Bonk's Adventure (Turbografix 16) Retro Review!

The TurboGrafix (PC Engine) was a 16-Bit console that came out in the midst of the Console wars between Sega And Nintendo and as such, NEC needed a mascot...So they settled for a bald, angry caveman....

Bonk's Adventure was the headline title for the Turbografix launch in the west, seen as a parallel to Sonic and Mario, and despite being the best selling game on the console it ultimately failed to make the dent in the mascot wars but it was certainly an exciting time for owners of the console at the time.

Bonk is a 2D platformer set in a prehistoric world, where you play as the enigmatic Bonk, a bald little caveman with a serious anger issue when he eats meat! Bonk jumps, headbutts and head dives his way through the brightly coloured levels, encountering prehistoric enemies at every turn. When Bonk eats meat he transforms into a more powerful/angry caveman allowing his head dive to stun enemies after one piece of meat and brief invulnerability after a second piece. Overall Bonk controls well although a slightly quicker run speed would enhance the game in my opinion.

Graphically the game was beautiful at the time and i still think it holds up. The large sprites are full of detail and character, with eye pops being a particular highlight and the backdrops have lovely colour and a good level of scrolling. It showcased the relative power of the Turbografix 16 compared to the NES at the time.

Length wise Bonk can be beaten by an experienced player in around an hour, even more so if you are playing one of the virtual console versions, and i feel that's a good spot for a platformer of the time. I found the game fairly easy throughout and never really had any issues but the level did ramp up as the game went on and even in 2018 its a decent game.

Overall Bonk's Adventure is a classic platformer, its got great gameplay, graphics and sound but ultimately it doesn't quite stay with you as much as its contemporaries. That being said i would 100% recommend giving this game a go on the Wii U eShop, for £5 you cant go wrong!

7/10

Super Lucky's Tale Review (Xbox One)

Super Lucky's Tale is indeed a curious tale. An early Virtual Reality title turned into an E3 stage worthy Xbox One exclusive, does this cute Fox make for a worthy adventure or is it wasted potential?

Well, first off, i was very pleasantly surprised by Lucky's overall polish. I know this is a weird thing to start off with but when an exclusive game comes out at just £19.99 RRP it can give the illusion of poor quality or lack of effort, thankfully this is not the case with Super Lucky's Tale.

Following a charming intro cut-scene where you learn, from Lucky's sister, that Lucky and the villainous Kitty Litter (The pun game is STRONG in this one) have been sucked into the Book of Ages Lucky must collect enough Clovers (he's Lucky you see...) to defeat each of these colourful kitty villains, progress to the next world and escape the book. It's pretty by the numbers but overall i really like the way the game approaches its limited story. each of the worlds have unique and very adorable inhabitants but the cats are really the stars of the show. Each providing context to the changes they've made to each world and each of them very memorable in there own ways.

The game is also beautiful. Its use of simplistic and clean textures really allow the bright colours to pop and give the Lucky a feel very reminiscent of Super Mario or Banjo-Kazooie. Lucky and the cast also ooze personality with really vibrant animations and audio ques that again take you back to an era of games that were seemingly gone forever. I was surprised to see the game also supports 4K and is Enhanced for Xbox One X and although i haven't been able to try this out, i can imagine the game looks even more beautiful with the crispness of HDR and 4K. The music is also a highlight too, with most tracks being upbeat and very catchy.

Gameplay wise the game feels exactly how you would expect a 3D platformer to feel in 2017. Lucky can jump, double jump, burrow and spin to attack foes and progress through platforming challenges. All these work really well with the notable exception of the double jump that just feels plain off. It requires a far to precise button input that only seems to work half of the time. That aside the other moves work great and are utilized throughout the game. For example, throughout most of the levels there is clock you hit that then gives you a certain amount of time to collect coloured coins in sequence. these challenges usually have lucky switching from burrowing to jumping in quick succession and really test your platforming skills. Overall, Lucky controls are pretty good.

