I'd like to say that I got this game on the Switch, because it was one of the first ones on there, and enjoyed it greatly. BUT, when I got to level 1 of world 3, I experienced a glitch that locked the camera in place and I couldn't move it, and thus couldn't progress in the game. I tried lots of stuff, but they didn't work. So I actually emailed the developers and told them what happened. They got back to me in a day, and a patch went out at the end of the week and I was able to progress. The devs are really nice people.
Maybe it's because I'm an Aquarius, or perhaps it's just because I'm contrarian but I've always enjoyed water levels - particular in the old Mario games :)
+Ziluth if you were talking to him, well yes he is interested in it, he said it on his own video, if you were talking to me, no, I already have the game on the Wii U, I think it's the best platformer of all time but I don't see any reason to re-purchase it, plus I don't have a Switch, it's too expensive...
BaldlyShine Not an insult, really - more like an expression of indifference or disappointment. Then again, being mediocre or failing the expectations can sometimes be worse than being plain awful, so...
@@RAFMnBgaming exactly, is it just a common uk thing? I live in the uk too and I never thought it was weird. Btw, I know its been ages since you posted this, so hi from 3 years into the future I guess.
Make sure you stick around until the end. I'm going to be using TH-cam's end card system to recommend a couple videos from other creators, from now on.
It's been a bit since I last played, but iirc it's up on the d-pad. 3 presses for 3 different levels of "happy". Left and right produce similar results for "sad" and, um... "tired"? "angry"? I can't quite remember. Actually, it's probably been long enough that I suck at being a snake again; I bet I could get some enjoyment out of another playthrough.
I know what words mean just fine thanks! Sibilance is a specific kind of alliteration referring to a repetition of 's' and 'sh' sounds, I'm sure you'll learn about it by the time you finish high school =D
Ultimately I didn't enjoy this game for a number of reasons. But man, it's one heck of an idea and I agree that we need more creative stuff like this in the industry. Great video!
That's hardly anything new. So many developers got their start in the gaming industry back in the 90's by doing something similar - creating mods and extra levels for (especially) first-person shooters.
The LBP series is actually a really good way to get started with understanding good game design. The levels that already exist are pretty well designed to give you loads of inspiration and then you can use a simple set of tools to make pretty much whatever you want.
Yeah, I just saw it on Steam, not long before seeing this video. It kind of reminds me of the brawling game Gang Beasts. Another game I have yet to play, but looks like fun. Best with many players. th-cam.com/video/Vz0BriND6pE/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/b0YP1rc73oY/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/Yt_keHKD9Ys/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/7QvSZUOotGA/w-d-xo.html
What I never understood about that game is the soundtrack. It's all moody and existential. I know that the game touches those themes, but imo it should be more... "fun".
This is such a unique and lovely game. It hasn't sold that well on PC but I'm sure the Switch version will pick up the slack. Would love to see more from this studio.
I read on their twitter that an update is coming sometime in January. Apparently adding more levels (and I hope more skins, but that''s just me) EDIT: They also said they would rollback to the original Switch home menu icon when the update hits.
A game that we constantly ask ourselves is "Is this game good?" When we should be asking "Did I learn something from this?" I think Snake Pass is a must have not just because it's a good game, but because it's so vastly different from other platformers.
There's something absolutely lovely about tributes to the old and good. I am loving the 3D platformer revival! I have to say though that when mainstream has been completely clouded with remakes and sequels, that we still have indie gems like this trying to make a change
Thank you so much for this analysis. Honestly it is so refreshing to see someone give Snake Pass some in-depth praise for how it functions and the experience it offers the player. I've seen a lot of people dislike the game because they did not have any form or patience or will to learn the controls. Once I beat the game to 100% I went back to earlier levels and breezed through them which was crazy to think as each level was taking me an hour to master. That progression at the end knowing I conquered all the tasks put in front of me was so satisfying. Subscribed.
Another brilliant video! As an aspiring game designer, I use your videos to help me come up with ways to overcome problems I am facing in the development process.
I I first heard of this game here, on your channel. It happened to be during a eShop sale, so I bought with a discount. It was brilliant, incredibly difficult, I may have found one or two smaller glitches, but overall a good experience. My only complaint, however, is that nothing I had read about it prepared to the main villain of the game: the camera. It follows the main problems of free cameras from the PS1/N64 era, it will often hide your character, position itself in inconvenient ways, and sometimes, after you have carefully positioned it in an angle that favours a specific dificult movement, it will slowly move back to the original angle as soon as you start, which means that you have to control both the camera and the snake, try to find a place to stop the snake and reset the camera to the best angle, or learn how to play with a suboptimal view of the character/terrain. The fact that you can't invert the x-axis is also deeply annoying, I played it for many hours and just couldn't adapt to it, it was easier to just turn Noodle's head the way I wanted to look and then center the camera there. Honestly, I liked it enough to 100%, but deleted it soon after. When I came back to inverted camera, I was always confused: I'd turn the camera, turn the other way, and say: "Wait, it actually had turned the way I wanted the first time" and come back.It came back quickly, because that's my natural way of doing it, but man, I wish they'd put that on accessibility description before buying.
