BAKERU (NSW) 100% Playthrough - Episodes 1 & 2

BAKERU recently released on the Nintendo Switch and Steam after a lengthy wait for localization. In fact, I had practically given up on it coming Westward. Fortunately, Spike Chunsoft published and helped localize the game for Western audiences, and now we get to enjoy developer Good-Feel's Japanese fairy tale adventure.

A bit impromptu of a decision, but I've opted to start a 100% playthrough on my YouTube channel, SuperPhillip Plays, of the game, split up into digestible episodes and with timestamps. This is a no-commentary run, so enjoy the pure gameplay featured!

 

Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn (Multi) Review

Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn officially released today on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Steam, and the Xbox Series of consoles, the latter of which this review is based off of. Here is the SuperPhillip Central verdict.

Without a shadow of a doubt, you will get schooled.

The original Shadow of the Ninja is an NES cult classic, known for its compelling combination of awesome action platforming and punishing but fair difficulty. It's currently available as a game to play as one of Nintendo Switch Online's offerings, specifically in the NES catalog. Now, decades later, the title is remade and reborn, getting a new lease on life with added features, a new level, and lots of polish with Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn. Keeping that aforementioned combination of action platforming and punishing but fair (for the most part) difficulty, Reborn is hardly a game for the timid, and that isn't always the player's fault, either.

Being a relic of the NES era, there isn't a massively deep narrative or plot to Shadow of the Ninja's remade incarnation. What you get is two ninjas--Hayate and Kaede--who are on a mission to take down a dictator who leads a dystopian country. That's pretty much it plot-wise, but it serves a serviceable enough purpose to get to slaying enemies and evading death traps of all shapes and sizes in the six level campaign. 

Which ever ninja you choose to start out with is less of a choice of skill set--they both seem to play similarly for the most part (save for slightly different but discernible physics)--and more on aesthetics. Each start out with a ninja blade and a kusarigama--a spear that extends from a chain. The former is perfect for melee and honing in on close-by foes, while the latter is excellent for not only keeping space between enemies but also taking them out from afar before making a perilous jump, for example. The kusarigama can be fired in all compass directions when possible (i.e. there aren't walls or floors in the way), and both the blade and chain can be temporarily upgraded once for better utility. 

Ninja gear discovered in levels in all sorts of locations makes for the bow that wraps your ninja's offensive package together. These come in the form of myriad weapons, abilities, and health-bestowing items to utilize in a pinch. From traditional shuriken and kunai to less typical ninja fare like shotguns and miniguns, your ninja can acquire quite the arsenal--though only a handful of ninja gear can be equipped at once before they're tossed away upon collecting a new one.

The ninja gear that you keep in your possession by the end of a level is put into the shop for permanent access, where at the beginning of a given playthrough you use the money you've earned from slaying enemies to purchase an assortment of ninja gear to start your next playthrough. The highest amount of money you've earned is the benchmark for future playthroughs, so there's never any worry about messing yourself over with a low budget to buy gear on a playthrough.

The six levels themselves are sometimes overwhelming affairs. Practically every few steps in a level sees your ninja encountering some kind of enemy, trap, or pit to deal with. Yes, in these levels death is less of a possibility--it's more of a certainty. Fortunately, levels are also split up between multiple sub-areas, which serve as checkpoints. Now, that doesn't mean that these sub-areas aren't lengthy endeavors onto themselves, meaning that I never died deep into a sub-area and had to redo tons of progress. Oh, I definitely and frustratingly did. But at the very least there's the option to continue that is available after the somewhat patronizing and overlong "Game Over" screen plasters itself on your screen--a screen that I got a little TOO used to.

With six levels, Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn might not seem like a lengthy endeavor of a game. Truth be told, if you have the skills to rush through every level like a master ninja, then Reborn won't give you too much longevity. Fortunately, most of us aren't equipped with that advanced skill set. Instead, you'll find yourself replaying levels, making slow but steady progress, earning new ninja gear to assist you on future playthroughs, and finally, FINALLY, making enough headway to take down the final boss and successfully beating the game. 

There are two difficulty modes in Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn--normal and hard. The first is the base difficulty, suggested to beginners and standard players alike. The latter presents more enemies, advanced attack patterns for said enemies, and just a more arduous journey--which the base difficulty of normal is no cakewalk to begin with! Co-op play is also offered for two players locally, which serves as a nice way to lessen the difficulty burden, but unless you can find a co-op partner who can put up with the level of challenge on display, then you'll probably be going it alone.

That said, here comes the troublesome part of Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn--and it's a bit of a doozy: the controls. While hacking and slashing feel wonderful and are done well, it's other mechanics that don't hold up so well. This includes climbing, which makes it so simple tasks like clinging to pipes were efforts in frustration as my ninja would either climb to the other side of the pipe to take damage or drop out completely from the pipe, also taking damage from the fall into the abyss. Then, there's wall climbing, which is all too aggravating and requires double tapping the A button when on a wall to scale it. It's quite clunky and finnicky, offering nowhere near the precision and grace required for some of the later stages' platforming challenges.

Last but not least, the ninja gear you stumble upon that I touched on earlier is a bit cumbersome to switch between. Rather than being able to cycle through all your options with the unused rear triggers, instead you are forced to hold the ninja gear button and press left and right on the D-Pad to cycle through your options. It's rather challenging in the heat of battle to madly switch to the proper ninja gear you want. It made for situations where I'd die and get a game over, right before being able to select a healing ninja gear, for example. 

Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn looks divine with its upgraded visuals. The spritework is tremendous, offering immensely and painstakingly detailed characters, and the biggest charmer here is that of enemies, especially those large ones like the yellow robotic bully that loves to fire flames from its flamethrower. The backgrounds and environments are no slouch either--and that's an understatement. Everything oozes atmosphere and the aesthetics are stellar. The soundtrack has gotten a boost and improvement too, and the tunes feature the guidance of the original composer, Iku Mizutani, delivering a lovely 80s/90s hard rock sound to it.

Depending on your level of patience and perseverance, Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn may be a tough ask to consider playing. This is a massively difficult game, which sometimes isn't helped by the clunky climbing controls or the on-the-fly ninja gear switching. It's also a short game to experience all of the content available, but most players will not exactly be able to breeze through it to see it all in a fast fashion. If you're willing to put in the effort and contend with the level of challenge offered, Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn is a remarkable 2D action platformer that properly transitions the NES original to a new era.

