Seeing Fark go from your typical copy rival character to potentially the setting's last genuine article is insane.
@eeee68_md
Жыл бұрын
i was making a characther and was gonna name it spark but i found this should i
@deusherbert-noel2424
4 ай бұрын
@@eeee68_md you could call him Flint
@MalfunctionWhocares
Жыл бұрын
I love the post final boss cutscene, specifically because of why Fark saves Spark. It isn't some dramatic "You don't have to do this, we can find another way!" argument, but rather a "What the fuck is wrong with you, you get this sort of power and immediately try to kill yourself!?" argument, with him yelling at Spark to shut up when the latter starts going on about how "It's all my fault" and whatnot.
@werwolfnate
Жыл бұрын
Fark's arc is almost a metaphor for the series as a whole. Starting off as a copy of something, his function and origins unsure but he continues to grow and change. To the point they've surpassed what they were copying, while never loathing what it copied, instead looking to it for inspiration and supporting it regardless of its stumbles, cause hey, he made them too.
@Tehsnakerer
Жыл бұрын
I've seen that interpretation put about here and there and I'm fond of it, I wanted to bring my own to this video so I wasn't just repeating others. The Spark discord goes deep on the meaning of that ending and it's a fun read, and such a bizarre way for a mascot platformer to go.
@NekoiNemo
Жыл бұрын
Now all we need to complete the ark IRL is for Sega to outsource a 3D Sonic game to Feperd, Mania-style
@timothymclean
Жыл бұрын
@@NekoiNemo Ideally one where Fark gets a cameo, so he can say something which metatextually acknowledges that part of the Fark arc.
@danielmartin2116
Жыл бұрын
@@NekoiNemoIirc, LakeFeperd said he doesn't want to work for Sega in any capacity
@NekoiNemo
Жыл бұрын
@@danielmartin2116 Also thematically appropriate - neither did the Fark
@Never_heart
Жыл бұрын
I am surprised you didn't mention that the final Fark transformation is a throwback to the OG Formi design that was dropped in Spark 1's development. It's a fun little detail that thematically fits well when you think about Fark's story about going back and forth on how much he is himself and how much is he copying Spark. In the end the more Fark chooses for himself the more similar he becomes to Spark.
@Tehsnakerer
Жыл бұрын
Genuinely missed that detail somehow, that's really cool.
@tylercoon1791
Жыл бұрын
‘Spark has a plan, but he needs Fark’s help. And then the dumbest thing happens’ What? Do the fuse? *they fuse* God this game is perfect. Also, I’d like to add that it’s fitting for Spark and a machine to _fuse!_
@PontusPontus
Жыл бұрын
Ya know, I find it kinda funny how Armstrong brought the story to where it is. Having pushed robotics to such a point that formies were being replaced and unemployed (though I guess not all his fault), he then made an AI to solve the job crisis, which decided the best solution...is to kill and replace everyone with a copy. It's the first game's replacement problem to an extreme and I find it fitting.
@FelisImpurrator
Жыл бұрын
This is, hilariously, basically the premise of Mass Effect 3.
@sponge1234ify
10 ай бұрын
oh god Armstrong is a techbro
@SabbyNeko
Жыл бұрын
I love the idea of this guy sitting down to get some progress made on his high speed racing game that he's been prototyping for so long. Oops, it's Spark 4 now.
@robertkovarna8294
10 ай бұрын
LMAO. Lake really do be cooking when it comes to trying to make XF racing and winds up with Spark.
@nuggets283
8 ай бұрын
Wouldn't it be funny that when he releases XF Spark will be left as the minigame?
@noelle1940
Жыл бұрын
i never considered the consequences of float’s boobs. i just assumed they were an indulgence and left it at that, failing to consider that formies are bugs and being unaware at the time of humanity’s presence in the lore. following that line of thought, float’s redesign as a whole actually lends a lot of credence to your whole idea of Clarity being fixated on humanity. the afformentioned thing aside, float’s new design feels deliberately un-formie. she has long and somewhat messy hair (colored black, a natural human hair color starkly contrasting her body’s color), a beanie to cover up her antennae (assuming she even has any), a full set of clothing, and a lack of any fur protrusions on her face (as opposed to astra, who was also designed to replicate a formie and DID have them). even if some of these aspects are part of her original design, clarity still had to make a conscious decision to replicate them.
@noelle1940
Жыл бұрын
oh right before i started thinking about boobs there was another thing i wanted to point out that you missed. all of the bosses in the throwback fight have names on their health bars that reflect the fact that spark has no idea who any of those guys are. ryno dyno and double are both just labelled as “???”, but EJ is unique; he’s labelled as “Fark?”. like everything else about EJ’s existence, it’s both really funny and really sad.
@NurseValentineSG
Жыл бұрын
One of my favorite things pointing out that something is wrong with Float: You get to buy her for a single bit. Every other ability is in the hundreds and thousands, but you basically get her for free. But not exactly free, but with a seemingly tiny price. It is nothing super special, but I still loved it. Just like the entirety of Spark 3.
@saadtab0156
25 күн бұрын
maybe its subtle foreshadowing to what happens later
@youngdanielsun3707
Жыл бұрын
"Unlike most mecha, this one is about the characters." As a Gundam fan, this line made me froth at the mouth. Great video as always snake.
@justletmecomment6453
Жыл бұрын
I can HEAR the cheek in his voice but OOOOHHH that boils every time I hear it.
@End3rDJgaming
Жыл бұрын
I think it's making fun of a David Cage quote when he made Detroit, can't remember the exact quote though
@End3rDJgaming
Жыл бұрын
Found an old super best friends clip talking about it, David Cage said that "Detroit was about androids, kinda like Blade Runner, but unlike Blade Runner it's the Humans who are bad."
@drifter402
Жыл бұрын
@@End3rDJgaming No it's making fun of a cliche where non-anime fans watch a 1 mecha show and say "unlike other mecha it's about the characters and not the robots" without realising that applies to all of them.