I wondered for a while if the Sheffield based developers had taken inspiration from a well known road of the same name that crosses the Pennines to Manchester. But I asked them and they said it was just a coincidence.
That snake stealth game actually sounds pretty cool. It could be a great challenge to try and control you body as you either hunt to survive or take down enemies who can gang up on you and kill you when they know of your presence. I would love to play something like that!
Oddly enough there are another great game involving snakes, birds, movement puzzles and mind bending and looking cute and being hard as nails! It is called Snakebird and deserves a look if you liked this one.
Dear Mark Brown: Thank you. You mentioned this game earlier somewhere, but seeing it now in "completely" i absolutely fell in love with this. You also sparked my fire for Far Cry 2 back then with reminding me why i actually loved it back then. Those videos give my passion for details so much fuel and fun - Thank you.
Snake Pass technically is a brilliant game, unique quite literally. I hope more experimental games get to see the light of day. Personally, I found SP to be very easy, once you understood the mechanics that is. Very few puzzles were actually difficult, and they were frustratingly hard. But nevertheless I'm glad that this game exists.
Revolutionary change in today RPGs would be taking out minimap, map pointers and quest makers. Forcing programmers to create descriptions and environment that are possible to navigate without constant use of GPS.
Lots of games these days have options and difficulty settings which make this possible, but it would be nice to see a game designed from the ground up around it.
Mark, I wanna say you have a great power. You explain and shine on games in a special way that makes me (most of the time at least) buy the game, because I feel intrigued to try it out for myself. The games I played, I really did enjoy. Thank you for showing them to us!
This and Breath of the Wild were the two games I had on my Switch when it first released. Both are excellent games with core gameplay that is both polarising and deeply challenging, and having such fresh, new experiences cemented the Switch in my head as a bizarre, unique, worthwhile system. Snake Pass is great.
Sumo Digital? That's about 2 miles away from where I live when I looked for it on Google Maps, guess I know where to work once I get into game developing.
Sumo Digital also made Sonic All-Stars and All Stars Racing Transformed. Those games are awesome. (edit) Wait, nevermind, it's already mentioned in the video. :))
I just discovered your channel and I have now fallen in love with your style of critiques and how you praise games, also opening my eyes to how and why these games are great. Thank you, Mark, and keep doing what it is you do!!!!
Hey Mark, could you do a video on stamina or mana-like systems? Like the one you did on health, I am curious too see which unique systems exist and how they can be improved upon. Thanks.
I'm not sure if my reaction should be "ha, 'exist' is the best compliment he has for them" or "oh, the fact that these are being made speaks volumes". Maybe both?
Decided to give this game a shot because of this video. Bloody hell that was an extremely enjoyable 15 hours. I enjoyed it so much I'm actually sad that it's over. Thank you very much for introducing me to this game.
This just sold me on the game, thank you Mark! I heard on off-hand comment about it being lackluster before this video, but after seeing the main concept properly demonstrated, it's definitely something I'd love! Thanks for the eye-opening content :]
Bought this game 4 years ago and just went back to finish the platinum trophy today. I gave up on it with 3 trophies left that seemed too difficult. I have no idea why I felt like trying again today but I was able to do it. With the frustration vanquished, I can say this really is a great and unique game. I watched a video of someone beating the most difficult level without dying and I think that helped me understand a few things I wasn't doing right. I had already beaten every level and got all collectibles, but zero deaths was where I gave up. I felt a lot more in control this time. I enjoyed this video about how the game works.
I somehow stumbled on this review yesterday, and it convinced me to buy it today! It's hard for sure, but super unique, and I'm having a lot of fun with it! Thank you! 😊
I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a 3D Mario with no enemies soon. Odyssey already greatly diminished the penalty for death. If not no enemies, maybe just no health. Enemies could knock you around instead of directly killing you.
Lambtaco Games I'm not so sure. Enemies are a critical part of Mario's design space. They, along with coins, power-ups, and collectables, are in large part what make the platforming challenges interesting. It's by layering these elements on top of each other that Mario games achieve degrees of dynamics, interplay, and depth that are unparalleled in platforming games. Simply jumping over pits can only be so engaging. There needs to be elements that complicate and provide counterpoint to moving through space.
