Batman: Arkham Asylum review!

Today marks a very special occasion. Why? Because, dear reader(s), this is a review of the first game I got using my Gamefly account (technically the second game, but the other game I got is ridiculously long and as such is not ready for a review yet). But what video game am I referring to?



Is it strange that one of my all-time favorite super heroes ever just happens to be the star of the game that literally holds the Guinness World Record for Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero video game? But anyway, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a part beat-em-up, part stealth, part horror, part puzzle hybrid game starring the Dark Knight himself made by Rocksteady and originally released back in 2009, and when on to be praised as the greatest superhero themed video game ever made, and spawning two equally beloved sequels. In the event you don't know anything about Batman, basically, Batman (sometimes called the Dark Knight or the Caped Crusader) is a superhero/vigilante donning a bat themed suit who fights crime using a combination of detective skills, martial arts, and a variety of gadgets he invented himself. Batman was created mostly to serve as a (rather extreme) contrast to Superman (who made way for the entire superhero genre), and while Superman has a wide variety of superpowers and is pure and noble to the very core of his being, Batman has no powers whatsoever and is more morally ambiguous. Sure, Batman doesn't kill people, thanks to Batman stubbornly following his "one rule", which is never kill anyone, even if that "anyone" is a eco-terrorist/temptress (Poison Ivy), a clown themed gang leader (Joker), or a surprisingly lame serial killer (Zsasz).  But considering he's okay with breaking limbs, cracking ribs, throwing razor sharp boomerangs, and putting military grade weaponry on his car, it's a miracle Batman doesn't kill somebody by accident.



The story of Batman: Arkham Asylum begins with Batman apprehending and escorting one of his oldest and most well-known enemies, the Joker (who is voiced rather magnificently by none other than Mark Hamill!) to the titular asylum. But the fact that the Dark Knight openly admits that this time, the Joker went down a little too easily should be setting off alarms, especially for the folks that read the comics. And sure enough, the Joker escapes because let's face it, the Joker ALWAYS escapes, and with the help of other fan favorite villains and villainesses (and Zsasz) takes over the entire asylum and turn into a base of operations for the Joker's biggest and most ambitious plan yet (I will not spoil what said plan is).


This game is part of the reason why I consider
Scarecrow (pictured) to be the best DC villain 
ever.

So, as per superhero tradition, it's up to Batman to track down and subdue all the inmates while trying to thwart the Joker's schemes. The story is a little simple, but it's not bad. But the main appeal of this game is A) it's a licensed video game that is actually well-made with lots of heart and effort put into it, and B) seeing fan-favorite characters from the DC mythos (and Zsasz) appear here. Plus, this game made me like a lot of the more underrated members of Batman's Rogues Gallery (the collective name for all the Batman villains). Like Scarecrow! I also have to thank this game for introducing me to Zsasz, who is by far the lamest villain ever. Yeah, for a game that's famous for making previously cheesy and lame villains cool/terrifying, Zsasz is just lame when compared to the rest of the Rogues Gallery. Why is Zsasz lame? He's a serial killer. That's it. That's his thing. Plus, Batman subdues him almost effortlessly in all three of the Arkham games. Heck, he's so lame that DC comics didn't even bother giving him a cool alias. And why on Earth is Zsasz kept in the same prison as the infinitely better villains like Joker and Killer Croc and Poison Ivy? I mean, if Zsasz had a cool alias and there was more to him than just being a Jason Voorhees/that insane axe swinging dude from The Shining (the one that yelled "HEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRREEEEEE'S Johnny!) wannabe and make him somewhat challenging to defeat him, then I would have disliked him less. But... Just...  Why, Zsasz? Why are you so lame?



As previously stated, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a hybrid of puzzle solving, stealth, beam-em-up, and horror. Wait, horror? What kind of super hero game has horror elements? Apparently any game that has the Scarecrow, whose fear toxins cause legitimately frightening nightmares to occur, such as the greatest fourth wall break in the history of video games.



