Donkey Kong Country (GBA) Retro Review

I must be in a monkey kind of mood this month, specifically with Nintendo's grand gorilla, the mighty Donkey Kong! Earlier this month we took a look at the updated HD remaster of Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Nintendo Switch. Now, we're going further back in time with the OG Donkey Kong Country, except this time the Game Boy Advance version. How does it shape up? Let's find out with the SuperPhillip Central review!

Jungle Hi-Jinks in the palm of your hand.

1994 saw a wonderful partnership between Nintendo and Rareware blossom fully into something truly beautiful with their collaboration and the birth of Donkey Kong Country. It was an exciting time for platforming fans, and the rendered visuals of the game and sophisticated (and damn terrific) music helped set the Super Nintendo apart from its fierce competition at the time. Rare was on a tear back then, coming out with two sequels the following two years, and the quality was arguably even greater. 

In some ways it still blows my mind that today we get console-quality games in handheld/portable form, so you can bet it was earth-shattering to me that a home console game like Donkey Kong Country could be ported to a tiny handheld like the Game Boy Advance. Nowadays, we wouldn't get anywhere as near as many concessions as this version of the game has, but back in the day, it was really neat... in theory. That said, after finally playing the Game Boy Advance port of Donkey Kong Country, no doubt there are better examples of Super Nintendo games that successfully made the transition to handheld form. Though certainly not for a lack of trying.

Donkey Kong Country's Game Boy Advance port immediately brings something new to the table upon starting a new save file--that of an opening. The Super Nintendo original's story was limited to that of reading it in the instruction manual (I miss those), but in the GBA version, we see that Donkey Kong asks his main man--er... monkey, Diddy, to watch over his banana hoard while he takes a nap. King K. Rool's Kremling army shortly enters into the cavern where the hoard is located and promptly takes Diddy down, pilfering the potassium-rich goodies in the process. 

Cranky Kong, who by the by, has lost a lot of his fun, snarky bite when compared to the SNES original, wakes Donkey Kong up, reveals what has transpired, and sees DK shoving off to locate his bananas all over DK Isle. 

The opening does give some added context to the game, but even still, the Game Boy Advance saw its games include instruction manuals where the game's story and background could have easily been displayed regardless. The added story elements don't end with the opening, as there are dialogue scenes post-boss battles, too. These aren't very worthwhile either and do best in just slowing down the pacing of the game. 

Immediately getting into some jungle hi-jinks within the first level of the game.

Regardless, the tried and true gameplay of Donkey Kong Country is here and accounted for. You play as Donkey Kong and quite quickly save Diddy Kong from inside a DK Barrel. Said special barrels will bring back either DK or Diddy into the fold. Since it's one-hit KOs for each character, if both characters are together, it's essentially like the original Super Mario Bros., where taking damage loses a power-up, or in DKC's case, either DK or Diddy. If another hit is taken (in SMB's terms, you're hit as small Mario, or in DKC's terms, you're hit by your lonesome without your platforming partner), a life is lost and you have to continue from either the start of the level or a checkpoint barrel.

These Kremlings certainly know how to hop to it.

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong can tag each other in, changing which character the player currently controls. This has its use cases. For example, Donkey Kong is much heavier than Diddy Kong, so while DK may not be as agile or quick on his feet, his weighty presence does allow him to defeat enemies that Diddy simply bounces off of or would require throwing a barrel at them to beat. 

While many games house poor swimming stages, I enjoy them within the Donkey Kong Country series.

Another difference is in how the characters hold barrels. DK holds them over his head, whereas Diddy holds them directly in front. This might seem like a negligible difference, but it's important when trying to carry a barrel through a horde of enemies. If enemies are overhead, DK's held barrel will most likely burst open, defeating the enemy, but also losing the barrel, of course. 

I mention this part because levels house plentiful secrets in the form of bonus areas. Many of these bonus areas can only be accessed through throwing or running a barrel into a special wall, blasting it open, allowing DK and Diddy to enter inside. New to the Game Boy Advance version is that of intros to the bonus stages, briefly detailing the goal of each bonus stage, such as collecting prizes in the form of bananas, reaching the exit, etc. Barrel cannons that launch DK and Diddy to bonus areas have the letter "B" on them, much like the SNES sequels have, a change compared to the OG DKC on the same platform.

DK rolls out the steel barrel for this Kremling. What a gracious host!

