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Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Osaka, and released by Konami
in North America on September 15, 1999,
Goemon's Great Adventure offers 2.5D platforming action for the
Nintendo 64.
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I don't think I heard of Konami's Goemon until I was going through a Nintendo 64
game priceguide/checklist sometime in the early 10's. Somehow, the Goemon Super
Nintendo game, as well as both Goemon Nintendo 64 games released in America, escaped my
notice when they were released. Ever the completionist, I immediately scooped up
both Nintendo 64 games. The first,
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, is a 3D
platformer in the vein of
Super Mario 64 and
Banjo Kazooie. The second,
Goemon's Great Adventure, is a throwback to the 2D platforming of the
Super Nintendo game. I decided to begin my Goemon gameplay experience with
the latter.
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Sequel to the less well-received Goemon's Okay Adventure
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Goemon's Great Adventure takes advantage of the Nintendo 64's 3D
capabilities by placing its 2D platforming into a a 2.5D world. This means that
Goemon, his allies, his enemies, NPC's, and each level's terrain are in 3D, but viewed from a side-scrolling, 2D perspective. Even better, Goemon's levels
feature branching and alternate paths that often go behind, before, above, and
below the original path. This means there are essentially 3D paths intertwining all
over each level, which are traversed in a side-scrolling manner. It plays and looks as cool as it sounds.
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And also, there are Whomps?
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The graphics here are very well done, particularly considering the game also has
a day/night system. That's right, the day progresses as you're playing through a
level, with the sun setting after about three minutes, casting everything into
brilliant orange, then purplish hues (and bringing out more difficult enemies, who give twice the loot when killed). This includes changing the appearance of
each level's background, which is often some kind of majestic Japanese
mountainscape. Goemon and the three other playable characters, as well as enemies are also charmingly
animated. It's like a high quality 2.5D, 64-bit cartoon. Several items, like
weapons, coins, and powerups, appear to be well-animated 2D sprites, but all of
these look great, as well.
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If E.T. for Atari featured sunsets like this, it would only be the SECOND WORST game ever made.
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Thankfully, the game plays great (and runs smoothly), as well. Once all main characters are
discovered early in the game, the player is allowed to choose which one they
want to use, either when the game is booted up, when they stop in a town, or at
select points during levels. Goemon is the most well-rounded, Ebisumaru is a big
guy who can blow out platforms to cross large pits, Yae can turn into a swimming
mermaid, and tiny, quick, Sasuke...can also swim. All four offer great playing
options, though personally, I'll always take Goemon and his double-jump move first.
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The multiple layers of depth not only look cool, but really get you obsessed with figuring out how to get to all of them. I want that kitty back there, Ebisumaru!
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All four have a close-range weapon and a projectile weapon (the old "jumping on
enemies' heads" go-to platforming attack doesn't work). The close-range weapon can be upgraded up to three times by picking up a cat that sometimes bounces out of vanquished enemies
(and also is just found sitting around levels at certain points). Get hit, and you lose
an upgrade. Enemies spill out coins when they're killed, and these are both fuel
for your projectile weapons, as well as currency to use in the game's towns.
Goemon's Great Adventure generally follows this pattern:
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Pattern description coming right after this caption...
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Reach a new island, which generally contains four or five side-scrolling levels
and a town. Beat those levels to progress across that island's overhead map and
get collectible entry passes. Visit the town, save, switch characters, visit a
hotel or buy food to get lost hits back, and wander around to receive quests
from townsfolk. Quests generally send you back to the side-scrolling levels to either find something or
defeat something, in order to acquire more entry passes. Collect enough entry passes and gain
entry to that island's castle. Venture through the challenging castle level
until you reach its boss. Beat the boss in a 2D fight, and then the game switches to a 3D mech
fight. Yes, this game has 3D, first-person mech fights. The mech fights feature their own
unique control scheme and moves, and they're awesome. Win the mech fight, and
you can then fly to the next island. Wash, rinse, repeat, to ever-increasing
difficulty levels.
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And also, be a mermaid for a little while.
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If that sounds like a lot of gameplay, it is. I didn't even mention how some
levels feature vehicles, like a weird tank...or a horse. However, the game's
high production design and well-thought out, soon familiar rhythms ensure that
none of this becomes overwhelming, but instead fun and addictive.
Great Adventure's polished
controls, excellent level design, and the game's total and unabashed Japanese
insanity certainly don't hurt.
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My saddle's waiting/come and jump on it
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Insanity? Well, let's first get into the non-insanity unabashed
Japanese-ness of this game. For one, the game's feudal Japanese setting is rendered in
loving detail, from pastoral villages, to ancient temples. Dialogue is
voice-acted in Japanese with English subtitles (apparently two Japanese songs
were cut from this American version, greatly angering fans, but if you didn't
know any better, you wouldn't miss them). Character's names, personalities, and
interests are rarely Anglicanized. The vibe of the game is unapologetically
Japanese.
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It's like being in an Ozu film!
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As far as insanity: the main plot of this game features a cross-dressing nun
stealing a kindly professor's "ghost return machine" in order to resurrect the
master of the underworld. There's also a cat lady involved. The mech's are
intentionally over the top goofy. Ebisumaru constantly farts. When you get a
game over, a heavily muscled, shirtless satanic figure dances sexily on the screen,
then hula-hoops when you click TRY AGAIN, gyrating harder if you tap the A button quickly, over the sounds of bizarre sex noises. I don't know why.
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Also, Goetanic
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It's all part of
Goemon's Great Adventure's bizarre charm. Thankfully, the game's charm never runs out over its extensive play time. It'll take a
while to get through
Great Adventure, with all of the islands to visit, quests to
complete, and entry passes to collect. You don't have to find all of the passes, which
are essentially like Mario's stars or Banjo's jiggies, to finish the game, but
they do unlock some cool extra features. As far as difficulty, the main stages
are a moderate challenge, but the castle levels really ramp it up. The game's
final castle, which includes challenges from all previous castles, is
particularly difficult. Even in
Great Adventure's most challenging
moments, though, the game's sweet, Japanese-influenced, high energy music will
help keep you going.
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Also, just like with Mario's stars or Banjo's jiggies, the simple desire to get all of the passes will keep you going. Gotta collect them all! So satisfying!
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Overall, I suspect
Goemon's Great Adventure will come across as a bit
weird, even in its native Japan. However, its high production values, unique
take on side-scrolling platforming action, and its lengthy, somewhat
difficult quest, place it as one of the greatest, if not the best 2D platforming
game on the Nintendo 64.
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A tip: if you're having difficulties with the latter castles, you can always get extra lives in towns, by buying their special dishes. If you spend all your money, save, quit, then reset your Nintendo 64, you'll have all your stored up lives and 100 coins...which you can then buy another life with. Buy it, save, quit, and reset again and again and soon you'll be sitting on a pretty little stack of lives.
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