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Post by Apollo Chungus on Sept 18, 2022 19:38:58 GMT -5
Warriors Orochi 3 (Xbox 360; First Time; 15 hours 22 minutes)
Man, I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since I last posted on here. I started playing two games - this and Balan Wonderworld - that turned out to be much longer than I expected them to be, and I've not felt the inclination to play anything else in between due to that larger time commitment. Not that I mind all that much, since they're both cool games.
I got Warriors Orochi 3 way back in late 2017, having become a Musou fan after enjoying Dynasty Warriors 8 so much, and got a good ways into it in early 2018 before I gave up somewhere round the start of Chapter 3. I think I was quite worn out, particularly from attempting to unlock more side missions by strengthening the bonds between characters when I didn't really understand how to do that without lots of grinding. For whatever reason, I decided to give it another try some weeks ago, with the idea that I'd play what I could and that I'd not mind whatever side missions I couldn't unlock (though I have a much better understanding of the bonds system thanks to some online sleuthing). Kinda funny thinking about that, as the playthrough eventually became long enough that I started skipping side missions I had unlocked around the end of Chapter 3.
Warriors Orochi 3 is quite the cool game, providing the usual Musou antics but with some wicked ideas that made me wanna keep playing. Having three characters I could swap between at any time meant I could experiment with characters (of which there are so many) while swapping back to better or more familiar ones if a new character wasn't working out. The time travelling nature of the plot often gives you multiple missions to try at once, along with optional missions that let you change the past and save certain characters from being killed in the main missions (which are then playable as alternate versions of said missions). Meanwhile, the bonds system encourages you to try out different characters and rewards you with new missions that unlock even more characters. These side missions often re-use older stages, but offer some neat ideas like running around the map convincing enemy officers that they're about to be betrayed and should side with you.
There's so much to dig into here, with all the characters to play as, the missions to try out, the items and weapons to discover, that it's really astounding. Like any Musou game, it's a very big game and will definitely give you plenty to go off of. I'm not surprised this is considered one of the classic Musous to try out if you've never checked out the series, though I do wonder if it's a little too large in that regard (at least for folks who prefer their games shorter). Still, definitely a wicked good time.
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Post by dsparil on Sept 19, 2022 7:29:40 GMT -5
Lords of Thunder (TurboGrafx-CD, First Time) Pretty good with a lot of action. The final boss though is among the easiest in any game ever. I suspect this is a weird design oversight. You can just go right in and auto-hack with your sword through all three phases. Fully powered up and with the three hit shield, I took less than half damage across the whole battle. I finished in 00:54:57. Rating: 7
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Post by personman on Sept 19, 2022 13:34:53 GMT -5
Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES, emulated on 3DS; 10 hours; first time)
I always saw this at rental stores and kept telling myself I need to give it a whirl after how much I enjoyed Super Star. Never did though so its one of those that has always had a little flicker back in my mind. Well come to find I dodged a bullet back then. This one just doesn't feel finished with wonky powers, really bland/annoying level design and stiff animations. The whole damn affair just feels like a first pass that they decided to do the bare minimum to make shippable. Supposedly the game was finished for many years but issues with making a PAL version kept it from release till the end of the console's run but I don't know though it feels to me like it had more issues in development than that but who knows.
The worst of it all are the levels. One of the things that made Kirby's Adventure so great is nearly every room is tailored made to get you to think about how to use a power to its fullest. Here there is none of that, like you may come across a block that needs to be broken with a certain power but thats it which is really boring. Stages just go on way too long with a ton of flat rooms where you may as well just sprint forward and ignore everything so you can get things over with. It really feels like shameless padding. Now they did try something I like the idea of: every stage have an objective to do so you can earn one of the plot macguffins and unlock the true last boss but many of these aren't terrible clear and do very dickish things. Like you a couple stages you need to break a big set of blocks to match the shape of a npc, the last world has one of these too and you'll keep doing it over and over again and not get credit. Well you just randomly need to flip the thing upside down and you're only hint is the stage icon. That is just stupid and I want to punch that jackass that set this up.
