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Post by ommadawnyawn2 on Jan 17, 2023 18:32:39 GMT -5
Various parts of this (and the sequel) work better in 2-player. To counter 1-player issues the camera when switching could be faster, there could be a mode without fall damage, you could be allowed to teleport to other vikings with an item or with a long cooldown, and/or you could be allowed to beat levels without the full team. You could also be allowed to carry over saved items to the next level, I feel taking them away is a bit arbitrary and makes collecting less rewarding. Or there could be checkpoints as mentioned.
The MD version does also have more levels, a higher res that makes it easier to react to some hazards and a 3-player mode (which I haven't tried in years though). But still it's a pretty solid game all around for me, especially in emulation. It's creative, it's a fun concept, there are hidden items and shortcuts and the music is good.
C+
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Post by dsparil on Jan 19, 2023 7:45:36 GMT -5
The first game is a C for me. I don't find it terribly interesting especially because the character abilities are a little generic. Most of the problems I have are fixed in the sequel so I'll hold off on that until it comes up.
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Post by dr_st on Jan 19, 2023 15:58:27 GMT -5
I'll admit that most of the puzzles aren't mind benders - most of the game is "Take a viking as far as they can go, then switch to the next one to find your way around the obstacle." True. Only a few puzzles may stand out as being complex or having you do something unexpected. Even towards the end of the game - they don't get harder as much as just adding more steps. Getting a viking killed towards the end of a level is pretty frustrating and makes you with the game had some checkpoints in each level, but that feels like a very modern complaint - passwords for each level are fine. Both games get progressively harder as levels get longer. That's actually the main part of the difficulty curve. Adding checkpoints (basically breaking levels into smaller pieces) would probably flatten the curve almost completely. Easily one of my favorite games. As much for the funny dialogue and the cartoonish graphics as for the gameplay. I much prefer the SNES look of the sequel (which is the same as the original), and dislike the low-quality 3D graphics of the CD versions of Lost Vikings 2. |
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Post by spanky on Jan 19, 2023 17:53:49 GMT -5
dr_st Yeah, the CD versions of the sequel have some pretty ugly and charmless character designs, I mean what is going on here: 
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Post by windfisch on Jan 19, 2023 19:37:42 GMT -5
dr_st Yeah, the CD versions of the sequel have some pretty ugly and charmless character designs, I mean what is going on here: Jim Henson's Lost Vikings?
(In game the models don't look as terrible, though.)
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Post by excelsior on Jan 20, 2023 3:13:45 GMT -5
Well there's a face only a mother could love. Imagine kissing those lips. You'd get devoured.
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Post by excelsior on Jan 23, 2023 4:56:19 GMT -5
- Publisher - Capcom/Squaresoft
- Developer - Capcom
- Genre - RPG
- Initial Release - 3 April 1993
Long ago in the days of darkness and magic, a young wanderer comes face to face with his destiny. You control the fate of Ryu, a young warrior and descendant of the Light Dragon Clan. Together, with your mystical friend, Nina, you must search for magic spells and mysterious secrets. Along the way, gain experience and skill as you battle against strange monsters. Uncover valuable secrets that will help you on your adventure and unlock the secrets of the Dragon Clan.
 
 
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Apologies, it's a bit of a rush job right now. I'll let you guys get started and share my thoughts and fully update the front page later. |
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Post by spanky on Jan 23, 2023 8:12:54 GMT -5
Ah, Breath of Fire. *Obligatory self indulgent anecdote begins* I remember renting this game on the eve of a snowstorm. My family and I had gone to the video store. My dad was going to rent a movie because he had a few days off work, but I wasn't allowed to get anything as it was a school night. We ran into a neighbor of ours at the store, who had connections with the school board. She said "It hasn't been announced yet, but they've already decided to cancel school for tomorrow." So I was allowed to rent something and I chose this. I stayed up late playing this and spent all day during the snow day, only taking a break to shovel the drive. This was about as hedonistic as I got as a 12 year old. *Obligatory self indulgent anecdote ends*
I've always seen Breath of Fire as a perfectly average game. It has Capcom's high production values and nice character designs but does not do anything really original or interesting as far as gameplay or narrative. It feels like ancient history compared to Final Fantasy VI which came out only a few months after this. That isn't necessarily a bad thing though. Each character having a unique overworld ability is pretty neat though I wish they had more unique abilities in combat. The thief character doesn't even have a steal ability but he has a spell that lets you fuse some of your party members together (actually, this is pretty cool and a good way to use your spare party members).
I actually had played the sequel before this one and was surprised to find it's much easier and more forgiving than BoF II. The difficulty peaks early on (that stupid Gremlin fight) but after that you get your first dragon transformation and it gets much easier. The dragons are very powerful in this game - they all do fixed damage (so does all the magic actually) but it's pretty high. The final dragon fuses all your party members into one gigantic chimera, maxes out your health and does 999 damage to each enemy every turn. It's in a very obscure location (I can't even recall if there are hints as to where it's at) and is needed to beat the game properly. The encounter rate is also annoyingly high but there is a cheap item you can buy in almost every shop that eliminates encounters for a bit.
