Overall 8.4 Graphics 9 Sound 8.5 Addictive 6.5 Story 6.5 Depth 7.5 Difficulty 7.5
8.3
One explosive gem of a platformer! RedHotToddy
Ah, you guys all know Sega, these guys have been at their game for so many years, with so many awesome games to come from them I feel that they will never ever let me down, I mean just look at how great they have been treating our favorite man sonic the hedgehog! And to say that the sonic series is going downhill fast, I have yet to get sonic lost world, but still. Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yeah! Sega! But let's get back on topic, this Sega game that I am going to review today is quite underrated and I bet that almost none of you guys here have ever heard of this adventure, well just in time guys! Because today I am going to showcase this platformer! What is this game you ask me users of vizzed? Well that is for me to know and you to figure out, Ladies and gentleman,This is Dynamite headdy for the Sega genesis!
Story-7/10
Our adventure begins in the once peaceful town of the north town, everything is going all fine and dandy as candy until this very day. Our hero dynamite headdy has discovered that his world is bein destroyed by the evil dark demon! (For lack of a better name) Not only this, but he is actually choosing who gets to live and who should be destroyed! But before our fellow hero dynamite headdy can even fight back, he is arrested and thrown into custody by his so called defenses. Dynamite headdy is nearly thrown into the incinerator, but he luckily escapes just in time to continue his quest. So after all of that, he finally sets out to stop the king and regain control of the world of north town. However even more trouble follows our hero along the way, in order to reach the castle of the dark demon, Dynamite headdy will haste to defeat the evil pagemasters as well! These are the king's helpers who are stronger, bigger, and overall more fierceful then the actual king himself! Lastly, dyanamite headdy also has to face off with the envious trouble brui, an evil puppet who wants to cash in on all of dynamite headdy's glory and steal his thunder. So ladies and gentleman, will our hero save the town? We are about to find all of that out just oh so soon in these next ?few sections!
Gameplay-8/10
For the most part, dynamite headdy is a 2D action platformer game in which you will get to take the role of a puppet-like creature by the name of dynamite headdy, as you guide the little dude through more then seven huge levels. Controls work perfectly, The d-pad moves, A lets you jump, And B lets you attack with your head. What makes our hero so super duper special is that he can actually fire his head in several directions to defeat enemies! He can also even stop by this headcase and turn into different heads which give him evil more cool powers like super strength, and the power to glide against grappling hooks. Each of the game's many many vast levels levels are split into several acts, all ending with a boss fight against one of the pagemasters that I just mentioned earlier, these fights are challenging, but oh so fun! Sometimes the game will eventually throw a curveball at you and put you in these shooter levels where you must help dynamite headdy use each of his head powers defeat enemies and obstacles along the way. Tons of goodies and collectables stand in the way of dynamite headdy as well, such as points which can be earned by completing secret tasks throughout the level, liberty heads which grant the player access to a special bonus game where you must shoot basketball hoops, and many more cool extras. Did I even forget to mention that grabbing the remains of a defeated boss will give you an extra continue? Pretty cool eh? Anyways, that Is pretty much It for the gameplay!
Graphics-9/10
Let alone looking at the box art for this game, I had absolutely no idea what to expect, When I first got this game, I thought the game wa about so weird robot like creature with a bird fighting crime or something like that, but all of my expectations were changed after popping the game in my console. Like all other sega games, The game looks absolutely astonishing from start to finish! It is as if you are watching a saturday morning cartoon for crying out loud! But as we were saying, each world and locale in this game after the last is huge, vast,, fun, and just such a blast to explore that you'll just be staying there to look at everything else the place has to offer! You'll be exploring through huge and green grasslands, big dark and spooky castles, and so many other places that you would come to expect from a cartoony platformer of this genre. Now for the actual character models, they are quite fun to look at if you ask me! I really like the way that dynamite headdy looks, I was actually wrong about what I thought he looked like at first! But now I finally know what he is a puppet creature that can extend and throw his head in many kinds of directions, he also has some pretty cool idle animations as well, Like playing with his head or just even staying there doing absolutely nothing at all. His enemies are pretty much typical fare, you face off against robots, cats, and tons of more other stuff that I could drag on about. The HUD is pretty self explanatory, It displays your health meter, and your current amount of points obtained. I will be honest here, the game isn't as dazzling as sonic the hedgehog or aero the acrobat, but you got to hand it to them for trying their best!