There is also an incentive to collect the four K-O-N-G letters in each level. Unlike the SNES original, these are tracked in the level list accessed from the pause menu. You can also see how many bonus areas are in each level and how many you've discovered. Doing these tasks in all levels unlocks artwork in the gallery. You also unlock new artwork by finding blue camera collectibles in levels and from defeating enemies in certain ways, such as beating the strongest normal Kremling, Krusha, while riding Rambi the Rhino, for instance. There are over 50 unique pieces of artwork, so this adds some longevity and added replay value to the game.

K-O-N-G letters: Not just for 1-ups anymore!

Another new aspect to Donkey Kong Country's Game Boy Advance port, and related to the aforementioned artwork in the gallery, is that of mini-games. Both Funky Kong and Candy Kong host their respective games. Whereas Funky Kong's locations on the world map still grant the ability to fly between already-played worlds, Candy Kong's stall is all about her mini-game, as saving can be done any time on the map. This is of course helpful for portable play, where you can play a level and then put your game down for a bit for some bite-sized fun when possible. 

Funky's mini-game involve moving your Kong along Enguarde the Swordfish as you fish up specific catches in the water within a time limit. Fishing up the wrong catch takes time away from the clock, while fishing up the same catch in batches is how to succeed. Meanwhile, Candy Kong's mini-game has you pressing buttons in time to the music, and if you genuinely lack a satisfactory level of rhythm like I do, you can just watch the proper button or D-pad direction move along the screen and press it when it enters the target range. Successfully completing each mini-game in each world unlocks new artwork for the gallery as well. Cranky Kong also sets up his cabin in each world, and he basically serves a similar role like the Super Nintendo original, providing hints, though this time to not just bonus stage locations but how to obtain new artwork images as well.

Are we in the groove, or did we all just step in some Kremling poop?

While all these bonuses and new additions are indeed nice, an issue, though, and the Elle the Elephant in the room is that the game is massively compromised on the Game Boy Advance hardware and watered down in presentation, which was arguably one of the most impressive aspects of the Super Nintendo original when it launched in 1994. What you have is somewhere graphically between the Super Nintendo original and the Game Boy Color port, with the Game Boy Advance version coming in much closer to the GBC port than anything else. The level of detail is nowhere near its SNES brethren, which is understandable since the GBA is not exactly a portable SNES in tech, but where things get super disappointing is with the soundtrack. The Game Boy Advance's weak soundchip does little justice to the original SNES music. It's a pale imitation in some aspects.

The visual and audio experience on DKC's GBA port is definitely a downgrade.

Furthermore, there is a gameplay issue that was not in the Super Nintendo version either. In the SNES version, the camera was generally locked to certain parts of levels. In the Game Boy Advance version, the camera focuses on DK and Diddy, meaning that when they jump, the camera follows them. This means that if you make a high leap, you basically have initiated a blind jump, as the camera scrolls up and doesn't show where you're about to land until it's close to too late. This was not a problem in the Super Nintendo original, so it makes for some cheap moments where death by pit happen more than I would have liked and more than the developer probably intended with the Game Boy Advance version.

Not going to let this monkey make a monkey out of Diddy! 
Well, technically, Diddy IS a monkey, but still! You know what I mean!

Otherwise, this is a very similar game to the Super Nintendo version, offering the familiar fun gameplay and superb level design brimming with secrets, iterating on mechanics, gimmicks, and concepts, and bringing with it a usually fair challenge, as well. Yes, the start of the fourth world in the game, Gorilla Glacier, remains an incredible spike in difficulty that quickly resolves itself and settles back down, but overall, the difficulty curve is otherwise gentle. This is still a challenging platformer, but not to the level of say, Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Wii, the 3DS, and recently the HD version on the Switch. 

If you've played the original Donkey Kong Country countless times through the years like I have, and you want a different take on the original DKC, then the Game Boy Advance port of Donkey Kong Country is worthwhile and serviceable enough. The new additions in the form of new story elements, increased replay value through collecting all of the gallery images in the game, and some of quality of life changes don't exactly make up for the lackluster implementation of the presentation or the camera issues, but it does make for a fresh take on Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong's first adventure together. Back in 1994 it was the beginning of a beautiful new direction for Donkey Kong, both to look at and obviously to play, and the Game Boy Advance doesn't do a horrible job at emulating that; it just doesn't exactly do a great job either.

[SPC Says: C+] 

Sonic Adventure (DC) Retro Review

The 35th anniversary of Sonic continues, as does SuperPhillip Central's look back at the series in both good and bad forms! We're moving on to Sonic Adventure, and this is notably not just for being Sonic's first fully 3D adventure, but also being for SPC's very first Sega Dreamcast review! I know, I know--we just got under the buzzer on that one! At any rate, here is a retro review of Sonic Adventure.

