Agreed

same. i might still get it on steam, when it's on sale. probably will be some time before it's on sale for a significant discount.

I like his channel. It's entertaining to me, but he is by no means a person I go to for reviews.

@@pharossymphony I agree. Game Sack isn't thorough when it comes to reviewing games.

​@@arioca what more could he have said about it? do a 5-hour let's play and comment on every detail, spoil the ending? and what is "thorough"? there is no objectively good or bad games. just peoples opinions. the more serious they are, like IGN, the more pathetic and meaningless their reviews are, imho. and if anyone takes any score, lists or rankings seriously, then i in turn can't take them seriously. what i do instead is listen to what like-minded people have to say about it. i probably would dismiss a review of Back 4 Blood by Joe, because idk if he even plays games like that or Left 4 Dead. but i do know he knows 200x more than i do about retro, 2D games - and i know he likes the original Actraiser, so i can't think of any other channel that i'd trust and would align with my own tastes, based off all the old videos i've seen. i think he's honest, not motivated by money or outside influence (or at least i have no reason to believe that). applying those standards rules out every single mainstream review channel/website/publication, and probably 2/3 of all "regular dude" channels. i think what i'm trying to say is Game Sack isn't about reviews, so i trust the mini-reviews over the actual reviews, and he doesn't spoil the game for you. reviews aren't what keeps this channel afloat, so he doesn't have to pull any punches. side note: reviews and public opinions have always been meaningless. the beatles and led zeppelin: considered two of the greatest rock bands of all time by many. but in their early career they were hated by critics. citizen kane was considered a terrible film. those are just some well known examples. Days Gone got poor/mediocre reviews by IGN and other critics, and i loved that game. i see them putting higher scores on games that don't deserve it. sometimes they don't actually play the games they're paid to review.

Can't wait for your video today dude!

Now if we could just get a proper sequel

Hey johnny what did think about the direct?

Thank you always giving your honest reviews. That was my game back in the day. I’ll just have to wait and decide which format to play it in. Hopefully they’ll fix that camera issue soon. May your channel continue to flourish and gain momentum.

I was curious to what you thought about this game Johnny, what your reaction to this and Castlevania and the Mario Movie reveal

Some don't have it.

@@rainbowagenda6261 got'em good 😎

​@@rainbowagenda6261 Every official episode has them. Every numbered episode.

@@GameSack Oh, okay I understand. That's interesting, thanks for the clarification.

@@GameSack have your pants dried from the last skit? Oh, I've been abducted by aliens and have anal discharge so I'll need a refund on my sack enhancer...

I think he usually knows these things and drops comments like these in all his videos so he can troll and get nerdy snide comments for his own enjoyment.

@@leonidas6682 I have seen him do it more than once.

@@heilong79 Lmao that would be funny as hell

@@leonidas6682 idk, maybe he doesn't because he just played the US release, it's not far fetched people.

@@FredMaverik in the video he mentions the composer's name and how he is a fan of him. He also mentions how he was a fan of the original. He also makes many references to his knowledge of the game and the differences and how he plays the original on the hardest level. It is safe to say that in his research of a game he knows so well he has come across the fact about the difference in soundtrack between regions

6:03 🤣

Nice. Well, I may hold onto that fun fact.

What really keeps this game true to the Japanese original is the 15 new music tracks and prerendered 3D graphics.

And I am glad they made it more in line with the original, because more of that Fillmore funky goodness is always welcome in my eyes and ears. Goddamn, that bass just SLAPS!

@@bigduke5902 Yeah, and those kick-ass ‘classic’ tower defence segments. 😉

@@nathanstrik weird thing is, I actually don't mind them too much. They give us a little more to do in between action stages and aren't that bad once you figure out what to do.

If I have one section that hasn't grown on me, it's the tower defense. First seige- You placed your forts, but you didn't know where the enemies would be attacking from, and they're not in the right places. The siege begins, and surprise surprise you can't move the forts during it, so you drop palisades like a madman and run your champion(s) around like crazy trying to cover the holes in your defense. So you remember where the enemies spawned, and set your forts accordingly, but guess what? Now you got flying creatures coming from a direction you don't have an arrow tower at! So you spend your sp trying to blow them away while still running your champions around. It gets very frustrating very fast.

sonic mania nailed the graphics but destroyed the actual gameplay

The Blaster Master Zero trilogy.

Yeah it has that look of a retro style mobile game doesn't it? I feel like it's always a red flag when one of these HD remakes uses modern fonts with plain white letters. Like just download a pixel font and put a gradient on it guys!

