Revisiting Earthbound

Today I decided to revisit Earthbound on Super Nintendo (SNES). I hadn’t played it in several years. I’m not sure if I’m going to play through the entire game again or not, but I do want to at least get to a certain level that was quite memorable for me. Anyway, I started out using the default names for all the characters and everything.

Earthbound - Starting out with default namesThe beginning has a creepy, mysterious atmosphere as you try to figure out what’s going on. Eventually I got to see where a meteorite landed.

Earthbound - Meteorite / MeteorAnd wow, my neighbor is really rude.

Earthbound screenshot I’m not going to go into a lot of detail, but I beat this guy and his robot and then got a key from the mayor before I ended my game for today.

Earthbound - Frank said something nasty.

Frogger 2: That Was Easy

Today I beat Frogger 2: Swampy’s Revenge for Dreamcast. The last three levels take you through a haunted graveyard…

Frogger 2 - Graveyard screenshot…a haunted house…

Frogger 2 - haunted house…and a tower filled with traps and hazards.

Frogger 2 - Tower screenshotThe game was short and easy. A couple parts may seem tricky at first glance, but it’s all just a matter of recognizing patterns and planning your steps hops carefully. Each level has safe spots where you can sit still and observe the patterns for each upcoming obstacle. There are no time limits, and each of the 17 levels takes no more than 5-8 minutes to complete. But the game is definitely fun while it lasts. There are also some extra mini-game levels in the Frogger’s Arcade mode, so I still plan on giving them a try soon. You can expect the review within a couple days.

Frogger 2

The last two reviews at JVGS have been for Wii U games (New Super Mario Bros. U and Scribblenauts Unlimited). I don’t like having three reviews in a row for the same system, because I don’t want it to look like JVGS is only about one system. JVGS is a multiplatform site and will continue to be so, regardless of which new systems I may get. So I decided the next game I work on will be Frogger 2: Swampy’s Revenge for Sega Dreamcast.

Frogger 2 title screenDespite having bigger, more varied levels, the gameplay stays true to the arcade original. You use the control pad to move around and avoid obstacles, while rescuing five baby frogs in each level. There are also coins you can collect for bonus points. I’m only a few levels into the game so far, but I am enjoying it more than I first thought I would. Look for a review in the coming weeks. Here are a few screenshots of the game in the meantime.

Frogger 2 Sega Dreamcast screenshotFrogger 2 Sega Dreamcast screenshotFrogger 2 Sega Dreamcast screenshot