Platformers

[gunswordfist]

But, like, Game Freak. Developing a mascot platformer for Nintendo's 90's rival. Available on every current home console except the Wii U. That's some Bizarro World shit.

Ok, NOW I see what you mean. Bizarro world shit indeed. Also, I'm busting a gut at the game's title.

[Foggle]

Yeah, I love the title! I think it looks pretty fun too from the video I watched.

[gunswordfist]

There's an actual video? I thought it might have been a fake wikipedia page. lol

[Spark Of Spirit]

Oh, it's real. I heard it plays a lot like DKC, of all things.

[gunswordfist]

O.o

[Commode]

Damn, gonna check that out.

[Spark Of Spirit]

A mini-playthrough of the first two levels.

Looks like Rambi got his own spin-off game!

[gunswordfist]

So Sonic+Yoshi+Rhino from DKC = Tembo The Badass Elephant? Me gusta!

[Foggle]

[Spark Of Spirit]

The game bombed.

You surprised?

[gunswordfist]

Congrats on 10,000 posts!

[gunswordfist]

I bought Sly Cooper Thieves in Time for Vita (and I think, in effect, for PS3 and 4 too, but I don't have those yet). It's even better than I remembered and I haven't gotten anywhere - Sly moves like a dream.

[Foggle]

My friend got me Voodoo Vince Remastered on Steam for my birthday. I missed this game during the brief period in which I owned an original Xbox so I've been wanting to play it for about 10 years now. Overall, it's an above-average sixth-gen 3D platformer - nothing more, nothing less.

This game feels like the halfway point between a collectathon and the more modern linear style (e.g. Mario 3D World and Ratchet & Clank), like Psychonauts but a lot less annoying when it comes to obtaining all the collectibles. Technically, you don't have to collect any of them at all, but there's an exceptionally bad rail shooter segment near the end that practically forces you to have acquired all the health upgrades so you can tank damage. Some of the collectibles are stupidly hidden but halfway through the game you get an item that lets you see them through walls in first-person mode so it isn't too bad. The level designs range from okay to great, nothing particularly memorable but nothing too bad either. The final world has some stupidly annoying jumps but that's to be expected from this genre and era, I suppose. The controls are fine but a bit stiff. Double jumping feels really good but the gliding and grappling hook mechanics are fairly poor compared to R&C. Attacking is copy-pasted directly from Jak & Daxter but the enemies usually have way too much health so I just ran past most of them.

There's a lot of variety to the objective design, with a decent amount of really enjoyable and fun moments that I haven't seen done too often before or since. The bits where you have to light yourself on fire are a real hoot, as as are some of the special voodoo attacks. Unfortunately, it does descend into the pit of obnoxious gimmicks and bad mini-games at times, and the Sausage Factory level - while clever - was a bit too cruel and made me feel kind of uncomfortable. Similarly, the humor is hit or miss; some bits actually made me laugh or crack a smile, others were too gross to be funny or were just cringe-inducing (it has way too many poop & fart jokes, seriously). The game is very reminiscent of Conker's Bad Fur Day in these ways, though it could have used a little more creativity in its world selection compared to that title; you get a city at night, an underground cave, a graveyard, a haunted mansion, a bayou, and a dark carnival. Not a lot of visual variety there.

The one thing I can unequivocally call incredible about this game is its OST. The music is fucking phenomenal. It's got jazz, funk, swing, and everything in between from the amazing New Orleans music scene. I had never heard of this composer before (apparently his talents are currently being wasted on Farmville and Bioware's Star Wars MMO) but the man is clearly a god of video game soundtrack design and it's a crime that this is the only platformer he ever made compositions for. The graphics are also pretty good for the time period; the art style holds up fairly well.

When the game focuses on its core platforming or introduces an original voodoo-doll related gimmick, it's a blast. Unfortunately, it all too often mines the well of cliche late 90's/early 00's mini-games and level concepts, turning roughly 1/4-1/3 of it into a real drag. For $10, I'd say Voodoo Vince is well worth it for any fan of sixth-gen 3D platformers & New Orleans music who wants to see what it gets right... just don't go in expecting a forgotten classic or hidden gem.

[gunswordfist]

Voodoo Vince looked interesting when I watched some footage on it. I think Xbox originally started out trying to do 3D platformers before everyone just ripped off Halo.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

TGBS just made a really good video about Klonoa: https://youtu.be/eZzgL5OCr-4

I feel like Spark in particular would really appreciate something like this.