There's a lot to like about BoF but given the time requirement of RPGs, it's hard for me to recommend this over the top tier stuff found on the system. Let's go with C.
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Post by dsparil on Jan 23, 2023 9:48:49 GMT -5
I've always felt lukewarm towards BoF. My first one was IV which I think is generally considered the worst one so that might have colored my perception of the entire series. The first game is one I've started a billion times, but I never get very far. I'll refrain from giving it a rating for that reason.
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Post by Snake on Jan 23, 2023 12:32:14 GMT -5
The Jetsons - Rank C
Interesting, never knew this game existed, nor its Japanese localized counterpart. Interesting set-up and game mechanics. The pixel graphics are pretty cool and lush for its time. The gameplay itself, makes me think platformer puzzle. It takes some time to get used to the vacuum/wall grab mechanics, the kind with a bit of a learning curve. It's not like Donkey Kong Country or Mega Man X, where the controls are very simple and intuitive.
The Lost Vikings - Rank B
Charming graphics, unique gameplay set-up, unique story. It's an interesting action-puzzle type set-up. In some ways, reminds me of the Adventure of Lolo. It can get a bit tedious having to switch back and forth between the vikings. But what a touch, aliens get their own tombstone after you off them.
Breath of Fire - Rank B
I love Breath of Fire 1. But it's not an RPG I wouldn't recommend to anyone, unless they were hardcore about the genre. The first few hours feel like tedious, Dragon Quest 1 style grinding. But I love the characters, I love the mood. The US translation probably isn't the greatest, with maybe too much backtracking to "unlock a new area, now that the new party members skill can access it" kind of deal. But I liked that there was an ending, and a true ending, if you found the last transformation. The music soundtrack has a certain charm, as the world plot and lore, with all its races and tribes. Having a life bar on enemies helps... but then it implements a certain "willpower" for bosses that get a 2nd wind. I love having a full roster of accessible, usable characters, on an epic quest. Good memories.
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Post by excelsior on Jan 25, 2023 8:06:32 GMT -5
Probably not a surprise to anybody but I'm going to come off as a little harsh on some of these old jrpgs. Quite a few of them back on SNES used very basic turn-based combat with little to no depth. That there are examples where combat is more interesting on the platform makes me feel more fair in my assessment, however. Breath of Fire was a basic as you can get. Sure, graphics were great and the isometric view of battle was nice. The characters were good enough for a simple jrpg. As with many of these games though, combat is what occupies most of your time. There's very little to select from in terms of actions, and combat is slow. Grinding is also slow as levelling is rare, giving the feel of a bit of a slog. It does seem people are generally able to enjoy JRPGs regardless of combat, but I can't do that if that combat is at the forefront of the experience.
Ranking - D
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Post by vnisanian2001 on Jan 25, 2023 14:37:55 GMT -5
NES RPGs are often criticized for aging even worse.
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Post by spanky on Jan 25, 2023 20:34:57 GMT -5
I think NES RPGs can be fun but you really have to put yourself into a certain mindset - a mindset where your satisfaction derived from a game comes from grinding for 2 hours so you can buy a battle axe that allows you to kill Wolflords in one hit.
For me, 16-bit RPGs hit a real sweet spot between the punishment and inscrutability of 8-bit RPGs and that bloat that comes from everything after. I'm lukewarm on the BoF games but I love every other notable RPG on the SNES.
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Post by excelsior on Jan 26, 2023 2:36:51 GMT -5
I'd argue some of these SNES JRPGs take a step back from those on NES (at least the ones I'm familiar with). A game like Breath of Fire has essentially mash 'A' to win combat since there's really no strategy at all. Otherwise it's a nicely presented but kind of standard entry in the genre. Capcom's own Sweet Home was much more interesting in its setting, presentation and gameplay in my book. Heck, Final Fantasy I had more going on.
That Ryu's only options are attack and transform is really limiting. It kind of seems like the devs knew how dull the combat was in the game when they chose to include an auto-battle option.
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Post by windfisch on Jan 29, 2023 6:22:38 GMT -5
Lost Vikings
Like with Blackthorne I used to play the DOS version in the nineties. This time the SNES has got the edge, featuring actual background layers (on DOS it would be often just black) and the sample-based music also has got more punch than the Adlib Midi I would listen to at the time. Similar to Blackthorne one of its biggest strengths is character animation, adding personality and charm to the Viking trio in particular, in addition to the lighthearted banter. There are a couple of fun cartoon deaths, so at least you've got something to look at when dying over and over. The stages are more of a mixed graphics bag, though. Space station, prehistoric age and ancient egypt are fine enough, but the obligatory candy-/toyland stages feel oddly out of place, ignoring the time-travel theme. Gameplay-wise it starts to get more interesting with the egypt stages, featuring occasionally clever puzzles and some daring platforming. Some of the combat can get a bit tiresome, but overall it still holds up.
rank: B
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