Rainbow Chara X
Impossible to gauge!
- 129
- Posts
- 8
- Years
- Age 27
- Shiny Hunting in Sinnoh
- Seen today
I think it's time to finally put this old duck to rest in...
[font=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Chapter #5 - See You, Space Duckman (Genesis Finale)[/font][font=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]
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[Current OST: Muddrake Mayhem (Genesis) / Muddrake Mayhem (PC)]
The PC and Genesis versions of this song are equally alright, but I do like how they kept the riff of the Ninja Training Grounds all the way towards the end of the game.
Not a fan of the random chirping, though - it kind of breaks up the melody for me.
I do like how the purple sky looks like in every version of the game, but it's strange to me how this is the only place in the Genesis version that has it.
The Muddrakes themselves are still devilish little buggers with their buzzsaw yo-yos and boomerangs. Those things can put an eye out, you know.
Muddrake Mayhem is surprisingly more forgiving than the Mojo Mansion in terms of water hazards - the mud doesn't instantly kill you, but falling in will still rip 25 health away.
... Seriously though, is it really mud? I dare not to think about what it really might be.
The first level wasn't too notable aside from some altered loot locations, but the mud-wall location has... quite a bit going for it. You'll see what I mean.
For one, I lost a life.
The second major reason being that... well, you know how we had to pop a cork so it'd rain mud down? There's blobs sliding down this rafter(?) and if we so much as brush against them, we'll be completely helpless.
No, I'm serious.
You can't jump, you can't shoot, and you're still vulnerable to Muddrake attacks while your ass slides all the way back down to the beginning.
Why in the world did they program it like this? It's just tedious in a fake difficulty kind of way!
Thankfully, we finally build a stepping stone after being thrown back down so many times.
Maui was so satisfied that he got a big head!
... Honestly though I did not mean to screencap this, this was just a happy accident.
Tiny combat is definitely more of an issue here due to the limited range of our shots. Can't exactly snipe our enemies with how terrible the default shot is, but that's what power-ups are for.
... Also, can we just address the bones? The Muddrakes are brutal, man.
Every time you clear a room of enemies, a bomb beetle will show up so you can blow up the cube blocking your path.
I was curious as to what would happen if you wasted it, but thankfully they just spawn more until you get rid of the block. Nice to know they wouldn't dead-game you.
Ugh, here's the grubs again... they're still gross, but at least not the worst thing here.
There's a small path under here where you can grab some more loot, but it requires jumping over tiny platforms over mud.
Yeah, I don't recommend doing that? Tiny Maui is super allergic to mud and it causes him to violently explode. The Minish problem of "even a puddle is like an ocean", unfortunately.
But hey, thanks for the gold bar. Definitely needed something nice after that catastrophe.
I still don't understand why the Muddrake Shaman doesn't just leave you tiny, but I'm not complaining. Maybe he wants a fair fight due to some obscene tradition or something.
The final stage of the Muddrake Mayhem, and it's... well...
[Current OST: Continue]
Yeah. Genesis isn't messing around!
Keep in mind you have a limited amount of continues. If those are all up, you have to restart from Mojo Mansion again. It's pretty rough.
SNES Maui Mallard only has a giant rock saying Game Over fall on Maui's foot, but this version's way more morbid because it has the same snatching hand take Maui into the abyss...
With a Muddrake coming in from stage left and leaving a flower where you stood, complete with a funeral dirge ditty. Like jeez, way to hammer it in...
I should also mention that an infinite amount of Muddrakes like to jump from the flags there, complete with these terrible bloodcurdling screams.
Why they feel the need to do that escapes me, because we're already running away as it is!
[Current OST: Boss (Genesis) / Boss (PC)]
Time to rumble again, boys!
The only major difference this time around is that there's an animated crowd in the back spelling out words in the back. Take a look at it in action!
I find it especially adorable how they misspell Maui's name.
That said, ouch is right. This fight is pretty brutal if you don't know what you're doing. The Muddrakes really dog-pile you, not helped by the fact there was so much going on that I wasn't paying attention to my health.
I had to empty my entire supply of special ammo just to stay alive in this place... and this is already after the continue I lost.