I would argue that enemies are really only a core part of linear Mario games. e.g. All the 2D games, and to a lesser extent, the galaxy games. Sunshine was a little more enemy focused for an exploratory game, but it gave Mario a gun of sorts to deal with enemies. Jumping on enemies in 3D is still much harder than in 2D, just like it was twenty years ago. It's also less useful. How often do enemies factor into platforming in 3D exploration based Mario compared to 2D and linear Marios? In a linear game enemies act as obstacles that block your progress, but in a more open game they can much more easily be avoided all together. This is why the goombas need to chase you in 3D games.In 2D Mario jumping on enemies to gain height is a common action useful in pretty much every level, but in 3D it rarely come up as there are usually more reliable ways of platforming. The open nature of these games also reduces incentive to move as efficiently as possible. 3D opens up an extra dimension of exploration, but also lets the player avoid enemy encounters. Take for example 2D Metroid and Zelda games. Exploration based games with formidable enemies. Which are a much bigger factor in those because enemies are near impossible to ignore in 2D. In 3D Mario inanimate obstacles tend to be more effective because they typically can't be killed and often take up an entire axis or two, which makes them act more like a 2D counterpart by putting real restrictions on player movement. Take the enemies out of 2D Mario and you ruin the game, take the enemies out of 3D exploration Mario and you get New Donk City. It has no enemies once you reach the sandbox stage of it's development. Yet it remains many peoples' favourite because of all the hidden secrets and the parkour potential. The other kingdoms have enemies, but after you complete the story stage they become minor annoyances and targets for possession rather than real threats. I'm not saying it should happen, just that I think they can pull it off. A big part of this is about player expectation more than what is actually necessary to make a good game. Sorry this got so long.
Samuel Stephens Mario as a franchise though has never been afraid to make major changes to the way it is designed. I don't think it's out of the picture that there might be a Mario game soley focused on platforming.
Well done, now I AM super-curious about this game! Looks nice and interesting in mechanics... Now, if onlt I didn't have a 200+ games long backlog... Wish you a nice Xmas break too, Mark, and thanks for keeping us company with your super cool videos! I really think this is on of the coolest YT channel about videogames on the net. Hope to see more awesome contents from you in 2018!
I'll sound like those amateur YTers, but... Snake Pass is a gut to the punch for the gamer crowd because it's a very different kind of game that they unfairly wrote it off. This is how non-gamers feel when they try to play the "conventional" games, and now it's happening to the core gamers. We need more games they knock gamers off their socks and push boundaries of interactivity like it's nobody's business.
From this video I think you would really like Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy. Its got the same idea, a challenging but rewarding control scheme, but in a much more focused and much less gamey setting. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
I love that you said "rewarding control scheme" because 95% of negative reviews on Steam say the control scheme is broken. I just find that part of the challenge and game design.
Removing mechanics, huh? An open world game where you can't move A stealth game where you can't move quietly A sports game where you don't have full control over the players A shooter where you can't reload
Jeremy Jordan You're a barkeep who gives advice to adventurers and they come back with stories of their exploits. All enemies can hear everything you do but there's a lag to the sound you make, meaning you have to constatly be in motion before they close in. You have to coach a team and make workable strategies for them while the ai controls them on the field. You have one clip of bullets. Use them wisely. How's that?
I was thinking for the stealth game you would have to perform actions to muffle your noise, like turning on a radio, or activating a buzz saw, but thatè a cool idea, and so are the other ones!
Spiderman game where something happened to his feet but he still can swing around perfectly. Penatrating an army base when you constatly have to synch your steps with guards and making some action to force them to walk if they are not moving. MyPlayer mode in most sport games when you controll just one player. Coach/Manager simulators.
As other idea NBA coap mode where one players controlls all movement while the other take care of shooting and passing. Or even AI does the second part you you have to put your player in position to pass or score hoping for the best Shooter with limited suplies or where the gun is some type of overheating lazer where you can't shoot for too long so you "barrow" your enemies weapons.
ahhh it's stuff like this that gives me so much hope for our species. what a great, wonderful, BRILLIANT idea. i'd love to play this game. i value creative simplicity more than many people, it seems.
Dear Mark Brown . I really don't know why but your channel is very good and you deserve at least 1 million subscribers while other gaming channels ( most of them ) feel like some random guy is talking about games here I feel like You are kind of a gaming professor and I feel like I am sitting in a classroom with a very good teacher teaching me stuff about game design or what makes a good game every time you make a video that grabs my attention .
Snake Pass is the perfect example of why innovation doesn't always equal quality. It's super original and innovative and all that, but after about 30 minutes of excitement, it quickly wore off and the game got so boring
You are mixing up the the objective topic that is quality, and the subjective quality that is fun. Your statement doesn't have any meaning. No game is fun for everyone.
Quality - the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind No. You are again thinking of something else. If something is made of a stronger material, it is of better quality. There is no debate. If a game has higher fidelity graphical effects, the graphics are higher quality. Quality is quantitative measurement. You may think higher quality x is more important than higher quality y, but that isnt quality. That is an opinion about what kind of quality is more important.
I was not prepared for how difficult snake pass would be. Learning to play this game made me feel like I was 6 years old again, holding a controller for the first time.
8:17 This quote about looking outside of games for inspiration reminded me of something I heard in a design lecture (graphic design, but I think the sentiment still applies) the other week. It was something about how designers only taking inspiration from other existing designs is almost "necrophilic" (his words, not mine) - once something is designed it's dead. The ground has already broken and you can't expect to innovate from looking at just that.
Snake Pass was also somehow among the first 5 games to be purchasable on the Switch store. I imagine it got lots of sales just for that. When the Switch first came out the store really took a while to pick up steam.
