bagronken's Reviews

31 public reviews

The views here are this user’s only and are not representative of Giant Bomb's thoughts and opinions on the discussed video game. GB's official reviews reside at giantbomb.com/reviews.

Crazy Machines: The Wacky Contraptions Game2005

Jul 19, 2014

Nice puzzle game in the spirit of The Incredible Machine series from the 90s. It does have a quite uneven difficulty curve, where about half of the levels are way too easy (like a prolonged tutorial), and later hits you with some quite illogical puzzles where you don't really use any skills you've picked up along the way, but instead just keeps throwing new, more intricate stuff at you. All in all, the levels are…

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The Secret of Monkey Island1990

Oct 9, 2013

Struggling through memory lane Monkey Island was one of the first adventure games I played, back in the days of yonder when I barely spoke English. Some puzzles I still remembered, some puzzles I was flabbergasted I was able to complete back then, especially as it was pretty much before the times of Internet walk-throughs. The additions of the Special Edition is great, adding voice acting for every single line of…

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Gyromancer2009

Jun 19, 2011

Mixed bag Gyromancer combines strategic turn-based puzzling with RPG elements, a combination that involves pretty much all my favourite genres. However, the mechanics behind each genre are rather weak, barely hitting the marks. Earning EXP and levelling up is generic and without any choices it feels bland and meaningless. The only strategic choice you have is which creatures to bring into battle, but their different…

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'Splosion Man2009

Jun 5, 2011

Good mechanic The main platforming part of 'Splosion Man works really great. The triple-jump invites speedy action where wall-jumps, triggering explosions and juggling yourself between platforms is part of the great fun the game delivers. With a large dash of black humour in the mix, things start off very well. Poor design While the levels are imaginary and plenty, they demand way too much trial and error, and soon…

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Spider-Man: Friend or Foe2007

May 14, 2011

Fast start, slow finish Spider-Man enters in a flash and the game starts off well; fast, fun and witty. Both the action and general feel hits the Spider-Man cartoon notes great. Attacks are flashy and extreme but all very accessible. More and more characters join in along the way, but the fun slows down and feels a little too plain to really stand out in the end. All flash, no finish Even though both character…

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Plants vs. Zombies2009

May 14, 2011

It has the (multi)touch The game-play on the iPad version is replicated perfectly from the original PC version. Instead of the mouse, you use your fingers. The difference? You've got ten fingers, and dishing out concurrent commands works brilliantly. A minor setback is that it doesn't include the Zen Garden or the Tree of Wisdom, two elements that fuels the grind after you've completed it all. These are indeed minor…

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John Woo Presents Stranglehold2007

Apr 17, 2011

Hard Boiled John Woo and Chow Yun Fat bring you back into the world of the hard-boiled Officer "Tequila" Yuen . The combination of a good-looking shooter with driven story works well, and takes you back to the Max Payne era in more than one way. Diving, jumping and shooting in slow-motion can get tiresome after a while, especially through some missions that get overly tedious, but a good mix of game-mechanics and…

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Stuntman: Ignition2007

Mar 23, 2011

Heaven and hell Stuntman: Ignition is all about fun, crazy action, but sometimes makes it very hard on itself to be thoroughly enjoyed. It stays true to the film set format, do it over and over again until you get it right, which would be perfectly acceptable if it was your fault each time you fail. The physics engine is not realistic, which usually is fine as it helps you complete some of the more extreme stunts,…

Read the full review Stuntman: Ignition

Gears of War2006

Mar 14, 2011

Cogs of the machinery This early current-gen game is mighty impressive, doing most things correctly. The graphics are detailed and give you a bloody, gritty, high-def experience. The game mechanics work well, especially the Active Reload system making reloading a tactical bonus game instead of a game-interrupting chore. The "cover-hugging" sometimes messes your flow up, leaving you stuck in the open, leading to some…

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Sam & Max Hit the Road1993

Feb 26, 2011

Dynamic duo Sam & Max are not your typical cops, they are for rent and besides being animals they are truly mental and hardcore, not holding anything back. The dialogue is never over the top, only borderline and spot on, hits just right and is always genuinely funny. The duos banter will make you laugh out loud while investigating the mystery crime. Silly story The plot doesn't hold much back either, blending yetis,…

