Tag Platformer

Nogalious is very much a retro styled game.

Impressions: Nogalious

Sean Alexander

Nogalious is a challenging and short platform puzzler from LUEGOLU3GO STUDIOS. What did we think of the opening title of this trilogy?

 

Free Product provided generously by LUEGOLU3GO STUDIOS!

 

Nogalious is a game that captures the essence of challenging retro titles, injecting some light puzzle elements. This classic design can lead to a sometimes frustrating but equally rewarding experience.

Nogalious is very much a retro styled game.

Nogalious proves to be a fun and challenging title.

 

How Does It Look?

Nogalious aims to replicate the earlier days of gaming.

Nogalious captures the classic PC era of gaming perfectly.

Nogalious is a very simple game. Objects are defined and the character stands out. Enemies can at times blend in, red bats and red clouds for instance, but the aesthetic suits the game well.

Items are often obvious, though at times can be obscured by the low-level of detail making it hard to see what you need to do.

As the game is a puzzle platformer of sorts, you need to examine each screen carefully to identify your objective, usually a key, to be able to pass to the next screen. This can involve pushing or pulling graves to align them, or killing all the enemies.

Of course the soundtrack is suitably retro, and captures the gothic feel of each stage well.

 

How Does It Play?

Nogalious isn't always a pleasant walk.

Nogalious can sometimes be a bit challenging…

Gameplay is as noted above, find the objective to grab a key to move to the next screen. Progress through each screen in a stage and finish the stage.

Along the way will be special stones and weapons for Nogalious to use. These range from a sword, a boomerang, and even timed mines. Each of these works differently and can be cycled through, so finding the right one is key for each situation.

Sometimes the way forward isn’t particularly clear, and this can come down to either the visuals, or the translation. The translation for Nogalious is odd in that while it gets the basics across, the language barrier proves difficult when explaining finer mechanics. With experimentation though it doesn’t take long to grasp.

Nogalious himself is very easy to control, being able to attack, jump and pull or push objects. Oddly jump is assigned to pressing Up, but this is simply a matter of adjusting. You have fluid mid-air control, but be warned as some platforms are less solid than they appear.

 

Let’s Talk Problems

Sometimes the solution is hard to see.

What do you see on this screen? Do you see a way to lower the water?

Trying to find the solution to a screen requires precise assessment of the pixel art. On the screen above you have a branch on a tree that will lower the water level and let you find the key to progress. Of course, this isn’t immediately obvious.

Another problem with the above screen is the crows. Given Nogalious perishes in a single hit, and they can eat away at the respawning vines you need to climb and jump between, and contact damage is also fatal, care is required.

There is a degree of randomness to this all. How much of the vine they chop away depends on where they land. Further, jumping between vines requires you to first jump and then move, making it feel more awkward than need be.

The final issue is, unfortunately, overall difficulty. The challenge in each room can vary greatly, and your limited lives and fragility lead to using your limited continues at which point, well back to the start.

This is a game about mastery, so a lot of trial and error will get you to the end.

Expect to die. A lot.

I saw this a lot…

Overall?

Nogalious is a fun game held back by its reference material. It’s still a great time, but the less patient gamers may find it a bit much. It’s fairly short, but the amount of (Mandatory) replaying will leave you chasing that high score if you are persistent.

I recommend this quite easily to fans of classic challenging titles.

If you want to see the game in action, we have a short stream below:

Thanks for reading everyone, and don’t forget to share what you think of on social media or try it out for yourself on Steam. While you are here, check out our other Impressions pieces! Until next time, Happy Gaming!

Sometimes simple is better than messy.

Impressions: Tiny Hands Adventure

Sean Alexander

Tiny Hands Adventure is a charming little romp of a platformer from Blue Sunset Games. What did we think of Borti’s debut adventure for bigger hands?

 

Free Product provided generously by Blue Sunset Games!

Sometimes simple is better than messy.

