SNES Game of the Week 118 - Clock Tower

[dsparil]

Yeah, I just cannot get into Cool Spot which is why I never played much of it. It is a little interesting that you're practically playing as Vectorman, but it's just too much collect-a-thon for me. C sounds about right.

[personman]

I remember seeing this one brought up a bunch and always found it kind of odd since like others have said even back then I never really saw 7-up anywhere itself but for a short while Cool Spot on the other hand I remember having a marketing push with merchandise everywhere. Like I saw those plushes of them with the little suction cups to stick in your car window more than once. I only ever played the Genesis/Megadrive version as I received it with a pile of games I got with the system and wasn't impressed. Back then I had no idea who David Perry was and didn't quite pick up on the similarities of his work on this and Earth Worm Jim. I wouldn't call all his games airplane hangar-esque (which still tickles me because I do work in one of those and the description is perfect, a bunch of shit everywhere you have to dance around and constantly pick up messes lol) but this one certainly is, distressingly so. I only got to the dock but none of the stages felt interesting and it felt pretty empty on a whole. Besides I just don't find the theme or the character compelling at all, I gave it a shot friday on the 3DS to see if I could tough it out but nah it bored me enough I just went back to my Mega Man journey.

Giving it a D.

[excelsior]

• Publisher - St.Giga
• Developer - Nintendo
• Genre - Adventure
• Initial Release - 30 March 1997

  

  

[excelsior]

Here we have one of the Zelda Satellaview releases, with fan translations available under the title The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Stone Tablets. The game was broken into four weekly episodes that can each be played through emulation. Of course we aren't able to experience the game on the original broadcast, but we can certainly make judgements based on what is available online I think. I have posted a little early to give people extra time to play through it. I will also post my thoughts later and let others take the reigns for now.

[spanky]

Huh! I didn't know this was easily playable. I have a busy weekend ahead of me thanks to a certain local sporting event, but my family is actually out of town so I'll be able to put some time into this.

[ommadawnyawn2]

I always get bored with Cool Spot after a couple of levels, so can't give it more than a D.

Link in a baseball cap gets a B however.

[Snake]

Cool Spot - Definitely see a continuity in style from Aladdin, Cool Spot, and Earthworm Jim. Beauty of this game is only skin deep. Impressive movement and sprite animation.  But the stage and level design falls flat. 1970's veneer wood paneling has arguably aged better. Interesting choice to make a game off a 7-Up mascot.  At least it makes more sense than trying to play Kool-Aid Man on the Intellivision.  

Rank - C

[excelsior]

May 24, 2024 11:24:32 GMT -5 ommadawnyawn2 said:

Link in a baseball cap gets a B however.

Whaaat?!? Are you telling me that the guy with the baseball cap is Link? But, that's clearly the Satellaview mascot! As far as any resemblance or relation goes I don't see it and I certainly don't believe it!

[ommadawnyawn2]

I'm telling you that I gave it a quick glance and slapped a B on it, haha. No I guess it's not actually Link but they did just redraw the same sprite a bit, looking at some video footage he has the same face. 

[spanky]

So I played the first episode, and I didn't convert my save file (or something) so when I started the second episode I started with no items and decided to call it there. Regardless, I think I played enough of it. What we have here is basically a "Second Quest" for Link To The Past, which is pretty cool. So you have a repurposed overworld with minor changes here and there plus entirely new dungeons. The narration and random bonuses you get would probably be a lot cooler if you were playing the game as it was originally intended. It's more Link To The Past, so it's hard to complain really but it didn't really grab me. I think being able to play it in it's original context would help a lot. Let's say it's a B.

[dsparil]

I remember it was pretty exciting when this got dumped. As a game, it's a bit meh. The four pieces had to fit within the time frame of the broadcast, and there's only so much you can do with a hard limit of an hour. It's another one of those games where it might have been more exciting as something semi-lost versus the reality especially without the SoundLink element. 

C

[excelsior]

I don't think there's much really missing here from the original broadcast that's really going to change anyone's opinion. The voiceover has been replaced by on screen text, which I think is a good enough substitute. Anyway, the game is a kind of revisit to A Link to the Past, with some remixed dungeons. Everything is really condensed to fit a more linear adventure to be played in 4 short segments. Due to that, the game offers a lesser experience to A Link to the Past. The core gameplay being there ensures there's enough enjoyment in it, but I don't think it holds up as more than a curiosity.

Ranking - C

[dsparil]

That's true about the screen text, but it would go by so fast that I had trouble keeping track of it. It is less of an issue overall than something like Spriggan Powered which still has the pauses for the SoundLink dialogue even in the cart release.

[excelsior]

• Publisher - Natsume
• Developer - Natsume
• Genre - Puzzle
• Initial Release - 27 December 1991

Wicked witch turns fruits into monsters, Mopoland Population famished!



Welcome to Mopoland, where the evil witch Morticia has cast an evil spell and turned all the fruits of the mighty kingdom into fiendish monsters. Spanky, our primate hero is on a quest. Armed with this magic ball, Spanky must hunt down Morticia through six grueling levels to liberate Mopoland, and save it's citizens from a certain famine.



- Fun, playful characters.

- Password continue feature.

- Unique traps and bonus rooms.

- Fantasy\Adventure for the entire family.

  

  

[vnisanian2001]

spanky There's your game.