#action platformers

[hardcore-gaming-101]

Drill Dozer

With all the rumblings made with a third generation in the Pokémon franchise, one would consider that even a side-project from Game Freak would have generated a greater impact in sales on the same portable system their cash cow dominated upon. After all, a GameCube title consisting of essentially nothing but watching short TV programs about the cuddly marketable creatures was able to sell a decent bundle of copies on brand recognition alone. Maybe it was due a dearth of advertising, a release window on a device growing more outdated in wake of a superior dual-screen offshoot, or just the lack of "From the makers of..." sticker or headline that sealed Drill Dozer's fate. Regardless of the reason, like being snatched by a thief in the shadows, this little gem snuck away from the show floor with nary the public aware it was around. 

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[hardcore-gaming-101]

Ninja Crusaders

NMK Co./American Sammy's (Rolan's Curse 1 & 2, Ninja Taro) nearly unknown Ninja Crusaders lies somewhere between [Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi], while remaining as difficult as either, with an animal morphing gimmick straight out of Altered Beast thrown in for good measure. There's also a 2-player mode, which is pretty rare among that type of side-scroller. It makes the game much easier by allowing you to continue uninterrupted as long as you have lives left, while a single player must restart the level every time he dies.

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[ihqreviews21]

Apple Knight – Game for the Action Platformers With an emphasis on the mechanics and controls, Limitless did an amazing job with Apple Knight, delivering justice to action platformers in a retro-fashion.

https://www.ihqreviews.com/2021/08/17/apple-knight-game-for-the-action-platformers/

[hardcore-gaming-101]

Hyper Iria

Take Hyper Iria, for example. Besides being based on an anime OVA, which is itself based on an obscure action movie, there's nothing particularly notable about the game. It did receive a fan translation in 2016, although the translation itself isn't that notable, either. It can either be too liberally translated in places or too literally, resulting in a lot of awkward dialogue. But to return to the actual game, Hyper Iria is emblematic of licensed games during the 90s. That's not to say it's an outright bad game. If anything, it's a competent one: Hyper Iria is decently built, and there are a few alluring moments here and there. However, the game's noncommittal attitude toward game design means it will never be anything more than "competent." 

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[onlyapauper]

People often forget about possibly the most useful of Ghost Rider’s powers: being succinct and accurate.

I’m currently playing Until I Have You, a pixelated revenge-platformer from Wormwood Studios that for some reason keeps reminding me of the movie Drive, despite the only similarity between the two being ‘lots of neon’.  It’s a cyberpunk revenge story - you are an elite assassin known as The Artist, who must rescue his wife from the clutches of his old employers.  I know that’s hardly the most original synopsis ever, but the execution of the story makes it worth a look, or has done so far - I’ve only completed two of the game’s twelve chapters.  I think a lot of the appeal, purely as far as gameplay goes, is in the replayability factor.  If you want to get 100% completion on a level, you’re going to have to really nail it - no deaths, seamless kills, perfect jumps etc.  That’s never really been the sort of thing that gets my motor running, but as I say the execution of the story is really nice, with plenty of flickering screens, moody futuristic cityscapes, weird hallucinations and lashings of the old ultra-violence.  Especially considering it’s such a basic story, the way it keeps one’s attention is impressive.  If it sounds like your cup of tea, head over to Steam where it’s on sale for just over a fiver.