The level design also stands out as a real positive for me. Each of the levels are distinctly themed around a certain overarching gimmick, eg a farm that's been taken over by machines or a big maze overseen by an onion King, and this gives them all a unique quality that reminds me of early Crash Bandicoot titles. Each levels requires you to get 300 coins, Spell the word LUCKY, find a hidden challenge and Complete the level. Having these requirements the same throughout was actually a really smart move because it keeps the player moving towards a goal, they know what to look out for and as such can enjoy each level without wondering what they need to do to 100% it.

A major gripe i've seen a few other reviewers have with the game is the somewhat unusually high required amount of clovers to progress through the world. Whilst i can see why someone might complain about this i personally had absolutely no trouble getting all the clovers in each level with only 1 or 2 runs through. Coupled with the fact the levels in general are pretty short AND keep your LUCKY clover progress the difficulty of completion for Lucky is fairly easy.

In terms of Achievements the game is very straight forward. Beat the game, collect all the clovers needed to do so and perform a few tasks you will naturally perform throughout the game anyway and BOOM 1000 GamerScore.

Overall, Super Lucky's Tale is a fun game. Its simple setting and fluid controls are brilliantly mixed with beautiful graphics and upbeat humour to provide an enjoyable adventure that anyone can enjoy. Its Poor double jump and lack of replay value are really its only short comings but this is quickly balanced by its low price point and now the fact it is on Xbox Game Pass. The DLC adds some more well made content at a very reasonable price!

My final verdict for Super Lucky's Tale is a good game that only misses greatness by a inch.

7.8/10

V-Rally 3 (Xbox) Retro Review!

Hey Guys Dave here again, with another Review!

Today i am talking about one of my all time favourite racing games, V-Rally 3 on the Original Xbox!

Now VRally was a racing series that primarily existed in the mid nineties on just about every console available at the time, it was made by Eden Studios and published by Infogrames and in the case of the 3rd game, Atari.

Vrally 3 came out in 2003 on Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube to average critical review scores and ultimately ended up being the most recent game in the series.

The game is alot more arcade in its driving and physics engines compared to its big rival of the time, Codemasters Colin Mcrae Rally series. Its driving style in particular is very loose in comparison, which to be honest i do enjoy, especially now as this type of driving game is almost non existent in the triple A market.

Now the reason i love this game so much  is its very enjoyable career mode. As you can see from my gameplay footage in the video below you start off without a team and have to take test drives to get a contract. At the start this aspect is essentially a driving skill rating with one test giving you only a single chance and another letting you have unlimited attempts at hitting the target time.

I like this approach because it organically lets you progress as a player, the better you become the  harder the game gets. An interesting part of this are RPG style stats for each of the teams which displays a score rating for budget, performance, reliability and Morale. All these stats dictate how well your car performs, how much the team are able to improve it throughout the season, your chances of a new contract and ultimately your expectations.

I love this, as it gives you the option to build a team up or jump ship to a better car. There is also 2 distinct divisions, 1.6l and 2L. which acts as a clear progression in difficulty. The 2L cars are much faster and harder to control and as such when you get offered a chance to test drive for a 2L team you will need to be able to drive it based on skill not on how long you've been playing the game which i absolutely love. In modern games it can feel a little too easy to move up through the ranks thanks to AI difficulty settings, rewinds and driving assists but thankfully V Rally has no such options, if you get better... great! if you dont, well.... get used to the Polo.

Overall i think V Rally 3 is a criminally underrated gem on the Xbox, it doesn't look or play as well as Colin Mcrae Rally for sure but its arcade racing and deep career mode make its something entirely alternative even in 2018.

7.5/10

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Wii U) Review

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker was an interesting and incredibly smart release for Nintendo during the Wii U's 2nd year struggles. It is essentially an expanded game built from the Captain Toad levels from Super Mario 3D World, using that games assets and mechanics and putting them into a 70+ self contained puzzles.

This may sound like im implying this is a quick fix title not worthy of your time but in fact, it is quite the opposite.

