Generations Lost (MD, 1994)
Graphics-8 Sound-6 Control-5.5 Challenge-7.5 Story-6
Level Design-6 Frustration-8 Fun-6 Originality-6
Overall Score-6
+
Unusual setting and premise (post-"apocalyptic" world where your society has regressed into several warring tribes and worships technology without mastery of it, similar to Phantasy Star III in some ways)
Some platform adventure/MV elements (hub map after the second level, item inventory, hookshot range can be upgraded and it's needed to progress at times however it's bound to health and lost if too much of it is lost which is kind of annoying)
Some interesting tools (Erad - hookshot+projectile weapon (used to climb upwards at platforms you can jump up or down through - Batman (MD, 1990), temporary swinging hook for some segments - when you touch a pyramid-shaped floating switch it's activated)
Good art direction overall and nice animation, Decent cutscenes (artwork with minor animation and text), Basic shadow effect when moving below platforms, Some good ambient sfx (bird sounds)
Difficulty options (easy-hard) and control config (no 6-button support though - released in 1993)
Some neutral creatures (birds, )
Somewhat comical tone (janitor role seen as something sacred, some dialogue)
Decent hacking mini-game tied to unlocking some doors (kinda similar to taking over robots in Paradroid)
Some hidden items
Can see which sub areas haven't been visited yet and which ones are still unaccessible on the hub map
One decent puzzle (the cat dungeon (have to herd a cat to a switch to open the exit door) - shame you don't get payback on the guards for putting you in there though) - also the only real puzzle in the game though
One decent boss (the "core")
+/-
Partially non-linear structure (unlock 3 areas after the second level though one of them (equipment storage) is tougher than the other two since there's an unkillable enemy in it and it's also just a single room with a key in it, after these you gain access to four sub areas though one of them (engineering) just triggers a cutscene where you get part of a key and in another (main bridge) you can only enter the first room since you need to a complete key to access more of it)
Password save (short, given at the beginning of chapters rather than once per area/level)+frequent checkpoints and HP restoration points in each level/area
Lives system (lose collecting progress if you die unless you touched a checkpoint afterwards)
Off-screen enemy respawning (sometimes you can move a bit further away)
Attacking NPCs makes them attack back once
Fairly long cooldown time on the default Erad weapon (use the ammo-based fast blast power up to reduce it)
Can't shoot up or down with the default weapon however the hookshot does damage enemies
Can't run and movement doesn't affect horizontal jump length
Can't swing left/right at all while using the hookshot - swinging is limited to certain shorter segments in-between the hovering pyramid switches
Can't crawl while crouching (can roll)
Stay crouched after letting go of down on the d-pad (Flashback)
Can only kick while standing by first punching and then attacking in the other direction
Minor movement delay after falling for longer than about a screen's length
Can't carry more than one shield power up at a time (picking up another wastes it)
Can't grab onto ledges with your arms - see Flashback etc
Can't move while punching or shooting (only jump)
Connected locations on the hub map are actually entry points to a single area - similar to Clash at Demonhead
No breakable walls
No healing items
-
Various interface/control issues (the game doesn't show what happened when pressing a switch if the door that opened isn't on screen, forward momentum is sometimes lost after landing a jump even if pressing forward, can't punch if standing or hanging near and facing a wall or a thicker platform at chest height - even if a couple of steps away from them (this sucks when trying to fight certain enemies on higher ground), unforgiving hit detection near platform edges on moving platforms - they're also pretty small, kind of hard to read text on the scrolls between some levels and in the inventory menu, some delay when looking up/down - could've made you hold a button to do it quickly, can't use the hookshot in mid-air - can shoot with the same tool in mid-air, can't jump or duck cancel out of an attack, minor delay after rolling before you can do it again (can jump cancel or stop it at any point), hookshot can't be used at certain spots where you'd expect to be able to use it - some tree platforms+the thin platforms that are too close to the ground+the platforms with breakable rocks in them in the first level, inconsistent hit detection when attacking certain enemies - don't hit if they're slightly above your punch or shot but do hit if they're slightly behind your attack and inside your sprite, have to press unpause twice after going into the inventory menu to unpause the game, the search and destroy power up (orbs that circle around your avatar and home in on