I like that you always manage to find old games I've never heard of. It's insane how much this game captures the vibe of early 2000's I love it, great video!
Great video! Loving the content. You got a great eye and appreciation for aesthetics that I don’t see with other channels. The Bouncer was my first game I got with my brand new PS2. That minimalist solid blue PS2 box and signature Nomura style of the Bouncer was magical as a kid.
This game actually had a really fun combat system. It just had a learning curve. The buttons used the pressure sensitive system that was barely used on the ps2. As for them moving slow it just meant you couldn’t spam your moves. It actually made you plan your attacks.
@@VynsentWhoa, did you just made a whole video on this game, and you didn't know how to play it? Goddammit, I miss the times when game reviews were taken seriously 😢😢😢
I played this game a lot as kid when PS2 released. I played it like crazy hitting Those 1 and half hour marks. The short length really made extra play throughs a lot of fun. Plus the constant addition of techniques made helped switch it up. It’s definitely no masterpiece, but it’s charming and funny as hell. Plus Steve Blum voiced Kou. Need I say more?
The Bouncer is my favorite PS2 game. More than that, it’s my all-time favorite video game. It really means a lot to me that you didn’t unfairly trash on the game like so many other reviewers and critics did, and found the genuine good that lies within the unorthodox gameplay design. In my opinion, The Bouncer’s combat is very well-designed. The lack of a lock-on feature and the ability to dodge roll are dumbfounding, but the feel of the combat is still really good and makes great use of patience and capitalization. The combat is slow, but you can still pull off some satisfying combos and use the ragdoll physics to knock down crowds of enemies in so many creative ways. You can toss enemies into each other, use a wide-ranged attack to strike multiple enemies that are surrounding you, bait an enemy in front of you into attacking and then punish them which can knock down the rest, etc. Every battle encourages you to think of a strategy depending on how many enemies are present, what kinds of enemies they are and the layout of the arena. For example, since the robot enemies can’t be thrown or ragdolled, it’s best to play patiently and overwhelm them with a flurry of fast attacks once you see an opening (conversely, you can also spam one particularly powerful attack on them if said attack is fast enough since the robots cannot guard). There is no lock-on feature, but if you hold down the L1 button while in your battle stance, you can maintain the direction your character is facing which makes movement and guarding easier. Some characters can perform combo strings, too. Such examples include: Sion - lightly tap the Triangle button twice to perform two jabs, and then perform his Shoryuken uppercut (L1 + Circle + Triangle). You can then follow up with a low kick (X button) or a front-flip (lightly tap Circle button). Echidna - L1 + Triangle to perform a front-flip attack, and then lightly tap the Triangle button four times to perform her standard high attack combo. Leann - lightly tap the Square button twice to perform a rising double kick, and when the enemy hits the floor, lightly tap the Circle button to add on the damage with a somersault stomp. Wong - Press the Square button to perform an elbow strike, then press the Circle button to kick the enemy into the air. Once they land, lightly tap the Circle button to stomp them. Every character is capable of performing unique combos. The combat may be simple, but it is effective and tons of fun to master and occasionally exploit. As for the story, I love it. The characters are beautifully developed and realized, and the world building leaves just the right amount of questions which allow for theorizing and brainstorming. Sion is my favorite video game protagonist. The music alone is enough to get you invested in the game’s world, and the voice acting is fantastic for it being the early 2000s, a time when anime was just beginning to take off. The Bouncer is a treasure and I’m really glad to see that you appreciate it for its quirks, rather than dismiss it for the same reason like so many others do. It’s a true hidden gem and one of Square Enix’s sleeper hits.
Every time I think of a video game or a moment in gaming that deserves more coverage, you make a video about it. And it's always well done. Salute man.
Why is it called The Bouncer when the characters don't really do any bouncer work? Volt even lets in someone underage. Like, his 1 job is to prevent that! Maybe that's what the villains motivation should have been. Make them ATF agents or something, here shut down this bar that just lets minors into their establishment.