@youngdanielsun3707
Жыл бұрын
@@End3rDJgamingThat guy is delusional. I remember him saying that you shouldn't write stories about things you haven't experienced first hand, and then the person interviewing him responded with "So you know what it's like being an android?" The guy is nuts and that's without bringing up all the other stuff that happened with that French newspaper.
@alcotismo
Жыл бұрын
I'd love to see a take on the chao garden done in Spark 4. I imagine an existential nightmare of raising mini Clarities between levels would fit in perfectly if you made it goofy enough in presentation
@isaacargesmith8217
Жыл бұрын
When they turn into their evolved form you just end up with giant squid people in your clarity garden instead of adult chao.
@marcuspifer8716
Жыл бұрын
As someone who's first experience with Spark was with 3. I agree that basically knew about as much a Spark did going in.
@jacobottesen5279
Жыл бұрын
Finally, I can speak from experience! SPOILERS BELOW Watching Spark have his Evangelion breakdown and the rest of the ending for the first time put a big, dumb grin on my face. Not because I like bleaker endings, but more that it feels like an ending from a Sonic fanfic in all the right ways. Not "Oh why did it end like this?" But more, "Oh, of COURSE it would end like this!" That leaves me wanting more. Well, if/when Spark 4 is made, I'm certainly gonna book a front-row seat for his next wild ride.
@lonewolfplays8084
Жыл бұрын
Lmao I literally looked at that and my first reaction was "oh hey he's in Shinji's depression chair"
@TheZigzagman
Жыл бұрын
I burst out laughing several times in the finale. It's pitch perfect.
@arskakarva7474
Жыл бұрын
It's fascinating to notice how while game development budgets balloon more and more we've also somehow gotten back to the 90's one-man game and modding scene with games like Lisa, Fear & Hunger, Cruelty Squad, Spark, and of course for fans of this channel, Brigand. I dunno if this is just in my head or if it really is an auteur game renaissance out there.
@Tehsnakerer
Жыл бұрын
I think it's a mix of better tools, more emerging talent, and greater access to digital storefronts that means we get more people trying their hand. There's more stuff in general, good, bad, and all between.
@arskakarva7474
Жыл бұрын
@@Tehsnakerer Yea I picked my list around ones I noticed got a lot of attention. Better tools are also clearly a factor, since Lisa and Fear & Hunger games were made with RPGmaker. Another factor I think is probably the proverbial shoulders of giants. A lot of the examples I thought of build on established gameplay conventions and genre staples.
@Eichro
Жыл бұрын
Undertale tbh
@Lonewolf360gaming
Жыл бұрын
Fark is the realest dude I've seen in a platformer in any other scenario he'd be a vengeful angsty nemesis but nah bro was pretty chill throughout the series and even did a full ass gurren lagan call-out and brought spark back
@jurtheorc8117
Жыл бұрын
Gotta appreciate someone like that. I guess there aren't many among those in 3D platformer type games, no. *Meanwhile, in Kya: Dark Lineage for PS2* Main character's deadbeat dad, who is established at the beginning to be the villain, gets kicked against the head towards the edge over a lava lake, his helmet falls off in the process, main character lets him fall in the lava as he reaches out for help, and throws the helmet in after him. For a final battle that takes place in a volcano, that's cold.
@jokubasrazas2255
Жыл бұрын
Honestly it’s something I could imagine zero from mmx and mmz doing but you’re right
@CompletelyNewguy
10 ай бұрын
yeah I'd imagine someone on the dev team had some daddy issues.@@jurtheorc8117
@DestinyMagus07
Жыл бұрын
Y'know what this story weirdly reminds me of? This obscure 00s-era mecha anime called Zegapain. It's the story of a well-meaning and charming idiot realizing that his world isn't real and that he has to fight an army of unstoppable robots (or at least posthumans) who are remaking the world in their image. It's not *the same*, mind, there's more of a focus on romance, but the themes of building one's own self-identity and the stance that a real, flesh-and-blood mortal world is preferable to a simulated "perfect" world. It's funny, because I'd say Zegapain has a both the same problems as Spark and the same strengths/draw. Some of the plot threads are untidily resolved, and mecha CG is very much a product of its time, but it has so much heart that I can't help but love it. Especially the ED. It makes my heart melt whenever I hear it.
@KoylTrane
Жыл бұрын
The self-restrained not to pull "we are in a videogame" at the end is commendable.
@rhaaka1506
Жыл бұрын
God that ending is the most over the top, fan-fictiony, cheesy thing I've ever paid for. Yet fuck me if it isn't the most earnest, moving and surprising ending I've ever paid for at the exact same time. I'm not ashamed to say I cry at this or even managed to not see some of the twists coming. I can't wait to see where Lake goes from here.
@jurtheorc8117
Жыл бұрын
As the guy in Bruva Alfabusa's explanation video on Vampire: The Masquerade once said about his enjoyment on the franchise, "Cringe is dead and i'm still breathing, so...f*@$ it."
@rhaaka1506
Жыл бұрын
@@jurtheorc8117 Amen fellow Big D enjoyer
@mrsnippysnoopa8300
Жыл бұрын
I just realised. At the end of it all... Spark finally got a damn job. I wasn't expecting it to be shodan, however.
@robertkovarna8294
Жыл бұрын
Achievement unlocked: Job Master! You got your job back!