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Master of Magic1994

Feb 22, 2011

Early 4X fantasy game This is an early entry in the 4X fantasy genre, the first to feature unique heroes in fact, and is very similar to the later and more famous Heroes of Might and Magic series. The depth and complexity is quite impressive, loads of different units, magic spells and structures to be explored. Random generated levels allow good replay value, but the lack of a story/campaign and a bit unvaried…

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Simon the Sorcerer1993

Feb 18, 2011

Magical comedy The Simon series began as a brilliant adventure game with a superb script and brilliant animations. Packed with original characters, mixed with parodies from lots of different fantasy sources, constantly breaking the fourth wall, the game will have you laughing out loud. The MIDI music is quite agonising after a bit, but can be turned off. Some dialogue drags on, but as Chris Barrie keeps delivering…

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Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins1992

Feb 16, 2011

Nor-Mario-lity This is a solid Mario game with good platforming, much more in line with the series' norm than the first Super Mario Land . Enemies, fireballs, levels and general zone design with secret/extra levels make the game quite similar to Super Mario Bros. 3 , and while jumping feels a bit stiff, the game's complexity is impressive for a portable. Design The unique mechanic/power up in this one are the bunny…

Read the full review Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

Spear of Destiny1992

Feb 15, 2011

Prequel expands without adding Many people criticise Spear of Destiny just to be an expansion with more levels of Wolfenstein 3D , and while that might be correct, I can't see anything wrong with that since it's still a good game. Though the levels aren't as many as in the original (unless you have the "Lost Levels" edition) they are generally smaller and less cumbersome to navigate through, which is nice. Other…

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Wolfenstein 3D1992

Feb 15, 2011

id gives us B.J. Perhaps not the first first-person shooter, but this is where id Software showed the world how it was done. They promise carnage even before the game has started, and they deliver. Fast, bloody action that defined the future of the genre. Great sounds and graphics makes you grind away at those levels (and Nazis) with a big grin. Who said Nazis were smart? The game is almost 20 years old now, and…

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Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge1991

Feb 6, 2011

LeChuckling your leg off Monkey Island returned with another superhit for LucasArts, and the new Special Edition does not disappoint. You'll be smiling all the way through the brilliant puzzles and meeting the lovable characters yet again. Puzzles very rarely feel illogical or awkward, but the hint system will also help you along very well if you would get stuck. Simply put, this is one of the very best comedy…

Read the full review Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge

ToeJam & Earl1991

Jan 29, 2011

Unavoidable charm I didn't own any Sega games growing up, I was a pure Nintendo fan-boy and wouldn't even admit to Sonic's early greatness. But this game had me breaking my single system devotion and I had to borrow my sister's Genesis on several occasions. Often playing it with a friend, over and over, all night long for the brilliant co-op goodness. You simply cannot put this game down. Sights and sounds The funk…

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Alleyway1989

Jan 22, 2011

Small breakout The very first game on the Game Boy doesn't really stand out in a crowd. It's a solid Breakout-clone however, but doesn't add much to the genre. It has varied level layouts and bricks move around in some levels, but it lacks just about anything to differentiate it from other clones. It starts out with Mario jumping inside the paddle, hiding his face from a soulless game. Pros & Cons + Simple but all…

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Catan2005

Jan 9, 2011

Not settling for this Not having played the board game I can't say if this is a good version or not, but since the rules aren't that complicated and the game play really doesn't offer much tactics, I don't think it's an unfair representation. While the real life game surely gives you more joy while playing with friends, this is quite an unexciting game. The main mechanic uses too much luck to allow proper strategy,…

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Zentomino2009

Jan 7, 2011

Makes your arm ache Shouldn't complain about free things I guess, and Zentomino does an OK job of presenting a pentomino puzzle game. Graphics are nice and clean, and the only let-down are the controls. Your arm will ache after only a couple of puzzles, mostly because you're forced to tap the shapes to turn or flip them, proving to be quite strenuous. Allowing a more natural way of moving your pieces around would be…