Really wish I’d gotten a chance to play its multiplayer modes with friends! But timesplitters used to be AMAZING back in the day. Spent many nights playing on custom maps with friends back in the day!
Completely agree with your adoration for the title screen. This game is such a vibe. I think it would benefit from a remaster with overhauled combat and a proper pacing/structure while keeping all of its charming absurdity.
5:55 The game uses the DualShock 2’s pressure sensitivity function for the combat- which can be adjusted in the game’s option menu. Basically, how light or how hard you press an attack button determines the attack a character performs.
I had this growing up. Loved it as a kid. Thought it was really cool. Didn't know what a bouncer was. Haven't played it in years but now think of it as being flawed but fondly remembered. I remember a mechanic where occasionally you could pull off special combo moves with your NPC teammates. A problem with the levelling mechanic is that enemies level up whenever you do, so it's not even necessarily worth it, but some of the early moves you can learn definitely make a big difference. I also remember some of the moments when they switched away from fighting gameplay. Mostly when Kou put on one of the enemies' suits and sneaked through the building while having to press the right buttons to do the special secret greeting to other guards.
Thank you for reminding about that sneaking mission with kou! That actually was a super cool concept they put to use and I totally dropped the ball on discussing it 😅 But I actually found a physical copy yesterday, I plan on diving into it many more times to come 😁 Thank you for watching!
man the very first ps2 game i ever rented when i was kid thank you for putting me back in the basement of my childhood home even if it was just for a little while...
No one will ever understand my affinity for this game, must have been just a perfect time when I discovered it but it holds a special place for me. One of my all time favourite games Fun fact: Dog street as a clothing brand is referenced in KH, I forgot which entry in the series tho
Awesome video and sort of a forgotten gem. Like The Bouncer, Capcom's Chaos Legion was another gem that sort of went forgotten after the PS2 era. It was a great hack and slash but just couldn't compete against their own Devil May Cry franchise.
This is one of the best game i had from squaresoft back in the day as i still own the Disc in s good condition. We used to play 4 players mode using the 4 gateway for controller. Much fun if you unlocked all characters you can experience mugetsu in his crazy form 😂
Yo HeavynSent,love your videos man! The one on sega and namco are golden. I purchased the bouncer when it launched on ps2. Back when we are all curious of what squaresoft (in its golden years) would do with the power of the new ps 2 hardware. In thqt sense; it was an amazing tech demo which showed us the power graphics the ps2 could produced. This made it a worthy purchase back then for me. The difficulty was low and the story mode short…..it was the graphics and music that stood out. And it might have been a test project before final fantasy 10. As most of the same team worked on that “ bigger” project that was ff10. Please go on making awesome videos. Uve got me subbed.
That’s awesome man! I always love to hear others memories on these games, so nostalgic 😁 Very glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for the sun as well. Blessed to have you on the team my man! 🌹
Yet another interesting game I've never heard of. Ngl I stopped fairly early into the video, found a walkthrough of The Bouncer on yt, watched it and came back to finish this video. So I guess I can confirm, cutscenes are appealing. I wanna say it's shame it's shame the game is so short, but I kinda needed that between watching all of the JRPGs. Back in the day when I had time to play games (and didn't have RSI) I used to get excited to get to every cutscene, it was like a reward for me, so no wonder I enjoy watching cutscenes from games like this. Also it seems I can't resist anything Tetsuya Nomura works on. No matter how frustrating it can get, seems I am pulled towards anything he has worked on.
It definitely has some serious charm in the animations, probably my favorite part of the game! I also felt like it would make a great Anime series. If only they could have done more!
Man, the video production keeps getting more admirable. Fantastic work! Anyhow, I have such specific memories of going on some trip with my parents to Michigan when I was 15, and I was trying to choose between Yakuza or the Bouncer in a dingy low lit store where the cashier thought I was fake as hell for being a girl in a game store lol. I chose yakuza lolol. Until like 2019 when I found the Bouncer and have... yet to play it
Man, I just found ur channel! Love the idea and the videos concept (a little bit gaming, a little bit nostalgia, and a little bit artsy cinematography and screenwriting of does games) Keep up bruh!