Yeah, when I said I was a shaky player of this game I wasn't kidding...
[Current OST: Sacrifice of Maui (Genesis) / Sacrifice of Maui (PC)]
Sacrifice of Maui is still one of the catchiest songs in the game, but that weird "skreeee" sound effect is just off-putting to me. For the longest time I thought it came from the living fire enemies, but it's part of the soundtrack for some reason.
What an... odd choice.
There is no giant scary totem-face in the background, unfortunately. It's just a bunch of lava columns, which isn't as interesting to me.
The fire enemies are less annoying in the genesis version, surprisingly, due to them not shooting out a revenge fireball upon being attacked.
Their skeleton also doesn't show when you pop them with an attack, which is strange to me if this is the more black comedy game.
Oooh boy, swinging over pits of lava. At least it's not instant-death lava like the second stage of level 4, but falling in at any point doesn't help.
Maui bending the laws of physics again, but this time in a Genesis coat of paint.
I can't get enough of these little idle animations, just saying.
This is another place where you can use the "Teleport" move... the alternative is swinging across grapple points.
Yeah, you know what I'm going for.
Smooth as ice.
I went from having 25 health to 150 for a very good reason...
[Current OST: Boss (Genesis) / Boss (PC)]
This guy had to rear his ugly mug.
He's way cooler looking than the noodly fire worm from the SNES version - this guy's more like a pissed off fire totem... with coke fiend eyes.
His basic strategy is to fly towards you with his piercing chest bones, but you can smack him away with your bo-staff.
However, when you kill him the first time, he comes back with a circle of stones to protect him. It's a bit trickier to hit him like this, but you do have an ace up your sleeve...
You can just nuke him.
Yeah, he really hates the special ammo combo (long shot + homing + bomb) that covers the whole screen. It instantly kills each of his phases!
If you have enough ammo, you can kill him before he even appears on screen, which is absolutely bananas.
Ah yes, the dreaded rising fire level. I would say it was nice to meet you again, but I don't think the feeling's mutual.
You didn't see it, but there was a lot of frustration involved just trying to climb up here. Sometimes I'd fall off the grapple point and land directly into the death lava.
Sometimes I just walk off because the controls are stiff and lose a life.
It... it was not a fun time.
But hey, at least we don't have to do the Sacrifice of Maui anymore!
The stone slab level was completely unique to the SNES version, so at least I don't have to endure that part too. (Thank goodness.)
[Current OST: Test of Duckhood (Genesis) / Test of Duckhood (PC)]
I like the drum beats of the Genesis Test of Duckhood a lot, but the PC version's frog noises are just cheesy. I understand why they did that, given that it's foreshadowing the Frog God, but... come on.
This place looks completely different with a more natural, dulled out color scheme here. That's nice, but not quite the stunning look the SNES version achieved.
At least the actual level design is better executed this time.
You're still hanging off of vines, but this time you have to use gravity to your advantage by grabbing onto these pipes and going to the deeper end.
The force flings you up higher up the level... which is neat, I suppose.
They spice it up by introducing these moving platforms, but the thing that sucks is that if you get hit once while you're on a vine, it snaps off and you have to backtrack to where you found it... hence why these Muddrakes are a bigger problem than they should be.
Oh boy, this part. Would you believe I was actually stumped on this part until I looked up a video guide on how to complete this level?
The gimmick here is that you have to jump off of a higher point so the snag can launch you higher than normal. It's a neat puzzle in concept, yes, but aggravating to figure out.
That's the first stage done already! That said... what lies on the other side of the Pau sign?
If we have to go dumpster diving for Muddrakes again, I'm going to slap Maui into the waterfall.
Thankfully not!
Yeah, instead of being forced to get Muddrakes to sacrifice them to the frog, you are instead in full control of how you jump with the vine around your waist.
This is the only other stage in the Genesis Test of Duckhood and it's actually a lot of fun... so it baffles me as to why the SNES version has the more tedious part.
[Current OST: Boss (Genesis) / Boss (PC)]
Not only that, we get to beat up the Frog God for his crimes against duck-kind!
This is so gratifying after being forced to be his waiter in the other game, so let's put him in his place!