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Atomic Punk1990

Jan 7, 2011

It got better than this Bomberman has never been a good single player game, and while the Game Boy is a great platform for convenient gaming, I can't see that many people hooked this up with link cables 20 years ago playing the multiplayer mode. The gameplay is tedious and unrewarding, turning into more of a frustrating chore rather than something fun to pick up and play. The password save system is welcomed, but…

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Out of This World1991

Jan 6, 2011

Classic fantastic This is still one of the most remarkable action-adventure games of all time. With absolutely superb animations and a brilliant atmosphere this game is a real feast to play through. The re-release with HD graphics makes it look absolutely beautiful on modern PCs and should be viewed by all in all its glory. Combo platter Combining the adventure/puzzle, platformer and action genres this well is a…

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Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die!1990

Jan 5, 2011

Third time's... a mess The third episode of our tiny commander is the worst of the trilogy, by far. While the levels' graphical design is a fresh breeze, the build design is horrid. The difficulty of most levels are extreme, but all in a bad way where cheap deaths are all over the place, either monsters trapping your only exit, falling into hidden spikes or forced to dodge impossible laser patterns. Luckily, you…

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Commander Keen 2: The Earth Explodes1990

Jan 4, 2011

Back for good and worse The second instalment has improved on some things and totally drops the ball on others. The level design is generally much better and more fun to play, but annoying blind drops and very annoying aliens leads to way too many cheap deaths. And the last level is a total fun-stopper. Pros & Cons + Generally better levels - Cheap deaths all around ruining the fun

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Commander Keen 1: Marooned on Mars1990

Jan 3, 2011

Fidget fantastic I remember playing Commander Keen on one of my first computers, and it's still as a nice game as I recall. It's a good mix of platforming and alien zapping, but the controls tend to be a little fidgety at times, ending in boring do-overs and cheap deaths, or both. Collecting parts could have been made more interesting and having both a save game and extra lives mechanic seem a bit redundant. But in…

Read the full review Commander Keen 1: Marooned on Mars

Dr. Mario1990

Dec 31, 2010

A bit too simple Dr. Mario is a fine puzzle game and Tetris clone. The main problem is that it doesn't keep your interest up well enough. After you have cleared the first couple of top rows of viruses, which can be quite stressful and requires total focus on higher levels, the game lapses in to an arbitrary state where you clean up the bottom half of the screen without the need of any real effort. With an addition…

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The Secret of Monkey Island1990

Dec 29, 2010

Read the full review The Secret of Monkey Island

Loom1990

Dec 25, 2010

Short but sweet Loom is the first game in the franchise that never was , and is a great adventure game from the golden era of LucasArts. While featuring some great puzzles it is also funny and has a solid, intriguing and fully voiced story. The lack of inventory and the musical interface is a bit different but works very well. The only downside is that the story suffers in the end as it lays ground for two sequels…

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Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure1989

Dec 24, 2010

One of the first crusades This is an early adventure game from LucasArts, and while it has that comedic charm that many, many other LucasArts games has, this is far from the perfect example of their later golden era. The graphics are impressive and include lots of different environments, as well as some game elements not normally found in traditional adventure games. The game will make you laugh out loud at the good…

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Super Mario Land1989

Dec 24, 2010

Straying from the norm Super Mario Land was a bit different from the other Mario games at the time it was released. While it mostly features the normal Mario platforming gameplay, it also features several Shoot-'Em-Up levels, all which are very enjoyable. The setting is also different, no Bowser, stone castles or flying Koopa shells are in sight. Mario perseveres The platforming is still very solid and thoroughly…

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Bubble Bobble1986

Dec 24, 2010

100 levels of pop I first played this game as a child, back in the days of the the great white brick , also known as the original Game Boy. I never completed it back then, but recently set my mind to re-play my old games and I had a hard time putting this old gem down. While the controls are a bit stiff for my taste, the music is absolutely fantastic and really draws you into the bubble-popping gameplay. Some boss…

Read the full review Bubble Bobble