2D Games for Modern Consoles

Episode
340 - New consoles used to mean "out with the old in with the new" when it came to the styles of games they played. but these days that's just not the case and 2D games are quite prevalent in the gaming landscape. This is a good thing. So let's check out some of these games.
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[@GameSack]

What other 2D games would you recommend?

[@moonbilal707]

All Shantae games especially Seven Sirens.

[@luisdstripper]

How about some RPG's huh?

[@KadekGadget]

GREEENDAWWWWG

[@DrPhobosAnomaly]

Ori and the Will of the Wisp and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax.

[@lldjslim]

It's just crazy why would you buy a next-gen console that has the power of a supercomputer to play games that came out during the 3rd generation of gaming, This is not progressing in gaming this is regressing, WHAT A COMPLETE JOKE

[@ByGeorge846]

I really can't say enough about the job you've done with this channel Joe. Your continued technical improvements over the years is very evident to anyone who watches regularly. Thank you!

[@Iliek]

Be proud of the man who efficiently makes time waster videos for nerds who want to escape their reality.

[@jojojoma3026]

I kinda feel like The Messenger is much greater than you lead on here, but props for not spoiling one of the best parts of this RETRO styled game. Everyone should totally check this out if they are at ALL into classic gaming.

[@Jesse__H]

The Messenger was fucking incredible. Best retro-inspired game I've played in many years. SUCH a good soundtrack too.

[@FoxbatStargazer]

What are odds Joe even got that far? Gamesack usually tilts more to impressions than full reviews.

[@BakiX]

I feel 100% the same. The Messenger imo was an absolute sleeper hit. I came in thinking I was gonna get a decent Ninja Gaiden clone, and left with a surprisingly well done platforming experience with incredibly charming characters, lol.

[@JoseCarranza]

I agree. Once you go further into the game and unlock the 16bit mode whew...it completely changes everything. The water dungeon 16bit graphics are simply incredible. Definitely one of the best 2d looking games I've seen.

[@jojojoma3026]

@@Jesse__H Yes the soundtrack is FIRE, I just can't decide if I like the 16bit or 8bit versions better of the audio tracks

[@BrunoFonsecaPT]

You need to play more of The Messenger. At some point the game will allow you to shift between two worlds, one 8 bit, the other one 16 bit… really cool game!

[@Falcnuts]

I was wondering when he was gonna talk about that, the gameplay changes too!

[@noahcody5986]

I second that! And it becomes more of a metroidvania at that point. Game is amazing!

[@xwallacexgb]

Yeah, the Messenger gets even better. One of my favorite games on this new old games. Good video!

[@GundamShockwave]

Yeah I'm surprised he didn't mention this, one of the major features is halfway through it changes from an 8-bit game to a 16-bit game, absolutely loved it

[@MrThunderwing]

@@GundamShockwave Ooooh, this is good to know. When I see these retro games that mimic 8 bit titles, I tend to think 'meh' but changing the gameplay into a 16 bit style later in the game sounds pretty awesome. I might have to check it out.

[@mindscan420]

The Messenger has stereo music later in the game :) the 16 bit renditions of the tunes have more stereo effects. Some gameplay changes later on too, definitely worth playing through more of it

[@MungkaeX]

Yeah, I got the impression Joe didn’t get far enough in to see that “Twist.”

[@socksfelloff]

@@MungkaeX Came here to post this but then again maybe he wanted to keep the twist a surprise

[@Wehlfest]

yeah he didn't mention one of the coolest aspects of The Messenger, the switch ti 16-bit

[@dcadjust]

Agreed. Joe, you need to go back and play some more of the Messenger and fix your review. Shame on you. As punishment you have to paly all your games for the next week holding your controller upside down and turned 180 degrees.

[@BenzaieLive2]

Had to check if someone mentionned it, it s weird he mentions the game is hard tobput down but describe the first quarter of the game !

[@MrMegaManFan]

The Messenger is brilliant. I binged it from start to finish.

[@IdealIdeas100]

Kaze is literally SNES Donkey Kong Country mixed with Rayman Origins/Legends. The masks are just the DK buddies you normally could ride.

[@Chillywilly8818]

I noticed evem the music sound dkc2esque

[@Vulpas]

It's an uglier game though.

[@ChaosGenerator]

Marsupalami is another good Donkey Kong Country clone mixed with a little Rayman Legends. You should check it out. Performance suffers a bit on Switch but the other versions look okay.

[@wrenboy2726]

Not literally. Figuratively.

[@Vulpas]

@@wrenboy2726 Learn hyperbole.