The puzzle solving aspects come from the fact that as a detective, Batman has more than a few riddles to decipher, and the puzzles usually involve tracking forensic trails and using his gadgets to find alternative ways to enter buildings/rooms. There are Stealth segments where the Dark Knight can do what he does best; Strike fear into the hearts of his opponents. During these segments Batman can use his Grapple gun to swing around the room, and ambush the Joker's henchmen in a variety of ways. However, there are times when Batman is forced into open combat, and these segments are my favorite out of the bunch, because Batman: Arkham Asylum has perhaps the best and most satisfying combat system I've seen in a long time. You can either perform Strikes, where Batman will run up to an enemy and do a combo, Counter, which lets Batman block certain attacks and deliver a punishing counterattack, and Stun, where the Caped Crusader will use his trademark cape to briefly blind and/or stun an enemy, letting you follow up with more Strikes or focus on someone else. It's easy to learn, makes you feel unstoppable when you get a combo going just right, and the only real complaints I have is Batman just takes a little bit too long to react if you try mixing and matching these options for my liking. Not deal breakingly long, but long enough to notice some definite input lag. That, and the game never tells you that successfully stringing combos together makes Batman stronger (by the time he reaches a x5 combo, he can knock down most enemies in one hit). And I played through the entire game not realizing that.


Killer Croc is another villain that this game made 
me like more due to his nerve-wracking, but still 
entertaining boss battle. 

As for the presentation, I have to mention that the version I played was Batman: Return to Arkham, which is a HD remake of both Batman: Arkham Asylum and it's first sequel, Batman: Arkham City that also includes some goodies that weren't in the original version of the game(s). Why doesn't include the second sequel, Batman: Arkham Knight? The answer is simple! Batman: Arkham Knight is rated M for Mature. And thus, it couldn't be included in the remake because the first two games are rated T for Teen. That and Arkham Knight is already in HD so making a HD remake of a game already available in HD is a little redundant. But anyway, the main thing about this game is it's dark in tone and the area designs reflect that. I appreciate the fact they try to keep it realistic, or rather, as realistic as a adventure/horror game about a bat themed vigilante trapped in an asylum built on an abandoned island and trying to apprehend two homicidal clowns and their henchmen, a Freddy Kruger-esque mad scientist powered by literal nightmare fuel, an anthropomorphic crocodile with a love of both human flesh and Peter Pan jokes, a plant worshipping temptress and a lame serial killer can be. Although everything does look nice, there are some points in the game where I got lost because all the locales look very similar to one another. Then again, it may just be me. On a more positive note, I do like the character designs, as they keep the characters recognizable when compared to previous iterations but with a darker, almost *Lovecraftian take. Like how Scarecrow has that glove with the needle-tipped fingers, or how Killer Croc has multiple rows of teeth protruding awkwardly out of his lower jaw, or how Poison Ivy has actual vines merging with her skin, when combined with her glowing eyes and ability to amplify the sound of her voice (somehow?), makes her look slightly demonic compared to most incarnations of Poison Ivy, where's she's just a regular woman covered in plant-life.



As for the soundtrack, again, no particular song sticks out, though I don't remember there being a bad song. Well, actually, there is one song that comes to mind, that being Scarecrow's theme but I like that song more because it's surprisingly creepy (yeah, a villain whose main form of attack is causing fear and disruption has creepy theme music. #SpencerLogic2017) rather than it being good to listening to. But the thing I HAVE to praise this game for is the voice acting. Because of Arkham Asylum, I've officially decided that Mark Hamill is the best actor who ever played the Joker. He captures the flamboyant charm I've come to expect from the character, and his occasional rants and tantrums are very entertaining. The fact that Joker nonchalantly changes from being comical and dead serious (sometimes literally, given how often Joker kills for the sake of it) combined with Mr. Hamill's excellent voice work make this incarnation of the self-proclaimed Clown Prince of Crime a great villain. Kevin Conroy also does a great job as Batman. He doesn't have the rather infamous gravelly tone that most people associate with Batman, but Mr. Conroy manages to capture Batman's stoic loner tendencies perfectly. Plus, the fact that he manages to make the line "I eat punks like these for breakfast" sound awesome is incredible, because believe me, if it was anyone else saying that I would have face-palmed at how cheesy that sounds. The only character voice I don't like is Harley Quinn, but that's because I died way too many times on one of her puzzles and every time you die in this game, the Game Over screen changes so it shows the villain responsible for killing you emerging from the darkness and taunting you, and Harley Quinn's Game Over taunt is the most annoying sound ever ("Loser! LOSER! LOSER!!!!"). But even if I had done better at said puzzle, I still am not too fond of her voice due to how ridiculously squeaky it is. Seriously, she sounds more like Minnie Mouse than the right hand (wo)man of the Joker. Keep in mind this is all subjective. Also, if you listen closely, Joker's henchmen say some really humorous things if you wait long enough. The henchmen banter ranges from some goons questioning Joker's leadership skills, to sharing holiday horror stories, to complaining about their current situation. Just a nice touch that makes me like this game more.



