7th July 2008, 8:26 PM
Lost Vikings II: Blizzard made the original SNES version, The Lost Vikings II. Another Interplay studio made the PC/PSX/Saturn version, Norse By Norsewest: The Return of the Lost Vikings. That's why Norse By Norsewest's PC port is so much worse than The Lost Vikings' was -- Blizzard didn't do it itself, unlike the first game. Despite the better graphics of the next-gen version and the very similar gameplay, the original version of TLV2 is probably best.
I also liked the first game better, though. The second one had some good jokes ("It said 'do not touch', not 'doughnuts!' was funny... :)), but the gameplay just wasn't as good. Giving the characters overlapping powers diluted the point of the game, essentially. Why carefully plan out the moves of several characters when you can just use one character that can jump, run, attack, AND climb up walls?
It hurt the puzzle and teamwork-focused purpose of the game. It was best when each character had a specific, defined purpose that forced you to use all of them frequently to progress.
(Blizzard made TLV1 on SNES, PC (DOS), Amiga, and Genesis; they outsourced the more recent GBA port.)
As for a Lost Vikings 3, I think a 2d or 2.5d (3d graphics, 2d gameplay) game on download services (PC and consoles, probably) would be perfect. Sure you could make a full 3d one, but it worked so well as a sidescrolling game... another game like that would be best, I think.
Muscles are things in your body, though... but ability goes beyond just strength, most importantly it is mental -- knowledge and learning. Games which require stat modifiers to use weapons partially account for this, but still, the emphasis on "things" over "ability" is questionable. That it's there is an aspect of modern consumer culture, probably.
I also liked the first game better, though. The second one had some good jokes ("It said 'do not touch', not 'doughnuts!' was funny... :)), but the gameplay just wasn't as good. Giving the characters overlapping powers diluted the point of the game, essentially. Why carefully plan out the moves of several characters when you can just use one character that can jump, run, attack, AND climb up walls?
It hurt the puzzle and teamwork-focused purpose of the game. It was best when each character had a specific, defined purpose that forced you to use all of them frequently to progress.
(Blizzard made TLV1 on SNES, PC (DOS), Amiga, and Genesis; they outsourced the more recent GBA port.)
As for a Lost Vikings 3, I think a 2d or 2.5d (3d graphics, 2d gameplay) game on download services (PC and consoles, probably) would be perfect. Sure you could make a full 3d one, but it worked so well as a sidescrolling game... another game like that would be best, I think.
Quote:Ability is a thing too. Or more accurately, muscles are things.
A heavier sword might add power to a swing ya know, but yeah, I agree.
Muscles are things in your body, though... but ability goes beyond just strength, most importantly it is mental -- knowledge and learning. Games which require stat modifiers to use weapons partially account for this, but still, the emphasis on "things" over "ability" is questionable. That it's there is an aspect of modern consumer culture, probably.
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