Tiny Hands Adventure is a nice and charming 3D platformer

Tiny Hands Adventure is a game that manages to evoke its reference material and present some new ideas to forge a unique identity. What you ultimately get is a solid experience full of charm and unique ideas, but nothing truly stellar. Good, but not super amazing.

 

How Does It Look?

Tiny Hands Adventure has a lot of variety!

Tiny Hands Adventure is actually a quite attractive game with a lot of variety.

Tiny Hands Adventure is a very charming game. Not confined the dinosaur appropriate locales, the games has you climb lighthouses, traverse swamps, top-down view mazes, inter-dimensional stairways and even a comic book. While it may seem to be a visual mismatch, the game maintains its identity even though different settings.

On PC the game runs perfectly fine. No issues with resolution of frame rate, that I can see. On Nintendo Switch, I cannot say, but it stands to a reason a fairly simple game should have no issues.

Sometimes the worlds may look a little empty or flat, and the text certainly isn’t as refined or well implemented as it could be, but it’s functional. Everything is appropriate and accounted for.

I also have to say, the soundtrack is really good. Not a dull track in there, a good range of styles and lively beats.

 

How Does It Play?

Even with a controller on PC the game was very responsive.

Tiny Hands Adventure is a very nice feeling game in the hand.

Gameplay in Tiny Hands Adventure is simple. Progress through each stage in a tier, in what order you desire, grab the main collectible and finish the stage. When all 4 collectibles are assembled you can take on the boss.

Boss battles are perhaps the weakest aspect of the game as a whole, lacking feedback to being hit and at times either being too long for a fight that has no checkpoints, or being simply a waiting and dodging exercise. They aren’t bad, but some fine tuning would have been nice.

Beating a boss awards you a “Hand”, an extension of Borti’s standard tail whip. These include a drill, plastic grab hand that doubles as a wider spin, and grappling arms. Each of these are used in various stages, some even requiring repeat visits later in the game. Beyond this though, they feel under-utilised, but give Borti more to do as the game progresses.

Strikingly, the game encourages repeat visits to stages by offering 5 collectible crystals. Some require certain Hands, so making note of the different environmental situations is key. Collecting all five unlocks the harder version of a stage, with a single white crystal to collect, for 100% completion and rewards.

This is a simple but effective way of improving replay value, and while the game isn’t too difficult, the harder stages are definitely where the greatest challenge lies.

Borti himself however, is a joy to control. His weight feels right and his movement, even when using a controller on PC, feels smooth. There were very few times I felt like a death was the fault of the game, and rather my own judgement. He has a wide range of moves including a spin and slide, so he comes well equipped, though these feel under utilised until later, as the level design is often rather basic and doesn’t require much use of these advanced moves.

 

Let’s Talk Problems

Sometimes you can make Borti a super T-Rex

This game does have some rather entertaining bugs

This release is by no means flawless. As a smaller title errors do slip through. Sometimes you may find something isn’t quite solid, or a hitbox is a little misaligned on some spikes. Regardless, the game still manages to be fun.

The aforementioned issues with boss battles stands out as a real low point, as does the lack of enemy interaction, instead acting as stationary obstacles.

The game could perhaps come off as boring to some with its relative ease and simplicity, but to others this may be a positive. That is for the individual to decide.

Finally, and this is a purely personal problem, the explosive boxes in the game aren’t distinguishable enough from their standard counterparts, with the explosive graphic only appearing on some sides and the colour (Because I’m colour blind) being near identical.

 

Overall?

Tiny Hands Adventure is a game that occupies the same space as Sonic 1 and Crash Bandicoot in my mind: A solid foundation. With that said, I can recommend the game to platforming fans, and the concept of a T-Rex looking to expand his reach is ripe for picking.

I can only hope like the aforementioned examples, a potential sequel to this game would take the concept and run with it, with crazier worlds and more varied and useful Hand upgrades to Borti. The concept has a lot of promise.

