Penny's Big Breakaway - Nitro Rad 

19:54 I'VE GOT IT! The reason the death was delayed was because you went through the lava, and Penny slowly burned and melted to a horrible painful death before getting around the corner. There was a cookie and stuffed animal shop hidden there! But her skin was completely gone well before she could reach it. Terrible location for such a shop, but the rent's so cheap! It cost a Penny!

The biggest criticisms comes from a place of love. Also appriciate the shoutout of indie platformers at the beginning and against the nonsensical "3d platformers are dead" vids

You raise a good point about indie games carrying the spirit of classic IPs, but if I woke up one day and said "you know what, I don't care about Donkey Kong anymore", I'd be a crazy-person. I loved Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, but I still eagerly await the day we get a new DK game - a lot of that involves seeing characters I've grown to love, and their worlds, dynamics, etc., and not just for DK but other series too. Indies scratch that itch, for sure, but when you make an appealing character and universe, people are gonna get attached to it, y'know? I'm actually waiting for the next Yooka game, because, yeah, I love those guys too!

2:30 Ah yes, Metal Gear Rising, my favourite gamecube game

"Penny's Big Butthole" absolutely ruined me 😂

That final speech about the state of the platforming industry and passing the torch is an awesome sentiment and one people should really strongly consider, and man, I wish I could fully get on board. But it reminds me of when the game Ultimate Marvel Versus Capcom released. And what the devs said at Axing X-men. “People don’t care about characters. They care about functions.” And it’s a sentiment I’ve never been able to sit well with. I don’t just play games for an ‘function’ or a control scheme. Story and Character is Immense for me. I don’t play Hat in Time because it ‘sorta plays like Mario’. I play Hat in Time because the characters are quirky and the music is intense AND because, well, it sorta plays like Mario. I think supporting indie games is massively important and I want to see the industry continue in this creative flourish. But like I dunno man. If a spiritual successor to Sonic Adventure 2 comes out and I’m playing as a Cube sliding on Polygons… I don’t know. That’s too much Function for me.

The final speech about passing the torch, not only from a developer side, but from a consumer perspective, was really inspirational

You know, the thing I thought of when you mentioned the yoyo wasn't actually Mario Odyssey. It was Ape Escape. Now that's a platformer collectathon I want a revival for.

19:06 "And then I'll say 'But Mr. Krabs, I'm only doing what you SAID!' "

that terriermon shirt slaps crazy

I think the reason for all the easily skippable platforming is the same mentality that goes into 3D Mario or 2D Sonic. You can do all this fancy stuff to circumvent the obstacles. But not everyone is going to do that. Many players never experiment with more advanced moves in games like this. So they accommodate those players by making sure the game can be beaten using just the basics. btw, you can just jump off those magic carpets. And many of the automated section like ziplines can be skipped if you know what to do. Those things are there to slow you down as punishment for screwing up the fast stuff. Still lame that they are total non-gameplay though, for sure.

I definitely agree with you in regards to letting the Indie reps take over. But at the same time, I don't think I can just say "I don't care about Mario" or "I don't care about Sonic" Because, like, I do. I've always liked those games for more than just there game play. Theres just something so nice about the characters and designs that go into it, I like them allot! So to me, I don't think I should give up on hoping the next Sonic game is gonna live up to expectations. I personally am on the boat of sticking with the big franchises AND supporting Indie devs at the same time.

That speech at the end, while I do agree that peoples should try out the indies more and give them more of a fair chance rather than solely staying with the AAA games. It did come off a bit like the Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite moment when they said something along the lines of "Peoples don't care about characters. They care about function". For me to just pick up let's say Super Mario World and just go "yeah I don't care about this plumber guy, I care about the controls" would be silly for me and presumably a bunch of peoples too. And this is coming from someone who generally tends to favor gameplay over all else in a game. It did come off a little tone-deaf to me. In the end, all good games deserve love. Be it AAA or Indie. Just make sure give a little extra love to the indies and break out of any comfort zones and try something new out that you may end up loving in the end.

I think the point of those shippable obstacles are meant as a backup for people who are not really very good at platformers, or children who don't really understand the game has a moveset that lets you use them. Not really there to be challenging but moreso a way to flesh out level design and give you choice in how you wanna tackle the stage

calling it the wrong title in the first minute is either the funniest blunder ever or an extension of your engagememt generating strategy by getting people to correct you.

