

« on: July 08, 2025, 04:50:25 am »

Although I am attempting to slow down drastically on purchasing. Some amazon returns allowed for some foreign purchases.I have pre ordered some upcoming releases. One of which is set to come today. Which is Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 collectors edition. Which comes with a birdhouse skate deck with a lithograph of Tony's autograph! Pretty pumped.

Also

PS5

Deliver at all costs [UK Only]
Tear Down [JP]
And
Planet Zoo

5

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: July 07, 2025, 05:30:54 am »

Platinum'd Jusant. One of the more enjoyable Platinums.  Boy this years "year in review" thread is gonna be very difficult for me. I feel like I've played at least 7 games that will stick with me for life.  Congrats everyone on progress at a little past the half year mark!   

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: July 06, 2025, 05:06:31 am »

45. Jusant [PS5] - finished July 6th, 2025




Jusant is one of those cute little indie "engines that could" games of the PS Plus games monthly world. But rarely do they throw a home cooked meal feel type of masterpiece like this. That I am honored to have grace my screen.  What a warm experience.  Take on traversals as you climb beautiful sun soaked mountain scapes, abandoned ruins and wild plants through gloriously beautiful open air.  The world becomes your playground with each trigger tap and it's quite BEASTLY.

You are accompanied by a companion called a ballast.  The sole way to describe them based on the letters you collect throughout the game are fabled demi gods that use sound waves to make mythical use of environments.  Plants respond to the cries of the blue ball of cuteness on your back allowing vines to pertrude and then you climb.   The backstory of the ballasts unravels itself as you read diary journals left behind and letters from a woman named Bianca. Who I suppose climbed the path you are before you did.  They act as a sort of guidance into the unknown. 


The climbing elements are similar to say Uncharted but far more quick, light and varied.  The game relies on environmental changes to vary the climbing.  Wind will blow a windmill that you are climbing changing its position.  Some plants wither in the sunlight meaning you must rush those sections. It's so fluid, it's non newtonian, the gentle breezes vibrate the dualsense.  It becomes intertwined in your fingers as you feel you and the main protagonist become one.  It's a zenful experience and doesn't do anything to sway your focus from its beauty. Its clean cut perfection in terms of 3d platforming.

Throughout the world are collectibles.  Cairns which essentially are rocks that someone decided should be stacked.  Letters from bianca.  Frescos. Which are pretty glow paintings.  And the spinny rock pillar things.  Shells to listen to echos from nature itself.  It all is so peaceful.  The earl grey tea of video games. A warm mid evening sip of a hot cocoa that leaves you wondering if a hot cocoa becomes cool is it a cool cocoa or does it remain hot in name despite coolness in it's tempatural existence.  Every plant, every rock. It all just feels booming with calm.  Which is neat considering the game is packed with action.  It's meditative beauty.



One of 12 Frescos in the game. Colorful murals for the player to find

The games soundtrack is very amazon nusic calming sounds sorta vibe mixed with games like Ori and the blind Forrest. And considering its free to play right now if you have the subscription for ps plus extra (I believe its for extra subscribers but it may be for standard ps plus members too) it's just impossible to not chase a platinum trophy on this one.  It's concise but not too much. It does just about everything right.  Tbh. One of my favorite games of all time.  Which is shocking but its just simple, quick, clean and perfect. Which is my favorite experiences now a days.

Rating - 100/100

7

Off Topic / Re: How do you deal with getting older?

« on: July 05, 2025, 05:50:36 pm »

Idk if anyone else feels this but does it seem like time moves faster as you age?  Seemed like days were 2 days when I was younger.  Now it seems like no matter how much time I make. Plans I cancel. It's just wake up. And then its bedtime right after.  Theirs this sense of too quick. Idk.   Where it comes from.

It feels faster because the individual time amounts take up less and less of your overall life. Take summer vacation for example. To a 7 year old, that summer vacation is about 4% of their total life and all the memories contained. To a 37 year old, that same time period is now only 0.6% of their life.

Also, it doesn't help how much adulting can take out of your free time. Lawn needs to be mowed, laundry needs to be done, groceries need to be bought, etc., etc. So that 2 days off a week can wind up feeling like only a few hours free depending on how things stack up.

This makes a lot of sense. That 2nd part hits home. I was just saying I feel like I spend more time at Walmart than my home lol. It seems like every 2 days the groceries are gone. And if I buy in bulk then I need something else or it spoils. Then it's laundry.  Then it's car care. Then it's doctors, dentist or other health appointments.  By the time I actually sit down with a video game at the end of the night my eyes are heavy and i'm falling asleep.  Maybe get 2 hours tops.   