"Can't hold on much longer..." 

I never had the pleasure or privilege of owning or even much less playing a Sega Dreamcast growing up. The system might have had an early demise due to a one-two punch of various fumbling by Sega, as well as the PlayStation 2's launch, but even in its short lifespan, the Dreamcast certainly left a positive impact on gaming. 

My experience with Sega's lead mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog, dates back to the blue blur's debut on the Sega Genesis, but I wouldn't get to dabble with the 3D version of the franchise until Sega went third party and released Sonic Adventure 2: Battle on Nintendo's GameCube. I recall greatly enjoying my first full-fledged 3D Sonic that I played; even going as far as getting all of the emblems in that. Then, a year or so later, Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut hit the GameCube, and I remember liking that, too, though not as much as its sequel. 

My point in traveling down memory lane and talking a bit of my past experiences with Sonic the Hedgehog is that opinions change over time. Call it youth naivete or whatever you'd like, but back in the day, I found Sonic Adventure, at least on the GameCube, to be a competent enough game. Now, that I played it on its original version on the Dreamcast, well... I refer back to my previous statement of "opinions change over time."

You can't have a screenshot of Sonic Adventure without this set piece on display.

Sonic Adventure is comprised of six individual campaigns, though you start with only Sonic's unlocked. As you play through his story, the other five characters' campaigns become available. The campaigns themselves are interrelated, crossing over with each other multiple times. You'll consistently see familiar scenes, but you'll get the perspective of the other characters, or learn some backstory and character motivations.  

There are three hubs or Adventure Fields in Sonic Adventure: Station Square, Mystic Ruins, and the Egg Carrier. These connect the game's numerous stages together and are able to be explored. Needless to say, while these Adventure Fields offer some nice ideas, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. I feel it's a great thing that most future Sonic games trimmed the fat, so to speak, and removed these entirely. 

Sonic gets the most amount of action stages in his campaign, coming in at ten total.

As for the individual campaigns, Sonic's story is understandably created as the longest in the game, made up of ten stages. He does get top billing after all. Sonic's stages are speedy thrill rides through obstacle-laden, loop de loop-filled, enemy-infested romps where the goal is to simply make it to the end of the stage. This was before the boost formula made its way into the 3D series. There is no boost gauge to be found. It's running around at the speed of sound... if the speed of sound isn't too terribly fast by comparison to future games, and jumping and spin dashing your way through stages. The homing attack debuted here, and it doesn't always hit its intended target--like the Sonic series itself, there were some growing pains involved. 

The intermittent boss battles are mostly harmless, but the ones that stink (not pictured) really stink.

The stages themselves offer plentiful shortcut opportunities, though a lot of these can be difficult to pull off on first blush. Part of that, and this is no matter the campaign you play as, is because the camera is absolutely atrocious. While it's intended to be left untouched--serving as an automatic camera of sorts, where it follows along the player and gives you its opinion of the most ideal camera angles--sometimes you have to turn it with the shoulder buttons, or else you're really at a disadvantage, needing to make ridiculous blind jumps. Unfortunately, upon doing this, you'll discover the camera loves to fight you, forcing itself back into position when all you want to do is get a proper view on where you're going.

Another playable character with his own campaign is that of Sonic's trusty friend and sidekick Tails. Tails has the power of flight, though its not infinite flight unlike the cutscenes he's featured in would have you possibly believe. Tails' version of stages are races against Sonic, who no doubt is holding back to give his foxy buddy some confidence. Sonic's a good pal with a good heart through and through. Tails plays through a given section of Sonic's stages instead of the entire stage itself. This is pretty much true for every characters' campaign in the game when they venture into locales already ventured by Sonic. 

Though in his final stage of his campaign, Tails is in a race against Eggman (and time, for that matter).

Knock-knock, it's time to talk about Knuckles and his campaign. The watcher of the Master Emerald, when a mysterious creature shatters the oversized green emerald into pieces, Knuckles glides and otherwise wanders about to find three pieces in each of the stages he visits. These are essentially scavenger hunt games of "hot and cold" where there is a beep as Knuckles gets close to a Master Emerald shard. The closer he gets to one, the more the beeping intensifies. These were nice changes of pace, instead of just rushing from point A to point B like most other characters' stages--moving about an open, non-linear area in search of Master Emerald shards.

Search high and low for those Master Emerald shards, Knuckles.