[SPC Says: B-]

A copy of Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.

The Tuesday 10s - The Titles That Shaped My Gaming Tastes

The Tuesday 10s return with a very special unordered (other than by A-Z) list, and I don't mean a Full House-style "very special episode" type of list either. No, instead, it's something near and dear to me, something I used to look back on my gaming history and do my best to properly analyze and identify those games that influenced and shaped who I am. These ten titles made me the type of gaymer I am, molded my tastes, and in part, made me who I am today, if we want to get utterly philosophical about this.

After you've checked out and hopefully read my ten picks, I'd be eager to read what some of your games that shaped your tastes (no need to post ten), if you'd be so kind to do so in the comments section below.

Banjo-Kazooie (N64)

Let's start off with a 3D platformer that takes claim as my favorite 3D platformer ever made. It's Banjo-Kazooie, featuring a robust repertoire of moves to learn, delightful and expansive worlds to explore, copious amounts of colorful characters to meet and engage with, and a plethora of secrets hidden inside Gruntilda's Castle and the worlds within. While Super Mario 64 innovated and revolutionized the gaming world, it's the iterative Banjo-Kazooie that has since stuck with me. It took the remarkable foundation that Mario 64 laid down and went to town on it. It presented me with my love for collectathon platformers in three dimensions (especially when they don't overwhelm the player--sorry, Donkey Kong 64) and continues to bring me joy. 

Breath of Fire (SNES)

One of the first role-playing games I ever played was a wondrous introduction to the genre for me: Breath of Fire. It was an albeit rather basic RPG, but a perfect intro to what the genre was all about. You had your turn-based battles, a sprawling world to explore, an engaging enough story, and one of the more important aspects of games that I've grown to greatly appreciate: a sensational soundtrack. Really, Breath of Fire was the beginning of my love for RPGs, and also one of the first games to make me shed tears due to a certain combo of story and music, showing that I could connect with games on an emotional level. Truly something special to me.

Final Fantasy II (SNES)

We move from one Squaresoft-published game to another with Final Fantasy II, at least that's how it was numbered back then. I'll spare you the well-known details on the numbered entries in the franchise. Regardless, Final Fantasy II started my love for the Final Fantasy series, opening me up to various aspects and constants in the series that I would discover myself appreciating to this day--whether that's familiar summons, items, monsters, places, characters like Cid, etc. And although the mainline games are not the ones I stick with, rather it's the spin-offs that I adore--and that's been a thing for as long as I can remember--Final Fantasy II was essentially the gateway game into the Square's role-playing world.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

Honestly, so many early games within The Legend of Zelda series could take a place on this list, but no doubt the one that bestowed its most influential impact on me was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I recall and remember fondly thumbing through each issue of Nintendo Power leading up to the game's release--heck, back when the game was simply titled Zelda 64 and Link still had his traditional green tunic with brown undershirt as opposed to the white undershirt he'd don in-game. I'd obsessively soak in every detail from every screenshot, every preview prose written in the magazines. 

Ocarina of Time was the first instance I can remember of a game living up to my seemingly impossible hype. It opened me up to the concept of a living, breathing world; thinking in a three-dimensional space to solve puzzles; thinking outside of the box for said puzzles; and falling in love with the mysteries and urban legends within Hyrule. Ocarina of Time persists in my mind to this day, living rent-free, as it's my favorite game ever made. Sure, I prefer the 3DS remake nowadays, but that doesn't take anything away from this highly important and influential Nintendo 64 gem.

Mario Kart 64 (N64)

While I played a fair amount of Super Mario Kart and F-Zero on the Super Nintendo, it wouldn't be until Mario Kart 64 where my love for arcade racing games--particularly the cartoon-y, wild and wacky style--would take shape and plant its foot in my heart, much like one would plant their foot on the pedal. Mario Kart 64 nowadays is my least favorite in the Mario Kart franchise due to lack of content, slippery steering, and such (though--to be fair--it's still enjoyed by me), but at the time I was absolutely addicted to the game. Between aiming for first place in each race of every cup on every difficulty, to meticulously exploring each track, even going backwards down tracks to see what sights I could discover (which no doubt annoyed Lakitu according to his constant holding up his "Reverse" sign), Mario Kart 64 was such an eye-opener for me. It definitely planted the seed of racing game love that would take root, grow, and prosper to this day.

Mega Man X (SNES)

There are plenty of platformers that shaped my love for the genre--my favorite gaming genre, might I add, at that--and Mega Man X is the one that brought forth my desire for lots of action while doing all the running and jumping the genre is primarily known for. It also gave me my adoration and appreciation for Capcom's Blue Bomber. Mega Man X was introduced to me by Nintendo Power. It was the first issue my older brother and I ever received via subscription, and it was an impressive silver cover commemorating the magazine's 50th issue. I was amazed by the Robot Maverick designs, how cool everything seemed, and just how much I wanted to freaking play this awesome-looking game! Needless to say, I soon was able to, and thus, my love and respect for Mega Man began, as did the continuation of my passion for platformers.

Resident Evil 4 (GC)

The most recent game that shaped my gaming tastes is one that I didn't think I would have bothered with. Perhaps I wouldn't have if I hadn't been quite a bit of an overzealous Nintendo fan back in the GameCube era. Fortunately, that zeal lessened in a toxicity sense to more of an enjoyable fandom. Regardless, Resident Evil 4 was once a GameCube exclusive--or at least planned that way. Without both its exclusivity and the copious amount of coverage in Nintendo Power, I no doubt would have been delayed to my Resident Evil fandom. I would have also missed out on one of my favorite games of all time. Really, Resident Evil 4 was an entry point to Resident Evil, horror games, and heck, even cosplay as I would go on to dress up as the debonair protagonist Leon S. Kennedy on streams and such. As such, in a bizarre way, perhaps I can thank my Nintendo fanboyism at the time for introducing me to one of my favorite games ever made.

