Most disappointing games you really wanted... then hated.

greedostick · 02/27/2014, 01:49 AM

Just curious what games everyone really wanted, finally purchased after much anticipation and waiting, and was just completely disappointed. I have 2 titles I was just blown away by how bad they were.

First is Beyond Shadowgate. This is one of those games back around 2000 I always wanted to get. It rarely popped up on ebay and I finally scored one. complete with the poster. I played through the whole game after receiving it withing a few days. Beyond Shadowgate has a weird place in my mind when I think about it. I just can't decide if it's garbage, or just a regular bad game. But one thing is certain there are much better games to be had on the Turbo and this is mediocre at best. Sure some people will disagree. Beyond Shadowgate does have this weird appeal. You think it's bad, but for some reason just have to finish it. Then you do and have no idea what to think about it. It's kind of like Bud Light. Pretty watered down with no flavor. But for some reason you always give it a taste if you have the chance, but never really want to spend money on it.

My second choice. I am saving the best for last, is Exile: Wicked Phenomenon. Even in the early 2000's this game was incredibly hard to find on eBay. Even the guy who sold me pretty much every rare english turbo game back then didn't have this one. I waited what seemed like forever to play Exile: Wicked Phenomenon. I finally did find one on ebay after a very long time of checking daily. I ended up paying more for it than I did magical chase and dynastic hero back then. I was blown away by Exile 2. Not by how amazing it was. But by how unplayable it was. I remember forcing myself through the game. It was so hard. And not in a good way. But in a way because of bad programming. I was really disgusted how much better the original was. I seriously hate Exile 2. I would go as far as to say would have to think long and hard if someone offered me money just to play it. I really feel like playing Exile 2 was the point in my collecting history that I decided it was pointless and a waste of money to keep a hold of crap games. No matter how rare. Since then I have weeded down my collection considerably. So in a way I guess I am thankful to Exile 2.

Do you all have any good stories about disappointing, highly anticipated Turbo purchases?

Mzo · 02/27/2014, 01:55 AM

Was Wicked Phenomenon one of the games ruined by WD's bullshit tinkering or was the J version also a bad game?

greedostick · 02/27/2014, 02:12 AM

Don't know. But i'm sure someone here does. I only ever played the USA release. I would like to know as well. Because as bad as that game is I find it hard to believe the japanese version is good. Possibly better. But good would be a complete makeover.

Lochlan · 02/27/2014, 02:29 AM

Beyond Shadowgate is fun, you cray. I love all the death animations. Not all the puzzles are home runs, but it's a solid experience with great production values. It's definitely one of my favorite Icom titles.

Exile II has a lot of problems but it was also created during Telenet's decline.

Quote from: Mzo on 02/27/2014, 01:55 AMWas Wicked Phenomenon one of the games ruined by WD's bullshit tinkering or was the J version also a bad game?

My understanding is that Working Designs had no in-house developers at the time and all programming was handled by Telenet themselves. The JP version is much easier, although the difficulty of the US release is overstated.

deubeul · 02/27/2014, 03:20 AM

Read on hardcoregaming101.net:

"
You'll probably never reach the end though, at least not without cheating and hex editing the game for infinite health (ironically the only way most US gamers ever saw the boss was through the cover art). For you see, Working Designs made a mistake when tweaking the parameters. As Vic explained on NeoGAF: "On Exile 2 it was an issue of limited number of modifications because we weren't doing the game reprogramming, Telenet was. It was a small number of tries. And on the second-to last time, we had it *almost* right, so we added like +1 to the monsters, but it was like that scene with the fat guy in Meaning of Life where the waiter gives him that one wafer and he explodes. That +1 exceeded some limit internally and made the monsters exponentially harder rather than incrementally. Since it was our last "fix" and we had production discs, I thought we were screwed and had made an unwinnable game. Fortunately, with some time and special strategies, we found out you could finish it. We made one of the hardest games ever - by accident."

Vic also gave some tips: "The biggest one is not to try to assault the worst monsters. Just let them hit you in the back, which will throw you backwards (which is really forward since your back is turned). It's an easy way to clear impossible rooms with those dragons that shoot lightning."
How unfortunate this mistake was, is debatable. Wicked Phenomenon is a good but not great game, and importing the Japanese version for its easier difficulty won't result in you missing any important dialogue (though you'll miss some of WD's visual improvements). The US version is also crazy expensive on auction, whereas Japanese online stores are selling their version for well under 1,000 Yen. That's like $10."