5 years later... I recently came across your channel and put this game on my wishlist after seeing this video. Grabbed it on sale a week ago dirt cheap and really enjoyed it for the most part. The last two worlds had a fair number of parts that were just much harder than I felt necessary but I made it to the end yesterday and just wanted to say thanks for putting it on my radar... and I don't even know if you'll see this as this video was posted 5 years ago 😅
Thank you so much, Mark for giving Snake Pass spotlight this year. It's definitely a personal favorite of mine and a game that has been unfortunately misunderstood.
I'd like to say that I got this game on the Switch, because it was one of the first ones on there, and enjoyed it greatly. BUT, when I got to level 1 of world 3, I experienced a glitch that locked the camera in place and I couldn't move it, and thus couldn't progress in the game. I tried lots of stuff, but they didn't work. So I actually emailed the developers and told them what happened. They got back to me in a day, and a patch went out at the end of the week and I was able to progress. The devs are really nice people.
thankyou :)
Hypernukeleosis Kirby Wow, that is amazing! That makes me really want to buy the game and give it a try just. For that
Cool! I only have BotW and Mario Odyssey on my Switch! Lol I'm gonna buy this for sure.
@@sideways_fun woah were u one of the 3D artists?
I love developers that listen to their community, it's kinda heartwarming in a weird way
The only game I've seen where you look forward to the water level.
No Subnautica
we need to go deeper
And super mario odyssey
@@ralexcraft990 2 of those are all water
@@johnwaynesolima7948 Its a joke
@@ralexcraft990 sh## i am stupid
Maybe it's because I'm an Aquarius, or perhaps it's just because I'm contrarian but I've always enjoyed water levels - particular in the old Mario games :)
Ohh, I am SO happy to see Snake Pass get some well-deserved praise and analysis. Thank you, Mark!
Oh! The geek critique! I'm kinda sad that there's no other Donkey Kong Country game you can review, I loved your DKC critiques...
Are you excited for the Tropical freeze nintendo switch port that will be coming in 2018?
Folks, if you love innovative gameplay inspired from the real world, have a look for Drunk On Nectar! (in the making)
+Ziluth if you were talking to him, well yes he is interested in it, he said it on his own video, if you were talking to me, no, I already have the game on the Wii U, I think it's the best platformer of all time but I don't see any reason to re-purchase it, plus I don't have a Switch, it's too expensive...
Hey Geek Critique your videos are brilliant. You convinced me to finally give metroid games a proper go and not giving up after an hour
"Plus there's Super Lucky's Tale, Knack II, and Sonic Forces which are all games that... exist" lmao
Savage
Super lucky's tale is hilarious by how bad it is : i litteraly played it for 30 minutes in a store before finding a bug that made me walk in the air
KNACK II BABY!!!
ThisNameIsntCreative by supporting the channel on patreon :)
idk why but it makes me very sad and disappointed to see this as by far the most thumbs-upped comment
Never thought 'exist' could've been used as an insult before
BaldlyShine Not an insult, really - more like an expression of indifference or disappointment. Then again, being mediocre or failing the expectations can sometimes be worse than being plain awful, so...
Never thought that it would be weird that it would. Guess that's what i get from growing up in the UK.
Persona 5: "Charm: Existent"
@@RAFMnBgaming exactly, is it just a common uk thing?
I live in the uk too and I never thought it was weird.
Btw, I know its been ages since you posted this, so hi from 3 years into the future I guess.
@@glendarjj3991 Hi future man, Do we have Half Life 3 yet?
Make sure you stick around until the end. I'm going to be using TH-cam's end card system to recommend a couple videos from other creators, from now on.
Mark Brown that's really cool of you plugging others rather than yourself
Very much appreciated, I hadn't found those channels before!
Mark, I love you
Why not pin this comment, Mark?
Loved your recommendations, looking forward to your next ones
8:42 "Which has turned real life hobbies like [...] beating up gorillas"
Hol' up, what ?!
ANIMAL ABUSE
I have now saved that part in t h e f o l d e r
Yes that is indeed a joke
Yes that is indeed a joke
No that is indeed not a joke
Its real life. After a hard day of work I enjoy punching a gorilla a couple of times. Don't you?
You forgot to mention the most important part of the game: there's a button dedicated to making you're adorable snake friend smile
It's been a bit since I last played, but iirc it's up on the d-pad. 3 presses for 3 different levels of "happy". Left and right produce similar results for "sad" and, um... "tired"? "angry"? I can't quite remember.
Actually, it's probably been long enough that I suck at being a snake again; I bet I could get some enjoyment out of another playthrough.
You forgot the most important part of the English language: there's a difference between your and you're.
rainbow_lizard The LittleBigPlanet influences don’t end!
@@chriso3968 You forgot the most important part of being human!
Not being a pedantic asshole!
We all knew exactly what he meant.
@@DanteYewToob So? He should still be able to write English correctly to the current spelling rules.
5:13 "Slapstick SQUID simulator - OCTODAD"
Mark, I have some bad news... That's an Octopus
no, it's a dad
"I have some bad news"
you got me for a second over there
Sometimes sibilance is more important than accuracy.
Teague Hipkiss I don't think that word means what you think it means.jpeg That was alliteration.