RPG Maker (PS1)

This next game, or rather software for the purpose of creating your own RPGs, RPG Maker was one that turned me on to the idea of making games and doing so for fun. It taught me the basics of scripting and if/when statements, but in a visual form that was easy enough for even my simple mind to pick up on. I learned that I really love making and designing game worlds, building stories in games, and concocting all of the bits and pieces that make up the genre that so many love. Of course, the PlayStation 1 entry was as basic as all get out, not offering much, especially compared to what we see on PC nowadays, but it was a nice and pleasant start for my hobbyist game-creating career. It also taught me the utter importance of not utilizing third-party memory cards, lest you find 50 hours of work corrupted. Yeah... A lesson learned the hard way, unfortunately, with lots of tears from middle school-aged me.

Star Ocean: The Second Story (PS1)

If Breath of Fire and Final Fantasy II opened my eyes to the world of role-playing games, titles on the PlayStation like Wild ARMs and Star Ocean: The Second Story cemented my love and passion for the genre. The latter especially brought forth to my attention the idea of dual protagonists and real-time action combat. It also introduced me to composer Motoi Sakuraba whose Star Ocean: The Second Story soundtrack remains one of my favorite game soundtracks of all time. Essentially, the concepts that I was taught from Breath of Fire, Final Fantasy, and Star Ocean would go on to influence how I design my own RPG that I'm currently in the process of developing. So, if the game finally launches (who knows when that will happen, as RPGs are quite the time investment) and players end up disliking it, we now have some martyrs to blame.

Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)

It wouldn't be a list of games that shaped this gaming superhero as a gamer without mentioning one of the very first titles I ever remember playing. That was Super Mario Bros. 2 (the Western release and not what's known as The Lost Levels here). Perhaps Super Mario Bros. 2 was an early example in my life that taught me that I could persevere and overcome challenges with enough persistence and patience. I recall struggling with the game considerably--understandably so considering my age and it being my first game--but slowly making progress with each attempt. 

Eventually I hit a roadblock with the ice world and dealing with a combination of slippery platforming and those white enemies that would skate across the ice. For months I battled that level, always taking too much damage or falling into the abyss below, but eventually I did it--I made it to a new screen--one with whales. I cherished that moment. Making it to that new screen was my white whale as a kid, funnily enough, and making it was one of my proudest moments growing up. I would eventually clear the game, but nothing compared to pushing through and smashing through that earlier roadblock.

Not only did Super Mario Bros. 2 show me through sheer will and determination that I could overcome that kind of challenge and be proud of myself for it, but of course, it also introduced me to a little known plumber named Mario. I wonder whatever happened to that guy...

Cat Quest III (Multi) Review

Our next review takes us to the Purribean for a high seas sailing adventure starring cats, rats, and all kinds of cute characters. It's Cat Quest III from The Gentlebros, and here is my verdict of the game, as played on the PlayStation 5.

 A Purr-ate's Life for Me!

Cat Quest and its sequel previously delved into high fantasy. Now the series dives into the high seas with a rousing seafaring adventure that decidedly doesn't stray too far from the established formula seen in the prior two games. With a more open world, however, and a boatload of wordplay, Cat Quest III sets sail and sets its sights to delight players new and old to the franchise. Will you be feline good after playing this entry?

Cat Quest III begins with an animated cutscene showing the burning remains of a ship by the nefarious and villainous Pi-Rat King and his crew. Left over from the wreckage is a bassinet containing a nameless baby kitten, who is taken under the tutelage of Captain Cappey to become a Purrivateer. The Pi-Rat King's crew searches for the North Star Treasure, which our heroes also are in the search for--how convenient and coincidental! What follows is a swashbuckling cat-venture across the Purribean, full of hack-and-slash action, witty writing, and yes, loads and loads of cat puns.

Cat Quest III is set within the Purribean, and inside its seafaring expanses are all sorts of discoveries to be found. There are dungeons to wage battles through, side quests and other optional content to engage in, mysteries and puzzles abound, and towns to talk to various characters. There is truly no shortage of discoveries in Cat Quest III. Every island has a plethora of interesting points to scope out--whether that be caves to plunder for treasure, characters to meet and fulfill their quests, treasures resting on the world map--pleading to be opened, environmental puzzles to solve, or what-have-you.

Of course, even though the Purribean is a wide open expanse--just begging to be explored--it's not always the brightest idea to explore all willy-nilly at your leisure. Enemies in sections of the map that aren't meant to be explored right away are quite high in level, meaning that they can make short work of you with just one hit. Thus, it's best to come well-leveled and well-equipped to best those baddies! Show the pirates who's boss and all that. 

And if you do end up being routed, the punishment isn't severe--you simply are revived at the last "Rest Beakon" (save locations in the form of a parrot which restore your cat's health and magic to full strength) you visited, which there are an immense number in the game. Still, since death is essentially just a wag of the finger to the player, if that, it's most likely meant to be that way, to encourage the freedom to explore the seas without worry of losing tons of progress.

Ah, but what be a pirate without lots o' loot to take! Fortunately, here, Cat Quest III shines. Loot comes in the form of equipment that not only boosts your cat's attack, defense, health, magic, and provides alternate effects (such as increased fire resistance, for example), but also serves as a nice way to customize your cat aesthetically. Equipment comes in headgear, body, accessory, and weapon form. Gold coins are the primary currency in Cat Quest III, and these are used primarily to upgrade gear proficiency. The higher a level of a gear, the more powerful it is. If you discover a duplicate piece of equipment, that simply adds more levels to the original.

Combat in Cat Quest III is fast and fluid. It feels nice. Your cat has three means of dealing damage--direct melee attacks, ranged weaponry, and magic. Each serve their own contextual purpose in and out of combat, but learning to utilize all three in battles can make short work of foes as well as more importantly keep your cat alive. Starting off, you have one magic slot available to you, but as the game progresses and as you level up, your cat gains more slots. Up to four magic skills can be equipped at once, each mapped to a shoulder button. Thus, you have a multitude of potential builds available to your pirate kitty, great for discovering one that works purrfectly for you and your play style.

Yes, as stated, the Purribean is a wide open place, containing chains of islands to explore and plunder alongside myriad points of interest. And yes, you would be right to expect a swift way to sail around the ocean blue rather than having to swim. Thankfully, your kitty hero is indeed well equipped to traverse the high seas with their own ship, able to cruise on any body of water (may it be lakes, rivers, or the ocean blue itself) and put up a fight against any enemy vessel that stands (...floats?) in its way. Much like said hero, the ship is upgradeable as well, with the ability to increase its hit points, attack strength, special attacks, and more--though with blueprints.