After playing the game myself, I see why it gets so much praise. Granted, I did rage frequently during my playthrough and had to resort to looking up a guide because I honestly couldn't figure out a lot of stuff. So my advice? Don't do what I did and raise the difficulty simply because you have had experience playing other action/adventure games. It will lead to frustration and headaches. Play on Easy for the first playthrough, But aside from my self-punishing blunder, I had a great time. I would have to give the game an 8/10. It's fun, engaging, and is a super hero game done right. I only had a few gripes with it, but don't let those gripes stop you from buying this game. If you can't find the original version, there's the HD remake that also comes with the first sequel, available on the PS4.

*Lovecraftian. A subgenre of horror that emphasizes on the cosmic fear of the unknown and the unknowable. Unlike psychological horror, it doesn't have jump-scares or shocking moments. And unlike slasher horror, it rarely has any gore. It's named after the legendary author, H.P. Lovecraft, who was famous for this particular storytelling style, and much later works were heavily inspired by Lovecraft.

Cave Story+ Review!

Well here's a blast from the past. The game I'm reviewing today was originally released all the way back in 2004, then was remade for the Nintendo Switch, Steam, and the 3DS. The version I played was on Nintendo Switch, in case you were wondering. But what kind of 13-year-old game managed to earn this privilege?



Cave Story. The Story of a Cave! Anyway, originally released back in 2004 and made entirely from the ground up by one person (Daisuke Amaya, who is better known as Pixel), and went on to become one of the most beloved indie games ever made, with some folks arguing that Cave Story is a much better game than even Undertale, which, in addition to being my personal favorite game, is also considered a masterpiece by almost everyone (at least when that game was released in 2015, nowadays the Undertale hype has died down). Which really says a lot. Especially since Cave Story is over 10 years older. But arguing over which game is better is pointless, because it's all rather subjective, and the two games aren't even in the same genre (Undertale is a Turn-Based RPG, Cave Story is a story-driven half-platformer, half-shooter hybrid). If these two games were both RPGs, or both Platformers, I can justify arguing over which game is better, but any argument you can make is rendered moot by the simple fact that the two games are nothing alike.



The story of Cave Story starts with a plucky robotic protagonist waking up in a cave (redundant statement is redundant), with no memory of how he got there. My first praise for this game is the tutorial. It goes by the logic of "Show, but don't Tell". Not a single pop up telling you what to do appears at all during the game, leaving you to figure out the controls for yourself, and relying on your common sense to figure out which parts of the environment can be interacted with, and which cannot. I love this, as it's smooth, fluid, and most importantly, doesn't kill the mood with redundant pop-up text telling you how to do something you could have figured out on your own.



After some exploring, our robot hero stumbles upon an underground village populated by the insanely adorable Mimiga, who all look like a cross between Alvin and the Chipmunks and bunny rabbits. After some more exploring, the robot gets caught up in a war between the Mimiga and a villainous Doctor and his two minions, Balrog (HUZZAH!) and Misery (yes, her name actually is the word "misery"), who plan to use the Mimigas' tendency to transform into feral, flesh eating monsters should they eat bright red flowers to take over the world. Oh, and speaking of the villains...


HUZZAH!