Ok the speech at the end was a liiiiittle much to be fair...

Big agree on the art style of the stages... I've heard others complain about the art, but that was a point nobody has voiced quite so well. There's like, 3 or 4 distinct worlds, then everything feels like a pallet swap of something previous. As for gameplay related stuff, my guess is a lot of those "why is this here" obstacles are for lesser players who've only begun to scratch the surface (think of how you played games as a kid). There's something to be said about making a game fun for all skill levels, but if there's a criticism to be had with PBB I think it's hardcore to a fault -- doing speedruns isn't just "more fun", it completely transforms it into it's truest form. Almost as if they started with designing levels for their most skilled testers, then worked backwards from there. Problem is there might not be enough to lure players into exploring that capacity! It's just something they assume you'll "get" and be hooked on. Oh btw, you can dismount the magic carpets whenever you want! Hopping off at the apex, letting gravity take you down a bit, then transferring into a rope swing gives you tons of speed!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who kept trying to go through the lava waterfall. I'm convinced someone on the dev team was doing a little trolling.

3D platformers are thriving more than ever and I'm happy to see it, I just wish more people could also see it too.

The thing is, while I’m thankful that there’s always gonna be banger indie platformer games. I don’t think it’s really wrong to rather see new entries in older series’ on occasion. And for the ones that are clearly meant to ape a specific older franchise, I find it really hard to separate them. Even if they’re really good, it always makes me wish the old IPs came back. I like Freedom Planet a good bit and enjoy it on its own merits. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t way more hyped for Sonic Mania. Meanwhile Yooka Laylee was kinda just ehhh and made me wish we got a proper Banjo game. Not strictly a platformer, but I remember everyone being hyped for Bug Fables and while it looked good, at the end of the day, I want a new Paper Mario game that plays like it, not a game made to fill that niche. The truth is people’s love of a lot of those old IPs wasn’t just because of their gameplay, but also the worlds and characters. I understand it’s a bitter pill to swallow that a lot of our old favorites might not ever come back. But at the same time, it kinda seems like you’re telling people to compromise and accept substitutes when that might not be what they want. Stuff like Penny’s Big Breakaway or Shovel Knight I end up not feeling empty from because while they have inspiration from older titles, they’re smart enough to blend them together and make them their own. They still feel like their own thing. Its an approach I hope more indie games take EDIT: someone else said it here, but it’s like the MVCI argument. The “these characters are just functions” argument. It misses the point. It’s not JUST the gameplay people want back

thanks for tackling the price point of games, as someone who doesn't have too much to spend on games. not saying games need to be cheaper for what they are, but as you were saying if it's competing with other games of the same genre, the higher price point becomes a hard sell if the one that is cheaper is also more fun/well-crafted.

Near video's end: What the...? Why is this outro so... normal? "I love to shoot the shit and I love to crap my pants." Okay, _now_ it's a Nitro Rad outro.

Your criticism of Penny’s design actually seems to be quite common from even people who love the game. Personally I think her design is overhated but it’s interesting to see such a universally agreed upon opinion about a video game character

On the part about the game faking "feeling like a platforming pro". The reason might be inexperienced players. Obviously you and a lot of your viewers won't find these easy looking parts challenging. However, humans come in all kinds and all ages, and some might not have an easy time pulling off the movements and more complex combos.

around the 12 minute mark when ya talk about skips not necessarily feeling earned, keep in mind that the main demographic is still kids. those obstacles are for them or for those who may not immediately grasp the controls for a while and will need more traditional platform obstacles like those platforms to get through. As adults of course our first thought is to do the most efficient thing. A great review, just a minor nitpick

I totally agree with your point on thinkpieces about how platformers are dying. People make them all the time about films, music, games, comics, really any piece of art. Whenever I see them I wonder if these people are really engaging with the art. There is always so much cool unique stuff coming out, and it's way easier to find that stuff thanks to the internet. We are in a golden age of media, it is easier then ever to find anything you want and experience it, and for anyone to make something super cool.

This is the first review that I've seen that brings out a lot of criticisms I haven't heard before, and that's refreshing. Some I agree with, some I don't, but it's refreshing and I wish more reviews could be more like that. Also thank you for saying the billiards boss was fun! I also thought it was a blast! I've seen so many people dislike it and I just couldn't wrap my brain around it.