Sound-8/10
As with all other sega games of this calibur, the music is groovy 32-bit glory that you cannot get anywhere else besides at sega'a place, I am not trolling you guys at all! The sound in this game is absolutely tremendous from the very uptight start to the anti-climatic ending. The moment you begin the game you get some quiet sounding conference room like music that sounds somewhat tropical yet really catchy at the same time, which is what makes you love the soundtrack for what it is! But let's just get to the actual soundtrack, each level in the game has It's own distinctive theme song to go along with it that makes going through the actually level even more fun then It should be! Never once has the sound EVER got on my nerves, and why would It? Sega never fails to impress you know! The game even uses rock, hip-hop, and tons of other music genres as well! Now let's get to the sound effects, they are pretty much your typical stuff to be honest, We have booms, boings, bams, plucks, splats, and well, It is as basic as you could possibly get for a game like this, I know that this is supposed to be a cartoony platfomer that is out of this world, but at least try with the sound effects sega! None then the less, They are still pretty average. Lastly, the game does use some voice clips! And for what we have, It Is OK, We have Headdy screaming, talking, and well...Yeah. Nothing else besides that, he does say some more stuff then that, But It is just very very VERY brief.
Addictiveness-7/10
This game has always proven to be one of the more better sega games that I have ever played, and here is why I say that! Well first, let's start with the overall feeling of the game shall we? The game feels like every single other sega game That I have played, A big cartoony, colorful, and just overall fun platformer that basically proves that platformers aren't just about jumping and getting to the end of the level. Second, It is the presentation as well! The game opens up in a very awesome fashion that is somewhat actually trying to hook you in the game itself! As I have said with some other games I have reviewed, the main protagonist of the game Is just a blast to control throughout the whole ride through, In this case, Dynamite headdy is such a likable character that I actually put him on Number three of RedHotToddy's top ten favorite video game characters!? I shall post the actual list sometime soon once I get the time. Oh yeah, what was I going to say last? Oh yes! It is also the levels themselves! The levels are very colorful and big, and playing through them is just half the fun! That is what makes the game fun in my opinion.
Depth-6/10
The adventure is pretty darn long and I don't see any reasons to back out besides some of those later levels, but as we were saying, let's get into the actual depth factor of the game! This game is very very very long, I have not played the game in a while, But if I remember correctly, the game is over five to seven worlds long, each with four to eight seperate levels connected as well, So in all, the game will most likely take you about one to two hours to complete in all. The game offers alot of more stuff besides this, hmm...what was I going to say? Oh yeah! The game also features this cool bonus game as well, It is where you must help dynamite headdy shoot these basketballs into the hoop as many times As he can, If successful, he will be rewarded with some cool bonuses and goodies! However, if not successful, then he will get absolutely nothing in return, AWW looks like somebody has got a frowny face right there! Hmm...I'm trying my very best to get over 2000+ words here! What was I going to say next? Oh yes! If I also remember correctly, you can earn these special codes by completing these special tasks, and I actually forgot what the actual code does, so I don't think that I will be coming over THERE anytime sooner, or maybe once, but still. Lastly, It is the game's fun factor as well guys! The game feels ver-Oh wait, I was going to say that The game feels like sega put so much time into the adventure that they made tons of more other stuff to keep you wrapped in the game's spell! And that Is a huge plus, so...I think I've been going on and on AND on about this section, so...Let's jump right ahead shall we ladies and gentleman?
