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The Ripping Friends (GBA)
by thole09
"The Ripping Friends" is a video game released for the Gameboy Advance console in 2002 by THQ. It is a side scrolling fighting game based on an animated cartoon series of the same name. In the United States, the game received a rating of "E" by the ESRB panel which deemed it suitable for all ages.
The ... Ripping Friends are a group of four brothers that attempt to defend RIPCOT, or "Really Impressive Prototype City Of (Next) Tuesday", from an invasion of the undead. In this title, the players assume the role of one of the four brothers and compete in a simple side scrolling fighting release which is spread over seven stages. All characters on screen are hostile towards the player's presence so determining who is an enemy is quite the easy task. In terms of gameplay difficulty I found there to be none. Each of the enemies showcase a distinct lack of artificial intelligence and willfully allowed me to pummel them into submission without much retaliation. It is likely that this game was geared towards children as the animated series is as challenge and character development are not present. The game also sports a flaw in its control system. I found that when trying to move diagonally, my character would often move in linear motions; instead of moving diagonally to the lower right I would appear to move down, right, down, right. While this does not really hinder gameplay experience it is noticeable as a visual error.
The graphics are presented from a side scrolling perspective which focuses on the selected character. The visual styling of the game is definitely something which appeals to me. Both the characters, enemies and the stages which they find themselves in are drawn in a very comic book fashion which almost bears resemblance to "Comix Zone" (Megadrive - 1995). The animations are often smooth but I did notice some periods of slow down when many enemies occupied the display. The soundtrack is filled with more upbeat and lively musical scores and an assortment of "scratch" sound effects to denote physical contact.
Overall, The Ripping Friends is a game which I would be hesitant about recommending to prospective buyers. It is an exceptionally easy title to complete and shows some visual faults. It is likely that fans of the animated series are the only ones who would enjoy this release.
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Super Street Fighter 2: Turbo Revival (GBA)
by thole09
"Super Street Fighter II Turbo Revival" is a video game released for the Gameboy Advance console in 2001 by Capcom. It is a fighting game based on the "Street Fighter" series. In the United States, the game received a rating of "T" by the ESRB panel which deemed it suitable for teenage years and above due to ... its violent content.
Turbo Revival is based on the "Street Fighter II" video game which is, personally, one of my favourite releases to the series. Including the original cast of eight characters; Ryu (Japanese martial artist), Ken (Ryu's former training partner), E. Honda (Japanese sumo wrestler), Chun-Li (Chinese martial artist), Blanka (Monstrous beast creature living in Brazil), Zangief (Professional wrestler from the former USSR), Gulie (American special forces operative) and Dhalsim (Indian Yoga master). The game plays in an identical fashion with the player's selected character traveling the world and battling with other members of the Street Fighter cast. The match will eventually culminate at a battle with the very powerful Akuma in substitution of M. Bison. Akuma is a reflection of Ryu and uses a nearly identical moveset which is doubled in strength. Defeating Akuma will unlock him as a playable character and complete the tournament which then displays a short cutscene in relation to the winning character's personal history.
The graphics are presented from a side scrolling perspective which focuses on the centre of the match. Each of the scenes, from the streets of China to the Sumo baths, are accurately ported and remain nearly visually identical. The scaling of the images meant that some gestures and taunts from the spectators are not clearly visible but these are not always looked upon during the heat of an intense battle. The soundtrack also remains identical with the catchy musical scores and vocal cues following the player throughout.
Overall, Turbo Revival is a game which I would recommend to prospective buyers. The Street Fighter series has stood the test of time and, even when playing a vintage retrospective, remains an enjoyable play to date.
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Jackie Chan Adventure (GBA)
by thole09
"Jackie Chan Adventures" is a video game released for the Gameboy Advance console in 2001 by Activision. It is based on the animated television series of the same name and features martial arts actor Jackie Chan. In the United States, the game received a rating of "E" by the ESRB panel which deemed it suitable for all ... ages.
The plot of the game follows closely with the animated series. Jackie Chan is featured as an archaeologist who eventually accepts the vocation of martial artist when an evil gang raids his uncle's shop and steals powerful mystic scrolls. Chan is accompanied by his niece and others, and together they travel the world in search of this gang to recover the stolen scrolls. Jackie Chan Adventures is effectively a side scrolling beat 'em up title. The player will navigate from left to right and be treated to an onslaught of enemies frequently. The game features little to no difficulty as Chan's assorted attacks can be executed by simply mashing the A and B button in various combinations. The game progresses in difficulty but will only include enemies being able to block Chan's attacks in the later stages.
The game is presented from a side perspective which focuses on Jackie Chan. The images are large, bright and colourful which make a great use of the Gameboy's hardware capabilities. The stages feature the impression of three dimensional objects against otherwise flat looking backgrounds but both aspects look phenomenal. Characters are well designed and feature well defined facial features. The soundtrack isn't as quite up to par with the visuals and features generic sounding musical scores combined with "mushing" sound effects to suggest physical contact.
Overall, Jackie Chan Adventures is a game I would recommend to prospective buyers. It is short in duration but for the brief period it lasts remains an enjoyable play.
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