Regarding what you said about the playtesters saying "put some beachballs on the platform" as a way to make the player have to slow down and make use of the level design. As a QA/Game tester myself I've ran into these problems a lot where either the level design isn't obvious enough in it's visuals to convey where the player should go or perhaps the objective just isn't clear enough. In the end it's the Lead Designers choice of whether to make the decision to change parts of the level or not. In this game in particular I would assume that the playtesters know exactly what the issue is and that the Lead Designer, who probably already designed the level before deciding on adding those beachballs and other shit objectives, doesn't feel like changing the design of the level itself and instead just adds some small bandaid fix so that people "play the way they think is intended". In reality this leads to a sort of disconnect between player and designer, exactly the way you point it out in the video.

I'm assuming this will get lost but "yellow taxi goes vroom" is really good and would suggest it btw

I really don't agree with forgetting about the big names in favor of indies, that's kinda the same thing the devs behind Soul Calibur 5 were implying and the devs behind Marvel vs Capcom Infinite were stating when they both dumped most of the pre-established roster people came to know and love

14:41 Fellow Blaze the Cat enjoyer.

Penny's expressions (especially when her old Yo-Yo smacks her in the back of her head) kinda reminds me of classic Dragon Ball facial features x3

But you can jump off the magic carpet.

Ending was kind of sad. Reminds me when Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite was coming out, and someone from Capcom remarked that it didn’t matter if beloved characters weren’t returning, because their “functions” had been transferred to new ones. Like… yeah, gameplay matters, but I’m still mainjng Phoenix Wright and Amaterasu, not because they’re good fighters, but because of what they mean to me.

About the "obsolete platforms," I actually used a fair bit of em because I'm an idiot and not as confident in my abilities. I'm not even sure how many people playing these games have even the faintest speedrunner's DNA in them.

James, I know you weren't too keen on doing a video for this one, but I'm so glad you did because a new video from your channel is what I await the most on RU-vid, AND I love this game. Thank you for always giving us the most interesting, well-produced content on the platform.

Once again Nitrorad really shows why he's the greatest video game reviewer again. In a single video he manages to do 3 things that no other review channels does: 1. Address one of the innumerable problems within online video game discourse 2. Give attention to an actually good Indy game that came out recently 3. Actually do an authentic review of a game without pulling any punches or saying anything that comes off as inauthentic or following a narrative.

Thinking more on why you felt the levels blended together, it sounds like the individual levels lack a strong narrative of their own. In a more sandbox-y type game like Mario Sunshine, the level narrative is constructed around the key landmarks and the smaller set pieces that orbit them. To use an example, think of Pianta Village and its landmarks; the bridge at the start, the tall tree in the middle, the shrine (hot-tub?) in the back, the large mushrooms underneath and the jungle gym climbing nets. Then think of the smaller, individual set pieces around them. Let's take the tall tree for example. You've got the small pond to the right, the main village to the left, the platforms going up the tree, the leaves at the top, and finally puffballs and clouds in the sky. Each of the smaller set pieces help define the landmark they surround, and those landmarks in turn help define the level as a whole. To put it metaphorically, the level is a book, the landmarks its chapters, and the set pieces are the pages. Even if the level itself is using an absurd concept as its basis, so long as you work to define the key landmarks really well, it'll all come together to form a cohesive "place" in the player's mind. A more linear game like SA2's speed stages approach the level narrative a bit differently. Rather than using landmarks as the focus, they instead focus on creating a followable through-line between distinct, memorable set pieces that eventually culminate in some kind of payoff. In that sense, stages in linear games have a lot more in common with traditional narrative structure. If your set pieces are weak, or are repeated multiple times (especially across multiple stages!), then the stage as a whole is going to lack a clear identity. I think this is why SA2's speed stages tend to be a lot more memorable than Heroes'. In a stage from Heroes like Bullet Station, the major defining set piece of the stage where you shoot yourself out a giant gun is repeated several times, which in turn makes it a lot less unique. Going back to it, It's a lot less "OH, this part!" and more "Oh yeah, you do this in this level". I end up having a hard time piecing together where exactly I am in the stage because of this. Compare that SA2's City Escape, and I think you'll see what I mean. Each set piece in that level is properly distinct, and even when they reuse level concepts like running down the main hills, they have you do it in a different way each time to keep it fresh. If City Escape was designed by the Heroes' team, you'd likely run from the GUN truck multiple times, and you'd do so the same way each time. Anyways, long rant to say that it sounds like the main set pieces of the game are kinda weak/are repeated a lot. It's probably not helped by the feeling that you can solve a lot of the obstacles in the same way, thus making them blend together even more. It's honestly a little weird to hear how the Mania devs kinda dropped the ball in that regard, since Mania was really good for that sort of thing.

