2009 (ACII, Uncharted 2, GTA: Chinatown Wars, DA: Origins and RE5 are released) WIP
Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3/XB360/PC, 2009/PC, 2010 (GOTY Edition))
Subgenre: 3D Zelda-like/Beat 'em up/Stealth (die pretty quickly from gunfire, silent takedowns, luring)/ARPG (exp point leveling, basic skill/upgrade tree), Rescue Mission segments, Killathon element in some rooms (have to take out all enemies to progress), One escape segment
Perspective: Third Person view w/ FP view option, 2.5D scarecrow segments in side view
Movement Mechanics: Glide jump (default), Zip lining via the line launcher (can be placed anywhere on a straight horizontal line between two walls, can drop down prematurely, can kick enemies, can break some windows), Grapple hook climbing (can be used while on lower ground below a ledge but not while at the same height unless you're in a room with multiple gargoyle statues - sometimes used for some basic platforming puzzles), Dodge roll/vault over enemies
Other: Overworld and "dungeons" structure (outdoors hub area and buildings+caves), Semi-automated jumping (see Ocarina of Time), Detective mode (shows the status of enemies and lets you see them through walls, examine points of interest, see wires from devices and electronic gates connecting to switches and security control boxes, see through certain walls, see outlines of objects; similar to scanning in Outcast and Metroid Prime as well as some visors in the latter), Challenge modes (21 short levels in total - scored and/or timed melee combat and stealth challenges, melee combat ones are generally 3 rounds long, survival mode; decent), Play as Joker in a DLC challenge mode (see mini review), Automatic slow-motion at the end of melee combos, Some aim assist when throwing batarangs without aiming
Playthrough (GOTY Edition, PC) - Review - Mini Review (GOTY Edition)
Ore ga Omae o Mamoru (I Will Protect You)(DS, 2009)
Subgenre: ARPG-ish (stats determine if you hit or not - even charge attacks can miss, crafting, town and NPCs, no exp point leveling)
Movement Mechanics: Double jump, Roll, Eventually quite fast movement speed if upgraded
Other: Separate town connecting to a large dungeon (menu-driven exploration), optional side quests, gear crafting (items/tools, materials, weapons and sub weapons, accessories; use materials found in the dungeon) - this and the found permanent skills replace leveling up, shops, Optional post-game area with stronger monsters, Find crafting materials at certain points (similar to Secret of Evermore however the game makes it obvious where to look with pop-ups when near a material spot; can farm material spots by re-entering the dungeon)
Gameplay - Review - Mini Review
Knight 'n' Grail (C64, 2009)
Subgenre: 2D Metroid-like
Movement Mechanics: Double jump, Hover jump/float, Flight via transformation
Other: Partially flip screen (non-scrolling)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Shadow Complex (XBLA 2009/Multi, 2015 (Remastered))
Subgenre: ARPG/Metroid-like hybrid (when leveling up you gain stats (stamina, accuracy, HP) and at certain intervals other abilities/perks: see whole map (lvl 20), infinite ammo for certain weapons (40/50/60); automatic gains) - can also find HP/Ammo capacity/Armor upgrades, interconnected world, exploration focus, ability gating, breakable walls), Minor stealth element (silent melee takedowns from behind - can also do jump kicks or knock enemies over and then KO them (what happens depends on your position relative to the enemy when pressing the button), security cameras although these can pretty easily be destroyed - SS2, some waiting for patrolling guards in a couple of rooms), Mixes in some TP view turret segments (easy)
Movement Mechanics: Wall and ceiling running+water surface running via the friction dampeners (Super Metroid (could walk on walls in Strider NES but it was much more limited), Sonic 3), jumping hinders momentum a bit but not short falls), hookshot (optional; can also pull shields off of heavy gunner enemies and be used underwater, can be fired again while latched onto something - Zelda: TP?, can't swing while latching onto something though), Triple jump via thrust pack+thrust boots, Ground slam/stomp - kills or knocks enemies out and can break some weak floors (Horace and the Spiders, Bonk, Yoshi's Island), Limitless underwater swimming via the rebreather, You basically start with a wall jump+temporary wall grab with partial sliding down (similar to Meat Boy) as well as automatic ledge grabbing (gained soon after the prologue)
Other: 360 degree mouse aiming w/ strafing/aim lock (KB&M controls option), Escape sequence, 2.5D element (can shoot into the background like in Dick Tracy for MD as well as towards the camera), Optional collectathon element (12 keycards for the fusion helmet - projectile shield when moving slowly or still, 12 gold bars for the gold versions of each main weapon), Some voiced communication via radio (non-interactive, basically tells you where to go/what to do next)
Video Review (Remastered) - Mini Review
Cave Story (PC 2004, WiiWare 2009) - Remake
LostWinds 2: Winter of the Melodias (WiiWare, 2009)?