Cat Quest III, like its previous entries, is not a lengthy endeavor to beat nor complete. In a sense, it definitely doesn't wear out its welcome. It certainly did not for me, taking about six or seven hours to fully complete and earning the Platinum trophy on the PlayStation 5 version. Your mileage may vary on how long it takes you, but at no point was I ever left wanting the game to end or feeling frustrated. In fact, it was more the opposite. I was yearning for more to do, even after collecting as much treasure as possible, clearing all the side quests, solving all puzzles that attempted to perplex me, defeating all of the bounties, acquiring all of the equipment and spells in the game, and more. It was a yearning that even the New Game+ option did not quite satiate.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the wonderfully implemented and hassle-free local co-op play on offer in Cat Quest III. It makes a game that is stellar in solo play doubly so by virtue of another player. I can certainly see myself returning to this game down the road thanks to this feature.

I've no idea what kind of trickery the mad lads at The Gentlebros pulled off to create such a vibrant and gorgeous game, but between the 2D characters and 3D world, it's a lovely combination. Everything looks cohesive and genuinely divine. Whereas the visuals are stunning with the excellent art style, the soundtrack is more serviceable, certainly fitting of the game and the action but nothing I can remember outside of the game. Pleasant, yes. Memorable, not really.

The Cat Quest series may not reinvent the wheel with each entry, but they're the types of adventures that I consider to be comfort gaming. If you know what you're in for and don't expect a massive revolution in gameplay, you won't be disappointed with this latest installment. Complete with enjoyable and open exploration, plenty of customization to find and finetune your play style, and copious amounts of cat and cat-adjacent puns, Cat Quest III may just be the best in the series yet. For a series full of excellent entries, that's certainly a high mark to hit.

[SPC Says: B]

Aero the Acro-Bat (Multi) Review

Technically a retro review is on the horizon for this Sunday evening, but at the same time, it's more of a modern release--or re-release in this context. Publisher Ratalaika Games brings back Aero the Acro-Bat with some new filters, bonus content, and quality of life features. It's all new to me, as I missed out on Aero back on the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis in my younger superhero years. How is the game? How are the bonus features? Let's answer both of these questions with a good old fashioned SuperPhillip Central review!

A game that will drive most players batty

The 90s were a wild time where seemingly every developer and studio under the sun were chasing after that platformer and Mario money. Of course, we know quite well of Sonic the Hedgehog, to this day has achieved massive success, but there were plenty of lesser known copycats, imitations, and games inspired by Mario and Sonic that slipped through the cracks of gaming history and aren't as well known. Sunsoft's Aero the Acro-Bat is one such series that despite spawning several games within it, isn't the most heralded or talked about. 

Publisher Ratalaika Games brings back the bat to the circus spotlight with a remastered package of the game for Nintendo Switch, PlayStations 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC with several quality of life improvements and other additions to make a case that a new generation needs to turn its attention to Aero and friends. The natural follow-up question, of course, is: Should you bother with this bat?

Aero the Acro-Bat consists of a handful of areas consisting of multiple acts. Each act provides players with a different task in order to open up the goal to complete them. Sometimes you'll need to pass through a set number of gold rings, another you'll need to turn on a series of light switches, or some are as basic in their premise as simply surviving. These various acts provide some nice and welcome variety to the game, making it less about running through a multi-tier area aimlessly as you search for the goal, and instead... well, unfortunately, more about running through a multi-tier area aimlessly as you search for things to open the goal.

Not quite a human cannonball, considering... well, this being a bat--but impressive all the same!

Disappointingly, Aero the Acro-Bat doesn't fare much better when actually playing the game. Aero himself has a main mode of attack where he dives upward or downward at a 45 degree angle. It serves as being beneficial for reaching otherwise out of the way platforms and areas. However, it's NOT so beneficial at attacking enemies with a 100% success rate as hit detection is absolutely miserable in this game. It seems like luck of the draw on whether you defeat an enemy or that Aero takes damage instead. This randomness in dealing damage made me avoid encounters with enemies as much as possible. That said, a lot of the time a foe is simply placed in front of your path as a roadblock with little means to go around.

The spotlight is on you, Aero, so show us your moves!

While Aero also has the ability to collect stars which can be converted into throwing stars (though not shuriken, as one might assume--LITERAL stars being thrown), these become something you are required to ration. Moreover, our bat hero can only throw them while jumping or standing still, so their utility isn't as pronounced as one might like.

Aero is also too fast in movement. While this normally wouldn't be an issue, the camera can hardly keep up with the protagonist--instead, preferring to be sluggish in speed. It made it so I had to saunter through levels at a slow enough pace, inching the camera along to reveal things off screen so I wouldn't rush into a baddie, or worse, those darned spikes!

The first world dazzles with lots of enjoyable circus-themed platforming gimmicks.

Spikes are plentiful in Aero the Acro-Bat, and they're usually hiding off screen where a leap too high or running too fast means you collide right into them. Apparently, Aero is made of the same stuff as Mega Man, as one touch of a spike is a life lost. While checkpoints are somewhat common in levels, these moments once again feel undeserved and most definitely unfair.

Then, you have the auto-scrolling levels that are somehow worse than Battletoads' infamous Turbo Tunnel level. The reason for this is that at the very least, said tunnel would telegraph what obstacles were headed your way, so you'd have at minimum a chance of evading them. Not so much in any of the auto-scrolling levels in Aero the Acro-Bat, whether that's the hellish roller coaster, riding the rotor where it's pretty much trial and error on succeeding, the barrel that Aero finds himself rolling down hills in, or the rapids where the camera does not cooperate at all.

But soon, levels like this rotor one quickly makes this game outwear its welcome.

Fortunately, a lot (note: but not all) of Aero the Acro-Bat's design problems are alleviated heavily by the included rewind function and save states. The former is utilized by holding the left bumper, though you can only rewind about 30 seconds in the past or so (the right bumper, conversely serves as a fast forward option). The latter option of save states is a blessing due to the fact that the original Aero the Acro-Bat game completely lacks any save options. To my knowledge, no password functionality served as an inclusion either. So, thankfully, you can answer the game's many cheap flaws and moments with some helpful rewinding. 

