It's sort of funny how I came to own Super Metroid. Back in 1995, I had some money and I was looking to buy some used Super Nintendo games at the local Movie Gallery. I found one that I wanted, but I had enough money to buy one or two more. I didn't really see any others that I was dying to have, but Super Metroid looked spectacular from the back of the box and I had always heard about how great it was, so I went ahead and bought it. Little did I know that it would turn out to be my favorite game of its kind, and possibly my favorite video game of all time!
When you first start a new game of Super Metroid, a short cinema that consists of 3D pictures and dialogue will start showing and telling the story. I could tell you the story, but that would spoil it.
Your job is to control Samus Aran, and guide her through several different and challenging worlds that mainly consist of futuristic-looking aliens as enemies. While you make your way through the game, you can always pause the game and look at the map to see where you need to go and where you're currently at.
Samus always has a gun that you can use, but there are several other weapons and gadgets that you can find somewhere in the game, and then use. There are missiles, super missiles, bombs, super bombs, other kinds of beams such as an ice beam, new suits such as a gravity suit for the underwater environments, the ability to run EXTREMELY fast, a grappling hook, X-ray vision goggles, extra energy units, and much more.
But it's not a piece of cake for Samus. All over the place, are several different enemies that can fly, eat Samus alive, jump from one side of a room to the other, and more. There are also AWESOME bosses that you have to defeat. These bosses can range from a towering dragon that throws claws at you, a bird that has wings that never get tired, to the all-powerful Mother Brain, and others.
Pretty much, Super Metroid is mainly about exploring the different environments. Samus starts out at scratch, with only one energy unit and a basic gun. You must find missiles, extra energy units, new suits, and all the other items, in order to be able to use them. The more items you find, the better off you'll be, and the better ending that you'll see at the end of the game.
There are also items other than weapons or powerups that need to be found in each world, such as save points (for saving your game), map data, and more.
Everything about Super Metroid couldn't have been any better. The graphics are haunting, well detailed, and couldn't have been any better for this type of game. The backgrounds have great effects such as lightning or morphing effects, and the characters in the game look very sci-fi and detailed. Just like the graphics do, the sound effects and music add to the science fiction and horror theme of Super Metroid. I'm one of the few lucky people in the world who is fortunate enough to own the Super Metroid soundtrack (it was only made in Japan and it's VERY hard to find), and let me tell you, it has the best music I have ever heard in a video game. All the tracks have that horror sound to them and they're all overly catchy.
As for sound effects, all of the sounds from the explosions, to the screeching and terrorizing voices of the enemies, are unbelievable. Super Metroid's control is slick, without being too touchy or sluggish; it's perfect in other words. Finally, Super Metroid has the best replay value of any adventure game I've ever played. I've went all the way through the game at least 50 times, and I'm still not tired of it! And I KNOW that I will NEVER get tired of playing Super Metroid. It's fun to see how many of the items you can find and how fast you can get through the game.
If there is anything bad about Super Metroid, it's the fact that it is only a one-player game. BUT, it is still one of the best games ever made. Super Metroid is as close to perfect as any game that has ever been made, in my opinion.
If you own a Super Nintendo, Super Metroid is a MUST-HAVE! It's not only one of the best games for the Super Nintendo, it's one of the best video games of all time, for any system. Electronic Gaming Monthly recently published a list of the 100 best video games of all time, and they chose Super Metroid as the best game of all time. That's right, they chose it as #1. When you play it, you will see why! Get it today while you can!
Thursday, October 05, 2000
Wednesday, October 04, 2000
Diablo II | 8.0
he original "Diablo" came along at a time when the CRPG market was in dire straits. The game breathed fresh life into the genre and created an unparalleled accessibility that made it very easy to pick up play. Using the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" formula, the sequel follows along the lines of the original, and expands it into a bigger and better game.
For starters, there are 5 available classes to play with. The fierce Amazon, who excels in javelin and ranged weapons, the melee-specialist Barbarian, the Sorceress, who excels in flinging destructive spells, the undead-raising Necromancer and the holy Paladin. All of the 5 classes have drastically different playing styles, and there is no skill sharing here. Every class is meticulously detailed in every aspect of their skills available, to provide a unique gameplay experience.
