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WHAT?
The whole game is just a pun of everything great about 2D platformers that don't require running left to right. On top of that, the clarity of the graphics alone deserves a 4.0, this is simply the best(and most varied) sprite work Nippon Ichi has ever done.
Welcome to Destructoid reviews, you just Burched.
The whole game is just a pun of everything great about 2D platformers that don't require running left to right. On top of that, the clarity of the graphics alone deserves a 4.0, this is simply the best(and most varied) sprite work Nippon Ichi has ever done.
Welcome to Destructoid reviews, you just Burched.
I'm fond of Prinny myself, for what it is, and what it's attempting to accomplish, but I largely agree with this review. There are so many questionable design decisions as far as pure gameplay and control goes that it leaves me wondering if Nippon Ichi isn't best left sticking to turn based affairs. I find my frustrations with the game less on the "this is too hard to be fun" side of things and more on, "this gameplay is clunky" side. It's a noble effort to be sure, and I'll definitely look forward to another sidescroller attempt from Nippon Ichi, if only to see if they can better refine their formula; however, I am delighted to see that I'm not the only dood who found Prinny a tad underwhelming.
The fact that the game advertises itself on the box as being a hard hardcore platformer makes it hard to agree with a review like this. It's kind of like condemning it for being what it is.
Then I think back on Penny Arcade's Enchanted Arms comic which talks about this issue.
I'm not saying you're wrong to express your frustration. I'm playing the game right now and swearing left and right at it.
However, it is what it is.
Then I think back on Penny Arcade's Enchanted Arms comic which talks about this issue.
I'm not saying you're wrong to express your frustration. I'm playing the game right now and swearing left and right at it.
However, it is what it is.
Yeah, the game is hard; but I don't think the game deserves to have such a low score. Then again, I didn't have that hard of a time. But, it is your opinion; not mine, and you are entitled to it. To the others, don't let the low score fool you; there is a lot of fun to be had (he even says so, to a lesser extent).
So I take it it's one of those games that is hard for all the wrong reasons, I'd buy it if I had a PSP then.
@Naia-the-gamer
It is what it is what it is Afro!
Sounds like Mega Man....I was never overly excited for this anyways.
It is what it is what it is Afro!
Sounds like Mega Man....I was never overly excited for this anyways.
The only real issue I had was that he didn't bother highlighting any of the positives (Graphics,humor,audio). He just seemed stuck on the difficulty issue. Hmmmm...
I believe a proper review should contain both the positives and the negatives. Otherwise, people will get confused about the game, and will only rely on the score (which is a bad thing, of course).
This is not a charity. If a reviewer didn't enjoy the game, it would be dishonest to give it a high score.
I really didn't have a lot to say that was positive about the game. Sorry. It was terribly rage-inducing, for no good reason. Mega Man 9 didn't make me rage -- I learned where I screwed up, and moved on. But with this, it would just punish me for the hell of it.
Great game, in my opinion.
Yes, it's hard as hell but it's never been marketed as anything else. And it's not even as punishing as some of those old games as there are checkpoints all over the place and you can save in between levels.
If you like, and are decent at old school 2D platformers then you WILL like this game. In fact, you may even love it.
Yes, it's hard as hell but it's never been marketed as anything else. And it's not even as punishing as some of those old games as there are checkpoints all over the place and you can save in between levels.
If you like, and are decent at old school 2D platformers then you WILL like this game. In fact, you may even love it.
Hey Dick, like a few others have mentioned, I think your reviews would benefit a great deal if you were to cover both the positive and negative aspects of a game from your perspective as some of your reviews feel a bit incomplete. This review does the negative just fine but lacks the positive aspects as Ckarasu mentioned.
Another example would be your Valkyria Chronicles review which only gives a very basic summary of the gameplay and doesn't even mention the storyline beyond the first sentence. (I admit I'm a bit biased toward the game but when a game has that many cutscenes and characters, story's gotta be mentioned somewhere.) Apart from a few very brief moments, your voice is missing from the review and the result is a very sterile feel--like a Wikipedia article.