I bought the game fairly recently, still haven’t played it though. I mostly bought it as a curiosity since it reminds me so much of the PS2 launch. One day, I will play it!!
@Vynsent That game is underrated it's possible to get banned from playing some of the Music that has religious chanting in it,if there's a setting to turn off the Music you should be fine and then just edit in the Music that isn't offensive into your video.
I remember when this game first came out and man I loved it, coming from PS1 graphics to this was a big leap! At the time the controls didn’t bother me but I do own it today and see the flaws so I feel like it’s just one of them games you had to be there to fully love it
Exactly! I can fully relate to that. I had rented the bouncer around the time I had gotten my first PS2 and it was crazy how great the visuals were for its time! Definitely had to be there to fully appreciate it 😅
I remember at the time seeing it in magazines and tv ads and being like cool the final fantasy company is making a streets of rage type game. Never got the game back in the day but played it on emu a few years ago and yeah it wasn't great.
The Bouncer is bizarre. So it's the very beginning of the PS2 lifecycle, and it was weird. Like, really, really weird. Half the games weren't even using DVD's yet, instead came on these weird blue-tinted CD's. From Software had a bunch of games for some-reason ready to go, but really you were going to play the new Armored Core they had released. One of the most popular games in the line-up was FantaVision, and that was primarily a tech demo to showcase fireworks. The big first person shooter was the first Time-Splitters, and it had all these features but like, no real attempt at a campaign that was coherent in any traditional sense. (Was fun in co-op though) but you're go-to games were going to be primarily SSX and Tekken Tag for those first few months. Someone thought _Summoner_ was a good game for the launch of a system. Is it a bad game? Hell no. But you know. It's _Summoner._ The PS2 didn't have like, a traditional library of single-player games yet, which is wild because the system would eventually become almost synonymous with high-budget single-player games. A lot of modern game design can be found in this era on this system. So Dark Cloud finally comes out a month later, but everyone really is waiting for Square's first big drop and that's this game. It was shown all-over-the-place at E3's, but never in playable form. We all know it's going to be this huge technical feast. The game has cut-scene work way ahead of it's time. It has to be the very first game to animate mouths on characters for both Japanese and English dubs, something not even Final Fantasy X would do. Seriously, go back and check that out. It's wild where the resources went for this project. But it played terribly. All of the footage that was shown at the E3 events turned out to be concept videos only. The advertising of this game originally billed it as an action RPG didn't help either. And when the game was finally released, the advertising pivoted into it being a big... Interactive movie. To showcase how incoherent everything was: I remember friends in middle school lamenting the lack of towns... In The Bouncer. Which at the time, I would not have blamed them given _how_ Square was hyping this game. And then everyone forgot it. Whats wild about this era of PS2 is how quickly it evaporated. The next year both Metal Gear Solid 2 and Final Fantasy X would drop and everything changed. People even forgot that PS2 games came on CD's as well as DVD's that's how fast things changed. They forgot a format that games came on for the system, so of course they forgot about Square fumbling the fundamentals of a big budget release.
You can tell they were getting real experimental with the drop of the PS2, I always have such a fun time digging through all of the strange titles from that time. It’s so intriguing!
@@Vynsent You get moments like that when there's fundamental new things with tech. It also was a case of Sony being Sony, and not having a severe mandate on what type of game should be released. Experimental Tetris firework game? Sure, put that in all the ads. Contrast this to something like the original Xbox's launch a few years later and it's like: We need our shooter, our platformer, our fighter, and our racing game. Also a mascot game. It's not bad, but there was a big difference. Sadly, I think it's one of the last times we would see a set of games for a launch that were that experimental.
