06-18-2013, 08:00 AM
I think I'll approach this by talking about games that I feel do good, and bad, in each area.
Controls
Good: Mega Man X. Start out...simple, and fairly weak, but still maneuverable, wall-climbing is always a favorite feature of mine, makes exploration awesome, and it's handled pretty well, even if it's easier and simpler in some games. But gaining new abilities and having them be simple to understand is a key aspect of the series. Gaining the Dash upgrade is such a fantastic moment, suddenly you can move way faster, and are much more maneuverable...and it all controls so well. The first game is great, but the later games fix up a few control issues (I like being able to hold down dash to dash-jump off walls)
Rules
Difficulty...I like some challenge, but some games...phew.
Good: Contra, especially Contra 4. This game was brutal, but as I played it more and more, I got better and better. Maybe I'm biased, because the game is kinda ruthless...few lives, and few continues, especially in hard mode, but there was something so fun about it! And it felt like a perfect challenge to me.
Bad: Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts. Oh boy. Awkward, clunky movement, fragile character, and annoying enemies. Oh, and you have to beat it twice and use a particular weapon to get the true ending. I...didn't really enjoy this game. It had some fun moments, but oh, it felt like a chore to play.
Well...maybe I'll add more examples later.
Controls
Good: Mega Man X. Start out...simple, and fairly weak, but still maneuverable, wall-climbing is always a favorite feature of mine, makes exploration awesome, and it's handled pretty well, even if it's easier and simpler in some games. But gaining new abilities and having them be simple to understand is a key aspect of the series. Gaining the Dash upgrade is such a fantastic moment, suddenly you can move way faster, and are much more maneuverable...and it all controls so well. The first game is great, but the later games fix up a few control issues (I like being able to hold down dash to dash-jump off walls)
Rules
Difficulty...I like some challenge, but some games...phew.
Good: Contra, especially Contra 4. This game was brutal, but as I played it more and more, I got better and better. Maybe I'm biased, because the game is kinda ruthless...few lives, and few continues, especially in hard mode, but there was something so fun about it! And it felt like a perfect challenge to me.
Bad: Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts. Oh boy. Awkward, clunky movement, fragile character, and annoying enemies. Oh, and you have to beat it twice and use a particular weapon to get the true ending. I...didn't really enjoy this game. It had some fun moments, but oh, it felt like a chore to play.
Well...maybe I'll add more examples later.