Difficulty-7/10
Wow...um...the game isn't really that challenging to be honest! Well actually what I mean to say is...um, The game does actually offer a pretty fair challenge level to keep you running and running through the game's big and wholesome levels. I still remember having trouble defeating that cat guy at the beginning of the game because my eyes were REAL sensitive, so I had tons of trouble trying to actually dodge his blast waves! Second, It would have to be the layout of the levels, some of the backdrop can be really misleading! Meaning you can accidentally jump into a block that is actually just there to give more of the backgrounds "Flair" if you know what I mean. Lastly, As I have said before, Dynamite headdy himself is a really fun character to control and look at, But If I remember playing this as a wee little lad, I remember that he could never ever really jump that high! Which means that when trying to get past serious gaps that are hindering you, you'll end up falling because of the low jump level of the hero! Problems aside, the game still controls pretty nifty, no other problems besides that only...
Overall-8.3/10
I gave this game an 8.3 because it is fun, innovative, challenging, and just overall an awesome platformer for sega to license and release!
Graphics 9 Sound 8 Addictive 7 Story 7 Depth 6 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 4.3/5
Submitted: 10-28-13
Updated: 10-28-13
Review Replies: 2
8.4
Treasure's Head Turning Hit AweshumeT
Dynamite Headdy Review!
This is my review of Dynamite Headdy, a gem of a platforming game made by Treasure for the Sega Genesis. (I'm aware it's also on other consoles, but this review is exclusively for the Genesis port.) Also note this review is regarding the International release, which does have some differences from the Japan version of the title.
Graphics -=-=> 9
Treasure is no stranger to incredible graphics, having worked on titles like Gunstar Heroes and in the N64 era, Mischief Makers. They also worked on McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure, a game that also sports a lot of vibrant colors and animated graphics.
The color palette is very vibrant and without a doubt takes advantage of as many chances it can get to show off a variety of displays.
Something to note is that some graphics (most notably bosses) were changed between the Japan and international releases, but they do not change gameplay elements.
Most of the game follows a theme of 'theatre' and toys, adding to the 'goofy' and 'non-serious' nature of the game.
Sound -=-=> 9
There are a wide variety of sound effects used, though none of them feel too intrusive. (Save for the TARGET! sound effect when it's spammed, but this only happens in the tutorial stage)
The game's music is quite impressive for the hardware, and none of it gets too grating on the ears or distracts too hard from whatever is going on the screen.
Addictiveness -=-=> 6
Dynamite Headdy doesn't really have HUGE replay value other than trying to get all the secret points in a run or attempting for the highest score.
There IS a super secret boss if you manage to beat all the bonus stages, similar to Sonic games, though it isn't required to get the 'true' ending. You're rewarded with numbers for a password after beating a bonus stage, and after the final main boss you can input them to get the secret level.
Outside of that, the main addictive aspect of this game comes from the over the top visuals and game play, I suppose. What's weird about going for high scores is that you only get to see your total and current score values AFTER beating a stage, and as such you have no idea where you stand before the curtains fall.
This is a fun game to show friends who haven't heard of it or played it, as there isn't too steep of an entrance learning phase, though that will only last for so long.
Story -=-=> 6
You play as Headdy, a puppet with the ability to throw his head like a projectile. The story is pretty basic (There isn't much dialog if any for major cutscenes in the International release), in that you must put a stop to the evil Daemon(?) Puppet(?) King, who is kidnapping toys and denizens of the world to gain control over it. It seems like he's also choosing who gets to live and who gets destroyed, as briefly suggested in one of the opening cutscenes.
Headdy manages to escape the 'dump shuttle' that was prepared to toss him and a handful of similar looking puppets into the incenerator, and the story starts from there.
Your main goal is to get to the final stage, defeat the evil King, and restore peace to the Toyland.
Throughout the acts you will fight minibosses and end bosses, generally thematic to whatever the stage's gimmick or theme is.
Depth -=-=> 9
The game is 100% linear in how it plays out, as you do not have alternate routes to take to the ending or 'extra' worlds outside of the ending secret level.