I don't know, maybe I'm completely off base here. I definitely don't mean for any of this to come off as snark or pot-shots, it's just something I've noticed from time to time.
Another example would be your Valkyria Chronicles review which only gives a very basic summary of the gameplay and doesn't even mention the storyline beyond the first sentence. (I admit I'm a bit biased toward the game but when a game has that many cutscenes and characters, story's gotta be mentioned somewhere.) Apart from a few very brief moments, your voice is missing from the review and the result is a very sterile feel--like a Wikipedia article.
I don't know, maybe I'm completely off base here. I definitely don't mean for any of this to come off as snark or pot-shots, it's just something I've noticed from time to time.
I feel like I must be the Superman of gaming recently, because besides the last boss, this game wasn't as challenging for me as it is for everyone else. Contra must be my kryptonite
But either way, this review is poor. It sounds like you're so frustrated with the difficulty that you spewed it all out and labeled it a review.
But either way, this review is poor. It sounds like you're so frustrated with the difficulty that you spewed it all out and labeled it a review.
I agree with the review. The game goes out of its way to punish the gamer for giving them money. There's difficulty, and there's bullshit. This game's bullshit.
@DMV: Haha, yeah. When it gets hard, it's infuriating (But I did learn something every time I died). But you can't mean to say that the game had no good points now do you? It just kinda sounded like it. There must certainly have been some things you liked.
It's supposed to be a hardcore game, just like Disgaea is a hardcore SRPG. I don't get it.
Would you let a casual gamer review an off the wall JRPG niche title? Would you let a hardcore fanboy review Peggle?
Would you let a casual gamer review an off the wall JRPG niche title? Would you let a hardcore fanboy review Peggle?
The only complaint I have is the jumping mechanic. I don't like that you can't really alter your momentum. That's the only thing I find unfairly frustrating.
@Magnalon
If the person isn't part of the target audience but is interested in reviewing the game, why not?
If the person isn't part of the target audience but is interested in reviewing the game, why not?
@DMV - It sounds like you better start making up some positive points for your review. I know you didn't have any, but still just to appease the masses, just make shit up. It's totally credible.
@pappadukes: If he thought the game had absolutely no positives, he would have given it an even lower score. Besides, if he made up some positives, I'd (and some others) be more dissatisfied.
@Dick @15:10
Ahh, must have posted that while I was writing my overly-verbose post. Fair enough, fair enough.
Ahh, must have posted that while I was writing my overly-verbose post. Fair enough, fair enough.
I didn't have the difficulty with the game that you did, Dick. But I wholeheartedly agree with your review of it. I played for maybe 2 hours before I got frustrated at the jumping mechanic. I loved listening and reading the dialogue, it was hilarious and I wish I could stand playing the game, but it just drives me up the wall.
This definitely looks interesting, even though you didn't like it. Then again, I like some masochistic gaming from time to time.
It sounds old-school. It sounds like it's got some Ninja Gaiden in it.
It sounds old-school. It sounds like it's got some Ninja Gaiden in it.
@Maxxthepenguin
Because he isn't interested in reviewing it. He didn't review it. He complained it was difficult and gave it a 'poor' label.
Because he isn't interested in reviewing it. He didn't review it. He complained it was difficult and gave it a 'poor' label.
@Maxxthepenguin
I don't know how to explain this, but Destructoid is taken seriously, and is pretty big-time on aggregate sites. The lowest score on Metacritic is a 6, and that review talks about more than the game's difficulty. This is an excerpt from the review:
"Even though, in its first few stages, Prinny: Can I Really Be The Hero? is both charming and fun, seemingly out of nowhere the difficulty soars."
The reviewer goes out of it's way to mention the good parts, then settles on an average score; objective.
It's like letting someone who hates Halo review a Halo game; or letting someone who struggles with Popcap games review Ninja Gaiden. If they can hardly beat it, the review is not objective; it's fighting an uphill battle to attempt to review it, while frustrated.