NightWolve · 02/27/2014, 04:18 AM

Quote from: greedostick on 02/27/2014, 01:49 AMMy second choice. I am saving the best for last, is Exile: Wicked Phenomenon. ... I ended up paying more for it than I did magical chase and dynastic hero back then. I was blown away by Exile 2. Not by how amazing it was. But by how unplayable it was. I remember forcing myself through the game. It was so hard. And not in a good way. But in a way because of bad programming. I was really disgusted how much better the original was. I seriously hate Exile 2.

I never considered that was a mistake (the face value difficulty). However, I did think it was shoddy game design the way you could just stand still with enemies that keep mindlessly reappearing / respawning - with no change in attack pattern - a weakness I took advantage of for max EXP to beat the game with ease.

I took an adjustable wrench, tightened it up on the attack button with turbo on, had it so that Sadler just stands there slashing away with enemies perpetually respawning, walking into his sword, and then I turned the TV off, either went to sleep or came back a couple of hours later to find Sadler fully leveled-up, ready to kick ass!!! That was it. I beat it rather quickly actually after purchase, it's a short game really. I think 2-3 days maybe, my old usual time for a game when I was young and fast.

Tatsujin · 02/27/2014, 04:40 AM

none

SuperDeadite · 02/27/2014, 05:25 AM

Super Star Wars

Bernie · 02/27/2014, 05:55 AM

Man, you are mistaken... Beyond Shadowgate is one of the best games on the Turbo Duo, IMO...

Tatsujin · 02/27/2014, 07:03 AM

ah lol. thougt this is strictly pce/tg.

seieienbu · 02/27/2014, 07:37 AM

I was really looking forward to Ordyne. Once I finally hunted a copy down I tried to enjoy it but just never could get into it.

bob · 02/27/2014, 07:42 AM

Quote from: Bernie on 02/27/2014, 05:55 AMMan, you are mistaken... Beyond Shadowgate is one of the best games on the Turbo Duo, IMO...

+1

kentuckycc · 02/27/2014, 07:46 AM

Mine was Cosmic fantasy 2. The Lunar series is my second favorite series, and I bought my first turbografx in part to play some of the first working designs games. I love their translations and the games they selected to port, but I could not get into this game. Maybe I hyped it up too much, maybe it was just a rare miss for me.

Tatsujin · 02/27/2014, 08:40 AM

obey never disappoints

SuperDeadite · 02/27/2014, 08:50 AM

Super Star Wars is always the correct answer.

But for PCE only games, while I don't hate it, Bonk 3 did nothing for me. I only spent 150yen on it, and I honestly find the game sleep inducing. Just not fun at all really....

Also The TV Show gets a mention. Everything about the game is fantastic, but the controls really kill the fun. I still kind of like the game, it's just impossible to really relax and enjoy to though as you will constantly die due to the poor poor controls.

xcrement5x · 02/27/2014, 01:10 PM

Corpse Killer. Man I was totally sold on the FMV and shooting combination. I enjoyed Sewer Shark and Ground Zero Texas and Night Trap, then Digital Pictures gave me Corpse Killer....

Sparky · 02/27/2014, 01:19 PM

Ballistic... i based my expectations off the cover art when i saw it and then purchased it cheap of coarse back in the day, boy was i surprised

johnnykonami · 02/27/2014, 02:59 PM

I've owned Exile 2, CF2 and Ordyne. I also remember being disappointed with Exile 2, and I sold it stupidly (I would like to get it back one day, maybe) but I seem to remember it having some cool music just like the first game did. Ordyne I enjoyed, I remember it being kinda on the easy side so I was done with it really fast. Kinda cool though looking back, as the only other way you would have played ordyne is a Japanese arcade machine. CF2 is the only game I still have, but I think it might be the plainest, most boring RPG I've ever played - strictly gameplay wise. I like the cutscenes and the music of course, that's why you bought the game in the first place, right?? But a lousy, simplistic RPG underneath of all that.

