<-------Best Review--------->
Written: Feb 23 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: everything
Cons: none
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| freakguy12's Full Review: Goemon's Great Adventure for Nintendo 64 |
Being a huge fan of side-scrollers, I immediately got into the Goemon vibe. Not only does this game play extremely well, but it is just so Japanese, and by Japanese I mean incredibly quirky. The story revolves around a machine that revives the dead. The wise ancient one who invented the device, was naturally going to do what every hot- blooded male would do with such technology; revive Marilyn Monroe. Now I know what you are probably thinking: "Who's Marilyn Monroe" and "I would use it to bring back Kurt Cobain". Yeah, I'm sure he'd be so pleased. "Well, you're alive Kurt but you are going to have a really bad headache for a loooooong time." Anyway, It's up to you to get the machine back after it has been stolen, and presumably going to be used for evil. Of course, it won't be that easy, thanks to all of the mini-quests. you'll be sent on. For those who have played the thoroughly engaging Tomba! for the PlayStation, you'll find a lot of similarities between it and Goemon's Great Adventure.
Mini-quests abound in this game and although you can decide whether or not you are going to do them, you'll need to accomplish quite a few to earn Entry Passes, which are used to access the level boss of each area. Most of the mini-quests consist of backtracking to the level you just came from and trying to find various objects under a certain amount of time. At first you'll be able to choose from Goemon himself and Ebisumaru, who have their own attack styles. Eventually you'll track down two more party members, Sasuke and the female ninja/mermaid Yae. Entering towns is where the games slight RPG elements unfold, involving talking to the townsfolk, many of whom will add nothing to the story. However, some are more interesting and you should listen closely to what they have to say, as their advice will help you on your quest. The towns are also the places where you can switch your character. It may take a bit of trial and error, but eventually you'll find the right character for the task at hand. If you blow it and get to the "game over" screen, let me just say you are in for a surprise, and one that you probably won't care for; unless you are of the female persuasion...
The side-scrolling nature of the gameplay, makes the game a breeze to fly through, especially if you were raised by wolves who just happened to play side-scrollers. You'll have to jump, crawl, attack and master the art of flipping around from one mysterious hanging bar to another. Who needs reality? The control is very tight and feels intuitive within minutes of playing, even using the analog control, which I usually find awkward to use in 2D situations, but I digress. The moves are all based on the A, B, Z and R buttons, which thankfully leave those Satan-crafted C buttons out of the picture and you can at least be rest assured that there aren't any camera problems in this game. See? 2D games are good for something.
One of my initial attractions to the game was the two player cooperative mode. Two can take on evil for the price of one! In the two-player mode, characters can use the "piggyback" technique, which increases firepower. The piggyback technique also helps the player who isn't as familiar with the game. He or she can jump on the back of a more experienced player and get through certain trouble areas of the game without being the usual hindrance that Player 2's around the world are known for. Let's face it, Player 2's, if you were any damn good, you'd be a Player 1, wouldn't you?
I have to recommend this game to anyone looking to relive the heydays of 2D. Goemon's Great Adventure is Konami's love letter to fans of good old-fashioned gaming. RPG fans should proceed with caution as this has RPG elements and is not, a full-blown RPG by any means. You'll do some talking in the towns and try to fulfill some mini-quests along the way, but this is first and foremost a side-scroller. That is until you reach the last boss and the game turns into a 3D - Oh that would be telling. You'll have to play it to the end to find out.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
freakguy12
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Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 1 member
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