I really just don't like the way the game looks either. Like I see what they were going for with things looking like it was all drawn in colored pencils or something but the actual animations are a real mixed bag and silly as it sounds it drove me crazy almost everyone stands in a flat side view all the time. Maybe that was intended since they wanted things to look hand drawn in a way but it just made everything look boring to me. The animal helpers still manage to look adorable with their designs alone and there are some new additions but most of them I never found that useful like the octopus or the piper. The stages rarely ever make use of their abilities too.
Somehow I managed to convince myself to get all the objectives done in all stages. It didn't take as long as I thought but it still felt like it. The whole game just feels like a tedious slog and when you're not getting mad about that you're just bored with it. Like the game isn't horrible at all but its just so bland I want to hate it. I can't though and that just frustrates me more lol this thing isn't really worth your time unless you're a huge fan I say. Even if it's not the worst thing in the world it commits one of the worst sins a game can and that is being boring... so despite being passably competent that mark against it drags it waaaay down.
Rating: 3
Think that'll enough Kirby for me for a while now.
Wild Guns (SNES, emulated on 3DS; 2 hours; replay)
Really loved this one. I only have a couple small gripes I mentioned in the SNES thread and they don't get in the way much. Its interesting to me seeing Natsume behind this one, I always knew them as the Harvest Moon folks and never really saw much from them that wasn't beyond that gentle non threatening sort of aesthetic. Making me want to go look at a list of thier output because I can't really think of much of anything else besides Harvest Moon and some sort of janky flight game on the DS (hell they may have only published that)
Anyways, great stuff this one. Which despite how much I like it I can't think of much to say on it besides I love how it looks and sounds and the gameplay is great. Hell unlike the above game I wish this one was a little longer lol.
Rating: 8
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Post by spanky on Sept 19, 2022 19:33:46 GMT -5
personman I actually bought KDL 3 when it came out and being massively disappointed with it considering it came out after Super Star. Kirby Super Star is this overstuffed toybox of a game brimming with energy. Kirby's Dream Land 3 is just....OK? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time (SNES via Switch Cowabunga Collection, Replay)
I'm pretty sure I have done this for the GFC before and I just talked about it a few weeks ago in the SNES thread so I feel like I don't have a ton to say about it. However, playing it immediately after the arcade game reveals just what a strong (and superior!) port it is. First of all, it just feels better - your attacks don't whiff anymore and the hits and combos feel just more solid. There's a weight to it that's not there in the arcade game. The turtles all have stats now, giving them individual playstyles (Leo is balanced, Mike is a tank, Don has range and Raph is a glass cannon). It makes better use of the franchise (adding Slash, the Rat King, Bebop and Rocksteady, a proper Technodrome level with the creative Shredder boss etc.). I even love little details like the ability to change the colors of the turtles to the comic styles (in actuality, their action figure colorings) I don't even have a ton of nitpicks. I guess the slam attack is a bit overpowered but it's so fun to use that I really don't care. I don't know if this is my most played SNES game in terms of pure hours but I'm pretty sure it's the one I've played start to finish the most times. 10/10!