For me, the only one that comes to mind right now is Space Harrier. I loved the arcade game so I thought it was a lock, but I was incredibly disappointed with the port. The voice I remember being particularly bad.

Oh, and I just remembered this one: I might get lynched for this, but Cotton - I just didn't like it, traded it for something else.. and I'm a shooter fan in general, that one just didn't do it for me.

Sparky · 02/27/2014, 03:06 PM

Quote from: johnnykonami on 02/27/2014, 02:59 PMFor me, the only one that comes to mind right now is Space Harrier. I loved the arcade game so I thought it was a lock, but I was incredibly disappointed with the port. The voice I remember being particularly bad.

ya agreed, but i think it was better then a lot of other systems, the sms versions was so rough looking... i wonder what system had the best space harrier port.

Dicer · 02/27/2014, 03:16 PM

Space harrier isn't a terribad port by any means...Also saying Beyond shadowgate, how can you hate?

For me, maybe Terraforming, Syd Mead+Shmup should = ORGASM...

It's ok, but hardly mindblowing.

InfraMan · 02/27/2014, 03:29 PM

Quote from: guest on 02/27/2014, 03:06 PMya agreed, but i think it was better then a lot of other systems, the sms versions was so rough looking... i wonder what system had the best space harrier port.

The 32x port of Space Harrier was really good, even though no one really wanted a port of Space Harrier around that time. I really like the 3D version on SMS, too... those glasses are great if you can find a proper old TV set to use them on.

As far as games that disappointed me, I really can't think of any on the PCE. Maybe Addams Family a little bit, although I didn't have super-high hopes for that one anyway. It was OK.

Devil May Cry 2 was probably the most crushing letdown for me. It was stupid easy, and no where near as good as the first one. I'm surprised it didn't kill the franchise with its ineptitude. Bleh!

megatron-uk · 02/27/2014, 03:48 PM

Target Earth for the Megadrive.

Cover art rocked and the images I saw of the game looked great - robots! guns! spaceships!. I took it home and was soooo disappointed, it was incredibly hard and I don't think I played it more than a dozen times. I would have been probably 13 or 14 at the time, so it was probably several months worth of pocket money down the drain

munchiaz · 02/27/2014, 03:56 PM

For me its super airzonk. You would think it would at least be on par with airzonk, but its far from that. It has some cool concepts, like picking which stage you want to play on, and some of the powerups are cool. But it just feels more like a watered down version of airzonk. I still enjoy the game, But its not nearly as good as airzonk

DildoKKKobold · 02/27/2014, 04:37 PM

I actually enjoyed Exile 2: WP. Granted, I had FAQs helping tone down the difficulty significantly. If you go in blind, without a guide how to handle the difficulty curve.... more of a cliff... then you'll more likely get frustrated.

Exile 1, otoh, I got to the end boss, and never beat. At one point, I think I counted hitting him 150 times, with my level at the cap, and he still hadn't died. That game pissed me off more than WP. I hate when a game intentionally ramps the difficulty an insane amount by the end boss.

Otaking · 02/27/2014, 05:32 PM

Quote from: SuperDeadite on 02/27/2014, 08:50 AMSuper Star Wars is always the correct answer.

Super Star Wars is an awesome game.

ElSeven · 02/27/2014, 05:57 PM

for pce, my choice is faussete amour.

I really wanted to like this game, but I feel that the game just moves too slow to really be enjoyable. It's a shame because it could have been a great action platformer.

I also didn't enjoy Cosmic Fantasy 2, despite putting many hours into it I just couldn't be bothered to finish it. I found the gameplay to be pretty dull. I can see why some might enjoy it, but it's just not for me.

BigusSchmuck · 02/27/2014, 06:04 PM

Silent Debuggers. Enough said. I still wonder why people think EVO is the best game ever even though I rented it back in the day for a weekend and finished it quick like.

Tatsujin · 02/27/2014, 07:10 PM

fausette is awesome.

Phase · 02/27/2014, 08:32 PM

I have two genesis games

Kid Chameleon I bought this with some birthday money for 50$. The game is ok but it just wasn't that much fun and not as cool as the commercial portrayed

I got Sonic Spinball for Xmas '93 I was expecting sonic 2 with pinball levels and got another so-so game with laggy controls and gameplay

csgx1 · 02/27/2014, 10:48 PM

Bonk 3 and Super Bonk.

