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/vr/ - Retro Games

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1897369 No.1897369[DELETED]  [Reply] [Original]

Earthworm Jim is what happens when you have an artist lead a game project and focus more on cool ideas and style than actual gameplay.

>> No.1897376

Usually that would end up badly
EWJ was damn fun

>> No.1897381

>>1897369
the music of that game was boring and bad,
whats with those battles against the snot, they were damn hard and stupid also the fucking hell boss

>> No.1897390

>>1897376
It's not a bad game, and you can certainly do a lot worse in the 16-bit 2D platformers department, but it's overall not very well designed from a gameplay perspective. Almost every level is a completely different style of gameplay, the difficulty is all over the place, and certain things just aren't suited for being a game. Sure, Jim eating Bob the Goldfish instead of actually fighting him is funny, but it's not a satisfying way to conclude a difficult level. The whole game was clearly designed with "what would be a cool or funny situation for Jim to be in" rather than "what would make for a fun level?"

>> No.1897392
File: 142 KB, 463x486, ironchef.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1897392

If my memory serves me....

I think the SegaCD version had improved music and additional levels.

I always loved Earthworm Jim. Highly creative, great animation, multiple routes, ridiculous level design. I really loved the flying sequences and the fights with psy-crow were just annoying enough to try to actually win those races.

Also had most hilarious ending.

This game is one of the reasons to play classic games. For real. Go play it.

>> No.1897398

Pretty much sums up my opinion on it OP. Didn't get the hype back then and I've got even less love for the games now. A mess of poorly thought out stages that never quite seemed to hang together. The puppy bouncing stages in the sequel rate among my last favorite experience in anything, ever.

On the positive side I used to dig the cartoon as a kid.

>> No.1897489

>>1897398
>I was bad at games then
>I'm bad at games now

>> No.1897515

>>1897369
>>1897390
Yes, it's a messy game, certainly not tight enough of a design for arcade standards, but it's not like gameplay was completely neglected. It may be more of interest for novelty/variety/style than pure platforming excellence but I don't see many people claiming that the latter is its strength. And at least it's a decent challenge, which is more than manageable once you get used to Jim's weird feel.

>> No.1897715
File: 87 KB, 640x640, EWJ.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1897715

I'm pretty sure everybody agrees about the game's design being an unfocused motley of gameplay concepts, but there's this weird, increasing eagerness to pick it apart, usually reserved for neighboring lines of hindsight merit policing, mostly the overration patrol.

I mean, EWJ is hardly OoT; the popularity of the game came from its brutal production values and a well-researched exploit of the mascot era and its ADD-ridden intended audience. You won't find any real fan defending the games as some kind of milestone in videogame histoy; it's been always about all those crazy characters and memorable setpieces. The gameplay was just competent and serviceable; it didn't need to be any more than that, and I'm having a hard time recalling any instance of the developers pretending otherwise.

It hardly qualifies as the medium-tainting conspiracy that has apparently become fashionable to denounce. But, to be fair, OP's got a point about artists potentially making poor game designers; though Doug Tennapel's input in the game was limited to character/scenario concepts and no actual gameplay, it's pretty obvious his ideas on game design are a bit shallow, from his graphic novel 'Power Up' (the main characters work at a copy shop and are working on a 'game design pitch', which is presented essentially as some character and weapon drawings).

>> No.1897720

The sequeal is seriously weird

It's not really even a platformer; it's a minigame collection. And each of them is horribly frustrating.

>> No.1897723

>>1897369
I think I've read this exact line of thinking somewhere

I still like the game despite that fact, but I could never really get into the sequel.

>> No.1897727

>>1897381
>the music of that game was boring and bad,
Maybe if you played the genesis version

>> No.1897736
File: 270 KB, 856x1200, 481576 - Earthworm_Jim Princess_Whats-Her-Name Rennes.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1897736

>>1897369
>/vr/... The place where hating became a popular thing.

Sure the appeal of the game was the humor and characters, but it's still a very enjoyable and solid game.
Back then I really appreciated how every stage was different. It's like Battletoads. You have your sidescrolling levels, the ropes, the scooters etc. etc. EWJ was fun because it threw all these different concepts at you.