Anyone can review anything if they are objective. None of the game's good points were touched in this review; 90% of it was centered around the game being "too hard". I think if someone like Dale North reviewed it, we'd get more information about the actual presentation of the game, or it's strong points. I don't have a problem anyone addressing their opinion, I just feel like it could have been explained better.
I don't know how to explain this, but Destructoid is taken seriously, and is pretty big-time on aggregate sites. The lowest score on Metacritic is a 6, and that review talks about more than the game's difficulty. This is an excerpt from the review:
"Even though, in its first few stages, Prinny: Can I Really Be The Hero? is both charming and fun, seemingly out of nowhere the difficulty soars."
The reviewer goes out of it's way to mention the good parts, then settles on an average score; objective.
It's like letting someone who hates Halo review a Halo game; or letting someone who struggles with Popcap games review Ninja Gaiden. If they can hardly beat it, the review is not objective; it's fighting an uphill battle to attempt to review it, while frustrated.
Anyone can review anything if they are objective. None of the game's good points were touched in this review; 90% of it was centered around the game being "too hard". I think if someone like Dale North reviewed it, we'd get more information about the actual presentation of the game, or it's strong points. I don't have a problem anyone addressing their opinion, I just feel like it could have been explained better.
@StriderS: I agree with your point that it sounds like one big complaint, but I think he honestly tried to review it. I think that he just had a difficult time focusing on anything other than the difficulty. Sometimes, it gets really hard.
I'm sorry, what? I beat this game in 10 hours, all in one day. Then, I beat the final boss on Hell's Finest. I even put up videos on Youtube of it. It's really not that hard of a game, and if it weren't for the difficulty, it wouldn't be fun. In fact, it would be short. All you need is to take things slow at times when you have to. This game is great, but it's not its fault you suck at it.
Agreed 100%, the whole game feels like a cheap cash in and is just insanely hard to the point where I'm just frustrated instead of being challenged.
Plus the ending is utter shit.
Plus the ending is utter shit.
The lowest score on metacritic by other SERIOUS websites is 6. Therefore, nobody can give it less than a 6. Seriously.
You don't know if he hates Nippon Ichi games. All you know is that for some reason he reviewed this game. I doubt it's because he knew he would hate it. It's probably not because he wanted to troll all those Nippon Ichi fans (who do you think he is, Jim Sterling?) It's probably because he thought he might enjoy it. Then something magical happened: somehow, in some way, he didn't. It had its moments, but the game pissed him off too much for those moments. That's his opinion, and it's valid.
He isn't going to make a bullet point list of features, that's not his job. He's communicating his experience.
So seriously, fuck you for going out and saying that somebody's opinion isn't valid for a game just because he didn't fall into the range of acceptable review scores. Some people didn't like the Dark Knight. Some people didn't even like the Godfather. They would have given them less than 6/10 Those are far better examples of their respective mediums than Prinny and yet, for some fucking reason, Prinny deserves no less than 6/10 no matter what the personal experience of the reviewer is.
btw, I'd be fine with somebody who has disliked Halo in the past reviewing a new Halo game given that he's interested in the new Halo game. That is one person who's probably not alone in his interest and that perspective is going to be useful to somebody. Definitely more useful than piling another review that says the same old thing onto the pile
You don't know if he hates Nippon Ichi games. All you know is that for some reason he reviewed this game. I doubt it's because he knew he would hate it. It's probably not because he wanted to troll all those Nippon Ichi fans (who do you think he is, Jim Sterling?) It's probably because he thought he might enjoy it. Then something magical happened: somehow, in some way, he didn't. It had its moments, but the game pissed him off too much for those moments. That's his opinion, and it's valid.
He isn't going to make a bullet point list of features, that's not his job. He's communicating his experience.