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Post by excelsior on Sept 20, 2022 8:27:02 GMT -5
A Short Hike (Switch, First Time, 2 Hours Appx)A Short Hike is a lovely and charming game where you...well...go on a short hike. The title is every bit as descriptive as you'd want with this game being exactly what's envisioned when it comes to mind. For me it fills a nice and unexplored niche within the video game hobby in that it's entirely about relaxation. There are various trails to go on, items to explore and interactions to discover, with the game being at its best when you're just looking to not really do much of anything at all. The titular hike can be beaten in around an hour and requires some upgrades to your jumping/climbing abilities which are gained through completing various simple tasks, but there are other walks besides that one signposted along the way. The game does a great job of evoking the feeling of being in a nature park, with the physical version coming complete with a paper map, allowing you to follow your trail and further enhancing the experience. Where 'A Short Hike' stumbles is that it is simply too short. It's there in the title of course, and so expected, but as lovely as an experience as it takes you on, as glad as I am that this game exists to fill its niche it's tough to say it'll leave a lasting impression. Score - 7/10 Astalon: Tears of the Earth (Switch, First Time, 12:59)Astalon combines the standard Metroidvania approach to exploration and combines it with roguelite elements. When you die you will be given the chance to purchase upgrades, and then are sent back to the very beginning. Between this and a starting party of three heroes which can only be changed at campfires (yes, despite its retro exterior this game cannot escape the Dark Souls influences that have impacted the genre in recent years) the game starts off slow. Each character has their own unique ability that can be used through its own interactions, meaning you need the correct hero for the job. These act as a form of item gating in the early game. On any early run there's little progress made, and the character switching can become confusing. Thankfully as your stats increase through purchases and item discovery, and later unlock the ability to switch characters on the fly every run of the tower labyrinth becomes increasingly meaningful and enjoyable. There's not too many new mechanics gained along the way, and eventually you'll naturally switch to favouring one hero, but the design makes up for it with a nice amount of discoverable short cuts, ensuring regular progress is made. There's some nice combat too, though there's only a few major boss battles, each feels more important because of that, and each has an enjoyable design, despite being generally easy (besides the first, due to a lack of abilities gained at that time). There are strong enemies found throughout that act as sub-bosses as such, which disappear for good once destroyed and then usually unlocking a path. Any enemy can be beaten by any hero, really, though I found projectile based characters easier to get to grips with. The only real fault is there's not enough quick travel spots, with some areas taking some time to reach, though I would have liked to have been able to mark my map with icons as I went along, as certain cues aren't indicated there. There are also occasional glitches with the controls, but nothing that's going to cause any issue. Also, not a fault but I found it odd that before starting the game you're asked to choose how the visuals are presented, with anti-aliasing being recommended. I'm not sure why I'd want to spoil the pixel art, which was clearly given such attention, with soft blurry edges. I sided with the more rebellious part of my nature and went for the clean look. Tears of the Earth is an elegantly designed Metroidlike, and one of the few that I would recommend in the same breath of that series for which this genre borrows the namesake. It combines simple gated exploration, combat and roguelite elements to initially promising results, rewarding with greater satisfaction the further the journey is continued. Score - 8/10 Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga (PS2, First Time, 28:09 Timer - there were a lot of deaths)This SMT spin off favours simplicity, discarding the usual Pokemonesque monster collection that would be used in battle and using a 'Mantra' system where you purchase these Mantra's from a skill grid, and then must essentially level them up in order to unlock their skills, before moving onto another one. We're still left with much of the strength of the Shin Megami Tensei battle system, exploiting weaknesses in a similar way with many familiar abilities. That said the way they are learnt acts as a limiting factor leaving the games combat feeling less dynamic. For starters battles are fought solely to gain experience now, with no benefit of seeking a demon for your collection. This is a dungeon crawler at its core after all and grinding is the name of the game. Not only that but the abilities you gain are now determined by your own selections within the grid system, rather than offered by what monsters you can acquire. Whilst this should offer a great deal of freedom in truth when playing blind it often feels limiting. The chances are you'll arrive at many points in the game missing skills you need to defeat certain enemies and bosses. Bosses in particular are designed in such a way where there's usually a best way to beat them, but if you don't have the skills you'll probably need to grind them - possibly with multiple characters. Standard enemies, though generally reasonable in the early goings, become nuisances later with far too many luck-based advantages and status effects