Ralf's Adventure: Aztec Mystery

(I got to dungeon 5) I wanted to give the game a try since it looked like it could have scratched that StarTropics itch but the art and price tag made me hesitate a bit. Unfortunately I ended up not enjoying the game at all. The gameplay borrows heavily from StarTropics II. Controlling not-Mike is a bit of a pain. The bat's quarter-circle arc sometimes making enemies directly in front of you impossible (especially when facing right) so you're forced to take on enemies diagonally in the one corner you can hit them. Every weapon I obtained had a recurring problem where not-Mike would lock up while the animation plays out meaning you really need to commit to your attacks. Projectiles are not much better. You'll need to wait until your first projectile despawns before you can throw another. In the case of the kunai (dagger?), the weapon will continue off-screen a ways meaning its a long wait until you can attack again. If you're into StarTropics for the quirky story, you'll find none of that here. There is no dialogue or NPCs. Not even an overworld. In a way its a lot like Metroid where you'll move between areas that are unfortunately all just palette swaps of the hub. Some of the c…

Game scratched an itch I didn't know I had. Like Star Tropics 2 and original Zelda had a love child. Only complaint would be how short it is to complete. Would have loved for there to be more.