[@stinkbanana2522]

Game Sack Sunday morning while having my coffee has become a tradition. Cheers!

[@iCach0]

The new Ninja Warriors game also has 2 extra ninjas you can unlock by beating the game, and they're pretty dope!

[@mickael486]

I was waiting for Joe to mention that. I just bought it on Switch for $7.

[@mickael486]

@@Gatorade69 It was on the Switch for $9.99 last week.

[@MrThunderwing]

Just came on here to mention the same thing (the 2 additional unlockable characters that weren't in the SNES original that is)! Playing as the giant screen filling Raiden in this is awesome. Joe also forgot to mention the excellent Zuntata soundtrack from the original Ninja Warriors is unlockable too.

[@BobSmith-kk4kp]

This game looks amazing. I wish they had put it out on PC as well!

[@NYCJoeBlack]

I picked up Ninja Warriors for the Nintendo Switch, but man, was it impossible to find at retail on the local level; NO ONE carried it. I had to buy it on Amazon as that was the only place I saw new copies at launch. Was it not released in stores like Best Buy/GameStop?

[@Aristowi]

I loved The Messenger, and to me the humor was always engaging. I loved how the "past and future" mechanic ("other world" or "night and day" in other games) is handled here, the past is done with a 8 bit aesthetic and the future turns into a 16 bit game, even the music. Definitely recommended.

[@braddrcrushalot3785]

Sees Dave’s picture in the video and a nostalgic smile comes across my face. Can we get the gang back together for a future episode?

[@Jppen]

I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility since Dave did make a return once already for the Genesis VS SNES episode. There is hope.

[@RPC87]

The messenger might be the best 2d game I have ever played. Music. Gameplay. Silly story. It's got it all

[@theflyingninja1]

I don't think a silly story is a good selling point.

[@RPC87]

@@theflyingninja1 that the best part of stories. Some people like more serious grounded stories. Some people just like lore and to figure it out on their own and some people like ridiculous stories!

[@Soynereh]

Long live to the indie developers. I'm so glad these kind of games exist, can you image a world where 7th Gen standard titles is all there is?

[@cptnoremac]

@@reviewer6471 Pandemonium, Klonoa, Tomba, Vib-Ribbon, Klonoa 2, LocoRoco, the LittleBigPlanet games, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, Puppeteer, Hohokum, Escape Plan, Sound Shapes, Shadow of the Beast, Matterfall, Patapon, Tetris Effect, Gravity Crash. Those are just games I own and not including isometric view 2D games. I'm certain a ton of their games on PSN, PSV, and PSP are 2D as well.

[@DarkSoulSama]

The developer of "Wallachia: Reign of Dracula" had previously made two freeware Castlevania fan-games, and the second one "Lecard Chronicles 2", is great.

[@Googlesucksballs]

The Messenger was great and I loved the soundtrack, it was nice that both the 8bit and 16bit parts of the game had their own soundtrack. Right now the game studio Sabotage is working on a kickstarter project for a RPG called Sea Of Stars which is a love letter to 90s SNES RPGs. They are even getting the Chrono Trigger composer Yasunori Mitsuda to work on the music for the game.

[@LuizMGRamos]

The Messenger also has a beautiful 16bit design and music later in the game. I get that you didn't play it for too long to make this video, but it's worth mentioning here anyway.

[@djbrotherson]

The Messengers graphics change the further you get into the game. It goes from 8 bit to 16 bit

[@RubyQuidam]

Yeah, a little bit weird that Joe didn't mention it. Maybe he didn't get that far in the game? Well anyway, The 16 bit graphics style is beautiful.

[@Vulpas]

Gets shitty at 16 bit, screw Metroidvania-esque stuff.

[@djbrotherson]

@@RubyQuidam I'm personally waiting for Bushiden and TMNT Revenge of The Shredder

[@RubyQuidam]

@@Vulpas I usually don't mind a little bit of backtracking and exploring but yeah, the game gets boring.

[@RubyQuidam]

@@djbrotherson yeah they look good, hope they play as good.

[@Revegelance]

Another great episode, Joe! Thank you for showing The Messenger, I absolutely love that game. If you progress further, the game introduces time travel, and you go to the future, where the graphics and music are 16-Bit, Sega Genesis style.

[@osurpless]

The Punch Out!! homage in the DLC is greatness. As opposed to “The Price” bonus within; it’s pretty lame given how challenging it is to obtain…

[@necromax13]

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there like... Another ninja gaiden inspired game with time travel?

[@blagdiesel]

Messanger is the GOAT. I think the shopkeeper might be the greatest NPC ever, and the plot twist was amazing.