The idea with the Frog God fight is that that you have to avoid getting slapped by his tongue. As far as I'm aware, that's the only way he can damage you.
Conversely, the only way to damage him is to drop bomb beetles into his mouth... you know, giving him the good old taste of justice.
... Wait, what?
There's two of him??
But how can this be?
I mean, he goes down just as easily as his brother(?) and we win over the trust of the Muddrakes yet again.
We better be like a king to these friggin' maniacs by now.
[Current OST: The Flying Duckman (Genesis) / The Flying Duckman (PC)]
I like how they say "vanquished" instead of appeased this time. Definitely an improvement.
... But yeah, wow. What a difference in terms of soundtrack! If you remember correctly, the SNES version had a haunting and soothing song to compliment the atmosphere.
In this and the PC version it's crazy and energetic... and I don't even think it's bad. (Those drums, man.)
The Flying Duckman in this version is way more dangerous, so it fits better here.
It still has the same look, but it's not as interesting without the SNES's calm atmosphere.
Our best friend, Longboy Mc. Bones, greets us with a fireball to the face. What a guy.
Oh, and he even brought along his green friend!
... In all seriousness, despite how cool they are, they're not a big deal.
I should mention that the controls in water are not as refined as they could be. You can't aim down, so you have to jump first and then shoot in the direction you need to go in.
Man, to think that a lot of issues I have with this game are just simple quality of life improvements... oh, and the difficulty too, but that's more manageable.
In hindsight, this place is still pretty depressing because with the exception of the undead assholes attacking me, this is still essentially a graveyard.
It's why the SNES Flying Duckman music hit so hard for me, because it conveyed that without even using words.
That said, here's why the Genesis soundtrack is relevant - you blow the absolute crap out of the ship with these TNT barrels! If you get near them, they explode and the level becomes a desperate race to the finish.
If you're unfortunate enough to get left behind, you get dragged into the current and lose a life.
Yikes.
In that sense, it's more exhilarating. You just have to be careful of all the pufferfishes and ghosts around the ship, because remember, your life does not refill between stages or even between levels.
You are responsible for your health from start to finish, and if you bungle that up? Sucks for you.
Ah yes, the legendary Sea Hag and her pilot, Stinky Snee.
[Current OST: Boss (Genesis) / Boss (PC)]
Ahoy, captain! Glad to see you're still kicking.
Quackoo(?)'s spirit is way more of a hassle in the Genesis version for various reasons.
Primarily due to his abuse of pufferfish and naval mines. I swear the hitboxes on these things are cursed to hit you even if you're not even close to them.
It was absolutely infuriating to fight the Captain here, given how your shots don't go through walls unlike in the other version. You have to play Marco-Polo with him whether you want to or not, which is... yeah.
You do get special ammo refills, but he'll often throw some trash at you while they fly by.
We blast his soul into the ether and kick the stern of his ship for good measure.
[Current OST: Realm of the Dead (Genesis) / Realm of the Dead (PC)]
Oh wow, we finally made it to the Realm of the Dead and a PC soundtrack I actually prefer over the other versions! The tribal instruments, the ghostly feeling and that beginning is like... it's outstanding!
The Genesis version is actually the weakest out of every variation, which is kind of a shame.
Everything is so gray and dead, it's fantastic. Even the Elder God eye is freakier looking than normal.
Shooting some dead pirates and... wow I didn't notice that the sky was actually a gray fire decal this entire time. Definitely conveys the more "hellish" side of this place... on top of being a little cheesy.
Oh christ!
The zombies actually shout (as opposed to a quiet rumbling noise) when they come out of the ground this time, which seriously freaked me out the first time I walked through here... and there's a lot of them to boot.
They don't shoot homing bones, but they're still pretty spooky.
This horrible ghostly ectoplasm is not death water, but instead a way to progress!
... I should also mention that the mist isn't instant death in this version, thank god. Given the complications I have with swinging from grapple points, this would be absolutely nightmarish for me to do if that were the case.
There's a bunch of weird statues here, as if this place needed to be more alien and creepy.
The metal-as-hell bone ship is still around to ferry you across the death mist, but the level actually places more emphasis on Cold Shadow's ability to cling against walls.
