'For the Substack' is a fantastic excuse to purchase the Switch 2, but that should be considered a bonus, not the main event. It's a lot of clams to drop so you won't be the only person out there searching for reasons to justify a purchase!
New launches are exciting so it's a good thing you're putting thought into it and not just mindlessly rushing to board the hype train.
Always happy to get your perspective on the Switch 2. I don't think I'm going to buy one for a good while yet, and it will probably be motivated by me letting the kids eventually claim full ownership of our Switch 1. But I'll be curious to follow along vicariously with your experiences.
But that's also a lot of money to drop, so I think your primary motivation needs to be internal.
As for these games: this is a good collection, indicative of Sunsoft being a reliable name in the NES era (but a name that meant less in the SNES era I feel).
I owned Spy Hunter and always enjoyed it. It was certainly built for quick experiences, but I had some long runs with it. It has some glitches that I loved to exploit. There's a way to drive off the road for long distances and not explode. I also liked to do things like drive the friendly red trucks that contain your upgrades off the road, make them explode. For such an early game, it's interesting that the other cars all follow essentially the same rules you do, even these friendly red trucks that just exist to provide upgrades. I can't think of another game like that in this era; that's basically an open world game sort of feature.
Sky Kid was a rental, but I think I rented it multiple times. I really liked this one. Feels like it might have been the best NES SHMUP at this moment (up there with Gradius at least), and I think the only 2-player SHMUP. A major upgrade over 1942, which I owned.
Spelunker, I don't think I've played. Maybe a key inspiration for the game Spelunky? Your caption on that cover art is hilarious though. Makes me think Fellowship of the Ring:
Boromir: "What is this new devilry?"
Gandalf: "A Balrog, a demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. Run!"
Legolas: "Alright, but if it helps, that ordinary-sized bat isn't beyond us!" [Looses an arrow.]
Yeah... I think I've already come to a decision. Conveniently right after I posted this asking for advice, haha. But I do appreciate your thoughts, always.
Spy Hunter's appeal - for you and many others - is just proof that we all have very specific tastes. I see what you're saying, but even in the Questicle days, I just didn't care for this game. I think it makes more sense chronologically. 1987 is about right for Spy Hunter. But even later this year, Rad Racer would appear and decimate Spy Hunter's appeal... in my opinion.
Sky Kid is very distinct, for sure. I love the aesthetic and the fact that it's not just an outer space shmup. It's janky, but endearing.
Spelunker I like more than the Questicle days, for sure. Still not my favorite, but it's interesting.
I should be clear -- I don't think Spy Hunter has aged that well. I still play it occasionally and have some fun, but I recognize I'm operating mainly on nostalgia.
It's more to point out that this game offered something different from other games available at the time. Including Rad Racer! It was just the littlest bit "sandboxy". It was fun for a young kid to mess around in, test the behavior of the other vehicles, in a way that Rad Racer wasn't. And I was craving the idea of a sandbox driving game, so that even a taste of a driving sandbox was like a taste of water to a man dying of thirst.
No one today would play Spy Hunter looking for a driving sandbox. You would only play it if you're looking for exactly what Spy Hunter is on the surface. Which is not much.
I also think about how I would use Game Genie codes in FF4 to sequence break and do all kinds of unintended stuff. Which usually resulted in corrupted save files. I was looking for an open world RPG, which hadn't been invented yet, at least in a form I was prepared to digest, so instead I was trying to twist an extremely linear JRPG into what I wished it could be.
"even a taste of a driving sandbox was like a taste of water to a man dying of thirst."
I felt this in my bones, haha. I may not understand, but I hear you. Likewise with the FF4 Game Genie experiments. That's cool that your older self is able to recognize what your younger self really wanted, a couple decades too early.
I think you should buy it! While it's true we'll be drowned with new info about the games and consoles, you're currently going through every game released so maybe you can provide a unique take comparing early Nintendo with new Nintendo and see how they stand against each other.
I love Spy Hunter! Especially the arcade version. It’s a favorite for my brother. A while back we were playing the arcade cabinet and I pointed out that the top of the weapons van shows an icon that represents the power up you get. He didn’t realize that even after decades of playing the game!
I love when games teach us new things decades later, haha.
I’d be curious to try the arcade version if Spy Hunter. I wonder if it’s on Arcade Archives. Obviously playing a cabinet is better, but those are increasingly rare!
Easy to learn, fun music, enough depth to justify a couple of quarters and then on to another game.
As a game for the home console? The gameplay is too shallow. The music is too repetitive. Not enough variety in what you are doing to make you want to play it for long periods of time u
'For the Substack' is a fantastic excuse to purchase the Switch 2, but that should be considered a bonus, not the main event. It's a lot of clams to drop so you won't be the only person out there searching for reasons to justify a purchase!