I bought this one on day one and it's not too bad, just really underdeveloped honestly. It feels like a tech demo, sadly. Would play it again, no doubt. But, not sure I am happy with what I paid for it when it first came out. 😅
I can definitely see what you mean by that 😅 It’s just missing so many potential mechanics to improve the game. Honestly if they would have tightened the combat up and gave it more of a Tekken Force kind of feel to it, it would probably have became my favorite beat ‘em up. Even to this day!
"square enix is a legendary studio that has a catalogue of classic games in its roster" *Shows FF13, Tomb Raider remake, Just Cause and Life is Strange sorry those are crap games. Classic games from Square came from the PS1 PS2 era, Everything before FF12. The Bouncer was def one of my favorites
I have nostalgia of it because of the earliest days of the PS2. These graphics back then were amazing.
They really were! I’ll never forget seeing it for the first time, was blown away 😮💨
The Bouncer had a timeless, but highly slept on artist, Shanice, sing it's outro song - Love is the Gift. It's a very pleasing song for its time.
I have to agree! The ending song was amazing, I was blown away by it haha
I like that you always manage to find old games I've never heard of. It's insane how much this game captures the vibe of early 2000's I love it, great video!
I do my best! I'm very glad you enjoyed, and thank you for watching :)
Great video! Loving the content. You got a great eye and appreciation for aesthetics that I don’t see with other channels. The Bouncer was my first game I got with my brand new PS2. That minimalist solid blue PS2 box and signature Nomura style of the Bouncer was magical as a kid.
I really appreciate that! Thank you 🥹 And I have to agree! That box art is beautiful, I’m trying to find myself a copy!
This game actually had a really fun combat system. It just had a learning curve. The buttons used the pressure sensitive system that was barely used on the ps2. As for them moving slow it just meant you couldn’t spam your moves. It actually made you plan your attacks.
Now that I’ve learned this, I’m definitely gonna play through it again 🤭 Thank you!
@@VynsentWhoa, did you just made a whole video on this game, and you didn't know how to play it? Goddammit, I miss the times when game reviews were taken seriously 😢😢😢
Marilyn Mansons backup dancers really caught me off guard dude. friggin hilarious 😭
Lmao I tried to keep this one light hearted 😂
I played this game a lot as kid when PS2 released. I played it like crazy hitting Those 1 and half hour marks. The short length really made extra play throughs a lot of fun. Plus the constant addition of techniques made helped switch it up. It’s definitely no masterpiece, but it’s charming and funny as hell. Plus Steve Blum voiced Kou. Need I say more?
It really does hit that sweet spot! It's the kind of game you can just turn your brain off and enjoy any time, and I kinda like that!
The Bouncer is my favorite PS2 game. More than that, it’s my all-time favorite video game. It really means a lot to me that you didn’t unfairly trash on the game like so many other reviewers and critics did, and found the genuine good that lies within the unorthodox gameplay design.
In my opinion, The Bouncer’s combat is very well-designed. The lack of a lock-on feature and the ability to dodge roll are dumbfounding, but the feel of the combat is still really good and makes great use of patience and capitalization. The combat is slow, but you can still pull off some satisfying combos and use the ragdoll physics to knock down crowds of enemies in so many creative ways. You can toss enemies into each other, use a wide-ranged attack to strike multiple enemies that are surrounding you, bait an enemy in front of you into attacking and then punish them which can knock down the rest, etc. Every battle encourages you to think of a strategy depending on how many enemies are present, what kinds of enemies they are and the layout of the arena.
For example, since the robot enemies can’t be thrown or ragdolled, it’s best to play patiently and overwhelm them with a flurry of fast attacks once you see an opening (conversely, you can also spam one particularly powerful attack on them if said attack is fast enough since the robots cannot guard). There is no lock-on feature, but if you hold down the L1 button while in your battle stance, you can maintain the direction your character is facing which makes movement and guarding easier. Some characters can perform combo strings, too. Such examples include:
Sion - lightly tap the Triangle button twice to perform two jabs, and then perform his Shoryuken uppercut (L1 + Circle + Triangle). You can then follow up with a low kick (X button) or a front-flip (lightly tap Circle button).