The story starts off simple, and I gotta give credit to Cave Story for having a surprisingly compelling narrative. Also, I just have to say that despite the fact this game is rated E10+ as well as being "That sort-of retro game where one of the bad guys henchmen is literally a toaster with legs" (HUZZAH!), it deals with some seriously dark themes, most notably slavery and loss. And there were a few moments, which I will NOT spoil, that are legitimately sad, and there are even some moments in the game where you actually have to mercy-kill some of the Mimigas that the Doctor and his cronies have mutated/enslaved. That's not to say this is a dark and brooding overly edgy game. It has plenty of charm and humor as well, like basically any time Balrog (HUZZAH!) is around, or the fact that the adventurer's female counterpart (Curly Brace!) is so happy and peppy and energetic in complete contrast to rest of the relatively serious cast, or the fact that in the original version of the game, a random Mimiga insults the Doctor in a way so surprisingly profane (for a kids' game that is) that it's almost a shame the remake's localization made that line more family friendly. Almost a shame.

.
The main difference between the original Cave Story
and the Nintendo Switch remake is all of the sprites got
updated, as one can see with everyone's favorite Mimiga,
King the red-eyed samurai bunny dude.

Oh, and the game has FOUR different endings, based on your actions. Unfortunately, one of the choices to get the best ending possible requires a direct violation of common sense (I will not elaborate because of spoilers). For a game that has an otherwise stellar tale to tell, getting the Best ending is a little annoying due to the immense amounts of foresight and preparation needed, as well as the aforementioned violations of common sense (unless of course you look up a guide on the Internet). It gets even more annoying because that particular moment is somewhat counter-intuitive in it's execution. The only logic I can see behind that design choice is the off-hand chance that Pixel doesn't want you to get the Best Ending on your first playthrough. Which, ironically, is how I normally play video games with multiple endings. First I play through normally, then after seeing what ending I get a replay the whole game and try to go for a better ending. Or you can just throw spoilers out the window and look up a guide, but Cave Story is game that is best played with as little knowledge going in as possible (this review contains the bare minimum of info you may or may not need). Unless you want the best ending on your first try, but then, what's the point of seeing multiple endings if you only want to get one?



But ignoring the ludicrous amount of foresight needed for the Best ending, the plot is actually really good. The characters are lovable and charming, but alas, Nintendo Switch remake lacks the charm of the original since they redid all the dialogue (yes, ALL OF IT) and while they did fix some grammar problems, the original localization gave the cast their own unique quirks that make them stand out. The remake, while it does keep the core personalities and plot intact, it lacks the whimsy and charm that the original localization had, in addition to over-simplifying some lines. It's kind of a shame, but which localization is better depends on whether you want fluency and accuracy (the original version), or legitimacy and officiality (Nintendo Switch/Steam/3DS remake). Oh well. At least the official localization is better than Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth's.


Cave Story also has it's fair share of boss battles

But enough on the story, what about gameplay? Well, you can jump, shoot, interact with objects, and collect items to add to your inventory. Some items are required to progress and/or unlock a better ending, while others are there for a quick one off joke. Something neat is how every time you destroy an enemy, they will drop either a Heart that heals you, spare ammo for the Missile Launcher weapon that you unlock early on in the game, or little golden triangles (and no, it's not the Triforce). These triangles work as EXP points. "But wait!" You cry. "I thought you said that Cave Story is a Platformer/Shoot-em-up hybrid! Why is there EXP, a traditionally RPG element, in this game!?!?". Well, the EXP is not for your character. It's instead for your currently equipped weapon. You see, collect the triangles while holding the weapon in question will gradually level it up, giving it extra power, range, and a more visually impressive visual effect. Chief among them is the Blade weapon. At level one, the Blade itself is thrown like a boomerang. At level three, instead of throwing the sword, our plucky robo-adventurer uses it to summon the ghost of the Blade's previous owner, who then slices and dices any enemy caught in their path. However! The weapons are balanced in a very simple way; If you take damage, you will lose experience. This makes it so you can't just go in guns ablazing and encourages you to play it safe, in addition to just making the gameplay challenging, but fun.