Puzzle focused?
P&C controls
Wind gimmick
Chibi-Robo: Clean Sweep/Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Richie Oosouji (NDS, 2009)? - fan transl
Open World-lite?, Casino mini-game, Money raising and apartment furnishing theme
Touch/stylus controls focus
More advanced side quests
Upgradeable cable length - after upgrading it you can toss it at outlets and use it like a hookshot
Can unlock controlling telly - lets you control him while carrying the cable plug (kinda like Knuckles Chaotix but without the bungee physics)
No fall damage here
Some vehicles (car, )
Picked up and stored trash is converted into energy for charging Chibi
Video Review
Aztaka (PC, 2009) - ARPG (manual stat distribution on level up), Hub map
Not much platforming
P&C controls
Some traversal spells (grow out tree branches - similar to Below the Root but more limited, wall jump and double jump but they're underused, can bounce on enemies with a downstab move)
Basic musical element to spellcasting (similar to Aquaria)
Humming bird familiar
Off screen enemy respawning
I Dig It Expeditions (iPhone/iPod, 2009)
Vehicle-based (can drill and fly - thrust-based flight)
Shops
To add:
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (Mobile 2009)?
Penguin no Mondai: Tenkuu no 7 Senshi (DS, 2009)?
The Deep (iPhone/iPod, 2009)
Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii, 2009) - key gating only?
The Maw (PC/XBLA, 2009)? - 3D AA/Puzzle, Level-based?, Similar to A Boy and his Blob and Kirby
In 60 Seconds (PC, 2009)?
Saira (PC, 2009)?
Craz'd (PC, 2009)? - Collectathon?
Cat Planet (PC, 2009)
Jable's Adventure (PC, 2009)
William & Sly (Newgrounds.com 2009) - Collectathon
Level Up! (Newgrounds.com 2009)
Inferus (PC/XBLA 2009)?
Outliers:
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS, 2009)?
A Boy and His Blob (Wii, 2009/Multi, 2016)? - Puzzle, Hub area & levels, Gain new transformations for the blob familiar/mascot, kinda tedious
Legend of Princess (PC, 2009) - Demo only (one dungeon), Zelda clone fan game by the Iconoclasts developer
Trine (PC, 2009)? - Puzzle/ARPG?, 2-player coop
Koumajou Densetsu Scarlet Symphony (PC, 2009)? - Touhou/CV fan game, Level-based w/o backtracking to previous ones?
Some bullet hell-style bosses (can fly without penalty as a default ability)
GuitarFreaks & DrumMania V6 (Arcade 2009)?