Despite the game itself being less than satisfactory, this remastered version of Aero the Acro-Bat has been lovingly made--no doubt. There are various filters, resolutions, and options to play around with to get the best graphical style that fits your preference. The package also arrives with a lovely art gallery, the original manual in digital form to browse through, and other cool and nifty additions. 

Struggling with a boss? Thankfully, save states and rewinds can alleviate the burden.

The base game itself is indeed a product of its time, complete with all of those nasty and decidedly unfair cheap moments, but you can also tell that there was passion poured into the project as well--from the gorgeous environments to the well animated characters, whether they be friendlies or enemies. The soundtrack is rather pleasant, serving as competent and serviceable background music--some of which I found myself bobbing my head along to, which is always a good sign of its quality for me.

That said, this remaster of Aero the Acro-Bat is somewhat of a case of polishing a turd, or I guess in this case "bat droppings", to put it in apropos terms related to our protagonist. The original game is just not very good, and no matter how much or how many quality of life improvements and extra bells and whistles were added, it was never going to be an excellent game and recommendation without going into the actual game and fixing its fundamental design issues. While there is a lot to dislike design-wise about the original Aero the Acro-Bat, it may be worth checking out if you have the curiosity, plenty of patience, don't mind relying on that rewind button, or would rather just get a taste of gaming history in a decidedly lovingly put-together package.

[SPC Says: C-]

A code was provided by Ratalaika Games for the purpose of this review.

Wave Race: Blue Storm (GC) Retro Review

A game perfect for summer, we turn our attention to racing along the waves, bouncing all over the place in the process as we make a splash with this next review--a retro review. It's Wave Race: Blue Storm, a game that no doubt impressed back in 2001 with its jaw-dropping water physics, and heck, in 2024 it STILL impresses! Here's the SuperPhillip Central review.

Let's take to the waves by storm; there are races to win!

The GameCube was still an era for Nintendo where it was competing in the raw power horserace with Sony, Sega, and then-new player to the industry Microsoft. The console launched in November 2001 with multiple games from the get-go that showed off just how impressive a beast the unassuming purple lunchbox of a console could be, whether that with lighting and interactivity in Luigi's Mansion, an amazing amount of geometry and polygons on screen at once in Star Wars: Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II, and yes, the water physics of Wave Race: Blue Storm. I jumped on the first two titles as a younger superhero and Nintendo fan, but Blue Storm was a title that I didn't visit until much later in my gaming career. Does it still make a splash in 2024, or did I wonder, "Water you thinking, Phil?" to playing this game nowadays?

Wave Race: Blue Storm puts players atop jet ski for a wet and wild ride through multiple majestic courses with the general rules of passing buoys on the appropriate side. Yellow buoys require you to pass them on the left, while red buoys need to get passed on the right. Failing to pass on the correct side not only lowers your speed back to its default lowest, but mess up five times and you're disqualified from the race. As you properly pass buoys and perhaps even perform stunts here and there to raise your speed, you eventually gain the ability to perform a turbo boost. This is might helpful on straightaways and especially shortcuts to gain a leg up on your opponents.

The Exhibition course Dolphin Park serves as pleasant starting point for perspective Wave Racers. 

There are eight environments total within Wave Race: Blue Storm, from the mountainside, serene waters of Aspen Lake to the rough and tough racing and being required to weave through tight turns and even narrower passageways in La Razza Canal. Blue Storm certainly runs the gamut from natural surroundings to more fantastical city-based circuits.

With water smooth as silk, Aspen Lake is a bit of a pleasure cruise for a jet ski.

One of the--decidedly many--interesting aspects of Wave Race: Blue Storm is that you can opt to choose which order you do races in within its Championship mode, the meat and potatoes of the Blue Storm package. You might ask yourself, "well, what is the point of that? Simply to save the easier races for last?" Yes and no. Each race takes place on a different day. Each day features different weather for each race. You might choose to take on the turbulent waters of Ocean City Harbor on a day where the weather is clearer than when it's stormy and the already choppy waters become even choppier and near uncontrollable. That said, in the case of Aspen Lake, calmer waters aren't always the best, as a low wave height reveals rocks and other obstacles that would one would need not be concerned with any other day. Conversely, having certain races take place in certain weather also opens up shortcuts that might not be otherwise accessible due to wave height.

Depending on the wave height, you can use the ramp to leap over this pirate ship on the Southern Island course.

Here, Wave Race: Blue Storm's most significant part to its gameplay shines through--the water physics. Picking up where the Nintendo 64 Wave Race left off and running with it--or, riding with it, I guess in this case--Blue Storm's water is just something of a mind-blower. Everything from how your jet ski is affected by other riders' wakes, to the environment, such as in the Arctic Bay course where a chunk of an iceberg crashes into the water, causing massive waves that undulate all nearby racers, it's something to marvel at. Just don't marvel for too long, as you're constantly needing to finetune your steering and acceleration on the fly to stay in control. You're on a perpetual tightrope between being in control and out of control because of the varying waves and your opponents, and this, as you an imagine, is immensely challenging. Considering this is 2001 tech, the game was an amazing showcase for the Nintendo GameCube's power and ability to render realistic waves.

Watch out, first place--you're cruising for a bruising!

Going back to the level of challenge, Wave Race: Blue Storm is NOT an easy game. While there are but three difficulties in the Championship mode, these demand mastery of your vehicle, rider, waves, and knowledge of the courses ahead. It's far too easy to make just ONE mistake that costs you the championship. Also consider that as each race passes, you must reach a specific point threshold or face elimination. This continuous, constant pressure to perform well as races go on doesn't help in a relaxing time on the water, for sure. 

Furthermore, the jet skis that you utilize are a touch twitchier than what was seen in Wave Race 64. They react to your analog stick movements much faster, which makes for a game where if you were a pro in the Nintendo 64 game, you have a lot of relearning to do to master Blue Storm. Holding the analog stick back while simultaneously holding left or right to provide tighter turn control isn't the most natural of actions to do, but it becomes more second nature as you progress with the game. You can also opt to hold L or R for leaning into even sharper turns. 

