I don't remember if you've already covered it in another video, but I highly recommend DRAINUS for PC or Switch. Very cool shmup with some incredible pixel art graphics
Seconding Freedom Planet (it's genuinely excellent, and what an outstanding soundtrack!). Also, I know Metroidvanias may be getting a little stale for you at this point, but Alwa's Awakening (and to a lesser extent, its sequel, Alwa's Legacy) is another absolutely excellent game -- and Alwa's Awakening has a legit NES cartridge version now, too, with added content! ALSO also, La-Mulana and its sequel, because... I mean, let's face it, La-Mulana is just plain excellent. And finally, ALSO also also, I feel like the humor might get a little stale for you, but if you can stomach it, UnEpic is a genuinely incredible game, its spiritual sequel Ghost 1.0 is pretty great as well, and Ghost 1.0's 8-bit prequel Mini Ghost is a short yet absolutely fantastic romp all its own (though that one is only available on Steam and MSX cartridge!). EDIT: Oh, and ALSO also also also, Moon, for Switch! It's a classic 2D game for PS1 that was only released in Japan, but got a port to Switch just last year, and finally made its way to the English world as well (though even the Japanese game card has English on it). You want something unique for part 3 of this series, Moon will definitely scratch that itch! There's little else like it, save for other games from the same developers like Chibi-Robo and Chulip.
GameSack has been a (bi-)weekly breakfast tradition in my household for many many years now. In the before days, when the acting was stilted, and there was even another guy. Darryl? Daniel? Dunno. He liked Nintendo, I believe. Fresh stuff from the bakery, a nice cup of tea, and the Sack. OH GOD I MISS DAVE. PLEASE COME BACK YOU BEAUTIFUL MAN.
Saw that thumbnail for Ori and had to click on the video. My favourite modern 2D metroidvania... Possibly my fav 2D metroidvania ever! Plenty more to check from this list.
In SOR4 you can assign picking items up to a different button than the attack button. Also the survival mode you can choose power ups after each stage that stack. Also yes Hunt Down is amazing.
The combo system in Streets of Rage 4 was awesome. I loved doing full stage combos, was tricky but fun. Huntdown is a really fun one too, I spent a long time trying to 100% it.
Interesting how you couldn’t get into Streets of Rage 4 - It may be my favorite game in the series. I find the animation beautiful and the new combo system highly addictive. Love it. Great video BTW
The DLC made it so much better, and Joe didn’t really get deep enough. Being able to select your moveset is really fun, and adds layers to the game. SOR4 is a perfect game to me, so I’m one of those babies who get butthurt when it’s criticized (tongue in cheek, of course).
Agreed, and I'm always a bit thrown when a fan of the series doesn't like it. I will say that for me it didn't really click until I picked it up on Switch and played it with the Retrobit Saturn controller - the game just didn't feel right using a modern d-pad, especially on the PS4.
@@Chaz4543 I dunno man. the SOR survival mode is perfect. you can customize your characters (change their power and star moves, and you couldnt in base game). It plays more like old level based games too. Beat all the enemies in a level, get 1 powerup, and enter the portal to next level when you're readyl. its pure beat- em up gameplay without story, so the "drag" that all of them have in story/arcade mode is gone and all that matters is character mastery. i learned way more about the mechanics of the game and combo system playing survival also. The fact that its different everytime you play suddenly turns the game into a roguelite experience too (like risk of rain). i play survival mode every week with a friend and we're constantly changing up characters and moves. Probably the most playtime ive logged on any xbox one game
It felt like a step back for side scrolling beat em ups after mother russia bleeds. I mainly hated how u couldnt run with most of the characters, felt like everyone was too tanky or something. On the other hand, River city girls is the dopest
Huntdown is so good. Glad you covered it - it’s unbelievably underrated. Easily one of the best modern 2d action platformers. And it’s so solid from start to finish.
That’s the most frustrating things about these types of games these days. Even if it is critically acclaimed, as Huntdown was, it barely makes a dent is the zeitgeist. I’ve listened to popular podcasts where one person will avically say Huntdown is phenomenal and then everyone else will almost talk over them Until they move onto another subject.
Huntdown and Streets of Rage 4 are among my most replayed games and I think SOR4 is easily on the top 10 best Beat em ups list and honestly I think its the second best ever so far (I think Fight N Rage is the new gold standard)
Joe knocking it out of the park once again with awesome content. Happy Christmas to you Sir in advance of it's arrival. Thanks for all your efforts this year man.
For 4 player 2D multiplayer, “Duck Game” has been a household staple at every get together in my circle of friends; no matter who’s house we go to. So much fun, easy controls, and fast rounds.
There's been some testing from various people that make me think Switch ports can generally have more lag than their counterparts. For those sensitive to it maybe go with PC or other consoles at least.
