digitalpress
12-01-2002, 08:39 AM
Alright it's not really an expose. But as a writer should I not attempt to compel you? To lure you into my little web of deceit so that, like the predatory spider, I may spin my words like gossamer death around your captivated - nay, I say PARALYZED form?
OK I never said I was a GOOD writer. :P
Anyway, one of my projects this long weekend was to hit some of those Dreamcast games that have been sitting there sealed all this time. I completed the US collection back in February and there were STILL a few games I had not tried. part of yesterday's project was to explore the "kids games"... the ones that appeared to specifically target a younger audience.
What's was most interesting is that I really had no idea what to expect from most of these. Even with top-notch publishers and developers behind them, it was pretty difficult to tell how the games actually played, or what I might compare them to. So without further ado, here's a very quick rundown of these titles and my even briefer opinion of each.
102 Dalmations (Disney's) -Way too many games fall into this "3D Platformer" category, a genre that I never really enjoyed. Take it for what it's worth, from a guy who couldn't really even get into Super Mario 64, this game finds you as a pup running around various "3D Worlds" rescuing boxed puppies, grabbing floating bones, digging up bonuses, and performing menial tasks to win the boss battles. The graphics are ok but the game is plain vanilla stuff. Veterans: picture "Croc 3D" or some other second-rate 3D platformer toned down for kids. [Gr: 7, So: 7, Ga: 5, Ov: 5]
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command - There are TWO Buzz Lightyear games, and though both of them pretty much feature the tiny hero running through various environments, this one is based on the cartoon series while the other one is based on the movies. I didn't even know there was a cartoon series. And I'm glad, because the quality of the cartoons spliced into the gameplay is really shoddy. In this one, you race the boss to the end of a level, through a series of caves, floating platforms, tunnels, bridges, and other sundry obstacles. Along the way, there are power-ups and bonuses, bad guys to take out for points and some pretty creative level design. Veterans: picture three parts "Mad Dash" and one part "Chase HQ". [Gr: 5, So: 7, Ga: 8, Ov: 7]
Chicken Run - This game is just way too hard for kids. That plus I'm not very good at hard games, I tend to choke under pressure, get more things wrong the next time I encounter them, and rush through - and subsequently DIE through - previously passed areas to "catch up to where I was before". I've also learned that when I find myself in this situation, it's not MY fault, it's the fault of the game. This game mixes a bit of stealth in with puzzle-solving elements in a quasi-3D environment. Could be a good game for very brilliant kids with lots of patience or adults who are not like me. Veterans: picture "Metal Gear Solid" with chickens and very little weaponry and interaction with the environments. [Gr: 7, So: 8, Ga: 6, Ov: 6]
Dinosaur (Disney's) - Take control of a monkey (yay!), a pterodactyl, and a brontosaurus as the three cross various dangerous landscapes as a team. You can travel with all three synchronized or swap between them. The powerful dinosaur is good ad bashing things and taking out bad guys quickly, the tiny monkey can throw fruit (yay!) and jump long distances, and the pterodactyl can fly over dangerous terrain and fetch out-of-the-way objects. This is one of the few games aimed at a younger audience that I'll go back to. Engaging and yet not too difficult for my tiny brain. Veterans: picture "The Lost Vikings" but in a 3D isometric view. [Gr: 8, So: 8, Ga: 8, Ov: 8]
Donald Duck Goin' Quackers - I was at first turned off by the game's bland approach to Donald Duck, whose games should be completely over-the-top, in my opinion. It is, however, a competently done platformer that has half of its stages horizontal and half vertical. The gameplay is tight but a bit repetitive. The fact that I was able to play through 3 worlds and normally don't like platform games should tell you something. Veterans: picture almost any "Crash Bandicoot" game or even "Pac-Man World", where 3D stages are presented in linear horizontal and vertical fashion. [Gr: 7, So: 5, Ga: 6, Ov: 7]
Grinch, The - Talk about a great idea that's poorly executed. You play as the Grinch and his dog Max, and your duty is to ruin Christmas for four Whoville worlds by smashing presents and snowmen, throwing rotten eggs into homes, defacing posters and statues, messing with the clock... it's sheer mayhem and a nice change, playing the bad guy. Many many problems with the game, however, starting with the fact that you're not playing the cartoon version of the Grinch, you're playing that rather unlikeable movie version. The graphics are just awful, nearly identical to the PlayStation version, which are also just awful. Collision detection is very bad, as is the camera, and it just takes way too long to complete objectives so you can move onto the really good stuff. What a shame, I had high hopes for this one. Veterans: picture "Super Mario 64" except substitute The Grinch for Mario, substitute terrible graphics for the good ones, substitute boring challenges for interesting ones. Yeah that should do it. [Gr: 4, So: 5, Ga: 5, Ov: 4]
Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue - One of TWO Buzz Lightyear games for the Dreamcast, this one tries really hard to borrow the successful elements of the earlier Dreamcast game "Toy Commander" and inject that Disney charm. It kinda works, but the game just doesn't offer that WOW factor of its inspiration and comes across as somewhat rushed in the process. It's not a complete wash, but I would certainly direct everyone to play the better of the two games, given the choice. Veterans: picture Dreamcast's "Toy Commander" but with virtually all of your missions from the same vehicle (Buzz Lightyear). [Gr: 7, So: 7, Ga: 6, Ov: 6]
OK I never said I was a GOOD writer. :P
Anyway, one of my projects this long weekend was to hit some of those Dreamcast games that have been sitting there sealed all this time. I completed the US collection back in February and there were STILL a few games I had not tried. part of yesterday's project was to explore the "kids games"... the ones that appeared to specifically target a younger audience.
