The platformers that get LITTLE/NO respect

[PaCrappa]

"GV4L mentioned Xbox so PaCrappa thought that it was only on that system. PaCrappa being one of those who knows just enough to know "there are no good games on the Xbox" without the cumbersome disadvantage of actually knowing what games are in fact on the Xbox."

LOL, I didn't read that post before. That is so me! I'm just a grouchy closed minded asshole when it comes to the XBOX. But still, as many times as I've walked by it in malls, seen people playing it at the Game Crazy kiosk and had people bring their systems to my house to espouse the virtues of the giant black box, I have still only ever seen three Sega games that interest me. If JSRF is as bad as I fear, I'm down to two.

And to GV4L, I've got no rpoblem with your opinions or anyone else's. I just don't want to have to subscribe to them. If I say game "A" is "shit", that means I fucking hate it, not you. If you disagree then yes, I think you're wrong and I'm right but there's also the implied agreement to disagree that is commonplace amongst internet discussion and that should get everyone over the hump with feelings intact. Keep your chin up soldier!

Here's a couple of opinions: Super Magnetic Neo is the most fun I've ver had with a 3D platformer and it doesn't suck. Sonic Adventure started off not sucking but didn't take long to suck thoroughly. It was during my play through this game (completed with every character) that I decided that all of these friggin' things were the same and they all sucked in at least one glaring way. Usually the pisspoor camera is the first thing that jumps out in all of 'em.

"With Mario Sunshine we get tropical paradise city, tropical paradise beach, tropical paradise, and tropical paradise amusement park and so on. Where is the variety and personality in the levels."

Well gee.... it is called Mario Sunshine for crimini's sake


Pa

[Diff-chan]

"I had hoped to find a board where people are open to others opinions on games or to have an exchange other than what you'd expect 2 kids to have on a playground over an EGM review. If I haven't yet found that board, or if no one here sees this as that kind of board, let me know."

"It's this and that SonicA2 crack that seem out of place on an honest forum. I think a true gamer would see the attempt at what was tried with Blinx and at least embrace the concept. But I guess it's easier to bash than to appreciate."

These two points are contradictory. You talk about how you want a forum where people are "open to others opinions on games", and then you say how a "true gamer" would "appreciate" Blinx and make a snide comment about the "honesty" of this board. I guess you want your rules to apply to everyone but yourself.

[skelly]

Originally posted by Ammadeau
You're kidding, right? If I was teaching a class I'd used Blinx as the perfect example of how not to make a platformer. I've played up to the ancient Egyptian area and with each new level there's at least one new stupid design decision or horribly thought out puzzle. The fact that half the much touted time controls are useless seems almost secondary.

Only in Bizarro world would Blinx be a good game... hmm, maybe that's why the cat 'language' is just Japanese played backwards... It is a game from Bizarro world!

That was perfect.

*high-fives Ammadeau*

New guy: Read Pacrappa's post right above mine until it sinks in, cuz he's dead on about opinions and whatnot. Thx!

[magnifiedplaid]

Originally posted by PaCrappa


"With Mario Sunshine we get tropical paradise city, tropical paradise beach, tropical paradise, and tropical paradise amusement park and so on. Where is the variety and personality in the levels."

Well gee.... it is called Mario Sunshine for crimini's sake


Pa

True. I guess that is why it IS called Mario SUNSHINE. I get a little carried away sometimes. Sorry about that. 3-D platformers are a real sore subject for me. I just miss a real Mario game I guess...

[AaronChance]

Originally posted by GunValkyrie4Life
"Only in Bizarro world would Blinx be a good game... hmm, maybe that's why the cat 'language' is just Japanese played backwards... It is a game from Bizarro world!"

It's this and that SonicA2 crack that seem out of place on an honest forum. I think a true gamer would see the attempt at what was tried with Blinx and at least embrace the concept. But I guess it's easier to bash than to appreciate.

Have you actually played Blinx? Sure, it was a great concept and could have been a great game, but the result is crap from start to finish. And I didn't just play the demo either. I bought the game and slugged my way through 20+ levels complete with poor graphics, poor controls, ridiculously poor camera, and a pile of tedious gameplay. I kept playing as long as I did because I hoped that it would somehow improve and live up to the promise it showed. But it never did.