The story follows on from the prequel, and is intriguing, if rather sparse at times. The hero who killed Diablo in the first game, which you played as, is now possessed by the evil demon thanks to the soul shard embedded within him. Ironically the hero wanted to imprison Diablo within the shard, and then use his own body as a prison for the shard, but now the Lord Of Terror has overpowered the hero's will and taken control of his once noble body, and sets forth to release his brothers and open the gates of hell for the final time. Your job is to hunt down Diablo and playing as one of the 5 classes, you journey across 4 Acts, all of which are extremely detailed and well thought out in terms of difficulty balance. Act One alone is as big as the entire original game! The distances you can cover are truly humongous. There is a sense of restriction however, because there are pesky barriers set up to quarantine you within the zones. So there is no sightseeing here, you are given a path, and you've got to follow it in order to get the job done. The quests given are interesting and very fun, but the real shame is that there is so few of them. A couple more per Act wouldn't have hurt.
But the essence of "Diablo II" is very much in its practical side. Tinkering with your characters' stats and hunting for items dropped by the monsters is the main attraction. There are literally thousands of items in the game, from magical rings, to rare axes, to the golden unique items, all of which are there for you to play dress up with. Set items are the rarest of them all, and if the set is completed by finding all the pieces (e.g. Death's Hand Sash, Death's Hand Boots...) then you get a very nice bonus. The amount of different monsters you can slay is truly astounding. All kinds of evil critters and denizens of hell make an appearance here, from vicious giant vultures, to lurking sea snakes, and of course - zombies! And lots of zombies too, since this is very much a hack and slash game, you will be clicking and clicking as you trudge through the millions of minions the game throws at you. It does get tedious sometimes, which is the only real letdown of the game's design. There isn't really enough depth to the story to make up for the sheer amount of clicking you have to do. The variance in areas does help, as does the motivation to get better loot, but other than that, "Diablo II" is just a giant slashfest. The Bosses you face at the end of each Act do have to get special mention however. They are extremely challenging and very neat to go up against.
The graphics are attractive, and they were considered very good for its time. Of course, now the 2D backdrops and limited animations are considered dated. The graphics do not detract from the ambience however, all of the monsters have plenty of color, and weather kicks in every now and then. Your character isn't very complex in the animation department I must admit. After all, how many different ways can a Barbarian swing a sword? The different skills do look cool however, like the Sorceress' blaze, where she leaves a trail of fire in her wake.
The music is rather bland, if suitable for the atmosphere. There are dark overtones here with an emphasis on the instrumental side of music. The desert flutes and jungle drums are nice, but the dungeons could have used a little more flair. The monster sounds are amusing, and the voice acting is top notch, as can be expected from Blizzard. The cinematic FMV's (full motion videos) that play between the conclusion of each Act are nothing short of stunning, and truly blew me away. Blizzard set their bar with "Starcraft" and then jumped it themselves with the new standard of cutscenes in "Diablo II".
The multiplayer offering is solid, with Blizzard's Battle.net service providing a stable online gaming experience. Competitive ladders, duels, and just causal playing are all catered for with the ever popular Battle.net. You won't have to look far for a game to join, the lobbies are teeming with life even now. Online characters are created for Battle.net only and stored separately from your singleplayer characters, to prevent any funny business.
The replay value of this game is astonishing. Considering the 20+ hours it takes to complete it the first time, not to mention the Nightmare and Hell modes, which are unlocked after completing Normal mode, there is a lot of playing to do here. Nightmare and Hell modes offer new items, and harder monsters. It is essentially playing through the game a second time, with much tougher monsters, and much better loot. The concept is brilliant, and of course you will be itching to try the other classes as well to see how they fare. Let me warn you though, this game is very addictive, even in singleplayer. Online, that's a whole other level of cyber-crack. The intense competition for items and the jockeying for positions on the ladders are what kept the game alive for this long.
If you are looking for an action RPG that has longevity, without a deep story line and dialogue to bog you down, then this is your game. Those out there who are all about stats and equipment, and competitive gaming need look no further than "Diablo II". Blizzard is known for their excellent pedigree, and they don't disappoint. "Diablo II" improves upon the original in every aspect, and provides the most bang for your buck out of any classic RPG out there. Do yourself a favor and pick this up from a bargain bin. Putting it down again, now that's another story.