EDIT: This right here is the worst boss in the
game. For more details, see the second editor's
note at the bottom of the post.

As for visuals and music, the original game's 8-bit sprites were charming, but made it difficult to tell what was what (in my opinion). But in this remake, the sprites have been updated, so they are crisper and nicer looking. The levels are also nicely designed. Each one runs with a specific theme, and does SOMETHING to stand out from the rest of the game. The game's soundtrack is also catchy and memorable, and one of the advantages to playing Cave Story+ is you can play the game while listening to not one, but FOUR different versions of the soundtrack (changeable in the settings). All of which sound pretty good. Based on my experience, there's not a bad song in the soundtrack.


You can also unlock a secret mode called 
Curly Story, which essentially swaps the roles
of the adventurer you play as with his female 
counterpart, Curly Brace. The dialogue changes
accordingly, and unlike with the adventurer (who is
mute), Curly Brace actually talks during cutscenes.

At the end of the day, Cave Story is a fantastic game that has aged phenomenally. But is it better than Undertale? Yes and No. There are things that Undertale does better (like how it handles it's alternate endings), but there are things that Cave Story does better (fast, energetic gameplay). But the games are so drastic in genre that it's really unfair to both games to compare them. But anyway, I give Cave Story/Cave Story+ a 10/10 for being a fun, challenging (but not unfair) platformer with a great soundtrack and a compelling story, the only real flaw being the oh so frequently mentioned criterias for the best ending, which require either improbable amounts of foresight, or a walkthrough/guide. But which version of Cave Story should you get? Cave Story+ (aka the Nintendo Switch/Steam version) is mostly faithful to the original, but has updated sprites, multiple versions of the soundtrack, and Curly Story, but it suffers from a lesser localization and rather unnecessary dialogue changes. The original version, which you can download off of Pixel's very own website, doesn't have as much content as the remake, but it DOES have a better localization. The 3DS version also gave the design of basically everything a massive overhaul. So my advice? Get whichever version of the game is on your system of choice and/or preference.

P.S. For some inconceivable reason I never explained what my rating scale actually means. Just like Cave Story, I relied on you, the reader, to use your common sense and guess that the higher the number, the better the product in question.

P.P.S. In case you're wondering why I don't use the main hero's real name, it's because you are actually not supposed to know what the main hero's name is until after you beat the game. But just like how Princess Zelda and Sheik are one and the same and how Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father, just about everyone knows what Cave Story's main protagonist's real name is. Except the people who never heard of Cave Story. For obvious reasons.

P.P.P.S. The Mimigas are officially the cutest video game creatures ever created and nothing will top the cuteness of the Mimigas. NOTHING. Not Pikachu, not Asriel Dreemurr, not even Kirby.

EDIT: I almost forgot to say this but it needs to be said! *deep breath*

"HUZZAH!"-Balrog, 2004

EDIT 2: I did, however, forget to mention that I only managed to beat the game on Easy mode because I actually tried playing on Normal and had to reset the difficulty because even on Easy Mode, this game is really challenging. Ironically, I praised the game for being challenging but fair, but that's because I forgot that the Monster X boss exists (and was painfully reminded this evening when I went to play through the game on Normal mode), which is by far the worst boss in the game. It's not plot-relevant, it deals way too much damage and moves way too quickly, it can launch homing projectiles, which are inherently annoying, and the room starts with half a million of the already annoying Gaudi-type enemies I could have put up with all of these brutal shenanigans if it weren't for the fact that you don't even get a chance to save beforehand, which means if you die to this boss in particular (and unless you are an unstoppable Chuck Norris-esque prodigy you WILL die a LOT) you have to hoof it all the way back to that boss area. But wait! There's More! While on your way back, you have to deal with even more Gaudi and you have to platform around not one but TWO instant kill obstacles! So chances are you aren't even going to be at full health when you start the fight! It's almost as if Pixel designed Monster X to be as frustrating and unbearable as humanly possible while still making him actually beatable. The only things I like about Monster X is it has a neat design and it's death animation is admittedly kind of funny. That, and finally beating him is oh so satisfying.