Thinking about Gungeon again and it came up on the Binding of Isaac podcast I listen to that Gungeon is really (really (really)) stingy with health, and I think that’s part of where the frustration lies. Like, getting hit in Gungeon is such a bad feeling, it like, physically hurts me.
Compared to my fav, 20XX, where you might pick up 5-10 health just from killing enemies in a single stage, and you can almost always buy more health right before the boss? It gives more room for experimentation and occasionally just tanking your way through a boss. It also makes each hit important but not painful. The way I play 20XX, I am almost always running at least 1 health short simply because I know I’ll find a little more here and there.
And 20XX gives you lots of small but important decisions to make, AND there’s this balance between the three major challenges of the game (platforming, mooks, and bosses) where each item you pick up will boost your performance in one, but you have to keep a good balance or you’ll end up dying in one of the others.
I dunno, Gungeon just seems to learn exactly 0 lessons from previous roguelites and seems to straddle the line between a standard linear game and a randomly generated game, but is not as good as either. Gungeon would be way better if it was not a roguelite, because then I could possibly see a path from the beginning to the end and practice it.
Anyway, that game is just absolutely stuck in my head, which I guess speaks to its quality somehow! I just want it to be better and I think there are like 15 different ways you could do that.
Putting this hear because it is too late to change minds. I do not like Super Metroid but armmed with a clear mind I booted up today and got to the real Ridley fight.
Wow I hate this game. I hate the one way doors. I hate getting stuck in pits. The rage as I try to drag myself out just calls to mind a hundred Adult Nintendo Fans would feel if this game wasn’t the perfect Super Metroid.
I hate they hide mission critical items in nondescript rooms. I hate that I had to run around the world 3 times before I stumbled on the one way door that was NOT one way since I got the ice beam and could unlock to get the grappling hook which is way too finicky because you fall so fast! Then I unlocked the ship which had the sand and the water physics that made me miserable. I hated how often it would be “tricked you now you gotta go all the way around again loser.”
I sure hope the plasma beam isn’t in the ship because I am not going back there!
Then trying to get to ridley and working my way up this:
Wow I worked my way up here for a dead end that didn’t let me get a powerbomb upgrade? I got like 20 dang powerbombs!
I had forgotten that fight against the invincible sythe guys which was worse than Heavy Nova.
The first 30 and the last 15 of the game are really great absolutely. I think the call back and reinterpretation of previous game environments is one of the coolest things games can do. But when you are hip deep in the sand or acid water trying to jump out of a mouth getting hit and landing BACK IN THE MOUTH. God it sucks. I really do not understand the layout.
I like how obtuse and weird Metroid NES is. I like how deep and forboding 2 is. I like that Prime took this and put it in 3D and made it a good video game. Fusion is cool. Will revisit Zero Mission on my retroid pocket.
I am absolutely more bristly about this game because of it’s status. So much of it is frustrating. It doesn’t feel NES Obtuse. It feels like trying to find Courry Brand Cat Food and I’ve already been to two super markets. I was so mad at the location of the grappling hook which required I shoot a one way door from the wrong side. Did I already say that? I am saying it again.
I should have played Super Punch Out a game I’ve never given a fair chance.
I feel silly that I’m asking but I have to guess that you’re referring to ‘blops’? There was a scene asking me to do just that and I…don’t know if I did? I shot at what LOOKed like hinges but it didn’t seem to have any effect so maybe I missed something.
Oh no…please don’t tell me there’s a secret ending to this game…
That’s a good writeup and tasteful wood grain border. I tried playing SM recently and got frustrated/lost my way in the map in situations that sound similar to yours but don’t remember having that problem with the GBA games. (well, haven’t played Fusion and the whole SA-X thing might put me off it, but I lived through Zero Mission’s suitless part so I can probably tolerate some stealth horror in my search action)
It’s an adventure game that’s about an hour long at most, with some lite horror elements (read: jumpscares). The author made very heavy use of a new bitmap-to-ZZT converter and the results look very nice imo. Chunky lo-fi text is a good fit for photos of dimly lit alleys and stuff.
yeah, every skater has a list of challenges to complete. so far, they only seem to unlock more outfits and boards. i’m continuing to complete them, if only because i’ve heard things about hidden characters, and that’s probably a good way to unlock them.
I assume you mean looking up and down, because mouse-turning was always a part of doom. The attract mode demo videos were all recorded with mouse turning!