Subgenre: 3D Zelda-like/Beat 'em up/Stealth (die pretty quickly from gunfire, silent takedowns, luring)/ARPG (exp point leveling, basic skill/upgrade tree), Rescue Mission segments, Killathon element in some rooms (have to take out all enemies to progress), One escape segment
Perspective: Third Person view w/ FP view option, 2.5D scarecrow segments in side view
Movement Mechanics: Glide jump (default), Zip lining via the line launcher (can be placed anywhere on a straight horizontal line between two walls, can drop down prematurely, can kick enemies, can break some windows), Grapple hook climbing (can be used while on lower ground below a ledge but not while at the same height unless you're in a room with multiple gargoyle statues - sometimes used for some basic platforming puzzles), Dodge roll/vault over enemies
Other: Overworld and "dungeons" structure (outdoors hub area and buildings+caves), Semi-automated jumping (see Ocarina of Time), Detective mode (shows the status of enemies and lets you see them through walls, examine points of interest, see wires from devices and electronic gates connecting to switches and security control boxes, see through certain walls, see outlines of objects; similar to scanning in Outcast and Metroid Prime as well as some visors in the latter), Challenge modes (21 short levels in total - scored and/or timed melee combat and stealth challenges, melee combat ones are generally 3 rounds long, survival mode; decent), Play as Joker in a DLC challenge mode (see mini review), Automatic slow-motion at the end of melee combos, Some aim assist when throwing batarangs without aiming
- Pretty much linear structure (get access to a hub area outside of the asylum after the first sub area but can only do the following areas in a set order, can rescue the three doctors in the medical facility in any order and do the two pump rooms near the caves later on in either order, many optional riddler quests (find and scan or pick up objects based on clues for bonus exp and comments by the riddler) and lore items (spirit of arkham short story bits - also gives some exp), )
- Auto-save w/ frequent checkpoints (can reload from the last one at any point, single save slot only, unlimited lives)
- 2D map system (auto-mapper - each room/sub area's layout is revealed as you enter it, shows doors and layouts but doesn't mark locked doors/electronic barriers/switches/riddler trophies/ventilation cover grates/breakable walls, can find a secret map in each area but it only reveals the riddler trophy locations), No mini-map and you can't move while checking the map, Can't place markers on the map
- Partial HP regen after each fight (depends on your performance and how many enemies were taken out?)
- Skippable dialogue on a per sentence basis (usually - sometimes doesn't work in-game and during FMV cutscenes you can only skip the whole scene), Skippable FMV cutscenes
- Basic puzzle solving elements (using the explosive gel on enemies (blow up certain weak floors with good timing to make enemies fall into pits or to knock them out, can spray it on a knocked down enemy and trigger it when other enemies come to check what happened), line launcher to reach certain riddler items (outside the bat cave and in penitentiary for example). Dr Young hostage situation, some spatial reasoning puzzles including some rooms where you can't use the grapple hook to climb, some timed rescue mission segments, very basic hacking of security gate control boxes after you get the Cryptographic Sequencer)
- Basic skill tree (gain exp from taking out enemies/progressing the story/doing the riddler quests and finding other items, some moves/upgrades are locked at first - need to gain certain moves and sometimes progress to a certain point in the game to unlock these (see notes))
- Some cool tools/gadgets (batclaw - pull enemies towards you and make them stumble or fall off ledges+open unreachable grates and some crates, ultra batclaw allows you to pull down walls with weak spots and three enemies at a time, remote control batarang, sonic batarang - get the attention of the closest enemy (if upgraded it also stuns the enemy though this can only be used once per area)) and moves (ledge takedown - hop up and knock an enemy's head into a railing while shimmying, throw batarangs around corners (but not the shock one for some reason), cling to walls while sneaking)
- Unlock character bios as you meet them or find riddler trophies, Unlockable backstory and lore via the villain interview recordings
- Difficulty options (easy-hard)
- External control config besides camera inversion, Subtitles toggle
- Various new enemies encountered when returning to previously visited areas, One large scale environmental change
- Upgradeable life bar
- The game is forgiving about falling into pits and gas hazards - can just hit R1/RB to get back up
- Fast travel of sorts via the line launcher gadget
- Very few shortcuts
- Good sense of vulnerability during the scarecrow segments (similar to Silent Hill 2 and sometimes MGS)
- Joker often comments on what happens via the loudspeakers around the asylum ("public announcements" while in the outdoors hub area which might be a Jonestown reference, there's also a brief encounter with Killer Croc (on the other side of a locked door with a window) before facing him; makes the world seem more alive and Joker more active as a villain), Enemies talk amongst themselves if you stay back and observe them (there's also some optional lore via radio transmissions)
- Many hidden items (riddler trophies, interview tapes, spirit of arkham messages)
- Some semi-interactive in-game cutscenes (similar to Half-Life)
- No skill tree respec (not really needed unless perhaps if you consistently pick the non-melee combat upgrades and avoid the lifebar upgrades as well)
- Sometimes can't hop over a smaller obstacle for seemingly no reason and it's fairly easy to get stuck on obstacles when moving around
- A few invisible walls
- One sequence break (more?)