meaning its often the best answer to run away. Sometimes an ambush will occur, and you will be caught in your human form - essentially nullifying your turn in what feels like a needless time waster. There is an interesting atmosphere to the game, with Hindi/Buddhism references and influences on the visual design. The storyline creates some interest itself with much surrounded in mystery - although the title does hint at where we're going it's not like we ever arrive there - but there's a clear idea that there's more than meets the eye going on. Of course, these elements take a back seat, especially since this tells only one half of the full story, even giving an ending that is essentially 'to be continued' (sorry, big spoiler there). Even so, I would expect more time spent delving into the story. Digital Devil Saga then feels like a very limited take on the dungeon crawler genre. It takes the most frustrating parts of the SMT combat system whilst taking away those that give it most of its flavour, and this in a game almost entirely built around combat. Sure, there are puzzles, but these are all trial and error and serve to slow down dungeon exploration, though again, often frustratingly. Of course things may turn around some in the second part, I just don't feel particularly enthralled to see it. Score - 6/10 Snow Bros. Nick & Tom Special (Switch, First Time, 1 Hour Appx)This is a charming update to the Bubble Bobbleesque Snow Bros. The hand drawn updates to the original sprites are cute and endearing, giving a welcoming vibe to the pick up and play nature of the title. The gameplay is nicely intact, this version adding 30 new stages to the original 50. My biggest qualm is that the newer stages (found following the originals) don't feel as smartly designed, no doubt struggling to add difficulty to what's generally a pretty easy playthrough. Despite any issues with these later stages the game as a whole makes for enjoyable light entertainment when played with a friend, though perhaps better skipped for those going alone. Score - 7/10
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Post by dsparil on Sept 20, 2022 13:04:13 GMT -5
Darius Twin (SNES, Replay)
Like the title suggests, most of the point is that this supports two players. It's also the first home console exclusive (after the GB game) so it's actually designed for 4:3 instead of being retrofit to it. It's an easy game since you actually keep all your power ups after dying and it doesn't use checkpoints. It's more about pushing the player to do better rather since there's five endings based on difficulty and performance. There's only twelve total stages though with some required selections, and the final stage really stinks. It suffers a bit from being an early SNES game and using a small cart e.g. the small stage count. It also puts performance above all else so there's no fancy graphical effects.
Rating: 7
Super Nova (SNES, Replay)
The US apparently couldn’t handle two Darius titled games so we got Darius Force as Super Nova. There are some advances mainly in squeezing in a few more stages and a few special effects, but I think the overall design is weaker compared to Twin. You get a choice of three different ships with different weapons, but the upgrade levels are kinda weird with some being radical shifts and loss of functionality. Firing both weapons at once lowers both their power substantially which is annoying. I don’t like the addition of three non-aquatic bosses especially because they aren’t as good as the others. I play Darius for the fish not a boring chameleon or overly spongy pterodactyl. The two player was also dropped so that’s a downgrade too.
Rating: 6
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Post by JoeQ on Sept 20, 2022 18:26:16 GMT -5
Panzer Dragoon Remake (PS4) - Replay, Time: 106h 15min goddamnn, Rating: 3/5A faithful remake of the original Panzer Dragoon, with pretty new graphics. Played the original game on Xbox since it was an unlockable extra in Panzer Dragoon Orta. The remake doesn't add anything new, which is somewhat of a pity since the first game was pretty short and simple comparered to the later ones. Also would've appreciated the option play with original graphics too. Still, fun enough. Played through the game multiple times to get all trophies, including the idiotic one for playing the game for HUNDRED GODDAMN HOURS HOLY FUCK. Thankfully you can just idle in the menus. Alphabet Challenge: ABCDEFGH-JKLM-OPQRST------ Number Challenge: --234--7--
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Post by dsparil on Sept 21, 2022 8:27:08 GMT -5
Panzer Dragoon Remake (PS4) - Replay, Time: 106h 15min goddamnn, Rating: 3/5 How long do think you took without leaving the game idling in the menu?
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Post by JoeQ on Sept 21, 2022 16:14:10 GMT -5
Panzer Dragoon Remake (PS4) - Replay, Time: 106h 15min goddamnn, Rating: 3/5 How long do think you took without leaving the game idling in the menu?
Actual proper playtime? Maybe five hours.
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Post by Apollo Chungus on Sept 21, 2022 17:14:47 GMT -5
Balan Wonderworld (Switch; First Time; 10 hours 17 minutes)
I was wandering round a local shopping centre while my brother and mom were doing shopping nearby, and decided to pop into CeX (second hand gaming shop) to see what they had for the Switch. Despite having the thing for nearly two years, I've never bought a physical game because they're always so expensive even when bought used - going for at least €25 for even the mildly obscure stuff and going well up for anything even remotely well-liked. But to my surprise, I found a copy of Balan Wonderworld for €12, and I bought it almost entirely for that reason.