New launches are exciting so it's a good thing you're putting thought into it and not just mindlessly rushing to board the hype train.
I appreciate your perspective, Pixel Fix, thank you!
Always happy to get your perspective on the Switch 2. I don't think I'm going to buy one for a good while yet, and it will probably be motivated by me letting the kids eventually claim full ownership of our Switch 1. But I'll be curious to follow along vicariously with your experiences.
But that's also a lot of money to drop, so I think your primary motivation needs to be internal.
As for these games: this is a good collection, indicative of Sunsoft being a reliable name in the NES era (but a name that meant less in the SNES era I feel).
I owned Spy Hunter and always enjoyed it. It was certainly built for quick experiences, but I had some long runs with it. It has some glitches that I loved to exploit. There's a way to drive off the road for long distances and not explode. I also liked to do things like drive the friendly red trucks that contain your upgrades off the road, make them explode. For such an early game, it's interesting that the other cars all follow essentially the same rules you do, even these friendly red trucks that just exist to provide upgrades. I can't think of another game like that in this era; that's basically an open world game sort of feature.
Sky Kid was a rental, but I think I rented it multiple times. I really liked this one. Feels like it might have been the best NES SHMUP at this moment (up there with Gradius at least), and I think the only 2-player SHMUP. A major upgrade over 1942, which I owned.
Spelunker, I don't think I've played. Maybe a key inspiration for the game Spelunky? Your caption on that cover art is hilarious though. Makes me think Fellowship of the Ring:
Boromir: "What is this new devilry?"
Gandalf: "A Balrog, a demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. Run!"
Legolas: "Alright, but if it helps, that ordinary-sized bat isn't beyond us!" [Looses an arrow.]
*THWIP* *SCREECH*
Gandalf: [Buries face in hands]
Yeah... I think I've already come to a decision. Conveniently right after I posted this asking for advice, haha. But I do appreciate your thoughts, always.
Spy Hunter's appeal - for you and many others - is just proof that we all have very specific tastes. I see what you're saying, but even in the Questicle days, I just didn't care for this game. I think it makes more sense chronologically. 1987 is about right for Spy Hunter. But even later this year, Rad Racer would appear and decimate Spy Hunter's appeal... in my opinion.
Sky Kid is very distinct, for sure. I love the aesthetic and the fact that it's not just an outer space shmup. It's janky, but endearing.
Spelunker I like more than the Questicle days, for sure. Still not my favorite, but it's interesting.
Lol at the Lord of the Rings reference, haha.
I should be clear -- I don't think Spy Hunter has aged that well. I still play it occasionally and have some fun, but I recognize I'm operating mainly on nostalgia.
It's more to point out that this game offered something different from other games available at the time. Including Rad Racer! It was just the littlest bit "sandboxy". It was fun for a young kid to mess around in, test the behavior of the other vehicles, in a way that Rad Racer wasn't. And I was craving the idea of a sandbox driving game, so that even a taste of a driving sandbox was like a taste of water to a man dying of thirst.
No one today would play Spy Hunter looking for a driving sandbox. You would only play it if you're looking for exactly what Spy Hunter is on the surface. Which is not much.
I also think about how I would use Game Genie codes in FF4 to sequence break and do all kinds of unintended stuff. Which usually resulted in corrupted save files. I was looking for an open world RPG, which hadn't been invented yet, at least in a form I was prepared to digest, so instead I was trying to twist an extremely linear JRPG into what I wished it could be.
"even a taste of a driving sandbox was like a taste of water to a man dying of thirst."
I felt this in my bones, haha. I may not understand, but I hear you. Likewise with the FF4 Game Genie experiments. That's cool that your older self is able to recognize what your younger self really wanted, a couple decades too early.
I think you should buy it! While it's true we'll be drowned with new info about the games and consoles, you're currently going through every game released so maybe you can provide a unique take comparing early Nintendo with new Nintendo and see how they stand against each other.
I would love to buy it. We shall see!
I appreciate your feedback, Hugo!
I love Spy Hunter! Especially the arcade version. It’s a favorite for my brother. A while back we were playing the arcade cabinet and I pointed out that the top of the weapons van shows an icon that represents the power up you get. He didn’t realize that even after decades of playing the game!
I love when games teach us new things decades later, haha.
I’d be curious to try the arcade version if Spy Hunter. I wonder if it’s on Arcade Archives. Obviously playing a cabinet is better, but those are increasingly rare!
There's really not much to it. Fine for a few minutes, but not much more.
Spy Hunter was perfect in the arcade.
Easy to learn, fun music, enough depth to justify a couple of quarters and then on to another game.
As a game for the home console? The gameplay is too shallow. The music is too repetitive. Not enough variety in what you are doing to make you want to play it for long periods of time u
I haven't played the arcade version, but I 100% agree with your take on the home port.