@ragnarockerbunny
Жыл бұрын
There's a reason you've never understood how Sonic Adventure 2's grinding works. This is just going to be plagiarised from BlazeHedgehog's Definitive Version Of Sonic Adventure 2 tho, lower your expectations. In the conversion from Dreamcast to Gamecube, Sonic Team actually introduced a bug to grinding. The way it's supposed to work is that you crouch for downhills and use the stick to lean into turns. Sonic will also lose speed if you lean too far or in the wrong direction. Because of the difference in hardware, the lean values that worked on Dreamcast are incredibly oversensitive on Gamecube. Every subsequent port of Sonic Adventure 2 has been based on the Gamecube version and not the Dreamcast version. If you feather the analogue stick in modern ports you can get the grinding to work, it's just that you have very little room to work with. Sparks uses almost the exact same system minus the leaning. This is likely because Lake also only ever played a port of SA2 and never the original. There is a long running theme of Sonic Adventure games getting a little scuffed in the porting process. Each new port introduces some new issue, and since a new port is usually based on the previous one, it also inherits the previous port's issue. The current Steam version of Sonic Adventure 2 is now a port of the Xbox version which was a port of the Gamecube version which was a port of the Dreamcast version. The grinding is, subsequently, unworkable.
@yeedog6145
Жыл бұрын
The ending of Spark 3 is just some Metal Gear quality cheese with my favorite part being Fark transforming alongside the most heterosexual music known to bro-kind. I've only recently gotten into Spark myself in the past few months and only played Spark 3 so far; But i've been loving it.
@loopyloon5401
Жыл бұрын
Of all the places this franchise could've gone, I wasn't prepared for the Matrix, but it could be an in-universe explanation for the rewrite of the first game, one was what actually happened & the other was how Clarity simulated that event, this might also explain Romulo's absence from the 3rd since he knew too much by the end of the 2nd, he might've been present for Spark's original muck-up & just got nixed from Clarity's retelling.
@swadbando3639
Жыл бұрын
I have to say, it really is both surprising and really nice to see a fellow Brazillian perform so well as a GameDev. The moment I realized he's from Brland, a whole lot of mannerisms and little weird story quirks of his fell into place immediately.
@Eichro
Жыл бұрын
in particular the curious ubiquitousness of the theme of being unemployed and out of cash
@swadbando3639
Жыл бұрын
@@Eichro I mean. yeah pretty much
@VenomothManne
Жыл бұрын
I kind of like the meta commentary, as you said it kind of comes and goes at record speed, which means its not that intrusive , its not literally a meta exploration, its just kind of a cute allusion to explain how this has repeated over and over. Especially since its nots taking itself super seriously anyways. I mean, it IS serious but its the very cheeky kind.
@Tehsnakerer
Жыл бұрын
I will say in the months long gap between writing, narrating, and editing this video I did soften on it quite a bit. I was listening back to the section while editing the video wondering what exactly had rubbed me the wrong way and not quite finding it. I left it as is as it was where my head was at during writing and I felt the section needed some rough with the smooth, but I do think it's a bit overly critical. I tend not to like meta stuff on first blush. It's funny because I also went over liking the ending more on repeat viewings, and it did even wind up extending to an element I wasn't particularly taken with.
@razriri1467
Жыл бұрын
@@Tehsnakerer as far as "we are in video game" sorta reveals go, i liked that this one fit really well into Spark's flaws. It highlights exactly what you said about Spark's headstrong wrecking ball attitude to a conflict he's far removed from so he can continue playing hero. Sure, he has a world to save, but at the same time he seems content repeating the same events over and over to "do them BETTER" even if he isn't aware of the mechanics of the simulation he's in. It's a neat take on the meta.
@Calvin_Coolage
Жыл бұрын
You know what that ending reminds of: YIIK. As soon as they did that shot of Spark's face having a mental breakdown that's all I could think of. They both come out of nowhere and are weirdly foreshadowed, except obviously Spark 3 has a much better ending. I think the difference is that Lake knows the ending is stupid and that he isn't the world's best writer, meanwhile the guys behind YIIK thought they were making some kind of magnum opus that would stand the test of time. Well I mean they kinda did but not in the way they wanted.
@micplays16
Жыл бұрын
The funniest fucking thing is that there is fanart out there where someone drew part of the finale as a YIIK parody.
@guysome7469
Жыл бұрын
I find it funny that the way Fark gets Spark to go after him is, more or less, the same way the first game started. Spark was just really annoyed about something mundane (being out of a job, now being locked out of his money). As for games that give you something that you didn't know you wanted, which are certainly the best (personal) games, I really, really recommend Fight Knight. While it isn't for everyone, it is now in my personal hall of "I wish I could play it for the first time again" games. It's another game that was in development for forever, and the release unfortunately went under the radar for pretty much everyone. It's been spread on word of mouth alone as far as I'm aware, and by god do I want more people to play it. As I'm typing this, it's 60% off. Get it now, it's great!
@NGB1122
Жыл бұрын
You know an ending has something going for it when it gives concrete answers to several threads, but is somehow still open enough that people can discuss its meaning and implications on past events.
@underscore319
10 ай бұрын
59:43 "Spark has a plan, but he'll need Fark's help. *_And then the dumbest thing ever happens._* " fucking. *_FLAWLESS._* i was out of breath from laughing so hard.
@Alphargon
Жыл бұрын
Spark the Electric Jester 3: Fuck it We Ball
@Kasigil0
Жыл бұрын
fuck post irony, nothing is cooler than shonen hype
@Fomortiis100
Жыл бұрын
I've never played this series and probably won't for a while, but I swear to god the latter parts of the ending almost brought a tear to my eye despite having not experienced it for myself I'm such a sucker for this kind of earnest, cheesy shit
@grfrjiglstan
Жыл бұрын
Much like Lake refines his design skills game after game, you've only gotten better and better with wordplay as the years go by. It's a pun a minute these days, and they're all bangers, no mashing words together for the sake of it.
@MariusUrucu
Жыл бұрын
34:19 That's the thing that genuinely bothers me, especially since in the demo prior to the full release of Spark 3, Doublemoon Villa had a time limit of 7 minutes, but the score didn't deplete, just locked. The score medals in the full game now feel... meaningless since anyone can get them, regardless of skill. Like, I made a video specifically praising the exploration and scoring system being more balanced in the Spark 3 demo, while still encouraging careful routing and skilled gameplay and expression and Lake just... guts it entirely... #feelsbadman
@Aboveup
Жыл бұрын
There is recorded proof on the internet that I cried to the ending of Spark 3 when I got to it. And I have zero shame about this.