Weird, for all the glitches I did encounter with this game on Switch, I never actually failed the ending QTE's unless I actually rotated the stick in the wrong direction.

tee "totino's" lopes did indeed work on the sonic mania soundtrack

12:00 It's double-duty level design. Similar to modern Sonic and the New Super Mario series, the levels are designed in such a way that both new players who are taking their time with slow, methodical jumps, and veterans who want to blast through levels at breakneck speeds can both enjoy the same level for different reasons. You can freely switch between challenging yourself or taking things nice and easy without having to toggle a difficulty slider.

29:35 "I just really think we gotta stop letting the state of big-budget and long-standing IPs cloud our ability to see what else is out there! 'Cause there's so much out there waiting for you to find it and play it and fall in love with a game for the first time all over again!" As a fan of creature-tamers beyond just Pokémon, I feel this. I feel this *_so, so much!_* P.S, to all onlookers reading this comment who also like creature-tamers, you should play Cassette Beasts.

Something I've not noticed an indie platformer replicate yet is the kind of story telling and world building you get in something like a Ratchet and Clank or Sly Cooper game. I find those games fascinating. I have some fairly in depth ideas that I'd like to make which would fit into this category, but I don't think it's likely I'll ever be in a situation where it's possible for me to make them. I haven't given up totally, but I don't think it's realistic. Anyway, amazing video as always James!

I do gotta say, when you mention traps and hazards being designed to be skipped over you do gotta remember this is being marketed more to all ages. You and me? We clear em easy and they aren't a thing. But when this is being marketed to Timmy age 4 they might be super hard hazards!! The indie games you list near the end may be just as good, or even better- but they aren't as marketed to aforementioned Timmy, they're kind of allowed to be tougher or more mature. It's why I can give Penny a bigger break on my end because I think the level design is perfect for fitting a *all* skill level kinda feel

Saying that you care more about the gameplay and game feel more than the characters and the worlds they inhabit, reminds me of that one developer from Marvel vs Capcom Infinite who referred to the characters as “functions”. Saying that we shouldn’t miss a character like Magneto from the X-men because there’s already a completely different character on the roster who fits the same archetype. Yeah, I’m glad indie games exist to help scratch the itch of quality 3D platformers. I’m very much looking forward to Rollin’ Rascal. However, nothing can ever replace the excitement I feel when looking forward to a new Sonic, Kirby or Mario game. I’ve been a fan of those characters for 25 years of my life. You gotta respect the legacy 👊

Always love your stuff dude, the chill vibes are so comfy. Was looking forward to hearing your take on this one!

Thank you, Nitro Rad, for being such a positive voice in the indie game community.

Having been playing a bunch of 2D sonic recently, this is the one single 3D game that actually has the flow of a sonic 2 or 3. Including the way that you can easily lose all momentum and need to regain it using slopes and clever use of your moves. Loved the game, tho it has already been beaten by a game 1/4 its price as my favorite platformer of this year so yeah. That's just the times we're living in man, 3D platformers are coming back and you can actually start being choosy about them again without feeling too sad about it lul. play Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom

citing it as looking like it's out of the gamecube era is sending me. It's the Mania devs. The visuals are so vvery clearly inspired by things like Ristar, Bonanza Bros. and Dynamite Heady, all classics from Sega's glory days. It is such a distinct aesthetic! I'm surprised you didn't catch it.

saw this on steam and I KNEW you would eat it up, great video man :)

You’d probably like Crystal Project then. It’s an open world RPG with platforming elements, and it’s got a job system similar to Final Fantasy 5. Plus it’s only $13.

that has to be the coolest possible out of left-field conclusion to a platformer review. established characters are cool but even cooler is breaking out of established characters doing established things and seeing new characters do new even cooler things

Was not expecting a new nitrorad vid today! This game has such fun music

I get where you’re coming from, but I dunno, keep in mind there’s a reason why people like these characters like Mario and Sonic and Banjo-Kazooie, and these character designers put hard work into these games, too. And it’s awesome that indie devs can make some awesome, memorable games too, but I dunno, it’s a little presumptuous to say the characters themselves aren’t part of what makes these games special.