[@Fanta0846]

Shadow Gangs looks brilliant! Thanks for showing it off as I don't think I'd have found it otherwise

[@Jesse__H]

Sometimes being a night owl is great. New 'Sack eps to go to bed with every other Saturday! 🤍

[@zigguratjones6458]

We love you Jesse!

[@thisisnotachannel]

@@Gatorade69 Insomnia is the worst thing in my life...

[@Iliek]

You're not a "night owl". You're just addicted to your computer.

[@Jesse__H]

@@Iliek psh girl you don't know me.

[@jkemp6791]

For real, Barney’s Hide and Seek should be remade for modern consoles. Game of the Year. Game of ALL the years.

[@ilikecurry2345]

I thought "Game of the Year every year" was God of War's joke. ...Then again, Barney can share that too.

[@SomeOrangeCat]

The Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon duology does it for me. They're literally classic Castlevania without the branding.

[@evanmaunders5688]

Incredible OST for those games as well. The first OST Is Better than any Castlevania game’s in my book

[@Speccyyy]

Feels like a mixture of Castlevania and Mega Man to me. And that's a good thing.

[@alexq2930]

A new series has born. Im waiting for part 2, 3 , 4 etc

[@jbfarley]

This is part 2

[@alex64gaming]

Well, my night has been made

[@shawdawg3675]

Two of my favorite recent 2D games is MiniLaw: Ministry of Justice, only on PC, but you play a Robocop Judge Dredd type guy called a Constable, and its not linear at all. The other is Door Kickers: Action Squad, basically an up to 2 player side scrolling SWAT clear the stage/defuse bombs/save hostages type game.

[@NecroVMX]

wait...joe, did you not play very far into The Messenger? there's the whole time travel aspect with the future being 16 bit style and it becomes a metroidvania halfway through!

[@Jesse__H]

Could be trying to avoid those spoilers...

[@QF_Dan72]

he probably didnt play that far

[@supergravy6104]

I enjoyed Habroxia 1&2 on the PS4 a lot. They are fun 2D side scrolling shooters that weren't very difficult but I didn't mind that at all. They have a nice sense of progression.

[@SergeEXE2]

So, for Dariusburst, the arcade mode is included mostly for the PC version where you can use an Ultra wide monitor or a Dual monitor setup to make much better use of the 32:9 aspect ratio. It makes it a fantastic inclusion and is genuinely very fun. There's also crossover DLC ships from other games which all adds up to a TON of content. It's my favorite Darius game by far

[@Falcnuts]

When I think Gamesack I think of Darius because Joe introduced me to the series, even if he’s not it’s biggest fan. Darius Burst in that way sounds insane!

[@QF_Dan72]

the soundtracks are the best

[@SergeEXE2]

@@Falcnuts I should also point out that if you time your Burst beam with a boss's, you Beam Clash which powers you up massively and gives you insane score. There's a lot to master here.

[@GameSack]

Hmm it does indeed sound like it would be way better on the PC, especially in that mode.

[@WalrusFPGA]

I love the PC version of this. Dual monitor and just so much damn content in the mission mode and an additional mode that allows you to visit various sectors on a map to complete challenges across a simulated universe and compete with all the other players for the best score in those zones, and to be the first one to clear them. There is a lot of depth to the various ships in the game that are not obvious at first also, like the satellite beam weapon which can actually be turned at an angle by the player.

[@darrinfromvault801]

Guacamelee 1+2 are games I highly recommend. Really enjoyed the style and gameplay

[@martinrc80]

Think he did these in the last 2d episode. Celeste too which is an amazing game.

[@gurleyman104]

Glad to see you enjoyed Wallachia. I really enjoy this particular series of episodes! Hope to see more in the future.

[@roberto1519]

I find The Messenger game colors more akin to a PC-Engine, in a NES wet dream only it could produce those colors, a modern-retro game called Cyber Shadow and other called Odallus: The Dark Call are really closer to the NES pallets. Some hues or tones of The Messenger remind me of Cadash for PC-Engine.

[@fakeshemp9599]

Yeah you're right I never looked at it like that before

[@destroythetrigger]

Okami (from the same developers of odallus) looks Very NES, too.

[@destroythetrigger]

I meant Oniken*

[@The_Monkey_King]

Ten years + viewer here Joe. Keep the content coming. It’s still fresh and engaging. Couple of episode ideas for you: 1. Games that have aged well, and 2. Games that influenced genres

[@lukegto]

Somebody didn’t make it to the 16 but part of messenger eh? Lol I’m guessing that sound is in stereo to add to the contrast. It goes from a ninja gaiden clone to a pseudo metroidvania. Very cool game

[@GameSack]

Yeah there's some stereo in that part but if they really wanted it to be authentic there wouldn't be any parallax in the 8-bit part.