Echidna - L1 + Triangle to perform a front-flip attack, and then lightly tap the Triangle button four times to perform her standard high attack combo.
Leann - lightly tap the Square button twice to perform a rising double kick, and when the enemy hits the floor, lightly tap the Circle button to add on the damage with a somersault stomp.
Wong - Press the Square button to perform an elbow strike, then press the Circle button to kick the enemy into the air. Once they land, lightly tap the Circle button to stomp them.
Every character is capable of performing unique combos. The combat may be simple, but it is effective and tons of fun to master and occasionally exploit.
As for the story, I love it. The characters are beautifully developed and realized, and the world building leaves just the right amount of questions which allow for theorizing and brainstorming. Sion is my favorite video game protagonist. The music alone is enough to get you invested in the game’s world, and the voice acting is fantastic for it being the early 2000s, a time when anime was just beginning to take off.
The Bouncer is a treasure and I’m really glad to see that you appreciate it for its quirks, rather than dismiss it for the same reason like so many others do. It’s a true hidden gem and one of Square Enix’s sleeper hits.
You really know your bouncer stuff, my friend! I respect that! ❤️ But it’s definitely an underrated game, more people should give it an opportunity!
Every time I think of a video game or a moment in gaming that deserves more coverage, you make a video about it. And it's always well done. Salute man.
Glad I can accommodate my friend! Thank you for watching 😁
Why is it called The Bouncer when the characters don't really do any bouncer work? Volt even lets in someone underage. Like, his 1 job is to prevent that! Maybe that's what the villains motivation should have been. Make them ATF agents or something, here shut down this bar that just lets minors into their establishment.
Lmao I was wondering the same about him just letting Dominique walk in like that 😂 When you think of it like that, this game just took a dark turn 😅
Let's gooo a new video about the funny fighting game with Sora from Kingdom Hearts as the main character
I had to talk about it! It’s a staple in gaming history at this point 😅😁
@@Vynsent Love seeing people talk about this game more and more these days!! Also great job with video!
My Dad got me this used at a mom and pop store, thought it was really fun, one of my favorite Square titles. Wish it had some kind of remaster.
Where this game really shines is 4 player fights with friends. This and Time Splitters were the only games I ever used a multitap for.
Really wish I’d gotten a chance to play its multiplayer modes with friends! But timesplitters used to be AMAZING back in the day. Spent many nights playing on custom maps with friends back in the day!
Completely agree with your adoration for the title screen.
This game is such a vibe.
I think it would benefit from a remaster with overhauled combat and a proper pacing/structure while keeping all of its charming absurdity.
Absolutely! Just a lock on system could’ve done wonders!
5:55
The game uses the DualShock 2’s pressure sensitivity function for the combat- which can be adjusted in the game’s option menu. Basically, how light or how hard you press an attack button determines the attack a character performs.
Just found this out, and I really wish I could’ve known prior! That’s my bad 😩
I had this growing up. Loved it as a kid. Thought it was really cool. Didn't know what a bouncer was. Haven't played it in years but now think of it as being flawed but fondly remembered.
I remember a mechanic where occasionally you could pull off special combo moves with your NPC teammates.
A problem with the levelling mechanic is that enemies level up whenever you do, so it's not even necessarily worth it, but some of the early moves you can learn definitely make a big difference.
I also remember some of the moments when they switched away from fighting gameplay. Mostly when Kou put on one of the enemies' suits and sneaked through the building while having to press the right buttons to do the special secret greeting to other guards.
Thank you for reminding about that sneaking mission with kou! That actually was a super cool concept they put to use and I totally dropped the ball on discussing it 😅 But I actually found a physical copy yesterday, I plan on diving into it many more times to come 😁 Thank you for watching!
man the very first ps2 game i ever rented when i was kid
thank you for putting me back in the basement of my childhood home even if it was just for a little while...
