Post by grolt on May 9, 2009 0:50:48 GMT
My main man ddevilfingers traded me the Australian oddity named 4 PAK ALL ACTION, and while I was mainly interested in just seeing some new games for the system, I certainly wasn't expecting this. All four games are a ton of fun, and certainly of a much higher standard than you'd expect from a non-licensed compilation cart.
We'll get Adventure Kid out of the way first. It's a really shoddy Wonder Boy clone, but not Wonder Boy on the SMS...Wonder Boy on the SG-1000. The graphics are rough and the scrolling really has to be seen to be believed. Still, it's kind of fun to play this bastardization, not least because there's a cool "Choose the Egg" mini-game that happens after you complete each level. This is the only game in the set that's fun more for the novelty rather than the actual quality.
I haven't spent too much time with the next game, but Power Block so far looks great. It's part of the "bounce the ball off of bricks" genre, but this one pushes it to the limit with bosses and enough powerups to put even Power Strike to shame. As far as I know this isn't a hack of anything, so kudos must be given for the quality and inventiveness behind Power Block.
Twin Mouse has pretty simplistic and flat graphics, but it's got a nice sound and more importantly it plays fast and fun. There are multiple paths (up or down) that you can take on many levels, adding a bit of variety to what's otherwise an easy platformer. I haven't finished this one yet, but so far the first impression is good. Stan tells us it's a hack of Tiny Toons Adventures for the NES, and the flat graphics certainly dictate that, but since I haven't played the former this game feels fresh to me.
Lastly, but certainly not least, the awesome, amazing Cave Dude! What a wicked game - one of the best platformers for the system! The graphics are superb - it may steal some concepts and sprites from Super Mario World, but it also looks like its 16-bit counterpart too, so kudos to them! Actually, the game is kind of like a best of combination of the three major platforming mascots of the era. First up you have the platforming and level layout of Mario, then you have the weaponry of Wonder Boy and finally the look and theme of Bonk. How can you go wrong? The difficulty curve is perfect, never totally easy but never too tough to shut off, and one that always gets progressively difficult. The bosses are huge and a fun challenge to kill, and all play great save for the third boss who suffers from a lot of slow down once she starts knocking blocks from the top of the cave. If I had to have a gripe with the game it's that the level themes don't really make sense at all - he's supposed to be prehistoric, but here one level he's in castles and the next he's running around snowmen in the ice. The enemy choices are comparably random, too. Still, all the levels and enemies are wonderfully detailed , and the platforming brings an exciting challenge. It's Toto World 3 in Korea - does that mean there are other Toto Worlds that I now must play, or was that title just a way of cashing in on (confusing?) Mario 3? This game is the best kept secret on the system, a must play for platforming fans!
Overall, I really love this little collection. It's four games in one, and four really interesting ones to boot. I think I just found my cart to take with me on a deserted island should that hypothetical ever become a reality. Come on, let's hear it, who else wants to give the games in this set some love?
We'll get Adventure Kid out of the way first. It's a really shoddy Wonder Boy clone, but not Wonder Boy on the SMS...Wonder Boy on the SG-1000. The graphics are rough and the scrolling really has to be seen to be believed. Still, it's kind of fun to play this bastardization, not least because there's a cool "Choose the Egg" mini-game that happens after you complete each level. This is the only game in the set that's fun more for the novelty rather than the actual quality.
I haven't spent too much time with the next game, but Power Block so far looks great. It's part of the "bounce the ball off of bricks" genre, but this one pushes it to the limit with bosses and enough powerups to put even Power Strike to shame. As far as I know this isn't a hack of anything, so kudos must be given for the quality and inventiveness behind Power Block.
Twin Mouse has pretty simplistic and flat graphics, but it's got a nice sound and more importantly it plays fast and fun. There are multiple paths (up or down) that you can take on many levels, adding a bit of variety to what's otherwise an easy platformer. I haven't finished this one yet, but so far the first impression is good. Stan tells us it's a hack of Tiny Toons Adventures for the NES, and the flat graphics certainly dictate that, but since I haven't played the former this game feels fresh to me.
Lastly, but certainly not least, the awesome, amazing Cave Dude! What a wicked game - one of the best platformers for the system! The graphics are superb - it may steal some concepts and sprites from Super Mario World, but it also looks like its 16-bit counterpart too, so kudos to them! Actually, the game is kind of like a best of combination of the three major platforming mascots of the era. First up you have the platforming and level layout of Mario, then you have the weaponry of Wonder Boy and finally the look and theme of Bonk. How can you go wrong? The difficulty curve is perfect, never totally easy but never too tough to shut off, and one that always gets progressively difficult. The bosses are huge and a fun challenge to kill, and all play great save for the third boss who suffers from a lot of slow down once she starts knocking blocks from the top of the cave. If I had to have a gripe with the game it's that the level themes don't really make sense at all - he's supposed to be prehistoric, but here one level he's in castles and the next he's running around snowmen in the ice. The enemy choices are comparably random, too. Still, all the levels and enemies are wonderfully detailed , and the platforming brings an exciting challenge. It's Toto World 3 in Korea - does that mean there are other Toto Worlds that I now must play, or was that title just a way of cashing in on (confusing?) Mario 3? This game is the best kept secret on the system, a must play for platforming fans!
Overall, I really love this little collection. It's four games in one, and four really interesting ones to boot. I think I just found my cart to take with me on a deserted island should that hypothetical ever become a reality. Come on, let's hear it, who else wants to give the games in this set some love?