[@crtgamer2355]

@@GameSack Hey!!! Ninja Gaiden has parallax scrolling, so do quite a few 8 bit games, YOU TAKE THAT BACK!

[@RafaelWingnux]

You definitely should take a look at Infernax, Monster Sanctuary, Flynn: son of crimson and the latest Shantae games.

[@BenzaieLive2]

Ninjawarrios has 2 extra characters also

[@guysafari]

the skit at the end was probably the best GameSack skit at the end. !!!

[@12ealDealOfficial]

Shadow Gangs looks tight, and it coming to the Dreamcast is such a sweet bonus. The music selection in this episode is awesome as always too, particularly that track at 7:45. I always get a new track for my playlists.

[@bes03c]

One of my favorite parts of Kaze was nabbing gold in the time trials. Each level is built to be able to blast through it if you know it well. It is one of few games I have ever 100%'d. I didn't find the levels too long at all.

[@jkajmo]

Same! I absolutely LOVE this game. I play it on my PS4. I love everything about it. I don't agree that the levels get too long either. I have a soft spot for this game.

[@likky1]

kaze seems to remind me of DKC, which i recall... he didn't like too much? unless I'm wrong DKC also had pointless collectables and bonus levels

[@Walczyk]

it looks pointless

[@jkajmo]

@@Walczyk well the game is fun, that's the point. What other points do you expect?

[@Agostoic]

Sack at nite, heck yeah! At least every other Sunday. Keep it up Joe, cheers.

[@thedemonkingdra6796]

Excellent work Joe! Would love to see a part 2 to this topic!

[@dwood78part23]

I miss the era of 2D gaming. So I know I'll like this one.

[@seriousstuff8887]

Its back with a bang thanks to indie studios .

[@GenesHand]

Amazing episode. Speaking of 2D games, I recently found this game called "Protect Me Knight" for the 360 on the indies section. That is amazing and no one talks about it, with music composed by Yuzo Koshiro. Unluckily, Microsoft killed the indie games program on the 360 and the only way to play it is on a modded system.

[@jojojoma3026]

Love me some Yuzo Koshiro. You know he did the soundtrack to Super Adventure Island? I had no idea till about 3 years ago.

[@jessragan6714]

If it helps, there's a sequel called Gotta Protectors for the 3DS! And ANOTHER game for the Switch, although that hasn't been localized yet.

[@icelandicbanks6473]

I fuckin LOOOOOOOOVE this game! I should bust out my 360 just to play it, lol Can we still play it if we have it downloaded?!

[@KasumiKenshirou]

@@jessragan6714 They also made an NES ROM spin off of Gotta Protectors.

[@GenesHand]

@@icelandicbanks6473 Yes if you didn't delete it you should be able to play it. I found about the game recently so my only option was to use a RGHed system.

[@snowcon3]

Glad to see Wallachia get some attention. Really enjoyed that one.

[@MungkaeX]

Anyone else get the impression Joe didn’t get to the big Twist at about the halfway point in the Messenger?

[@alex64gaming]

Kaze reminds me of tiny toons on sega genesis

[@ostar1183]

Gonna recommend Infernax (I believe someone else also did too) game is great, pure castlevania 2 vibes, has gore, good difficulty, multiple endings and is currently on Xbox game pass

[@derek-64]

To hell with game pass! I'll get it physically, and on Switch, thank you!

[@MagmaMKII]

Its honestly refreshing seeing someone who has the same sentiments as me towards this Darius game. People love to praise how HUGE this game is when in reality you're just playing the same levels and fighting the same bosses over and over again. Its really a "quantity over quality" type of game, and I think this series deserves better.

[@Hazdazos]

Watching this channel for years and in all this time one thing I wish Joe would do is list out the games he's talking about either in the description of the episode, or somewhere in the video as a list. Especially for this video, I think I want to try all the games out but I didn't want to stop watching to grab a pen and pencil.

[@juiceala]

Speaking of modern 2D games I was thinking of The Wonderboy Returns series yesterday, I hope Joe would cover it sometime.

[@jkemp6791]

I am SO looking forward to the Wonderboy Collection! SLR just put up a physical preorder for Wonderboy Returns remix for the switch.

[@williambargery5855]

Awesome work Joe! 2D games I would recommend are the bloodstained series, cybershadow and infernax. Keep up the the good work.

[@jpixels4042]

These are all gems! I often prefer indies over big budget releases.

