Little Samson (1992)

Preliminary: I'm enjoying this more than I expected.Surprise surprise I like a platformer :-p but I dunno I just thought the NES limits would make it lacking for me, but so far it's real nice. Good tunes, fun gameplay. The enemies are getting repetitive but I think I'm in an intro segment for each kind of character.

Oh shoot I just read I had to be on Normal to get the "true final boss" Welp too late cuz I'm a good way through on Easy :-p And tho I'm enjoying it (like 4 or maybe 3 star enjoying), I'm not enjoying it enough to replay all the intro stages.

Day 1

Argh so begins the sprite slowdown and other NES frustrations I was worried about already on the first true stage. And some of the tunes aren't great. But I do like that I seem able to hit away most projectiles, and the controls are tight and quick, and as always I like when you can fight back in a platformer (tho that is the norm by 92).

Ugh and they have the infinitely spawning enemy factor that drives me nuts about NES games. Good thing the different characters and the straightforward platforming gameplay will probly get me to push through this nonetheless. Or at least a good chunk of it. Cuz those NES limitations and frustrations are creeping up quickly!

Day 2

I continue to get frustrated with the NES difficulty, Megaman-esque qualities, and NES limitations, but here I am on at least stage 8 or higher and still playing and switching characters and solving my frustrations :-p Sign of a good game, even if perhaps not a game I will love due to it being a bit too frustrating for me. The bosses are particularly frustrating, tho I suppose I must find dsome pride in pushing through. The tunes are good but I suppose I wish they were better or perhaps I just expect PC/Sega CD quality tunes in 92 so really these bumping grooves aren't hitting as well as they should/could.

I'm thinnnnking this ice castle level will be the end of it for me. Great game, just a bit too much for me. Definitely worth a play! (Oh wow, apparently this is quite near the end, I just checked a faq for the first time. I will return to this later and give it one more shot since I got so close to the end it really might be worthy of a completion and 4 star after all)

Ok ok yea I pushed through later that day lol. More and more I'm learning the quirks of the level design and really liking that, even if the bosses continue to be a bit frustrating and the infinitely respawning enemies is always disliked for me.

The gotcha damage is getting quite ridiculous as I'm on the Ancient Castle stage right before the 3-part final stage, but that makes sense since it's endgame of an NES platformer heh. I wish the music were better the dungeon and "epic"/battley music is mostly just tinsely and annoying. Oh! Perfect. Apparently this level and boss are the ending of the Easy Mode, which is what I picked! So this really was quite well balanced, after all.

Buttttt this Ancient Castle boss is ridiculously hard... and the music ridiculously annoying haha

Lol wow. Only thanks to reading the FAQ recommending Mouse, whom I had not used at all for bosses, and with just one hitpoint left, I finished Easy Mode! And am proud of it lol.

Neat little way they hint at there being an even greater enemy to fight by showing the different Wizards or whatever they were and then an additional one flashing on the throne, tho I suppose that could've been interpreted as hinting at a sequel, I guess most people would then try Normal Mode. That's enough for me, but it did wind up earning its 3 possible 4 star after all! Classic NES platformer with a well-done character switching gimmick that's just a bit too difficult and NES-y for my current 1992 taste, but still undeniably good. Oh and I liked this logo thing

Look: 8/10 Very much so NES, but I like the world map and some good backgrounds.

Sound: 7.5/10 Several very bumping tunes, several very NES limited tunes.

Play: 8.5/10 The best parts of Megaman, a series I don't love, with a sorta-Adventure Island--II gimmick that was surprisingly well done. I suppose I'm slightly overrating Play thist o make it stand out amidst the many 92 3 stars, but I dunno. Something to be said about me pushing through despite the NES limitations and difficulty, and this definitely would've stood out if I only had access to an NES.

Feel: 8/10

Attachment: 8/10 It would definitely make the cut of NES platformers to return to, when in that retro mood, not positive it would make the cut of best 1992 games or anything but it's definitely well-made.

Overall: 8/10

Completion: All of Easy Mode

Playtime: ~2 hours