Bug Too! OR Clockwork Knight 2 OR Pandemonium?

[sych]

Some of the best 2.5d Platformers on the Saturn? Bug Too!, Clockwork Knight 2 or Pandemonium? Pick and comment.

BUG TOO!



CLOCKWORK KNIGHT 2



PANDEMONIUM

[pocketpocket]

I honestly don't personally think that any of them are particularly good, but I can still say that I personally enjoy the Bug games.

The Clockwork Knight games are both too generic and unambitious in my eyes. Plenty of Megadrive platformers are far longer, more imaginative and unique than Clockwork Knight, which doesn't feel much more advanced than an NES platformer. It doesn't do anything particularly wrong, but nothing especially well either. I consider them some of the most average games I've played, and not average as in necessarily bad, but just that they are about as middle-of-the-road games I can think of.

Honestly, Clockwork Knight 2 is probably a better game than Bug Too which can be incredibly unpolished and has extremely obnoxious voice overs, but I admire it more for being something unique. The semi-3D style makes it stand out unlike any other platformer preventing it from feeling generic and in the case of the first Bug game which came out before Mario 64, was actually pretty advanced.

Pandemonium I haven't played in years, but it never really clicked with me and I didn't get far. I vaguely remember having an issue with the camera often moving in weird awkward angles that result in you getting blindsided by enemies.

[linkt101]

I'm not a great fan of either of these games. Bug Too! from a game play stand point is dated. Pandemonium is terrible compared to the PSX and the laggyness of it makes it unplayable in my eyes. Clockwork Knight 2, while similar to the original gets my vote. For being the game I can derive the most enjoyment out of. I must admit, it is a challenging platformer. The seance boss I found was too hard. I always use an infinite lives code when playing the game. So I don't have to waste time grinding for lives and continues in earlier levels.

[Ted]

May 20, 2017 11:56:20 GMT pocketpocket said:

The Clockwork Knight games are both too generic and unambitious in my eyes. Plenty of Megadrive platformers are far longer, more imaginative and unique than Clockwork Knight

I do believe them being short has something to do with them being split into 2 games, I think there is a Japan only release where both the games are combined into one, and the game as a whole feels less half baked apparently (bug/graphical fixes, CK 1 running on 2's refined engine). But yeah Clockwork Knight is quite dull. I remember playing it at this retro gaming event at a museum a few years back and thinking it was boring. Apparently the 2nd one is slightly better so if I find it cheap enough I may give it a try. If I still don't like it I can always sell it.

[marley]

Clockwork Knight 2 for me as I haven't actually played the others, though I do love CK2 as the theme and design appeal to me and don't get me started with that intro FMV music. Short but very enjoyable.

[tempest]

The original Bug was absolute tedium with its long and linear levels. The sequel fixes this somewhat but it's still an average game at best.

Clockwork Knight 2 gives us the challenge missing from the fun but short Clockwork Knight, but lacks some of the charm. It's fun and enjoyable, but not in the same league (or genre) as Pandemonium!

Pandemonium! is an incredible game. It takes all the fun of brilliant 2D platformers, but wraps everything in a beautiful 3D world. Sure, the Saturn version runs slower and at a lowerres than the PS1 version, but its filled with lots of fun (and some frustration too). Plus it's really charming. Definitely the best game of this lot.

Gex might have been a better contender against Bug Too and CK2.

[pocketpocket]

May 20, 2017 21:42:11 GMT Ted said:

May 20, 2017 11:56:20 GMT pocketpocket said:

The Clockwork Knight games are both too generic and unambitious in my eyes. Plenty of Megadrive platformers are far longer, more imaginative and unique than Clockwork Knight

I do believe them being short has something to do with them being split into 2 games, I think there is a Japan only release where both the games are combined into one, and the game as a whole feels less half baked apparently (bug/graphical fixes, CK 1 running on 2's refined engine). But yeah Clockwork Knight is quite dull. I remember playing it at this retro gaming event at a museum a few years back and thinking it was boring. Apparently the 2nd one is slightly better so if I find it cheap enough I may give it a try. If I still don't like it I can always sell it.

