I'm pleased to see people are enjoying this I just wish I could join you all I need to get a 3DS at some point! If any of you are interested, I highly recommend seeking out a copy of Umihara Kawase Shun - Second Edition kanzenban! for the DS. It compiles the Super Famicom and Playstation games, and adds some brand-new DS-exclusive levels to the Playstation game.
Bought the game a couple of days ago while it was still 50% off, and boy am I happy the sale gave me that extra incentive to try this out! It took a little while getting used to the controls, but now that I have it's actually very impressive. Loving the visual style and the soundtrack too. Only problem I have with the game right now is that some levels have a ridiculously bad framerate when played with the 3D on, but I can deal.
@nate38 It's not a big deal having to turn it off every once in a while, and especially not since the 3D in the game isn't all that effective to begin with.
@X-pert74 I did a little bit of snooping for the DS game just now, but it's quite expensive over here. It's definitely going on my list of games to be on the look out for though, so thanks for the tip!
I'm tempted to give this a shot. The style is... odd for sure, but the positive impressions I've heard really make me want to try it. And at 10$, it seems hard to go wrong.
@VofEscaflowne I'm trying to think of another game to compare it to for you, but nothing's really coming to mind. It's not a fast or flashy platformer, it's slow and methodical. I guess the appeal for me is that the central mechanic, the tether line, feels like a simple but versatile mechanic. It's not as intuitive as it looks, but getting the hang of it is half the fun. You feel like you've mastered a tool, and you keep discovering new little things you can do with it.
It kind of reminds me of using the Ninja Rope in Worms to get from place to place. If only because of the way you have to play with the length of the rope to get anywhere (you can't just swing from side to side).
@r_hjort Bionic Commando was its own kind of tough, much more rigid than Yumi. As much as I liked Bionic Commando and its grappling arm, Yumi takes that mechanic to a whole 'nother level.
@nate38 Oh yeah, Bionic Commando was much more stiff, and has nothing on the fluid nature of this game! It kind of amazes me how much depth the fishing line platforming actually has.
If I had a 3DS I would so capitalize on this sale.
While I'm still sad I can't play the game yet, it continues to make me happy to see so many people enjoying this series finally The freeform nature of the grappling hook mechanics is a major reason why I like the games so much; it's fun for me to simply run through the same levels/exits over and over, because there's seemingly always something new to do using the grappling hook. I like trying to shave a few seconds off my time, or trying to find an alternate path through a level; sometimes you can even stumble upon hidden exit doors just by messing around this way. It's wonderful.