It's bonkers in its way, though, with unlockables including bizarre customisation options for players. It's very coin-op and arcade-style in terms of gameplay, is particularly fun in multiplayer and has a 'VHS' filter for that authentic '90s look. Not perfect but a good time, albeit the bizarre absence of Scotland among the playable teams irritated our reviewer, for obvious reasons...
Hunger - Man 0 92 - 2d Arcade Style Game
If Soccer Brawl was a Neo Geo title trying to introduce Soccer to NFL-obsessed gamers in the US, Super Sidekicks is just the classic game without all of those tweaks. It's a glorious throwback to the arcade era, even if the camera is arguably a bit too close for any strategy beyond 'hoof it up the pitch'. The presentation and audio are downright irresistible, though.
Super Paper Mario's visual presentation, while retaining the aesthetics of previous Paper Mario games for the playable characters, returning enemies and items, experiments with novel art styles for the game's diverse dimensions and their inhabitants, going for more geometric, abstract shapes and psychedelic colors, patterns and gradients. The tone of the game, while presented as a grandiose, serious story in comparison to usual Mario fare, is interspersed with frequent comedic dialogue and occasional references to pop culture, an aspect which continues through its successors in the series.
When asked by Nintendo Power if the next Paper Mario would return to the series' RPG roots, Kawade claimed to be uncertain if they would continue on Super Paper Mario's concept, return to the gameplay style of the previous games, or be a completely different type of game, but he concluded that "we want a challenge and to take on new things". Producer Kensuke Tanabe similarly stated that he would "look for a new and different style".[3]
Michael Cole of Nintendo World Report gives the game a 9/10 and praises it for the wide array of different artstyles, emotional moments, and funny writing.[4] He specifically notes the script's references to game and game culture and the variety of topics it jokes about. However, he does deride the game for its level design, specifically the easily circumvented platforming challenges and tedious puzzles.
Times of Lore is an action RPG in the style of adventures that became popular on consoles, e.g. the Zelda games on the Nintendo systems. At the same time, the game borrows from the Ultima series that was also published by Origin Systems. After the introduction of the background story, you can choose between three characters that each have different fighting skills, a knight, an Amazon or a barbar.
H.T.W: "If you believe, that a 'Zelda' on the C64 does not exist, you will be disabused... well, ok, there are significant differences, but the game mechanic is very similar. You can go into houses in which also the inhabitants move, workers can only be found at work a certain times, you can talk to anyone (except for enemies) and learn rumours that help you, you hear the twittering of birds when you are in the woods and the waves at a lake. The graphics are very successful and the title track is probably one of the best (and longest) that Martin Galway has written. The game can be saved and the controls are easy via the icons. This game has only one small deficit: If many enemies are displayed in a fight, this noticably slows down the game speed. But nevertheless a brilliant arcade RPG with interesting quests. Recommendable!"
Retro Goal is by the New Star Soccer folks, and has some similarities, in being a fusion of management and action. However, rather than veering towards management, much more of this game is played out on the pitch. Instead of full games, you play out highlights, using gestural controls (with the aid of Matrix-style slo-mo) to bury the ball in the back of the net.
Visually, it was also leagues beyond the likes of Match Day and International Soccer. Yet for all its gloss and cleverness, what made ISS appeal most was its fun and frantic nature, retaining a very arcade sensibility, in that brief period before sports titles became totally obsessed with a kind of TV-style realism.
The game zoomed the viewpoint out, showing more of the pitch and enabling it to dispense with a Kick Off-style radar; passing and shooting was simplified and streamlined and everything was done on the frame, making the game extremely responsive. Until sequel SWOS arrived, this was the pinnacle of the genre. 2ff7e9595c
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