Difference between revisions of "Lost Caverns of Jungata"

So... is there some reference here that I'm not getting? Or is Jungata not really a thing? Either way, this is an okay level with fairly inoffensive design. It makes decent use of its various cannon-based enemies, has some pretty neat Crash Lifts, and it was cool to see the beached submarine on the alternate path. It also has some decent Joe lookalikes: the regular one makes a decent obstacle. And while fighting it head-on can be a pain, I appreciate that the blue one is more challenging than a typical Sniper Joe.

Unfortunately, between the militaristic enemy set, the aesthetic, and the use of gimmicks like Waterfalls? Jungata feels less like its own thing and more like a Napalm Man 2.0. This... is a bit of a weakness, the lack of significant personal identity means Jungata fails to leave an impression. And while the Crash Lift sections are of some interest (though I wish they got more time without waterfalls), the combat sections and the jetski feel very 'standard', with no real interest. This level is still inoffensive, but it's also very unmemorable. For future levels, I would advise something that feels less derivative.

This is a level that, at first, I didn't really have a strong opinion on one way or the other. There's nothing outstanding here, but it's also relatively inoffensive...at least until about one or two minutes in.

Starting off, the platforming/enemy placements are all pretty basic, barring a few questionable things here and there: The introductions to the Machine Gun Joe reskins could have been a bit better, plus there's one Batabattan during the first waterfall section that can easily catch you off guard and lead to a cheap death (seeing as he shows up right next to a Shadow Man platform). Those aside, however, I didn't have any other issues with the opening of the level...at least until I got to the spike drop.

For the record, I didn't have a problem with the spike drop itself (it's very easy, in fact). What I do take issue with, however, is putting a small side room with a token in it during that segment, and then putting a checkpoint at the end so you can't quickly redo it. Thankfully, it doesn't take that long to get back to that specific part, but even so, going through the opening section again just for another chance at that token room is still pretty tedious.

Unfortunately, the issues with tokens in this level don't stop there. The two remaining ones are on split paths, both with checkpoints at the start of them. I get this is probably meant to introduce replay value, but I still dislike the notion of having to redo a large portion of a level just to go down one other path for a single collectible. Granted, you can bypass this altogether if you take the bottom route with the Wave Rider segment, then backtrack a little to get the other token once the path converges. I'm not sure if this is intentional or not, but either way, it cuts out a lot of backtracking.

And really...that's all the notable stuff I can think of for this level. What remains after the tokens are pretty standard platforming challenges, with maybe the exception of the waterfall/Crash Man platform segment (which I actually found pretty engaging without utilities). If there were more sections like that, I definitely think this level would have fared better. Instead, the token routes and the potential tedious backtracking they represent largely overshadowed the rest of the stage for me.

Relic of Past Civilization!

Pretty straight forward level. A little bit generic as far as gimmicks go, with the Shadow and Crash platforms. There's also some weird reskins going on, possibly of references I don't really get. Despite that, the level still makes decent use of its gimmicks, and it's also fun looking at the supposed Jungata robots of the lost civilization.

During the spike drop there is a sudden split path for the token, which is a bit rude since it's easy to miss the platform first time around and be forced to restart when you reach the bottom and trigger a checkpoint.

Third token in the wave bike side section is a bit obscure to get to, not too bad though once you notice the hints.

Boss is a reskin of Pharaoh Man pretty much, with a few tweaks on the damage number to make it more punishing. Pretty nice attention with the respite work, though.

It must be a requirement that any jungle-themed level in this contest has to feel like it's missing some context. Between the unique-looking Joe enemies, the (very cool) beached submarine, and the intriguing secret room, there must be more of a story behind this level than the player can see.

Thankfully, I'm only curious, and not confused. Confusion only comes into play if I unwittingly go the wrong direction when the split paths reconnect. Polish issues like that are the level's biggest struggle.

Take the tile work, for example. The level does a good job of smashing together familiar tilesets to create something new (especially outdoors), and I dig the big hollow water pipe that spills into a pool. At the same time, the different tilesets don't always transition smoothly into each other, and individual tiles (usually corner tiles) look a bit off.

One thing that annoys me is falling blindly down a shaft, spotting what looks like a secret area, and then hitting a checkpoint before I have any opportunity to throw myself into a pit and go back for the secret. Waiting endlessly for moving platforms to sync up or loop back around is another annoyance. Special weapons certainly help, but they often remove the challenge entirely, which is the case with the tokens.

For me, set pieces such as the falling bridge and the dinosaur tank are the most memorable parts of the level. The soundtrack, too. Platforming and combat are fine--not overwhelmingly novel or engaging, but by no means terrible. Power-ups and checkpoints are decent, attempts are made to introduce new concepts safely, and it's nice that the boss's projectiles are destroyed along with the boss.

Focusing on a slightly smaller group of assets, fleshing out the story, and keeping a closer eye on the little details are what I'd like to see most here.

This is a stage that lands in the realm of 'Fine'. It's a nice romp with a few flaws that knock it down, but overall still a fairly above-average Mega Man stage. It really leans rather heavily into Napalm Man, but does enough to not feel like a total rehash.

And it is a romp - I don't really come away from this stage marvelling at the enemy placement, but they also don't fall into the camp of mindless timesinks and nuisances - bar a few exceptions I'll note later, and some of the 1hp enemies that are a danger only as you're crossing platforms are honestly well positioned and fun.

Honestly? That first waterflow room ala Napalm Man is a blast - I think the lack of Copter Joes by itself does that. The use of Crash Man platforms overall did the job for me. Some fun timing challenges, but I think the waterfalls made the odd one a bit too tight.

The Battontons were really rather mean in this room though. This is probably the part of the stage I took the longest to clear, by a long shot. It didn't quite fall into frustrating but - I think this section might be rather divisive, as it's cutting it real close.

I appreciate the new enemy types - basic and familiar though they are - and I think they look rather nice, graphically. But they stick out like a sore thumb next to the cutesy Mega Man enemies. Ideally, it'd be rather nice to see the entire roster at least graphically swapped to be consistent, if possible.

The actual tiling on the stage is respectable and looks good to me. The shipwrecked submarine from Blizzard Man is a really cool segment to mix things up.

In many stages, the fact that death pits aren't graphically marked would be a knock against it - but a notable thing here is the stage design - basically makes that a non-issue, with the only exception being a weird water-pit on the Wave Bike path.

The use of split paths doesn't really detract here, and but don't really add anything either - I will say that the point where they reconnect is rather needlessly obtuse and confusing.

This stage has a rare case when I think a checkpoint is rather badly positioned - and too early. The drop for the Club token, is not at all easy to parse - so when you fail with a checkpoint immediately on landing - it makes repeated attempts require a total forced restart - really was rather vexing.

The boss, what-ever its name is, is a positive end to the stage and is also a simple fun romp. The charge shot probably does way more damage than it should - but it's also so well telegraphed that reliably dodging becomes second nature. Like, seriously, this is how to do telegraphed attacks of this nature - build up and a telltale sign it's about to launch. Good stuff.