@qwertyqeys
Жыл бұрын
I have a lot of things to think and say about this game so I'll condense it into an itemized list (a sonic fan with autism? no way) -Most important, I love Sfarx's design, it IS ugly, but in a way that's like Y2K futurist punk art, if those words make sense together. Big colors, big shapes, big spikes. -I don't think you're reaching at all with the connection between clarity and humans. It genuinely does explain Float's uh... "extra baggage" (I like to imagine that was a misguided attempt at prettying her up for Spark to be more trusting, but instead it seemed to just freak him out) -The meta aspect of spark's different runs I think is less of a plot reveal and more of that weaving of comedy you mentioned, it's kind of tying a real plot detail (this has been happening in a loop) with a gameplay detail in more of a wink and a nod kinda way -In the DLC final boss, the clarity you fight is named "Limerent Claritas" and looking it up, limerent apparently means "An involuntary romantic infatuation with another person, especially combined with an overwhelming, obsessive need to have one's feelings reciprocated." which I think fits perfectly. Her interest definitely seems one sided here, but also I think this reinforces how clarity really does have everyone's best interest at heart, it's just that her perception is so warped she created a sci-fi nightmare instead. -the score attack medals in the spark 2 levels can be difficult, however there's one optimal strategy that may or may not be a bug, I'm not entirely sure. Beddles, the little spiked weak guys, give WAY more points than any other enemy you'll commonly find. Like, I'll fight one of those dual wielding sword enemies and get 6000 points, and at the same multiplier a beddle will give me around 60,000. If you just remember where the beddles are and save them for last after racking up a huge multiplier, you can go WAY past the diamond medal with more points to spare. Terminal Dragon was the hardest one I've done so far just because of how few of those guys there are relative to other missions, but once I started prioritizing them for last, it was a cinch. yes this is a small version of everything I have to say, spark is huge
@EbilWulf
Жыл бұрын
After your Spark 1 video, I picked up the trilogy and played through them all in about two weeks. Most of that time was spent in Spark 3, just being enthralled by the game’s world and collectibles. I grew up as a Crash and Spyro kid, so I was kinda surprised when I realized this quickly became one of my favorite platformers, period. And that was before they pulled out the chairs in the ending segment. Genuinely, Snake, from the bottom of my heart: thank you for these videos. If nothing else, you’ve given me a new series to just turn on and mess around in when I’ve nothing better to play.
@nerdyvids1
Жыл бұрын
"Hey what if I swapped out the Kirby influence for Devil May Cry?" -an utter legend
@jackhumphries1087
5 ай бұрын
I think it’s more metal gear rising (I mean, look at spark 2’s title screen)
@dustgraystone9448
Жыл бұрын
Ok, im getting these games now. Even if I don't play them, I feel like he deserves the money with how quality his games are. It gives me massive Nier/Nier Automata, megaman, Sonic(obviously), Undertale(??) vibes. It is kinda funny that Spark kept his Reaper Ability as that's just very apt for what he did. And i feel that every different explanation about Fark's backstory... coild all be true at the same time... at least the one Clarity gave could just be her bias with Unit 01 and their relationship. Regardless of my messy comment, really enjoyed the video and I also enjoyed the games ending.
@baikal3925
Жыл бұрын
"Everything here farkens back to..." I hate you. Thank you for all the great content.
@IPODsify
Жыл бұрын
This story reminds me of the gainax/trigger story formula where there's a heel turn villain who is only a villain from one group's perspective and after the hero realizes the villain had ultimately good intentions they team up. Especially in guren lagann where the common man is suppressed because they would be killed if they flourished
@Gnidel
Жыл бұрын
What I really love about the ending is that it never disrespected real Spark. In fact, it empowered him, even despite losing to genocidal AI that took over the world, despite getting captured and brain scanned, Clarity didn't knew where he is. He ran away! Utopia Shelter wasn't the end of his adventures. He ran away, could have even got a bittersweet ending where he managed to live a peaceful life far away from Clarity. What a badass. Maybe we'll get Spark After the Sequel which will explore his escape?
@yeedog6145
Жыл бұрын
Wouldn't it be funny if Formie Fark meets Choco in a fourth installment, and it's revealed she's a descendant of Spark?
@fragmentofself
Жыл бұрын
The biggest compliment I can give this game (which I've never played) is you can absolutely See how improved the movement is through the video itself. Especially compared to Spark 2, which I personally found to be too finicky and twitchy to navigate the many of the stages on occasion. Looks like I'm gonna have to jump back in to this series and try it out. It seems well polished, too, and has a ton of personality. Thanks for giving me an excuse to play these games again, Snake. Cheers.
@strugglesnuggledslime7040
Жыл бұрын
Oh wow,the series trolled us all. We thought its a Sonic fanfic but no,it was Shinji finally getting into that damn robot and growing some sideburns all along. That ending is such a perfect NGE fanfic right down to pretty much ignoring all of Anno´s intentions and just saying "screw it". Love it. It may not be intended but I think I will consider this series the greatest NGE shitpost ever from now on.
@Turbanoma
Жыл бұрын
Im Huge Spark Fan I REALLY love this games so much. Music Gameplay Style EVERYHING I spent 500 hours in this series I helped make mods for this game I made shitty fan arts This games gave me inspiration to make games To Learn To Live I made great friends because of this games Thank you man for this videos man
@jurtheorc8117
Жыл бұрын
It's a jester's job to entertain people. Not just make them laugh, but make them feel and think. Spark would perhaps be touched to know he's succeeded massively and then some from messages like these.