Take tight turns more sharply by holding the L or R buttons as you steer.
Just don't do like your friend here always does and overcompensate.

Herein lies the biggest issue with Wave Race: Blue Storm: it's far too easy to be overwhelmed by the difficult combination of learning and mastering the controls, how your jet ski handles on waves, and the each and every race. You have but one course accessible to you in the Exhibition Mode, and then you're let loose into the game proper. Basically it's Blue Storm's way of telling you to sink or swim without the safety of a life jacket. This previously touched on Exhibition Mode course, Dolphin Park, is as basic an oval as you can get, and hardly prepares you for the more taxing aquatic trials and tribulations ahead. Prepare to get knocked off of your jet ski plenty of times, whether by running into walls, other racers, failing to take jumps properly, etc., all the while cursing the wave racing gods in the process.

Outside of the major Championship mode that unlocks most content within the game, Blue Storm provides players with a plethora of options outside of pulling their hair out in the aforementioned mode. From Time Attack, where it's just you and the waves to ride on in time trial form, to Stunt Mode where pulling off tricks, whether in the air or on the waves themselves grant points in a goal to rack up the highest score possible, there is no shortage of stuff to do on the waters in this installment of Wave Race. There's even a much less stressful Free Roam mode, offering the ability for practice on any already unlocked course in any already unlocked weather condition. 

Outside of modes for a solo player, Wave Race: Blue Storm also presents multiplayer, allowing up to four players to take on each other and ride the waves together. The increase in player count also doesn't affect the frame-rate. It's as steady as ever with the max amount of players taking up real estate.

I've touched on this previously, but Wave Race: Blue Storm is an absolute tech showcase of the GameCube. The water physics, of course, are the star of the show, but even aspects like the gorgeous environments (though you might be too busy trying to stay on your jet ski to admire them), the more detailed racers on said jet skis and how you can see how emotive they get, to the details in said environments like coral and aquatic life like sea turtles moving through the waters below, do a lot to impress. The sound side of Blue Storm presents players with lots of radio chitter chatter from your crew chief, which at first is a cute addition, but after your second race coming in last place, the smart aleck commentary does little to do anything but annoy. What doesn't annoy, however, is the soundtrack, featuring lots of rock and techno to keep your pulse high if the races somehow don't already.

One moment you'll be all, "I LOVE this game!" Then, the next, "I HATE this piece of $@#^!"

Wave Race: Blue Storm is decidedly not a game for the weak spirited or those with a lack of patience. It WILL kick your butt across its choppy, unforgiving waters unless you master all aspects of its gameplay and controls. For many players, this was perhaps more effort than it was worth. Frustrations and aggravating moments do abound where you do well in multiple races and one mistake costs you from qualifying for podium placement altogether. It's hard not to get demotivated from that. Still, everything else from the magnificent and amazing water physics that again, you can't help but marvel at--especially for 2001 tech--and white-knuckle racing in gorgeous-to-this-day environments that vary by weather make for a racing game unlike any others. Is it better than Wave Race 64? No, especially not in an accessibility sense, but it doesn't stumble over the finish line either.

[SPC Says: B-]

Marsupilami: Hoobadventure (Multi) Review

I'm not really covering this in a timely fashion with this review, but it's for a game that I enjoyed a fair bit so I wanted to write about it. It comes from a place of passion, which always makes for the most enjoyable-to-write reviews for me. Here are my thoughts on Marsupilami: Hoobadventure for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Hooba did you expect--Donkey Kong?

Sometimes a game comes out of virtually nowhere to surprise and delight. Marsupilami: Hoobadventure is one such game. Originally released in 2021, the title has seen multiple discounts digitally--most recently for the absurdly low $2.99. No doubt as a platforming fan, I HAD to bite, even without knowing what the heck a Marsumpilami even was.

Turns out it's a Belgian comic book that originates back in the mid 20th century and has since gone on to become a multimedia empire of sorts, appearing in comics, television, and of course, video games--with one even dating back to the Sega Genesis. Now, publisher Microids and developer Ocellus Studio deliver a captivating and charming 2D platformer for all current platforms that had me enthralled from beginning to end.

Marsupilami: Hoobadventure is very much a Donkey Kong Country-inspired game. Everything down to the three playable characters' (who play alike and have no differences in play style) roll which grants midair jumping capabilities and birds that serve as barrels to blast the player out of, to bonus rooms hidden within the game where entering them has you completing a specific challenge, you can certainly tell the developer did their homework and perhaps cribbed a bit from Rare's Super Nintendo trilogy. That's not to say there aren't original ideas or that Marsupilami is an also-ran compared to Donkey Kong Country. Regardless, the comparisons are incredibly easy to make.

Palombia is under attack, so our Marsupilami heroes move out to save the day.

That said, our Marsupilamis' aforementioned roll feels like it has much less heft and weightiness than Donkey Kong and Diddy. Makes sense considered how tiny our friends are compared to the big brawling apes where weightiness would be expected. Charging through a series of enemies like a bowling ball through helpless pins feels fantastic and is fun to pull off. Alternately, it's also enjoyable to roll off a platform and then leap in midair to maintain momentum or make lots of horizontal progress in levels. Ground pounds abound in bashing boxes housing fruit--100 of which gains an extra life for the player--as well as smashing through breakable floors to discover hidden areas. Needless to say, our heroes are nimble and quick, and this lends well to the natural flow of platforming, whether that be rolling, bouncing off enemies to gain height, or leaping from wall to wall in a way that would make Mario jealous.

Bounce and bop off enemies to gain more height than usual.

Then, there's our main characters' most noticeable aspect, a helpful appendage in the form of a lasso-like tail that can lay into enemies like a fist, as well as latch onto objects like hooks to hang on, and grab onto birds (again serving as this game's barrel cannons of Donkey Kong Country fame). The game pretty much autotargets these hooks and birds, and sometimes you'll find yourself aiming for the wrong hook. Worse yet is when you just want to roll, but grab a hook instead. Both latching onto hooks and rolling are set to the same button, so this can become a common occurrence--or at least more common than I would have liked while playing.

Blue rings can hold a Marsupilami's weight perpetually, while red ones will break upon grabbing them almost instantly.

