Frogun (2022)

• Unlimited lives. I'm glad that even though it was inspired by the PS1/N64 era, they didn't feel the need to implement a life mechanic.
• Checkpoints. Being able to have unlimited continues at checkpoints made the game much more bearable in the harder parts of the game. I will say that the checkpoints seemed to be spaced oddly in some stages though.
• I liked collecting hats.

• It seemed inconsistent with whether or not you could grab on to things at an angle or if you had to be facing it directly.
• The timing for some of the jumps and zipline segments are pretty brutal because they have a small window of execution. It doesn't help that a lot of the sections require to use the zipline in mid-air and you can't see your targeting reticle until you make an attempt. And even when you see your reticle on an object, sometimes you won't actually hit the object that it's hovering over.
• There seems to be some kind of aim assist in this game too because I would be trying to aim forward, but Renata would turn and aim at something to the side. A lot of falling into pits and taking damage because of this.
• Bosses felt longer than they needed to be, especially when they repeat the same pattern twice and you have to wait until the end of the second set before you get a chance to counterattack.
• It was also frustrating repeating levels to complete missions just because I missed a single jar somewhere in the stage.
• Wasn't a big fan of the sound design or music. It got repetitive and dull after awhile.

I like the game's concept, but I wasn't a big fan of the execution. Also, I found it interesting that the game claims to be inspired by the PS1/N64 era in its description, but I can't really identify the games that inspired it. I can point out small things like how Renata looks like a Mega Man Legends character and the Jake stages being somewhat reminiscent of Koopa the Quick from Super Mario 64, but that's about it. Gameplay-wise, the closest thing I can think of is Klonoa because of the ability to pick up enemies, but that's a bit of a stretch. I'd be interested in looking up interviews to learn more about what specifically inspired this game.

Played through the demo. Despite the retro look, it's more like Captain Toad than anything else, with little puzzlebox levels that you rotate around to find secrets and gems and such.

The visuals are super charming and there's shiny coins to collect, but neither the jumping nor the frograppling feel especially fun, and the level design started to feel repetitive even within the short demo. Bit of a letdown!