If you want to see the game in action, we have a forty minute stream below:

Thanks for reading everyone, and don’t forget to share what you think of on social media or try it out for yourself, on Steam or Nintendo Switch. Until next time, Happy Gaming!

Crash on Switch is the de facto portable experience.

Impressions: Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy on Switch

Sean Alexander

Crash Bandicoot on Nintendo Switch is a perfectly serviceable, graphically sound port. However, it has an air of laziness around it.

 

Crash Bandicoot on Nintendo Switch is perfectly fine. These remakes of the original trilogy comes over, gameplay intact from PS4.

Naturally the resolution is lower at 720p when docked, and lower in handheld mode. With this comes graphical downgrades. Some expected, like shadows and the fur textures being limited or removed. Some however, like reflective surfaces, are omitted entirely.

These missing aspects certainly stand out, even compared to the PS1 originals. It’s no deal breaker, but in certain stages like the future themed areas from Warped, lot of charm is lost. This was clearly in the name of smooth performance, as the game maintains a fairly constant 30fps.

Reflective surfaces are missing...for some reason.

Reflective surfaces are completely missing in the Crash Trilogy.

 

So What’s In The Box?

 

Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy is a collective remake of the original Crash titles. With this comes various improvements, notably to Crash Bandicoot (The Original), such as better game design choices. This includes making Gems easier to get, forgoing the No Deaths requirement outside of Colour Gems.

Not all changes are positive. The use of one unified physics scheme across all 3 games (Based on Crash 3) leads to conflict with level design in Crash 1 and 2. This is simply due to level design in a platformer being built around what the character can do, with Crash 1 and 2 at times simply not being built for Crash 3 controls.

Additionally, some vehicles control with unusual weight and slow turning that limits mobility, adding frustration to Crash 3.

Further, the DLC stages Stormy Ascent and Future Tense are included as standard alongside various Quality Improvements made since the initial PS4 release.

Ultimately, this is the definitive way to experience all 3 games. As the de facto portable experience, this release is excellent.

Crash on Switch is the de facto portable experience.

This is a very feature rich package!

 

It’s Not All Sunshine in Wumpa Island…

 

So let’s address the downsides of this port. First, as noted, it doesn’t look as good. I feel as though some cutbacks aren’t necessary but if it’s in the name of smooth performance, it’s agreeable.

Now we know this port only exists because of a sole engineer proving the game would run, on their own time. 

This lack of interest in even attempting to get the game running by the development staff hints at corporate apathy. There are Switch specific issues that hint at a lack of care on various parties.

Firstly, using any controller other than Joy-Con while docked, before undocking the system, leads to the game being unable to recognise the Joy-Con in Handheld mode. This means using a Pro Controller on your TV before swapping to handheld mode, means you need to reboot the game.

Further, swapping which wireless controller you are using, at least when undocked, leads to the same problem. The game doesn’t respond to swapping controllers or modes unless you use the Joy-Con.

Who holds responsibility for this we will never know. Is it Nintendo for not performing adequate checks during the Lotcheck process? Is it Toys For Bob, the team behind the port? We may never know, but Crash Bandicoot on Switch doesn’t support these basic aspects of the system.

 

So What Do We Think?

 

I am extremely mixed on this release. On one hand, the game is smooth, responsive and absolutely worth a purchase for fans. If you have another console, this becomes a tougher sell, but for a portable Crash experience, this is fantastic.

The catch is some cutbacks feel extreme, and the lack of Switch functionality including screen recording (though this may be tied to CPU usage by the game) and controller swapping leaves a sour taste.

This feels like the most basic of ports. Its solid, it’s a great game, but it doesn’t react to the basic functionality of the system. As noted, it’s like the port was rushed and not intended.

But that doesn’t deter that this is a great way to experience the game. If you can overlook the cutbacks and system specific issues, this is an absolute must for platformer fans.