I haven't checked it out but I've been told it is a mobile version ported to other systems. And given the atrocious graphics I'm willing to believe it.

@@AdrianMagni I feel like that using a modern font on pixel art is more of a Japanese thing than anything - RPG Maker has been using an even blander style ever since it got HD support, a lot of PSP JRPGS have a similar style (though the PSP's screen resolution makes it much less obvious), and although there are a lot of pixel art Japanese games, pixel fonts are really really rarely used,

I don’t like the sound of fleshing out “lore” because I don’t think it mattered, but I love the idea of adding more to the sim section. The original was perfect, but it left you wanting more. And there never was any more.

@@JazGalaxy yeah no kidding, i would've liked an endless Sim Mode, maybe they could do that as a DLC if they didnt already put that in.

@@JazGalaxy aye, they did good with the sim section I feel. I definitely enjoy it, and the raids on the villages certainly add a nice challenge to the mix. As for fleshing out the lore, I meant as in they added some more background to the land and also to certain characters, which I actually found to be cool as hell because it gives Tanzra an even more ominous presence in the game and shows how powerful he was before the Being Of Light came to assist.

I might literally be willing to kill for a pixel remaster style remake of Teranigma.

Thing is, I hope (and fear) that this is Square Enix testing the waters for interest in reviving their Quintet catalogue. Such market tests are usually done with games/IPs that are more simple (so they are relatively easy to produce) while still being fondly remembered by the fanbase. The so-called Quintet Trilogy you mentioned is somewhat more involved especially because of their overarching high concepts, so how successful Actraiser Renaissance might become during the first month/s may determine how willing they are to invest in remaking the Quintet Trilogy.

Surprised they weren’t released on Gameboy Advance back in the day

Yeah Terranigma would be awesome. I would love a Soulblazer collection with all 3 of those games included.

@@AstonWildsteel then I think we have nothing to worry about, Actraiser Renaissance is doing quite well. Should they also release a physical print somewhere for the consoles? I will gladly buy that. It's actually an awesome game, I have been enjoying it on my mobile devices here with a controller. They did a solid job capturing what made the original a cult classic and fleshing it out. Bloodpool's scenario in particular, fleshes out Teddy, whom was originally just a background character, he becomes much more prominent here. I can overlook some imperfections and safely say this game is worth getting.

She sounds cool. Mind if I slide into her DM’s bro?

@@dauntae24 You've already got Game Sack, there's no need for her.

@@DenkyManner 😂🤣

Interesting, I have never played anything but the NTSC NA game. So I guess I should look into the others since I got the original from my region down pretty well.

Just going to say, Actraiser Renaissance definitely has more challenging action stages compared to the original. Holy crap, I have actually died in those stages many times. Also, the siege missions can be difficult too.

I think the only thing I've really died in was siege missions and one of the monster lair sealings before I gained any levels on hard. Then I realized it wasn't fun and went back to normal.

The Japanese version gave you about 1000 fewer people to work with and since your score in the action stages meant a ton, you had a lot of work to do. The action stages also gave you like 100 fewer timer seconds, so rushing is the only way to beat most of the stages with any time remaining. You lose if you time out after beating the boss in its final few seconds.

@@AxiomofDiscord hmm I wonder if the more difficult action stages in the SFC ended up influencing the sequel, which _only_ had action stages and they were hard as rocks.

The original game is a 3 hours playtrough, this one took me like 17 hours and all the extra time was just waiting for resources in the angel sections.

@ Some Random Sounds like the 3 hour play through is the superior version.

I also didn't like how the divine soul doesn't leave the statue and rise back to heaven at the end of the stage.

Yes! I felt the same way. Enix had some great games back in the day and I have been waiting for a new ActRaiser. I hope they bring back more of the old greats.

I'd like some kind of new game based on the Quintet games but not if it's going to be this kind of crappy quality

@@kiyoaki1985 Exactly, I'm shocked so many people are actually looking forward to remakes that look and run this bad and this bloated with unnecessary additions. This is as far from "renaissance" as you can get.

Nah, it doesn't force you to play Marahna before Northwall, it's similar to the original in that as long as you're the proper level, you can go to that region and conquer it. I was at level 12 when I got to Marahna, and chose to go there first before going to Northwall, but I could've easily gone to Northwall at any time thanks to being that recommended level. I downloaded it on mobile and have an iPega controller synced to my phone so I can enjoy it there. Once I got used to the sim mode additions and the controls, it's become an absolute joy to play. Love this game, it lives up to the legacy of the original and then some.