[@AllEyezOnMakaveli]

Didn't know that Freddie Mercury ist the evil boss in Shadow Gangs. Awesome!

[@Spacemutiny]

Omg that song in the Darius game was painful!!!

[@TheLoneGameMan]

"Somebody please unplug me. I can't take much more of this moron." Hey, that's what my grandma said last time I visited her! ... G-god rest her soul...

[@Sharklops]

I also highly recommend Hollow Knight and Chasm. Both metroidvania and both a lot of fun.

[@Pesthauch666]

4:21: Battle Axe with its perspective, the coin placement, its graphical style and even some of the level structure reminds me more of Chaos Engine from the Bitmap Brothers. I really loved that game on my Amiga 1200.

[@jessragan6714]

I was watching it and thinking, "Hey, that's like a really, really pretty version of Soldiers of Fortune for the Genesis!"

[@atrocity3010]

In Kaze, collecting all the green gems from bonus stages in a world unlocks an additional level in that world. The other stuff unlocks concept art so it's less important if you're not going for completion.

[@daytimesky]

I happen to enjoy the arcade mode of Dariusburst and play it a lot. It's pretty fun if you're decent at it, though it is really hard. I got the game for a livestreamer whose whole family has played it 4-player, and it's fun watching all of them play together, and they're enjoying it. Plus, I really like the gameplay overall. Once you've learned to use moves like the laser shield and the various abilities of the different ships well, it opens up the hidden depth the game has and really changes how it plays. I noticed in the video those moves weren't being used, and really, this is what the game is about, I'd say. But at the same time, the game explains nothing. No tutorialization or any kind of explanation, so I don't blame people for being unaware of its hidden depth.

[@reagandow850]

Phenomenal episode. I’d love to see more of these. I have physicals first everything mentioned here that has a physical available or will be available but there are so many amazing modern console games in 2D I feel like you could make some more amazing videos on this content.

[@ccricers]

There are videos of Dariusburst EX played on ultra wide and double wide monitors and it looks amazing for that.

[@imnotgivingmy_name_toamach7491]

The Ninja Saviors! Hell yeah! I've tried to tell everyone about this game it's criminally underappreciated.

[@ModelJames13]

I don't know if you left it out on purpose, but you're in for a big surprise if you keep playing Messenger.

[@Jesse__H]

Glad to hear you liked doing this episode. Some suggestions for next time: Velocity 2X, Blasphemous, Infernax, and Slain or its spiritual sequel Valfaris. Not all home runs necessarily, but worth looking into!

[@error4159]

Reviewing these modern 2d games would make a great series for the channel

[@michaelberry122]

I did not know about the Battle Axe game. Thank you for introducing me to it. Looks like good fun!

[@GRChrzak]

Infernax. I have been screaming at it as I watch this episode. It is really good and worth a mention in a later episode, but it has a wonky double jump mechanic to span longer distances that is just infuriating.

[@jojojoma3026]

Infuriating is a good word to describe this game. Great homage to Castlevania tho

[@miketate3445]

@@jojojoma3026 I set it to the casual difficulty and it's been a blast ever since.

[@jessragan6714]

@@jojojoma3026 The designers delight in screwing with your head. Case in point: the wall chicken. DON'T EAT THE WALL CHICKEN!

[@jojojoma3026]

@@jessragan6714 My favorite thing was the secret ending; if you turn around at the beginning of the game and take the boat the game just ends and rolls credits! Game Over. Or if you kneel next to a certain wall on a certain platform for 10 seconds a tornado comes... and kills you

[@sylehu7056]

The Messenger is a fantastic game that saved our lives from boresome during covid-19 lockdown

[@Iliek]

You volunteered to lock yourself down. They intimidated you with made up stories and numbers and unenforceable mandates. You chose to do that to yourself. Do not act like a victim. But.. we both know you will fall for the next scheme, and the next one, and the one after that, and so on until you die. You don't have the time nor inclination to form thoughts out of what you see with your own eyes.