Marsupilami: Hoobadventure's campaign features around 30 levels across three main islands. These 30 levels also include the dojos, where your marsupial of choice is placed in a room with the goal of moving through every gold ring before time runs out. The levels themselves are wonderfully designed and constantly introduce new mechanics, enemies, and obstacles to look out for and to overcome. They're also packed with secrets of all types inside them. There is one bonus room (dojo) to discover in each level, and multiple rainbow feathers to collect which open up alternate levels in the game. Both are hidden in some truly clever locations, and if you're not observing your surroundings well, it's quite easy to miss them. 

From beaches to jungles, next to everything looks wow-worthy in Marsupilami: Hoobadventure.

Each island concludes with a chase level, with your marsupial of choice pursuing a bony boss who holds one of the three gemstone pieces required to complete the game. These levels demand rapid movements, quick reflexes, and a little patience as well so you don't get caught off screen. At the end of the chase, you get a satisfying opportunity to lay into the skeleton villain by mashing on a button a la Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. 

What are you laughing at, bone brain?

The base game levels aren't overly taxing to take on, and even if they were or are for some players, ample checkpoints, health pickups located in breakable boxes, and the utterly copious amount of extra lives players can easily earn throughout the adventure make for a potentially less frustrating experience. Though, for someone more well versed in platformers like myself (and I don't say that as a brag, whether obnoxious or not), the myriad extra lives that the game showers upon its players diminishes the sense of challenge.

While 30 levels was a paltry amount at release which definitely was a reason for the game getting raked through the coals by some, the developer opted to add free DLC featuring 10 all-new levels set on an entirely new island. This Jurassic-themed island known as The Hidden World is home to some more devious platforming challenges, and dare I say the best content within Hoobadventure itself. When the final level of the ten is beaten, you unlock much more difficult, lava-filled Cataclysm versions of all of levels on this island. Cataclysm levels will put your platforming skills to the ultimate test, necessitating chaining jumps, launching from bird to bird or hook to hook, and managing Marsupilami's health with the utmost of care and ability. These were exceptionally enjoyable to play through, much like the rest of the game itself.

The entrance into The Hidden World is quite amazing, as is the entire island itself.

Outside of beating the near 50 levels of platforming goodness (Cataclysm alterations included in this total, as they're different amalgamations of the originals), collecting all of the goodies to be found in each, and completing all of the dojos, there are also time trials to take on. These exemplify just how well the sense of flow in each level truly is, and perhaps in a way that you wouldn't notice when playing levels in a non-speed run form. Mastering chains of jumping, rolling, bouncing off enemies, latching on to hooks, and sometimes even damage boosting to speed past certain obstacles are all recommended to beat each target time. While there is usually lots of leeway in each level to get a gold medal, some are surprisingly dastardly in order to beat its target time. 

Unique foes and challenges await within The Hidden World.

Marsupilami: Hoobadventure delights outside of its gameplay with some vibrant and colorful visuals, offering gorgeous backgrounds, beautiful enemies, and nothing so busy that it distracts from said gameplay. Everything from the way characters animate to the attention to detail in the backgrounds makes for a wonderful visual treat for the eyes. It's also not a game that skimps on being a treat for the ears either, delivering lovely and nice vibes in the base game while packing a punch when needed. The Hidden World continued to make me marvel at it, with its one-two combo of awesome visuals and even more impressive music, such as the main theme heard in both its opening Jurassic Savannah and in a much more hectic yet triumphant Volcanic Panic finale. 

Even if I were to have picked up Marsupilami: Hoobadventure for full price, it would have definitely been worth it. With so many well designed levels, smooth as butter controls, and plenty of side content to sink one's teeth into like one of our heroes sampling a taste from one of their prized fruit, Marsupilami: Hoobadventure stands as a marvelous 2D platformer that more fans of the genre should check out indeed. Hooba!!!

[SPC Says: B+]

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (NSW) Review

Released early this year, Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a Nintendo Switch remake of the 2004 Game Boy Advance original. How does it compare to the 2004 classic? Better? Worse? Somewhere in between? Let's discover the answer with this SuperPhillip Central review!

A Toy Story

Feuds that stand the test of time: Pepsi and Coke, the New York Yankees and the Mets and yes, perhaps the greatest* of them all--Mario and Donkey Kong! (*Probably not.) Ever since the character known simply as Jumpman scaled ladder after ladder, hurdled over barrel after barrel, and rescued the damsel in distress from the angry ape himself, the rivalry persisted. Sure, it's simmered since 1981, with the pair cordially participating in everything from revving it up on the racetrack to teeing it up on the links, but now and again the rivalry bubbles to the surface between these two gaming icons. 

The original Mario vs. Donkey Kong debuted on the Game Boy Advance in 2004. Now, twenty years later we see a full-fledged remake on the Nintendo Switch, complete with new content, new worlds, and plenty of puzzle-platforming fun to be had. However, is this remake enough of an upgrade to justify a purchase, or is this a game you shouldn't toy around with playing?

Our story is simple. One day, while flipping through the channels on TV, a comfy, cozy, lounging Donkey Kong stumbles upon a commercial for the newest, hottest toy around--the Mini Mario! Filled with an immense desire to get one of these for himself, DK runs with great haste to his local toy store. However, sadness and disappointment fills his gorilla heart, as the toy is sold out everywhere! While most would shrug and move on--most aren't Donkey Kong! He barges into the Mario Toy Company's factory and nabs each and every Mini Mario in the production pipeline. Running off with a bag full of Mini Mario toys, Mario himself discovers the caper and chases after Donkey Kong. Thus, our game begins.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong plays similarly to the 1994 Donkey Kong game on the original Game Boy. The structure is slightly different, having Mario platform his way through two sections of level: one where he must locate and carry a key to its locked door (making sure to not leave a picked-up key sitting idle for too long, lest it respawns at its original location), and the other where he must retrieve a stolen Mini Mario. 

Different colored buttons and blocks, but Mario can manage!

Each of the game's eight worlds consists of six base levels, and after the first level of each world is completed, players can choose to take on the remaining five in any order (something new to this remake). After all six levels have been successfully completed, two more levels become available, one after the other. One is a Mini Mario level where Mario needs to guide pursuing Mini Mario toys to a toy chest in a Lemmings-style fashion, while the other is a showdown with Donkey Kong via boss battle. The latter pits Mario in an arena against his big ape rival with different methods and means to deal damage. Four hits, whether that's with picked up barrels, enemies, or even dropped fruit in the case of the second world's encounter, is all it takes to temporarily subdue the great gorilla.