You play through each Act in a similar fashion, generally going from the left of the map to the right. (There are some stages which are more vertical, so bottom to top).
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Controls
The platforming aspects of this game primarily revolve around the use of Headdy's... well, throwable head! You can throw your head with the B button, and it can be aimed by moving your D-pad right as you press the B button to throw his head.
One thing to note is you cannot throw it directly down below you unless you are airborne. Otherwise you are able to aim Headdy's head in 8 directions, which is used to collect power-ups, perform platforming, and attack enemies.
There is a sort of 'cool down' to his head in that you cannot just spam it endlessly, it has to actually return to his body before you can use it again. There is a few exceptions to this however, such as the 'shoot em up' flying stage, and the 'Pig Head' powerup that turns your normal attack into spammable (but lower damage) homing stars.
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Stage Gimmicks
Treasure is an absolutely amazing and ambitious company, and it tried its hardest to wow everyone in its early years.
Each stage of Dynamite Headdy has its own stage gimmicks and theme, but in a fortunate twist, none of them feel out of place or work against the main platforming aspect of a throwable head.
To some people having tons of gimmicks would feel like they can't decide on what they want to settle on or that they are stretching their ideas thin but in reality Dynamite Headdy's biggest strength is that every stage gets its own identity and ends up being more memorable because of the gimmicks.
I've only played this game twice, but I still remembered the general gist of certain stages and bosses.
After the tutorial in the first stage teaching you the main 'trio' of helpful characters, the game goes absolutely wild with its attempts to get the most use out of basic ideas like points you can grapple to, powerups that affect your platforming abilities, and where you need to focus attention to during boss fights.
There are even a handful of fourth wall breaks where bosses can interact with off-stage elements, such as grabbing a 'powerup' box for you to utilize or swatting away the character who tells you their weakpoint.
Difficulty -=-=> 8
There's one thing that needs to be addressed first and foremost. The International release of Dynamite Headdy is significantly more tough than the Japan version of the game, and if you were to watch footage of or play the Japan version yourself you would pick up on them as early as the first 'boss'.
There are additional hitboxes for things that previously didn't have any in the Japan release, certain bosses are less likely to do things that would make defeating them faster, and so on.
Some bosses have double the health that they normally would have in the Japan release! Most notable is the final boss, and the 'Gatekeeper' robot. These fights feel like they go on longer than they should, even if you do manage to get their patterns down.
One of the more frustrating bosses for the International release is the 'Twin Freaks' boss, which utilizes a gimmick in which the stage must be flipped upside down (and vice versa) to help traverse an auto-scrolling segment while you fight the boss.
In the International release of this game, this boss has less total health than the Japan release. However, this comes with a much more nasty tradeoff - The hitbox for him to take damage from is considerably smaller than the Japan release, making the boss fight way harder than it needs to be. This would be fine if there was more warning or the camera was zoomed out to allow you to see what was coming up next on the map to prepare for when to flip, but that is not the case in either version of the release.
Another big difference in difficulty for the International version of this game is that you do not start with any continues. Just two lives, and that's it. You have to earn continues / lives yourself. This is very apparent when trying to make it to the final handful of stages, because some bosses can feel cheap compared to earlier ones. There is no password
select or saving for your progress, so making it to the final boss is a feat itself.
Unlike Mega Man or other 'old and hard' games of the era, there is no way to change difficulty even on the start screen. Just the controls and that's it.
OVERALL SCORE: 8.4
This game's greatest strengths are the graphics, soundtrack, and the lengths that the developers expand upon and explore the gameplay mechanic of using your head for platforming and attacking. The difficulty on the International release might scare unsuspecting or unaware players away, especially since you do not start with continues on that version.
I'd say this is one of those games that you beat once or twice and then don't think too hard about later. Completing it for '100%' isn't too hard to do on your first run either, as long as you remember to have a pen and paper ready to input your secret password after the final boss.
Graphics 9 Sound 9 Addictive 6 Story 6 Depth 9 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 3/5
Submitted: 08-05-21
Review Replies: 0
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