Graphics 3.0 out of 10
Sound 9 out of 10
Gameplay 8.0 out of 10
replay value 9.5 out of 10
Average 8.0 out of 20
For starters, there are 5 available classes to play with. The fierce Amazon, who excels in javelin and ranged weapons, the melee-specialist Barbarian, the Sorceress, who excels in flinging destructive spells, the undead-raising Necromancer and the holy Paladin. All of the 5 classes have drastically different playing styles, and there is no skill sharing here. Every class is meticulously detailed in every aspect of their skills available, to provide a unique gameplay experience.
The story follows on from the prequel, and is intriguing, if rather sparse at times. The hero who killed Diablo in the first game, which you played as, is now possessed by the evil demon thanks to the soul shard embedded within him. Ironically the hero wanted to imprison Diablo within the shard, and then use his own body as a prison for the shard, but now the Lord Of Terror has overpowered the hero's will and taken control of his once noble body, and sets forth to release his brothers and open the gates of hell for the final time. Your job is to hunt down Diablo and playing as one of the 5 classes, you journey across 4 Acts, all of which are extremely detailed and well thought out in terms of difficulty balance. Act One alone is as big as the entire original game! The distances you can cover are truly humongous. There is a sense of restriction however, because there are pesky barriers set up to quarantine you within the zones. So there is no sightseeing here, you are given a path, and you've got to follow it in order to get the job done. The quests given are interesting and very fun, but the real shame is that there is so few of them. A couple more per Act wouldn't have hurt.
But the essence of "Diablo II" is very much in its practical side. Tinkering with your characters' stats and hunting for items dropped by the monsters is the main attraction. There are literally thousands of items in the game, from magical rings, to rare axes, to the golden unique items, all of which are there for you to play dress up with. Set items are the rarest of them all, and if the set is completed by finding all the pieces (e.g. Death's Hand Sash, Death's Hand Boots...) then you get a very nice bonus. The amount of different monsters you can slay is truly astounding. All kinds of evil critters and denizens of hell make an appearance here, from vicious giant vultures, to lurking sea snakes, and of course - zombies! And lots of zombies too, since this is very much a hack and slash game, you will be clicking and clicking as you trudge through the millions of minions the game throws at you. It does get tedious sometimes, which is the only real letdown of the game's design. There isn't really enough depth to the story to make up for the sheer amount of clicking you have to do. The variance in areas does help, as does the motivation to get better loot, but other than that, "Diablo II" is just a giant slashfest. The Bosses you face at the end of each Act do have to get special mention however. They are extremely challenging and very neat to go up against.
The graphics are attractive, and they were considered very good for its time. Of course, now the 2D backdrops and limited animations are considered dated. The graphics do not detract from the ambience however, all of the monsters have plenty of color, and weather kicks in every now and then. Your character isn't very complex in the animation department I must admit. After all, how many different ways can a Barbarian swing a sword? The different skills do look cool however, like the Sorceress' blaze, where she leaves a trail of fire in her wake.
The music is rather bland, if suitable for the atmosphere. There are dark overtones here with an emphasis on the instrumental side of music. The desert flutes and jungle drums are nice, but the dungeons could have used a little more flair. The monster sounds are amusing, and the voice acting is top notch, as can be expected from Blizzard. The cinematic FMV's (full motion videos) that play between the conclusion of each Act are nothing short of stunning, and truly blew me away. Blizzard set their bar with "Starcraft" and then jumped it themselves with the new standard of cutscenes in "Diablo II".
The multiplayer offering is solid, with Blizzard's Battle.net service providing a stable online gaming experience. Competitive ladders, duels, and just causal playing are all catered for with the ever popular Battle.net. You won't have to look far for a game to join, the lobbies are teeming with life even now. Online characters are created for Battle.net only and stored separately from your singleplayer characters, to prevent any funny business.
The replay value of this game is astonishing. Considering the 20+ hours it takes to complete it the first time, not to mention the Nightmare and Hell modes, which are unlocked after completing Normal mode, there is a lot of playing to do here. Nightmare and Hell modes offer new items, and harder monsters. It is essentially playing through the game a second time, with much tougher monsters, and much better loot. The concept is brilliant, and of course you will be itching to try the other classes as well to see how they fare. Let me warn you though, this game is very addictive, even in singleplayer. Online, that's a whole other level of cyber-crack. The intense competition for items and the jockeying for positions on the ladders are what kept the game alive for this long.