Concepts are nice, but you can't play them.

Originally posted by GunValkyrie4Life
Call me "From the Land of Easily Entertained" but the first time I witnessed slow-mo in Blinx, I thought, FINALLY someone has attempted more than finding "3 bananas to put in a ladies basket." More than finding this key, for that key hole... more than trying to win a contest to get a star.

Only slow-mo in Blinx is completely useless. It's just pause, only it sucks. And Blinx does break down into the 'key in the keyhole' nonesense at times with the scripted rewind and record puzzles. You're just finding colored time controls instead of colored keys.

Originally posted by Jeremy
I'll elaborate a bit. Blinx's concept of the time-based stuff was fantastic, IN THEORY. In execution, thanks in part to a clunky method of activation and minute usage of the time-based stuff ended up hurting the concept in execution.

Nah, the usage had to be timed and the game pauses when you're chosing the control so that wasn't the problem. The problem with the time controls themselves, ignoring the rest of the game's faults for a moment, is they were mostly useless outside of scripted events. Sure, you can pause enemies, but they're so easy to beat normally it's sort of pointless. Especially when you're on a timer for these levels and the DAMN TIME CONTROLS HAVE NO EFFECT ON IT WHATSOEVER. Ugh. You're running low on time to finish the level, you just need to make it to the damn exit, so you think pause or slow would come in handy here... WRONG. YOU FAIL THE LEVEL ANYWAY.

Originally posted by BenT
That was perfect.

*high-fives Ammadeau*

The ironic thing is I bought the game (not at full price thankfully) after reading your review thinking 'how bad can it really be?' Obviously, I was an idiot.

[cigsthecat]

Man, I can't help but say I'm a bit disappointed here. I was hoping to learn about some great 2D platformers that I'd never heard of...

For some reason I can enjoy an action or Zelda type game in 3D, but I really have no desire to play a 3D platformer. I never finished Sunshine and lost interest at about 75 shines. I'm not sure if it's because the game just wasn't compelling enough, or if it has something to do with my waning interest for anything other than a good 2D shooter however.

originally posted by cigsthecat
I was hoping to learn about some great 2D platformers that I'd never heard of...

So I don't seem like a hypocrite here's one that I hadn't heard of until a while ago and it's quite a neat little game:

Genji Tsuushin Agedama (PCE Hu)

Picked up on 05pro's recommendation and I wasn't disappointed. Someone list some good platformers for the PCE besides the PC Kids, Son Son II and the Shubibinman games.

[xS]

Originally posted by Melf
You beat me to it! I love Ristar. He's full of personality and the level design was great. The game was long and engaging as hell and the graphics rocked. The music was awesome too (Pray! Pray! Play! owns).

Wani Wani world is an awesome genesis plattformer. You should check it out

[GunValkyrie4Life]

In defense on MxPx original problems with the tropical aspect of Sunshine: I have yet to play the whole game, so maybe this is to come but if you've ever been to an actual island, the sun isn't shining every second with Calypso music playing at all times. The game (so far) could use a dank cave or even some extreme rainstorms which actually do happen. I realize (uh, now) that most people either hate Vexx, or claim to hate it because of a demo or glancing at the cover, but even Vexx had day/night cycles that even the music changed in each cycle. For a game of Mario's prowess, straight 9.5's in EGM, I would have expected this concept to be almost a given (NOTE: I LOVE SMS, just a thought).

On another note, I am generally easier on games that are a first effort, Blinx for instance, the attempt at least to TRY something new. Where as a Mario needs to be GREAT just to be good, because I know they have been around FOREVER and SHOULD put out nothing but the best. To expect a Vexx to be as great as a Mario in terms of mechanics and so forth is just not even reasonable consider how long "SM" (you know him) has been creating and redefining his own creations. It is very similar to TV shows in that they rarely hit their stride until the 3rd or 4th season, they learn from mistakes and grow from them. When I hear reviews, and right out of the gate they claim Vexx is no Mario.............. oh, really? Gee, and they had a few years to catch a 15 year+ juggernaught, you would think they could be as good right away. I respect effort every bit as much as execution.