Perhaps that's the issue im having. The boring parts of life are taking up maybe a good chunk so it feels like the memorable parts are actually small and rushed.  I gotta try to time budget better.


But that other age correlation phenomenon is fascinating. It just feels wild lately. I feel like new years was about a week ago. Its that bad. Sorta out of body.   I'm gonna try to focus more on the scope of time and less about the movement of it.  Just another thing to add about how getting older sucks lol.   

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News / Re: Official Fallback Forum

« on: July 02, 2025, 10:09:26 pm »

Joined!  I really like this idea.  I've grown to love the community here. At least theirs a chance to congregate if it all goes belly up again.

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General / Re: What are you playing?

« on: July 02, 2025, 07:53:09 pm »

Playstation's monthly game Jusant has proven to be massuvely epic so far.  Free to play if you are a psn member. 

The game is essentially climbing a beautiful mountain scape to uncover a mystery. Gorgeous art

10

Classic Video Games / Re: New Haul Picked Up Today At TooManyGames

« on: July 02, 2025, 06:12:02 am »

Are those good prices? I stopped buying games and haven't kept up with the market. They seem ok for a couple.

About 10 to 20 percent over retail on each. Deduct 5 bucks from each and you get fair pricing. That adds up. But like NickAwesome said. Perhaps their was negotiating involved.  Really cool games though.


I loved that rampage as a kid!

11

Off Topic / Re: How do you deal with getting older?

« on: July 01, 2025, 06:08:52 pm »

I recently had a birthday which puts me in my late 30s. I understand I'm still not old, and by conventional standards I'm not even middle aged yet, but one thing that has been on my mind a lot over the last year or so is how people deal with getting older.


it's a strange thing coming out of your late teens, 20s, and even your early 30s and most things are more or less as you remembered them, but then you realize one day they're not. Your relatives you've had in your minds eye as being around a certain age most of your life are now several decades beyond that, you start to hear more and more about people you knew personally dying, and even you aren't the same person anymore. You don't have the energy you once did, your body has all sorts of random aches and pains you never used to have, and you could have sworn you were just renewing your plates or paying your taxes a few months ago, when it's actually been a whole year already. I guess the passage of time and the reality of how much time has passed is starting to finally catch up with me. Does anyone else have feelings like this or have you dealt with this and somehow come to terms with it?

I think about it every single day when i'm alone. Damn... this hit the feels for me.  I actually been feeling sort of out of body lately. Almost existential crisis.  Like sometimes I just sit there and realize how finite life is...  it feels like yesterday was y2k.  Like monday was ps2 release date. it feels like Majoras mask. Where it's a game, all n64 and life as usual but then you look up and death is just there.  When you start the game. That moon is far away. Easy peezy.  No urgency or fear. You're a kid! But once you near 30, 40, 50 and I imagine especially 60 and 70.  That moon is not exactly where it started anymore.  And the reality of that is jarring.  And it jars you the more you look up.

And things have radically changed with the advent of internet dependency. Which has not helped matters. It makes us lead very centralized and introverted psuedo lifestyles of speed. I find myself saying "these kids today" like an old grandfather and i'm not even 30 yet lol.  It just has changed.  Complex stuff like learning how to work a check book.  Even something as simple as looking out the window every 30 seconds for a pizza guy.  The excitement.  Now we have an app to track it. Why wait at a mom and pop store. Amazon will do it quicker. Better. Theirs no effort required so I think life speeds up when theirs less to do. Less to see. It all feels like around 2010 or 2012. We all died at the same time. And everything after 2013 is just a bizarre dream. And this is a new life. Thats how different it is.  But I know thats not the case.


Idk if anyone else feels this but does it seem like time moves faster as you age?  Seemed like days were 2 days when I was younger.  Now it seems like no matter how much time I make. Plans I cancel. It's just wake up. And then its bedtime right after.  Theirs this sense of too quick. Idk.   Where it comes from.

I guess we just gotta focus more on what is changeable.  The quality of the life not the quantity.   I know death can only bring us the answers of whats next. But its human nature to ponder it.   

Sometimes the quote "dont be sad its over. Be happy it happened" make me feel better. 