[@sylehu7056]

@@Iliek you are a funny guy 🤣🤣🤣 You think you know me through litteraly 3 lines on the internet and think you outsmart me. The one overwhelmed by ignorance and wrong pride is not me, but you. Have fun in your world mate😘 I don t give a shit

[@NintenDave1]

This channel should have a million subs

[@retrozen]

Woah! I made it in a Game Sack video! Great video, as always. =)

[@Dongled]

I take it as a point of pride that Game Sack didn't like my voice acting. Thanks for that badge of honor. ;)

[@Wyrdwad]

Very cool episode, and as you might imagine, I have LOTS of recommendations! Though most are older (2014-2015 era), and I don't remember your previous 2D games on modern platforms episode(s?), so apologies if you've talked about any of these before. The first game that comes to mind is Freedom Planet. Freedom Planet is basically the best 2D Sonic game ever made, despite not being a Sonic game... and as a bonus, it's also got a bunch of Ristar and Mega Man X mixed in. It's got three playable characters who all play VERY differently (Lilac is the Sonic/Ristar-esque character. Carol is the Mega Man X-esque character but with a cool motorcycle power-up, and Milla is her own thing and is easily the most fun to play IMHO, taking the role of the glass cannon). It looks amazing, sounds amazing (the drum & bass-esque OST is absolutely sublime!), PLAYS amazing, and is just in general an amazing game all around. There are some things I imagine you'll complain about -- the cutscenes and voice-acting, for one, though I rather like them for their nostalgic Saturday morning cartoon-esque feel (and you can disable them entirely if you don't, so they're not much of a detriment to anything!). I also think you'll be disappointed to learn that lives pretty much DON'T MATTER -- you get unlimited continues, and continuing starts you right back where you died rather than from the beginning of the stage, making lives only really good for preserving your score and maybe collecting some achievements, if you care about such things. Which I don't think anybody playing this game really does. ;) But those aside, Freedom Planet is just an absolutely OUTSTANDING game that anyone with a fondness for mascot platformers of the '90s absolutely MUST play IMHO. Sequel incoming, too! Another good one is Alwa's Awakening, an NES-style Metroidvania that takes heavy inspiration from Solstice, Faxanadu, and Solomon's Key. Not much to say about this one except that it's just... excellent! The world design flows really well, with TONS of opportunity for sequence-breaking, and the new abilities you learn are really fun to play around with. The game also looks great (very Shovel Knight-esque, in that it sticks to some NES restrictions while also going well beyond what an NES could actually do), and sounds great as well, with an outstanding VRC6-style NES soundtrack by Robert Kreese. There's a sequel to this one, too, called Alwa's Legacy, which is more of the same but in 16/32-bit style, and Alwa's Legacy is also very much worth playing... but is IMHO not as good. The world design doesn't flow quite as well, the pacing feels a bit off, and the soundtrack is nowhere NEAR as good -- they couldn't get Robert Kreese back, and his replacement just wasn't able to turn out music that was even remotely on the same level. YMMV, though, as most reviewers seem to think Alwa's Legacy is the superior game in all regards! (Oh, and as an aside, Alwa's Awakening has recently been ported to NES proper and sold in limited quantities on cartridge, and I eagerly await my cartridge so I can play through it again!) I probably don't need to mention Owlboy, but I'm going to, because Owlboy is just... a masterpiece, plain and simple. This one is all 2D, but didn't try to limit itself to any particular hardware limitation or era, so it uses as much color and resolution as it needs for the scenes it's trying to depict, and looks utterly STUNNING as a result. The soundtrack matches this, with some of the most breathtaking orchestral scores I've ever heard in a video game, many of which are timed to match specific moments in the cutscenes where they play -- it almost feels like a top-tier movie soundtrack rather than a game soundtrack. And the gameplay... is part Metroidvania, part arcade action, part twin-stick shooter. It's a very story-heavy game as well, with lots of cutscenes, which might be a turn-off for you at first... but give it a chance, as the story and characters are some of the best I've encountered in any indie game to date. Even RPGs can't compete with the excellent writing and character development found here, and you will absolutely become invested in the story by the time the game is through. I genuinely can't praise Owlboy enough -- were I to rate it, it would be one of those rare games to get a perfect 10/10 score from me. This one spent 9 years in development, and if you ask me, it was worth every second of that, as the end result shows some incredible love and care. Another one I probably needn't mention is La-Mulana, which is an MSX-inspired flip-screen Metroidvania in which you... basically play as Indiana Jones, if he were raised by ninja and equipped with a tricorder from Star Trek. La-Mulana is one of the densest, most difficult, most obtuse games I've ever had the pleasure of playing, but it manages to make you feel like you truly are an archaeologist exploring dangerous ruins and slowly, bit by bit, unearthing an incredible mystery that spans millennia and has dramatic implications for humanity's survival. It's a game that requires incredible patience, mastery, and puzzle-solving prowess (or a good walkthrough!), but it manages to be one of the most engaging and densely packed Metroidvanias ever made if you're willing to put in the time with it. It's also got an excellent soundtrack (albeit with some very iffy instrumentation), and a more modern sequel in which you play as the illegitimate half-Japanese half-American daughter of the first game's protagonist (no joke!). I think it's also worth briefly mentioning the games of Francisco Tellez de Meneses, a.k.a. UnEpic_Fran. As his handle implies, he's best known for the game UnEpic, but he also has a sort of spiritual sequel to it called Ghost 1.0, an MSX prequel to that which he also released on Steam as Mini Ghost, as well as a Metal Gear clone called UnMetal (among other games for actual MSX). UnEpic is probably the best of these games, but they're all very much worth playing, despite some flaws. UnEpic is an incredibly balanced game that takes the Metroidvania style of gameplay, but adds heavy D&D elements to it, allowing you to spec your character however you'd like in order to find alternate paths through the game -- and it's balanced spectacularly well for this, with some genuinely clever outside-the-box solutions available to most of its in-game puzzles. It also has some of the most clever and original boss fights I've ever seen, with one boss in particular being simultaneously cheap, but also brilliant. The big downside to UnEpic is the "try-hard" nature of it, as the whole game is full of pop culture references and easter eggs, snarky attitude, and just general try-hard dialogue that really detracts from the experience. If you can get over all that, though, the actual GAME that's underneath it all is quite the work of art IMHO. Ghost 1.0 isn't as well-designed or varied as UnEpic IMHO, but the play control is much tighter, with a heavier emphasis on fighting. The pop culture references have been toned down a bit as well (and also made almost entirely optional), and the characters and story are considerably better, as is the music -- but the gameplay just isn't QUITE on par, if only because the space station in Ghost 1.0 just isn't as fun to explore as the castle in UnEpic, and there aren't nearly as many opportunities for finding an alternate path or solution. Ghost 1.0 just feels a bit less balanced IMHO, despite being better in so many other regards. Mini Ghost... is damn near perfect, but it's also about 2-3 hours long, so you'll beat it in no time flat. It's an AMAZING 2-3 hours, though, and the game does come with a sprite and map editor for making your own levels, which is pretty neat. And UnMetal... is a Metal Gear clone. And a pretty good one! But that's about all I can really say about it. ;) ...And I think that's it for now! I have no idea if you read all of this, but if you did, I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of these if you've played them. And I hope I've been able to suggest some cool games for you to check out and enjoy in the future, if you haven't!