GOAT? No. Good? Yes.

>> No.1897741
File: 49 KB, 500x375, 1409111751567.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1897741

>>1897715

Let's go get Lunchables and play Sega at my house, you sound like an alright guy.

>> No.1897756

>>1897390
>Almost every level is a completely different style of gameplay

and?

how is that a bad thing?

variety is the spice of life

>> No.1897785

>>1897369
Rented these as a kid and they were ungodly hard.

It wasnt even about being "bad" at games, I'd beaten Contra 3 and Megaman X without subtanks and shit like that, but this game was just the epitome of frustration. Floaty controls, levels constantly changing, things just being retarded in general.

Never cared for the series after that.

>> No.1897946

The only outright bad game in the series is Earthworm Jim 3D.

I struggle to think of any game with worse boss fights.

>> No.1898060

>>1897369

never liked EWJ, the gameplay just isn't fun and the style of humor is the complete opposite of what I find funny

>> No.1898073
File: 1.53 MB, 375x326, 1405716539003.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1898073

>>1897715
Chill man. You're not writing a term paper or something.

>> No.1898078

>>1897720
>sequeal
yeah, sequeals are usually weird, whatever the fuck that is.

The sequel on the other hand lacked focus, but had some good ideas and lots of creativity.

>> No.1898082

The whole Legacy of Kain series is what happens when you have a writer lead a game project and focus more on cool ideas and style than actual gameplay.

>> No.1898129

>>1897727
genesis version had better music, strangely enough

>> No.1898136

>>1897715
Holy shit. This is the most thought out post I've ever read on 4chan

>> No.1898145

>>1897736
>Sure the appeal of the game was the humor and characters

I actually like the stage design.

>> No.1898168

>>1898073

maybe he is. How do you know?

>> No.1898173

Another example of this is the Cool World game.
It's great to look at once you actually figure out what you're supposed to do.

>> No.1898180

>>1897720
I find the sequel to be really cool until you get to that one fucking part where you have to ride around in a fucking ship thing and bounce like a bomb across the enTIRE FUCCKING STAGE AND IF THEBOMB HITS SOMETHING YOU GOTTA GO ALL THE FUCKING WAY BACK TO THE START!

I never understood why they even made that stage.

>> No.1898183

Admittedly it has been a while since I played a lot of the first game, but I thought the second one had way too little platforming in it and the graphics felt a bit dull.

>> No.1898361 [DELETED] 
File: 42 KB, 479x720, 1380697092809.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1898361

>>1898168
Well, I'll be!

>> No.1898367 [DELETED] 
File: 42 KB, 479x720, 1380697092809.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1898367

>>1898168

>> No.1898398

>>1897369

No, OP. That would be the first three Sonic games.

>> No.1898498

>>1898073
Why is someone being criticized for writing three, intelligent and even-keeled paragraphs without attacking anyone?

>> No.1898508

>>1898498

never mind him, epic reaction images of AVGN seem to be more his speed

>> No.1898513

>>1898367
>not writing about things you find legitimately interesting

enjoy your boring life

>> No.1898596

>>1897381
Scuse me?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCbEBGcPagA&index=4&list=PL559A0D4622A9B5DF

>> No.1898639

>>1897715
I responded in the affirmative

knowing big words doesn't mean you should use them

>> No.1898643

>>1897369
In hindsight it was a preview of indie games to come. Like Reese coming back to warn us about the Terminators.

>> No.1898647

>>1898498
Think about this board for a second.

>> No.1898652

>>1897369
I feel like you should be required to back this claim up. I don't find EWJ satisfying anymore, but the mechanics and level design are on par if not above average for its time. How is this game worse than any other platformer from the early-mid 90's?

>> No.1900806
File: 38 KB, 314x209, ewj_iphone.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1900806

>>1897369
You got a bad ROM of the game, anon. Same thing happened to me. I thought the gameplay was bad, too, until I realized my ROM was screwed up. For some reason, a flawed ROM of the Genesis version has been circulating online.

Try downloading the game again from Emu Paradise. Then you'll see the gameplay is much faster, smoother and tighter. Trust me.