That's what I always aim to do! So thank you so much for watching
No one will ever understand my affinity for this game, must have been just a perfect time when I discovered it but it holds a special place for me. One of my all time favourite games
Fun fact: Dog street as a clothing brand is referenced in KH, I forgot which entry in the series tho
It really is such a dope little game! Also, I wish Dog Street was an actual clothing brand because that logo and Sion’s hoodie are sweet 😅
Awesome video and sort of a forgotten gem. Like The Bouncer, Capcom's Chaos Legion was another gem that sort of went forgotten after the PS2 era. It was a great hack and slash but just couldn't compete against their own Devil May Cry franchise.
Ah yes! I remember chaos legion! Also a great art style in that game. Was no devil may cry though 😂 that’s forsure!
This is one of the best game i had from squaresoft back in the day as i still own the Disc in s good condition. We used to play 4 players mode using the 4 gateway for controller. Much fun if you unlocked all characters you can experience mugetsu in his crazy form 😂
The multiplayer was so hectic I loved it! Mugetsu definitely was a sight 😂
Yo HeavynSent,love your videos man! The one on sega and namco are golden.
I purchased the bouncer when it launched on ps2. Back when we are all curious of what squaresoft (in its golden years) would do with the power of the new ps 2 hardware. In thqt sense; it was an amazing tech demo which showed us the power graphics the ps2 could produced. This made it a worthy purchase back then for me. The difficulty was low and the story mode short…..it was the graphics and music that stood out. And it might have been a test project before final fantasy 10. As most of the same team worked on that “ bigger” project that was ff10. Please go on making awesome videos. Uve got me subbed.
That’s awesome man! I always love to hear others memories on these games, so nostalgic 😁 Very glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for the sun as well. Blessed to have you on the team my man! 🌹
Whenever i see the title, i hear "T H E B O U N C E R" booming in my head 😂
I love it 😂
I see this game as a sort of experimental phase. Too bad it didn't work out. I like the way it looks too.
I agree! They were definitely testing the waters with this one. Still glad it happened!
Yet another interesting game I've never heard of. Ngl I stopped fairly early into the video, found a walkthrough of The Bouncer on yt, watched it and came back to finish this video. So I guess I can confirm, cutscenes are appealing. I wanna say it's shame it's shame the game is so short, but I kinda needed that between watching all of the JRPGs.
Back in the day when I had time to play games (and didn't have RSI) I used to get excited to get to every cutscene, it was like a reward for me, so no wonder I enjoy watching cutscenes from games like this.
Also it seems I can't resist anything Tetsuya Nomura works on. No matter how frustrating it can get, seems I am pulled towards anything he has worked on.
It definitely has some serious charm in the animations, probably my favorite part of the game! I also felt like it would make a great Anime series. If only they could have done more!
Til KH had a third older long lost brother nobody talks about, glad to see Dog Streets roots.
I remember thinking the bouncer was an actual KH spin off as a kid 😅
Man, the video production keeps getting more admirable. Fantastic work! Anyhow, I have such specific memories of going on some trip with my parents to Michigan when I was 15, and I was trying to choose between Yakuza or the Bouncer in a dingy low lit store where the cashier thought I was fake as hell for being a girl in a game store lol. I chose yakuza lolol. Until like 2019 when I found the Bouncer and have... yet to play it
Not a bad choice though! Yakuza rules 😂 You’re lucky to find a copy because I’ve yet to find one in my area! Also thank you so much for watching 😁
The Bouncer rocked my world. Rented that bih 3 separate times to beat it
That blockbuster card was getting some serious mileage forsure xD
"BDSM-themed skiing team" is one heck of a descriptor. A creative one. Points for that.
Haha thank you! I try 😂
I dont know if I'm trippin or what, but for 2001, the graphics and fidelity of this game is pretty impressive.
It was a beautiful game for it’s time! Still holds up 😁
Me with Enchanted Arms, I can't help but love it.
