Committed to Megadrive early on and couldn't decide between Twinkle Tale and The Adventures of Batman & Robin, so I've gone for neither in the end.

Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron



...which chucked out almost everything from the first game and turned it into a one-of-a-kind side scrolling round 'em up.  It's a game I'd reach for if I were to compile a list of underrated 16-bit games; the original is remembered, but the sequel was better (just).

It's just as good as the first in co-op too, which is one of the reasons the series has achieved cult status imo.  I'd not seen rhythm minigames beforehand either, although I doubt it was a first.  It also contains a massive amount of secrets, and there's a lot more to it than follow-the-arrow.  It's also pretty lengthy for a MD platformer, but 45mins or so will definitely give the gist of what goes where.

Always had an eye out for this one but never got around to playing it. Will give this one a go.

I gave it 10mins last night and didn't understand what was going on.

On nights until the 6th, maybe the week after?

JonB wrote:

the rewards for exploring just aren't that interesting

You're probably right with this, much as I like the game.  Extra funk vacs and panic buttons are a measly pay-off considering how well some of them are hidden.  They're quite easy to pick up in The Hyperfunk zone too.  It's more fun in co-op, but it also becomes a touch too hard to finish without a tonne of effort as the lives are shared.

I didn't get back to Funkotron, but then I have played it before.

Are we continuing this thing?

I just couldn't click with TJ&E, was hoping to play it in co-op with moot but we never found the time.

Won't be doing a write up as I didn't play it enough to appreciate it's intricacies. Maybe we could still give it ago when I next see him.

Will pick a game this evening.

Solomons Key NES



Puzzle platformer, meant to be very good. Never played it, always wanted it.

It did some great things.  The earthlings messing up Funkotron's funk was a nice touch - everything barring the characters would drop to black & white.  Each earthling would have a set way of being trapped too - singing shower guy would need jars dropped from above, poodle woman should be nabbed after her dogs, tourists would daze you with camera flashes if you didn't hold a button etc.  Still a very good game that still feels pretty original, so I'm gonna go with 90%.  I get the criticisms about the sedate pace, but it's quite tricky to get though it as you're in trouble if you drop any lives early in.

I have even vaguer memories of Solomon's Key. That's some proper old school stuff. Think I had it when we briefly owned an Atari ST - it was OK but already ageing then.

It looks great, looking forward to giving it a go.

There isn't anybody who has time for that.

Captain Toad was one that clicked with me.  Also Thomas Was Alone, Abe's Oddysee, Braid, Boxboy to name a few.  Nothing I can think of from the 8-bit era though.  I remember Impossible Mission used to get silly scores in the Sega mags, but I couldn't get on with it when I borrowed it.

Solomon's Key (NES)

I think this is absolutely fantastic, one of the better puzzle platformers I've played. 

There's a good variety of enemy types that react differently enough to the changes you make to the environment to make this a great tactical game. Even the power ups are given out so sparely that it forces you to think of optimal routes and alternative ways to smite your enemies.

There's not many games like this on the NES to my knowledge and its uniqueness definitely makes it stand out, I can see why its highly regarded by fans of the console.

The graphics are nothing special but they're nice and clear and flicker free from what I played, the screen gets quite busy at times so thats quite impressive for a NES game. 

Like most puzzle platformers though I'm unfortunately a but crap at them, and something that doesn't help is the time limit. I would much rather have infinite time to observe the screen and make a plan of action, its definitely something I don't feel it needs.

I got to room 12 on this out of 50. I can only imagine how difficult it gets and like Mighty Flip Switch and the many others I've enjoyed I won't be seeing it through, simply because I can't. Its hard! 

4/5