Bonk's Revenge is one of my favorites, so maybe I was expecting too much. Bonk 3 and Super Bonk games were both such a let down.

Controlling a big & small Bonk is an annoying gimmick. I don't exactly hate them, but they're a chore to play and definitely less fun than previous Bonk games.

greedostick · 02/27/2014, 11:46 PM

Thanks for sharing that information about Exile 2. I had no idea they said you probably had to cheat. Guess that's why it was so hard. But I did eventually beat it.

I just didn't think Beyond Shadowgate was that good. I definitely don't think it's the worst game on the console. It was just one of the most disappointing games for me. I loved the original Shadowgate on NES. I was expecting something of that nature. When I purchased that game there wasn't a ton of information online on it. So I had no idea what I was getting into. There are much worse games on the console for sure. Shadowgate just doesn't hold a special place in my video game past like some of the other Turbo titles like Bonk 2, Lords of Thunder, Legendary Axe, and Dynastic Hero. I guess saying it is a bad game earlier was pushing it a bit. It's OK but for me really only a one time play through type of game.

JoshTurboTrollX · 02/28/2014, 06:42 AM

Super Air Zonk had to be the one i was most disappointed with. Especially with GamePro's review of it saying it was better than the original and had better graphics/sound. I couldn't wait to see ZILLIONS of waves of parrallax scrolling smattering my eyes.....

I got none. However, the level select canon thingy was pretty cool.

But, THATS... IT!

johnnykonami · 02/28/2014, 02:10 PM

Quote from: guest on 02/27/2014, 03:06 PM
Quote from: johnnykonami on 02/27/2014, 02:59 PMFor me, the only one that comes to mind right now is Space Harrier. I loved the arcade game so I thought it was a lock, but I was incredibly disappointed with the port. The voice I remember being particularly bad.
ya agreed, but i think it was better then a lot of other systems, the sms versions was so rough looking... i wonder what system had the best space harrier port.

Later on I got Sega Ages (The Working Designs published one) on the Saturn, which had pretty accurate ports of Outrun, Afterburner II, and Space Harrier included, so I was happy with that. And I heard good things about the 32x port, too.

FraGMarE · 02/28/2014, 02:38 PM

Quote from: guest on 02/27/2014, 03:06 PM
Quote from: johnnykonami on 02/27/2014, 02:59 PMFor me, the only one that comes to mind right now is Space Harrier. I loved the arcade game so I thought it was a lock, but I was incredibly disappointed with the port. The voice I remember being particularly bad.
ya agreed, but i think it was better then a lot of other systems, the sms versions was so rough looking... i wonder what system had the best space harrier port.

Yea, I'd say I was pretty disappointed with Space Harrier on the PCE. I played Space Harrier 2 on the Genesis and it was so silky smooth, then I ran out and got Space Harrier on the PCE expecting arcade awesomeness, but it was... meh. The ground scaling on the Genesis SH2 looks 10x better than SH1 on the PCE. :/

OldRover · 02/28/2014, 03:25 PM

Shape Shifter. From the TurboDuo promo VHS, it looked mad awesome. Then I finally got to play it. I was wowed by the voices and the awesome scrolling... but hated the gameplay and very American-like rigidity to the game progression. Not only that, but people whined about how "hard" it is... it's not hard, it's broken. Challenge due to technical flaws doesn't count as "hard". Exile WP has the same problem, but I wasn't ever disappointed by that game... I just figured out how to exploit its many technical shortcomings. Both of these games seriously disrupt the suspension of disbelief with their many issues, but only Shape Shifter was a serious disappointment.

The Legendary Axe. I did not play this game back in the day, but back then, it had won a "game of the year" award, and its "sequel" was hardcore cool. So, the first game must be awesome, right? Right?? Nope. I was seriously let down by its horrible collision issues, copy-and-paste level design with way too many recolored enemies, and music that sounds straight out of a later NES game. I can't like this game no matter how many times I try to.

Shadow Of The Beast. Yeah, I shouldn't have expected much to begin with. I was first introduced to this game on the Lynx, where I conquered it in short order. I was hoping the obey version would be 10x better! It isn't. I just chalked it up to a eurotrash game and moved along.