[negitoro]

Originally posted by GunValkyrie4Life
"Only in Bizarro world would Blinx be a good game... hmm, maybe that's why the cat 'language' is just Japanese played backwards... It is a game from Bizarro world!"

It's this and that SonicA2 crack that seem out of place on an honest forum. I think a true gamer would see the attempt at what was tried with Blinx and at least embrace the concept. But I guess it's easier to bash than to appreciate.

Just my 2 cents... This board is actually one of the better gaming boards I've ever been on. There's less actual straight up flaming, trolling and bashing that a great number of other boards. Everyone who's made negative comments about Blinx thus far has actually given the damn thing a try... and it just happens their viewpoints don't coincide favorably.

It's my opinion up there being bashed and I can despite the fact that it seems like no one can appreciate my viewpoint, it's really because I know I have an unpopular viewpoint

Originally posted by Ammadeau
You're kidding, right? If I was teaching a class I'd used Blinx as the perfect example of how not to make a platformer. I've played up to the ancient Egyptian area and with each new level there's at least one new stupid design decision or horribly thought out puzzle. The fact that half the much touted time controls are useless seems almost secondary.

Only in Bizarro world would Blinx be a good game... hmm, maybe that's why the cat 'language' is just Japanese played backwards... It is a game from Bizarro world!

Well to start this off... Blinx definitely fits the title of the thread. It does get NO/LITTLE respect. You can't get less respected than Blinx.

But in any case, my defense of Blinx is really, not that I'm touting it as an all time classic or a Mario 64 beater or anything. Rather that I don't think it deserves the beating nearly everyone gives it.

Yes, the concept is flawed... but at least it HAS a new gameplay concept and mechanic, as opposed to the seemingly endless series of uninspired 3D platformers that add nothing to the genre. You got to admit, during the first sitting of the game (before all the damned flaws and problems surface) the time thing was pretty damned cool.

I'm not even going to admit there aren't problems with it. But personally, I gained some enjoyment from Blinx. Some people speak like Blinx would liquify your organs at boot up or something

[Clash!]

Vexx has some wicked crazy Platforming areas. I have played the game quite a bit and it has some very classic platforming. Nothing quite like going up a huge tower jumping from little platforms, climing poles, jumping from ice block to ice block, and such and such. It has a lot of areas that are very similar to the obstacle courses in Sunshine (only more vertical and they also usually have a bottomless pit at the bottom). Vexx is indeed a terriable character but I found the game to a very good 3D Platformer.

I am a big fan of more traditional 3D platformers (i.e. Mario 64). Vexx has a very similar set up to Mario 64.

I loved Super Mario Sunshine, I boggles my mind when I read people complaining about the camera and control, I NEVER had a problem with either.

I played through a world of Sly and it seemed pretty neat, but did not really pull me in to a large extent. I will pick it up someday though. I have never played R&C, but I think it looks like trash.

Blinx is a platformer, but its also a form of Puzzler. So it does not really play all that much like a Platformer usually does. You jump around and such, but more strategy and thinking is taking place.

I also loved Maximo, great game. But the new Maximo looks weird, it does not look all that much like the first. And seems to really be drawing away from the Ghosts N' Goblins connection. I am sure it will be fun, but I don't like the sound of them trying to restructure it to make it more user friendly and easier for a wider audiance (aka the people that suck at games).

I also can't wait for Mega Man Battle Network for the Game Cube (can't remember the actual name). From what I read its supposed to be really hard (according to EGM, so take that with a grain of salt, they complain a lot). I really like how its going to play like a Mega Man game with the Chips. But I wish it was a regualar Mega Man game, but I guess he is dead in the eyes of Capcom (man I am sick of X). And Mega Man X7 looks like trash, I really have no idea what they are trying to do with that game. Sounds like they are trying to cover all bases, and I don't see it working. And the new character looks wicked lame, and I never like Zero, stupid pony-tail.

And it really sucks that it sounds like Tork is getting canned, I can't tell you how mad that makes me. Stupid Microsoft.