You don’t have to destroy houses to progress at all. I completed the first area without destroying any houses at all.

@@gothard5 but to get the biggest populations and best rewards, yes houses do need to be destroyed so they can be rebuilt/upgraded for a growing population. Well worth doing, trust me on that.

The magic spells were the problem for me. I could easily defeat each boss using the stardust spell, never learning either one's pattern. Not even knowing there was a pattern. Then the boss rush comes around and you don't have nearly enough spells and no idea how to defeat the bosses without them. So, after many failed attempts, I also gave up. One day I'll finish the game. Not this remake, though.

@@Syreion Yeah, when you play the stages... you can cheese each boss with a combo of Magic Spells which save you a few hits. That and having a full life make them easy. However... then at the end you are expected to defeat them without spells and even your lives are limited... I was playing Actraiser like in the early 2000 on my PC again... and for some reason suddenly the patterns where clearly visible for me. I was wondering why I could not beat them, I mean I was in my late teens when the Snes was around.

Hell YES.

My take? Get it! Once you get going on it, you end up falling in love with all aspects of the game. I am enjoying it immensely here. The remastered soundtrack is absolutely right on point. Yuzo Koshiro really brought his A game when it came to updating his compositions, especially the iconic Fillmore theme. Love how it has elements of rock, funk and orchestral all mixed into one, and that bass line by Toshiyuki Tanahashi just SLAPS! I get giddy whenever I listen to that section before the guitar solo kicks it back to the loop. Absolutely recommend this one without hesitation. I downloaded it on mobile here, and have been using an iPega controller. Highly recommended for sure, because it is a wonderful, updated take on a cult classic. I couldn’t be happier to see this series back from the dead.

@@DesertRainReads I played the original a long time ago. It wasn't my utmost favorite, but it looked amazing back then. Soundtrack was excellent though. I'm honestly on the fence about Renaissance. I might pass on this one

I agree with you. Also, graphical style choice aside, I think that this is definitely a step in the right direction for the series. I hate tower defense games, but somehow I love the implementation of it in this one. It just makes sense.

Indeed, I am not a tower defense fan here at all but in this game, it makes sense. Plus, the heroes absolutely flesh the lore out and make Tanzra's power that much more ominous. Absolutely love that. Also, I enjoy the stages, they are not cast iron copies of the SNES layouts, but rather add enough to make them stand out on their own. And the music? Simply godly. The soundtrack alone makes this game worth it.

Same here. I just hope that if for some odd reason we get a remake of the second Actraiser, hopefully they'll be kind enough to add the god/Sim mode to it this time around.

Agreed, but its fucking Actraizer man!

@@calypsohandjack9278 The brand means nothing when the product falls short in quality, especially when you have a classic to compare it with.

You're not missing anything. The developers on this were.

@Keith Courage RX-78-2 On Steam, they usually go on sale 2-3 times a year. Although, they don't drop by like 75%+ like many others do. Best I've seen is 40%-50% off.

@Keith Courage RX-78-2 they go on sale regularly on Steam

The fact that it’s widescreen seems like playing on most CRTs wouldn’t be as great

Ok.....

It's disgusting

Make us all an actraiser remake, so we can point and laugh. That would actually be funny unlike your lame attempt at sarcasm.

@@luisdiaz1980 So unless a person can recreate something themselves they can’t comment on it? Better tell pretty much every game reviewer out there in that case…

@@Peanut.Butter.Runner I can comment on your lame sarcasm. That was my point.

@@luisdiaz1980 Jeez relax. You didn’t like my joke? Who cares, move on. Doesn’t it feels like I waste of your own time pointing out to internet strangers you don’t approve of their humour?!

@@Peanut.Butter.Runner I am calm. Do I seem angry to you? You be the mature one you claim to be and move on then, clown. You get butthurt over what strangers say about your lame jokes, don't try to claim the moral high ground.

what a naive fool. spending money for eye candy.

Yeah, I hate the art style of this game and I'm a big Actraiser fan. I traded in 11 freakin NES games just to buy the original back when I first got my SNES.

@@freakjob0 Thing is I don't even dislike pre-rendered graphics, I think the Donkey Kong Country and Vectorman games still look great. These are just really ugly pre-rendered graphics, it looks like a blurry, poorly contrasted mess. It really does look like a cheaply made mobile game.

@@kingboobs20 That is because that's what they designed it as, a multiplatform trend game that will make a lot on release then do poorly afterwards. I reckon you can actually get this same game on Android, with the same graphics they look like they were made for phone screens with shitty low contrast levels !