Next, we have Amy Rose, whose stages see her pursued by a giant green mech who seeks to capture her--or at least the Flicky bird she's taking care of. Her stages have her running away from this mech at intermittent intervals, evading her chaser while making progress through the levels. Amy--as well as the other two characters--get an exclusive stage venue within the Hot Shelter, a place Sonic doesn't get to explore in his campaign. Amy's Piko Piko Hammer is meant to not only bonk foes that stand in her way, but she can also run and slam it down in order to somersault, giving her the ability to reach higher places.

Amy and her Flicky friend can hardly get a moment's peace from their mechanized stalker.

The penultimate character is that of E-102 Gamma, an Eggman robot who comes to question its programming upon seeing its fellow robots destroyed by Eggman for their mission failures, as well as meeting Amy Rose. Its levels see Gamma marching through stages, having the player hold down and release the action button to target and launch missiles at enemies respectively. The more targets that are hit, the more seconds are added to the level timer which unlike every other campaign in the game, it counts down instead up. If it hits zero, the stage is failed. It is pretty difficult to fail stages this way, but it changes things up all the same.

Finally, and coming in with just four or so stages mercifully, is that of Big the Cat. Like the aforementioned Adventure Fields, there's most likely a reason Big's focus on fishing for his campaign was not made as a requirement for future Sonic games. Heck, it wouldn't even be a gameplay mechanic again until Sonic Frontiers, though as something optional. Big's stages feature fishing. You slowly saunter around as Big, avoid the minimal amount of enemies in each level, and cast your line to attempt to fish up Froggy, Big's friend. I appreciate the mechanics being there and capable enough--having to pay attention to the tension of the line and how fast or slow you reel--it's just not fun and not what I want as mandatory to do in a Sonic game.

After the initial six campaigns are completed with credits rolled for each--by the way, I did not particularly care for having to sit through the credits six separate times since you can't skip them (nor any cutscene, for that matter)-- you unlock the final campaign, that of Super Sonic's. This wraps up the individual stories and puts Super Sonic against the final boss of the game. It's quite a spectacle of a boss, and one that I can't say failed to impress me, especially when considering the time of the game's release. Sure, like everything else in the game, there's plenty of jank in this battle, but it's fun all in all. Having Super Sonic rushing along Station Square's flooded city streets, collecting rings, evading the boss's attacks, and boosting with enough speed into the boss makes for some cool moment-to-moment action, and ends the game on a fairly nice note. 

When the battle is done, Tails unironically (at least the voice direction makes it come across that way, in my defense) utters, "I guess all's well that ends well!" This is all the while as Station Square is now a flooded wasteland, and who knows how many of its denizens perished from the now-defeated boss's arrival. Then, of course, the unskippable credits roll for the seventh time. The final "FIN".

Even still, while the Adventure Mode was complete for me, I periodically entered into the Trial mode, which gives new takes on each stage and characters' missions. Whereas each character's Mission C is simply to complete their respective stage, and this is done within the Adventure Mode itself, other missions, B and C, are more challenging. For Sonic, his B and C missions require him to collect 50 rings while reaching the goal and clearing a stage within a strict time limit respectively. 

Time to go up and down and all around in Speed Highway.

Each mission completed earns a Sonic Emblem, of which there are 130 total to earn and collect. However, unlike Sonic Adventure DX, which added an incentive to do this, there really is nothing earned from collecting all 130 Emblems in the OG Sonic Adventure. I'd say other than a job well done, but it's less that and more... "a job well done for not throwing the game in the garbage after suffering through the game so much." Because it's through these missions and attempting to clear them where the biggest flaws and worst aspects of Sonic Adventure come shining through. I'm talking about the junk camera, jank platforming, buggy glitches, and having to contend with the Chao Garden and its pain in the patootie races--the latter of which are horribly explained within the game.

Sonic's bouncing about at Emerald Coast.

After 17 hours and 115 Emblems, I definitely had my fill of Sonic Adventure. Heck, I feel a bit vindicated in my opinion after playing through the game much more than I had to, if only because it furthered my thoughts that--at least with this Dreamcast original version of the game--Sonic Adventure is a terrible offering. 

Where Mario jumped into the realm of 3D with absolute grace, Sonic failed and performed a faceplant in the process. There is a lot to love about Sonic Adventure, to be fair--the ideas are well intended and somewhat clever, the music is some of the series's absolute best and one of my favorite soundtracks in gaming, and the presentation, especially for 1999, is terrific--but as a cohesive package, the game flails and otherwise fails. Sonic the Hedgehog said a mouthful when he uttered, "that's NO good." He wasn't talking about Sonic Adventure, of course, but if the red sneaker fits...