Also, Remake the Bouncer.
We like what we like! I’ll definitely take a remake 🤭
Man, I just found ur channel! Love the idea and the videos concept (a little bit gaming, a little bit nostalgia, and a little bit artsy cinematography and screenwriting of does games)
Keep up bruh!
I do my absolute best to bring something different, so thank you my friend! Glad to have you on the channel 😁🌹
The world record speed run for this game is just under 22 minutes, so yeah, it's short without the cut scenes.
That’s insane 😂
I bought the game fairly recently, still haven’t played it though. I mostly bought it as a curiosity since it reminds me so much of the PS2 launch. One day, I will play it!!
Definitely worth a play through! Grab yourself a pizza, some snacks, and kick back for a couple hours 😎 I had fun with it!
Bought this game at a yard sale like 8 years ago and it was the best random game I ever bought all because it said “square” on it
It’s a hard one to find in the wild! Definitely made the right choice my friend 😁
Played and beat this back in the day when it came out. Great ride.
Well worth playing! I agree 😁
Kakuto Chojin is a successor to this game as far as a battle royal.
Oooo I need to check it out!
@Vynsent That game is underrated it's possible to get banned from playing some of the Music that has religious chanting in it,if there's a setting to turn off the Music you should be fine and then just edit in the Music that isn't offensive into your video.
I remember when this game first came out and man I loved it, coming from PS1 graphics to this was a big leap! At the time the controls didn’t bother me but I do own it today and see the flaws so I feel like it’s just one of them games you had to be there to fully love it
Exactly! I can fully relate to that. I had rented the bouncer around the time I had gotten my first PS2 and it was crazy how great the visuals were for its time! Definitely had to be there to fully appreciate it 😅
One word… phenomenal
Sensational *future voice* 😂
@@Vynsent 😂
This was the one PS2 game that as a Dreamcast owner, made me jealous.
Never too late to play it, my friend! :)
I remember at the time seeing it in magazines and tv ads and being like cool the final fantasy company is making a streets of rage type game. Never got the game back in the day but played it on emu a few years ago and yeah it wasn't great.
It’s an acquired taste forsure 😅
I just couldn't get into it but I respect it. It's better than most games they make these days.
I have to agree! The charm of this game goes a long way 😁
@@Vynsent It sure does!
I had a friend who played this game religiously. It was a good game, but the playtime was too short.
Has to be one of the shortest games I’ve ever played forsure 😅 Great game tho!
its a vibe 😎
You already know 😎
THE BOUNCER!
Nice video 👍🏻
Glad you enjoyed my friend! Thank you 😁🌹
Nice video, i need to play this game in my ps2
It’s worth a playthrough for sure! 😁
Did you know that this game used the pressure sensitive buttons of the PS2 Controller? For example normal kick or strong kick.
Had absolutely no idea, and now I feel so cheated 🥲 Thank you for showing me the way!!
@@Vynsent Happy to help! If you have a PS3 controller, which also has pressure sensitive buttons, you can use that in emulators.
The Bouncer is bizarre.
So it's the very beginning of the PS2 lifecycle, and it was weird.
Like, really, really weird.
Half the games weren't even using DVD's yet, instead came on these weird blue-tinted CD's. From Software had a bunch of games for some-reason ready to go, but really you were going to play the new Armored Core they had released. One of the most popular games in the line-up was FantaVision, and that was primarily a tech demo to showcase fireworks. The big first person shooter was the first Time-Splitters, and it had all these features but like, no real attempt at a campaign that was coherent in any traditional sense. (Was fun in co-op though) but you're go-to games were going to be primarily SSX and Tekken Tag for those first few months. Someone thought _Summoner_ was a good game for the launch of a system. Is it a bad game? Hell no. But you know. It's _Summoner._
The PS2 didn't have like, a traditional library of single-player games yet, which is wild because the system would eventually become almost synonymous with high-budget single-player games. A lot of modern game design can be found in this era on this system. So Dark Cloud finally comes out a month later, but everyone really is waiting for Square's first big drop and that's this game. It was shown all-over-the-place at E3's, but never in playable form. We all know it's going to be this huge technical feast. The game has cut-scene work way ahead of it's time. It has to be the very first game to animate mouths on characters for both Japanese and English dubs, something not even Final Fantasy X would do. Seriously, go back and check that out. It's wild where the resources went for this project.