>> No.1900831

>>1900806
I have the original genesis cart, but now I'm intrigued. What exactly is different about this ROM?

>> No.1900834

Oh come on, how can you not like EWJ?

>> No.1900864
File: 57 KB, 300x300, sakura sweat.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1900864

>>1898073
>guy states his opinion in a single sentence
>"lol can you back that up?"
>guy explains his opinion in about a dozen sentences
>"lol, TEE EL DEE ARE"

>> No.1900871

>>1900831
Well, I have the original cart, too, but I recently played the ROM version, instead. Which version did you play? The ROM or the cart?

The bad ROM has slower gameplay that isn't as responsive. Typically, the gameplay in Earthworm Jim is very good. So when I read the OP saying the gameplay wasn't all that great, I just figured you got the bad ROM.

>> No.1901065

I love it when games change things up from level to level like EWJ.

It's popular now to give a game 5 seconds of gameplay and repeat it throughout the game but I thinks that's shit.

The bungee level was one of my favorites, there were easy races with little punishment for failure to mix things up and Peter Puppy put a cool spin on your regular moves. I'm not a big fan of the globe-subs but they aren't difficult like many other old school underwater levels were. I wish more games tried so many new things to keep it fresh.

>> No.1901204

There are only two parts I hated on EWJ 1 and 2, on the first game was that fucking part in the ship on the water level, Down The Tube if I remember... it was annoying to see how careful you had to be while driving that shit. And the sections of Puppy Love in the second game were the worst. Other than that, Its a really good game. EWJ2 had a lot of creative levels overall, keeping gameplay fresh... if it wasn't for Puppy Love.

>> No.1901237

>>1897727
srs?
I own both, and think that the Genesis music is better…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqz0Tgk13uo

>> No.1901252

>>1897381
The musics from New Junk City and For Pete's Sake stages are on my top10 best musics on SNES games.
The others musics are not that awesome, but still fun.

>> No.1901285
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1901285

>>1901252
>>1901237

The Sega CD version puts the Genesis and Super NES versions to shame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_YdjYf29Ko&index=11&list=PL559A0D4622A9B5DF

>> No.1901317

>>1897756
That's one thing I really, really liked about retro games, they often had large varieties of gameplay in them. Seperate modes of play within the same game, minigames, etc. were all great since they helped shake up a simple game otherwise. I always loved FF's minigames, particularly FF7's stuff.

>> No.1901616

For some reason I really like good-looking 2D platformers with janky mechanics. I enjoy Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure too.

>> No.1901638

>>1901252
amazing how many different genres worked into the ost

>> No.1902010

Nick Bruty was both designer and artist for MDK, and that game turned out well...very excited for First Wonder as such.

>> No.1902039

>>1897369
I liked a lot the second one. The first is cool but some stage are too frustant, see that underwater stage.

>> No.1902082

>>1901616
I'd enjoy the mayan adventure a lot more if harry jr. didn't fall over every time you walked into a wall

>> No.1903552

>>1901616

heh, same here

>> No.1903589

>>1897785
>Floaty controls

There's that expression again. Could someone mind explaining it, because I've seen it brought up for EWJ and MD Aladdin (which was the same engine and same controls), and the controls aren't really floaty. You have a low grip so you can skid around a bit while running, and you have 2 different jumps, but none of that comes off as floaty to me. What would be the opposite, non-floaty control?

>>1898078
>The sequel on the other hand lacked focus, but had some good ideas and lots of creativity.

The sequel wins out just based on the soundtrack alone. You have not one but TWO levels based on Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. And one of them has you swimming in intestinal fungus as a blind cave salamander, followed by the best quiz section ever to be put in a videogame, ever.

I agree that it could've used more platforming levels though. Like, in place of every fucking Puppy Love level.

>> No.1903602

>>1903589
Not that guy, but I never understood the seemingly arbitrary label of floaty controls. At least the way people use it like ITT.

When I think of floaty controls vs non-floaty, I think of Super Metroid compared to the GBA titles. Or SSB Brawl vs SSB Melee. Where your character literally floats more and has lower gravity