[SPC Says: D] 

Ys X: Proud Nordics (Multi) Review

It's been quite a while since I've had the pleasure to review an Ys game, so much so that I forgot how lengthy modern Ys games can be! Thus, this review has been a long time coming, but that's also not to say that I didn't get a case of quality and quantity with Ys X: Proud Nordics, our next review for this month on SuperPhillip Central. Let's take to the waters and "sea" how this updated and upgraded adventure shaped up!

 Come Sail Away, Come Sail Away. Come Sail Away with Ys.

Ys X: Proud Nordics is an expanded version of the original Ys X: Nordics. In a way, it's somewhat of a do-over, and in another way, it sort of has feelings of "this should have been DLC". Either way and as always, this entry of Ys stars none other than young, red-haired adventurer Adol Christin, joined by his good friend Dogi. The pair along with a doctor named Dr. Flair, find themselves in a precarious situation quite quickly as passengers aboard a boat bound for Celceta.

A group of fierce pirate warriors known as the Balta Sea Force, attack the ship, kill the captain, and not before a duel between the pirate princess and Adol. Eventually, the boat is forced to dock at a local port town called Carnac, where Adol's group is essentially stranded. This town eventually sees itself under attack by vicious monsters known as the Griegr. Unable to be killed by normal hands, only those that wield the power of Mana are able to fell and vanquish these brute beasts.

Adol's only just met Karja, and she's already got an axe to grind with him--quite literally!

Fortunately, Adol stumbles upon a magical seashell on the beach possessing the voice of a woman. This mysterious voice provides Adol with the Mana required to take down the Griegr, but not before also handcuffing Adol and the previously mentioned pirate princess, named Karja, together. With two Mana wielders linked together with no ability to remove the magical cuffs or move too far away from one another, Adol and Karja must set aside any differences to tackle the Griegr threat that plagues the Obelia Gulf.   

Tutorials and tips like the one seen here are always available within the in-game Journal menu.

Two is usually better than one, and that is especially true with the powerhouse team that is Adol and Karja. The two can move a little away from each other in battle, fighting different monsters and enemies separately, or they can team up in something called Duo Mode. This grants them the ability to attack a target together, even using special Duo-exclusive skills to make shorter work of enemies or to better whittle down the health of stronger foes. 

Adol and Karja team up to deliver one HELL of a Duo attack!

Adol and Karja each have their own set of skills that they learn during the duration of Ys X, and these can be leveled up in power through continued use. You can also spend a special currency to level them up without needing to use them, as well. This currency comes in the form of pink crystals, generally found in treasure chests and through defeating difficult enemies. 

Of course, no good offense is worthwhile without a good defense, and fortunately, Proud Nordics provides enough maneuvers and abilities for Adol and Karja to utilize to either avoid, evade, defend against, or counter attacks. By holding the right shoulder button, Adol and Karja can summon a Mana-infused barrier around them. If it's summoned right before an opponent hits with their attack, Adol or Karja can counter with an attack of their own, a devastating counterattack. 

In Duo Mode, the pair needs to be watchful of enemies and the color of the auras they can glow. A red glow from a foe means it's time to stop attacking and hold up their Mana barrier in order to withstand the otherwise damaging blow. This fills up a special meter called the Revenge Gauge, which multiplies the damage the next Duo-based skill Adol and Karja use on their attacker. While this multiplier starts low, through finding Hellfire Tomes throughout the game, the gauge can raise up to 5X. There's also a bit of strategy here, too. For tanks of enemies, it might be best to let the Revenge Gauge rise up high, so the next skill used will take off a lot more HP, but for smaller foes, using a skill right away might be the best course of action.

Just passing through, so make way or meet your maker!

Then, there are baddies that glow blue, meaning that these attacks can't be blocked through barrier usage. Instead, a well timed dodge to their attack will open them up to a counter from Adol or Karja. Finally, a white glow means the upcoming enemy attack can neither be evaded nor blocked for a counter. Instead, the best maneuver here is to just get the heck out of the way.

As Adol and Karja level up (they share experience so they both level up at the same time) through enemies slain, bosses beaten, and even items that reward XP through using them, they learn new skills as well as the ability to use a skill tree, comprised of various series of slots for both characters that open up every ten levels gained. Using Mana Seeds discovered throughout their journey, players can fit them into these slots to power up Adol and Karja considerably. It's a nice way to add a personal touch to each character, offering a way for players to shape Adol and Karja to their liking (a la builds) to best fit their own particular play style. 

