Please note that this is another old review because I wasn't able to get the review I wanted to publish this week done. I may redo others in the future as well, like I want to do with this one. This is really just a filler review for the moment. Also of note is that this is my first review.
I don't know where to start other than "I have a lot to say".
Sega Ages 2500 for all that don't know, was a series of video games released in Japan as remakes of old Sega hits. There were a few that were released outside of Japan, you'd know them from the Sega Classics Collection on the PS2. This one is one of them. This is...
Less than good.
I have a lot to talk about, so I'm going to explain why I seem so bitter towards this game.
To be perfectly honest, I really enjoyed playing Columns on the Mega Drive. It was great with both 1 and 2 players, and it was an enjoyable experience altogether. I love playing Columns 3, and on the subject of Columns 2, I've played it once before, but don't remember much about it. I know that the "New" version of columns included in that game reminds me of Columns '97, but I've never gotten around to playing that game, so footage is reminding me of other things that SA2500 Columns did, including the spinning gems, but the CG in that game seems more finished. If you look at the video, you'll notice what I'm talking about.
So we've got Columns gameplay, and to my knowledge, it plays how the original Columns did, and that's pretty nice as I like it like that. The gameplay isn't where I'm irritated. It's everything else. When I finally got this game, I was playing the original columns a lot, and I really liked Mega Drive Columns. I liked the multiple tracks of music, I liked how it was simple. It was enjoyable, especially with someone else to try to get a better score against, and see who can get the better score. I prefer Atropos over Clotho and then Lasthesis (these are the music tracks that are played during the game). I really liked Columns on the Mega Drive. So when I saw that there was one on the ps2, I was excited. Originally, I thought that the game was pretty decent when I first played it. "Why then do you feel hostile towards the game now?" You might be asking. (If you're not, then just bear with me.)
All the text looks like it's clipping, too.
Let's start from the top. The music. They only have Clotho, and it gets old fast. The Name Entry music sounds like it should (I guess?) but the Game Over music is really butchered! I'm serious! The other music, I don't really care about, but I've heard it, and I don't care about it. I would have at least preferred a selection of tracks, and for that matter, SOME QUALITY. The sound on the game just sucks. Turn it down and crank up some better music. The music just... sounds bad.
In the way of graphics, that's also a big letdown. In the original, the gems would look the same, and that was fine. They were nice looking 2D sprites, and they were fine for the Mega Drive. This game uses 3D polys, and I honestly think that their textures are not good looking. They're some really bad looking models, and even though it was 2003, they could have done something better, like including the Arcade or MD version, but that's some wishful thinking. I just think that there could have been better things included, but the development seems rushed, and in the new mode and VS CPU mode, they spin and that's nice and all (for someone that doesn't think the models look too bad), but it's just an unneeded addition, I think.
This could have used more time. A lot more time.
For game modes, you have the Endless Mode (non-competive, but not co-op), the VS CPU mode, which is basically a story mode, and a VS Player mode (Competitive play) The non-competitive has a choice between old and new modes (They're basically the same), and the only difference I find is the fact that the gems rotate in the New version, and there's different music in the New version. VS CPU is just the new version but with a plot. You play as キューレ (Romaji: kyuure), Called Culet in Sega Classics Collection, the plot is thin, and doesn't really matter, it's just Columns against the computer player.
Something something Miku joke.
Gameplay, as I said, is fine, but it's not very good, it's just fine. It's Columns, and if you're wondering what a Columns is, then you've come to the wrong place.It's fine if you just want to play Columns on your PS2 or you're a collector, but if you want a more authentic experience, get Columns Arcade Collection on the Saturn. one neat thing is that this comes with a sort of index card with info about the original game.
I know this is a budget game, but this looks like it was made merely because 3D AGES got the bad end of a bet.
For all you interested and like to load games on an HDD, good news, as this game is only about (at most for how some filesystems) 38MB. This game as I've said multiple times throughout this review, is available on the Sega Classics collection, so if you have it that way, then don't bother importing it, unless you are a collector. Even then, I recommend Columns Arcade Collection on the Saturn.
Only reason why I'm not more angry is because this game cost me $7.
-Gameboi64
