February 2013 Poll (ends Thursday, January 31st)
Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 3:52 amWe've got four options this month. The first two are short games that will take multiple sessions to beat, but once you have the hang of them, you can clear them in one go. The second two are, well, not that short.
NOTE: If we do Mother or Terranigma, we'll do a two month commune.
Fantasy Zone
This isn't your average space shooter--you're free to explore left or right through each stage. The key to clearing each stage is blowing up enemy generators, which are handily marked as red or gray dots at the bottom of the screen. Don't let the cutesy graphics and music fool you, though, since this one definitely has some challenge to it. I have yet to conquer the snowman boss, which is about halfway through. This game requires patience and repeat play.
Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse
This charming platformer features throwable blocks that you can chuck into enemies. There's also three different costumes you get over the course of the game, each with its own unique set of abilities. Comparing them to Mega Man's alternate powers or Mario's alternate powerups would be to underestimate Mickey's costumes. To top it off, the level design experiments with multiple paths in linear stages.
Mother AKA Earthbound Zero
While this follows the conventions of an ancient JRPG, it’s a good deal more accessible. It has a reputation for requiring some grinding, but the GBA remake has an option for helping you out there and making the game easier to handle. The story lacks the punch of Earthbound on SNES, but you’ll still find plenty of quirky dialogue, situations, and combat to read through—it’s a wacky and strangely emotional experience through and through.
Terranigma
The final game in the SNES Quintet trilogy. This game stands on its own perfectly well, but it picks up on a lot of story themes from the other two games. You'll find a big overworld and mazey dungeons to traverse with the action RPG elements you've come to expect from Quintet.
NOTE: If we do Mother or Terranigma, we'll do a two month commune.
Fantasy Zone
This isn't your average space shooter--you're free to explore left or right through each stage. The key to clearing each stage is blowing up enemy generators, which are handily marked as red or gray dots at the bottom of the screen. Don't let the cutesy graphics and music fool you, though, since this one definitely has some challenge to it. I have yet to conquer the snowman boss, which is about halfway through. This game requires patience and repeat play.
Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse
This charming platformer features throwable blocks that you can chuck into enemies. There's also three different costumes you get over the course of the game, each with its own unique set of abilities. Comparing them to Mega Man's alternate powers or Mario's alternate powerups would be to underestimate Mickey's costumes. To top it off, the level design experiments with multiple paths in linear stages.
Mother AKA Earthbound Zero
While this follows the conventions of an ancient JRPG, it’s a good deal more accessible. It has a reputation for requiring some grinding, but the GBA remake has an option for helping you out there and making the game easier to handle. The story lacks the punch of Earthbound on SNES, but you’ll still find plenty of quirky dialogue, situations, and combat to read through—it’s a wacky and strangely emotional experience through and through.
Terranigma
The final game in the SNES Quintet trilogy. This game stands on its own perfectly well, but it picks up on a lot of story themes from the other two games. You'll find a big overworld and mazey dungeons to traverse with the action RPG elements you've come to expect from Quintet.