Freelancer
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2003
- Posts
- 3,592
After posting this as my "Weekly Check" entry, it dawned on me just how underappreciated SMN is. Shortly after it was released for the DC it endured poor sales and was quickly relegated to the bargain bins...hell, I bought my personal copy at Sears for a princely sum of $4.99 last year. I played it once and put it back on the shelf as I deemed the gameplay too complex and the difficulty too high. However, this weekend, I dug out Super Magnetic Neo for the DC and proceeded to give the game another chance.
To say that SMN is a hard game is an understatement. It has all the makings of the tough 8-bit classics like Ninja Gaiden and Milon's Secret Castle, only in 3D (with a somewhat restricted view and so-so camera). I'd liken it to being somewhat of an R-TYPE of 3D platformers...lots of memorization required. That said, this game is beaten only by sheer determination, practice and dedication. Mastering the game's magnetic gimmick takes some getting used to (I found the challenge stages to be a big help before playing the main quest).
Crave made SMN punishing...right from Stage 1, you will be punished for less than precise jumps and poor timing. There's no energy bar (save for a vitamin pill shield you can get on some stages) and the style of gameplay varies from standard 3D platforming, to racing/driving and even 2D-esque horizontal scrolling segments on some stages. Waypoints are somewhat rare, so mess up and its time to retrace your steps while you re-attempt the level with a new life. I mentioned that memorization of the stages takes precedence over skillful platforming and that is not far from the truth. SMN's difficulty IS tough and unforgiving, make no mistake about that, but for whatever reason, this type of old-school difficulty is somewhat of a refreshing change. I sort of miss the old days where you'd buy a game and be forced to "work" and earn every inch and step of the way through it. Maybe that's why I enjoy the Neo Geo classics so much as they are known to have high difficulty levels.
Who here enjoy(s) Super Magnetic Neo? Has anyone finished it? I noticed that there are "hidden" items in each stage, how hard is it to fully unlock EVERYTHING? Post your love/hate for this unique title. Don't hold back!
To say that SMN is a hard game is an understatement. It has all the makings of the tough 8-bit classics like Ninja Gaiden and Milon's Secret Castle, only in 3D (with a somewhat restricted view and so-so camera). I'd liken it to being somewhat of an R-TYPE of 3D platformers...lots of memorization required. That said, this game is beaten only by sheer determination, practice and dedication. Mastering the game's magnetic gimmick takes some getting used to (I found the challenge stages to be a big help before playing the main quest).
Crave made SMN punishing...right from Stage 1, you will be punished for less than precise jumps and poor timing. There's no energy bar (save for a vitamin pill shield you can get on some stages) and the style of gameplay varies from standard 3D platforming, to racing/driving and even 2D-esque horizontal scrolling segments on some stages. Waypoints are somewhat rare, so mess up and its time to retrace your steps while you re-attempt the level with a new life. I mentioned that memorization of the stages takes precedence over skillful platforming and that is not far from the truth. SMN's difficulty IS tough and unforgiving, make no mistake about that, but for whatever reason, this type of old-school difficulty is somewhat of a refreshing change. I sort of miss the old days where you'd buy a game and be forced to "work" and earn every inch and step of the way through it. Maybe that's why I enjoy the Neo Geo classics so much as they are known to have high difficulty levels.
Who here enjoy(s) Super Magnetic Neo? Has anyone finished it? I noticed that there are "hidden" items in each stage, how hard is it to fully unlock EVERYTHING? Post your love/hate for this unique title. Don't hold back!