 

That’s all for this Impressions piece! Crash is back (Again!) and we hope you have fun wumping from islands and through time. Let us know what you think on social media, and Happy Gaming!

Preview: Yooka-Laylee on Nintendo Switch! (Spoiler Free)

Sean Alexander

I got my Backer Code of Yooka-Laylee for Nintendo Switch in today, and I’ve spent some time blasting away at the game, so what are we looking at?

 

First off, I have mostly played in handheld/tabletop mode, so take that for what it’s worth.

Yooka-Laylee is presented as stated by the developers, just below full resolution on both modes. So the image is slightly softer. What is interesting about this and what I noted first, is the game simply feels better being played handheld, as though it fits the screen more than it did when I played on PS4 on my 40″ TV earlier this year.

That seems like an odd compliment but it really does feel at home here. The worlds are very pick up and play via Sleep Mode and with regards to controls, everything is just within reach.

yl2

The game is the same as it has been since launch, only some improvements not available on other systems at launch are standard here. manual camera, audio toggles, fast speech and brief voice snippets, are all welcome additions. This is very much the best version out of the box.

Performance wise, the game is interesting, at 30 FPS, it does occasionally pause, albeit very briefly, seemingly to load something, at least in handheld mode, as well as very brief, very slight, and rare frame rate drops, if only for a second.

When docked, the game runs the same, though the little frame drops don’t seem present, or at least I haven’t encountered them yet within the first world. The image is again, below full resolution of the system, but looks fine, if a little soft.

yl3

So in terms of drawbacks, the main thing is shadows and particles. Shadows are softer and particles seem paired back just slightly, but outside of those honestly minor things, the game seems as is. Maybe water effects are reduced, but those have been so brief in the world so far. It’s entirely possible other effects from elsewhere in the game are reduced further.

yl1

But yes, Yooka-Laylee on Switch certainly is technically below the other verions, but it doesn’t feel like a significant drawback to draw ire. The wait has been worth it, assuming you like this style and structure of game, as obviously that remains unchanged. Yooka-Laylee certainly feels best here.

Review: Super Mario Odyssey

Sean Alexander

Title: Super Mario Odyssey

Platform: Nintendo Switch

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

Copy Provided By: Bought it with my own money!

Super Mario Odyssey is a fantastic game, with few problems, and is simply a joy to play.

And frankly, isn’t that the best recommendation a game can have? The latest 3D Mario adventure returns to a more “sandbox” style with open areas to explore, challenges in each hidden away in separate little areas, with other objectives strewn about for good measure. That is also very clearly selling this adventure short.

To say it has returned to the sandbox 3D roots of Mario is true, but it took the idea and ran with it, introducing so many new ideas at every turn that amazingly don’t clash horribly and form a cohesive experience. Every kingdom you visit is its own quirky world, some big and some small, with its own unique denizens and culture, and of course, challenges.

The main objective: Power Moons to power your Hat Ship, The Odyssey, and rescue Princess Peach and new character Tiara, from Bowser, along with your new companion: Cappy. Cappy is a great addition, capturing enemies as a form of power-ups, giving you situational abilities to collect Moons and explore for other secrets, hidden areas and find Regional Purple Currency.

4

Purple Coins are plentiful, either 50 or 100 to a kingdom and they are…optional. Actually a lot of this game is. Purple Coins can only be spent in their respective kingdom for costumes and souvenirs. Regular coins can be spent anywhere on other costumes, Power Moons (Multiple ones post-game!) and extra hit points.

Power Moons however, are for progression. While a few are locked until you beat the final boss for when you return to the world later (And even then a load more are unlocked at that time too, so that checklist you see isn’t the whole story!), most Moons can be found right away. Go explore. Some areas are locked until you beat the main “Story Quest” for the world, and then things open up. This is great, as it shows you around the kingdom and the environment before fully opening up and letting you run wild, and even then, a lot of Moons are still available right away!