In Captain Toad you guide the Captain (And Toadette) through each level to collect 3 gems, a star and a bonus objective that ranges from collecting a Gold Mushroom to not being seen by enemies. The game uses the gamepads gyro and touch screen to manipulate the camera and levels in order to aid your progress and overall the game does a pretty good job of utilising the Wii U's often maligned tablet controller. Thanks to the Amiibo update you can now scan a Toad Amiibo and play a bonus hide and seek objective on every level which is a nice little bonus is you have the Amiibo and want keep playing.

The story is presented in an interesting episodic format that tells the story of Toad and Toadette hunting for Stars and saving each other from Wingo, a large bird enemy. The short cutscenes and episodic style fits the game perfectly. It feels like the perfect game to lay on the sofa and play a few levels off tv on the Gamepad which was one of the consoles biggest attractions during its run on the market. The only issue i have with the game campaign is the reuse of the bosses throughout the game. Although the levels built around them are slightly different, its still a little boring if you are playing the game in large play sessions. That being said i completely understand why, the game was clearly built quickly on the cheap and as such reusing assets is simply required for the development time.

Overall im very pleased with Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. Its a fun puzzle game built from arguably the most interesting and memorable aspect of Super Mario 3D World and at the time its was not a full priced release in the UK with a RRP of £30. The game is fairly short but if you want to 100% the game with the Amiibo Hide and Seek the 12-15 Hours is still great value for money.

Nintendo again showcases why they are so beloved with a unique, polished and fun puzzle platformer. Aside from a few camera issues and the reuse of boss assets Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a marvel of design and is simply a must have if you own a Wii U.

8/10

My Top Ten Wii U Games Of All Time! (2017 Edition)

Back in 2014 i listed my favourite Wii U games at the time with the hope that the console would start to really grow following the recently released Mario Kart 8. Whilst sadly the Wii U never caught on it was home to a lot of great games.

So with the Switch almost taking over from the Wii U's console sales after just 9 months, now feels like the best time to put the Wii U to bed and list MY personal favourite top ten games!

As i have said above, this is MY personal top ten games and only includes games that i own and played on the Wii U!

10. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate was a port of the Wii's Monster Hunter Tri that came to the Wii U and 3ds with enhanced graphics and more content, in the early stages of the Wii U's short life. The  game tasks you, unsurprisingly, with hunting monsters to save a small fishing village and ultimately to collect parts to improve your own gear and skills. The game features a very robust online suite that is still relatively strong today and in my opinion was by far the most hardcore community on the system. This was also the only MH game that made it to the west on the Wii U, with Japan getting a few more! 

I personally really enjoyed the community aspect of the game and found myself playing regularly with a group of people. It was a ton of fun and hopefully the Switch will soon receive an English port of XX!

9. The Wonderful 101

The first time we are seeing Platinum Games on this list and what a great game to start with! In W101 you control 100 heroes of various powers and costumes to defeat a flamboyant invading force, using Platinum's signature action and tongue in cheek humour to beat the games 10+ hours of story content.

W101 is one of the games i covered a lot during the first few years of Wii U and was one of the first games that i used to bring up when defending the Wii U. It is still exclusive to the console (i doubt for long) and if you still have a Wii U its one of the best action games you can get.... once you get used to the controls....

8. Hyrule Warriors

One of the four Zelda games released on the console, Hyrule warriors is by far the most unique. What essentially started as a Dynasty Warriors game with a Zelda paint of coat transformed into a massive love letter to fans of the series wrapped into an accessible and fun hack and slash game that doesnt take itself too seriously. Still one of the best Co Op experiences on a console full of great Co Op games, Hyrule Warriors deserves its place at number Eight on this list!

7. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker

Arguably the biggest hidden gem on this list. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is a 3D puzzle game where you lead Toad/Toadette through a variety of levels and bosses by manipulating the world and camera with the Gamepad. The twist is that the toads heavy bags prevent them from jumping, so the game is a far slower experience than other titles set in the Mario Universe.