Throughout Ys X: Proud Nordics, an important aspect that players are hammered over the head with is that of the concept of Adol and Karja becoming and eventually being Shield Brother and Shield Sister. This is performed through the pair during the course of the game taking on a specific, grueling challenge that proves their worth to the Normans and for that matter the leader of the Normans and Karja's father, Grimson Balta. 

I bring that up not just for story-related reasons, as it's a major focus of the game, but also because this Shield Brother/Shield Sister pairing grants the two the ability to work together more cohesively and use a series of learned Mana Abilities that work in and out of battle. From a magic grapple that can chain around specific hooks and tree limbs for Adol and Karja to swing off from to make it across otherwise impossible chasms or to reach higher heights, to summoning a makeshift Mana hoverboard to jet around areas and grind on specially marked blue rails, the abilities that Adol slowly gets introduced to, thus allowing Karja to use them, too, offer a lot of value in opening up exploration and platforming opportunities throughout the adventure.

Totally radical, bodacious, excellent, etc., Adol.

Exploration is always a fun aspect of the Ys series, and now it's expanded to the sea, too. Ys X introduces Adol and Karja to their own boat that can be customized, outfitted with various gear and weaponry, and used to sail across the Obelia Gulf. Though, there are several issues with this new mode of transportation. For one, the initial speed of their boat, the Sandras, is one of a glacial pace. Even using the Mana Boost ability that gives a temporary burst of speed to your boat isn't much of an improvement, and while you can upgrade the speed of the ship (among other things) through discovering new crew members, it's still much too slow by even the end of the game. Fortunately, when a new point of interest on the ocean is discovered, this island or area can serve as a fast travel point, making for less of a headache when sailing the high seas.

Generally, the flow of Ys X introduces players to a new area of ocean to explore, but something usually stops the Sandras from being able to advance further--whether that's not having the right equipment, a story reason, or because a Mana ability hasn't been learned yet, such as using the Mana Barrier around the Sandras to safely cross over dangerous ocean debris, for example. Many sections of the ocean are blocked off in general--the Obelia Gulf sure is labyrinthine-like, offering so many reasons to sail around rocky expanses and shallow patches of water.

That said, the seafaring life in Ys X: Proud Nordics' Obelia Gulf isn't all smooth sailing and exploration. Sea battles against Griegr ships also comes into play. These, like land battles, happen in real time. The Sandras' task is to simply sink all of the enemy ships through using weaponry like cannons and special firepower--all with different cooldowns and some limited in ammo--before they sink you. These naval battles are rather enjoyable, and have multiple purposes for seeking them out. Sure, many pertain to the story, but many also unlock wind currents, a new Proud Nordics-exclusive addition, that make sailing faster along certain lines, as well as battles where you can board the enemy's ship and take out three waves of baddies for a special treasure. 

Three different possible perspectives present unique ways and views to sink some ships.

There are also optional missions to reclaim islands under Griegr control, and these are one half ship battles and one half land battles. The former has you destroying pillars that protect the shielded island and threats alike as the Sandras. Once all the waves (both figurative and literal) have settled, it's time to storm the fortress as Adol and Karja through a linear dungeon, fighting foes, solving simple puzzles, and/or performing some platforming to make it to the goal. This all the while being scored on enemies defeated, time taken, damage received, and the like in order to get rewards based on the grade you get for all the above aspects of these reclaiming missions.

Beyond little enhancements here and there that do make the Ys X experience better, the most notable addition to Ys X: Proud Nordics is that of a brand-new island, Oland Island, an especially large and expansive one, that delves into how the Normans were originally cast away from their homeland. It opens up around the halfway point of the game, Chapter Five, and while a new piece of the island and subsequent story unlocks with each new chapter, I would have found it more enjoyable to wait till near the end of the game to experience it. That way I could play through the whole new content all at once instead of being interrupted in a piecemeal fashion. Instead, I opted to play each section as it opened up, which made for a much more bloated experience.

Oland Island is home to some impressive sights and even more impressive treasure.

Either way, Oland Island features numerous lengthy locales, story elements, a Coliseum, Mana Board races, and also a super-hard boss at the end of the island's 10-hour journey. I found it mostly enjoyable (the new Mana Hold ability introduced here is clunky and cumbersome at best), and while I probably won't return to tackle the rest of the Coliseum's combatants or do the EX Mana Races for their respective rewards and prizes, I very much discovered value here.

While I had my fill of adventuring with Adol after my 45 hours with the game for now, 
the coliseum on Oland Island still calls to me... eventually.