But it played terribly. All of the footage that was shown at the E3 events turned out to be concept videos only. The advertising of this game originally billed it as an action RPG didn't help either. And when the game was finally released, the advertising pivoted into it being a big... Interactive movie. To showcase how incoherent everything was: I remember friends in middle school lamenting the lack of towns... In The Bouncer. Which at the time, I would not have blamed them given _how_ Square was hyping this game.
And then everyone forgot it. Whats wild about this era of PS2 is how quickly it evaporated. The next year both Metal Gear Solid 2 and Final Fantasy X would drop and everything changed. People even forgot that PS2 games came on CD's as well as DVD's that's how fast things changed. They forgot a format that games came on for the system, so of course they forgot about Square fumbling the fundamentals of a big budget release.
You can tell they were getting real experimental with the drop of the PS2, I always have such a fun time digging through all of the strange titles from that time. It’s so intriguing!
@@Vynsent You get moments like that when there's fundamental new things with tech. It also was a case of Sony being Sony, and not having a severe mandate on what type of game should be released. Experimental Tetris firework game? Sure, put that in all the ads. Contrast this to something like the original Xbox's launch a few years later and it's like: We need our shooter, our platformer, our fighter, and our racing game. Also a mascot game.
It's not bad, but there was a big difference.
Sadly, I think it's one of the last times we would see a set of games for a launch that were that experimental.
@@nickblomgren I agree! Other than indie titles, the triple A companies are too busy playing it safe nowadays. We need more experimentation!
I bought this one on day one and it's not too bad, just really underdeveloped honestly. It feels like a tech demo, sadly. Would play it again, no doubt. But, not sure I am happy with what I paid for it when it first came out. 😅
I can definitely see what you mean by that 😅 It’s just missing so many potential mechanics to improve the game. Honestly if they would have tightened the combat up and gave it more of a Tekken Force kind of feel to it, it would probably have became my favorite beat ‘em up. Even to this day!
Love your work
And it loves you my friend 😁 Thank you!!
The first game i played on my ps2 ❤
It was one of my firsts as well! Mind blowing graphics at that time 😁
So like in FF7 is that why Shinra is called the electric power company due to SquareSoft's origins as an electric company??
Could very well be! Never thought of it like that 😅
J-Jank character action
JRP-Cheez
No cactuars lol
I want that jacket in real life 😅
There's never any shame in appreciating early 2000's ＳＯＰＨＩＳＴＩＦＵＴＵＲＥaesthetics. Even if the gameplay is poop.
The aesthetics really carried this game forsure! xD
"square enix is a legendary studio that has a catalogue of classic games in its roster"
*Shows FF13, Tomb Raider remake, Just Cause and Life is Strange
sorry those are crap games. Classic games from Square came from the PS1 PS2 era, Everything before FF12. The Bouncer was def one of my favorites
Was a great game forsure!
I liked The Bouncer when it came out but I found the game so short and easy. Good thing I rent it and not bought it.
Was a great Friday night title forsure! I had to go out and buy it, just because of the cover art though 😅 So beautiful!
Lol i hated this game back then. I rented it from blockbuster actually in Richmond Virginia
It’s an acquired taste no doubt 😅
I think I remember this game.. It did kinda suck ..😂
Not bad that good.. plan just crappy dude
It's definitely not for everyone lmao xD
First 5 mins of the video just waste people's time.
It’s what I do best!
Intro way too long. I have seen a video game before.
I was tryna bathe the viewer in a bit of nostalgia first 🥲