Disappointing Retro Games?

[Yakumo]

Ecco the Dolphin
Man I hates those games. Boring as hell, mystic gameplay and ****ty audio.

[Asura]

I agree with you NI, I didn't get a Mega CD until about 2010 and Sonic CD was one of the first games I got for it. It's alright, but for 15 years or whatever I'd assumed it to be a near spiritual experience and it just wasn't.

Yeah, I agree with this. I waited for decades to play it and whilst it's fine, I don't think it compares to the MD titles and the time-travelling concept just isn't fun; it feels like something that would be more at home in a Metroidvania game.

The intro, the music, the visuals, love all that. It feels like someone learned different lessons from Sonic 1 and went off in that direction. But the game itself is just okay.

Chaotix, same deal. Though I think that's actually quite a poor game.

[Neon Ignition]

I think it's that Crazy Taxi comparison again. There's a simplicity to Sonic where you can go off the beaten track but just as much it's a blistering case of holding right and jumping every now and again and somehow that's enough. As soon as the games start to tinker with the formula it falls apart which is largely why the better 3D entries are the most simple and restrictive ones.

[nakamura]

Sonic CD is a mess.

And Super BTTF 2 was never good!

[Lebowski]

I think it's that Crazy Taxi comparison again. There's a simplicity to Sonic where you can go off the beaten track but just as much it's a blistering case of holding right and jumping every now and again and somehow that's enough. As soon as the games start to tinker with the formula it falls apart which is largely why the better 3D entries are the most simple and restrictive ones.

I found with lots of games you'd get hyped for a sequel only to find that they somehow messed up what made the original special the loop in crazy taxi is perfect, taking that away or not building on it is what ruined the later games. Another series that has never bettered itself because they kept trying to go bigger and bigger was Tenchu, where it shone was with the perfectly constructed levels that let you zip across roofs and drop down and remove guards one by one making you feel like this bad ass ninja. It was a game that rewarded patience and was more akin to a puzzle game than an action title, where the sequels fell down was thinking bigger is better and placing more emphasis on fighting and sprawling level design.

Ive said it before but for me Tomb Raider 2 is another game that fails to realise what made the first one so special, the sense of discovery and feeling like you where the first person in hundreds of years to trigger, traps stumble across dinosaurs , ruined Colosseum's and treasure filled underground pyramids is what made it special. Speed boat chase's and more of a focus on combat was a real let down for me and nothing has come close to capturing that sense of exploration from the first game, bar odd parts of the uncharted franchise.

[nakamura]

TR 2 was shocking compared to the amazing original.

[Hirst]

Another vote for the original - as soon as they went down the route of Lara Croft being a "cool" spy or something with attitude it went downhill and I lost interest. I want to explore mysterious untouched tombs and solve puzzles while being hassled by mysterious creatures (and general wildlife). I don't want to do knock-off James Bond rubbish. I liked the first one, got bored of the second and gave up on the third almost immediately. Never touched the series again.

[nakamura]

Is The Last Revelation any good? It seems more like the original.

[danstan21]

I was underwhelmed when I played DKC for the first time a couple of years ago. It's certainly no bad game, but given its legendary status I was clearly expecting something more. It felt very... simplistic? Nowhere near as replayable as SMW.

I haven't tried DKC2, which I know is supposed to be better.

[nakamura]

DKC2 is worse tbh. Some horrible levels in there and a horrible aesthetic.

DKC is good, but it's overrated. I really like it myself but objectively it's just a fairly good game with stunning presentation.

[Asura]

Another vote for the original - as soon as they went down the route of Lara Croft being a "cool" spy or something with attitude it went downhill and I lost interest. I want to explore mysterious untouched tombs and solve puzzles while being hassled by mysterious creatures (and general wildlife). I don't want to do knock-off James Bond rubbish. I liked the first one, got bored of the second and gave up on the third almost immediately. Never touched the series again.

No offence, but does everyone forget that near the end of the original game, it goes all "ancient aliens" and you fight an evil mutant clone of Lara? They were always a bit nuts.

I agree though that TR1's first half was better than what came after.

I've never gotten into the games since their reboot. Aren't they just Naughty Dog tribute acts now?

[nakamura]

Does it? I don't remember that.

I must admit I found Rise of the Tomb raider better than all the first 3 Uncharted games to play. (not in story though)

[Hirst]

I can't quite remember that either, but it's been a while - that said I don't mind the more weird otherworldly stuff like the monsters. I just didn't like all the crummy spy thriller type nonsense, I liked the weird isolation of the first where it was pretty rare to see other people. I think it was the third one where it got really daft though, wasn't the second not too bad?

Also I'm not sure if I'm alone in this, but I felt that the Lara "sex appeal" stuff was deeply embarrassing and lame even at the time and seemed to get worse as the series went on. The pre-rendered artwork looked absolutely awful.

[samanosuke]

This’ll ruffle a few feathers…

A game that disappointed me was Aladdin for the SNES. Never played it back in the day but upon reading one of the countless NTSC-U.K. MD vs SNES Aladdin c*nt-offs I decided to give it a go based on how many of you lot kept banging on about it. And you know what? It was sh*te compared to the MD version.

I really think it’s a case of whichever version you played first is the best one. They’re probably both great but because they play so differently, it’s hard to see them as equal as everyone will have a preference.

[phillv85]

How about Double Dragon? I had such fond memories of that game, I think it was probably the first beat em up I ever played that wasn't on a 2D plane. I used to play it at friends houses who had Atari's and Amiga's. I didn't have many ways to play it until I got my first arcade cabinet and decided if I have to splash out a little I should get the arcade version (in early 2013 I think). Needless to say I was sorely disappointed. I think I've probably played it 2 or 3 times in the 8 years I've owned it, and it lets me down each time. I’d never played the arcade version and I was super hopeful it would be epic. I thought it would be far better than the games I remembered on old computers