I know it's become something of a meme game in a few circles, and I didn't particularly enjoy the demo when I played it back when that was still available, but I was admittedly curious to give it a shot. Folks like thorhighheels and ShayMay had done videos that stood up for Balan that got me thinking about it, and I faintly recall something Ryan "BlazeHedgehog" Bloom once said about perhaps considering the game as something intended for very young children due to its simplicity. Perhaps knowing that, I was more inclined to give the game a genuine shot. I already knew a good bit about it mechanically; you can only do one thing per costume, you stop when changing costume, and they're finite resources. The game is what it is, so could I enjoy it on its own terms?
As it turns out, yes. Quite a lot, in fact. It's a very slow-paced game, particularly in how you have to hang around for the keys and their respective costume icons have to respawn if you wanna hoard the useful costumes, but that means there's plenty of time to appreciate the levels. There is a sort of depth encouraged in using costumes to access far-off areas, sometimes even using certain ones to completely cheese challenges and grab the statues needed to open up more worlds. Admittedly, it's not a depth that becomes clear for a few worlds, leaving you in a position where you might not be able to progress unless you attempt to back-track or collect every statue that you can.
In a way, it reminded me of Sonic Unleashed, where you had to be of a particular disposition to enjoy the game in its entirety as opposed to specific sections. I was in the disposition of exploring levels, taking my time and doing my best to grab important collectibles without frustrating myself with a completionist mindset, and Balan played very well into that. I admittedly skipped the Balan bouts where you do some QTEs and have to do them perfectly in order to get a trophy, but there's plenty of trophies in each level and I was able to reach the end with trophies to spare.
Some levels were really cool, with stages such as Chapter 7 Act 2 and Chapter Act 8 letting you explore to your heart's content and using the various costumes you've acquired to break the stage or find cool secrets. Most bosses were quite enjoyable, encouraging you to defeat them with different strategies to get more costumes. The theming for each chapter is quite memorable with neat visuals and some pretty good music, and I even enjoyed the Isle o' Tims as a nice break in between stages to let me catch my breath. I've found myself more appreciative of very basic, not especially demanding games, and Balan's perhaps become of my favourite titles in recent memory because of that.
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Post by JoeQ on Sept 21, 2022 17:47:50 GMT -5
Monolith (Windows) - First playthrough, Time: 64.8h, Rating: 5/5A fantastic roguelite/bullethell shmup somewhat in the vein of Binding of Isaac. You navigate a randomly generated dungeon, gathering upgrades and new weapons for your ship while facing increasingly brutal enemies and bosses. Along the way you will discover bits and pieces of the game's plot and unlock new ships, weapons, game modes etc. The game offers a good challenge, tight controls and a good balance of skill versus upgrades. Add to that good music and a distinctive visual style and it's pretty much a complete package. I beat the game multiple times and with all the ships, including the DLC stuff (which slots neatly into the game and shouldn't be counted separate). There's still a bunch of challenges and achievements to chase, but since the game is due to get another big update/DLC I'm putting it down for now. Alphabet Challenge: ABCDEFGH-JKLM-OPQRST------ Number Challenge: --234--7--
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Post by dsparil on Sept 22, 2022 5:20:25 GMT -5
HunterX (Switch, First Time)
Despite the super generic title, this is actually a really good metroidvania! It's also literally Dark Souls mechanically with a few tweaks: souls are karma, you have to collect them again when you die except it's a flying crystal, you spend ever increasing amounts of karma to raise your level at save points and spend a point on one of four stats, estus is hunter potions and they restock when saving, monsters respawn when saving although smaller monsters respawn when reentering a room, and there's even an item discovery stat except it's visible. The only thing that's really missing is the whole humanity element, and weapon upgrades are plain attack increases. The main addition is a skill tree tied to collected movement and combat upgrades although the new skills are generally not related to the new upgrade.
