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Post by 🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀 on Jun 14, 2022 4:32:48 GMT -5
Another one I haven't played, but I always found the old Turtles games to look pretty fun (I might pick up the new one coming out soon). I kind of grew up in the one period without any TMNT series (after the original series but before the slew of series starting in the mid-00's), so maybe that's why I haven't bothered yet with any of them.
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Post by dsparil on Jun 14, 2022 6:41:53 GMT -5
I haven't played enough Turtles in Time to really evaluate it, but I do find the first stages so dull that I've never worked up the enthusiasm to push through. I also didn't first play it while I was still a fan of the series so that doesn't help either. Maybe I can try again this week.
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Post by spanky on Jun 14, 2022 9:06:26 GMT -5
] From what I've read there are licensing issues with the Turtles cartoon theme and so some music will be changed in the Cowabunga Collection which will presumably effect this game as well as others in the package. |
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Post by excelsior on Jun 14, 2022 10:15:29 GMT -5
] From what I've read there are licensing issues with the Turtles cartoon theme and so some music will be changed in the Cowabunga Collection which will presumably effect this game as well as others in the package. I don't have any particular insight myself so I'm kind of filing it in my brain under wait and see. Presuming it is the case hopefully the implications will be minimal. Just actual sampling of the original theme perhaps wouldn't be a big deal. I did notice the theme wasn't present in the unveiling trailer but that could be for any reason. Also apologies guys I really thought everyone would have played through Turtles in Time. That's 3 in a row I missed you with 🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀, not sure next week will be any different. Hopefully I can find something that accommodates everyone soon. |
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Post by ommadawnyawn2 on Jun 14, 2022 10:24:37 GMT -5
Was kind of obsessed with this and Hyperstone Heist (and TMNT in general) as a kid, great co-op games and still my fave console brawlers from that time for their speed, the running moves and slam throws, and the visual variety. HH has a few gameplay improvements to me but TiT is the more complete package with its time travel theme and sprite scaling (which should've been doable on MD).
Playing alone isn't as fun and the games are pretty shallow and repetitive on revisit, so I'll have to give it a B+.
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Post by 🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀 on Jun 14, 2022 16:09:51 GMT -5
Also apologies guys I really thought everyone would have played through Turtles in Time. That's 3 in a row I missed you with 🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀 , not sure next week will be any different. Hopefully I can find something that accommodates everyone soon. I think Turtles in Time is one of those games that lives on more with those who grew up in the SNES era (e.g. you old farts) and is less one of those games even those getting into SNES after that gen ended (e.g. young people like me) will play. Some games are just like that I think. I guess it also doesn't work in the game's help that it hasn't been re-released a billion times like a lot of SNES classics have. |
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Post by excelsior on Jun 14, 2022 23:32:14 GMT -5
I think Turtles in Time is one of those games that lives on more with those who grew up in the SNES era (e.g. you old farts) and is less one of those games even those getting into SNES after that gen ended (e.g. young people like me) will play. Some games are just like that I think. I guess it also doesn't work in the game's help that it hasn't been re-released a billion times like a lot of SNES classics have. You're a charmer m'dear.  |
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Post by Snake on Jun 15, 2022 16:41:15 GMT -5
Classic game, Turtles in Time. My recently departed friend owned it. We'd play through it when I visited on the weekends. It's a very good quality port of the arcade version. A lot of the grabs, throws, slams, and combos really add more variety over the first TMNT arcade game. The jet surfing stages are pretty good to mix in too. Agreed, that the soundtrack is topnotch, truly capturing the spirit of the original TV cartoon series. As a ninja turtles fan, this game delivers in spades. One of Konami's great franchise efforts. It's not too big on replay for me though. Maybe I'm getting old, but belt-action type brawlers with endless cloned henchman to beat up, doesn't excite me as much as when I was 12.