@whiz8569
Жыл бұрын
I think the character to have the biggest arc throughout the series is the joke centering around Freeom's OG form. He was supposed to be the original final boss, became an inside joke when the first game released, was revealed to be significant in the second game, and finally kinda became the actual final boss of the third game. It's like one big meta joke that gets more layers the more games come out.
@yungoldman2823
Жыл бұрын
This series went from why are you covering this to I need to buy this trilogy. What an amazing growth from the developer, Im excited to see what he makes next.
@millybunx
Жыл бұрын
The final stage having the white zones making me go "is this nier" into the ending that hit me with "this is nier" was REALLY funny. Cheers Lake!
@SoujiaSoldierKitty
Жыл бұрын
Lovely story shatter at the end of this game, and with that DLC... I guess this means we'll be playing either Freom in the simulation, or Fark in the real world. Most likely Freom though, since that has the most potential for being a new playable character. Can't wait to see what he comes up with tho!
@hilltopy
Жыл бұрын
Yay, it's the Bit-Rate Check™ game! Can't find the lava level in a quick check, but the game does indeed seem to look better than the streams, so that's pretty nice.
@hilltopy
Жыл бұрын
Also hey Sonic Omens, the stream that gave us this amazing gem: "The only air combat the developer of that section should experience is a 5 meter drop."
@yes.6892
Жыл бұрын
Maybe Im pushing it a bit, but (ending spoilers below) I like to think the moment when Spark responded with an "Ouch!" from the skyrocket punch given to him by Fark, was kinda of a callback to when they first met, with Fark hopping on Spark's head and him givin off the same retort kinda cool to think about I dunno.
@captainstarlight3780
Жыл бұрын
It's kind of funny to me that Freedom planet is much more tonally serious than Spark but the spark game series is way darker.
@lucylu3342
Жыл бұрын
The "You have too many tabs open" joke freaked me out because that was the exact amount of tabs I had open, on a laptop with shitty ram no less lol
@trumangraham2602
3 ай бұрын
Something worth noting about the whole Old Earth thing now that Extreme Formula has released. Not only does Extreme Formula take place on regular Earth, ONE OF THE TRACKS IS LUNA BASE FROM SPARK 1, THE ONE LEVEL THAT TOOK PLACE ON AN OLD EARTH RUIN. IT'S ALL CONNECTED.
@Kagira2006
Жыл бұрын
I was waiting for this one! Also it's very obvious that during production, Fepard either got into or was rewatching Neon Genesis Evangelion, going by the design of the mech you pilot during the mech fight, absolutely everything about the final level (Seriously the road signs even mention the geofront, just divided up) and especially the tone of the finale.
@GundamSneed
Жыл бұрын
"Unlike most mecha, this one is about the characters." As a hard core mecha fan, my pfp is literally a Gundam protagonist for Fark sake, that joke nearly caused me to leave a ragey comment due to how often I have heard that mouth breather take unironically.
@Tehsnakerer
Жыл бұрын
I appreciate the willpower
@KoylTrane
Жыл бұрын
wow cool robots
@AgeAgeAge
Жыл бұрын
I'm a major Sonic Adventure 2 apologist and spectacle fighter enjoyer and I agree so much with all the gushing about the gameplay, Spark 3 really feels like the game I thought I was playing when I was 8. But the story fell so flat for me at the end. As much as I like cheese and shonen nonsense I could smile and nod for most of the runtime, but the meta twist and the ultra cheese at the end was just too much for me. It felt so out of nowhere and undeserved, though watching this I see I did actually miss a lot of context not having played 1/2. That said, I love the game's sense of humour, the environmental storytelling, the themes of identity, and the way the 3D cutscenes are directed. There's a lot of great camerawork and timing and expressive animation. There's so much to love here even in the chunk that let me down. Whatever this guy makes next I'm excited for it.
@NekoiNemo
Жыл бұрын
Review is on the final level... The video still have 30min to go. Yeah, this is the Tehsnakerer we know and love, alright.
@QuestionableLogic_
Жыл бұрын
Pacific Abyss - Deep Descent (in my opinion) is one of the greatest stages in an action platformer when your realize that the fall warning doesn't matter if you're good enough and using that confidence to ignore the "main" path; there are so many times where I find myself thinking "There's no way I can make that fall" and then I do, even moreso on Challenge Jester difficulty where you have to do a perfect landing or you will die to fall damage, forcing you out of your comfort zone. Absolute masterclass in level design.
@jackhumphries1087
6 ай бұрын
I didn’t even know fall damage was an instakill on challenge jester, I was always so confused on why regular fall damage was killing me when I still had health, I just figured that the timer had run out just as I hit the ground or something.
@teddybearpaladin
Жыл бұрын
My experience with Spark has been entirely through these videos, and I'll admit I feel I've done myself something a disservice in doing so. Having seen the ending... I like it. Not really my favorite due to the whole: "Everybody is (kinda) dead" but still. I love the combo form (silly as it is), Fark telling Spark to shut up with his nihilistic death wish, the promise to build a new world. All of that honestly lands for me. I perhaps lack to ability to explain why it does, but still. I look forward to hearing about Yakuza 6. I have beat it myself at this point, and I honestly have you to thank for introducing me to that series. Thank you for showing gems I never would have heard of, things I'd never think to touch, if you hadn't shown them. And forgive the sappiness on my part.