I agree that the Penny puppet is extremely easy, however that level is incredible, I love replaying it so I can completely forgive the easyness of the levem as it just is SO MUCH FUN

Absolutely LOVE the controller footage on top of the gameplay, makes understanding the moves way easier! Rad stuff (:

I'm sorry, you're not wrong that the mechanics are what make the game good, but it's not just the mechanics that I enjoy these games for, I do enjoy the characters and settings and storylines, simple as they may be, and it's why all the "spiritual successors" never really grab me the way the things they're attempting to emulate do. Yooka Laylee, Pizza Tower, Anton Blast, Mighty No. 9, Bloodstained, they're never going to be a true replacement for the things they're attempting to fill the void for. I know some people will find it silly to care about these things in cartoony run n jump games like this, but I don't really value the opinions of those kinds of people, trying to invalidate these sorts of feelings just because it's not a novel or cinematic experience just seems like a shit take to me. And that's not even getting into the fact that most indie games are extremely short, and some don't even make it past the demo phase. The indies are a great Supplement for those of us wanting more, but I am not going to pretend that the characters don't matter. I will definitely be keeping my eye on the indie scene for games that remind me of what I love, but they're never going to be able to completely replace them even if the source material makes a few missteps. You're free to disagree, I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything, just saying my views. I'll be enjoying the indies while still hoping the more famous franchises make come back. For the record, I'm not calling Penny a spiritual successor to anything. It's clearly it's own thing. But the last point of just letting go of the attachment to the characters doesn't sit right with me.

Great video as always. You single handedly got my back into platformers!

Finally you talking about this game great review and ending btw

james ending his video on a we care about functions over character function felt very reminiscent of the marvel vs capcom infinite bit but in this case i absolutely get the sentiment lmao

Speak for yourself, I find the Sonic Heroes levels super memorable. ...May or may not have to do with Heroes being my first Sonic game, but I still think those levels have their merits. Also, glad you're talking Penny's Big Breakaway. It's a bit sad it hasn't gotten as much love as I feel it's earned, so thanks for throwing some attention this game's way. Surprised you were so mid on the last few levels/boss though. I thought they were really fun. Well maybe I'm just a sucker for when a final challenge bring a whole lot of stuff back to test you on all of them.

I’m really looking forward to playing this soon! It looks so good!

Another long Nitro Rad? Splendid!

I appreciate you trying to juggle dozens of different thoughts on this video, james. Good on you for speaking your mind and speaking it well!

Wait, that lava waterfall with the boost ring really is just *nothing?* I got caught out by that one too, I thought I was just clipping the wall!

I'm happy to see you not shying away from a notable release that you didn't personally jive with. I know you like to use your channel as a platform to endorse obscure games you're passionate about, but I think viewers can also appreciate an even-handed critique from someone that's played more 3D platformers than most.

This, Pepper Grinder and Balatro are my fav games of the year. Glad to see you make a vid of this!

that ending was especially satisfying to watch for the first time on May 9th 2024

Will watch this in a bit. every nitro rad video is worth it

The most important review of this game

I had literally just heard about this game today. So what a pleasant surprise that nitro rad decided to cover it on the same day.

I remember seeing this game on steam and thinking " Can't wait to watch a Nitro Rad video about this " . Great video !

Thank god you’ve made a video on this, I’ve been turning it over in my head non-stop wondering if I should get this game

The hat in time shade was uncalled for thought you liked that game lmao. I was also thinking about that game when you we’re talking about Modern platformers

While I 100% agree with the sentiment that people should be more open to trying out indie games rather than solely relying on the output of AAA publishers, I just can't get behind the assertion of "the bear and bird isn't what made the game good, the hedgehog isn't what made the game good." Like, sure, those games would not be nearly as fondly remembered if that gameplay hadn't been as good as it was, but I think saying that really discounts the connections players forge with those characters and worlds. You probably wouldn't have spent so long critiquing the character designs/art direction of this game if you didn't also think that was the case. For me, I'm a huge fan of classic Paper Mario. Bug Fables was a great game that took a lot of gameplay cues from that series, but for me it still didn't quite scratch the itch of getting a new official Paper Mario game because there's more to it than JUST the gameplay. So yes, indies absolutely deserve more attention, but I don't think it's fair to ask people to give up on expecting quality from the long-standing big franchises. We can have both.