I actually first experienced Clockwork Knight through that Japanese compilation version. It was nice to have both games in the same place, but I was disappointed that it didn't go the Sonic 3 & Knuckles route of actually combining both into a seamless single game. You still select to play either Clockwork Knight 1 & 2 from the menu and they are treated as completely separate games. I think it would of been neat if it was just one game and once you beat all the Clockwork Knight levels it carries on straight into the Clockwork Knight 2 levels just like S3&K, and maybe also like S3&K it could introduce more elements of Clockwork Knight 2 into the first Clockwork Knight. S3&K made Knuckles playable, so what if Clockwork Knight introduced the collectable cards into the Clockwork Knight 1's levels? The game would definitely need a save feature if it was going to be this long, but I feel like that should of been in both games anyway. Maybe that's just me wishing for it to be something that it was never aiming to be, but it's common to hear people say that Clockwork Knight 1 & 2 work best when played as one complete game on the compilation, and I never really got that feeling from it.

Still, it's definitely the best way to play the series for sure, if only for being able to play Clockwork Knight 1 on a far superior engine.

[sych]

Definitely Bug Too! for the win. Out of the 3 games it offers the best challenge and is overall the best game of the 3 of them. Having completed Bug Too! for the first time recently, I can fully appreciate the full beauty of this game. The clever level designs and film themed concepts of each world work together so well. Once you get the hang of how each world works it's really addictice to keep playing them to try master them. It's a work of art in many respects. Most of the early criticism of this games came from gamers that never managed to get off the first level of Wevil Dead to fully appreciate the greatness of Bug Too! Definitly has my vote. There is so much to this game.

2nd would be Pandemonium for me. Great game and absolutely beautiful level designs. I find most of the AI enemies as dull as dishwater though. It has that old school charm of enemies that just walk from one end of the screen to the other and so long as you don't walk into them they are of no consequence to you whatsoever as they are non threatening. Although the game itself is quite challenging in places the level layout is still quite basic and rather easy. The secret bonus stages are easily found.

3rd place is Clockwork Knight 2. To me this is the most basic of the 3. Although it did have some really fun elements like the Pony ride, it never engaged my interest as much as the other teo. Also the lack if save points really let's this game down. Although it's not overly long but knowing each time I play it, I have to complete it there and then can be very annoying.

[sych]

May 21, 2017 9:35:59 GMT tempest said:

Gex might have been a better contender against Bug Too and CK2.

These are all 2.5 platform games. Isn't Gex just 2D? I could be wrong as I've never played Gex but I thought it was only 2D.

[Sonnington]

None are winning platformer of the year awards. Probably not even platformer of the month for that matter. I can see why you wouldn't put Mr. Bones down. That game would run away with it. Mr. Bones is easily the best platformer for Saturn.

For me it goes to Pandemonium. The other games are just pathetic to me. Kind of like weird anomalies best left untalked about.

[sych]

May 21, 2017 14:02:23 GMT Sonnington said:

None are winning platformer of the year awards. Probably not even platformer of the month for that matter. I can see why you wouldn't put Mr. Bones down. That game would run away with it. Mr. Bones is easily the best platformer for Saturn.

For me it goes to Pandemonium. The other games are just pathetic to me. Kind of like weird anomalies best left untalked about.

Don't worry I haven't forgotten Mr. Bones that will feature in the next couple of weeks.

[The Elite MYT]

CK2 is an average platformer, with a silly difficulty curve. I found the game pretty easy until the clock tower level, where it spiked suddenly. Especially when trying to climb the rotating tower, which was way harder than it should have been. Mickey Mania did that gimmick on the megadrive and it worked fine, but CK2 makes it really hard to judge where you are landing. That said, it´s a solid game if you can pick it up for a tenner.

I can´t comment on the other two. Bug seems alright, but unimaginative. Pandemonium looks decent, but I haven´t seen too much of it to make a proper judgement.

[mancity]

Pandemonium! was the pack-in game for my PS1 back in the day so will always be a special memory

[tempest]

May 21, 2017 12:12:55 GMT sych said:

May 21, 2017 9:35:59 GMT tempest said:

Gex might have been a better contender against Bug Too and CK2.

These are all 2.5 platform games. Isn't Gex just 2D? I could be wrong as I've never played Gex but I thought it was only 2D.

True, I had forgotten about Bug Too's into and away from the screen gameplay. I don't remember anything like this in CK2 though. Sure, it looks like the levels are 3D, but from a gameplay perspective, it's purely 3D.

[The Elite MYT]

Nah, CK2 is definitely 2.5D. Not much, but it is. The Clock Tower is a notable area, but the earlier levels have the odd bit now and then too.