What's was most interesting is that I really had no idea what to expect from most of these. Even with top-notch publishers and developers behind them, it was pretty difficult to tell how the games actually played, or what I might compare them to. So without further ado, here's a very quick rundown of these titles and my even briefer opinion of each.
102 Dalmations (Disney's) -Way too many games fall into this "3D Platformer" category, a genre that I never really enjoyed. Take it for what it's worth, from a guy who couldn't really even get into Super Mario 64, this game finds you as a pup running around various "3D Worlds" rescuing boxed puppies, grabbing floating bones, digging up bonuses, and performing menial tasks to win the boss battles. The graphics are ok but the game is plain vanilla stuff. Veterans: picture "Croc 3D" or some other second-rate 3D platformer toned down for kids. [Gr: 7, So: 7, Ga: 5, Ov: 5]
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command - There are TWO Buzz Lightyear games, and though both of them pretty much feature the tiny hero running through various environments, this one is based on the cartoon series while the other one is based on the movies. I didn't even know there was a cartoon series. And I'm glad, because the quality of the cartoons spliced into the gameplay is really shoddy. In this one, you race the boss to the end of a level, through a series of caves, floating platforms, tunnels, bridges, and other sundry obstacles. Along the way, there are power-ups and bonuses, bad guys to take out for points and some pretty creative level design. Veterans: picture three parts "Mad Dash" and one part "Chase HQ". [Gr: 5, So: 7, Ga: 8, Ov: 7]
Chicken Run - This game is just way too hard for kids. That plus I'm not very good at hard games, I tend to choke under pressure, get more things wrong the next time I encounter them, and rush through - and subsequently DIE through - previously passed areas to "catch up to where I was before". I've also learned that when I find myself in this situation, it's not MY fault, it's the fault of the game. This game mixes a bit of stealth in with puzzle-solving elements in a quasi-3D environment. Could be a good game for very brilliant kids with lots of patience or adults who are not like me. Veterans: picture "Metal Gear Solid" with chickens and very little weaponry and interaction with the environments. [Gr: 7, So: 8, Ga: 6, Ov: 6]
Dinosaur (Disney's) - Take control of a monkey (yay!), a pterodactyl, and a brontosaurus as the three cross various dangerous landscapes as a team. You can travel with all three synchronized or swap between them. The powerful dinosaur is good ad bashing things and taking out bad guys quickly, the tiny monkey can throw fruit (yay!) and jump long distances, and the pterodactyl can fly over dangerous terrain and fetch out-of-the-way objects. This is one of the few games aimed at a younger audience that I'll go back to. Engaging and yet not too difficult for my tiny brain. Veterans: picture "The Lost Vikings" but in a 3D isometric view. [Gr: 8, So: 8, Ga: 8, Ov: 8]
Donald Duck Goin' Quackers - I was at first turned off by the game's bland approach to Donald Duck, whose games should be completely over-the-top, in my opinion. It is, however, a competently done platformer that has half of its stages horizontal and half vertical. The gameplay is tight but a bit repetitive. The fact that I was able to play through 3 worlds and normally don't like platform games should tell you something. Veterans: picture almost any "Crash Bandicoot" game or even "Pac-Man World", where 3D stages are presented in linear horizontal and vertical fashion. [Gr: 7, So: 5, Ga: 6, Ov: 7]
Grinch, The - Talk about a great idea that's poorly executed. You play as the Grinch and his dog Max, and your duty is to ruin Christmas for four Whoville worlds by smashing presents and snowmen, throwing rotten eggs into homes, defacing posters and statues, messing with the clock... it's sheer mayhem and a nice change, playing the bad guy. Many many problems with the game, however, starting with the fact that you're not playing the cartoon version of the Grinch, you're playing that rather unlikeable movie version. The graphics are just awful, nearly identical to the PlayStation version, which are also just awful. Collision detection is very bad, as is the camera, and it just takes way too long to complete objectives so you can move onto the really good stuff. What a shame, I had high hopes for this one. Veterans: picture "Super Mario 64" except substitute The Grinch for Mario, substitute terrible graphics for the good ones, substitute boring challenges for interesting ones. Yeah that should do it. [Gr: 4, So: 5, Ga: 5, Ov: 4]
Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue - One of TWO Buzz Lightyear games for the Dreamcast, this one tries really hard to borrow the successful elements of the earlier Dreamcast game "Toy Commander" and inject that Disney charm. It kinda works, but the game just doesn't offer that WOW factor of its inspiration and comes across as somewhat rushed in the process. It's not a complete wash, but I would certainly direct everyone to play the better of the two games, given the choice. Veterans: picture Dreamcast's "Toy Commander" but with virtually all of your missions from the same vehicle (Buzz Lightyear). [Gr: 7, So: 7, Ga: 6, Ov: 6]