I stumbled across Huntdown for android when trying to find something like Dead Cells, and I agree it's brilliant. All those countless little touches really make it stand out. Bloody tricky though mate!! Love your content by the way brother. Been watching you for years now, and you're easily one of the best channels on RU-vid.
@@HugoLopez-xv3xv They dated for a few years, but never tied the knot. Work commitments got the better of them both, and Dave thought it was better to go their separate ways. It's a sad love story.
Have you tried UnMetal? It is a 2D, 8-bit pixel art style Metal Gear type comedic game. It’s available for all consoles and it’s amazing in my humble opinion. A must play
Great to see Assault Suit Leynos getting love. Way back in the day my cousin recorded a VHS tape with playrhroughs of Target Earth, Revenge of Shinobi, and Ghosts n' Goblins. Hit an impressionable 8-year old with that and you have a Sega fan for life. Thanks, cuz!
I love how, in the age of high end cinematic 3D graphics, the 2D sprite-based graphics look light years better with infinitely more personality and charm. Pocky and Rocky and Clockwork Aquario look simply amazing. I'll take these graphics over the alternative any day.
My favorite part was when Joe said his signature catch phase “It’s sackin’ time” and threw down his huge sack of games and gaming accessories and started talking about them in great detail, and compared them to other games that also can be kept in a sack.
Awesome video! A few more 2d games. 1. Ghost Song - An atmospheric Super Metroid inspired game. Launched about a month ago. 2. Flynn - Son of Crimson 3. Bloodstained - Curse of the Moon
Great video and I really enjoy watching your videos. I recommend these 2d games, assuming you haven't played any of them: Guacamelee, Guacamelee 2, Infernax, Olija, Blasphemous, Moonscars, The Bug Butcher, and Outland. As far as I'm aware, these are all digital. Don't know if any physical editions exist for any of these.
After the game industry crash of the early 80s, I didn't think I would ever get into home consoles again. When Nintendo released the NES, I didn't even get one for awhile because I wasn't happy with the quality of the games after playing games in the arcade that I knew would never look as good. Eventually, I caved in and got one due to original efforts like Zelda and Metroid and great ports like Contra but I still only got a handful of games. When NEC released the TG-16 I sold my NES to get one. The 16-bit graphics is what made me fall in love with 2D gaming and I've been playing mostly 2D games ever since. It's been amazing to see how far the genre has come with the power of the newer consoles and that developers have not given up on it. The fact that sequels of older 2D games or modern versions are being done is only making me happier that I will have so many games to play that I have yet to touch because I'm still working on other games.
Love it when you do these types of episodes. I already have a lot of the games you mentioned, but I never even heard of Huntdown. Already added to the basket. Cheers, Joe.
I'm a huge proponent of high refresh rate (and Ori for that matter!) But Im surprised how much more noticeable 144hz is compared to 120hz. Especially considering how much less noticeable 165hz is, tho I've heard 300h, is another nice jump. For me personally it's way more noticeable than most resolution jumps, at least from 60hz. So give it a try if you are on the fence - you may have a much more pleasant experience than others, tho the display is also *hugely important* as some do better than other as far as pixel switching. Hardware Unboxed and their monitor/display channel have great vids ont he subject. Another killer vid!
Hey Joe, just so you know, the Switch Pro controller has an issue with latency when plugged in via USB. Playing wirelessly would likely remove the problem you had with Ghosts and Goblins.
I never used attack button to pick up items in SOR4 (never even knew you can do that). It's assigned to separate button by default on PC, and I just used it instead. It always works and much more convenient, since you don't pick up something in a middle of the fight when you don't want to. Good to see you mentioned Huntdown too, that's a really fun game and more people should check it out.
How about Cave Story+? It's a premium edition of possibly the most well-known indie game of all time. The Cave Story creator also recently developed a nice little game called Kero Blaster that has some of the same mechanics as Cave Story. I would also recommend covering the two Freedom Planet games. I admittedly don't have any experience with the first game (I do hear good things, though), the second game has quickly become my favorite Sonic-styled video game! In fact, between the multiple characters, each with diverse movesets and branching paths, I find it hard to go back to vanilla Sonic, now - even Sonic Mania. I feel FP2 has perfected the 2D Sonic formula.
I don't play a lot of 2d games, but one of the best modern 2d games I have played was Rayman Legends. The amount of content in that game was amazing. I don't remember if you covered it in the first one, and have only watched half of this one, but either way, it's a great game.
Yeah, dont know why Ubisoft hasnt done anything Rayman until then. It sold well and was rated high by everybody...well Assassins Creed part 50 it is then...
The first Seiken Densetsu game was originally released in the US as "Final Fantasy Adventure" despite having nothing to do with FF. Seiken Densetsu roughly translates as "holy sword legend". Seiken Densetsu 2 was called Secret of Mana obviously. The first was re-released on the Gameboy Advance as Sword of Mana. Seiken Densetsu 3 was originally on the Super Famicom, but it was not released in the US until a 2019 Switch compilation where it was called Trials of Mana.