Pretty much sums up my feelings on the game too, it's such a fun stylish platformer but there's issues for sure! Great job putting all this stuff into words, this is a very thorough analysis of the moveset. Curious what this studio will work on next

I happy that you are enjoying the indie platformer scene lately and wanting to share that love though videos. You want to share you thoughts and experience, but I also do too. I do find it kinda funny when you do bring up, lets say Banjo Kazooie and how people want a sequel. When at least a decent size of people are contempt with playing fangames, rom hacks, or even just replaying the OG. But again thats just me, I kinda come to terms that another game like Banjo isn't going to get another sequel and thats is perfectly fine. I just feel like people would much rather do that, then a modern clone that trys to do that, kinda like Yooka Laylee or other indies, even if theres a lot of good ones too.

You pretty much exactly mirrored my experience. Super fun game, but it didn't feel like it lived up to its own potential. I'd probably be more inclined to replay it more if the combo system wasn't so finnicky. Pizza Tower really made me see the value in combo meters for platformers, but in this game, it never really feels clear on when you should lose your combo or what type of score you should be aiming towards for those extra rewards.

"It's time to take the past, & leave it in the past." Meanwhile, all these indie games are deliberately trying to look like the past because nostalgia is one hell of a marketing tactic.

The GameCube controller with metal gear rising through my brain for a loop for a sec lol😂

The speech at the end was very nice! It reminds me of a video a saw recently about the current state of games and how it compared to the past (10-15 years ago), and I quickly realized this guy was only talking about AAA games. I thought it was weird since I kept thinking about indie games and how the indie market is doing great right now. Since then, I realized that a big chunk of people seem to have this view, where AAA games are the only games on their radar, which is weird to me Anyway, this was a nice video! It makes me want to actually get a computer that can play games without dying so I can use Steam finally

Nitro Rad your videos are truly a work of love and thats the reason i will always come to watch your content they are honest , consise and the love is always there and it is palpable keep doing an amazing work

I don't think it's fair to write off the want for a franchise you love to be good when the indies are being better. If you ask me, you can absolutely have that emotional connection and that CAN be strong enough to carry you through what's otherwise not what you expected. An Indie could make the Spyro 4 I've always wanted tomorrow and I would absolutely love it.. but it would never get me to say "I don't want Spyro anymore."

The end of this video. Omg Truer words have never been spoken

Wow, a new Nitro Rad video uploaded on my birthday! Thanks Nitro Rad!

I have been waiting for this video since Penny’s Big Breakaway came out!

I'm so glad i wasn't insane for thinking about pretty much the same things you did, i liked that game but it stretched itself too thin with too many levels, boss fights that weren't even needed (and the final boss making me clip through the last stretch a few times making me have to redo it all) and how the game want you to explore and going slower for coins and such but you WANT to go fast especially on your first go because that's what Penny is all about !! The ending scene really left me asking if there was more because it did feel really rushed and that's probably what happened

Been humming and haaaing about this one for ages, so excited to hear your thoughts! Big day for folk like me when NitroRad pulls out the Terriermon fit

I love when Nitro Rad makes my day by posting a video 🤧 God bless you!

Something about the magic carpets is that you can jump off them at any time. I tend to do this for time-attacking levels that have them, however a lot of times that you do this your double jump, and yo-yo swing move aren't properly refreshed which has often lead to death. Not sure if this issue has been fixed or not

About the busker bonuses, im certain there's an issue on your end. These have never been remotely this finnicky for me at all, just generally spinning the stick works fine, they're pretty easy. There might be something funny going on with your controller.

