<color=blue>A look at the past: Moho
http://www.gamesnation.com/images/images/packshots/0000/packshot-763.jpg
Moho is a game published in 2000 for the PC, later ported to both the Playstation and the Dreamcast and created by Lost Toys Ltd. From what I read, it was released to very mixed reviews, some good and some bad, so let's see what it is that divided the waters so.
<color=blueviolet>Story
The story in the game is that you're a robot who has been sentenced to prison for some reason or another. When you get sentenced to prison, your legs are cut off and replaced with a ball. Your only way of escaping is by completing a series of challenges for the amusement of law-abiding citizen. Storywise the game isn't really that strong, but for the type of game this is, it serves well enough.
<color=darkgreen>Gameplay
[Img_Inline width="275" Caption="A Run the Gauntlet map. The green in right hand corner is your health, the blue is your energy" Align="left"] http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qVluTEGMb_E/0.jpg[/Img_Inline]
The game itself really boils down to half a dozen different playmodes, which include Run the Gauntlet, running through a course, King of the Hill, staying on top of a raised platform for a specific amount of time and Last Man Rolling, beating all other opponents, just to mention a few. Although there are a limited amount of modes, the levels are varied enough so that the game does not get too repetitive. I liked the different modes, though some of them can be quite frustrating from time to time.
All the different modes includes a timer which is a way of rating how well you do. There are different medals awarded for beating the times and the gold variant of these medals unlock a secret bonus prison, with other gameplay modes, including mini-golf, so there is a reward for doing well, besides the medals.
One other thing I have to mention about the levels is the floor. The floor is not quite solid, more of a blend between solid and liquid. When a bomb hits the floor, it ripples outwards, just like a rock hitting the water. It only lasts a few second, but can be deadly if you stand near an edge or used to your advantage, when you start mastering the game.
<color=darkcyan>Graphics
The graphics aren't all that bad. Sure, the game is old and it's not all that pretty, but at least it's colorful and it gets the job done. I can't really comment on how well the game has aged, as I'm not sure what the graphical standards were at that time, but unless graphics is your primary concern in a game, the way the game presents itself isn't bad.
Closing comments
Final verdict for the game. The game doesn't really feel so much as a full, coherent game as it does a series of mini-games, chained together by a weak story. Still, with this in mind, I very much enjoyed it, the challenge of keeping yourself alive and getting some of harder medals in the later levels is very much nice and also adds quite a bit to the replayability of this title. I didn't mention sound in the review as there really isn't all that much to write about.
[Img_Inline width="275" Caption="A race event where you compete against opponents. The checkered guy is another opponent, not a referee." Align="right"] http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/converted/pics/previews/moho/a_med_moho1b.jpg[/Img_Inline]
Summing up my review:
Pros:
Fun gameplay
Replayability, if you don't mind it being a little repititve.
Very bright and colorful. Does help a bit with the fact that this is an older game.
Cons:
Very little story
Very little sound and music
Can be repetitive due to the limited amount of different game modes.
http://www.gamesnation.com/images/images/packshots/0000/packshot-763.jpg
Moho is a game published in 2000 for the PC, later ported to both the Playstation and the Dreamcast and created by Lost Toys Ltd. From what I read, it was released to very mixed reviews, some good and some bad, so let's see what it is that divided the waters so.
<color=blueviolet>Story
The story in the game is that you're a robot who has been sentenced to prison for some reason or another. When you get sentenced to prison, your legs are cut off and replaced with a ball. Your only way of escaping is by completing a series of challenges for the amusement of law-abiding citizen. Storywise the game isn't really that strong, but for the type of game this is, it serves well enough.
<color=darkgreen>Gameplay
[Img_Inline width="275" Caption="A Run the Gauntlet map. The green in right hand corner is your health, the blue is your energy" Align="left"] http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qVluTEGMb_E/0.jpg[/Img_Inline]
The game itself really boils down to half a dozen different playmodes, which include Run the Gauntlet, running through a course, King of the Hill, staying on top of a raised platform for a specific amount of time and Last Man Rolling, beating all other opponents, just to mention a few. Although there are a limited amount of modes, the levels are varied enough so that the game does not get too repetitive. I liked the different modes, though some of them can be quite frustrating from time to time.
All the different modes includes a timer which is a way of rating how well you do. There are different medals awarded for beating the times and the gold variant of these medals unlock a secret bonus prison, with other gameplay modes, including mini-golf, so there is a reward for doing well, besides the medals.
One other thing I have to mention about the levels is the floor. The floor is not quite solid, more of a blend between solid and liquid. When a bomb hits the floor, it ripples outwards, just like a rock hitting the water. It only lasts a few second, but can be deadly if you stand near an edge or used to your advantage, when you start mastering the game.
<color=darkcyan>Graphics
The graphics aren't all that bad. Sure, the game is old and it's not all that pretty, but at least it's colorful and it gets the job done. I can't really comment on how well the game has aged, as I'm not sure what the graphical standards were at that time, but unless graphics is your primary concern in a game, the way the game presents itself isn't bad.
Closing comments
Final verdict for the game. The game doesn't really feel so much as a full, coherent game as it does a series of mini-games, chained together by a weak story. Still, with this in mind, I very much enjoyed it, the challenge of keeping yourself alive and getting some of harder medals in the later levels is very much nice and also adds quite a bit to the replayability of this title. I didn't mention sound in the review as there really isn't all that much to write about.
[Img_Inline width="275" Caption="A race event where you compete against opponents. The checkered guy is another opponent, not a referee." Align="right"] http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/converted/pics/previews/moho/a_med_moho1b.jpg[/Img_Inline]
Summing up my review:
Pros:
Fun gameplay
Replayability, if you don't mind it being a little repititve.
Very bright and colorful. Does help a bit with the fact that this is an older game.
Cons:
Very little story
Very little sound and music
Can be repetitive due to the limited amount of different game modes.