@@kingboobs20 you clearly didn't play it, the game definitely isn't ugly. If anything, it looks amazing and it plays every bit as good too once you get used to the additions. Plus the soundtrack is just godly, and the fact that they fixed the issue Fillmore Act 2 had in the North American SNES version of the game is a win.

@@DailyCorvid oh I dunno about that, it seems to be doing very well based off feedback. Plus, at least on mobile, it's pretty affordable too.

Hell 3ds games looked better than renaissance

Remakes usually are. We are experiencing cultural decay from our music to our games to our movies and books....

@@Lord_of_the_Pies You summed it up so well with "cultural decay", yep pretty much everything has gone south with a few exceptions.

@@Lord_of_the_Pies And don't forget music...

@@FloridaEbikes Please go back to the loony bin, buddy. You skipped on your meds.

I love so much that there are so many comments citing Joe as a credible source, even as someone who grew up understanding the value of professional critics.

Agreed on the physical console release, once that happens, I will buy it for both Switch and PS4. I did purchase it on the Android Market though, and I got an iPega controller synced to my phone, so I am good. Such an amazing game, normally I am not one to make a big ticket purchase on mobile devices, but when I saw this, I knew I had to snag it somehow. The game is worth its weight in gold dude. It's so good! Captures what made the original fantastic and amplifies it, especially the soundtrack. That Fillmore remake is something I can't get enough of, Toshiyuki Tanahashi's bass playing just SLAPS! And the whole song feels like this mix of funk, rock and orchestral elements. An absolute earworm in a damn good way.

I think I'll be able to sleep a bit better knowing it's on yr wishlist.

You should never sell it. Especially the sequel, that mfer was hard, never beat the 2nd.

I’m pretty sure the value of carts are just going to climb as time goes on. Hold onto it.

No

Money money money money money aghhhhh

At first glance, a few things are clear, the clean, bright and colorful visuals of the original were ditched to a much more detailed, less colorful thing that my eyes only see as a mess, the darkened tone is almost like an unreal engine 2D game from the x360/PS3 era. Same applies to the character designs, also, the animation is smooth enough so that the playability is sacrificed, like you're character has more weight than it should. Remakes like these don't really bring what the original games were all about, there are good examples out there on how to do a proper remake (or simply modernization) of a classic game, specially from indies, this is not one of those.

I guess this will be one of those I'll just let pass, the 1st Actraiser was amazing and like Joe said, the balancing act of action stages and sim stages was spot on, neither side was too long, nor too short but just enough until the next section. How they've managed to make the sim section extra tedious now as well as the odd choices for the action sequence really puts me off regarding this game. I feel like this is going to be one of those future episodes of Matt McMuscles' "Wha happen?" videos...

Sorry, I disagree here. The game holds up to the original and then some, been playing for a while since I downloaded the game on mobile, and have been using an iPega controller with it. Haven't had a problem with the visuals at all, if anything they look amazing. Also, I enjoy the sim aspect, and that it has more to do between action stages. Plus having heroes to summon at will is also awesome too, especially since they did a good job fleshing out the lore of the lands to make these characters believable. One character was previously just a background name, and now he's fully integral to the Bloodpool story arc. As for the action stages? They aren't just copies of the SNES original, they add stuff to them and for me they look amazing. Plus the incredible soundtrack makes playing through them an absolute joy. I hope this game gets a physical print for consoles, I will gladly buy it on PS4/Switch once that happens. I'm happy this exists, and that it's an excellent reinterpretation of the original.

@@DesertRainReads "More" doesn't equals "better". Especially in the art direction department, this game clearly falls very short of the original across the board. The prerendered sprites look horrendous even when compared to Donkey Kong Country, which is from freaking 1994. The choppy scrolling and the messed up parallax effect are unforgivable, again from a 80's and 90's standards. We're in 2021, for fuck's sake. You should consider having some actual standards as well. It's a terrible reinterpretation of the original to the point of being disrespectful. I sincerely hope you're not involved in game design, because you're take is downright delusional.

Eyyyy nice

You should still play the original...

This is not a remaster, it's a remake. And you're only supporting poorly funded remakes instead of great quality classics. This is bad take all around.

It reminds me iron man xo manowar for the saturn tbh

I agree. The visuals are messy and got this cheap feeling to it. Like Blaster Master Overdrive for the Wii. It feels like a cheap downloadable product. There are some nice effects sometimes but overall it feels cheap and unappealing.

i liked Professional Mode for the challenge of it, but hated that there wasnt a similar treatment for Sim Mode.