Rating - A
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Post by windfisch on Jun 16, 2022 5:47:17 GMT -5
I think Turtles in Time is one of those games that lives on more with those who grew up in the SNES era (e.g. you old farts) Well, they call me windfisch for a reason... Anyway, let's do some catching up: Super Star WarsHaving been told about the phenomenon of Star Wars by kids at school, including some rather broad interpretations of what they had seen on screen, I had already been making up my own Star Wars-inspired stories, using Legos and whatnot, long before I was finally allowed to watch the movies on TV. And boy, how magical an experience that was, noisy image quality and all. Similarly magical was playing the port of the arcade game on the Atari ST: Wireframe models, speech samples and a mouse was all it took to deliver the perfect Death Star battle experience. And in that regard it hasn't been surpassed by any game yet, including the somewhat overrated Rogue Leader.
I first got to play the SNES game at a store when it was new. And it was rather impressive in terms of graphics and music – ugly title screen aside. But even then it couldn’t quite hide some rough edges: Enemies would pop up randomly left and right and one would either have to stop every step to shoot them down or risk taking damage. Admittedly exploded enemies will leave lots of health items behind (at least in the initial stage), but the game simply doesn’t flow that well. And speaking of health items: I can see how a graphic designer would think having a health bar and according power ups look like a light saber would be clever, but it’s also pretty stupid. Especially when you actually get to wield a light saber later on. Like mentioned by Snake the use of which does indeed feel better than it did in the JVC NES game. However, what the latter game did have going for it were the non-linear elements: Exploring the Tatooine desert via landspeeder and going spelunking in various caves added a welcome sense of wonder and adventure, even though those could’ve been executed better. Instead of expanding upon these concepts and polishing them up, the SNES game is disappointingly straightforward. If you’re making a game about the whole movie, it shouldn’t just be about shooting stuff. How about an overworld, some NPCs, maybe some puzzles? But no, while the landspeeder portion is now in Mode 7, it’s not used to to convey the scale of the world and instead is just masking what can only be described as a glorified Space Invaders. Later 3D-ish segments involving the Death Star also fail to impress, featuring choppy visuals and gameplay that pales in comparison to the aforementioned ST game. Maybe it’s a bit unfair judging a game for what it isn’t, but then again there are run ‘n gun/platformers that feel much more satisfying to play than this. D it is then. Interestingly a DOS port was close to being released some years later. It’s supposedly a bit re-balanced and features redrawn graphics that seem more colourful and smoother scaling effects:
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Post by windfisch on Jun 16, 2022 14:33:13 GMT -5
Turtles in Time
On to the next craze: Like many I first got to know the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles via the animated TV show, which at the time I liked quite a lot (nowadays I can’t make it through a single episode). A bit later some of original Mirage comics made it over here in colourized form. The first issue I got to read was quite the departure from the goofy show: It was so, so dark, both literally with thick, black shadows on every surface and figuratively, featuring blood, murder and a no smiling policy. Then there was another, more lighthearted comic series. There were the action figures, designed to look angry like in the comics but also colourful like in the show. There were the live-action movies, somewhat closer to the Mirage-comics, but much more parent-friendly, becoming sillier with each iteration. Those were quite a few Turtle iterations already.
And then, of course, there were the Konami games. Even with those the multiple identities of the franchise did show through: Most of the 8 bit games would feature cover art more or less directly based on the Mirage comics, contrasting their show-inspired in-game content. Out of those the first two Game Boy games in particular hold a special place in my heart. Fall of the Foot Clan was the one game I bought alongside my Game Boy and Back from the Sewers might be the most technically and artistically accomplished game on the system. However, while I can confidently say that those are tighter experiences than their NES counterparts, it’s hard to deny how amazingly well Turtles in Time captures the feel of the show, while delivering a rock solid beat ‘em up on top of that.
It’s got a good amount of moves, stage variety and the occasional gimmick to keep things fresh. I remember a classmate proclaiming: "That's not from a video game." when I showed him a screenhshot in a magazine. Admittedly, that shot was taken from a cutscene, so he wasn't utterly wrong. But TiT's set pieces and sprites looked great regardless and still do. Most beat ‘em ups from that era used to recycling enemy types by recolouring them and giving them larger health bars, which could seem a bit lame. But here the colour-coded Foot soldiers have rather distinct attack patterns, so I don’t get tired of them. I also like that regular enemies only take a few hits to be defeated, so it feels rather breezy, compared to the likes of Final Fight. And speaking of colours: One neat touch is the ability to switch between “anime” and “comic” mode. Comic gives the protagonists more muted colours and erases their pupils, leaving only a ghostly white in their eyes. The individual shades of green chosen for each turtle also seem to be inspired by the toyline. The game features even nods towards the movies (the continue screen, Super Shredder...), so again the different personalities of the franchise shine through.