Huntdown is awesome. Pro tip- get the steam version. This game is couch co-op only, but if you use steams "remote play together" you can actually play online with a friend (and only one person needs to own the game as the other steam player streams in as player 2 and can play without owning the game) also Streets of Rage 4 is better than he's letting on. with regards to item pickup, he's playing wrong. in old SOR you had to hit attack to pick up items. in SOR4 they fixed that by having a dedicated button for picking up/throwing items/weapons, so he was hitting attack instead of item pickup. Also, the Mr X nightmare DLC is essential for this. Survival mode is good (beat a wave of enemies and get 1 random power up before continuing), but the real bonus is that you get new characters and can customize everyone, even the non DLC ones (so you can actually swap out/change your power and star moves). The game is actually a lot more challenging and fun than TMNT Shredders revenge. Turtles is way too easy to spam special moves (Streets of rage makes it cost health or star moves and TMNT they are free and instantly charged with a taunt), TMNT is also waaay easier difficulty (not to mention there are more health powerups , health sharing, and reviving) so the challenge level is way less. So yeah, play Streets or Rage 4. It does only have 2 player online coop, but once you get survival mode the play diversity shines as you can mix character abilities and moves to your play style in a varying environment. you dont get that in turtles
I just got a couple of handhelds so I can play both retro stuff I love and or missed and modern 2 d games. Joe I just fell in love with the PC engine,I'd never played any pc or turbo graphix games till few days ago. Shmuups have gone from one of my least favorite genres to one of my favorites!! Thanks Joe and Dave for all you do. My favorite video game youtubers❤.
6:28 What? "A few minor things"? WB Returns is a new game with all the new levels, WB Returns Remix is a remake of the very first game with the levels taken from that first game. These are 2 completely different games (on the same engine, though).
I can’t remember if you have, but I hope you play/cover Timespinner at some point. Personally I think it’s one of the best modern Metroidvania’s with an OUTSTANDING soundtrack.
@@GameSack Ok awesome! It’s one of those games that seems to never get mentioned in general conversation around Metroidvania’s or modern pixel art games. It’s one of those rare games that I couldn’t stop thinking about after it finished. I would just put the title screen on and let it play sometimes.
Hear me out. It drains constantly unless you eat food, but you still die in one hit. So it's not energy. It drains down constantly, and you're constantly running in place. If it were a time bar food wouldn't increase it. It has to be stamina
@@AnthonyRiddle Well you can call it what you want, but it's a timer. Stamina would affect the performance of the character, which it does not. Anything can increase a timer in a video game.
Westone is pronounced like west-stone (with a long O sound). The name comes from the first characters of the founder's names - Nishi for Nishizawa translates to "West" and Ishi for Ishizuka translates to "Stone." Huntdown really looks like it was partially inspired by Technocop.
Great video. I had a similar experience to yours with both the updated Ghosts n' Goblins and Streets of Rage. It was funny to hear you talk about SOR4, because I also bought it over a year ago, and I wound up stopping around level 5 or 6 and never coming back. And Huntdown is GREAT.
By far my favorite 2D game in the last year is Metroid Dread. It's really freaking hard, but very addictive. It took me about 22 hours to 100% everything on normal. But on a speed run, I'm not sure I'd ever be able to get rewarded with an undressed Samus. Awesome game.
Just a little correction on the end card, Vestaria Saga has a typo and is written as "Vesteris Saga". I'm surprised to see music from that game here since it's a strategy RPG maker game, I didn't know Joe knew about Kaga's games!
18:46 Cybernator was awesome. Got this on my Wii virtual console years ago. Always been itching for another cool mech game but nothing really catches my eye like Cybernator did.
Streets of rage 4 is a great game But... If we compare it with the fan made street of rage remake I will definitely stay with the fan made, because is an example how part 4 should be. I know you can unlock retro style characters but they don't blend very well with the cartoonish style in this game. Thank you for another amazing video.
Unravel and Unravel Two are a couple of really good 2D platform games. I guess you could call them puzzle platformers. Beautiful graphics, interesting gameplay. I would recommend checking those two games out. I know for sure they were both released on PC and switch I believe.
The first game along with Huntdown actually look pretty badass. I like the aesthetics and since they're co-op, they look like great fun to play with my wife. Thanks for sharing Joe!
I think I'm in the same boat re Streets of Rage 4. I liked it (probably a little more than Joe), but I didn't love it. It just didn't click with me the same way River City Girls or Shredder's Revenge did. It was missing some kind of extra spark.
Just use Triangle for item pickup in SoR4, sorted. Also re: the music, I think the game was essentially finished before they convinced Yuzo to come on board, so they probably just didn't want to kick off the composers that had already written music for it.