Playthrough (GOTY Edition, PC) - Review - Mini Review (GOTY Edition)
Ore ga Omae o Mamoru (I Will Protect You)(DS, 2009)
Subgenre: ARPG-ish (stats determine if you hit or not - even charge attacks can miss, crafting, town and NPCs, no exp point leveling)
Movement Mechanics: Double jump, Roll, Eventually quite fast movement speed if upgraded
Other: Separate town connecting to a large dungeon (menu-driven exploration), optional side quests, gear crafting (items/tools, materials, weapons and sub weapons, accessories; use materials found in the dungeon) - this and the found permanent skills replace leveling up, shops, Optional post-game area with stronger monsters, Find crafting materials at certain points (similar to Secret of Evermore however the game makes it obvious where to look with pop-ups when near a material spot; can farm material spots by re-entering the dungeon)
- Mostly linear structure (linear boss and area progression, 5 different optional side quests are available from the get go and about 4 more are added as you get closer to finishing the current list (75 in total) however the selection also seems tied to boss progression (if you don't progress the main game then eventually you only get to pick between 1-2 at a time), can't talk to NPC monsters before unlocking their quest in the guild, no story choices to make, can cancel a quest and keep going but it just appears back in the selection menu with no effect on the game world - you do lose the money paid to start the quest however)
- Somewhat infrequent save points in the dungeon at 3 per area (one save slot per game, shows various stats) and the first one is placed too close to the entrance. Save points also heal you, Enemies generally don't drop health items, Auto-heal from going back to town
- Warp between found save points (but not back to town for some reason - weird since the first one is almost right next to the entrance), Teleport back to village item (can be bought, fairly expensive in the early game), Can't teleport back to where you were in the dungeon (Diablo 1 - 1996)
- Decent map system (shows the layout, which room you're in, which rooms you've explored and room connections; always shown on the lower screen) - can also place markers on the map with the stylus (default symbols for save, key, boss and question+4 more colored ones you can use for whatever). Can't write notes however, The whole room is shown as explored on the map when entering a new room, The map doesn't distinguish between a one-way vertical path between rooms (such as a pit) and a staircase
- Some strategy in which skills to equip (limited slots - starts at 5 but can be upgraded to around 20)
- Find additional lore via journal pages in chests
- Quick item slots (assign 1-4 inventory items to either face button then press L+that button to use them without going into the menu)
- Quest log (can only have one quest active at a time though)
- Some neutral/friendly monsters in the dungeon which can be talked to if their quest is active
- Some decent puzzles (spatial awareness puzzles, door switches you can hit from afar)
- Some shortcuts (locked doors opened from the other side)
- Very minor sequence breaking possibilities (the small hop when using a sub weapon in mid-air can be used to reach certain chests before you're supposed to)
- Shows enemy health bars by default
- Up to 5-hit sword combos
- Can get a quick additional strike in if you attack again right after landing though your timing needs to be pretty precise (if you do it too late the attack is canceled instead) - CV: SotN?
- Weapons are much less common than in the Igavanias and you generally buy or craft rather than find them
- Spike floors don't do much damage (nor do pits though there's only about 2-3 of these)
- Partial control config only
- Revival items that trigger upon death (ys 1 or zelda 3?, weak)
- Whether or not you can perform a combo with a sword depends on the sword rather than your skills (besides one accessory which adds one strike)
- Health ring lets you regenerate HP while moving around however it's too slow to be of much use - there's also a skill for this but it's also rather slow (and only works if you're not jumping)
- Pretty easy to stock up on the level 2-3 healing items - lets you tank most enemies and bosses if you take the time
- Random element to materials gathering (can find about 3 different ones in the same spot) - you won't find more of materials that you're low on at the moment or that you need for the active quest
- No invincibility time during the dodge roll until you upgrade it after the first boss
- Enemies often aren't stunned by your attack when you hit them and it's stat-based (not even from a charged attack)+they don't become non-solid after a successful hit so it's easy to get hit yourself from attacking (contact damage) - upgraded lunge attacks seem to have a higher stun rate
- Have to find the skill to deal critical hits in the second area (about halfway into the game)
- You can't jump during an attack+the jump press doesn't register until after the animation is completely finished
- Heavy slowdown whenever there are 2+ medium-sized enemies near each other in a room (with a few exceptions) or when there's a large one like the ogres on screen