They make you do it a lot here, so you better be careful you don't keep falling.
... And just like that, we're back in the worst level of the game! Excellent.
The Realm of the Dead has had the least amount of changes between games, mercifully, so we don't have to fight a boss or anything here.
The basic idea of the Tower of Terror is that you have to escort Quackoo's remains to the top while preventing these ghosts from grabbing him away.
The mist is back to being instant death, and if you fail to protect Quackoo you lose a life.
(Side note, it's funny how they just reused the fire ghost head's sprite instead of creating a brand new sprite like in the SNES version.)
However, the major defining factor of the level this time is that you don't have to wait for platforms to spawn. You can swing up to your heart's content.
Good, because at least we don't have to waste more time sitting around.
The ghosts will only drag Quackoo's remains to the left for some odd reason. This is actually a good thing because if you're in the middle of the tower and it happens, you have ample time to rescue him.
The trick that makes this less painful is actually a special ammo combo - homing + bomb cleans house with a massive spread of four homing shots... and the best part is that it doesn't cost much.
You could sit around the entire time shooting bombs and no ghost will be able to touch you. It's weird how they balanced this game, I swear.
Have fun taking a dirt nap, Quackoo. That's the last time you get a freebie from Maui.
Oh yes, while we're still playing, I should mention that Maui Mallard had a decorated manual full of tips and an amusing little narrative to explain the game's plot. It's pretty funny, so I recommend you read it.
... That said, it's finally time to tackle the end in...
[Current OST: Mojo Stronghold (Genesis) / Mojo Stronghold (PC)]
Man, the Genesis Mojo Stronghold sounds badass. It's so primal and heart-pumping that it's perfect for the final boss. The PC version is adequate.
We get to actually see the Witch Doctor throw Shabum Shabum into the clouds, so we better stop him quick!
Like Hernae said in the intermission screen, we have infinite talisman powers and don't need to worry about de-transforming back into Detective Maui.
The idea is that you have to swing from both sides of the stage and grab special bug ammo to pelt the Witch Doctor from a distance.
After you hit him enough times, he decides enough is enough and steals all of your bugs away. Whatta dick!
You have to fight him one on one as Cold Shadow now, no detectives allowed.
You have both aspects of Maui squaring off against a maniacal shaman in a floating fortress... this is a really cool way to end off the game if I can be honest.
His only major attack is this Massive Staff that shoots waves of fire at you, but at least that's easy to avoid with a well-timed jump.
He'll still put his face up as a method to defend himself, but the most dangerous thing about the Witch Doctor is actually his Big Boot counter-attack. You can't get too zealous otherwise he'll slam you away,
[Pained scream SFX as the shaman explodes into fire]
Suck it, you creepy masked man. That's for all the shit you put Maui through in both these games!
[Current OST: The Island is Calling (Genesis) / The Island is Calling (PC)]
To think, the most powerful Mojo artifact in the world is just a fridge. I can't get over that, alright?
Imagine if, say, Excalibur had a secret PEZ dispenser on its hilt, among other things.
The ending is more or less the same, but there's different music here at least.
... An adventure we would never forget, huh? What do you say, guys? Do we take her up on that offer?
[Current OST: The Ending (Genesis) / The Ending (PC)]
Never mind, Maui chose for us anyway. The lucky duck.
Yep, that's it! That's the end of Maui's adventure, fellas.
All in all, the Genesis version was more punishing but more fun in different areas. If I had more time to get used to it, I'd probably enjoy it a lot more, but as it is, it's a fine game with some flaws.
The music is great even if it has that classic Genesis twang, and while I'm not a fan of the PC port's soundtrack, there are some parts of it I like.
... Steve Duckworth. If that's his real name, he was born to be part of this game. What an honor.
All in all, this was definitely a fun experiment towards Genesis emulation. I've never really done this sort of thing before, because my last exposure to a game on this console was Lion King or Sonic 1... and that was years ago.
Unfortunately, I can't really think of other games on the Genesis I would like to play aside from some bootlegs (that'll be fun) due to all of my history being on the Nintendo side of things.
... This still stings though, given their plans to make an animated series and/or a sequel only to have the games' sales tank.
