SNES Game of the Week 118 - Clock Tower

[excelsior]

I think twin stick controls would make the game too easy as it would allow you to play more passively without the need to move around the screen so much, which is important in creating the dynamic for this kind of gameplay. In Wild Guns you can only shoot while stood, and so can only control the reticle at this time, which creates further risk when trying to fire back. If control of the reticle was still limited to when stood still also this could feel jarring as control is taken away and given back and doesn't feel as natural as expected. I think giving control at all times would be needed for twin stick to work.  I'm sure there are ways to implement it, but in my opinion it would significantly impact the design and the game feel and I don't believe it would be for the better.

[🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀]

I'm inclined to agree with that. Same goes for games like Starfox where you have to move along with the target to shoot it like a normal shmup, where I've seen people ask for a SF0-type indepement aiming system (well, not exactly like in SF0 because nobody liked that game, but you get the idea).

I've not played this enough to rank it, but when I did give it a shot on an emulator many moons ago I was very impressed, though I got my ass thoroughly beaten. Definitely one of the many many SNES titles I'm going to give another shot once I finally buy an NTSC console. The new version also looks cool. A bit off-topic, but it would be nice if that, Pocky & Rocky Reshrined and The Ninja Warriors got some kind of physical compilation or something.

[dsparil]

I liked SF0! Nintendo did an awful job communicating how to play it well since they put so much emphasis on the gamepad e.g. you can still put the first person display on the TV screen when needed and ignore the gamepad for the most part.

I just played through Wild Guns, and I do actually remember a lot of the gameplay specifics just not the visuals. As it is, I'd already describe it as passive. You can play the vast majority of the game just firing constantly in place and using the invincible dodge when needed without actually moving much otherwise. Especially for some of the bosses, the ability to move outside of dodging and sometimes jumping might as well not exist. Twin stick controls on the game as is would make it even easier, but it hypothetically could have opened it up to be more frantic. Look at Sin & Punishment. I'd basically like WG to be a western version of that which isn't really possible on the SNES, but S&P is anything but passive.

[Snake]

Wild Guns - 

Rank B+

Great design motif, tight controls.  Interesting enemies, cool music.  It's a solid game that reminds me of Operation Wolf, Cabal, and Nam-1975, but more polished.  

[ommadawnyawn2]

Been a while but I'm giving this one an A. Sort of a last hurrah for this sort of game before 3D hit its stride, at least for a good while, and probably the best of its kind. There are some minor things like a slow jump and the game being a bit short, but all in all it's great. Being able to choose your path like in MM is a nice touch that I don't think was mentioned, and I also dig the "charging up by shooting bullets" mechanic.

Edit: 
I take that back since this exists, though I haven't played it much yet. 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjk9gpmou-U

[excelsior]

Week #19 - Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade's Revenge


  

Stop wasting time reading this box!!! Spider-Man and the X-Men released across multiple platforms in 1992-1993. There was no Japanese release for this one!

Spider-Man and his mutant pals need your help to escape from Arcade's diabolical amusement park - battling killer clowns, hungry piranhas, lethal doom balls and deadly robot replicas of super-villains like Carnage and Juggernaut! Will Spidey's webs, Wolverine's claws, Gambit's energy cards, Storm's lightning bolts and Cyclops' optic blasts mean GAME OVER for Arcade? That depends on YOU!!

  

  

[excelsior]

This was a bit of a rush job since I very nearly forgot to provide an entry this week, so I pulled the first game that came to mind out. Unfortunately, it's one of my bigger video game disappointments. Actually, I don't think Spider-Man and the X-Men is all bad, there are some stages better than others, and some of the characters are well represented with their abilities (well, not Storm unfortunately but that may have been asking too much). The opening stage is set at a reasonable difficulty for sure and is very beatable. After that though there's a good number of stages that require near perfect performance to beat leading to a great deal of frustration. I've only ever beaten Cyclops' stages and Storm/Spider-Man/Wolverine's first without cheats. 

Outside of the odd better stage what really saves this game is the absolutely wonderful soundtrack - another Follin brothers masterwork. There's not that many tracks really, but each one makes up for it with a lengthy stage theme unique to each character, that goes through so many different beats it practically resembles a video game track opera of sorts. Here's the Spider-Man stage theme - and at 1:50 there's a very nice reference to the original Spider-Man theme song.



I'm going to rank this a D - but with an S rank soundtrack.

[dsparil]

D is right for this. The Genesis version is a smidge better in gameplay since it was the second attempt, but it isn't great either, maybe a C-. As someone that watched so much of the Spider-man and X-Men cartoons, this was such a huge disappointment when I finally played. The game does seemed timed with the release of the X-Men show (the game in November, show in October) but isn't actually based on it in any way so it does have the feeling of a quick cash in on someone else's work.