I know what words mean just fine thanks! Sibilance is a specific kind of alliteration referring to a repetition of 's' and 'sh' sounds, I'm sure you'll learn about it by the time you finish high school =D
Ultimately I didn't enjoy this game for a number of reasons. But man, it's one heck of an idea and I agree that we need more creative stuff like this in the industry. Great video!
arlo my man! I mean...blue..monster..
hows origami king coming alone?
Hey
Who'd thought you could start a career in gamedev by making good LBP levels
That's hardly anything new. So many developers got their start in the gaming industry back in the 90's by doing something similar - creating mods and extra levels for (especially) first-person shooters.
3 is even better for more space and tools
Eichro
Anyone who played LBP.
You used to be able to mod all the games.
Now moddability has to be the whole point of the game, designed into the UI or they don't let you do it.
The LBP series is actually a really good way to get started with understanding good game design. The levels that already exist are pretty well designed to give you loads of inspiration and then you can use a simple set of tools to make pretty much whatever you want.
5:18 You accidently sold me on Human: Fall Flat.
Yeah, I just saw it on Steam, not long before seeing this video. It kind of reminds me of the brawling game Gang Beasts. Another game I have yet to play, but looks like fun. Best with many players.
th-cam.com/video/Vz0BriND6pE/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/b0YP1rc73oY/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/Yt_keHKD9Ys/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/7QvSZUOotGA/w-d-xo.html
What I never understood about that game is the soundtrack. It's all moody and existential. I know that the game touches those themes, but imo it should be more... "fun".
Real treat when a developer lets people see the back end of the development process and get insights into their creativity, great episode!
It’s always a good day when there’s a new Game Maker’s Toolkit.
This is such a unique and lovely game. It hasn't sold that well on PC but I'm sure the Switch version will pick up the slack. Would love to see more from this studio.
I read on their twitter that an update is coming sometime in January. Apparently adding more levels (and I hope more skins, but that''s just me)
EDIT: They also said they would rollback to the original Switch home menu icon when the update hits.
"Think about what the snake cannot do." Interesting approach. Very useful advice, not only for game devs but to writers too.
Removing elements were also a thing in the old Thief games, with for example, the map for the level. Really made the exploration a lot better
A game that we constantly ask ourselves is "Is this game good?" When we should be asking "Did I learn something from this?"
I think Snake Pass is a must have not just because it's a good game, but because it's so vastly different from other platformers.
This game is the only game that made me feel like a child again. So much feels, so much love, thanks for talking about it ! Love your show
Haha, it's cute seeing this. It's nice how much you loved this game in the stream.
There's something absolutely lovely about tributes to the old and good. I am loving the 3D platformer revival! I have to say though that when mainstream has been completely clouded with remakes and sequels, that we still have indie gems like this trying to make a change
Thank you so much for this analysis. Honestly it is so refreshing to see someone give Snake Pass some in-depth praise for how it functions and the experience it offers the player. I've seen a lot of people dislike the game because they did not have any form or patience or will to learn the controls. Once I beat the game to 100% I went back to earlier levels and breezed through them which was crazy to think as each level was taking me an hour to master. That progression at the end knowing I conquered all the tasks put in front of me was so satisfying. Subscribed.
This game is absolutely *adorable*. I mean-his name is noodle! I’m crying it’s so adorable.
Amazing year of videos. All of them a must-see, well-done, didactic and all-around great experiences. Thank you.
A brilliant concept executed with amazing results!
90% of indie games: *yes*
Another brilliant video! As an aspiring game designer, I use your videos to help me come up with ways to overcome problems I am facing in the development process.
8:33 Never thought I'd ever see a snake with an adorable smile.
Your channel is very insightful, Mark. And I hope it can reach into the ears of big AAA game developer studios.
Keep it up.
Mark:"Music, pets, gardening"
Me: uhuh yeah
Mark: "and beating up gorillas"
Me: Ye- wait what
This definitely makes me want to play Snake Pass. Fantastic work as always Mark!
killed it again Mark. I'll watch everything you put out in 2018, promise
I I first heard of this game here, on your channel. It happened to be during a eShop sale, so I bought with a discount. It was brilliant, incredibly difficult, I may have found one or two smaller glitches, but overall a good experience.
My only complaint, however, is that nothing I had read about it prepared to the main villain of the game: the camera. It follows the main problems of free cameras from the PS1/N64 era, it will often hide your character, position itself in inconvenient ways, and sometimes, after you have carefully positioned it in an angle that favours a specific dificult movement, it will slowly move back to the original angle as soon as you start, which means that you have to control both the camera and the snake, try to find a place to stop the snake and reset the camera to the best angle, or learn how to play with a suboptimal view of the character/terrain. The fact that you can't invert the x-axis is also deeply annoying, I played it for many hours and just couldn't adapt to it, it was easier to just turn Noodle's head the way I wanted to look and then center the camera there. Honestly, I liked it enough to 100%, but deleted it soon after.
When I came back to inverted camera, I was always confused: I'd turn the camera, turn the other way, and say: "Wait, it actually had turned the way I wanted the first time" and come back.It came back quickly, because that's my natural way of doing it, but man, I wish they'd put that on accessibility description before buying.