[@GameSack]

Holy wall of text, Batman! J/K, I would expect no less. :) I talked about Freedom Planet in the Crowdfunded Games episode here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpeWcoSXgbaDpK8 I'll give a look into the others you mentioned!

[@Feelthefelt]

Okay, the sketch at the end is the best you've done.

[@tojim7654]

14:46 being a ninja by taking advantage of his double jump you rarely find yourself doing maybe ? =)

[@bra1nc417d]

@14:51 I thought you have a double jump while in ninja form, which you're in. Was that a mistake? Great video regardless, as always.

[@oscarvilches8257]

"Joe's sense of humor" x)

[@TheGameHoard]

In Kaze and the Wild Masks the green crystals unlock extra levels and the KAZE letters unlock the artworks that tell the game's story. The red gems go towards unlocking the true ending.

[@OneKaleidoscope3812]

your views don’t lie, you’ve got a dedicated fan base watching you here. me included. Keep it up man!

[@Horos_de_Vega]

These games miss something… the limitation of the 8 or 16-bit consoles. They take the look but without the limitation. And that extra freedom takes the charm away. I agree with André Gide: « art is born of constraint, thrives on struggle, dies of freedom ».

[@DeathToTheDictators]

I agree...except for the new digitized boobs.

[@williammoore1030]

In shadow gang 14:47 can you double jump in ninja mode to get that item you were trying to get?

[@GameSack]

Yeah probably? I always forget about the double jump.

[@williammoore1030]

@@GameSack lol gotcha.

[@ionutdaniel133]

nice video guys, really nice, you're the best gaming channel on youtube ever

[@ryanrank3070]

Joe, thank you for introducing me to Kaze. I am having an absolute blast playing that game!

[@80Apoc]

Always thrilled when there is new Sack to watch!

[@mrbransformer4184]

Deedlit I’m Wonder Labyrinth will give u the castlevania feel u want. That Walachia game totally made me think of castlevania!!

[@WalrusFPGA]

I'm glad you didn't spoil the Messenger for viewers. It seemed you already knew about what came later in the game, with the footage that was playing on the TV behind you during one of your connecting segments. Thanks for the recommend on those sweet ninja games! Wallachia looks cool also.