If you are looking for an action RPG that has longevity, without a deep story line and dialogue to bog you down, then this is your game. Those out there who are all about stats and equipment, and competitive gaming need look no further than "Diablo II". Blizzard is known for their excellent pedigree, and they don't disappoint. "Diablo II" improves upon the original in every aspect, and provides the most bang for your buck out of any classic RPG out there. Do yourself a favor and pick this up from a bargain bin. Putting it down again, now that's another story.
Graphics 3.0 out of 10
Sound 9 out of 10
Gameplay 8.0 out of 10
replay value 9.5 out of 10
Average 8.0 out of 20
Monday, October 02, 2000
Suikoden III review | 9.5
Pros: Good story, memorable characters, decent music, good battle system, multiple protagonists, very satisfying
Cons: Graphics aren't spectacular, slow start, random battle systems are outmoded, connector-maps are tedious
Other thoughts: Sure, the graphics aren't great, random battles are irritating, and having to go through the same pointless maps over and over again to travel the map sucks. But this game will thoroughly please any Suikoden fan. The protagonists are really very likable characters, and even the antagonists can be sympathized with - there is more to (most of) them than "LOOK AT ME I'M EVIL!" You will again be recruiting hoards of characters for your own castle and army, and may need to use a walkthrough to get them all (there is a very satisfying special ending if you do.) The game starts slowly but stick with it - it quickly picks up and becomes one of the most memorable PS2 experiences. Graphics certainly are nothing to write home about. They are not well equipped to display action of characters in detail nor are they able to show character's face expression to something you can interpret or at the very least make the expression believable. A character running also doesn't feel like running. mounted attacks are awesome. Especially combo of Fubar and Hugo can deal unbelievable amount of damage. Trinity system was a very interesting and fresh concept. The story is good. Side quests are very interesting. It is possibly longer than Final Fantasy X.
Cons: Graphics aren't spectacular, slow start, random battle systems are outmoded, connector-maps are tedious
Other thoughts: Sure, the graphics aren't great, random battles are irritating, and having to go through the same pointless maps over and over again to travel the map sucks. But this game will thoroughly please any Suikoden fan. The protagonists are really very likable characters, and even the antagonists can be sympathized with - there is more to (most of) them than "LOOK AT ME I'M EVIL!" You will again be recruiting hoards of characters for your own castle and army, and may need to use a walkthrough to get them all (there is a very satisfying special ending if you do.) The game starts slowly but stick with it - it quickly picks up and becomes one of the most memorable PS2 experiences. Graphics certainly are nothing to write home about. They are not well equipped to display action of characters in detail nor are they able to show character's face expression to something you can interpret or at the very least make the expression believable. A character running also doesn't feel like running. mounted attacks are awesome. Especially combo of Fubar and Hugo can deal unbelievable amount of damage. Trinity system was a very interesting and fresh concept. The story is good. Side quests are very interesting. It is possibly longer than Final Fantasy X.
Monkey Island: Special Edition PC | 8.0
In a sense, I don't really feel like Monkey Island needs much promotion from me, because adventure gaming was such a huge part of computer game history, and Monkey Island was perhaps the finest example of adventure gaming. When I heard the game was being redesigned with modern graphics, sound and voice work, I was thrilled. Monkey Island was a darn near perfect game, and for that reason alone, I knew the redesign deserved those first three stars. In Monkey Island, you play Guybrush Threepwood; a scrawney little guy who wants to be a fearsome pirate; winning swordfights, hunting treasure and stealing from the rich.
Well, as it turns out, being a pirate is a rather tough business, with some strict job requirements, and after his job interview with the head pirates, Guybrush sets out to prove his worth. Armed with a mastery of insults and the ability to hold his breath for ten minutes, Guybrush Threepwood must learn swordplay, thievery and treasure-huntery even before the end of the game's first chapter (of four,) and then things really pick up.