I'm trying to imagine how it would have been if that did become a thing though. Would it have caught on? I dunno.
That said, I'll leave my final thoughts of both games later on.
Thanks for watching.
[font=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Chapter #5 - See You, Space Duckman (Genesis Finale)[/font][font=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]
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Spoiler:
[Current OST: Muddrake Mayhem (Genesis) / Muddrake Mayhem (PC)]
The PC and Genesis versions of this song are equally alright, but I do like how they kept the riff of the Ninja Training Grounds all the way towards the end of the game.
Not a fan of the random chirping, though - it kind of breaks up the melody for me.
I do like how the purple sky looks like in every version of the game, but it's strange to me how this is the only place in the Genesis version that has it.
The Muddrakes themselves are still devilish little buggers with their buzzsaw yo-yos and boomerangs. Those things can put an eye out, you know.
Muddrake Mayhem is surprisingly more forgiving than the Mojo Mansion in terms of water hazards - the mud doesn't instantly kill you, but falling in will still rip 25 health away.
... Seriously though, is it really mud? I dare not to think about what it really might be.
The first level wasn't too notable aside from some altered loot locations, but the mud-wall location has... quite a bit going for it. You'll see what I mean.
For one, I lost a life.
The second major reason being that... well, you know how we had to pop a cork so it'd rain mud down? There's blobs sliding down this rafter(?) and if we so much as brush against them, we'll be completely helpless.
No, I'm serious.
You can't jump, you can't shoot, and you're still vulnerable to Muddrake attacks while your ass slides all the way back down to the beginning.
Why in the world did they program it like this? It's just tedious in a fake difficulty kind of way!
Thankfully, we finally build a stepping stone after being thrown back down so many times.
Maui was so satisfied that he got a big head!
... Honestly though I did not mean to screencap this, this was just a happy accident.
Tiny combat is definitely more of an issue here due to the limited range of our shots. Can't exactly snipe our enemies with how terrible the default shot is, but that's what power-ups are for.
... Also, can we just address the bones? The Muddrakes are brutal, man.
Every time you clear a room of enemies, a bomb beetle will show up so you can blow up the cube blocking your path.
I was curious as to what would happen if you wasted it, but thankfully they just spawn more until you get rid of the block. Nice to know they wouldn't dead-game you.
Ugh, here's the grubs again... they're still gross, but at least not the worst thing here.
There's a small path under here where you can grab some more loot, but it requires jumping over tiny platforms over mud.
Yeah, I don't recommend doing that? Tiny Maui is super allergic to mud and it causes him to violently explode. The Minish problem of "even a puddle is like an ocean", unfortunately.
But hey, thanks for the gold bar. Definitely needed something nice after that catastrophe.
I still don't understand why the Muddrake Shaman doesn't just leave you tiny, but I'm not complaining. Maybe he wants a fair fight due to some obscene tradition or something.
The final stage of the Muddrake Mayhem, and it's... well...
[Current OST: Continue]
Yeah. Genesis isn't messing around!
Keep in mind you have a limited amount of continues. If those are all up, you have to restart from Mojo Mansion again. It's pretty rough.
SNES Maui Mallard only has a giant rock saying Game Over fall on Maui's foot, but this version's way more morbid because it has the same snatching hand take Maui into the abyss...
With a Muddrake coming in from stage left and leaving a flower where you stood, complete with a funeral dirge ditty. Like jeez, way to hammer it in...
I should also mention that an infinite amount of Muddrakes like to jump from the flags there, complete with these terrible bloodcurdling screams.
Why they feel the need to do that escapes me, because we're already running away as it is!
[Current OST: Boss (Genesis) / Boss (PC)]
The only major difference this time around is that there's an animated crowd in the back spelling out words in the back. Take a look at it in action!
I find it especially adorable how they misspell Maui's name.
That said, ouch is right. This fight is pretty brutal if you don't know what you're doing. The Muddrakes really dog-pile you, not helped by the fact there was so much going on that I wasn't paying attention to my health.
I had to empty my entire supply of special ammo just to stay alive in this place... and this is already after the continue I lost.
Yeah, when I said I was a shaky player of this game I wasn't kidding...