@sonicfoamyfan9805
Жыл бұрын
When you mentioned how one of Lake's biggest inspirations was Super Mario Bros Z it honestly made the entire appeal of his work click into place for me. This is that mid to late 2000's fan work energy from top to bottom. I'm talkin SMBZ, Nazo Unleashed, and all the sprite animations that are just characters doing crazy ass wombo combos (see any smash wall collab video) and like those tend to it ends up trying to tell a story that on the surface is too dark or deep for it's mascot britches but pulls through with a sense of earnestness. Levels are big and wide but never to a point where you lack any direction of where your end goal lies unless it's one of the few levels that are just sandboxes which fixes to problem 06 had (if we go with the opinion that 06 is what the peak of the Adventure was meant to be thanks to Project 06) and combat that's simple to learn, slightly hard to master. When it comes the whole Frontiers and Spark 3 debate, I for one LOVE both games, they attempt very similar things in different ways with the only similarities being very shallow at best. Such as both games having combat or having open level design but while Spark 3 is an attempt to peak the potential of Sonic's Adventure era formula Frontiers was more about trying to go in a new direction and was more or less Sonic's attempt at a collection like Mario Odyssey or Banjo, you can't really use Spark as an excuse to call Frontiers bad. A, like I said they're in sort of separate sub genres and B, Spark 3 was Lake ironing the kinks out of 2 while Frontiers is more or less a total first try. Not to say nobody can't think Spark 3 is better than Frontiers but to not talk as if Spark 3 was made as if to say Lake was trying to show the game up.
@legateelizabeth
Жыл бұрын
Seeing what the creator has obviously enjoyed so much enough to lift elements from is also entertaining. Spark 1 was a sonic-like, Spark 2 incorporated lots of elements from MGR, and this one decides it's going to pivot to a love letter to NieR: Automata by the end. I mean it has everyone being a digital back-up, repeated lives that people don't remember, the white void filled with white structures at the end of the world, getting a little bit meta about the nature of being a video game, all sorts of NieR:Automata things. Which makes sense if he's a fan of anime stuff and spectacle fighters. Hell, there's even a little bit of YIIK in here. An almost child-like representation of an incredible AI long since outside it's programming, a robot based on the protagonist, and a protagonist who's accidentally destroyed the world? That sounds a lot like YIIK. Intentional? Probably not, but I think it's neat.
@EisenSMT
Жыл бұрын
I played 2 after 3, and honestly, I'm kind of glad I did. Experiencing the story solely through Spark's eyes and with the same information he had, then going back to play 2 and getting all that context heightened the experience for me. I'm not saying that's how everyone should approach the series, but I genuinely think that this is one of the best examples of two games where you can play them in either order, where the experience will be radically different, but just as valid and entertaining. Spark is so fucking good
@jadewedge6082
Жыл бұрын
46:36 I fucking adore the fact that when you face plant the floor at high velocity spark just slides face down across the floor. That's hilarious. (this is the part where I talk about the ending I just watched) Oh my god. I hate the use the word "Cringe" because it sounds like a negative thing, but I totally do NOT mean it in that way. The ending? I was sat there like "Oh my goddd that's SO CRINGE" but smiling like a daft twat. Cringe in a nice way. In a good way!
@dylanmckenna4760
Жыл бұрын
39:04 This might be the best and worst joke you've ever done snake.
@nikital.6523
Жыл бұрын
Levels being explorable beyond the tracks feels like such a Ross Scott draw. For all the meta nonsense, at least it's not something like the hidden dialogue (or more like monologue) from Pathalogic. I love Ice Pick lodge and their games, but when these people go all auteur, they become insufferable.
@Z-Ball
Жыл бұрын
I can't begin to describe how happy this retrospective/this review in particular has made me, the Spark T.E.J trilogy has been some of the few games to blow my mind with how much they improved and how much fun I've had with them, culminating in Spark 3 being one of my favorite games of all time. This video put it all into words of how I feel while also mentioning some valid complaints (almost all of which I share). This retospective has been an absolute blast and I wish you the best of luck on which ever video you'll make! (I don't write comments often so sorry for the long text)
@SenisPucker
Жыл бұрын
The Sonic environment design ethos is stunning when it all comes together, and it's really only the Spark games and Sonic proper that are doing it. With such a focus on massive, impractical scale, I'm surprised that full-on mechas didn't show up sooner.
@MAYOFORCE
Жыл бұрын
Really glad you brought LakeFepard's legacy to light with these videos. I really wanna meet the guy because I've followed in his footsteps in a lot of places in the last decade as a game dev, and it would be fun to throw around some ideas back and forth. Or at least learning how he can pull off so much quality work in so little time.
@crustykeycap5670
Жыл бұрын
I played your game its really good
@MegaHellstrike
Жыл бұрын
God damnit man, I'm not even huge on platformers and you've just convinced me to buy this game. Very excellent timing on your videos series, all 3 games are available as a bundle on Steam for about 17€. Even if they may sit in my library for a while before I play them I do want to support Lake for what he has created, the third game does look like everything Sonic ever promised and realized by Spark.
@flashcardz3150
Жыл бұрын
Well, these videos convinced me pretty thoroughly. Bought the pack of all 3 midway through the video lol. There's even a Summer sale so they're all 20 bucks together.
@SkyeBerryJam
Жыл бұрын
I actually really like the "challenge stage" tutorials. Something you can use to practice a move in a controlled environment, or just skip them if you already know everything
@grfrjiglstan
Жыл бұрын
Sonic fans are a wildfire of creativity. Born from the forest of felled ambitions, a spark of inspiration, and the oxygen of not having to get their games out by the holidays. Pure hot steel of brilliant games is forged from such fire (with the occasional coldsteel byproduct).
@MarioPawner
Жыл бұрын
Holding off on watching this one to avoid spoilers until I've played the series myself, so I'll just preemptively congratulate you on another banger. Keep it up.
@marknificence2474
Жыл бұрын
I dearly wish I could enjoy this game as much as you do, Snake. You allude time and again to the story teetering on the edge of being a complete disaster, how it often feels like you SHOULDN'T like it, but for some reason it all just works... for you. I guess I'm just fundamentally different enough in how I enjoy things that I never stood a chance at liking how this lighthearted, energetic adventure clunkily shifts into bleak, miserable exercise in self-destruction at the very end, like a Saturday morning cartoon was suddenly replaced with an edgelord fanfic with about the writing quality that would imply. I see the ending you love as a depressing, insulting, badly-written betrayal of all the promise the story and setting once had, but it's interesting to think a slightly different version of me might have seen all of this and loved it. Unfortunately, as it is ,I can't think about this game for too long without getting into a bad mood. Maybe I'll revisit the games sometime in the future, knowing the game's weird existential crisis is coming ahead of time, and I might get more out of it, or at least be less disappointed. Who knows. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much, got such an excellent experience out of something tailored so well to your interests. I guess it's just not Formie.