My singular complaint is of the terrible choice to call the game 'Snake Pass' as opposed to 'Noodle Doodle'.
Honestly, rookie mistake.
Man, all that bad streamer jokes they missed out on!
Noodle doodle is just a fancy term for dickpic
Sequel subtitle opportunity.
@@ilikeceral3 *The game devs of Ratchet and Clank wants to know your location*
I wondered for a while if the Sheffield based developers had taken inspiration from a well known road of the same name that crosses the Pennines to Manchester. But I asked them and they said it was just a coincidence.
That snake stealth game actually sounds pretty cool. It could be a great challenge to try and control you body as you either hunt to survive or take down enemies who can gang up on you and kill you when they know of your presence. I would love to play something like that!
Oddly enough there are another great game involving snakes, birds, movement puzzles and mind bending and looking cute and being hard as nails! It is called Snakebird and deserves a look if you liked this one.
"toast 'em up" is the funniest thing I've heard all day
I like games that remove the most basic elements and still manage to work. This and Toki Tori deserve more ratings
Dear Mark Brown: Thank you.
You mentioned this game earlier somewhere, but seeing it now in "completely" i absolutely fell in love with this.
You also sparked my fire for Far Cry 2 back then with reminding me why i actually loved it back then.
Those videos give my passion for details so much fuel and fun -
Thank you.
Mark Brown also helped to look into why I love Sonic Adventure. I was shocked to find how in depth the game really is.
"...octodad and Human Falled Flat which is like trying working at an amazon warehouse while you're hammered"
Subscribed.
2017 is the year i found you and wow, definitely one of the best gaming channel in TH-cam, thank you for a great year and see you in 2018
Snake Pass technically is a brilliant game, unique quite literally. I hope more experimental games get to see the light of day.
Personally, I found SP to be very easy, once you understood the mechanics that is. Very few puzzles were actually difficult, and they were frustratingly hard. But nevertheless I'm glad that this game exists.
Mark, I really like your content. I'm happy to see you highlighting this amazing game in a year full of big blockbusters. Thanks.
This body... this body holding me, reminds me of my own noodality
uorulezz thumbs up for the tool reference
I freaking loved Snake Pass. It was beautiful, challenging, and had fantastic music. Plus there were the golden coins for extra challenge.
Revolutionary change in today RPGs would be taking out minimap, map pointers and quest makers. Forcing programmers to create descriptions and environment that are possible to navigate without constant use of GPS.
Try Divinity: Original Sin
Lots of games these days have options and difficulty settings which make this possible, but it would be nice to see a game designed from the ground up around it.
I wouldn't say that that is revolutionary. Dark Souls already does this and it is very popular.
Pretty much any RPG worth it's salt already has these things and allows you to hide the minimap. BotW
uyaratful you sir will love kingdom come: deliverance
Mark, I wanna say you have a great power. You explain and shine on games in a special way that makes me (most of the time at least) buy the game, because I feel intrigued to try it out for myself.
The games I played, I really did enjoy. Thank you for showing them to us!
This and Breath of the Wild were the two games I had on my Switch when it first released. Both are excellent games with core gameplay that is both polarising and deeply challenging, and having such fresh, new experiences cemented the Switch in my head as a bizarre, unique, worthwhile system. Snake Pass is great.
Breath of the Wild is challenging?
You are a channel that I was looking for and didn't even knew. Thank you. Your commentary is awesome.
Sumo Digital? That's about 2 miles away from where I live when I looked for it on Google Maps, guess I know where to work once I get into game developing.
I work in Sumo :P ... good to see people like Snake Pass
Good luck!
Sumo Digital also made Sonic All-Stars and All Stars Racing Transformed. Those games are awesome.
(edit) Wait, nevermind, it's already mentioned in the video. :))
Not far from me either, a hidden gem in my city that not a lot of gamer friends actually know! I'd also love to work with those guys!
Ah, All Stars Racing Transformed aka the best kart racer out there. The great drifting mechanic and focus on skill puts Mario Kart to shame.
I just discovered your channel and I have now fallen in love with your style of critiques and how you praise games, also opening my eyes to how and why these games are great. Thank you, Mark, and keep doing what it is you do!!!!
nice. Just nice. The game is nice. This video is nice.
vERY nICE
I'm pretty sure your channel is my favourite new subscription of 2017!
1:05 BAYBEEEEEE
Eduardo Andrés Carrera ITS TRIPLE
Here comes the money!!!
Game of the year Babee
@@seanmalloy7070 thats super mario bros 2 bro!
HERE COMES THE MONEY
Thanks for the recommendation Mark - I'm an hour in and I'm absolutely adoring this game.
Mark you think you might be adding too many words in front of the phrase " 'em up"?
no 'em up
Sooner or later you'll regret this running gag when you're forced to utter the words "Roguevania 'em up"
Knack 'em up
What a good video! Informative and captivating with the editing (especially the rope recreaction).
Hey Mark, could you do a video on stamina or mana-like systems? Like the one you did on health, I am curious too see which unique systems exist and how they can be improved upon. Thanks.
