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Retro Arena: Classic 16-bit era platformers

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    #16
    Originally posted by Team Andromeda View Post
    Mario IV

    Quackshot

    Castle Of Illusion
    16-bit magic. Great days.

    Originally posted by Dogg Thang View Post
    Outside of that obviously Mario World is brilliant and there’s no disputing that but I always preferred Super Mario Bros 3 so I don’t quite have the same attachment to World that some have.
    I agree that SMB3 is an absolutely brilliant creation. Quite a few people prefer what it has to offer over SMW. For me though, SMW appeals to me even more because of the really vibrant graphics and how it feels to play. I find it to be a perfect platforming experience. The only bad point is we didn't get a true sequel.

    Originally posted by Dogg Thang View Post
    they’re all great but the standout is Sonic 3.
    I remember buying Sonic 3 at launch and thinking it was technically impressive, but I soon felt it just didn't offer anything truly exciting over the first two games. Maybe I was just a bit bored of the formula at that point. When it comes to the 16-bit Sonic games, I still have a soft spot for the original. I know favouring Sonic 1 is a minority opinion when later games in the series really refined the formula to make them feel more satisfying to play. I really wish Sonic 1 had the 'spin dash'.

    Ultimately, all four Sonic games for the MD are excellent. They're some of the finest platformers ever created.

    Originally posted by Asura View Post

    Though I still don't understand the people who preferred the 8-bit Sonics to the 16-bit ones.


    Maybe they prefer the 'abstract minimalism' of the visuals. You definitely get a very different overall vibe next to the MD versions. I definitely appreciate both styles.
    Last edited by Leon Retro; 17-08-2019, 21:10.

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      #17
      Originally posted by Leon Retro View Post
      16-bit magic. Great days.



      I agree that SMB3 is an absolutely brilliant creation. Quite a few people prefer what it has to offer over SMW. For me though, SMW appeals to me even more because of the really vibrant graphics and how it feels to play. I find it to be a perfect platforming experience. The only bad point is we didn't get a true sequel.



      I remember buying Sonic 3 at launch and thinking it was technically impressive, but I soon felt it just didn't offer anything truly exciting over the first two games. Maybe I was just a bit bored of the formula at that point. When it comes to the 16-bit Sonic games, I still have a soft spot for the original. I know favouring Sonic 1 is a minority opinion when later games in the series really refined the formula to make them feel more satisfying to play. I really wish Sonic 1 had the 'speed dash'.

      Ultimately, all four Sonic games for the MD are excellent. They're some of the finest platformers ever created.





      Maybe they love the 'abstract minimalism' of the visuals. You definitely get a very different overall vibe next to the MD versions.
      Just on your point regarding Sonic 1 and the spin dash, this is added in the Christian Whitehead version of the game, which also adds 16:9. Sadly there are no console or PC ports but this version is on iOS and Android, as well as the Apple TV and Amazon Fire Stick. So if you have one of those things and a compatible pad, you can play it with spin dash.

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        #18
        Originally posted by wakka View Post
        Just on your point regarding Sonic 1 and the spin dash, this is added in the Christian Whitehead version of the game, which also adds 16:9. Sadly there are no console or PC ports
        I would be buying it now if there were a console or PC version. I'll see if I can get it for the Amazon Fire Tablet.

        I also need to play the other modern 2D Sonic games.

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          #19
          Sonic 1 is still brilliant to this day. And the Starlight Zone Music will always be a gaming highlight for me. I have fond memories of a rather messy party, probably when I was 18 or so, where I spent a good chunk of the night playing through the game (mostly badly) in front of a small crowd. Before I had even got there, someone had written the word “Sonic” on the telly and drawn an arrow to where he is on screen during gameplay. Sure enough, he was pretty much always under that arrow. That was a good party.

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            #20
            I’d add Rocket Knight to the list, fantastic game and the jet-pack mechanic makes it a little different to your standard platformer.

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              #21
              Super Mario World
              Yoshi's Island
              Castle of Illusion

              SMW is so far ahead of anything else.

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                #22
                Originally posted by wakka View Post
                Just on your point regarding Sonic 1 and the spin dash, this is added in the Christian Whitehead version of the game, which also adds 16:9. Sadly there are no console or PC ports but this version is on iOS and Android, as well as the Apple TV and Amazon Fire Stick. So if you have one of those things and a compatible pad, you can play it with spin dash.
                Originally posted by Leon Retro View Post
                I would be buying it now if there were a console or PC version. I'll see if I can get it for the Amazon Fire Tablet.