[Current OST: Sacrifice of Maui (Genesis) / Sacrifice of Maui (PC)]
Sacrifice of Maui is still one of the catchiest songs in the game, but that weird "skreeee" sound effect is just off-putting to me. For the longest time I thought it came from the living fire enemies, but it's part of the soundtrack for some reason.
What an... odd choice.
There is no giant scary totem-face in the background, unfortunately. It's just a bunch of lava columns, which isn't as interesting to me.
The fire enemies are less annoying in the genesis version, surprisingly, due to them not shooting out a revenge fireball upon being attacked.
Their skeleton also doesn't show when you pop them with an attack, which is strange to me if this is the more black comedy game.
Oooh boy, swinging over pits of lava. At least it's not instant-death lava like the second stage of level 4, but falling in at any point doesn't help.
Maui bending the laws of physics again, but this time in a Genesis coat of paint.
I can't get enough of these little idle animations, just saying.
This is another place where you can use the "Teleport" move... the alternative is swinging across grapple points.
Yeah, you know what I'm going for.
Smooth as ice.
I went from having 25 health to 150 for a very good reason...
[Current OST: Boss (Genesis) / Boss (PC)]
He's way cooler looking than the noodly fire worm from the SNES version - this guy's more like a pissed off fire totem... with coke fiend eyes.
His basic strategy is to fly towards you with his piercing chest bones, but you can smack him away with your bo-staff.
However, when you kill him the first time, he comes back with a circle of stones to protect him. It's a bit trickier to hit him like this, but you do have an ace up your sleeve...
You can just nuke him.
Yeah, he really hates the special ammo combo (long shot + homing + bomb) that covers the whole screen. It instantly kills each of his phases!
If you have enough ammo, you can kill him before he even appears on screen, which is absolutely bananas.
Ah yes, the dreaded rising fire level. I would say it was nice to meet you again, but I don't think the feeling's mutual.
You didn't see it, but there was a lot of frustration involved just trying to climb up here. Sometimes I'd fall off the grapple point and land directly into the death lava.
Sometimes I just walk off because the controls are stiff and lose a life.
It... it was not a fun time.
But hey, at least we don't have to do the Sacrifice of Maui anymore!
The stone slab level was completely unique to the SNES version, so at least I don't have to endure that part too. (Thank goodness.)
[Current OST: Test of Duckhood (Genesis) / Test of Duckhood (PC)]
I like the drum beats of the Genesis Test of Duckhood a lot, but the PC version's frog noises are just cheesy. I understand why they did that, given that it's foreshadowing the Frog God, but... come on.
This place looks completely different with a more natural, dulled out color scheme here. That's nice, but not quite the stunning look the SNES version achieved.
At least the actual level design is better executed this time.
You're still hanging off of vines, but this time you have to use gravity to your advantage by grabbing onto these pipes and going to the deeper end.
The force flings you up higher up the level... which is neat, I suppose.
They spice it up by introducing these moving platforms, but the thing that sucks is that if you get hit once while you're on a vine, it snaps off and you have to backtrack to where you found it... hence why these Muddrakes are a bigger problem than they should be.
Oh boy, this part. Would you believe I was actually stumped on this part until I looked up a video guide on how to complete this level?
The gimmick here is that you have to jump off of a higher point so the snag can launch you higher than normal. It's a neat puzzle in concept, yes, but aggravating to figure out.
That's the first stage done already! That said... what lies on the other side of the Pau sign?
If we have to go dumpster diving for Muddrakes again, I'm going to slap Maui into the waterfall.
Thankfully not!
Yeah, instead of being forced to get Muddrakes to sacrifice them to the frog, you are instead in full control of how you jump with the vine around your waist.
This is the only other stage in the Genesis Test of Duckhood and it's actually a lot of fun... so it baffles me as to why the SNES version has the more tedious part.
[Current OST: Boss (Genesis) / Boss (PC)]
Not only that, we get to beat up the Frog God for his crimes against duck-kind!
This is so gratifying after being forced to be his waiter in the other game, so let's put him in his place!
The idea with the Frog God fight is that that you have to avoid getting slapped by his tongue. As far as I'm aware, that's the only way he can damage you.
