Platformers

[Nel_Annette]

I love the first Jak And Daxter. I played the second one and quit about 2/3 through the game back in 2008, but got around the first one in the summer of either 2010 or 2011. I just love how relaxed the whole thing is, how you can see areas from other areas, how you can go at your own pace. The whole thing is just great. I went back to the second one again after it, and... ugh. I quit at the same part I did before. The whole tone of that game is just dreary and depressing, and I really dislike a lot of the missions in it. Though it does have its humorous moments. I skipped to Jak 3 soon after and think I only played ten minutes of that before quitting out. I bought a PS2 copy of The Lost Frontier, but my experiences with J2, J3, and the massive amounts of negativity I read on the net about it kept me from ever even taking the disc out. Seriously, that game has been sitting on my shelf for over half a decade, unopened.

I bought the HD collection last year for PS3. Maybe when I'm done with the current wave of games I'm playing I'll give the first game another playthrough.

[Foggle]

Jak & Daxter is just great - its short length and smooth gameplay make it perhaps the most accessible collectathon ever. Jak 2 is one of my favorite games of all time, but I can easily see why a lot of people don't like it. Jak 3 has some of the best 3D platforming levels around, but it feels like you only get to play one or two every hour or so, so I'm not a fan.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I would just sit down and play the collection. I made it a goal that I would play through all three when I got the collection and I did. I surprisingly had a ball with II outside of the overworld missions, though I do wish I could have found more points in order to unlock level select for next time. 3 is great if you can force yourself through the tiresome driving sections. The platforming parts are excellent.

i forgot you had cave story in your top 15. would you still rank it that high? i think i would have it in my top ten today.

That's hard to say since a lot of excellent platformers have come out in recent years that would make the top of my list (like Tropical Freeze), but I do still think it's great. Not a fan of anything Nicalis has done with it via all the ports and milking, though.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I'm up to the epilogue in Thieves in Time. I've gotten all the clue bottles and safes, and bought all the gadgets. Great, great game.

Sanzaru deserves more kudos than they get.

[Spark Of Spirit]

So I went on PSN and saw that Gex 2 was on sale for 2 bucks. Why not, right?

[gunswordfist]

have you ever played it?

[Spark Of Spirit]

have you ever played it?

Ages ago. I remember liking it.

[Foggle]

Enter the Gecko? I had the N64 version as a kid. Absolutely dreadful game IMO (might have just been the port), but I loved it so much back then and must have beaten it at least four times.

[Speedy]

In a few areas, Gex 2 had a leg up on what was considered the best of this (at the time) new genre, Mario 64, such as camera control (Mario 64's was always very limited), a more effective attack, and less of a tendency to accidentally run off platforms.  Plus a more dynamic soundtrack which changed depending on what area you were in.  I won't go so far as to say Gex 2 is a superior game OVERALL (and there are certainly things Mario 64 did better than Gex 2), but credit where credit is due.

Hope you enjoy it again, Spark!

EDIT:  Foggle, Gex 64 is the inferior version of the game, despite a N64-exclusive level (which isn't even very good anyway).  Far less voice bytes, some missing levels, some optimization issues, and no FMV (which means no special ending!), plus some missing music cues.

[Foggle]

In a few areas, Gex 2 had a leg up on what was considered the best of this (at the time) new genre, Mario 64, such as camera control (Mario 64's was always very limited), a more effective attack, and less of a tendency to accidentally run off platforms.  Plus a more dynamic soundtrack which changed depending on what area you were in.  I won't go so far as to say Gex 2 is a superior game OVERALL (and there are certainly things Mario 64 did better than Gex 2), but credit where credit is due.

Hope you enjoy it again, Spark!

EDIT:  Foggle, Gex 64 is the inferior version of the game, despite a N64-exclusive level (which isn't even very good anyway).  Far less voice bytes, some missing levels, some optimization issues, and no FMV (which means no special ending!), plus some missing music cues.

Hm, perhaps I should take advantage of that sale as well, then! The game did have a lot of good ideas (which was why I enjoyed it so much), and I guess it really must have been horribly gimped by the port job.

How do you feel about Gex 3? I remember my friend had that one. I never got to play it, but it looked a lot like 2, and I was always jealous since I never had a PS1!

EDIT: Wait, it was on the N64 as well? I've been lied to my whole life!

[Speedy]

Well again, if you buy the N64 version you will have far less voice bytes and no FMV sequences, so you're better off buying the PS1 version anyway.

How was Gex 3?  I didn't like it quite as much as Gex 2, but it's still a solid game.  It definitely has the best soundtrack of the three games, taking the main melody and re-arranging it to suit the various level themes.

[Foggle]

Cool.

[talonmalon333]

I own the first game. Played the second one when I was young, but I don't remember if it was better or worse than the first game.

[gunswordfist]

i think this is the first time i found out about gex on n64 as well!

i might check out at least gex 2 from what i am hearing to. i still have only played that weird gex demo from back in the day.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I should mention that I finished Thieves in Time, collecting all the clue bottles.

Holds up great. Sanzaru outdid Sucker Punch in every way.