8

This game is constantly rewarding you, for looking, searching, even collecting coins.  From beating just simple objectives there are over 850 Moons to collect, and you only need 500 to unlock every kingdom, less to beat the game. A lot of this game is entirely optional, and for most players even the mission based objectives will be enough. But if it isn’t, you can max out your Moon counter for a final secret reward at 999 Moons, which you need to grind coins to buy multiple of.

3

Frankly that is tedious and the reward is in no way worth it, unless you are absolutely a completionist. But that’s okay. Say for instance there are some Power Moons that are just too tough for you to get, you can always just buy a Power Moon to cover for it. That’s entirely an option. The game is incredibly accessible and while the sheer volume of Moons may dilute the experience into mindless collecting, and difficulty and obscurity of some collectibles almost necessitate guides, the game still rewards you regardless of what you do, and even through tedium, or difficulty, the game is designed to push you onwards.

Amazingly, the game isn’t too difficult. It has moments, mostly after the final boss and a few select mini games, but the game is comfortable. The only part I admit I didn’t like, was the start, where the Sand Kingdom (Seen below) is very early in-game and does feel overwhelming, too sparse and open for so early in the game. Thankfully, missing Purple Coins can be found by scanning any Bowser amiibo, and every amiibo gives you little rewards. Plus, nothing is locked behind amiibo, so those extra costumes you want can just be picked up at a moments notice once unlocked and ready to buy with coins.

5

Looping back like a hat throw back to Cappy: What a joy this little guy is. He is such a great addition to the game for both aerial mobility and jumps, combat, exploration, everything, and such a welcome addition. The only downside is some moves via motion controls don’t work quite as well using regular controls or, for instance, in handheld mode, and a few straight up refuse to work using motion controls, but they are never mandatory. Everything can be done with a press of a button should you wish, save for the occasional shaking of a Joy-Con for a captured enemy.

Speaking of “Cap-turing”, this is such a great mechanic for both exploration and combat, with 52 different creatures and even objects to control and utilise in your quest of simply exploring. None of them feel out-of-place in their respective worlds, and each adds something different: Impressive for such a large roster.

1

And this would be a mistake to not mention Mario himself. What an absolute dream to control with fluid movement, acrobatics, momentum and more. Playing a game in a 3D space has never felt so fun and joyous just from the HD Rumble through the controls from landing from a jump, or the feedback from an attack or getting hit, or riding a motor scooter. The game makes it feel fun to play, either through immersive technology inherent to the console itself, or just the pure feeling of play.

Visually, what a beauty, both docked and undocked! Stunning sprawling vistas, snowstorm flooded caves, dense forgotten jungles, ominous stormy towers, and a whole range of art styles that may seem odd, but mix so well into a fully comprehensive look at Mario’s World, in a way that one kingdom feels out-of-place being just a fly away from Peach’s Castle. So many of these worlds are so far from “Standard Mario” that it defies belief that creativity can run rampant even 30+ years after his introduction.

2

Audio is also a stunning highlight, with a post game option to play whatever tune you want at any time, being a standout feature. Each world is captured perfectly by audio and the jazzy vocal tunes don’t feel out-of-place. Every kingdom has its own distinct style and while some areas (Particularly a large open desert) generally lack music, the ambient noise is still wonderful.

Even every little attention to detail is wonderfully crafted and a labour of love for what could just be a footnote from a promotional material for a past game, represented musically or visually here. It’s such a wondrous thing how all the other Mario games can seemingly connect so effortlessly together, like something on this scale was always planned, showering years of characters and themes into one big package to sugar coat something almost entirely new.

Super Mario Odyssey is pure bliss from start to finish, and while that start may be coarse and a little rough around easing you into the adventure, the rest of the story is just the tip of the iceberg for an unforgettable adventure around the globe. Any gripes I have are simply minor at best, as this is a title you definitely want to pick up for your Nintendo Switch – And we can only hope the next adventure is as grand as this.