Captain Toad was a massive surprise to me when my other half picked it up on release. It was a cheaper title based on a few side levels from Super Mario 3D world so our expectations were very low but that was quickly converted to joy when we started playing. It is just a joyous experience on the Wii U that anyone can enjoy and has arguably stuck with me more than most other Mario titles on the system.

6. Bayonetta 2

The Bayonetta series looked to be lost to cult status before Nintendo stepped in and published the second (and now third) title in Platinum's acclaimed action series. A genuine surprise announcement early in the Wii U's life due to its mature nature Bayonetta 2 has quickly turned into THE mature game for the system. 

You play as Bayonetta, a sexy witch who fights demons with a variety of crazy weapons and super moves through heaven and hell. Its a crazy game. Its also a fantastic game, one of the first times i started a game on Wii U and beat it in 3 straight days and i cant wait for Bayonetta 3 on the Nintendo Switch!

5. Super Mario 3D World

Back on my 2014 list this game was top of list, having just beaten it and being truly in love with art style and gameplay. Four years on and rightly the game has dropped to number 5. Whilst it is a true Mario experience with exquisite level design, sound design and art direction, it does lack a tiny bit of the cohesion found in the other tentpole 3D Mario titles. Its sadly one of the few titles on this list where i was really "one and done" and haven't found myself returning to the game at all.

With that being said i really enjoyed the playthrough i had, the later levels in particular were challenging and really tested my skill as a platform gamer. It is a shame that Mario Odyssey has now eclipsed this game in every conceivable way!

4. Super Smash Bros. For Wii U

Since the Gamecube, Super Smash Bros. has long been one of the most important Nintendo franchises for me. Over the past 15 years friendships have been formulated and strengthened by the constant challenge of its simple but secretly deep fighting system. Hundreds of hours worth of content have gone into local multiplayer and Smash 4 is no different.

Arguably the finest example of franchise progress, Smash 4 does everything you expect it to do but on a level above what you expect. It looks great, sounds great and the sheer amount of multiplayer content is crazy impressive. The DLC is also great, adding classic characters like Ryu and Cloud to more modern stars like Bayonetta. Its only blip is the lack of a real story mode but its not really the reason to pick up Smash in the first place.

And until it comes to Switch, Smash 4 is still in my machine.

3. Splatoon

We are into the final 3! Splatoon was Nintendo's first new IP in a long while when it was released and after initial unsureness about it, it has quickly become one of the big N's hottest properties. The premise of the game was very simple, its a 3rd person shooter where the emphasis is more on Teamwork and Map control than it was about Kill Death Ratio's. All wrapped in Nintendo's signature art style and family friendliness.

It has been a revelation since release, thanks in part to the fantastic free  content support Nintendo has given to both games, the excellent Splatfests and burgeoning ESports community. 

Personally i played a good chunk of the multiplayer and actually thoroughly enjoyed the short single player campaign on offer, but my other half took it to the next level with well over a 120 Hours of gameplay clocked before Splatoon 2 came to Switch.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Now this may seem like a cheap move, but strangely it isn't! When Zelda (and the Switch) first released in March my partner bought it for Switch. We tried sharing the game (and console) for about month before realising that wasn't going to work so i went out and picked the game up for my Wii U and i am very glad i did.

The game is almost identical to the Switch version, with only slight frame rate spikes being the difference. Its still a great version of 2017's game of the year and when using the Wii U pro controller i doubt most people could tell the versions apart.

As for the game itself, its a beautiful re-imaging of the Zelda formula into massive open world adventure that you can play however you like to! Each of the game systems are deep and masterfully realised, with the revamped combat a particular highlight for me.

The game was built from the ground up for the Wii U and it felt like the perfect swansong for a console that already had a wealth of great Zelda content (for example i haven't even mentioned the excellent Wind Waker and Twilight Princess ports in this list!)

Its only really lacking the classic dungeons for me but other than that Breath of the Wild is a game that you should play, and the Wii U version is a fine way to play!