- Grinding: Various quests expect you to by killing x of an enemy or harvesting x of a material, Enemies sometimes don't drop anything even if they're tough to beat, Much grinding involved in most weapon crafting, Can only harvest material spots across the whole dungeon according to your skill level with that spot type per visit (meaning if you search the first grass spot the maximum amount of times then you can't search any other spot)
- Some fast attacks from off screen
- Can't roll cancel out of a running/lunge attack (considering the slow walk speed you want to always be running pretty much) and you can only do it at the beginning of a sword swing - do it too late and it doesn't register
- Can't turn around nor steer your jump while attacking in mid-air+mid-air control in itself is so-so
- Fairly long delay after attacks even with small swords (especially after doing a lunge attack) - this along with the previous point means it's often better to jump attack to skip the delay after swinging, Even longer delay between attacks if you crouch, Also some delay after rolling before you can attack/move/roll again
- Harder to hit with the second and fourth swing in a combo
- Can only grab one material item at once so you have to stand and use the search command over and over at material spots - the animation is also a bit slow compared to Secret of Evermore
Gameplay - Review - Mini Review
Knight 'n' Grail (C64, 2009)
Subgenre: 2D Metroid-like
Movement Mechanics: Double jump, Hover jump/float, Flight via transformation
Other: Partially flip screen (non-scrolling)
- Mostly linear structure (can only open doors in a specific order in the first area, opens up a bit after getting the double jump in the second area at which points you can get some upgrades in any order but areas are entered and finished in a set order besides the dungeon area, some backtracking to previous sub areas for upgrades, some areas are pretty much linear)
- Single entry point to 4/7 areas
- Decent map system (auto-mapper which shows the basic room layout and room exits, your location and some in-room walls, shows transitional rooms between areas (loading screens), also shows time taken). Near the end the paths you haven't yet explored are also revealed (optional)
- One save point per area which also refills health (none in the first and last though)
- Infinite lives
- Get hints and some lore through short rhymes written on stone tablets placed around the game world
- Elemental gear (water armor gives protection from blue drops and projectiles for example - generally you equip the corresponding color of armor to defend against a certain enemy/hazard/projectile), enemies have immunities and affinities (?) to some weapon elements)
- A few shortcuts
- One two-way teleporter for quick travel (not quite enough but it helps)
- Alternate bad ending if you didn't get the gold armor from the dungeon area
- Enemies respawn when exiting the room they're in (or sometimes the screen in spots where the game goes flip screen)
- No HP refill after beating a boss
- Coins are only used to be able to wield the gold sword (your supply slowly drains)
- Door switches/crystal balls open specific doors when destroyed but you're not shown which door and they can be pretty far away
- No checkpoints - lose all coins after dying and even after reaching a new area you get teleported to the beginning of the game
- Very slow horizontal movement
- the map doesn't show locked doors+save points+upgrades+the teleporter and you can't place markers on it
- Up to jump
- No health drops from enemies and item containers containing HP don't respawn - leads to backtracking to save points
- Point of no return if you enter the holy grail screen to the right of the final boss - alternate bad ending if you didn't get the golden armor from the dungeon
- Various rooms are just long corridors with easy enemies in them and the last area is one long corridor with easy enemies and hazards
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Shadow Complex (XBLA 2009/Multi, 2015 (Remastered))
Subgenre: ARPG/Metroid-like hybrid (when leveling up you gain stats (stamina, accuracy, HP) and at certain intervals other abilities/perks: see whole map (lvl 20), infinite ammo for certain weapons (40/50/60); automatic gains) - can also find HP/Ammo capacity/Armor upgrades, interconnected world, exploration focus, ability gating, breakable walls), Minor stealth element (silent melee takedowns from behind - can also do jump kicks or knock enemies over and then KO them (what happens depends on your position relative to the enemy when pressing the button), security cameras although these can pretty easily be destroyed - SS2, some waiting for patrolling guards in a couple of rooms), Mixes in some TP view turret segments (easy)
Movement Mechanics: Wall and ceiling running+water surface running via the friction dampeners (Super Metroid (could walk on walls in Strider NES but it was much more limited), Sonic 3), jumping hinders momentum a bit but not short falls), hookshot (optional; can also pull shields off of heavy gunner enemies and be used underwater, can be fired again while latched onto something - Zelda: TP?, can't swing while latching onto something though), Triple jump via thrust pack+thrust boots, Ground slam/stomp - kills or knocks enemies out and can break some weak floors (Horace and the Spiders, Bonk, Yoshi's Island), Limitless underwater swimming via the rebreather, You basically start with a wall jump+temporary wall grab with partial sliding down (similar to Meat Boy) as well as automatic ledge grabbing (gained soon after the prologue)