enemies) kinda suck at hitting enemies, your avatar ends up in mid-air in an odd way after shooting the hookshot upwards while standing on a moving platform, overly picky hit detection when shooting door switches, your hit box becomes bigger when jumping down through a platform - don't stand near spikes, automatically letting go if you stretch out the hookshot to its maximum distance is annoying, minor movement delay after jumping to a higher platform - pointless realism, can't see how many fast cooldown shots you have left while in-game, unforgiving hit detection on spike traps, time limit on the text between levels if you don't touch the controller - wtf, touch damage from enemies even when rolling so you can't use it to dodge like in Flashback, annoying how the shot cooldown on the Erad affects your ability to use the hookshot however this disappears while it's upgraded, need to hold up as well as hold the jump button down to jump at the max height, don't start rolling if you hold forward after turning around while crouching/after rolling once/right after pressing down to crouch - overly stiff, inconsistent hit detection on some enemies (the rolling mutant enemies have a larger hitbox when rolling away from you so if you were standing so that you wouldn't get hit as they approach you then you'd still get hit as they roll away), weird physics when using the upwards air streams, unforgiving hit detection on the bald guy boss when jump kicking or shooting his legs)
Uneven sound design (some rough instruments and sfx)
Some trial & error (some leaps of faith - looking down doesn't help, weird how some switches need to be pressed several times to progress, power ups like the temporary shield and fast cooldown shots are activated by selecting but not pressing anything while in the inventory menu - pressing a button in the menu actually deactivates them, the swinging tool isn't explained in-game, can't hit the camouflaged flying bugs right as they appear, have to hold the pause button down for a bit to trigger the inventory menu, spikes hurt from the side, if you cancel a shield power up before it's used up then it's wasted instead of put back into the inventory, point of no return in the second level at the elevator, can't stop an elevator at the mid-point if it passes multiple floors, surprise attacks in the maintenance area - can hit the mutants as they land but have to know where they'll appear to pull it off (if you don't they'll roll and you don't know in which direction), can't use a shield and fast cooldown ammo at the same time - if you switch while a shield is active then the shield is wasted)
Some tedious aspects (overly picky hit detection when trying to reach a key in the upwards air streams segment and jumping into tighter spaces from above in that area, the hacking mini-game gets too fast after a while, slow paced due to the overabundance of traps, some waiting for moving platforms, enemies don't drop anything so fighting respawned ones isn't useful, some minor dead ends with nothing in them, movement with the hookshot is a bit slow, have to re-open hacking mini-game locked doors if you die, )
Very short for the kind of game it is (takes less than an hour to beat if you know where to go first) and the story feels cut short and inconclusive - you learn about the nature of your "world" but then don't get to unite the tribes or at least tell them the truth of it
The temporary invisibility power up kinda sucks because you can't move nor shoot while using it and it doesn't last long enough - if you could move it could've been used for stealth or timing puzzles
Kind of annoying alarm sound while the swinging tool is active
No area maps - not really needed but you might miss some of the hidden items
Can't talk to NPCs at the beginning of levels
Bland hub map screen though it does give some info on what you might find in an area
Bland music overall
Unavoidable damage at one point in the propulsion sector area
Mostly easy enemies in the propulsion sector area due to how you can exploit their AI
The bald guy boss is easy if you have a search & destroy power up, a shield or enough fast cooldown ammo to just kill him before he kills you
Bugs:
-Can use the hookshot to go through horizontal doors if traveling downwards and they are placed below the platform you're standing on
-Bug where you can swing through a wall and floor in one of the maintenance sector areas which makes you lose your swinging ability
-Some enemies in the maintenance area can roll into walls and just disappear suddenly
-The enemies in the maintenance sector are *just* too short to hit with shots if they're standing still but not on certain frames if they're attacking. They're also too low to hit even if crouching when they're rolling which is just annoying
-Strange hit detection for one swinging jump in the supply compartments area (maintenance sub area) where usually you won't be able to jump high enough to proceed - also can't use the hookshot on this platform for some reason