Super solid review mate! Interesting to hear about they ups and downs with this game

im still waiting for an indie that could replicate what Sly cooper 2/3/4 had going, i was so fed up with waiting i just bought a ps vita and started replaying the Sly games again Penny’s big breakaway seems like a solid 6/10 doesn’t have a high priority on the platformer indies, besides a $40 indie better cure my depression and file my taxes for me

I identify a lot with your final thoughts about people talking about "x thing is dead" just because It isn't mainstream. In music the same thing happen.

James are you okay

as someone named penny, i can confirm this was my big breakaway

I think you looked really great in this video James, and love the terriermon shirt!

When it comes to the ending speech, I think at least part of it is something that I would be really interested if you ever did a video on it, is also like...not just game length, but a sort of fullness of experience as it were? Comparing some fun games that came out recently: Corn Kidz 64 is 5 hours for main game (7 for Main+), Psuedoregalia is 5 hours total, Super Sami Roll is 5-7 hours, Castle on the Coast is 3-4 hours, Cavern of Dreams is 5-7 hours... and stuff like Orbo's Odyssey or the Toree games (which I enjoy!) are 1-2 hours. And then by comparison, say, Super Mario 64 is 12+ hours, Sunshine is 15+, SA1/2 go 13+ with all character stories, Jak and Daxter games were 10-15 hours based on which game, the main series I can think of that really lived in that time range is Spyro and Crash. A game being longer doesn't make it inherently better (See: like every new Assassin's Creed or bloated open world game the past decade), but that one thing those longer game times let you do is get further entrenched in the game's systems and that the game will then build off of themes, moveset and so on: See stuff like Super Mario 64 having levels like Tick Tock Clock's highly vertical design compared to an earlier level like Bob-Omb Battlefield, or the way Sunshine's different levels show off more and more of Delfino's vibes, or Sonic Adventure 1/2 unveiling more and more story bits as you complete the different stories. I feel like this is something that people sometimes don't feel like they get out of a lot of these indie platformers, where they wish the games got a bit deeper with it. I like a lot of smaller platformers, but I will say sometimes I get that that feeling as well, wishing there was some more meat on the bones. This is actually something I think Demon Turf did quite well in offering a robust experience. I think a somewhat related thing worth noting is that you are, at this point, quite the platforming expert. I bet you've played way more platformers competently than a lot of the population! I feel like in turn it feels like you've developed at least somewhat of a taste for games with some speed / skill check focus: I've seen a lot of people describe Super Sami Roll as a "speedrunner game" and when I think back to what you enjoyed about Demon Turf I remember you instantly looking for skips and fast time completion. Personally, I do agree your final point about not caring about Mario and caring about Mario's Moveset feels like it does maybe go far into the idea of "character = function", and in a way that feels like it might even be a bit dismissive towards the indie games it is championing. Are games like Demon Turf or Corn Kidz 64 really just their movesets? I'd argue without Demon Turf's punk aesthetic or Corn Kidz 64's dream-like atmosphere in both games are actually fairly important to how well they resonated and people's reactions. And on a personal level, the kind of G-rated glitch horror of Toree was a good part of what drove me to check out that game. I sometimes feel like these smaller games not carving out a stronger identity is part of what leaves them feeling at times insubstantial. At this point my comment is late and I don't expect you to read it, but I do want to say I still enjoyed the video: Part of why I wrote a longer comment is that it gave me things to chew on! I hope if you do read it that this is interesting for you as well. Thanks for the video!

Man's becoming like the MVCi devs basically calling characters functions. It makes sense to embrace indie games doing things that remind us of old games but with new ideas that build onto them in an even better direction tho. I love Indie games, mostly 2d platformers, but I have a personal attachment to the characters and game feel of preexisting characters. Like I know that there's freedom planet, but Sonic is like my favorite character of all time so I'll prefer playing a classic sonic game undoubtedly cuz of my relationship with the character and the unique presentation of sonic games. I know there's Dkc inspired games out there but the returns games just have a certain weight to them that's special to me. I think embracing the past and the present Indie scene is possible and it's what I do. Like I don't love sonic frontiers and spark the jester keeps looking more appealing to me

It’s kinda weird I love nitro rad and his videos are really fun but ig we just don’t have the same taste in games. I played a few indie 3D platformers bcs he sang the praises for and found them really bad or boring and the ones I flat out loved he is highly critical off lol Ig that’s the appeal in art people come in and have wildly different takeaways for different reasons nothing is objective here