Other: 360 degree mouse aiming w/ strafing/aim lock (KB&M controls option), Escape sequence, 2.5D element (can shoot into the background like in Dick Tracy for MD as well as towards the camera), Optional collectathon element (12 keycards for the fusion helmet - projectile shield when moving slowly or still, 12 gold bars for the gold versions of each main weapon), Some voiced communication via radio (non-interactive, basically tells you where to go/what to do next)
- Partially non-linear structure (very linear between certain upgrades such as between the jetpack and rebreather however where the game locks doors behind you and most detours lead to temporary dead ends to funnel you towards the latter, linear upgrade progression between the jetpack and all the way to the missiles (jetpack, rebreather, foam gun, omega armor), can't go back to the surface after getting the rebreather until you go further south for the foam gun etc.; finally opens up after getting the missiles and lets you go after either of three different suit upgrades or go for the final boss (which is cool and kinda similar to Chrono Trigger) - about 2/3 into the game), Some backtracking w/ gained abilities to progress
- Some interesting gained abilities gained (create temporary platforms with the foam gun by shooting repeatedly at a point from the same angle to build a tower or bridge (also freezes enemies in place though you can't stand on most of them? - can grab onto certain wall crawler enemies, freezes some platforms and elevators in place, shuts off some traps, can be used to stick a grenade to a surface such as a breakable ceiling door)), wall and ceiling running+water surface running via the friction dampeners (Super Metroid, jumping hinders momentum a bit but not short falls), hookshot (optional; can also pull shields off of heavy gunner enemies and be used underwater, can't swing while latching onto something though), triple jump via thrust pack+thrust boots)
- Start w/ a flashlight that lets you notice breakable objects when aiming at them by color coding them in green (similar to the x-ray in SM but faster and more flexible, also similar to Batman: Arkham Asylum)
- SM-style map system with some additions (marks points of interests with a question mark and collected items with a dot, map stations, zoomable and browsable with the mouse - can't change the zooming to something other than the mouse wheel though), You can toggle both the objective marker and blue route line (Dead Space) to it that the game adds after each finished sub objective on the map screen meaning they're optional
- Decent environmental storytelling at times (cameras during early gameplay - nod to Super Metroid, some good foreshadowing of future areas)
- Some decent puzzles (water raising to reach some items and to beat a boss (here you trick it into drowning itself), some spatial awareness puzzles (some elevators), some speed booster rooms - SM, minor puzzle/tactical element to most bosses)
- Detailed and optional tutorial
- Auto-saving only (when entering a room marked with a star on the map - these tend to also contain health and ammo, one slot per game, no collecting or exploration progress is auto-saved if you die). There are also some checkpoints before tougher segments
- Can slide down ladders and after getting the jetpack, boost up them as well
- Fully configurable controls besides the map zoom
- Various shortcuts early on (some mid-late game though there could've been a couple more)
- One major environmental change in one area becoming almost completely flooded
- Some sequence breaking possibilities (can swim into the factory area after the first boss and in that area you can make enemies that shoot foam open purple scanner doors (systemic element), unintended double jump lets you reach some platforms earlier+reach the foam gun very early (although it won't work properly as without the actual gun you'll shoot into the background instead but it's still useful in some ways), with infinite foam (lvl 30/new game+) you have more flexibility in what you can reach early on, more with glitches)
- Exploding enemies also hurt other enemies
- Unlockable new game+ (keep your level and stats, get access to upgraded main weapons (gold weapons) near the interrogation room if you get all 12 during your playthrough)
- Difficulty options (easy-very hard)
- Challenge mode (proving grounds)
- One alternate bad/funny ending
- Shows your item collection stats in the menu
- Can't ever move on the z-plane, only shoot (sometimes feels like the game is teasing you with background paths and doors)
- Enemy respawning after reloading a save (can make certain rooms harder as you'll come into them from a less optimal direction)
- Some instant death traps and some that are close in that they drain your health super fast
- Some control/interface issues (various issues with the camera not following your avatar properly or zooming in leading to shots from off screen - you might think you're alone in a room but then you set off an attack with a grenade or shot), can't look around with the mouse - some leaps of faith, map doesn't mark green and red obstacles besides the regular horizontal doors - also doesn't mark one-way switch operated doors, can't place map markers, no subtitles, overly "springy" (fast start when starting to jump) and kinda vertical-focused jumping (see Contra for the latter), need some forward momentum or a wall jump won't work which sometimes breaks flow, etc.)
