Worst Turbo game of 1991

[_Paul]

I really like the graphics and sound of Legendary Axe, never completely got on with the gameplay though.

[shubibiman]

Again, I'm not trying to convince you to change your mind, I just want to proclaim the greatness of Legendary Axe .

Of course, you meant the "awesomeness" of Legendary Axe.

[Arkhan Asylum]

and yknow in 1988, its not like there were better comparable games elsewhere

Altered Beast on genny might as well have been called Clunkymotherfucker

[esteban]

Again, I'm not trying to convince you to change your mind, I just want to proclaim the greatness of Legendary Axe .

Of course, you meant the "awesomeness" of Legendary Axe.

YES!

[OldRover]

Well, I've played through The Legendary Axe a few times...somehow...and each time I play it, it's more and more depressing. I KNOW that if I had played it when it was new, I would have liked it, but it has not aged well and its limitations just scream in your face. And I still dislike the music...it reminds me of Zelda 2 on the NES...the instruments sound identical and the themes are very similar. But hell, I still like Keith Courage despite its limitations, though anyone playing it now who hadn't played it back then would find it terrible.

Altered Beast sucks ass no matter what platform it's on. There's no way you could really improve on total suck without changing the entire basis of the game.

[esteban]

I last played LA about a year ago and it was a total blast, whereas KC (which I played more recently), became very tedious very quickly. Truth be told, though, I always felt KC was stinky and wasted potential. I saw the awesome game it could have been and wished Hudson released a game that corrected the issues.

I've beaten LA dozens of times since I got it back in the day, and that surely influences my tolerance for the shortcomings/flaws you've identified.

Maybe I'll pop it in tonight to give you some fresh, tangible thoughts. I like the difficulty of LA, and that you can use strategy (allow your axe to reach 1/2 or 3/4 or max power) to take out difficult enemies / bosses. I also like that there are some truly annoying bastards that require precise timing to attack, otherwise you get whupped.

We clearly feel very differently about the music--for me, it is one of the masterpieces for the PCE. Even the weakest track (the maze of rooms at the end) is better than the tripe you hear in a lot of 8- and 16-bit titles.



Altered Beast--another game of wasted potential!

[Arkhan Asylum]

altered beast on the master system is probably the biggest mess on earth.



I like Keith and LA.  Limitation shlmitation.  People still get boners when they play mario 1 on NES and that game looks so pokey its funny

[_Paul]

altered beast on the master system is probably the biggest mess on earth.

I used to love that version! *hangs head in shame*

[OldRover]

When I think of excellent hucard music, I think of Dead Moon, Neutopia II, or Legendary Axe II.

[esteban]

When I think of excellent hucard music, I think of Dead Moon, Neutopia II, or Legendary Axe II.

LA II is one of the best, period. It's been some time since I've played Dead Moon or Neutopia II, but I'm sure they are very nice as well.

Which makes your distaste for LA all the more confusing

[OldRover]

Well, LA and LA II really have nothing to do with each other aside from the developers though...it was the knuckleheaded US morons who considered "Dark Legend" the sequel to Legendary Axe. Spiritual successor perhaps, but not a true sequel in any sense of the word. The music style in LA II is nothing like that in LA.

Tell you what though...I could always rip the sprites out of LA and make a better game with them.

[ccovell]

Not true... the Japanese magazines wrote in their previews of Ankoku Densetsu that it was the sequel to Makyou Densetsu.  And even though it was quite different from the first one, the music doesn't enter into it.  Zelda 1 and Zelda 2 had different composers, not to mention Bonks 2 and 3.

[OldRover]

The two games have nothing to do with each other. It's like Granzort being the actual sequel to Keith Courage (how many people have parroted this?), it just isn't reality. But I was not drawing the distinction based on the music...we were talking about music style at the moment. And just because Japanese magazines write it, it doesn't make it truth. Even back then, they didn't always get their stories straight, and it seems to have only gotten worse nowadays. Parroting incorrect information has been a mainstay in video game journalism since...well, since the dawn of video game journalism. I know Zelda 1 and 2 had different composers...the style is completely different, and the same goes for Bonk 2 and 3...you can tell it was someone else. But again, the distinction was not being drawn based on the different composers.

[ccovell]

Okay, so your comment (and my comment) about the music is neither here nor there.  However, Victor/JVC's advertisement for AD in the Japanese magazines says that it's the sequel to MD.  To be honest, the text says "With spooky graphics and a hard difficulty, this realistic, multi-scrolling action game can also be said to be the sequel to Makyou Densetsu."  "also be said" weakens the argument only somewhat that from the start (JP publisher) to the finish (US mags), this game was billed as the sequel to MD.

