LogFAQs > #967514092

I think what gets me about Kid Icarus is how unfriendly it is in general. Pit's got a weird slide to him, the first level has so many chokepoints where you're squeezed in between a reaper and a hard place. If it came out one year later with vertical scrolling ala Doki Doki Panic, or even Metroid, I think it'd be a much stronger game. Metroid at least lets you get your foot in the door before it kicks your ass with obtuse maps; KI requires a huge up-front investment of time learning the basic mechanics and feel before you can get an even adequate run in that I think puts it in that Simon's Quest pool of "... oh THAT'S how I'm supposed to be playing it". Not quite as dull as that, of course, Icarus has the decency to always be action-focused, but in a similar vein of "oh this is how the game is actually supposed to be fun".

Nintendog - Nintendogs

Im sure this was very, very good for those who really wanted a pet, but could not afford to or otherwise were unable to provide for one. Its great that a game like this exists. But this came after Chao Garden, and I would rather feed peacocks to larval water gods to make them race in the crab pool than drag my dog away from trash. Its a simple and good feedback loop that hit the mobile game feel a few years before mobile games became a thing. Actually, why isnt there a Nintendogs mobile? That seems like a pretty sure bet, a lot more than Dr. Mario World was! In any case, of the screen obscuring Assist Trophies, I like Nintendog less than Mr. Resetti but more than Nightmare, having CUTE DOGGY is a bit more interesting than pure darkness. I think the Labrador Retriever variant was the most successful, its just got those universally adorable puppy eyes, but the french bulldog and toy poodle are definitely cute as well. Find it weird that we only get one breed per game, though - would be a lot more novelty to it if there were multiple cute puppies to see!

Klaptrap - Diddy Kong Pilot

https://youtu.be/5DqQoc3_RMo

Consider the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot Beta voice clips the entire write-up. To my knowledge, this is the only playable appearance of Klaptrap outside of Donkey Kong 64s Beaver Bother mini-game, and I have had root canals I would rate higher than that mini-game. But damn, theres something mystifying about hearing DK64 Donkey Kong say something close to full sentences, along with whatever demon Dixie Kong is absorbing to have that voice, country Krunch from Diddy Kong Racing, and K. Rool very clearly being a slightly more nasally Wizpig. Klaptrap has the max acceleration lowest speed build, so hes bad, and he has the least fun voice out of Team Krem, but even mediocrity from a game that was completely scrubbed of all DK influence and turned into a Banjo game (except Expresso the Ostrich, who made it in somehow as an obstacle) is better than Beaver Bother, In Smash, Klaptrap says ow when you hit him. I cannot tell you how much that means to me. Absolutely brilliant, instantly puts him in the top half of Assist Trophies.

The Koopalongs - Mario Kart 8

Man, the shine on the Koopalings has fallen off, hasnt it? I remember the mid-2000s days where theyd been away for a few generations, fans clamoring for them back and then they were back and it was quickly realizing nah its ok, like theyre fine but we dont need them THAT often! Insofar as their actual boss appearances go, I think that Color Splash, surprisingly, gets the most out of the Koopalings. Each one has a nice and distinctive personality, along with some actual combat gimmick that requires a modicum of thought before you reach the point of use this specific card or else you physically cant win thanks. I feel like the novelty of having all of them in Mario Kart 8 was really cool, just a neat moment of OH MAN SEVEN NEW CHARACTERS, and you cant really put the toothpaste back in the tube now that youve done it. They had their cool moment in 2014 and now theyre here. Neat.

Quick ranking of all of them:

1. Lemmy (Clearly the best, circus motif, tiny, just a fun lil guy)
2. Morton (When you beat him in Color Splash, he yells MORTON? MORE LIKE LESSTON with his dying breath. Star-making performance dissing yourself to the grave)
3. Ludwig (Obviously at least Top 3 in any list. Has the style, the oh? he gives has more personality than 80% of non-RPG Mario characters)
4. Wendy (Solely for this battle theme, https://youtu.be/-qcYLPKZHjM )
5. Iggy (Actually a pretty neat redesign to differentiate him from Lemmy, the Chain Chomp boss fights he tends to get thrown into are neat)
6. Larry (Nice Jojo reference, loser)
7. Roy (I dont dislike Roy. But he is entirely cool sunglasses to me and getting you the first time with his Mario 3 earthquake hops)

Kamek - Tetris Attack

HOCUS. POCUS. I dont know why I latched onto Kamek when I was, like, 13 as an underrepresented Yoshi/Mario series character who deserved the spotlight, but here we are. Honestly, none of Kameks appearances are really that exemplary when hes playable - hes got the same kinda schtick as Rosalina in Tennis Aces but was DLC so he lacks the impact, for some reason is a money making fiend in Kart Tour, was only playable in Mario Party 9, and wasnt in the baseball games in favor of generic Magikoopas, who are actually pretty awesome in Superstar Baseball to no ones surprise. Being playable in an all-time great like Tetris Attack just shoots you up considerably, I suppose, though TA is my least favorite skin of Panel de Pon. I think that Kamek has great utility as a boss, however - giving him the easy Rita Ripulsa make my monster grow schtick honestly creates a ton of really fun scenarios, as seen through all the various imaginative Yoshis Island bosses. Plus I just like all the little weird things he does through the series, from summoning Bahamut in Mario RPG to playing a worn-down caretaker in both Partners in Time and Origami King to occasionally ruining Sticker Star and Color Splash to be nearly unplayable at times with his appearances. Kamek is a weird wild card of a character, and I think that flexibility is something missing from a majority of Mario enemies, even mainstays like Bowser Jr! Hes not great or anything but man would it have killed them to make him a boss in Ultimate? Just have him grow a bunch of minions from Smash Run to super sizes, and have him end it with Giga Bowser - woulda made that fight a Hell of a lot more interesting.