Oi allo there! My first post!
My all time favourite games include Zelda: OOT, Ratchet and Clank series, Uncharted series and of course Banjo Kazooie/Tooie (and most other Rare games). To the topic at hand, I thought I'd register so I can help out a bit? I'm new here so lemme know if I mess up or anything.
I've been hunting for some more obscure 3D platformers since Yooka Laylee's announcement, and I've found two more to confirm to the list, Duck Dodgers and Scaler.
DAFFY DUCK STARRING AS DUCK DODGERS
(N64)
(Gameplay starts at 2:31)
Platforming: Yes
Open 3D worlds: Yes
exploration-driven gameplay: Yes
progress through collectibles: Yes
learnable moves: No
hub world/huge coherent world: Yes
If you want more in-depth opinion, I used to rent it from the video shop about 10 years ago but didn't play it very much. I managed to track it down on eBay a week ago, and I just finished it for the first time. Pretty underrated, it holds up well for the average Platforming fan. I loved it!
It's definitely inspired by Banjo Kazooie. There are 5 levels, each with their own hub to run around and explore in. Searching around for Atoms (the Stars/Jiggies of this game) opens up more sections of the level to find even more Atoms. Beating the level boss unlocks the next level.
Controls are a bit loose, so it may take some time to adjust, but after some experience I found the platforming very satisfying.
The game is full of personality, from its cutscenes to Daffy's expressive animations and dialogue (performed by the late-great Joe Alaskey). Daffy even complains when you put the camera up close to his face. It's clear a lot of heart was put into the game's development.
There are no learnable moves, but there are plenty of powerups, minigames and puzzles for variety.
Duck Dodgers lasted me about 6-8 hours going for 100%. It barely innovates; it doesn't add anything new or noteworthy to the genre, but it's still fun. Not one of the best, but I really enjoyed my time with it. For a game based on licensed property, it really suprised and impressed me. Definitely hunt it down if you looking for a Yooka-Laylee substitute for the time being.
SCALER
(Gameplay starts at 3:47)
(GCN/PS2/XBOX)
Platforming: Yes
Open 3D worlds: Yes
exploration-driven gameplay: Yes
progress through collectibles: Yes
learnable moves: Yes
hub world/huge coherent world: No
I bought this game for the PS2 from eBay for 10 bucks. Funnily enough, like Yooka-Laylee, this game also stars a chameleon! Well, a boy who was transformed into a chameleon anyway.
You select a level via world map, and run around jumping from thing to thing, beating lots of baddies, and collect giant lizard eggs to unlock more levels.
Scaler can punch, climb special walls, grind on rails and smack up things with his long tongue, and can also learn new abilities and upgrade some of them. He can also transform into 5 different creatures to pull off vastly different abilities, so Scaler's arsenal of moves is incredibly varied.
There's lots of fighting in this one. Punching the living daylights out of the common bad guy is satisfying, but the combat can get frustrating with the more powerful enemies.
In my opinion, the game is alright. Not great, but not bad. You can have lots of fun with it, but my main problem is the level design barely changes anything up. While all the levels may look different, they all carry the same formula, so there isn't much variety in terms of atmosphere and level design, so it can feel repetitive as a result. LOVED the game's soundtrack though.
I liked Duck Dodgers more, but Scaler gives you good enough value for its budget price (on the PS2 anyway). Quite a long game too. Will last you 2 weeks or more. It's a decent game, so give it a try.
Did I do good?