1. Mario Kart 8

Despite the game being ported to Switch, Nothing could stop me from putting MK8 on the top of this list. In what feels like the accumulation of 20 years of Mario Kart development, MK8 is a near perfect karting experience.

Each track is wonderfully designed to feel different and memorable, the vast array of vehicle parts and characters gives each person the opportunity to tailor there play to there own likes and the Online multiplayer is arguably the best on the system.

All that before talking about the amazing DLC that added 16 tracks, tons of vehicles and characters (Including Link, Animal crossing characters and F Zero Tracks) for an unbelievable £8. 

Much like smash this game provided hundreds of hours of multiplayer fun and despite that i STILL play it on Switch, such is quality of the game!

So that is my top ten Wii U games in 2018, this was a very hard list to make. The Wii U, despite its low sales, had a really strong library overall and has a very special place in my heart!

The Quarter Life Plan!

Hey all!

So its now 2015, i will be 25 years old this year.... this is depressing!

What better way to celebrate this landmark year than with an excuse to play video games! I'm setting myself a little challenge: try and complete some of the backlog of games that i have never got round to completing that are sat on my shelf!

1. Batman: Arkham City

I'm Batman... 

So I've talked about this game in my top ten Wii U games last year but ive never actually beaten it. I LOVE the combat and all of the lore but need to sit down and beat this once and for all!

2/3. Bayonetta/Bayonetta 2

When Bayonetta 2 was announced as an exclusive for Wii U my honest reaction was "Cool but not my thing" as soon as the double pack edition was announced i immediately pre-ordered it as i have never played either game. I Started the first one, enjoyed it, but it kicked my ass hard and i moved onto something else. Bayonetta 2 is one of the best reviewed games of the last few years so i intend to man up and play through my lack of skill!

4. The Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask 3D

I know this is cheating BUT my girlfriend has pre-ordered both the Special Edition of the game AND the Special edition console with the game built in, i therefore have a physical copy to play! Ive never been a massive Zelda fan but im not really sure why. I never had an N64 aswell so i havent played Majoras Mask at all. Looking forward to this one!

5. Super Mario Galaxy 2

I will admit that i REALLY didnt enjoy the Wii. Motion controls and just the uncomfortable WiiMote - Nunchuck set up didnt appeal to me, i thus missed out on some great games, such The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and the Super Mario Galaxy series. So with Galaxy 2 been made available for Wii U at a mere £9 ive decided to jump in and see what ive missed. So far the game is great and looks amazing on the slightly upscaled Wii U resolution!

My Top Ten Wii U Games! - 02/08/14

To celebrate the fact Anti Flux has had a very good first month ive decided to come back to my blog and talk about my favourite subject... the Wii U! 

So since the last blog post the Wii U has had a surge in sales and interest thanks to a fanastic E3 showing and the wonderful Mario Kart 8.

With that being said its time to talk about MY personal favourite 10 games on the Wii U so far.

Note: This list only includes games that i OWN so is missing a games that i would believe to be on here, mainly Wonderful 101 and Pikmin 3! Lets get started!

10. Call of Duty: Black Ops II

A Call of Duty game dave? On a Nintendo console? WHAT?!?! 

Hear me out, Call of Duty Black Ops 2 on the Wii U is really this good. Its got everything the 360/ps3 versions of the game have, Good graphics, an interesting story and fast paced multi player. It also has some fantastic Wii U exclusive features. The main one (and the one ill mention again later trust me) is Off Tv play. Its a game changer. The ability to play a game like COD quietly in the corner without annoying your other half is truly a feature Nintendo should be shouting about, the game plays wonderfully on the Gamepad and doesn't hinder your abilities in any way. In addition to this, its one of the games that allows dual screen multiplayer. So you can play on the gamepad and a buddy can play on the TV. Having your own screen for Online and local multi player makes the experience a whole lot better.

9. Batman Arkham City: Armoured Edition

Another port! Yes, but a very good one! The Armored Edition is the Game Of Year version of the game that includes all the DLC as well as a few Wii U exclusive Armor suits.