@strange7190
Жыл бұрын
i mean for real, how can a single guy make a better version of almost all of the sonic mainline games? what are they paying Sega for other then an IP that sells?!
@Tarodenaro
Жыл бұрын
Don't you just love how happy Snake sounds is in these 3 Sparks video after Saints Row? this is why i don't really cares about AAA games anymore.
@Demonskunk
Жыл бұрын
I love Spark 2 and 3. Spark 3 is easily my favorite 3d speed platformer of all time. I'm looking forward to 4, especially after the insane reveal at the end of 3
@JustCyanaid
Жыл бұрын
I haven’t played any game in this series yet but oh my god I want to now after watching this. Spark 3 looks like it’s on another level, not just from the other 2 games but platformers in general. I guess that means you did your job lol
@icecold1805
Жыл бұрын
SPOILER WARNING, cuz I think it's only fair after you took the time to deliver it on the video I do the same on my comment amazing trilogy, but damn, that ending hits hard :(... I mean, following Spark through this series, it's kinda obvious that the dud is a child, or at least very immature and childish in their logic, and for them to be thrown into being the end of all life, and this psychological horror of an ending, it's incredibly sad. He does defeat the big evil, and it's nice that Fark rescues him from what I can only describe as a depressive spiral, but nonetheless, what's left for them? to rebuild the planet... sure, for who, the plants? all life was anihilated, it's just the two of them now. Granted, I am happy to know Spark will have Fark on his side, Fark has proven to have matured greatly through all the things he has endured and Spark sure as hell needs a more mature figure to accompany him through what he has gone, so that's nice. This is in no way a criticism, it is a great visual treat how it is delivered, and a fantastic series.
@Arcad3n
Жыл бұрын
My story with the Spark series is pretty odd I think. I played Spark 2 first, and… didn’t really get much out of it. I played the game to its ending, but the story was incomprehensibly vague to me, and the platforming was _fine_ , but I could never pinpoint why it wasn’t grabbing me. Then Spark 3 came out, and it grabbed me instantly and never let me go. My first playthrough of doublemoon villa ended with a time of 35 minutes. I was having such a blast just exploring this massive playground, I immediately knew this game was going to be very special. After that every single level was a joy, and though the story was still confusing me and not really convincing me that I should care about it, I was hooked on the gameplay. Then I made it to utopia shelter. As I finished the main stage and watched the next half hour unfold, everything that had been unable to before finally clicked into place all at once. I suddenly went from not really caring about the story or the characters at all, to absolutely loving them. Knowing where the story would eventually lead also made it way easier for me to understand what was going on on future replays. I also went and checked out Spark 1 when I was feeling in the mood for a new side scroller one day. I can’t beat that game because the multiple boss fights in a row near the end of the game are just way too tough for me, but that game is great too. But Spark 3 is truly an achievement. Also, Historia Hysteria is my favorite video game level of all time. I never realized how badly I wanted a video game level that just let me go wild in a science museum before. That, the airport level, and the outer space satellite level almost give Spark 3 a cathartic quality of letting you run around in spaces you aren’t allowed to in real life. And it’s awesome.
@PanPakapon
Жыл бұрын
The fact that this game is an indie title is hard to believe.... Your first video on spark convinced me to play the whole series, and I enjoyed so much of my time with it that I'm genuinely baffled at the lack of popularity. I really, sincerely hope that this trilogy of video essays gives some much needed attention and traffic to the spark series, as it more than deserves it.
@p__geni6110
Жыл бұрын
This game fuckin rocks and I appreciate your capacity to word that exact sentiment far better than I ever could, I just get too hyped thinking about it to be coherent
@shovelclaws
Жыл бұрын
spark 3 is not only my favorite game of all time, but is one that inspires me. i have so many words for this game that its always hard to sell to friends, but this game is so special to me. i've been speedrunning spark 3 for nearly a year, and it's magical. seriously, go check out the any% world record. it's a triumph- a story i want to tell myself one day. the one level i'll mention is utopia shelter: my favorite level in any game ever. a fantastic spectacle, built on hundreds of layers. it's awesome. again, speedrunner brain alert, but it's incredible the work that's been put in to make utopia shelter's speedrun what it is today. go watch squishsquash's world record of it, it's my favorite speedrun of all time and is an inspiration to me. and im happy to report that this video gave me new appreciation. thanks for making this series, it not only finally inspired me to get spark 1 and 2, but has given me new hope for spark 4. excited to see what's next.
@theinfomaniac8988
Жыл бұрын
This was a great video and a incredible retrospective on the series as a whole. If I might recommend some interesting jank, could you take a look at a game by the name of Lobotomy Corporation? Its a weird, shoestring budget, korean SCP management game with a ton of flaws and a enjoyable setting that gets expanded on in the generally much better sequels. Almost like spark funnily enough.
@Tehsnakerer
Жыл бұрын
I've had it recommended to me a lot but never gotten around to it. I'll confess that I've given it a few glances and it didn't really grab me, it's not really a genre that I'm all that into, but never say never.