Conversely, the only way to damage him is to drop bomb beetles into his mouth... you know, giving him the good old taste of justice.
... Wait, what?
There's two of him??
But how can this be?
I mean, he goes down just as easily as his brother(?) and we win over the trust of the Muddrakes yet again.
We better be like a king to these friggin' maniacs by now.
[Current OST: The Flying Duckman (Genesis) / The Flying Duckman (PC)]
I like how they say "vanquished" instead of appeased this time. Definitely an improvement.
... But yeah, wow. What a difference in terms of soundtrack! If you remember correctly, the SNES version had a haunting and soothing song to compliment the atmosphere.
In this and the PC version it's crazy and energetic... and I don't even think it's bad. (Those drums, man.)
The Flying Duckman in this version is way more dangerous, so it fits better here.
It still has the same look, but it's not as interesting without the SNES's calm atmosphere.
Our best friend, Longboy Mc. Bones, greets us with a fireball to the face. What a guy.
Oh, and he even brought along his green friend!
... In all seriousness, despite how cool they are, they're not a big deal.
I should mention that the controls in water are not as refined as they could be. You can't aim down, so you have to jump first and then shoot in the direction you need to go in.
Man, to think that a lot of issues I have with this game are just simple quality of life improvements... oh, and the difficulty too, but that's more manageable.
In hindsight, this place is still pretty depressing because with the exception of the undead assholes attacking me, this is still essentially a graveyard.
It's why the SNES Flying Duckman music hit so hard for me, because it conveyed that without even using words.
That said, here's why the Genesis soundtrack is relevant - you blow the absolute crap out of the ship with these TNT barrels! If you get near them, they explode and the level becomes a desperate race to the finish.
If you're unfortunate enough to get left behind, you get dragged into the current and lose a life.
Yikes.
In that sense, it's more exhilarating. You just have to be careful of all the pufferfishes and ghosts around the ship, because remember, your life does not refill between stages or even between levels.
You are responsible for your health from start to finish, and if you bungle that up? Sucks for you.
Ah yes, the legendary Sea Hag and her pilot, Stinky Snee.
[Current OST: Boss (Genesis) / Boss (PC)]
Ahoy, captain! Glad to see you're still kicking.
Quackoo(?)'s spirit is way more of a hassle in the Genesis version for various reasons.
Primarily due to his abuse of pufferfish and naval mines. I swear the hitboxes on these things are cursed to hit you even if you're not even close to them.
It was absolutely infuriating to fight the Captain here, given how your shots don't go through walls unlike in the other version. You have to play Marco-Polo with him whether you want to or not, which is... yeah.
You do get special ammo refills, but he'll often throw some trash at you while they fly by.
We blast his soul into the ether and kick the stern of his ship for good measure.
[Current OST: Realm of the Dead (Genesis) / Realm of the Dead (PC)]
Oh wow, we finally made it to the Realm of the Dead and a PC soundtrack I actually prefer over the other versions! The tribal instruments, the ghostly feeling and that beginning is like... it's outstanding!
The Genesis version is actually the weakest out of every variation, which is kind of a shame.
Everything is so gray and dead, it's fantastic. Even the Elder God eye is freakier looking than normal.
Shooting some dead pirates and... wow I didn't notice that the sky was actually a gray fire decal this entire time. Definitely conveys the more "hellish" side of this place... on top of being a little cheesy.
Oh christ!
The zombies actually shout (as opposed to a quiet rumbling noise) when they come out of the ground this time, which seriously freaked me out the first time I walked through here... and there's a lot of them to boot.
They don't shoot homing bones, but they're still pretty spooky.
This horrible ghostly ectoplasm is not death water, but instead a way to progress!
... I should also mention that the mist isn't instant death in this version, thank god. Given the complications I have with swinging from grapple points, this would be absolutely nightmarish for me to do if that were the case.
There's a bunch of weird statues here, as if this place needed to be more alien and creepy.
The metal-as-hell bone ship is still around to ferry you across the death mist, but the level actually places more emphasis on Cold Shadow's ability to cling against walls.
They make you do it a lot here, so you better be careful you don't keep falling.
... And just like that, we're back in the worst level of the game! Excellent.