- Some trial & error (if you go too far east during the final boss you automatically die instead of receiving a warning, arbitrary wall that can't be opened if you come at the triple jump thruster from the left - frustrating if you got there without the hookshot, the escape sequence after the explosion - at first made it seem like it wasn't doable, some cheap enemy placements - sometimes overly zoomed in camera, etc.)
- Some tedious aspects (some unlocked/broken doors don't stay unlocked, can't use missiles to destroy green (grenade-able) obstacles, some annoying one-way obstacles like green boulders placed so you can only hit them from one side for seemingly no reason, etc.)
- Some overly easy bosses (on normal anyway)
- Some unnecessary one-way paths and indestructible crates and sandbags that stop you from running
- Too many later items are locked behind basic weapon doors rather than making you use your equipment or abilities in a skillful or creative way
- Various bugs (see the mini review)
Video Review (Remastered) - Mini Review
Cave Story (PC 2004, WiiWare 2009) - Remake
LostWinds 2: Winter of the Melodias (WiiWare, 2009)?
Puzzle focused?
P&C controls
Wind gimmick
Chibi-Robo: Clean Sweep/Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Richie Oosouji (NDS, 2009)? - fan transl
Open World-lite?, Casino mini-game, Money raising and apartment furnishing theme
Touch/stylus controls focus
More advanced side quests
Upgradeable cable length - after upgrading it you can toss it at outlets and use it like a hookshot
Can unlock controlling telly - lets you control him while carrying the cable plug (kinda like Knuckles Chaotix but without the bungee physics)
No fall damage here
Some vehicles (car, )
Picked up and stored trash is converted into energy for charging Chibi
Video Review
Aztaka (PC, 2009) - ARPG (manual stat distribution on level up), Hub map
Not much platforming
P&C controls
Some traversal spells (grow out tree branches - similar to Below the Root but more limited, wall jump and double jump but they're underused, can bounce on enemies with a downstab move)
Basic musical element to spellcasting (similar to Aquaria)
Humming bird familiar
Off screen enemy respawning
I Dig It Expeditions (iPhone/iPod, 2009)
Vehicle-based (can drill and fly - thrust-based flight)
Shops
To add:
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (Mobile 2009)?
Penguin no Mondai: Tenkuu no 7 Senshi (DS, 2009)?
The Deep (iPhone/iPod, 2009)
Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii, 2009) - key gating only?
The Maw (PC/XBLA, 2009)? - 3D AA/Puzzle, Level-based?, Similar to A Boy and his Blob and Kirby
In 60 Seconds (PC, 2009)?
Saira (PC, 2009)?
Craz'd (PC, 2009)? - Collectathon?
Cat Planet (PC, 2009)
Jable's Adventure (PC, 2009)
William & Sly (Newgrounds.com 2009) - Collectathon
Level Up! (Newgrounds.com 2009)
Inferus (PC/XBLA 2009)?
Outliers:
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS, 2009)?
A Boy and His Blob (Wii, 2009/Multi, 2016)? - Puzzle, Hub area & levels, Gain new transformations for the blob familiar/mascot, kinda tedious
Legend of Princess (PC, 2009) - Demo only (one dungeon), Zelda clone fan game by the Iconoclasts developer
Trine (PC, 2009)? - Puzzle/ARPG?, 2-player coop
Koumajou Densetsu Scarlet Symphony (PC, 2009)? - Touhou/CV fan game, Level-based w/o backtracking to previous ones?
Some bullet hell-style bosses (can fly without penalty as a default ability)
GuitarFreaks & DrumMania V6 (Arcade 2009)?