[spanky]

I don't really care for this game but I don't hate it. Like a lot of western developed platformer/action games of this era it just feels a bit sloppy. Level layouts are all over the place. The game is loaded with cheap hits and enemies - it's REALLY tough. While the graphics are fine technically I always found it sort of ugly too look at.

The music is great though. Credit is also due for having 5 characters that all have different attacks and good variety in the levels. I'll be a little easier on hit with a C grade.

[ommadawnyawn2]

I remember renting this for the MD but never made it far because I got stuck in an early maze level or something. The audiovisuals were underwhelming (I know the music is way better on SNES), more like an 8-bit game really. It was a major bummer after having player Spider-Man vs Kingpin which was pretty cool for the time.

Having another go now I can see why, it's one of those collectathon games with maze levels but also has rather poor controls and makes you collect stuff in a specific order that has no flow to it. It's doable but why bother when there are much better games like it?

D

[personman]

Ack, didn't realize what day it was and should have responded yesterday for Wild Guns. Oh well, I'll weigh in anyways.

I only played this once with a friend and didn't really care for it much since he kept dragging fire onto to me all the time. Now that I don't have that nuisance I gotta say I really loved it. Took a bit to get used to but once I did I was hooked. Looks great, sounds great, has a western theme which is always a plus and just has solid design all around. I think my only issue with it is triggering that mode where you get the super vulcan had the worst timing for me where I would get it and then the segment ended right then or soon after so I never really got to take full advantage of it more than once. Like, couldn't I have had the duration carry over to the next scene? I like the idea of the stun lasso too but found it too much of a pain to use. Like I get it wouldn't have been a good idea to just be able to belt it out with ease for how strong a stun it is but maybe it would have been a little better served as a cool down rather than needing such demanded button mashing.

Other than that real good stuff. Glad I gave it a second look, hell I wish it actually had an extra stage or two I wonder how that remaster is, think I'll go read up on it here in a minute.

This one gets an A from me.

[excelsior]

Week #20 - Soul Blazer


  



Money... The root of all evil. And something most here won't have enough of to play Soul Blazer legitimately. It released in early 1992 in Japan and followed across the rest of the world over the next two years. 


King Magridd sold out. Obsessed with the desire for wealth, he cut a dastardly deal with the ruler of evil. Now the Freil Empire is in shambles and you are chosen to save it. Free the kingdom's captive souls. Teach the King a thing or two about integrity. Rescue a beautiful maiden. Liberate an imprisoned inventory. You'll boldly traverse the six complex stages in this action-RPG. An array of weapons, armor and magic are at your disposal. After you revive the kingdom, you will confront Deathtoll. Then, make him pay...

  

  

[excelsior]

I'm not going to say too much about Soul Blazer since it has been a while since I played it. I do have a soft spot for it though. It's a linear and simple game, pretty much a straight hack and slash for the most part. I like the idea that the overworld expands as you defeat enemies. Even the visuals are pretty simplistic, though they are nicely drawn enough. I'm going to give it a B.

[spanky]

Yeah! I like Soul Blazer quite a bit.

It's a very melancholy game with its muted color palette, frank discussions about mortality and it's bittersweet (at first) ending. Like Actraiser, I found the game very moving as a kid and it was one of the first games I ever played that ever made me feel something. I think the King gets off a little easy. He commissioned the construction of a machine to summon the devil and takes a deal to exchange souls for cash!

The music is great, maybe not the overall quality level of Actraiser, but I love the variety. The soundtrack sways between orchestra, pop and funk. The swamp area sounds like a Rick James song.

It's reasonably fun to play as well. You can't move diagonally but your sword has a nice wide arc. I think my biggest problem is that in a lot of areas you pretty much just have to sit around and wait for monsters to spawn. I don't really care for the rotating soul either but you get used to it.

It's a bit repetitive overall. Go to a dungeon, kill monsters and release townspeople until you can't go forward any more, then go back to town, complete a side quest then go back to the dungeon. Repeat until boss. That being said, the game does a good job of providing shortcuts back to town. There is enough variety in the towns that it keeps things interesting. Gradually unlocking the town is a great idea! I'm really tempted to give this an A but a B is probably the right score for it.

[ommadawnyawn2]

This is a decent ARPG that seems to have its roots in Gauntlet or perhaps Dungeon Explorer, but it stands out more for the way they executed the world restoration theme, how you enter dungeons via people's nightmares and some great music.

I'll give it a B as I have some fond memories of playing it with my cousin bitd.

minirevver.weebly.com/soul-blazer.html