Impossamole. The cool comic book intro made it seem like it'd be an epic adventure! But it's a poorly-made heap o' crap. This game has a laundry list of issues. Eurotrash again. Moving right along.

Turrican. Yeah, I defend this game from time to time, but even I admit that it was a serious letdown. It was hyped up to be this crazy robotic murderfest of a game, but in the end, it was a ridiculous tin man running through boring environments while his health disappeared for even looking at one of the "wtf is this stupid thing"-looking enemies. I was so looking forward to that "web of circuitry" at the end... but just spent 5 minutes blasting through blue blocks. A disappointment from the first time I turned it on, but I stuck with it anyway and conquered it because that's just how we did shit back in the day.

Riot Zone. I sooooo wanted this to be even half as good as Final Fight. It's not bad, but nowhere near as good as the promo VHS made it out to be, and doesn't hold a candle to older beat-em-ups from more competent developers. Plus... Tony and Hawk? Gimme a fucking break. And I find Tony's character about as offensive as that stereotypical Chief Thunder character from Killer Instinct.

Super Air Zonk. Whereas Air Zonk wowed me with its colorful, original designs, Super Air Zonk just felt stale in comparison, and 10x easier. I can replay the soundtrack from Air Zonk in my head on demand, but I can't remember a single track from Super Air Zonk. There was nothing about it that even equaled its prequel, let alone surpassed it.

Ys III. To me, this is a serious stain on the Ys legacy, and they must have agreed since Ys 4 went back to the original formula. Much like The Legendary Axe, I can't like this game no matter how many times I try. A lot of people complain about the scrolling issues, and then you have people who tell them to stop their whining. In reality, it's those scrolling issues that make this game difficult to enjoy. The visuals on this game are hard on the eyes, and this game is all about the visuals. Don't fuck up the one factor your game relies on the most, eh? Fix the scrolling and this could be a very enjoyable game... but as it stands, it's like an early MSX game coded by a high school kid in comp-sci class as his class project. Throw in some shitty voice acting that doesn't come anywhere near the level of amazing talent the first game had and it's a mishmash of suck that only has fans among Falcom fanboys or those who hold fond memories of it from their youth.

Magical Chase. 'nuff said.

technozombie · 02/28/2014, 07:18 PM

For me it's Final Fantasy 8. Pre-ordered 7 and played it 200+ hours. I pre-ordered 8 and never beat it. The story was convoluted and boring, the enemies leveled up with you which negated the point of even leveling.The magic draw system made you not want to use magic because it was tied to your stats. Lastly, the card game was boring, too random and not enough skill based and too easy to miss characters that had good cards and not be able to go back and get them. In my mind the only redeeming thing was the mini-game type sessions over pre-rendered cut scenes looked really awesome at the time.

I only had Ninja Spirit and Fantasy Zone for the TG when I was a kid. As I'm starting to buy more TG games I'm sure I'll find something I don't like......or not, OBEY.

OldRover · 02/28/2014, 07:22 PM

Oh yeah, I forgot non-obey examples... I guess I only have one: Dirge Of Cerberus. How can you fuck up a Final Fantasy game? Simple... make it play like a first-person shooter. Damage done. What a load of crap.

Bernie · 02/28/2014, 07:32 PM

Quote from: OldRover on 02/28/2014, 07:22 PMOh yeah, I forgot non-obey examples... I guess I only have one: Dirge Of Cerberus. How can you fuck up a Final Fantasy game? Simple... make it play like a first-person shooter. Damage done. What a load of crap.

Agreed!

420GOAT · 02/28/2014, 07:45 PM

indiana jones for atari 2600

InfraMan · 02/28/2014, 07:58 PM

Quote from: technozombie on 02/28/2014, 07:18 PMFor me it's Final Fantasy 8. Pre-ordered 7 and played it 200+ hours. I pre-ordered 8 and never beat it.

OMG, yessssss... FF8 was so bad that it almost made me retroactively hate the entire series. FF9 made up for it, though.