YEAH!!! A video on Snake Pass!!! So happy it gets a bit more recognition!
"Knack 2 and Sonic Forces... they're games that exist." - Mark Brown
I can't wait to see them put that review on boxes.
I'm not sure if my reaction should be "ha, 'exist' is the best compliment he has for them" or "oh, the fact that these are being made speaks volumes". Maybe both?
I love all of your videos. Thank you for bringing your unique insights to the world of gaming.
Haha! This game looks great! Definitely want to get it! :D
Thanks to you and your videos, I've learned more about game design in 2017 than any year before. Looking forward to the next one. Happy holidays!
i think snake pass is the only game i acctually finnished this year
Decided to give this game a shot because of this video. Bloody hell that was an extremely enjoyable 15 hours. I enjoyed it so much I'm actually sad that it's over. Thank you very much for introducing me to this game.
KNAKC 2!!! BAYBEEE
DA KING IS BACK BAYBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Thanks for another great year of insightful videos Mark. Can't wait to see what you have in store for us in the new year.
KNACK 2 BABY!!
This just sold me on the game, thank you Mark! I heard on off-hand comment about it being lackluster before this video, but after seeing the main concept properly demonstrated, it's definitely something I'd love! Thanks for the eye-opening content :]
Did someone say knack!!!!!!!!!
KNACK TWO BAYBEEEEEEEEEEEE
Bought this game 4 years ago and just went back to finish the platinum trophy today. I gave up on it with 3 trophies left that seemed too difficult. I have no idea why I felt like trying again today but I was able to do it. With the frustration vanquished, I can say this really is a great and unique game. I watched a video of someone beating the most difficult level without dying and I think that helped me understand a few things I wasn't doing right. I had already beaten every level and got all collectibles, but zero deaths was where I gave up. I felt a lot more in control this time. I enjoyed this video about how the game works.
Bionic Commando is an old platformer where you can't jump.
I somehow stumbled on this review yesterday, and it convinced me to buy it today! It's hard for sure, but super unique, and I'm having a lot of fun with it! Thank you! 😊
oh hai mark
Whether it was on purpose or not, the game's name "snake pass" resembles an old Irish tale in name: "the snake's pass"
I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a 3D Mario with no enemies soon. Odyssey already greatly diminished the penalty for death. If not no enemies, maybe just no health. Enemies could knock you around instead of directly killing you.
Lambtaco Games
I'm not so sure. Enemies are a critical part of Mario's design space. They, along with coins, power-ups, and collectables, are in large part what make the platforming challenges interesting. It's by layering these elements on top of each other that Mario games achieve degrees of dynamics, interplay, and depth that are unparalleled in platforming games. Simply jumping over pits can only be so engaging. There needs to be elements that complicate and provide counterpoint to moving through space.
I would argue that enemies are really only a core part of linear Mario games. e.g. All the 2D games, and to a lesser extent, the galaxy games. Sunshine was a little more enemy focused for an exploratory game, but it gave Mario a gun of sorts to deal with enemies. Jumping on enemies in 3D is still much harder than in 2D, just like it was twenty years ago. It's also less useful.
How often do enemies factor into platforming in 3D exploration based Mario compared to 2D and linear Marios? In a linear game enemies act as obstacles that block your progress, but in a more open game they can much more easily be avoided all together. This is why the goombas need to chase you in 3D games.In 2D Mario jumping on enemies to gain height is a common action useful in pretty much every level, but in 3D it rarely come up as there are usually more reliable ways of platforming. The open nature of these games also reduces incentive to move as efficiently as possible.
3D opens up an extra dimension of exploration, but also lets the player avoid enemy encounters. Take for example 2D Metroid and Zelda games. Exploration based games with formidable enemies. Which are a much bigger factor in those because enemies are near impossible to ignore in 2D. In 3D Mario inanimate obstacles tend to be more effective because they typically can't be killed and often take up an entire axis or two, which makes them act more like a 2D counterpart by putting real restrictions on player movement.
Take the enemies out of 2D Mario and you ruin the game, take the enemies out of 3D exploration Mario and you get New Donk City. It has no enemies once you reach the sandbox stage of it's development. Yet it remains many peoples' favourite because of all the hidden secrets and the parkour potential. The other kingdoms have enemies, but after you complete the story stage they become minor annoyances and targets for possession rather than real threats.
I'm not saying it should happen, just that I think they can pull it off. A big part of this is about player expectation more than what is actually necessary to make a good game. Sorry this got so long.
Samuel Stephens Mario as a franchise though has never been afraid to make major changes to the way it is designed. I don't think it's out of the picture that there might be a Mario game soley focused on platforming.
Well done, now I AM super-curious about this game! Looks nice and interesting in mechanics...
Now, if onlt I didn't have a 200+ games long backlog...
Wish you a nice Xmas break too, Mark, and thanks for keeping us company with your super cool videos!
I really think this is on of the coolest YT channel about videogames on the net.
Hope to see more awesome contents from you in 2018!
Design by subtraction? Someone should look at ico ^^
Dude, your channel is amazing I'm addicted to it now, good job :D
I'll sound like those amateur YTers, but...