So seriously, fuck you for going out and saying that somebody's opinion isn't valid for a game just because he didn't fall into the range of acceptable review scores. Some people didn't like the Dark Knight. Some people didn't even like the Godfather. They would have given them less than 6/10 Those are far better examples of their respective mediums than Prinny and yet, for some fucking reason, Prinny deserves no less than 6/10 no matter what the personal experience of the reviewer is.
btw, I'd be fine with somebody who has disliked Halo in the past reviewing a new Halo game given that he's interested in the new Halo game. That is one person who's probably not alone in his interest and that perspective is going to be useful to somebody. Definitely more useful than piling another review that says the same old thing onto the pile
@Ckarasu
I don't think he should review games at all, then. Even the most biased reviewer can make a basic layout for a game he hates; it should be even easier to critique. I would rather him say "the music and graphics totally sucks and your should hate it and the person who made it." then utterly ignore them.
It even has the "BRUTALLY HONEST GAME REVIEWS" icon, yet it isn't honest at all since it hides things from the reader.
I don't think he should review games at all, then. Even the most biased reviewer can make a basic layout for a game he hates; it should be even easier to critique. I would rather him say "the music and graphics totally sucks and your should hate it and the person who made it." then utterly ignore them.
It even has the "BRUTALLY HONEST GAME REVIEWS" icon, yet it isn't honest at all since it hides things from the reader.
Obviously we can't all agree on such a niche game. For what it's worth, I wholeheartedly agree with Brad on this one.
@Maxx
Did you read my post? "I don't have a problem anyone addressing their opinion, I just feel like it could have been explained better." I could give a shit if he gave it a 1 and the lowest review was a 8. I was using that 6 as a baseline; that review explained itself more. Have you ever reviewed a game before?
Chill out and read before you tell people to "f off". Get an avatar or make a blog post, but chill out.
Did you read my post? "I don't have a problem anyone addressing their opinion, I just feel like it could have been explained better." I could give a shit if he gave it a 1 and the lowest review was a 8. I was using that 6 as a baseline; that review explained itself more. Have you ever reviewed a game before?
Chill out and read before you tell people to "f off". Get an avatar or make a blog post, but chill out.
@StriderS: You do make some points. He should have had some sort of layout or something. He should have covered more than the difficulty.
Blasphemy. If a single Prinny is in game, it's an 11/10.
Seriously though.
Don't bother reviewing if you're only going to mention one negative point for the entirety of the review.
If Prinny is a 3, what is Mega Man 9?
Prinny has better graphics, better story, better sound effects, and is funny.
Mega Man must surely be a 1 or 2 then. You can't give points for brand name.
You should go back to this and talk about something other than the difficulty. They can't all be winners.
Seriously though.
Don't bother reviewing if you're only going to mention one negative point for the entirety of the review.
If Prinny is a 3, what is Mega Man 9?
Prinny has better graphics, better story, better sound effects, and is funny.
Mega Man must surely be a 1 or 2 then. You can't give points for brand name.
You should go back to this and talk about something other than the difficulty. They can't all be winners.
i enjoyed the platforming areas, but the bosses are either super easy or psp-smashing difficult. hell, some i could beat if i had more than 3 minutes to do it. i can see the patterns play out, but 50 lives later i kinda stop caring. i think it's fun in some aspects, but tries to play off its over-simplified gameplay by ramping up the difficulty. i would have prefered more depth, more to do, rather than spending 5 minutes making it through a level and then an hour+ trying to beat a boss that is the same size as me, but 10 times faster.
Did you read mine? I talked about how the bullet point list of features (Graphics are great, sound is great, lots of replay value). That's usually what people are looking for when they say justification. He had a negative reaction to the experience of playing Prinny and he communicated it. He talked over and over about the frustration inherent in the game; he more or less spelled out the gameplay ended up for him. That is the core of a review, even if some sites ignore it.
And you said you don't have a problem with anyone addressing their opinion but you also said
"It's like letting someone who hates Halo review a Halo game; or letting someone who struggles with Popcap games review Ninja Gaiden. If they can hardly beat it, the review is not objective; it's fighting an uphill battle to attempt to review it, while frustrated."
So you're saying you don't have a problem with anyone addressing their own opinion...unless they aren't the target audience. If the game wasn't "meant for them" then they really shouldn't have an opinion. There is an inherent flaw in making a game really frustrating for people who don't have years upon years of experience in the genre and that flaw should be expressed.