The evil ghost pirate Lechuck is roaming the islands with his dread pirate crew, scaring all the other pirates into landlubber-hood, and Guybrush will need to travel to Monkey Island if he wants to do something about it. There's also the beautiful Governor Marley to worry about. She seems like more than a mere damsel in distress, of course, but what's her real role in Guybrush's adventure, and what are Lechuck's plans for her?
This stuff is even funnier than it sounds.
Of course, all of that only has to do with the game's storyline. The gameplay may turn some gamers off, since the game uses a point-and-click interface, with much less jumping, slashing, shooting and killing than modern gamers are used to. The majority of the gameplay consists of wandering around, looking at things, pushing them, pulling them, talking to them, picking them up and using them to solve logic puzzles. This is the backbone of the Monkey Island gameplay, and while it may not appeal to the mainstream crowd, there are a great many people who enjoy being able to complete challenges on sheer brainpower alone, and not having to worry about being ambushed by enemies every five seconds. For those who like games that provoke them to thought, rather than violence, Monkey Island is the cream of the crop.
The original Secret of Monkey Island was made using midi music and early VGA graphics. It didn't even have any voice acting. Because of this, it makes perfect sense for the game to be re-made with updated graphics and sound, and this is more or less what was done. I found some design choices baffling, but at least if you prefer the original version to the updated one, you can switch back with a single keystroke.
The graphics and sound of the updated version are of an unquestionably superior quality. The music is very well-done, and the voice acting is pretty nice. The man who plays Guybrush does a good job as always, and some very professional voice actors played other roles, such as Rob Paulson as the ghost Bob, one of the Fetuccini brothers, and a couple of others. That kind of voice talent is almost guaranteed to not sound like they're reading from a script. In fact, the only issue I had with any of the revised sound was that Governor Marley's original actress (from Monkey Island 3) didn't reprise her role, and the woman who does play her doesn't sound British enough, in my opinion.
In graphics, however, this game makes some design decisions that I couldn't really agree with. For one thing, the decision was apparently made to shift the art style of the original from relatively-realistic to the cartoon look of later games; something I never really felt was right for Monkey Island. Monkey Island 3 was fantastic, of course, but I feel it succeeded in spite of the cartoon graphics, rather than benefitting from them.
To their credit, most of the characters still generally carry the same mood and feel that they did in the original; especially in their close-up portraits, the only exceptions, oddly-enough, being Guybrush and the Governor, who look like relatively-bland cartoon characters, rather than innocently-boyish and enchantingly beautiful in a cunning sort of way, respectively, so the damage done by the art shift is minimized most effectively. I just don't feel the shift needed to happen at all.
The third change was to the interface. The interface, originally, was for a sentence-line interface with selectable verbs (push, pull, pick up, etc...) to be at the bottom of the screen, along with a scrollable inventory, while the action goes on at the top. This has been changed to a pair of subscreens for verbs and inventory, which isn't all that hard to navigate, if you're willing to use the keyboard. I admit, this element of the game felt somewhat forced, and a littly clumsy. In practice, it certainly didn't play out as smoothly as the original interface, and I found myself wondering why this change was made, so I looked it up.
Apparently, the interface change was made, because the game designers were unhappy with "the interface taking up half the screen." Fair enough. This gives them the opportunity to use the other half of the screen to show the gamers more scenery in the Monkey Island world, right?
Not exactly. Instead of adding anything where the old interface used to be, the remake has re-done the graphics of Monkey Island, then just centered it, so that it feels like you're watching the game in widescreen format, and there's no fullscreen format to switch to. That might fly for movies that were originally released that way, but in a video game, it really feels like there aught to be something going on in those large, black bars. Personally, I would have put a sentence line interface on the top, and the inventory on the bottom, but I wasn't in charge of the project.
For example, an options screen under the main menu, full of check-boxes, reading things like "Voices on/off," "Music old/new," "Graphics old/new," and "Interface old/new." I only bring this up because I was sort of hoping for it, and because if this feature had been included, I'd always play the game with the first two options on, and the last two off.