Snake Pass is a gut to the punch for the gamer crowd because it's a very different kind of game that they unfairly wrote it off. This is how non-gamers feel when they try to play the "conventional" games, and now it's happening to the core gamers.
We need more games they knock gamers off their socks and push boundaries of interactivity like it's nobody's business.
Very good point
Huh, I was not expecting that! Kudos Mark for shining a brighter light on this under appreciated title!
From this video I think you would really like Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy. Its got the same idea, a challenging but rewarding control scheme, but in a much more focused and much less gamey setting. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
I love that you said "rewarding control scheme" because 95% of negative reviews on Steam say the control scheme is broken. I just find that part of the challenge and game design.
He just streamed himself playing Getting Over It yesterday.
Thank you so much for covering this game! It's so underrated for how fun and inventive it is.
snak
Don't stap on snak.
Love how well-researched your videos are!
Removing mechanics, huh?
An open world game where you can't move
A stealth game where you can't move quietly
A sports game where you don't have full control over the players
A shooter where you can't reload
Jeremy Jordan
You're a barkeep who gives advice to adventurers and they come back with stories of their exploits.
All enemies can hear everything you do but there's a lag to the sound you make, meaning you have to constatly be in motion before they close in.
You have to coach a team and make workable strategies for them while the ai controls them on the field.
You have one clip of bullets. Use them wisely.
How's that?
I was thinking for the stealth game you would have to perform actions to muffle your noise, like turning on a radio, or activating a buzz saw, but thatè a cool idea, and so are the other ones!
Third one is called football manager
Spiderman game where something happened to his feet but he still can swing around perfectly.
Penatrating an army base when you constatly have to synch your steps with guards and making some action to force them to walk if they are not moving.
MyPlayer mode in most sport games when you controll just one player. Coach/Manager simulators.
As other idea NBA coap mode where one players controlls all movement while the other take care of shooting and passing. Or even AI does the second part you you have to put your player in position to pass or score hoping for the best
Shooter with limited suplies or where the gun is some type of overheating lazer where you can't shoot for too long so you "barrow" your enemies weapons.
ahhh it's stuff like this that gives me so much hope for our species.
what a great, wonderful, BRILLIANT idea. i'd love to play this game. i value creative simplicity more than many people, it seems.
Dear Mark Brown . I really don't know why but your channel is very good and you deserve at least 1 million subscribers while other gaming channels ( most of them ) feel like some random guy is talking about games here I feel like You are kind of a gaming professor and I feel like I am sitting in a classroom with a very good teacher teaching me stuff about game design or what makes a good game every time you make a video that grabs my attention .
I seriously read the title as, "How Snake P*ss Works" xD
Puss is a swear word?
YES!
If you replace the 'u' with an 'i,' that is! lol
I think one of the best motivators for coming up with innovative gameplay is the thought of hearing it being talked about in Mark Brown's voice.
Snake Pass is the perfect example of why innovation doesn't always equal quality. It's super original and innovative and all that, but after about 30 minutes of excitement, it quickly wore off and the game got so boring
You are mixing up the the objective topic that is quality, and the subjective quality that is fun. Your statement doesn't have any meaning. No game is fun for everyone.
Quality is subjective too buddy
Quality - the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind
No. You are again thinking of something else. If something is made of a stronger material, it is of better quality. There is no debate. If a game has higher fidelity graphical effects, the graphics are higher quality. Quality is quantitative measurement. You may think higher quality x is more important than higher quality y, but that isnt quality. That is an opinion about what kind of quality is more important.
Okay fine, the game is shit. Subjective enough?
@@AlexLong1000 nah, that's still a concrete statement. "I think the game is shit" is subjective enough :P
I was not prepared for how difficult snake pass would be. Learning to play this game made me feel like I was 6 years old again, holding a controller for the first time.
Snake pass is brilliant! They did an amazing job with the feel of the game.very original and fun!
Never heard of this game and I love platformers. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Mark. I'll definitely pick it up!
8:17 This quote about looking outside of games for inspiration reminded me of something I heard in a design lecture (graphic design, but I think the sentiment still applies) the other week. It was something about how designers only taking inspiration from other existing designs is almost "necrophilic" (his words, not mine) - once something is designed it's dead. The ground has already broken and you can't expect to innovate from looking at just that.
Mark, you could teach me to love any game, ANY, with just one video.
I am so glad you like this wonderful game.
It deserves much more appreciation than it gets.
Snake Pass was also somehow among the first 5 games to be purchasable on the Switch store. I imagine it got lots of sales just for that.
When the Switch first came out the store really took a while to pick up steam.
5 years later... I recently came across your channel and put this game on my wishlist after seeing this video. Grabbed it on sale a week ago dirt cheap and really enjoyed it for the most part. The last two worlds had a fair number of parts that were just much harder than I felt necessary but I made it to the end yesterday and just wanted to say thanks for putting it on my radar... and I don't even know if you'll see this as this video was posted 5 years ago 😅
Thank you so much, Mark for giving Snake Pass spotlight this year. It's definitely a personal favorite of mine and a game that has been unfortunately misunderstood.