Out of the original pair of TiTs I’ve yet to play the arcade game, but it certainly looks and sounds even nicer. However, I have played the third TiT: Hyperstone Heist, which is just different enough to hang alongside the SNES game. While the latter is more colourful, the Mega Drive game seems to run a bit more smoothly. And the addition of a run button, as opposed to double tapping the d-pad, makes it more fun to control. In HH I can perform the shoulder slam more reliably, which is much more useful than the screen toss. So tossing that toss is not a big loss for the Sega version. I actually think it’s for the better. And speaking of screen-toss: The Shredder POV fight on the SNES may look cool, but Shredder blocking my view and me not getting that move to work at will makes this actually one of the least enjoyable moments in the game. Funnily this encounter seems to be inspired by the first Battletoads (NES) boss, which predates this game – talk about idea theft coming full circle!
This is my second favourite SNES brawler, only Ninja Warriors beats it, Again. Even though the reptile ninja win in terms of pure spectacle, I prefer the somewhat deeper combat mechanics of their robotic warrior counterparts. Also, better controls and the savior-like ability to walk on water give Hyperstone Heist a slight edge, too. Still, an A seems more than appropriate for this joyful time-travel adventure.
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Post by ommadawnyawn2 on Jun 16, 2022 14:54:50 GMT -5
I would say the arcade game had the worst controls/hit detection, but it's been years since I last played it. Still very good but it was noticeable at times, coming from the console games.
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Post by excelsior on Jun 16, 2022 18:59:21 GMT -5
Turtles in TimeThere were the action figures, designed to look angry like in the comics but also colourful like in the show. These days we still have action figures, but being so beloved we now have a line based around Turtles in Time 30 years later. Where were these when I was a kid?    ---- The new visuals on that Super Star Wars PC port look really nice mostly, but why does his life indicator now look like Prince Adam? Is Luke going to hold up his magic lightsaber and proclaim 'I have the powerrrrr'? |
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Post by windfisch on Jun 17, 2022 4:34:43 GMT -5
Turtles in TimeThere were the action figures, designed to look angry like in the comics but also colourful like in the show. These days we still have action figures, but being so beloved we now have a line based around Turtles in Time 30 years later. Where were these when I was a kid? ---- The new visuals on that Super Star Wars PC port look really nice mostly, but why does his life indicator now look like Prince Adam? Is Luke going to hold up his magic lightsaber and proclaim 'I have the powerrrrr'? You mean where were these when you were a kid: |
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Post by excelsior on Jun 20, 2022 1:30:06 GMT -5
Week #7 - Pocky & Rocky
 
This week sees the western release of Pocky & Rocky Reshrined. We mark the occasion by discussing the first SNES release of the series. Who on Earth has cast a spell and are controlling the Nopino goblins? And what for? Find out as Pocky & Rocky battle the goblins in this epic adventure from Natsume!
Features:
Two Player Simultaneous Action
Play as Pocky, Rocky or team up with a friend for them to work together
Outstanding graphics
Gorgeously drawn sprite art creates a unique interpretation of feudal Japan
Action/Adventure game suitable for the entire family
Cartoonish humour meet a tough as nails challenge that delivers something for all
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Post by excelsior on Jun 20, 2022 1:40:59 GMT -5
Pocky & Rocky was a game/series I wasn't familiar with as a kid and due to the rarity of the series I never owned either entry. My time with it came later through emulation. What strikes me most about Pocky & Rocky is how difficult it is. The enemies are a little spongy and so it takes a good amount of learning to get very far. I tend to go for the easy mode if I want to get very far. I generally think the game is much better on two player where there's a nicer balance between enemies and firepower at your disposal. I would have liked a button to hold the direction of my fire since I find it's a little awkward to direct when having to do so at the same time as moving. Visually everything is great and lively and with a tone that sets itself apart on the console so that's where I think the game mainly shines.
Ranking - B
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