                I also need to play the other modern 2D Sonic games.

                M2 added the Spin Dash to the Sega 3D Classics version of Sonic 1 that they developed for the 3DS. It is also in their SEGA AGES port (as well as the Drop Dash from Mania) of Sonic 1 for the Switch
                Last edited by Nu-Eclipse; 18-08-2019, 11:25.

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                  #23
                  Good to know! Do I really need another version of Sonic 1...what am I saying, of course I do!

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                    #24
                    The 3D is really nice on the 3DS version if that’s remotely a factor for you. I have the first two on 3DS and loved revisiting them.

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                      #25
                      Originally posted by wakka View Post
                      Good to know! Do I really need another version of Sonic 1...what am I saying, of course I do!



                      Honestly, I’d go with the SEGA AGES port on the Switch if I were you. It’s essentially the same as the Sega 3D Classics port, minus the 3D effect and plus the Drop Dash move from Mania (my previous comment edited to reflect this after I researched!).

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                        #26
                        Originally posted by _SD_ View Post
                        I’d add Rocket Knight to the list, fantastic game and the jet-pack mechanic makes it a little different to your standard platformer.
                        Thanks for the reminder, was going to say where was Sparkster here. RKA was Megadrive only.
                        Lie with passion and be forever damned...

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                          #27
                          Originally posted by _SD_ View Post
                          I’d add Rocket Knight to the list, fantastic game and the jet-pack mechanic makes it a little different to your standard platformer.
                          I always think of it as a 'arcade action' game, so I didn't include it. But thinking about it, I guess lots of people would say it's a platformer. I really like the MD games and the version for the SNES.

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                            #28
                            I had an MD in the day, so:
                            Magical Hat Flying Turbo Adventure
                            Castle of Illusion
                            Quackshot


                            Disney is quite twee and licensed games are usually pap, but CoI broke the mould and is a lovely game to play.
                            Mickey is a little floaty, but I like that. Some inventive bosses too.

                            I don't think Quackshot is as good, but it's like a cute Shinobi.
                            The graphics are amazing, though.
                            It confused me that to gain health, Donald would eat roast chicken like some kind of cannibal!

                            Magical Flying Hat Turbo Adventure was right on the cusp of Japan being a bit weird and so alien to the West, so it really hit that mark of being unique. I have the game and completed it and found it to be a solid platforming experience, but because I can't read Japanese, I'm not sure what the professor was saying or what pill I needed to turn into the robot gorilla.
                            Don't forget to jump on the top of the flagpoles for extra lives!

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                              #29
                              Originally posted by QualityChimp View Post
                              Donald would eat roast chicken like some kind of cannibal!


                              Originally posted by QualityChimp View Post
                              Magical Flying Hat Turbo Adventure was right on the cusp of Japan being a bit weird and so alien to the West,
                              Yeah, it's one of those games that had a very distinct Japanese vibe about it. The sort of strange gem that really appealed to import gamers. I remember the box art really grabbed me and convinced me to buy the game, despite not knowing anything about it.

                              Originally posted by QualityChimp View Post
                              Don't forget to jump on the top of the flagpoles for extra lives!
                              The bendy poles are such a cool feature.

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                                #30
                                Incredibly easy this one:

                                Super Mario World
                                Sonic the Hedgehog 2
                                Donkey Kong Country 2

                                There's loads of goodness in this list but I can split it three ways. There's the games that are decent, then there's a lost of games on there that I have a huge amount of nostalgia and fondness for but once I start to consider them more objectively they're no competition for the very top tier stuff. That's how I see stuff like Castle of Illusion, Quack Shot, Ristar etc, I spent loads of my gaming youth playing them and they're fun in their own ways but absolutely no competition for the above.

                                My next hot take would probably be to slide very much alongside DT's comments. While I consider Sonic 2 to be peak Sonic, I have a lot of time for Sonic 3 and it's never remotely been a competition as to whether it was superior to S&K. S&K's design paled to me. It's a little like Mario World, SMW is a bonafide classic as good now as it ever was, Yoshi's Island though... it's good but there are plenty Mario games I'd play over it. It's just not as satisfying an experience and feels like a quality spin-off more than anything else.

                                That leaves my addition, DKC2. I loved DKC but the sequel was easily the better game and has some lovely visuals, music and levels. A defining memory of the 16 bit era I can very easily go back to now with a level of refinement missing from DKC and a production level DKC3 misses.

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