12

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: July 01, 2025, 05:06:31 pm »

44. NFL Street [PS2] - finished July 1st 2025



My Childhood

NFL Street was a core building block of my childhood. Back in the days when AOL discs littered the carpets of the 1 bedroom apartments of gamers. The days of yellow pages ordering that meat lover pizza from the local joint Timmy's pizza. The soft buzz of a CRT.  Back when tvs were smaller yet weighed 200x more.  But what was big was what was inside the tv... EA Big.  A company that was a subsidiary of EA as an umbrella of sports dominance. Known for making the SSX games, and many other street games for each sport.  But NFL Street was the most critically beloved of them all.  This was very much a walk down the cobblestoned pavements of memory lane.


The games intro brings nostalgia right away.  But while I beat NFL Street 2 maybe 20 times as a kid.  I never beat NFL Street 1.  And now I know why.  The game is fun, a catalyst for the greatest arcade football franchise of all time but it's also so damn poorly paced.  And is riddled with flaws.  Which sadly knock it off its pedestal at the end. But otherwise its an epic epic game.

No pads, no rules, just backyard beef, as we stiff armed my homework into eternal grief.  My PS2 hummed like a streetlight fight, while Ray Lewis trucked kids into parental oversight.  From adolescence to adult essence.  We digress into what made it special and not so.

It was bling era. MTV. Mike Jones.  The game is a window into that simpler time. 

Premise

So you basically form a team of new comers. The intent is to build a squad good enough to challenge not only every NFL team (you'll see how redundant that is) but also every afc and nfc championship team (theirs and if you do.  You get privilege to face the NFL Legends. Who essentially are jacked up HOF athletes with higher stats than anyone else.

Where the game is bliss is its rpg element system and the challenges.   Challenges will be presented. For example "stiff arm 2 times and score on your first play" and if you do that. It awards you development points.  Which can be used to upgrade players.  This cycle always changes because the challenges vary so wildly.  Not as wildly as nfl street 2 which perfects this formula.  (Please always note that nfl street 2 is another league of game far greater than this one) but these rpg upgrade elements really allow for a fun time.  If the game were just these. Itd be flawless.  You get to watch your team develop from project kids to essentially better than nfl stars.  You can physically feel and see the impact your upgrades have on field.  If you max a speed stat. He will be lightning while your other guys are molases on grass.  This formula makes the game a wild arcadey blast of building up your squad.


Gameplay is smooth.  I actually prefer its simplicity over 2. 2 added gamebreaker 2. Which is unnecessary and redundant.  Otherwise NFL Street 2 added so much depth and trimmed the fat off nfl street 1.  But the game is good mechanics wise.  Just a bit hard.  But now heres the flaws of the game.


REPETITION

Howlongtobeat.com has this game pegged to 10 hours.  It seems users go on there to simply lie about how fast they can beat a game.  Semi annoying.  Here is the truth.   In order to face the legends. You have to beat 8 all star teams from each conference.  If that was it? Climb the ladder and beat the greats? perfection.  Itd still be a long grind.  But no..  you must beat all 32 nfl teams to even face the 8 conference all stars.  Thats 40 games.  The games are to 36 points. So thats not a short game.  It's roughly 5 to 6 touchdowns.  For lack of a better word.  This is just damn redundant.  You didn't need to beat 4 teams in a row to get the allstar battle.  The allstar battle is all the best players anyway. That proves you are ready for the legends.  The rest is pure bloat.   Even if you do these games in 15 minutes each (doesnt always happen) the game is at least 20 hours of bloat.  It gave me carpal tunnel lol.  And that is NOT including the hustle of the challenges.  Some of those are massively drawn out. Most include beating those very same teams in games to 36, 40 and even 100.   So what you get is a game that had potential to be borderline flawless. But made you go through a marathon where a sprint was more appropriate. It becomes so repetitive facing the same teams on the same fields with no mix up.  The challenges alone are 10 hours minimum of gaming if you seek to actually max your teams stats.  NFL Street 2 eliminates the team nonsense and keeps it just as I said. Challenges only. It's flawless. To beat the entire league 3 times over? Yeah im sapped out.

Overall the fun building style of nfl street 1 is a beauty. And without it crawling with that formula. Nfl street 2 wouldn't have been able to run with it. It's a colorful window in 2000w hip hop culture. But it needed brevity.

Overall - 85/100

13

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: June 26, 2025, 06:55:28 am »

70. We <3 Katamari (PS2)

Back around the time We <3 Katamari first came out, I was working a crappy retail job. Two of my coworkers and I had bonded over our love of video games and anime, which led to one of them inviting us over to his apartment after work one night to play some weird game he had just bought. What ensued is the three of us playing We <3 Katamari until the sun came up the next day while listening to J-Pop and Dir En Grey. It was an excellent experience and beyond just the fond memories of that night, it also made me a fan of the Katamari series with We <3 Katamari being the came that started it all.