In short, as a game, Monkey Island is stellar. As a remake, it's merely good. For this reason, I give it 80%. I was a little disappointed, but not much. In general, I had a good time playing it, and I'll most likely play it again. Many of the lines carry a special wit and humor to them when spoken aloud, so I feel that this remake did add something to the series that wasn't there before, and if it didn't completely fulfill its potential, then at least it gave today's generation the chance to experience one of the greatest video game classics of all time. I think that's a very good thing, so overall, well done.
Well, as it turns out, being a pirate is a rather tough business, with some strict job requirements, and after his job interview with the head pirates, Guybrush sets out to prove his worth. Armed with a mastery of insults and the ability to hold his breath for ten minutes, Guybrush Threepwood must learn swordplay, thievery and treasure-huntery even before the end of the game's first chapter (of four,) and then things really pick up.
The evil ghost pirate Lechuck is roaming the islands with his dread pirate crew, scaring all the other pirates into landlubber-hood, and Guybrush will need to travel to Monkey Island if he wants to do something about it. There's also the beautiful Governor Marley to worry about. She seems like more than a mere damsel in distress, of course, but what's her real role in Guybrush's adventure, and what are Lechuck's plans for her?
This stuff is even funnier than it sounds.
Of course, all of that only has to do with the game's storyline. The gameplay may turn some gamers off, since the game uses a point-and-click interface, with much less jumping, slashing, shooting and killing than modern gamers are used to. The majority of the gameplay consists of wandering around, looking at things, pushing them, pulling them, talking to them, picking them up and using them to solve logic puzzles. This is the backbone of the Monkey Island gameplay, and while it may not appeal to the mainstream crowd, there are a great many people who enjoy being able to complete challenges on sheer brainpower alone, and not having to worry about being ambushed by enemies every five seconds. For those who like games that provoke them to thought, rather than violence, Monkey Island is the cream of the crop.
The original Secret of Monkey Island was made using midi music and early VGA graphics. It didn't even have any voice acting. Because of this, it makes perfect sense for the game to be re-made with updated graphics and sound, and this is more or less what was done. I found some design choices baffling, but at least if you prefer the original version to the updated one, you can switch back with a single keystroke.
The graphics and sound of the updated version are of an unquestionably superior quality. The music is very well-done, and the voice acting is pretty nice. The man who plays Guybrush does a good job as always, and some very professional voice actors played other roles, such as Rob Paulson as the ghost Bob, one of the Fetuccini brothers, and a couple of others. That kind of voice talent is almost guaranteed to not sound like they're reading from a script. In fact, the only issue I had with any of the revised sound was that Governor Marley's original actress (from Monkey Island 3) didn't reprise her role, and the woman who does play her doesn't sound British enough, in my opinion.
In graphics, however, this game makes some design decisions that I couldn't really agree with. For one thing, the decision was apparently made to shift the art style of the original from relatively-realistic to the cartoon look of later games; something I never really felt was right for Monkey Island. Monkey Island 3 was fantastic, of course, but I feel it succeeded in spite of the cartoon graphics, rather than benefitting from them.
To their credit, most of the characters still generally carry the same mood and feel that they did in the original; especially in their close-up portraits, the only exceptions, oddly-enough, being Guybrush and the Governor, who look like relatively-bland cartoon characters, rather than innocently-boyish and enchantingly beautiful in a cunning sort of way, respectively, so the damage done by the art shift is minimized most effectively. I just don't feel the shift needed to happen at all.
The third change was to the interface. The interface, originally, was for a sentence-line interface with selectable verbs (push, pull, pick up, etc...) to be at the bottom of the screen, along with a scrollable inventory, while the action goes on at the top. This has been changed to a pair of subscreens for verbs and inventory, which isn't all that hard to navigate, if you're willing to use the keyboard. I admit, this element of the game felt somewhat forced, and a littly clumsy. In practice, it certainly didn't play out as smoothly as the original interface, and I found myself wondering why this change was made, so I looked it up.
Apparently, the interface change was made, because the game designers were unhappy with "the interface taking up half the screen." Fair enough. This gives them the opportunity to use the other half of the screen to show the gamers more scenery in the Monkey Island world, right?
Not exactly. Instead of adding anything where the old interface used to be, the remake has re-done the graphics of Monkey Island, then just centered it, so that it feels like you're watching the game in widescreen format, and there's no fullscreen format to switch to. That might fly for movies that were originally released that way, but in a video game, it really feels like there aught to be something going on in those large, black bars. Personally, I would have put a sentence line interface on the top, and the inventory on the bottom, but I wasn't in charge of the project.
