ManekiNeko
03-22-2004, 10:00 PM
Since everyone seems annoyed by the negativity in this forum, I thought I'd tone down my angry rants for once and recommend a game which I think you might enjoy.
Did you like Bonk's Adventure on the Turbografx-16? If so, you owe it to yourself to track down a copy of Super Tempo for the Sega Saturn. As the title suggests, this is the sequel to one of the 32X's most ambitious platformers, Tempo. This game turned heads with its vibrantly colorful and beautifully animated graphics, but the gameplay was only so-so... the level designs weren't particularly interesting and the control became frustrating quickly.
I'm pleased to say that Super Tempo addresses all of Tempo's problems. This sequel's a lot more fun to play now that the control is more solid and more effort has been put into designing the levels. There are cleverly hidden bonus rooms and items, and the enemies have more purpose... they're not only obstacles, but handy springboards after they've been incapacitated. Also, there's more variety... you can either play as Tempo, who attacks enemies by trapping them in bubbles, or his girlfriend, who can both fly and roast enemies with her hair dryer (I guess they're right... a blow dryer really IS a girl's best friend!). In addition to THAT, you can hunt down items which turn both Tempo and his main squeeze into mighty superheroes.
The best part of Super Tempo is that it's got a great sense of humor. The jokes in the game are every bit as demented and clever as they were in Earthworm Jim and its sequel. For instance, you'll find a pool of water with a raging waterfall spilling into it. Only when you reach the top of the hill do you discover the source of the waterfall... a tiny man relieving himself! He may want to talk to his urologist about that...
You'll also resurrect the long-dead members of the Bremen Town Musicians, do battle with Little Bo Peep and her evil sheep, glide through a shooting stage with thinly veiled references to ancient arcade games like Asteroids and Rally-X, and get into a muscle-flexing contest with a burly boss. It's even more fun than it sounds thanks to the charming animation which has become a trademark of the series. It's very clever and expressive, just like cartoon artwork should be. Once you watch their dance routines at the end of each stage, you're sure to agree that Tempo and his girlfriend are the cutest little bugs you've ever seen on your Saturn.
Super Tempo's not the best side-scrolling platformer on the Saturn... you could argue that the similarly silly Keio Yuugekitai is better, even though the two games have entirely different styles. Still, you're going to want this one if you loved the Bonk series... Super Tempo shares a lot in common with those games, right down to the bizarre bosses and unpredictable item holders, which could actually prove more dangerous than helpful if you're not careful. Anyway, if you've already own most of the popular imports on the Saturn and are looking for something more obscure, but just as enjoyable, Super Tempo is your best bet.
JR
Did you like Bonk's Adventure on the Turbografx-16? If so, you owe it to yourself to track down a copy of Super Tempo for the Sega Saturn. As the title suggests, this is the sequel to one of the 32X's most ambitious platformers, Tempo. This game turned heads with its vibrantly colorful and beautifully animated graphics, but the gameplay was only so-so... the level designs weren't particularly interesting and the control became frustrating quickly.
I'm pleased to say that Super Tempo addresses all of Tempo's problems. This sequel's a lot more fun to play now that the control is more solid and more effort has been put into designing the levels. There are cleverly hidden bonus rooms and items, and the enemies have more purpose... they're not only obstacles, but handy springboards after they've been incapacitated. Also, there's more variety... you can either play as Tempo, who attacks enemies by trapping them in bubbles, or his girlfriend, who can both fly and roast enemies with her hair dryer (I guess they're right... a blow dryer really IS a girl's best friend!). In addition to THAT, you can hunt down items which turn both Tempo and his main squeeze into mighty superheroes.
The best part of Super Tempo is that it's got a great sense of humor. The jokes in the game are every bit as demented and clever as they were in Earthworm Jim and its sequel. For instance, you'll find a pool of water with a raging waterfall spilling into it. Only when you reach the top of the hill do you discover the source of the waterfall... a tiny man relieving himself! He may want to talk to his urologist about that...
You'll also resurrect the long-dead members of the Bremen Town Musicians, do battle with Little Bo Peep and her evil sheep, glide through a shooting stage with thinly veiled references to ancient arcade games like Asteroids and Rally-X, and get into a muscle-flexing contest with a burly boss. It's even more fun than it sounds thanks to the charming animation which has become a trademark of the series. It's very clever and expressive, just like cartoon artwork should be. Once you watch their dance routines at the end of each stage, you're sure to agree that Tempo and his girlfriend are the cutest little bugs you've ever seen on your Saturn.
Super Tempo's not the best side-scrolling platformer on the Saturn... you could argue that the similarly silly Keio Yuugekitai is better, even though the two games have entirely different styles. Still, you're going to want this one if you loved the Bonk series... Super Tempo shares a lot in common with those games, right down to the bizarre bosses and unpredictable item holders, which could actually prove more dangerous than helpful if you're not careful. Anyway, if you've already own most of the popular imports on the Saturn and are looking for something more obscure, but just as enjoyable, Super Tempo is your best bet.
JR