This was really a cool read! Reminded me of a simpler time back when late night, a PS2 and some Dominoes Pizza, the dim lit glow of the screen is all you needed. Carrying a gamecube next door after work. Gaming felt so social back then.

-----‐---------------------------------------------------------

43. Lego Rock Band [PS3] - finished June 24th, 2025


I think Chinese water torture and dog dander scented nasal drops are better than this game.  It is probably the worst rythym game ive played. And I didnt expect that.  But thats just the blunt reality of it.  So let's begin there lol.


Lego rockband is yet another rythym guitar/ instrument made by hermonix. Now with lego branding and you level up and basically play multiple different brick venues.  But where lego rockband shines in cute lego fun.  It dies in its complete disregard for the human soul, its incessant reliance on repetition, it's overwhelming need for bloat like a beached sun rotted Salmon and lastly. It's cliche plotless joke of a linear path that makes you feel like you're sitting through a spoken word circle at the local rec center.  It gets old so fast.


Lego Rockband.... ya know. What can be said truly other than it was like sitting at the dmv attempting to finish this game and I couldnt quite put my finger on to why. I'll explain why later. I almost felt the game itself ruined Rythym based games for me... I had lost it. The love for it all.  until I began Guitar Hero III right smack dab after. Guitar Hero III was the catalyst to show me what went wrong.  The legendary epicness of that game where not a single song feels out of place. Not a single fret wasted.  Shows in mirror contrast how bad Lego Rockband is.  I now realize I stuck out the bloated soundtrack not because I was bad.  The game had me tangled in stockholm syndrome missing what could be.  A life I never seen. 

Lego Rockband divides your playtime which is already incredibly bloated into forcing you to play the same songs 27 times to progress.  Some venues require 40 stars to proceed. Which means you gotta sit there and play the games setlist over and over.  The same "choose 2 songs" that become stale because the game unlike guitar hero 3 doesnt roll out a buffet for you. It basically leaves two bins of cold leftovers and recycles that for 2 weeks.  I played the song "boys and girls" by good charlotte solely because otherwise id be delegated to playing synthy pop music on guitar, dad rock songs that have aged like crud.  And even the songs that are fun. Like Sum 41's in too deep. Are mapped like shit.   The notes feel mundane.  The solos?? It will pop up on screen "solo time" and it will require you the player to nail these action sequences. Except you can tell they spent no actual effort to make the solo harder, faster, funner or more epic. It feels like a bridge. The notes are bland and lifeless. On hard difficulty it feels medium. 

Then the game gets the idea to make a set list that is required to beat to progress.  Guess what that entails? You must beat 5 songs in a row. All about 5 minutes each. Without stopping. By force. So I gotta sit here. For 30 straight minutes and play the lifeless dad rock. It doesnt even have the class to let you get bored in 4 minute increments at a time lol.   Guitar Hero yet again at its peak would never insist on a 5 song binge because 1. Its a terrible idea that adds nothing to the game.  And 2. Perhaps more obvious is that you cant stop. Some people dont play long game sessions.  Fingers cramp.  Ect.   I just dont get it.  I really dont. 

Then you got the longevity.  Theirs a certain tact in brevity.  A bit of love in simplicity.  The greats like Beatles Rockband knew how to do this.  Imagine if beatles rockband like a clingy tinder date demanded "nope. Beat helter skeltet 7 more times.  Because we didnt count the 1st one.  Oh and do all these yoko ono B sides.  These bizarre John Lennon unreleased solo tracks. And perform the entire Ed Sullivan show without taking a break.  It'd ruin it all. 


Even the lego concept isnt done great.  All that is lego about the game is you play as a lego toy character.  Id argue thats lamer.  Games like Forza Horizon 4 prove how massively special a lego experience can be.  Why not breaking fret boards? Blocks smashing? Notes that are lego bricks and as you play you build designs?   Something more than a skin?  It feels just cheaply pasted.

Also here is the sheer bloat im talking about. The game has 260 gigs covering over 1200 possible stars to collect and 10 vehicles to buy.  While the game has numerous venues, each one is essentially the same in terms of gameplay, with variations mainly in the visual decor. So you end up repeating set lists. Because the game only has 45 songs.  And of them songs. Maybe 30 dont fit the style of play to be considered good. So whatdaya got? Lol. 