And you said you don't have a problem with anyone addressing their opinion but you also said
"It's like letting someone who hates Halo review a Halo game; or letting someone who struggles with Popcap games review Ninja Gaiden. If they can hardly beat it, the review is not objective; it's fighting an uphill battle to attempt to review it, while frustrated."
So you're saying you don't have a problem with anyone addressing their own opinion...unless they aren't the target audience. If the game wasn't "meant for them" then they really shouldn't have an opinion. There is an inherent flaw in making a game really frustrating for people who don't have years upon years of experience in the genre and that flaw should be expressed.
@Maxx
Ah! I see you've just got an avatar. Awesome.
See my contention is that some games "bill" themselves as niche. This was obviously a niche title from the get go.
Anyone is entitled to an opinion, but it's odd to choose your "one voice" as someone who hates the game. Like I said before, if more points than just "it was hard" were explored, I wouldn't be typing a response right now. I don't even have a problem with the score. By no means is a NIS "fanatic" more qualified to write this review; in fact, I'd say he's less qualified. Just please don't resort to cursing people out, especially if you're new
Ah! I see you've just got an avatar. Awesome.
See my contention is that some games "bill" themselves as niche. This was obviously a niche title from the get go.
Anyone is entitled to an opinion, but it's odd to choose your "one voice" as someone who hates the game. Like I said before, if more points than just "it was hard" were explored, I wouldn't be typing a response right now. I don't even have a problem with the score. By no means is a NIS "fanatic" more qualified to write this review; in fact, I'd say he's less qualified. Just please don't resort to cursing people out, especially if you're new
It's not THAT bad. I'm quite enjoying it. Definitely 8 or higher in my book. The visuals are gorgeous.
The story, artwork, and voice acting are phenominal.
The gameplay is crap. The two things that would have fixed it are:
1. Control of your character in the air.
2. RPG elements (such as leveling) or even just powerups to make your Prinny more formidable against the overwhelming odds against you.
The gameplay is crap. The two things that would have fixed it are:
1. Control of your character in the air.
2. RPG elements (such as leveling) or even just powerups to make your Prinny more formidable against the overwhelming odds against you.
Sorry, I'm used to cursing on the internets frequently.
In any case, I don't think he hated the game until he played it. I think that's a fair reason to review it poorly.
In any case, I don't think he hated the game until he played it. I think that's a fair reason to review it poorly.
I'm glad Dtoid doesn't cater to gaming publishers and producers. If want honest reviews, I come here. If I want gigantic (poorly written) paragraphs trying to sell me a shitty game, I'll pick up Game Informer, or Nintendo Power.
Reviews are subjective. Different people like different games. I try not to get too offended if someone didn't like a game that I loved... because again.. different people like different things.
Reviews are subjective. Different people like different games. I try not to get too offended if someone didn't like a game that I loved... because again.. different people like different things.
I've already posted myriad thoughts on this game, but I must step in and take issue with those who insist that just because a game openly labels itself "hardcore", this means that the player should instantly switch mental gears while playing and start labeling "questionable design decisions" as "niche appeal" or "old-school challenge." If the game was marketed any other way it would still be just as frustrating and sadistic to everyone except those who have a special fondness for grinding repetition and near-total unforgiveness - the labeling can serve to catch the eye of those few that the game's style would appeal to, but it doesn't instantly excuse everything that makes it unappealing to everyone else. Otherwise something like Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am would have been all but beyond criticism, because it stopped just short of writing "THIS GAME SUCKS" on its packaging - the "avant-garde" schtick didn't fly then, though, and despite how much I like NIS the "h@rdk0r3" schtick doesn't deserve to fly here either.
I agree that the review should have been more in-depth, and I personally wouldn't have rated it quite so low, for whatever that's worth - however, as has been said, the game "is what it is," and should be judged as such.
I agree that the review should have been more in-depth, and I personally wouldn't have rated it quite so low, for whatever that's worth - however, as has been said, the game "is what it is," and should be judged as such.
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