Another thread I see on other forums that I enjoy taking part in. When you beat a game, you talk about it here and say your thoughts! I'll go first, with a pretty controversial game.
Finally got through this one and... I didn't think it was that bad...
I'm not calling it great. It's repetitive, clunky and glitchy as all hell, but would it call it bad? Not really. I'd call it mediocre.
The core mechanics of the game are actually pretty good. Flying around feels and sounds like it should and there are several of Superman's abilities you have access to, assuming you collect the relevant pick-ups. The controls are a little odd, though, like pressing R to jump...
The game even has a letterboxed mode, as well as other screen size options. (Probably done to give players modes to improve framerates, but it's still a nice inclusion!)
The game is also surprisingly ambitious. The outer world is
massive! Sure, it's barebones and the fog is practically at your face, but even taking those into account, damn! There was so much potential here and there was clearly some ambition with the game.
The issue that most have is that the levels just aren't very well built around said mechanics, and the big hub world went to waste by making you flying through rings. Easy mode doesn't make you do this, but apparently only "Superman" mode lets you fully finish the game, so I went with that.
These are very valid criticisms, for the record, but they weren't enough to deter me from the game. In fact the ringed sections are great for turning your brain off and giving yourself something to do while listening to a video or audiobook or something.
To be honest, I hated the non-ring levels more, as the ring parts at least have checkpoints. In the mission sections, you have to traverse through small corridors clearing fairly vague objectives, all in one run. I had to use a guide a bit with these levels. It was nice seeing variety, though!
The last level though... oh my fucking god was it frustrating! I had to cheat to get through this!
You have to collect 12 pieces of a computer scattered throughout the level. To get some of them you need to beat certainty enemies so they will appear. You also have use laser eyes to disable lasers, and it doesn't make it clear where exactly you have to hit them and from where.
You also have to interact with computers to activate teleporters, but again, it doesn't tell you that you have to throw barrels at teleporters you could walk through, that have crab enemies coming out to attack you as you painstakingly carry this barrel around.
Then you get the final pieces, are told to turn it on by a scientist you encountered. Where is this computer? Well it's a pillar beside the scientist! Duh!
But wait! The computer was a decoy! Time well spent!
You have to then transport Jimmy trough a thunderdome room with a bridge. You do this by freezing him (because apparently that doesn't kill him) to avoid him getting shocked and then painstakingly pushing him by running into him, but make sure you are running straight, because if he falls off, it's game over!
Then you do the same thing with Lois, and then you beat Braniac in the thunderdome. He has a laser that is hard to avoid.
Then you find bombs to detonate, but you better go into the correct room as soon as you activate them, otherwise you lose!
Then the game is finally won... **** that last level!
Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.
If only Titus were allowed to actually make the game they planned. Wrestling with Gaming has a good video going over the game's very troubled development.
Matt McMuscles has a video on the game as well, but I haven't seen it yet.
While searching for another video on Superman 64, I found this review that actually mostly agrees with my opinion on the game!
So is this game good? Not particularly, but it certainly isn't the worst game I've ever played. I'd say it's a 4-5/10 game. If I had this as a kid, I probably would have loved it!
Should you pick it up? Well, if you are legit curious about the game, see through the bandwagon jumping, then I don't see why not!
...Well, apart from the inflated prices the game goes for, probably due to it's infamy. It was a top seller the year it came out, so it's not exactly rare!
It's worth pointing out that there is a cancelled PS1 game scheduled for release the following year, with several improvements made, most notably the absence of rings!
It was cancelled though, but a build has been leaked that I might give a shot![/youtube]
Matt McMuscles has a video on the game as well, but I haven't seen it yet.
While searching for another video on Superman 64, I found this review that actually mostly agrees with my opinion on the game!
[MEDIA=youtube]yivH1ezG2FY[/MEDIA]
So is this game good? Not particularly, but it certainly isn't the worst game I've ever played. I'd say it's a 4-5/10 game. If I had this as a kid, I probably would have loved it!
Should you pick it up? Well, if you are legit curious about the game, see through the bandwagon jumping, then I don't see why not!
...Well, apart from the inflated prices the game goes for, probably due to it's infamy. It was a top seller the year it came out, so it's not exactly rare!
It's worth pointing out that there is a cancelled PS1 game scheduled for release the following year, with several improvements made, most notably the absence of rings!
It was cancelled though, but a build has been leaked that I might give a shot!