The Realm of the Dead has had the least amount of changes between games, mercifully, so we don't have to fight a boss or anything here.
The basic idea of the Tower of Terror is that you have to escort Quackoo's remains to the top while preventing these ghosts from grabbing him away.
The mist is back to being instant death, and if you fail to protect Quackoo you lose a life.
(Side note, it's funny how they just reused the fire ghost head's sprite instead of creating a brand new sprite like in the SNES version.)
However, the major defining factor of the level this time is that you don't have to wait for platforms to spawn. You can swing up to your heart's content.
Good, because at least we don't have to waste more time sitting around.
The ghosts will only drag Quackoo's remains to the left for some odd reason. This is actually a good thing because if you're in the middle of the tower and it happens, you have ample time to rescue him.
The trick that makes this less painful is actually a special ammo combo - homing + bomb cleans house with a massive spread of four homing shots... and the best part is that it doesn't cost much.
You could sit around the entire time shooting bombs and no ghost will be able to touch you. It's weird how they balanced this game, I swear.
Have fun taking a dirt nap, Quackoo. That's the last time you get a freebie from Maui.
Oh yes, while we're still playing, I should mention that Maui Mallard had a decorated manual full of tips and an amusing little narrative to explain the game's plot. It's pretty funny, so I recommend you read it.
... That said, it's finally time to tackle the end in...
[Current OST: Mojo Stronghold (Genesis) / Mojo Stronghold (PC)]
Man, the Genesis Mojo Stronghold sounds badass. It's so primal and heart-pumping that it's perfect for the final boss. The PC version is adequate.
We get to actually see the Witch Doctor throw Shabum Shabum into the clouds, so we better stop him quick!
Like Hernae said in the intermission screen, we have infinite talisman powers and don't need to worry about de-transforming back into Detective Maui.
The idea is that you have to swing from both sides of the stage and grab special bug ammo to pelt the Witch Doctor from a distance.
After you hit him enough times, he decides enough is enough and steals all of your bugs away. Whatta dick!
You have to fight him one on one as Cold Shadow now, no detectives allowed.
You have both aspects of Maui squaring off against a maniacal shaman in a floating fortress... this is a really cool way to end off the game if I can be honest.
His only major attack is this Massive Staff that shoots waves of fire at you, but at least that's easy to avoid with a well-timed jump.
He'll still put his face up as a method to defend himself, but the most dangerous thing about the Witch Doctor is actually his Big Boot counter-attack. You can't get too zealous otherwise he'll slam you away,
[Pained scream SFX as the shaman explodes into fire]
Suck it, you creepy masked man. That's for all the shit you put Maui through in both these games!
[Current OST: The Island is Calling (Genesis) / The Island is Calling (PC)]
To think, the most powerful Mojo artifact in the world is just a fridge. I can't get over that, alright?
Imagine if, say, Excalibur had a secret PEZ dispenser on its hilt, among other things.
The ending is more or less the same, but there's different music here at least.
... An adventure we would never forget, huh? What do you say, guys? Do we take her up on that offer?
[Current OST: The Ending (Genesis) / The Ending (PC)]
Never mind, Maui chose for us anyway. The lucky duck.
Yep, that's it! That's the end of Maui's adventure, fellas.
All in all, the Genesis version was more punishing but more fun in different areas. If I had more time to get used to it, I'd probably enjoy it a lot more, but as it is, it's a fine game with some flaws.
The music is great even if it has that classic Genesis twang, and while I'm not a fan of the PC port's soundtrack, there are some parts of it I like.
... Steve Duckworth. If that's his real name, he was born to be part of this game. What an honor.
All in all, this was definitely a fun experiment towards Genesis emulation. I've never really done this sort of thing before, because my last exposure to a game on this console was Lion King or Sonic 1... and that was years ago.
Unfortunately, I can't really think of other games on the Genesis I would like to play aside from some bootlegs (that'll be fun) due to all of my history being on the Nintendo side of things.
... This still stings though, given their plans to make an animated series and/or a sequel only to have the games' sales tank.
I'm trying to imagine how it would have been if that did become a thing though. Would it have caught on? I dunno.
That said, I'll leave my final thoughts of both games later on.
Thanks for watching.