All and all. Lego Rockband suffers from a lot.  Nothing is blaringly bad at face but it has maybe 10 bad things that make it overwhelmingly mundane as a cohesive unit.


Rating - 32/100

14

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: June 21, 2025, 05:43:42 am »

42. River City Girls: Zero [PS5] - finished Jun 21st, 2025



This game unlike the 2 other river city girl way forward games that in essence revitalize the franchise with new entires is basically a port of the SNES game only released in super famicom markets I believe. Which is obscure and maybe lesser known than the NES game River City Ransom. It's a port in full 16 bit with only quality of life improvements sprinkled in. And they added cut scenes. A radical theme song and made it visually nice.  As a catalyst before I dive into my copy of river city girls. I wanted to experience this. As the precursor of what would come. 

Shocking Depth

The game has you take on the role of mostly Riki and Kunio. Two charismatic teens that are wrongfully imprisoned due to a case of mistaken identity. But you also get to play as the peppy, jealousy drenched colorful girlfriends of said characters. All 4 of which have funny banter amongst themselves and villains.  90s dialogue slaps sometimes. Think letterman jackets, cliche hair slicked tropes and brawling gang members across amusement parks and schools. Pretty cool.  It's a portal to a simple corny badassery that encompassed 90s humor.  Phrases like "be there or be square" and "whos this chick?" Just feel nostalgic.

The girls move sets differ in cliche manner.  And id actually say the 2 leads are not the girls despite the title. Riki and espeically Kudio are much more pivotal to the plot.  The plot of the game without spoiling anything is surprisingly deep and engrossing for a super nintendo beat em up.  Filled with turmoil, trauma, plot twists and more. It actually wasnt just a "mash X" type of beat em up.  It required delicate planning and lots of patience to learn enemy attack patterns.  This felt like a coin swallowing arcade cabinet in a Tokyo laundrymat, it kept all its design the same.  This is mostly good. But being a niche port of a 30 year old beat em up.  It carries issues with it like the soggy rotted grapes that come bundled with the freshly riped vine. They didnt clean it up. So you get what the past intended.  Thats good. Because overall I love the bosses. Its got a sweet short length and wildly hard difficulty spikes. Its not for the faint of heart. And their are flaws that piggy backed along.



Flaws

The hit boxes are fairly small. Like most snes games. You can visually see your leg make contact and not count a strike. That gets annoying on bass battles. The margin for error is so small. And sometimes it does rob you a clean hit.  It also makes it so that some enemies require such a beating to die that it almost seems unfair.  Its hard.  And it also makes you move on a 3d plane of sorta lanes? But its also 2d? Its strange feeling to line up attacks. But that comes with its age.

pros

Big Bertha.  I believe her name is Misuzu.  Is absolutely ballistically Hard. But in a fun "I wanna learn the method to the madness" sorta way modern games dont encapsulate as much anymore.  Beating bosses in this feel triumphant and I love that rewarding feel. 

Awesome Biker sequences. Are exactly like road rash for ps1.  They are sorta intermission stages between levels. And I found the art style and variety those give to be genius.

The visuals have aged excellent.


Overall the controls and special attacks feel nicely done.  It's a cool way to play a SFC classic. It's a box car, a bottle of saki, and a prickly pear if you stare too long.  But I say its worth the 5 dollars I paid. 


Rating - 87/100

Difficulty - 8.5/10

15

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: June 20, 2025, 03:03:37 pm »

Finished Shantae and the Seven Sirens this morning, and I think it's pretty handily my favorite game in that franchise so far.  It's feels the like the most traditional Metroidvania, and the map is fun to explore, and the abilities are cute and fun.  It is a bit too easy, and kinda rushes to the end.

I gotta get to playing my Shantae collection! I recently got all 5 of the limited run games signed by Matt and Eron Bozon of way forward games.  Do you know if they tie in together at all? Based on the others you played. I imagine it's only vaguely connected and can be experienced out of sequence hopefully.  Shantae 1 is hard and id like to start with an easier newer experience. I love the art style.

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Abandoned - Heavenly Bodies [PS5]


Heavenly bodies is a physics based newtonian type of game where realism is its detriment to me.  Played it for all of 10 minutes and uninstalled it. Imagine tediously moving an astronauts individual limbs to push him through unpredictable zero G in narrow hall ways where one wrong move will make you fall all the way down and start over.  It's the game "only up" mixed with cold spaghetti and bland graphics. I seriously hated this game. It is praised. But for whatever reason it doesnt click for me.