Donkey Kong Country 3

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! 

(JP) Super Donkey Kong 3: Mystery of Krems Island 

Super Nintendo 

2D Action Platforming 

1996.11.23

 

The beauty, and flaw, of DKC3 is that it's a mile wide and an inch deep. While the sheer amount of variety keeps the game lively and interesting, it also becomes tiring. DKC3 never allows you to fully acclimate to it due to its intentional fickleness. Every new level tosses out the mechanics of the last and introduces new ones, which takes away a lot of the “ah ha!” feeling of getting the hang of it. In all, DKC3 is a fun game worth playing, although I think DKC2 is better all around. SNES fans should have the entire trilogy.

You can get 105% completion, which seems crazy until you've played Symphony of the Night.

DKC3 is definitely one of the prettiest SNES games ever

Obligatory snow level screenshot to sate my obsession. <3

Mega Man X6

 

Mega Man X6

Sony Playstation

2D Action platfoming

2001.12.04

At first glance, Mega Man X6 is a brutally difficult and overwhelming game, and that would be an astute observation. X6 thrives on your stress and despair, but sticking with it gradually reveals an excellent, although flawed, Mega Man X game. The gameplay is sharp as expected, which is your only blessing in X6's punishing stages. The music is among the series best, the diverse and beautiful soundtrack rings out spaciously, and thrashes hard. All things considered this is a great game, although it can be frustrating at times. It's not perfectly crafted like X1, but it's definitely worth playing.

X6 is a gorgeous game, but what I really want to do is post the music.

I'm a total sucker for rain and snow in video games.

Oops. Hope he wasn't holding that speedster or jumper part.

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

Windows

3D Puzzle, Platforming

1999.10.31

Just as every Tomb Raider sequel does, TR4 takes a few good steps forward then promptly undoes itself with a handful of questionable things. Compared to the previous TR games, 4 is generally vague and meandering, its puzzles tend to feel non-sensical and lead to many frustrated moments of exhausting all possibilities until something works. Making progress in TR4 is a chore, attempting to make sense of the many sprawling stages wears me down quickly, and the near-total lack of variety leaves me feeling fondly of TR3's schizophrenic design. Hold off playing this one until you've finished the first three.

Pictured: Tedium.

Just ahead is another hole you'll be falling in.

You'll still get lost on a train, as ridiculous as that sounds.

Darkstone

Darkstone

Sony Playstation

Action RPG

2001.01.28

While fun and entertaining in its own right, Darkstone is a cumbersome game in a genre where there's a far better choices to opt for. The gameplay apes Diablo to the fullest, and the story is highly generic. Despite no serious flaws in its controls or UI, one constant irritation in Darkstone is the tendency to get snagged in doorways and corners. Outside this isn't an issue, but in the narrow corridors of the game's levels it's a common problem. Darkstone as a whole is unwieldy in all its PC mimicry, however it's comfortably playable. Try it if you're bored.

NBA Hangtime

NBA Hangtime

 Sega Genesis

2D Arcade sports

1996

NBA Hangtime is nothing more than NBA Jam with a character editor to play with, yet it's so much fun I prefer it over any version of Jam. Hangtime improves on Jam with a light touch of RPG elements, where winning games earns stat points to spend towards improving your custom character, ultimately turning your character into an unstoppable nightmare by the end of the season. All the famous flair of NBA Jam is present, flaming basketballs and impossible slam dunks included. Hangtime is likely the ultimate pick-up-and-play basketball game out there, and I definitely recommend it.

P.O.W.: Prisoners of War

  
 P.O.W.: Prisoners of War
NES

2D Beat 'Em Up

1988.09.xx

A clunky arcade port, POW is actually a lot of fun once you get used to the sluggishness. This is a typical 80s brawler, there isn't much difficulty, and what little there is stems from not knowing what's ahead. Once you get familiar with the levels, POW's difficulty becomes non-existent. The sound is adequate for a mid-life NES game, and the music, while mediocre is catchy and likable. POW plays better with the NES Advantage, otherwise the controller REALLY digs into the hands. This game is worth a try, it's not an excellent NES game, but it's fun.

Raiden III

Raiden III

Sony Playstation 2

2D Vertical Shoot 'em Up

2007.04.17

Although not a perfect arcade port, this is an excellent way to enjoy this great shump. Raiden III is a classically-styled arcade shump that recaptures the glory days of the arcades, prettied up with contemporary graphics. By default this is a challenging game, although the difficulty level can be adjusted anywhere from push-over, to ruthless murder. The score trial mode is extremely helpful, where individual stages can be chosen to practice, once you've cleared the stage in-game. Weapon types are varied and often contexual, adding a strategic element. Raiden III is a simple shump, and an enjoyable one at that.