-Can't look all the way down at certain platforms for some reason
Level Design-6 Frustration-8 Fun-6 Originality-6
Overall Score-6
+
Unusual setting and premise (post-"apocalyptic" world where your society has regressed into several warring tribes and worships technology without mastery of it, similar to Phantasy Star III in some ways)
Some platform adventure/MV elements (hub map after the second level, item inventory, hookshot range can be upgraded and it's needed to progress at times however it's bound to health and lost if too much of it is lost which is kind of annoying)
Some interesting tools (Erad - hookshot+projectile weapon (used to climb upwards at platforms you can jump up or down through - Batman (MD, 1990), temporary swinging hook for some segments - when you touch a pyramid-shaped floating switch it's activated)
Good art direction overall and nice animation, Decent cutscenes (artwork with minor animation and text), Basic shadow effect when moving below platforms, Some good ambient sfx (bird sounds)
Difficulty options (easy-hard) and control config (no 6-button support though - released in 1993)
Some neutral creatures (birds, )
Somewhat comical tone (janitor role seen as something sacred, some dialogue)
Decent hacking mini-game tied to unlocking some doors (kinda similar to taking over robots in Paradroid)
Some hidden items
Can see which sub areas haven't been visited yet and which ones are still unaccessible on the hub map
One decent puzzle (the cat dungeon (have to herd a cat to a switch to open the exit door) - shame you don't get payback on the guards for putting you in there though) - also the only real puzzle in the game though
One decent boss (the "core")
+/-
Partially non-linear structure (unlock 3 areas after the second level though one of them (equipment storage) is tougher than the other two since there's an unkillable enemy in it and it's also just a single room with a key in it, after these you gain access to four sub areas though one of them (engineering) just triggers a cutscene where you get part of a key and in another (main bridge) you can only enter the first room since you need to a complete key to access more of it)
Password save (short, given at the beginning of chapters rather than once per area/level)+frequent checkpoints and HP restoration points in each level/area
Lives system (lose collecting progress if you die unless you touched a checkpoint afterwards)
Off-screen enemy respawning (sometimes you can move a bit further away)
Attacking NPCs makes them attack back once
Fairly long cooldown time on the default Erad weapon (use the ammo-based fast blast power up to reduce it)
Can't shoot up or down with the default weapon however the hookshot does damage enemies
Can't run and movement doesn't affect horizontal jump length
Can't swing left/right at all while using the hookshot - swinging is limited to certain shorter segments in-between the hovering pyramid switches
Can't crawl while crouching (can roll)
Stay crouched after letting go of down on the d-pad (Flashback)
Can only kick while standing by first punching and then attacking in the other direction
Minor movement delay after falling for longer than about a screen's length
Can't carry more than one shield power up at a time (picking up another wastes it)
Can't grab onto ledges with your arms - see Flashback etc
Can't move while punching or shooting (only jump)
Connected locations on the hub map are actually entry points to a single area - similar to Clash at Demonhead
No breakable walls
No healing items
-
Various interface/control issues (the game doesn't show what happened when pressing a switch if the door that opened isn't on screen, forward momentum is sometimes lost after landing a jump even if pressing forward, can't punch if standing or hanging near and facing a wall or a thicker platform at chest height - even if a couple of steps away from them (this sucks when trying to fight certain enemies on higher ground), unforgiving hit detection near platform edges on moving platforms - they're also pretty small, kind of hard to read text on the scrolls between some levels and in the inventory menu, some delay when looking up/down - could've made you hold a button to do it quickly, can't use the hookshot in mid-air - can shoot with the same tool in mid-air, can't jump or duck cancel out of an attack, minor delay after rolling before you can do it again (can jump cancel or stop it at any point), hookshot can't be used at certain spots where you'd expect to be able to use it - some tree platforms+the thin platforms that are too close to the ground+the platforms with breakable rocks in them in the first level, inconsistent hit detection when attacking certain enemies - don't hit if they're slightly above your punch or shot but do hit if they're slightly behind your attack and inside your sprite, have to press unpause twice after going into the inventory menu to unpause the game, the search and destroy power up (orbs that circle around your avatar and home in on enemies) kinda suck at hitting enemies, your