[@PiTBuLLeD]

He definitely didn't know, otherwise he wouldn't have ranted about the mono sound during the 8 bit section of the game. It was a design choice to match the actual 8 bit hardware, it creates a bigger contrast when the 16 bit section starts with stereo. It was surprising that he missed it, but shit happens. Joe works his ass off, not going to hold it against him.

[@medes5597]

​@@PiTBuLLeD he's showing footage from after behind him at more than one point in the episode, suggesting he definitely did know. His rant works if he does know or doesn't - his issue is that the 8bit style section, like nearly all 8bit style games, cheats in numerous ways by utilising effects that wouldn't have been possible on a lot of 16 bit consoles, let alone 8bit ones. Yet they decide to be slavishly realistic when it comes to the sound. He's making the point that there's no real point to doing that in his view

[@cjttrujillo790]

You are still the best video game related channel on here been watching since the start thanks for all the content you Rock brotha......

[@jadosa29]

I would recommend Cyber Shadow and the 2014 release of Strider for more 2d ninja goodness. Cyber Shadow has more of an 8 or 16 bit feel while Strider is a more modern take kind of in the vein of the last couple 2d Metroid games.

[@neverbeforeseen160]

This show is so great. Thanks Joe.

[@gp63]

This is the video for me. Over the years I've been trending off 'realistic' AAA games and back towards 2D sprite games like I grew up with for the 8/16 bit eras. We are really in the peak of 2D animation now with the tech available and the Indies scene has kept this style of game alive.

[@MrS1ebee]

Same here... But mostly because I'm absolutely shite at new 3d games 🤣. Mario 64 was like peak 3d complexity for me

[@sheepnoisebah]

after nearly being finished with Xenoblade, i'm really tired of big open worlds. i'll need my next game to be more impacted.

[@necromax13]

@@MrS1ebee I do hope you still try to play other 3d games though! On the first try, one of the hardest games to play is Dark Souls 1, but somehow, it's also very "3d controller noob friendly". My friend who's absolutely garbage at playing 3d games confidently finished the entire dark souls trilogy and she loved them all, even if she forgot to control the camera often and mispressed the healing button at the worst times possible.

[@necromax13]

I wouldn't say it's a realistic vs 2d sprite games. It's that AAA games have been tumbling in the same direction for over 15 years or so now, while indie developers will often have zero resources to make a game that can compete in complexity or graphical fidelity thus they will compete in game design concepts, gameplay, and narrative.

[@tiagofernandes8389]

Finally, the video gaming industry is getting healthier, great 2d games, pixel art is simply amazingly beautiful.

[@theobscuregamer]

Great video as always! Also, in Kaze and The Wild Masks, getting all the collectibles in each level unlocks a secret level in each world so that’s your incentive to get everything in that game. It’s an awesome game that reminds me of the original Donkey Kong Country series.

[@anime-mun]

Look at Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth. That has a huge Castlevania: Symphony of the Night feel.

[@popcornchokes84]

Bro. Idk what it is. Nothing makes me happier than a fresh upload of game sack. Joe, you rule man. Shout out to Dave, too.

[@8BitHorse]

I was happy to see Ninja Warriors get some love after playing the mostly-forgotten SNES game. Solid list here... every game is one I've played or intend to play soon. I'm seeing lots of great recommendations in the comments too.

[@ilaughwhenithurts]

Great episode, Joe. One game I think you ought to try is Infernax, which is basically a modern Castlevania II/III but with choices. Plus it has great alternate modes

[@Bofner]

My guess for the stretch in The Ninja Saviors is because the SNES actually has an 8:7 aspect ratio when played on a CRT, meaning rectangular pixels. This is true for all games on that system. Those original graphics were most likely designed with this in mind. When remaking the graphics for the new HD version, they probably wanted to emulate that same stretched pixel look, so they made the game in a resolution just under 16:9 so that the pixels would stretch to the same rectangular size they were on the SNES when played in full screen on a modern monitor (which is why it's stretched by default)

[@blinxerizer5426]

You must not have paid attention because in Kaze and the Wild Masks, collecting all the green gems in a given world unlocks an extra level in that world. It's a giant door that literally has slots in it that the gems fit in.

[@thepickles8833]

I love game sack in the morning. Thank you Joe

[@deanwilliam4450]

About to go to bed got the notification, good reason to be up for another half an hour. Love me some game sack!

[@Dominicn123]

love you joe keep these up they are my comfort place man

[@allluckyseven]

That last game... **chef's kiss**

[@MatthewOceanXVX]

Picked up Kaze for $20 recently brand new and it's pretty rad. Absolutely thought of Klonoa when I first saw it too. Glad we live in a time where 2D games can still thrive.