Combat tends to be super fast because you attack ridiculously quickly, and you have a very large amount of mobility in the air by the end with a double jump and an eight way triple air dash. Blocking and parrying are also important with several skills tied to parrying. There's also a large number of spells although castings are limited. The level design is good with a large and dense castle that does a good job covering up how linear it actually is. The downside is probably the weapons. You get swords, maces and axes but they all attack at the exact same speed and towards the end, new weapons mainly differ in additional status effects. This seems like a sore point for people because if you do find the combat boring, there isn't anything to really mix it up since a new weapon is just going to be a stronger version of your last one except with a new 3D model. I didn't mind that, and I definitely got my $15 worth.
I finished in 09:22:52.
Rating: 9
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Post by personman on Sept 22, 2022 13:27:34 GMT -5
Firepower 2000 (SNES, emulated on 3DS; 1 hour; replay)
My brother got this from a combo pack that came with Congo's Caper. He didn't want the latter so he gave it to me lol, I'll probably try that game out soon for nostalgia's sake. Anyways, I played this with him a bunch, using a Game Genie of course so I guess you could say this is my first actual time completing it but meh. It's mostly just a standard vert shmup but there is a slight twist in that you can either fly a copter or drive a 'jeep' which can fire in any direction and even has some super, super light platforming to do. It's definitely more interesting that way as the copter just feels like a plain shmup and far as I saw had a ton more to worry about with a mass abundance of air targets that bum rush you which will just fly over the jeep of course. Revisiting this I couldn't shake the feeling this has a bit of an Amiga feel to to it or at least a euro shmup feel and there's a reason for that: this is a sequel/remake of an Amiga game that went be SWIV, which in turn was inspired by an arcade game called Silk Worm that gave you the same choice of a copter or jeep. I even found out this got a sequel way later in 1997 in SWIV 3D which looks awful lol. Just kinda surprised me to see this little game had a lineage at all.
In any case the game itself is pretty solid really. You've got an array of weapons to use and while pretty imbalanced (fire and the vulcan seem worthless) I enjoyed the laser and plasma enough that I just didn't care. You also get consumable weapons that are pretty strong and judicial use of them is key to getting through the game. That's a good mark right there for me, though I wish you could cycle through your stock. I'd say the only thing that bothers me is the play field scrolls beyond what you can see so you kinda have to go back and forth to hunt for powerups. Thankfully though the game is pretty good about not having things off screen shoot you or ambushing you soon as they spawn in. Its a tough game with a complete lack of continues (I'll admit I had to start over lol) but it really didn't feel cheap save for like one or two small spots that could have been better designed. Besides the fact the art design has that Amiga look it also makes me think so much of Micro Machines. I was really into those as a kid and the designs for all the sprites just have that same cartoony scifi military feel that most of that toy line used. I guess that's why I kinda find this game charming despite the fact its bland looking. Competent but only just and it does feel pretty cheap that the vast majority of sprites are static. Of course not every sprite in a shmup needs to be animated, in fact many aren't but when damn near none of them are you really notice it. Its the small touches sometimes you know.
The sound design I have a soft spot for too, its very punchy and harsh and sometimes the music makes me think of the style you'd find in most Genesis games. Hell there was a port of this to Genesis as well called Mega SWIV and it looks and sounds awful lol. Has a new stage though I guess? I'd stick with this version I say. But at the end of the day its a pretty standard shmup that I think has the start of some good ideas and if expanded upon could have been something pretty interesting. That didn't happen though and really if it wasn't for the goofy jeep it wouldn't stand out at all. However credit where credit is due its really solidly done and you can see some good thought put into it. I wouldn't say anyone NEEDS to play this one but if you're a fan of the genre and want to kill an afternoon with something off the beaten path then give it a shot.
Rating: 6
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Post by dsparil on Sept 22, 2022 14:02:50 GMT -5
That SWIV even has any kind of history is remarkable for a series no one remembers. SCi handled all the European computer ports of Silkworm, and basically squatted on the concept afterward. SWIV 3D is different, but I do remember it being terrible. Supposedly it gets better later on, but it wore me down before that point.
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Post by spanky on Sept 22, 2022 19:37:51 GMT -5
Firepower 2000 was one of those games at the local rental store that was NEVER checked out but never looked interesting enough for me to rent when I could just get Mario Kart of Legend of the Mystical Ninja for the 5th time.
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