The Gang of Five

The Land Before Time => General Land Before Time => Topic started by: Stardisk on October 25, 2020, 01:16:09 AM

Title: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Stardisk on October 25, 2020, 01:16:09 AM
I didn't find the topic with discussion of the LBT PlayStation One games, so I've decided to create it. Sorry if the same topic exists

Thanks to Sneak who told me about this article on the LBT wiki (https://landbeforetime.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_The_Land_Before_Time_video_games), and I've learnt that there exist some LBT games. This topic is related only to the PlayStation Games.

 :duckyworriedThis topic can contain spoilers!:duckyworried

So, I've tried to play The Land Before Time: Return to the Great Valley using ePSXe 1.9.0 and USB-gamepad.

Good game, even though the graphics are quite low-poly, but it is OK due to the age and the platform. The model of Spike is the most successful (and the less successful is the model of Cera) imo. Ducky has the most responsive controlling.

But I'm a bit disappointed. Maybe I've missed or didn't understand something, but let me explain.

Looks like I have been passed the whole game for less than 2 hours. I've played as every character from the "select a character" screen, and after the finishing cutscene of the last character, the game showed me "select a character" screen again. Now the selection of any character shows me only the finishing cutscene of the selected character and nothing else can be done. Is it a finish? Or maybe I missed something?

The game is very easy. No enemies, the levels are short and quite simple (except of a couple of places which were quite difficult to pass). Every character has the attacking action, but it is useless due to the absense of enemies. It is used only for activating the shooting flower which shoots the little stone and destroys the big stone, but the flower can be also activated by the headbutt.

I've saw some little creatures which can be attacked (snails, butterflies, dragonflies, etc.), but they were not harmful and couldn't be destroyed, they just moved to another place after attack. Also I've found a lot of plants, which could be attacked, but they just made a sound and nothing else. What is the point of these creatures and plants?

I thought that the creatures will become aggressive on the harder difficulty, so, I've tried to switch the difficulty from easy to hard, but... it just reduces the  amount of collectable items (removes green and yellow treestars) and removes Petrie with his hints. I didn't notice any other changes in the gameplay. I've passed the Littlefoot's part even faster on the hard than on the easy difficult.

So, summarizing the above, the game is too short and too easy. I hope that somebody tells me that I missed a big bunch of content in it...  :littlefoot
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Sneak on October 25, 2020, 05:19:53 AM
Glad to hear you found a time to play some games.. :D
If it was me, I would check youtube videos for possible content and features I skipped.
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: LittleDas75 on October 25, 2020, 09:14:51 AM
 Recently I watched the GameGrumps play Great Valley Racing Adventure.
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Stardisk on October 29, 2020, 09:51:26 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/prmHmN9.png)

Well, yes, I've just completed the game "The Land Before Time: Big Water Adventure" for PS1, and now I'm writing this review with the fresh impressions.
:duckyworried CAUTION: SPOILERS! :duckyworried

This game is more difficult than Return to the Great Valley, but, unfortunately, less interesting.   :spikenotamused

I've spent about 6 or 7 hours to pass it completely.

Why "less interesting"? Because it has 56 levels, but the actual amount of levels is 14. You have to pass the same 14 levels playing as different characters - Littlefoot, Ducky, Cera, Spike. There are no any difference in levels: level structure is the same, collectable items are on the same places, characters don't have any special abilities and have the same parameters (what about Ducky who can push the big stone which is 10 times larger than her). Every character has the same actions. The difference is only in some cutscenes between level groups. Yeah, these 14 levels are divided to 4 groups (The New Water, The Great Landbreak, The Soggy Swamp and The Mountain Pass). The cutscenes between the groups show why your current character has to escort Mo to the Big Water only with Petrie, without others(spoiler: different events which isolate the character from the Gang). Petrie is unplayable, he just gives tips.  :petrienotamused
What about the game mechanics? They are very boring. There are no enemies (except of one useless sharptooth, which can't harm you and defeated from one punch); no health/life system (so you can fall to the bottom as much as you want), and you need to collect 30 treestars on every level (420 total). The treestars are collected separatedly by every character (so, the maximum amount is 1680  :TreeStar). Yes, some levels have quite complex places where it is quite hard to reach a treestar, but usually I passed the level less than 2-3 minutes. Sometimes a level can be loaded longer than I play it!
Also 3 of 14 levels are "racing" where you have to reach the end of level faster than other dinosaur.
Even though the game has 3D-graphics, you are playing it in 2D (only left and right direction are available).
Every character has only 3 actions - jump, attack (to fall trees to make bridges, push out the rocks and knock down treestars from some trees) and "say hi to Mo". If you press some buttons, your character says "Hi Mo!" and Mo jumps out of water.  :Mo Quite funny, but it is necessary to get treestars from water where you can't go. If you are playing as Spike and trigger this action, Petrie says "Mo, Spike says hi!"
Petrie and Mo are playable in their own minigames. While you collecting treestars, Petrie unlocks puzzle images in his minigame. There are 27 images (screencaps from LBT9 in quite low quality), every image is divided to 9 pieces (3x3) and you are controlling Petrie to solve the puzzle (in 2D again). Every puzzle I've solved for about 1 minute.
Mo's minigame is unlocked when you pass the game 4 times as every playable character. And it is quite short, there are only one level, you need to control Mo while he is swimming automatically (you can move him left/right and change his speed) and you should jump in 30 rings. If you do it, it will unlock the secret cutscene. Quite funny when Mo gets into a whirlpool - the control buttons are reversed (left button moves him to right and etc). But I spent only 10 minutes to complete his only level.
Other notes:
Strange thing: I didn't hear the background music, even though it was turned on in the game settings.
The graphics worse than in the "Return to the Great Valley" even though it was released later. Look at this Ducky in the beginning.
Or at this Spike under drugs.
(https://i.imgur.com/e3Th7LL.png)

But they used different 3D-models for cutscenes and they look pretty nice.