[esteban]

Well, LA and LA II really have nothing to do with each other aside from the developers though...it was the knuckleheaded US morons who considered "Dark Legend" the sequel to Legendary Axe. Spiritual successor perhaps, but not a true sequel in any sense of the word. The music style in LA II is nothing like that in LA.

Tell you what though...I could always rip the sprites out of LA and make a better game with them.

I meant, "You do have good taste in chiptunes, so that is what makes your distaste for LA so confusing."

It's not like you don't appreciate chiptunes; If you didn't like PSG, I'd have a much harder sell


I'm being silly, of course, and I'll stop beating a dead horse. As such, I hereby announce that I will not try to persuade you to love LA's music. 


As for your offer: you can keep LA intact, but do all the changes that, in your opinion, would make the game better (i.e. hit detection, placement of enemies, the fact that Gogan gets knocked back when enemies strike him, etc.). I just listed some random things that folks might have a problem with... but the music, the music, cannot be altered!

[Sinistron]

Legendary Axe is just so obviously sweet- the gameplay incredibly solid to this day- the graphics (other than the eagles) look great- and the music is and has always been awesome.

[nectarsis]

The two games have nothing to do with each other. It's like Granzort being the actual sequel to Keith Courage (how many people have parroted this?), it just isn't reality. But I was not drawing the distinction based on the music...we were talking about music style at the moment. And just because Japanese magazines write it, it doesn't make it truth. Even back then, they didn't always get their stories straight, and it seems to have only gotten worse nowadays. Parroting incorrect information has been a mainstay in video game journalism since...well, since the dawn of video game journalism. I know Zelda 1 and 2 had different composers...the style is completely different, and the same goes for Bonk 2 and 3...you can tell it was someone else. But again, the distinction was not being drawn based on the different composers.

I have only heard people calling Granzort a SPIRITUAL successor to Keith Corage never a direct sequel.

[CrackTiger]

I've always thought of the Axe/Densetsu games as part of the sames series like Gate and Lords of Thunder. One not a sequel to the other, but both entries of the same 'line'. Kinda like Wonderboy/Monster World, without obvious overlapping stories/elements.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

When I think of excellent hucard music, I think of Dead Moon, Neutopia II, or Legendary Axe II.

*cough*  Dungeon Explorer  *cough*

[esteban]

- the graphics (other than the eagles) look great-

You mean the pixelated blob that flaps around near the cliffs? Is that an eagle? Hawk? Vulture? Turkey?

Turkey vulture?

[Sinistron]

- the graphics (other than the eagles) look great-

You mean the pixelated blob that flaps around near the cliffs? Is that an eagle? Hawk? Vulture? Turkey?

Turkey vulture?

Lol- yeah- turkey vulture is what it looks like- a Vulkey.

[TheClash603]

Yo Bro!  Don't be so hard on Yo Bro!  The game actually plays pretty well once you get used to the tricky controls (I loved 720 NES too...).  Not to mention the Beach Boys soundtrack is so good, makes you wanna forgive poor Phil Specter (ok, maybe not).

Champions Forever is the worst game on the list.  Unplayable garbage, no variety, hideous noise for sound.  Puke.

[esteban]

Yo Bro!  Don't be so hard on Yo Bro!  The game actually plays pretty well once you get used to the tricky controls (I loved 720 NES too...).  Not to mention the Beach Boys soundtrack is so good, makes you wanna forgive poor Phil Specter (ok, maybe not).

Champions Forever is the worst game on the list.  Unplayable garbage, no variety, hideous noise for sound.  Puke.

Many moons ago, I've argued that Yo' Bro! is a poor man's Zombies Ate My Neighbors. Yo' Bro! isn't nearly as engaging--plus, the control has a lot to be desired (aiming weapons, for example), but I was able to squeeze a little fun out of Yo' Bro! when I thought of it as a low-budget Zombies. Initially, though, I absolutely detested Yo' Bro! Ugghhhhh, it was a letdown.

As for Champions Forever boxing... one man's hideous noise is another man's music. (Did I say music?)

"How hard can you hit?" asks the scratchy voice of an East Coast rapper at the opening of Champions Forever Boxing.

Champions Forever is exponentially less appealing than Yo' Bro! In fact, the only thing I like is the novelty of the music / samples and "hip hop" shenanigans. Honestly.