OldRover · 02/28/2014, 08:16 PM

FF9 would almost make my list... except I didn't actually hate it. It was hyped all to hell but wasn't all that interesting after awhile. It had a cool opening and the story was interesting for awhile but just got more and more contrived and boring as it dragged on. I quit playing after you pick up that character that eats things. As for FF8... well, I never had high expectations of it to begin with. Cloud 2.0 (Squall) was one-dimensional and predictable, especially if you've already played FF7. His constant whining was so obnoxious. I never finished the game, despite forcing myself to play it for as long as possible. I got to the part where Cid makes Squall the leader of things... and, predictably, Squall whined like a bitch as a result. I couldn't take his emo bullshit anymore and stopped playing. So neither of those games would really fit the criteria for me, since I didn't ultimately hate FF9 and I didn't really want FF8 to begin with.

roflmao · 02/28/2014, 10:20 PM

I loved FFIX! FFX was a letdown for me. I never finished it and haven't played any of the sequels since.

jordan_hillman · 02/28/2014, 10:58 PM

I am probably going to get a little bit of crap for this, but I was disappointed after finally getting my hands on Raiden. I absolutely love damn near every shoot 'em up on the system, but I cannot, for the life of me, have a good time while playing Raiden.

technozombie · 03/01/2014, 03:54 AM

Quote from: OldRover on 02/28/2014, 08:16 PMFF9 would almost make my list... except I didn't actually hate it. It was hyped all to hell but wasn't all that interesting after awhile. It had a cool opening and the story was interesting for awhile but just got more and more contrived and boring as it dragged on. I quit playing after you pick up that character that eats things. As for FF8... well, I never had high expectations of it to begin with. Cloud 2.0 (Squall) was one-dimensional and predictable, especially if you've already played FF7. His constant whining was so obnoxious. I never finished the game, despite forcing myself to play it for as long as possible. I got to the part where Cid makes Squall the leader of things... and, predictably, Squall whined like a bitch as a result. I couldn't take his emo bullshit anymore and stopped playing. So neither of those games would really fit the criteria for me, since I didn't ultimately hate FF9 and I didn't really want FF8 to begin with.

FF9 was OK, I actually beat it but like 7 I never went back to play it after finishing it. Unlike, FF6 I seem to play through like once a year.

esteban · 03/01/2014, 07:33 AM

Quote from: fragmare on 02/28/2014, 02:38 PM
Quote from: guest on 02/27/2014, 03:06 PM
Quote from: johnnykonami on 02/27/2014, 02:59 PMFor me, the only one that comes to mind right now is Space Harrier. I loved the arcade game so I thought it was a lock, but I was incredibly disappointed with the port. The voice I remember being particularly bad.
ya agreed, but i think it was better then a lot of other systems, the sms versions was so rough looking... i wonder what system had the best space harrier port.
Yea, I'd say I was pretty disappointed with Space Harrier on the PCE. I played Space Harrier 2 on the Genesis and it was so silky smooth, then I ran out and got Space Harrier on the PCE expecting arcade awesomeness, but it was... meh. The ground scaling on the Genesis SH2 looks 10x better than SH1 on the PCE. :/

I know a bunch of folks have been knocking Space Harrier (not just you three), but you're crazy!

Space Harrier 2 on Genesis was a disappointment, as far as I am concerned.

Sure, I wish the TG-16/PCE version had a bit more visual/aural flair, but that's superficial—it was a damn solid game. I was never let down by the actual gameplay...I don't want to speak ill of SH2 on Genesis, but when I played it (upon release), I don't recall it fully capturing the gameplay of the original arcade version, or even the TG-16/PCE port. Maybe I'm wrong, it's been so long since I've played Genny version.

MY DISAPPOINTMENTS:
(-2) Strider (ACD). I loved Strider (arcade, Genny). I didn't know about the PCE ACD version until later, after spending a long time exploring the PCE library, reading about it occasionally on PCE forums, etc. I knew the game had been criticized, but I was convinced everyone else was wrong and I would find some enjoyment! Sadly, I was wrong: Strider ACD is totally meh and it's a goddamn SIN that this isn't a GEM in the PCE legacy. DID I MENTION THAT THIS IS AN ARCADE CD? Oh, to be tormented by the squandered potential here. Trü storie.

(-1) Vasteel 2. I really enjoyed the first installment and, like Strider (ACD), I didn't even know it existed until a few years into my PCE exploration. WHY HAS NOBODY TALKED ABOUT THIS GAME ON THE FORUMS!!?? I asked myself. Well, it's a completely different game that in NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM resembles the charming, neat elements of the original Vasteel. Trü storie.