avatar ends up in mid-air in an odd way after shooting the hookshot upwards while standing on a moving platform, overly picky hit detection when shooting door switches, your hit box becomes bigger when jumping down through a platform - don't stand near spikes, automatically letting go if you stretch out the hookshot to its maximum distance is annoying, minor movement delay after jumping to a higher platform - pointless realism, can't see how many fast cooldown shots you have left while in-game, unforgiving hit detection on spike traps, time limit on the text between levels if you don't touch the controller - wtf, touch damage from enemies even when rolling so you can't use it to dodge like in Flashback, annoying how the shot cooldown on the Erad affects your ability to use the hookshot however this disappears while it's upgraded, need to hold up as well as hold the jump button down to jump at the max height, don't start rolling if you hold forward after turning around while crouching/after rolling once/right after pressing down to crouch - overly stiff, inconsistent hit detection on some enemies (the rolling mutant enemies have a larger hitbox when rolling away from you so if you were standing so that you wouldn't get hit as they approach you then you'd still get hit as they roll away), weird physics when using the upwards air streams, unforgiving hit detection on the bald guy boss when jump kicking or shooting his legs)
Uneven sound design (some rough instruments and sfx)
Some trial & error (some leaps of faith - looking down doesn't help, weird how some switches need to be pressed several times to progress, power ups like the temporary shield and fast cooldown shots are activated by selecting but not pressing anything while in the inventory menu - pressing a button in the menu actually deactivates them, the swinging tool isn't explained in-game, can't hit the camouflaged flying bugs right as they appear, have to hold the pause button down for a bit to trigger the inventory menu, spikes hurt from the side, if you cancel a shield power up before it's used up then it's wasted instead of put back into the inventory, point of no return in the second level at the elevator, can't stop an elevator at the mid-point if it passes multiple floors, surprise attacks in the maintenance area - can hit the mutants as they land but have to know where they'll appear to pull it off (if you don't they'll roll and you don't know in which direction), can't use a shield and fast cooldown ammo at the same time - if you switch while a shield is active then the shield is wasted)
Some tedious aspects (overly picky hit detection when trying to reach a key in the upwards air streams segment and jumping into tighter spaces from above in that area, the hacking mini-game gets too fast after a while, slow paced due to the overabundance of traps, some waiting for moving platforms, enemies don't drop anything so fighting respawned ones isn't useful, some minor dead ends with nothing in them, movement with the hookshot is a bit slow, have to re-open hacking mini-game locked doors if you die, )
Very short for the kind of game it is (takes less than an hour to beat if you know where to go first) and the story feels cut short and inconclusive - you learn about the nature of your "world" but then don't get to unite the tribes or at least tell them the truth of it
The temporary invisibility power up kinda sucks because you can't move nor shoot while using it and it doesn't last long enough - if you could move it could've been used for stealth or timing puzzles
Kind of annoying alarm sound while the swinging tool is active
No area maps - not really needed but you might miss some of the hidden items
Can't talk to NPCs at the beginning of levels
Bland hub map screen though it does give some info on what you might find in an area
Bland music overall
Unavoidable damage at one point in the propulsion sector area
Mostly easy enemies in the propulsion sector area due to how you can exploit their AI
The bald guy boss is easy if you have a search & destroy power up, a shield or enough fast cooldown ammo to just kill him before he kills you
Bugs:
-Can use the hookshot to go through horizontal doors if traveling downwards and they are placed below the platform you're standing on
-Bug where you can swing through a wall and floor in one of the maintenance sector areas which makes you lose your swinging ability
-Some enemies in the maintenance area can roll into walls and just disappear suddenly
-The enemies in the maintenance sector are *just* too short to hit with shots if they're standing still but not on certain frames if they're attacking. They're also too low to hit even if crouching when they're rolling which is just annoying
-Strange hit detection for one swinging jump in the supply compartments area (maintenance sub area) where usually you won't be able to jump high enough to proceed - also can't use the hookshot on this platform for some reason
-Can't look all the way down at certain platforms for some reason