At the end of the day and at the end of Adol and Karja's adventure, I discovered plenty across every island, 100%-ing each one, finding every treasure, clearing all quests (I still dislike that some can be missed or that they can expire due to story reasons), and thoroughly being taken for a wild and wonderful ride with Ys X: Proud Nordics' story. In total, my adventures with Adol and Karja took me just under 45 hours with all the aforementioned tasks done.

Now, apart from the sluggish and glacial pace of seafaring, some infuriating boss battles (the Magna Diga remains an obnoxious fight even in its revised form), and missables, one sore spot of Ys X: Proud Nordics is the visuals. The original Ys X's roots are tied to the Nintendo Switch, which is quite the ancient hardware nowadays, and it shows with Proud Nordics. Not saying Ys X's updated version is an ugly game, but it certainly is no looker, either. The textures and visuals are bland, the environmental variety is weak, and the draw distance leaves a lot to be desired, as well. My brother entering the room while I was playing and mentioning if I got out our old PlayStation 3 to play something did not inspire confidence towards Ys X: Proud Nordics' graphical prowess--that much is for certain. That said, the Switch 2 version offering 60 FPS and 120 FPS performance modes does make for a more impressive offer.

As the ol' sea cliche goes, X marks the ouch.

Speaking of offers, is what Falcom and NIS America are offering with an updated Ys X worth the asking price? If you've never played the original Ys X, then there's no question you should check this entry out with Proud Nordics. It's darn good and some of the modern Ys series's highest highs. Don't bother with the original Ys X nowadays since that is basically equivalent to playing Persona 5 instead of Persona 5 Royale. 

For those that have already played Ys X and are interested in the new content, particularly that of Oland Island, then that's a tougher proposition to want to jump on and set sail for. I could see some arguments calling this a bit of a slap in the face to offer a new updated version of a game that released less than two years ago, doesn't offer an upgrade path for most platforms, and does not carry over save data from the original game for a high price. 

At any rate, new players to Ys X should definitely check out Proud Nordics while previous players of the tenth installment should wait for a discount (or a deep discount, at that) before that dive back into Obelia Gulf's waters. The Proud Nordics package as a whole is a fantastic one, and while the game doesn't hit the same highs for me as my favorite games in the series: Oath in Felghana and Lacrimosa of Dana, it certainly offers a majestic adventure full of heart and fun.

[SPC Says: B] 

A code was provided by NIS America for the purpose of this review.

A New Site Section is Now Available Featuring Video Content

Happy Monday from yours truly here at SuperPhillip Central. The site celebrates its 18th anniversary this June, and for the longest time I've stuck to wholly written content. Recently, though, I've started to delve into producing videos on a recently established YouTube channel called SuperPhillip Plays.

Previously I dedicated the channel to Let's Play-style videos, but I'm more interested in creating brand-new original videos in the form of lists and other fun projects. That's not to say I'm forgoing gameplay videos, but they're simply not the major focus anymore. 

Regardless, I've set up a new site section (seen in the sidebar) called SuperPhillip's YouTube Video Content, which features all of the original videos I've published to date. They're all embedded into the page for easy, accessible viewing. I hope you'll consider checking the section out and further, perhaps even enjoying a video or two in your free time! 

Bombun (PC) Review

Continuing the weekend theme I alluded to yesterday, we have a game starring a bunny (fitting for the Easter holiday) and one that utilizes the same style of weaponry as Bomberman--that, of course, being bombs! This is an indie romp in the form of Bombun, and SuperPhillip Central has its eyes on a verdict! Here's the review.

Is this bombing bunny's game a blast or a dud?

Sometimes fun games come from the unlikeliest of sources. Take Bombun. When I saw the previous games that the publisher, Critical Bliss, put out, they were decidedly of a "Not Safe for Work" category. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but also not my bread and butter either. Bombun relates to that type of content if only because of the developer is an artist of the NSFW type as well. Needless to say, there's nothing NSFW about Bombun, but there is plenty enjoyable about it all the same!

Rather than delve into some hackneyed narrative, you're immediately thrust into the tutorial stage with nothing in the way of story or context as to why you're off to bomb and blast away as our pyromaniac protagonist. If you're looking for either, you're not going to get it with Bombun, at least within the game. Anything related to our hero's motivation or resolve is all done outside of the game. Interesting enough choice, but okay! Fair enough.

Bombun looks over her floating fortress habitat. Turns out it's under attack, so off she goes to save it.