"Come back here, you big-a monkey!"

Thankfully, Mario has a huge repertoire of moves at his disposal, and most, if not all of them, will come into play to assist him through all of these puzzles and platforming challenges awaiting him, DK battles included. From jumps and flips to reach higher platforms, to handstands that prevent the portly plumber from getting hit from falling debris from above, Mario's movements and maneuvers in general are easy to pull off and seldom frustrating.

Mario's not showing off here--he's doing a handstand to block these falling bricks!

As for the base levels, Mario vs. Donkey Kong consistently introduces new concepts and mechanics throughout its eight worlds and multiple levels, keeping the experience fresh. That's whether they be obstacles, hazards, or enemies. For instance, Mario Toy Company, the first world in the game, introduces obstacles like red, yellow, or blue buttons that turn on/off different platforms, ladders, and springs of the same color. Meanwhile, the next world, Donkey Kong Jungle presents players with vines and ropes that Mario must cling to all the while avoiding the fireballs spat out by Piranha Plants. 

It's a jungle out there, but Mario's prepared!

With this Nintendo Switch remake of Mario vs. Donkey Kong, two completely new worlds are included: Merry Mini-Land and Slippery Summit, serving as worlds four and six respectively. Merry Mini-Land features fans that can carry objects, enemies, and Mario across chasms to be helpful, or can block Mario's path to be more a hinderance. By hitting buttons to turn fans on and off, players can proceed through levels, making this theme park more manageable. Meanwhile, Slippery Summit features--as the name of the world suggests--slipping and sliding around courtesy of the world's ice physics. Sure, this makes for more difficult platforming, but also would make Scott Hamilton back in the day eat his heart out with the impressive kinds of jumps Mario can dole out on ice!

Merry Mini-Land is one of two new worlds debuting in the Nintendo Switch remake of Mario vs. Donkey Kong.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong on the Nintendo Switch is an easier experience than its Game Boy Advance original version for several reasons. For one, Mario doesn't lose a life upon falling from a steep drop. Second of all, the scoring system from the original GBA game is gone, too. Now, getting a Perfect in a level is as simple as collecting all three presents in a single run and beating said level. 

Furthermore, Nintendo has opted to give beginning players and less astute platforming fans an easier go of it with Casual Style. This makes it so players aren't rushed with a time limit, they begin with five hits before they perish as opposed to just the one in Classic, and even if they do lose all five bubbles, they return to one of the in-level checkpoints made possible in Casual Style, which Classic Style lacks altogether. This mode also makes it so certain enemy placements are altered or removed completely. It's a nice mode to make the game more accessible for younger and beginning platforming players, though more skilled players will find the base game already too easy to begin with.

A nice touch is how typical Mario enemies are crafted to look just like toys, such as these Thwomps.

Mario's adventure doesn't come to a premature end after the initial eight worlds are finished and DK has been beaten. No, Donkey Kong is not one to back down so easily. After all, the game is just a 2-3 hour jaunt that way. What follows are eight more worlds--specifically Plus Worlds--to take on. These aren't just the same experiences as the base game in more difficult forms. Instead, Mario is tasked with guiding one Mini Mario apiece safely to a door. If either Mario himself or the toy take damage within the level, it's mission failed. I found these levels to be a bit more frustrating, understandably, than the base game. I don't gel too well with escort missions in any game, really, due to the AI not always being the brightest, so having the latter half of Mario vs. Donkey Kong being chockful of these types of missions in level form wasn't the most appealing proposition to me. That said, with enough patience and perseverance (and let's not forget the most important aspect--lives), I got through it no worse for wear.

These Mini Mario levels near the end of each of the first eight worlds can be a tad tricky to figure out.

In addition to the Plus Worlds, Mario vs. Donkey Kong on Nintendo Switch features an all-new Time Attack mode, featuring the ability to take on levels as fast as the player possibly can, all the while attempting to clear target times. Unfortunately, this aspect of the game is merely for personal bragging rights as no online leaderboards are available nor do you unlock anything for beating each level's time. Not that one necessarily needs the carrot on the stick to motivate themselves to play more, but for me personally, I found there to be no real motivation to beat my best times in each level. It's nice to have the option, for sure, but the implementation feels half-hearted. 

One thing that does extend the otherwise rather short playtime of Mario vs. Donkey Kong is that of local co-op play. This changes up the dynamic of the game and its levels considerably. Two well-in-tune players can split up tasks amongst themselves to make for a more efficient run through each level. The big difference between solo play and co-op play is that both players need to retrieve a key and take it to the locked door. The door is essentially "double locked", requiring one floating silver key and the one traditional golden key that must be picked up and "delivered" to the door. I played co-op with my older brother, and this was a great deal of fun. It was so much so, that I really wish that there would have been online co-op available as well, which would have greatly increased my enjoyment and time with the game. Alas, could have, should have, Nintendo did not.

Carefully surveying a given level is seldom not the "key" to solving it.

I don't think Mario vs. Donkey Kong on the Game Boy Advance aged well graphically. To put it bluntly, it aged as well as Donkey Kong's banana hoard after he's left it rotting for two years. Ew. Even I'm grossed out by that mental picture. Regardless, the Nintendo Switch remake presents a more pleasant visual style, complete with crisp and clean polygon models, lovely and beautiful backdrops for each world and level, and lots of cute touches in animations--specifically with our two stars, Mario and Donkey Kong. The music is quite delightful, offering what I'd call a smooth jazz, easy listening soundtrack, almost Muzak in its implementation. It hits the right notes, most importantly.

Overall, Mario vs. Donkey Kong's remake on the Nintendo Switch delivers an engaging, albeit short-lived experience, full of puzzles and platforming peril to enjoy. Lackluster replay value keeps it from being a hearty recommendation, so it might be best to wait for a once-in-a-blue-moon sale for the game to go on discount before investing in this rivalry's return. Still, you could do far worse than toying around with Mario vs. Donkey Kong. The issue here is that you could also do much better, too.

[SPC Says: C+]