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Squiggles the chao 
Disgruntled Child of Chaos
(9/28/02 1:52 am)
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Lesson in great game design: Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel.
Although certainly not the most mainstream titles, Aero the Acrobat has become a houshold name in the world of video games. It may not be the most famous series of games, but anyone remotly connected to the gaming scene of ten years ago will at least know of the existance of these games. If you haven't played these games, I recommend that you at least mess around with the rom.
However, this topic is not about Aero, but rather one of the lesser villans in the Aero games: Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel. In 1994, two years before the fall of the SNES, Zero got his own platformer game for the SNES and Genesis. And what a game it was.
I remember seeing this game for the first time in the rental store, and immediatly picking it up, after learning from my father what "kamikaze" meant. Boy I had a lot of fun. I couldn't get past the first four levels, but that didn;t matter. They were so huge that I spent the three days I spent with this game just exploring and mastering the controls.
The story features Zero returning home to save his home-forest from an evil French Lumberjack. As Zero is flying home, he is shot down by the unknown gunnist who plauges you at certain spots throughout the game, shoots Zero down on the beach. He then must walk home. I won't spoil the end.
The game itself is very touch-and-go, relying on advanced reflexes of the refined gamer. The basic controls are intuitave enough, mastering them to beat the level is a diffrent story. Zero can jump, but controling the hight of the jump depends on the length that the B button is held, the length that the up button is pressed, and the time that these buttons are pressed in relation to each other, and the gameplay. It sounds confusing, but you'll get the hand of it. Zero's lack of attacks require you to go through the levels at an even pace, yet stop on a time, to use either your suriken (I think that's what they're called), which you have a limited number of, or your numchucks, which you can use indefinatly. Bouncing and double-jumping are essential to master in the later levels, as is diving, a move which defies physics by allowing you tou soar back upwards as high as you dive.
The levels themselves are massive, with secrets up the wazoo. You'll notice that many, and I mean MANY are very obvious. However, for every easily findavle secret, ther are two, hard to find, almost-impossible to reach secrets. You'll find yourself accumlating over 9 lives and 400 suriken in the first two levels alne, with a reasonable about of time spent finding obvious secrets. You'll need these later, when the game gets really hard, with no save function.
Graphically, a LOT of work was put into this game, it looks awesome. Zero has tons of animations, and n levels two and three, you can literally smell the mold growing on the walls. The music is basic, but gets my heart pounding. But then again, I like a lot of 80's music.
Zero has something for everyone. For little kids, the game is purely eye-candy, since they'll never make it past level 3. As well, it features family-friendly violence, which does not detract from the game, but adds to the fantasy. Hardcore gamers will love the massive levels and advanced gameplay. Oldschool arcaders will love the scoring system.
I recently was hooked up with the rom, for the SNES, and I spent about an hour with it. This is definatly a must-play for aspiring game-designers (hint all you fan game makers out there), and is a prime example of why the SNES era was the pinnacle of video gaming.
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The Biolizard
Registered User
(9/28/02 9:25 am)
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Hm...
Zero got his own platformer game for the SNES and Genesis. And what a game it was.
And yet you say it was the "SNES era"? That's quite hypocritical.
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Edweirdo
Warning: 25%
(Warning Level 1.0)
(9/28/02 9:31 am)
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Re: Hm...
Hahaha, ah Kamakazi. That game was fun..
SAME ED TIME, SAME ED PLACE!! |
BlazeHedgehog
As Anti-PS2 as they come
(9/28/02 9:43 am)
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Re: Hm...
It's been said various people, it was more or less a tie between the Genesis and SNES -- it's just more people say it was the SNES because, as I believe Mantrid, "The SNES 'won' while Sega had it's back turned working on the Saturn" (not his words, but the same premise)
Sonic Xtreme Information Database |
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H Hog 
Hot Rod MC Mod
Odd volcanic fire guy
And I like swords too
(9/28/02 11:13 am)
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Re: Hm...
My local gamesmag had something about that game, I believe they said something about a boss that could only be defeated by diving into it, hurting it, but killing yourself. o_O
Weird concept of a boss, but original at least. =P
This month's random webcomic link is... Waffle X - By Robert Luckett!
  
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NeroMan
Registered User
(9/28/02 1:35 pm)
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Re: Hm...
That's what Kamikaze's do, dude. Suicide for glory. -I'm- not signing up to become one.
Anyway, I dismissed Zero and Aero as sidescrolling SNES actiongames with nothing unique to them except nintendo power's guide to Aero had a picture of him saying 'fangs alot!'
NeroMan's Comic -  - K Web Haven |
Squiggles the chao
Disgruntled Child of Chaos
(9/28/02 1:48 pm)
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Re: Hm...
That's because I feel that the SNES was the better system (sorry Genesis fans).
Houwever, I forgot the downsides. Despite the great controls, some moving platofrms, which are essential to reach some secrets, are hard to land on. They shoulld be more forgiving. Also there is no save mode, or even a password screen. Unforgiveable for a game that came out in 1994.
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The Biolizard
Registered User
(9/29/02 10:42 pm)
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How odd.
Why do you feel this? After SEGA spawned much better games and the such (and hardware even was much better), this is usually the opinion of the casual gamer.
Though, you're right, I'm a Genesis fan, and am most likely bias, and I'll be the first to admit that. ^_^;
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SkahottKun
Warning: 50%
(Warning Level 2.0)
(9/29/02 10:48 pm)
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Re: How odd.
I feel SNES had better hardware and games.
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Scott Prower 
Registered User
(9/29/02 11:00 pm)
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Re: How odd.
SNES actually was more advanced than the Genesis in picture/colours, but not in sounds, if I recall correctly.
Koosh. |
Squiggles the chao
Disgruntled Child of Chaos
(9/29/02 11:38 pm)
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Re: How odd.
I liked the games made by Nintendo games a lot. The Genesis may have been faster by about 4 Mhz, but the games for it seemed to use a lot of strange hacks (like the h-strobe effect fot the Atari VCS). The SNES seemed more stable.
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NeroMan
Registered User
(9/29/02 11:45 pm)
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Re: How odd.
Just compare the two earthworm jim games to determine the better system.
NeroMan's Comic - - K Web Haven |
BlazeHedgehog
As Anti-PS2 as they come
(9/30/02 3:48 am)
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Re: How odd.
I always thought the Genesis EWJ games were better. (Not to mention ZSNES still doesn't emulate EWJ2 properly)
Sonic Xtreme Information Database |
Staroxide Lumino Yang 
Registered User
(9/30/02 9:01 am)
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...
I could care less which system had the faster processor/graphics chip/gamepad/coffee maker or whatever. It's all about the games. Which gives unbiased people like me a disadvantaged money wise. ;_; [Sure, we have emulation, but what about the next generation consoles!? ;_;]
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