Either way, story is hardly a factor--that's established immediately. What we're all here for with Bombun is the explosive action, and the game delivers that splendidly. It plays similar in some regards to Bomberman Hero, at least using that game as launching pad for inspiration.

Speaking of using things as launchpads, Bombun's main gameplay mechanic consists of platforming using bombs. When Bombun has a bomb in tow, she can use it as a springboard of sorts to gain additional height, throwing the bomb downward while being propelled higher into the air. She can only do this once per jump, however. Bombun, of course, can also throw bombs at enemies, and also pump them up to bigger size by holding the bomb button.

With bomb in tow, Bombun is ready to rock and roll.

There are six worlds in Bombun and these consist of four stages apiece. Each stage is a bite-sized affair, offering plenty of tricks, traps, obstacles, enemies, and pitfalls to overcome. I'm talking about things like moving platforms, rotating burners, lava geysers, slippery floors, bounce pads, fans, switches activated by explosions that turn certain gadgets on, and so forth. This is all the while not allowing Bombun to blow herself up in the process. Though this will not obliterate Bombun immediately, instead it will just take one heart of health away, which the game is good about presenting plenty of health pickups sprinkled throughout stages.

Bombun introduces new bomb types in the form of temporary, timed power-ups. These comes in the form of wind, ice, and bounce bombs. Wind bombs produce an updraft of wind that grants the ability to ride it upwards to reach higher up platforms. This is true with ice bombs, too, in the sense that they create large ice blocks that are primarily used as a means for traversal, either across beds of spikes, or to access higher areas. Finally, the bounce bombs create a gelatin-like sphere that can be--of course--bounced on to once again reach new areas. 

The ice power-up grants the ability to create these giant ice cube blocks.

There's little exploration to be found in Bombun. Really, the goal here of the game is to get from point A to point B, and usually the faster the better. More on that shortly. The only real discoverable exploration in Bombun is finding hidden cameo bunnies from other games/media that usually take lots of ingenuity to reach. They're placed in high-up areas, so clever bomb use is paramount to find them. 

When you get into a rhythm and in the zone, this is where Bombun truly shines. Sure, you can simply run through the game, completing each level, and beat the final boss, but the real enjoyment comes from acquiring each stage's time badge. This is performed through rushing through stages a la speed run to beat a given stage's target time. At first blush--or first blast, I guess--these times seem quite impossible to meet much less beat. However, it's all about using bomb jumps to your best ability in combination with Bombun's ability to dive. This combo is key to skipping sizable chunks of stages, making incredible leaps across chasms to shave off precious seconds of time.

Really, the time badges are the meat of this game, as you'll quickly run out of things to do in Bombun otherwise. If you're just playing through the game casually, it will take you a couple hours at most to finish. However, with going after the time badges, along with other optional objectives, such as finding a hidden bunny in each world and purchasing every cosmetic bunny in the in-game shop (bought with currency found in stages), you'll greatly increase the longevity of Bombun several-fold.

That said, these time badges are quite tight and difficult to achieve. Fortunately, the developer opted to allow for unlockable cheats. These comes in the form of post-credit permanent power-ups instead of timed ones. There's also a Dynabun character that can use explosions to propel herself to higher places without taking damage from them. She's faster, dives further, and allows for an easier time with both the game and especially the time badges. Thus, some might consider beating the time badges with these cheats something that would put an asterisk next to your efforts. I think that's fair to do, but I also believe it's fair to use the cheats, as the times are still tricky even with them used!

Fire? Cooler heads will prevail.

For a game that's basically all about speed-running in the grand scheme of things, tight controls are a must. Bombun excels in feeling good to play. The camera can cause some issues with depth perception, but fortunately, a little colorful shadow appears under Bombun, no matter how high in the air she is, so players can best determine if she's above safe ground or not. Incredibly helpful to have, indeed.

Bombun has a cel-shaded art style to it, and sort of has a lo-fi look like something out of an HD PS1 game. The music is suitably catchy, and sound effects pack a small punch--inoffensive, at the very least. The frame-rate is smooth and can be dialed way up to whatever your machine can handle. Overall, Bombun is pleasant in its presentation.

Short but relatively sweet, Bombun is a brief blast of a 3D action-platformer. If you're looking for an extensive romp or the idea of replaying levels for speed-running purposes does not appeal to you, you'll quickly discover that Bombun has an unremarkable and short fuse, then. For everyone else, the platforming is so tight, the stage design executed well enough to make speed-running a blast, and the game overall enjoyable all in all to make for a game that is far from a dud. 

[SPC Says: B-]