It also uses the Wii U Gamepad for a few unique mini games and features such as the Bat radio audio coming from the pad instead of the TV and the hacking using the touch screen. Its a great game, made better on the Wii U.

8. Nintendo Land 

The first Nintendo game on the list! Nintendo Land is a mini game collection that show cases the many types of gameplay available on the Wii U using puppet versions of Nintendo's biggest franchises.

It was bundled with most Consoles at launch and in that respect its really worth playing. The multiplayer modes are a lot of fun, especially the 4 vs 1 hide and seek games that still get cracked out at parties.

The single player content is also addicting and serves as a fantastic introduction to the Wii U gamepad.

7. Earthbound (Virtual Console)

When Nintendo announced that the Virtual Console was FINALLY coming to Wii U all we could ask was simply "when are we getting Earthbound?" 

Now i had never played Earthbound, due to the difficulty of getting hold of it in the UK. So when it was available i downloaded immediately! WOW, what a game. Its very simple to play which is really why it is so timeless. The story is extremely dark and well written and the ending is both unnerving and very rewarding. Its so good i really don't want to ruin this for people so just play it... do it....

6. Mass Effect 3: Special Edition

Another launch port and again a very good one! If you know me you will know how much i love the Mass Effect series and how burnt i was by the original ending on ME3. So much so i didnt actually complete the Xbox 360 version when it came out. So when i got my Wii U and saw that an enhanced version of the game was coming to it i decided to pick it up and give it a second chance.

Im glad i did, a great game that is as good as any other the previous versions of the game, the Wii U version includes most of the DLC and has a few gamepad features built in. The Multi Player was a surprise joy for me as well, with no problems getting into games, zero lag and a really friendly and helpful community. For those who say you cant enjoy the Wii U online... you are wrong!

5. Sonic and All Stars Racing: Transformed

Arguably the most underrated game on the Wii U in my humble opinion. This came out at launch and was by far the most popular and enhanced version of the game. It came out a good year before Mario Kart 8 and at the time it was the best racing game on the console.

The ability to switch between 3 different play styles, a HUGE amount of content (seriously so much stuff in here) and the best feature of any Wii U game, 5 player Local and ONLINE multi player. So you could take 5 local friends with you online which is crazy, the game still handled great and my GF and myself played this to death until MK8 came out!

4. New Super Mario Bros. U

New Super Mario Bros. U was really the first major hitter on the Wii U. Although it did feel like a baby step up from New Mario Bros. Wii it was a really great game. Mario looks fantastic in HD at long last and played perfectly. The inclusion of a Super Mario World style overworld was a big selling point for me and really made the game feel nostalgic and fresh at the same time.

Also the addition of the insanely difficult but fun challenge mode was another great addition to THE flagship game franchise.

3. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

Still the most hardcore community on the Wii U Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is truly a beast of a game. Its an enhanced port of the Wii version that has 100+ hours of content. The reason its so high on my list is just how addictive and fun this game is to play with friends. Its one of the hardest games to get into ive ever played but after watching a few tutorial videos i just got it and there was no looking back.

2. Mario Kart 8

Such a good game, i don't know where to start to be honest. 

First of all, its gorgeous, how a kart racing game can look this good is unbelievable. The game plays extremely well, the tracks are fantastic, the online is flawless and i love the ability to build your own kart.

In years to come i can this being even higher on the list, but for now, its worthy of number 2.

1. Super Mario 3D World

A sheer masterpiece. When i first saw the trailer for this i really wasnt that hyped for it. It looked like a weird hybrid of the 3DS game and a standard Mario game but when i played it for the first time i was blown away.

Graphically its beautiful, the new cat power up is amazing, the levels are varied and great and last of all it is extremely challenging to complete. 

This is the game that should of launched with the Wii U and if you own one or want one, this is one of the games you must buy.

So thats my little list, again its just my opinions on the games i own and for sure this list will change next year!