@theinfomaniac8988
Жыл бұрын
@@Tehsnakerer Fair enough, take it from someone who has spent 146 hours in it, you either hate it and just look up a story compilation because that is the one thing that is actually really unarguably good, or you become a cult member who spends over a hundred hours to get the best ending blind. Its a game that works better the less you know going into it. Although you can pretty easily get into its Sequel, Library of Ruina without any knowledge from the previous game, and yet again its almost like Spark where depending on if you have the context of the previous game you are placed into the Headspace of either of the 2 main protagonists. Its also has a fair amount of jank with a vertical difficulty spike and completely different gameplay, it being a deckbuilding card game. I have 237 hours in Ruina with a fair few replays under my belt and it is certainly a interesting series to talk about, especially with the newest entry Limbus Company expanding things out even more. It's greatest problem imo is that the series has a nasty habit of not respecting your time. This is at its worst with Lobotomy, but I'm rambling at this point. I sincerely hope you give it a checking out, if only for the story.
@OPLOmega
Жыл бұрын
The talk around the 13 min mark about how difficult it is to get SA2's grind mechanic and how other people would say the same thing is a constant reminder of a fact I discovered that I constantly think about: The Stick Sensitivity from Dreamcast to Gamecube was messed up and is tuned too high, to the extent that feathering the stick is basically required (the porting of many DC games ended up with this issue, btw). It's always so messed up that no one has made a mod for the Steam version to fix this issue, you have to go directly into the Steam Controller settings and tune your stick sensitivity manually in order to get it back to something resembling the original game.
@e2rqey
10 ай бұрын
part of me wants to solo develop a successful videogame just so I can experience watching a long-form KZitem video someone created about my game.
@andryboi8024
Жыл бұрын
Don't worry Snake. By the time I purchase and play these games I will have completely forgotten all the story beats from your videos and be surprised by them all over again. Awesome video man. You have sold me on these games. I may not get them this Steam Sale but I'll definitely give them a go another.
@harleycow5551
Жыл бұрын
"Let the speed mend it" i caught that you cheeky git!
@nathangubler1346
Жыл бұрын
I will admit that i was not expecting that ending, but as a setting with such an odd setup, i think it has the breadth to play host to such an odd climax. Great video.
@jellywuh
Жыл бұрын
so after being new to this channel and seeing the yakuza 0 retrospective all i can say is that i hate your jokes (in a passionate way) and i have the urge to draw fark 100 farking times
@masterboa6321
Жыл бұрын
There are only THREE PEOPLE I have ever seen pull this kind of story off. Luke Lerdwichagul, Zizou, and now Lake.
@possibly_ben
Жыл бұрын
luke did a story like this? on smg4 or on glitch?
@masterboa6321
Жыл бұрын
@@possibly_ben on smg4, i'm talking about the "so stupid it loops back around to being cool" thing
@possibly_ben
Жыл бұрын
@@masterboa6321 ah, true
@NeutralL12
Жыл бұрын
Sonic Frontiers actually took inspiration from Spark 2 and 3 by implementing the magnet dash, or homing cancel dash into the game
@AnimatedGalaxy
Жыл бұрын
I think that was a coincidence?
@revoblam7975
Жыл бұрын
hey to be honest this was the best yakuza diversion ever, like, the diversion of all time. joke aside holy shit i still can't believe he promised more after Spark 3, LakeFepard is either a savant for game making or someone who can actually manipulate the future to his will
@shadicnion500
Жыл бұрын
what a beautiful send off. thanks for covering this snake. I think after all this time ill give a little story of my own and how i found the series. when sonic frontiers was announced and the internet had its collective shit fest I was really down in the dumps because i was comming to terms with the fact that id never get to have another game like the ones that got me into gaming in the first place. and while i was in that depression loop I saw somone link to the trailer for pacific abyss an lakes youtube channel. I didnt know that it was the second to last stage at the time but that didnt matter what i saw was everything i had wanted out of a sonic game for over a solid 20 years by that point with the last even attempt comming in 2006. I bought the entire series on steam right then and there so i could get caught up for the new release and streamed the whole thing. they were great times and i enjoyed my experience, the board power is my favourite in the series and I got 100% in spark 1 and 3 because i enjoyed those games so much. im honestly sad i never went back and got 100% in 2 yet since it seems like one of the most enjoyable 100%ing experiences so hay thanks to your videos i may just have to go back and do that so thank you. im now one of the biggest shills of lake feperd and they have earned themselves somone who will buy their games day 1 no questions asked. while that may be dumb ill always know it will never be as dumb as our braindead bug man. thanks for covering this series snake.
@Possibly_Hawkins
11 ай бұрын
5:18, that's a slick reference to sonic and the secret rings, really cool.
@dieyng
Жыл бұрын
I don't think you were just gushing over this game. Considering that this is your favourite 3d platformer, I think you've been pretty hard on it. For me, this is absolutely amazing. It's basically unbelievable that one guy could create this (with some help). It's always a feat for one guy to create a game, but one that's actually really good and as polished as this, again, basically unbelievable.
@AwfulPossum
Жыл бұрын
This series retrospective has been a blast! I'm real happy someone gave the Spark trilogy a try and I'm extra happy you liked it! Like always, can't wait for what you got coming out next!
@Matthew-jb4cc
Жыл бұрын
13:00 Alright, this level convinced me to go and buy the game. I love rail grinding in the Sonic games but they are always janky reflex challenges with poor controls. If this one did it right, I am sure I'll love the game.
@Electroporcupine
Жыл бұрын
YIIK The Electric Jester
@NurseValentineSG
Жыл бұрын
I just finished all the medals for the base game of spark 3. While I can see people not enjoying score and exploration medals, I was one of the 3 people that really loved the Knuckles & Rouge missions in SA2, so that was right up my alley. But man, pacific abyss in 7 minutes 45? That was an experience. Spark 3 is the SA3 we will never get, period. It is just that good.
@trainee5471
Жыл бұрын
How do you feel about P-06? Does it not scratch your SA3 itch?
@NurseValentineSG
Жыл бұрын
@@trainee5471 I have to be honest: I don't care about it whatsoever. I don't want Fans fixing a broken mess. I would rather have them focus on something on their own. Doesn't even have to be super original - I mean Spark really isn't. But I rather have people let go of the Sonic shackles and do something entirely unique.
Пікірлер: 298