(1) Exile 2—'Nuff said.

(2) Kaze Kiri—I usually support games like this (hell, I have championed the subtle mechanics of games like Vigilante), but Kaze Kiri has always rubbed me the wrong way. I have always explained it thus: I swallowed the hype surrounding the game on message boards over a decade ago and I must have had unrealistic expectations. I honestly hope I'll be able to revisit this game and appreciate it at some point. Trü storie.

(3) ShapeShifter—This was a big tease. I had seen screenshots for so long and the setting/description of the game itself seemed like a guaranteed enjoyable game, even if it wasn't perfect. As Rover already explained, this game had so much potential and my heart aches every time I think about the needless frustration caused by easily fixed flaws. A little more play testing and refinement and this could have been a real gem. Trü storie.

(4) I'm disappointed that Rover will never experience the glory of Legendary Axe. He's been grinding this Axe for years now, and I rarely let him get away with it. Trü storie. DUDE, you hyper-over-exaggerate the "flaws" (coldet collision detection) as if it's a deal-breaker. In reality, it's far from a deal-breaker. Most folks slightly adjust their offensive/defensive strategies and completely enjoy this game (hint: like COUNTLESS games, you're not supposed to recklessly charge forward in this game—some sections require you to slow down and methodically pick off opponents)! THE MUSIC IS TRULY FANTASTIC and IMHO it is one of the all-time greats out if the entire PCE legacy of great chiptunes. My heart aches for you, dear Rover.

OldRover · 03/01/2014, 10:46 AM

Nope, no matter how many times I try to like teh Axe, it just doesn't happen. The terrible collision issues (which could have been easily remedied) are the dealbreaker for me. The music is nice but still sounds like something from an NES game rather than a turbob game. I give them a break because it's an early title, but no breaks given for the gameplay issues. Splatterhouse has the same collision problems, but it shows up less often because there are no breakable items, only enemies... but you still can only ever hit one at once, which is a HUGE flaw. You have to "readjust your strategy" in that game too, and it's annoying as fuck. The problem in that game really manifests in the giant vagina level, where you need to be able to hit multiples at once.

awack · 03/01/2014, 01:42 PM

I agree with The Old Rover about the control in Axe 1, with better control it could have been on the same level as Ninja Spirit and Axe 2, oh, and better character art would have gone a long way in helping it as well. the characters are not colored or shaded right, they or most of them seem very flat, just compare them to Axe 2 to see what I mean.

I wanted early CD games to have awesome in game aesthetics, the 1st two games I got were Valis 2 and Ys 1 & 2, so I was really disappointed in early CD games...in fact, in my little brain, because of that, I thought it was impossible for CD games to have good graphics, something about those flat disk made it impossible for programmers to do so:-)....the next CD game I bought was Rayxanber 2 and thought it was a really nice looking game, so my faith was restored.

johnnykonami · 03/01/2014, 04:35 PM

I thought Legendary Axe was gonna be kinda generic when I first saw it as a kid. But I picked it up anyway at some point and loved it! Great music, a decent challenge, and you gotta love that last boss taking up damn near the whole screen.

Legendary Axe II, OTOH.. I know it's not even really from the same series in Japan, but still.

djolof · 03/01/2014, 07:41 PM

Birthday money back in 1992 was spent on Darkwing Duck... Yep, it even sucked back then... :'(

esteban · 03/01/2014, 07:56 PM

Quote from: The Old Rover on 03/01/2014, 10:46 AMNope, no matter how many times I try to like teh Axe, it just doesn't happen. The terrible collision issues (which could have been easily remedied) are the dealbreaker for me. The music is nice but still sounds like something from an NES game rather than a turbob game. I give them a break because it's an early title, but no breaks given for the gameplay issues. Splatterhouse has the same collision problems, but it shows up less often because there are no breakable items, only enemies... but you still can only ever hit one at once, which is a HUGE flaw. You have to "readjust your strategy" in that game too, and it's annoying as fuck. The problem in that game really manifests in the giant vagina level, where you need to be able to hit multiples at once.

The secret to Vagina Hall of Fetus: SLIDE SLIDE SLIDE

It's funny because it is the literal trüth.

Trü storie.