For example, an options screen under the main menu, full of check-boxes, reading things like "Voices on/off," "Music old/new," "Graphics old/new," and "Interface old/new." I only bring this up because I was sort of hoping for it, and because if this feature had been included, I'd always play the game with the first two options on, and the last two off.
In short, as a game, Monkey Island is stellar. As a remake, it's merely good. For this reason, I give it 80%. I was a little disappointed, but not much. In general, I had a good time playing it, and I'll most likely play it again. Many of the lines carry a special wit and humor to them when spoken aloud, so I feel that this remake did add something to the series that wasn't there before, and if it didn't completely fulfill its potential, then at least it gave today's generation the chance to experience one of the greatest video game classics of all time. I think that's a very good thing, so overall, well done.
Sunday, October 01, 2000
Monkey Island 2 SE | 8.0
Played the DOS version in 2003 after searching for Adventure genre reviews on this site. Upgrades are indeed worth it.
I remember playing this in 2003 at the age of 18 in ScrummVM. I didn't even know about it until I completed Funcom's The Longest Journey and went off searching for Adventure genre reviews. I was solely a console gamer all decade. I became a PC gamer in like 2000 after owning Diablo 2.
The Secret of Monkey Island was a slightly short, but magical & artistically masterful game. Meaning it was not great as a game, but it was an amazing experience.
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge is almost exactly the opposite. It is a full scale production that probably still ran over budget even after the success of the first game. It's bigger, better, and I think I already said bigger. But it somehow lacks a certain magic the original game had. Fortunately, it makes up for it in all "game-y" areas.
Monkey Island 2 is a vaguely "open ended" Point & Click Adventure with more puzzles, almost all of which are better. The music may not be as memorable, but it's somehow more fitting, and its pseudo-dynamic nature really bends to the emotion of each individual scene. There's also not many silent places in this game, which makes the whole experience more lively. Speaking of which, this game is funnier. A lot funnier. There's more jokes than you try to shake a stick at; several times.
I didn't plan this very well, but I'll wrap up and make my final statement on the game. Monkey Island 2 is a bit less of an experience than The Secret of Monkey Island was. It is, however, a much better game than the original in every other aspect. I'll leave it up to you to decide which you prefer.
If you have ever played Monkey Island 2 on your Amiga or PC two decades ago, your friends will enjoy it with you in your buddy time despite the 2 decades stench. I rate this above the Final Fantasy remakes.
Graphics 8
Gameplay 7
Sound 10
Replay 8
Overall 8.0
I remember playing this in 2003 at the age of 18 in ScrummVM. I didn't even know about it until I completed Funcom's The Longest Journey and went off searching for Adventure genre reviews. I was solely a console gamer all decade. I became a PC gamer in like 2000 after owning Diablo 2.
The Secret of Monkey Island was a slightly short, but magical & artistically masterful game. Meaning it was not great as a game, but it was an amazing experience.
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge is almost exactly the opposite. It is a full scale production that probably still ran over budget even after the success of the first game. It's bigger, better, and I think I already said bigger. But it somehow lacks a certain magic the original game had. Fortunately, it makes up for it in all "game-y" areas.
Monkey Island 2 is a vaguely "open ended" Point & Click Adventure with more puzzles, almost all of which are better. The music may not be as memorable, but it's somehow more fitting, and its pseudo-dynamic nature really bends to the emotion of each individual scene. There's also not many silent places in this game, which makes the whole experience more lively. Speaking of which, this game is funnier. A lot funnier. There's more jokes than you try to shake a stick at; several times.
I didn't plan this very well, but I'll wrap up and make my final statement on the game. Monkey Island 2 is a bit less of an experience than The Secret of Monkey Island was. It is, however, a much better game than the original in every other aspect. I'll leave it up to you to decide which you prefer.
If you have ever played Monkey Island 2 on your Amiga or PC two decades ago, your friends will enjoy it with you in your buddy time despite the 2 decades stench. I rate this above the Final Fantasy remakes.
Graphics 8
Gameplay 7
Sound 10
Replay 8
Overall 8.0
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