I'll do the comparative table between the characters from both games (3D playable model and 3D model from cutscene). I think it will be funny. :littlefoot
Well, summarizing the above, this game has only one advantage - it is about LBT. But I wouldn't play it again.
I wonder why developers didn't use the concept from "Bugs Bunny and Taz: Time Busters" (which was released that years). There you can control 2 characters at the same time by switching control, and both have totally different abilities which you have to combine to go through. I think the LBT game with the same concept would be MASTERPIECE  :cera
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Sneak on October 30, 2020, 08:00:34 AM
oh, these pictures... I will have nightmares this night...


Poor Petrie, can't be playable character in any game due to his flight ability...

I had to check through at least half of dozen emulatoes to successfully launch games I played without losing any features. Emulators can corruct one or another game's feature. Maybe this is why you couldn't hear music.
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Stardisk on November 10, 2020, 06:29:22 PM
And finally, I've completed the last LBT PS1 Game - The Land Before Time: Great Valley Racing Adventure

 :duckyOK There is no spoilers alert, just because there are no any storyboard in this game.  :duckyOK

And it was the shortest and the most boring game from these 3 LBT games.

You can play as Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky and Spike. Petrie is not playable (AGAIN!!!) and he just comments what is happening on the screen behind the scenes.
They used the same models in the cutscenes and in the game. The models are... satisfactory. The worst model is Cera, the best is Ducky imo.

The game requires only 4 buttons to control a character - up, left, right, X (to jump). Due to it is a "racing game", characters are running and you can't stop them.
There are 2 game modes - "Obstacle course" and "Racetracks".

The first mode is just passing the tracks with a lot of obstacles (stones, logs, swamps, etc.). There are only 8 different tracks and in the beginning only 4 are avaiable. If you pass the track, there will be shown a cutscene with opening one of closed tracks. Fixed obstacles are just stop you for a second. Moving obstacles (rolling stones, tortoises, etc) do the same. Swamps and same things are just slow you. And nothing can hurt you. Just look at this indestructable Littlefoot, who can walk on hot lava. (https://i.imgur.com/Gfb0Pg7.png)

But there is one amusing moment. When you start a new game, you can select the difficulty level. Click on the level title to view how it looks.
Easy (https://i.imgur.com/auZ4J38.png) - the tracks are full of colored treestars. Green = 100 points, yellow = 200, red = 300, violet = 500. To successfully passing the track, you should get a certain amount of points.
Medium (https://i.imgur.com/t8Z4kWx.png) - the tracks don't contain any treestarts, but you have to pass the track for the certain time.
Hard (https://i.imgur.com/t7MZMu5.png) merges both previous levels - you have to pass the track for the certain time AND get certain amount of points. Quite challenging imo.

Also there are some flowers presented on the tracks. Red flower give you a high jump. Yellow flower does nothing, but it has its own counter, I don't know why, because this counter doesn't affect anything. Violet flowers gives you ability to go through swamps without getting slower for a short time.

And that's all about the first mode.

The second mode is competitive racing. You can play with friend or with AI-controlled character. By the way, the bot is a quite hard rival. The bot is another Gang Member. But it doesn't selected by random, the pairs are strictly specified: Littlefoot vs Cera, Cera vs Spike, Spike vs Cera, Ducky vs Spike

There are another 8 tracks are available, but they all are accessible in the beginning. Your achievements don't saved here. The tracks also have buffing flowers, but yellow flowers are not counted.
View the screenshot (https://i.imgur.com/E2lyZZp.png)

And that's all about the second mode.
 :littlefoot
A bit later I'll post some screenshots of other games observed in this thread, and the comparative table of characters' models from all 3 games.
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Sneak on November 11, 2020, 03:03:31 AM
Congrats with playing all PS1 LBT games.
Hope you spent an interesting time, at least in some moments. :)

Well, I see Littlefoot has a very strong plot armor! ^^
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Stardisk on November 12, 2020, 07:44:25 PM
Thank you Sneak!
And now, as I promised, I post the screenshots of the previous two games.
I didn't do a lot of them, only key or funny moments.




Click to the image to view it in full size.

The Land Before Time: Return to the Great Valley
Even though this game is quite short and easy, I consider it the best game about LBT-universe for PS1. View my review on this game in this thread (https://www.gangoffive.net/index.php?topic=17025.msg521579#msg521579)


Ancient leafs are very durable and reliable.
(https://i.imgur.com/5UiFPrM.png) (https://i.imgur.com/5UiFPrM.png)


Mmm... Yummy!
(https://i.imgur.com/bDN0741.png) (https://i.imgur.com/bDN0741.png)
Actually, it is a game mechanic to carry some items. Here you can see a seed in Littlefoot's mouth, he should bring it to a specific place, and the seed will growth to the plant which can be used as bridge.


Один разорвиебало и диетическую колу
Even though Ducky is the only Gang member with fully functional hands, she also carries items in the mouth.
(https://i.imgur.com/Qjz9UDl.png) (https://i.imgur.com/Qjz9UDl.png)
By the way it is a puzzle level (almost all Ducky's levels are puzzles), and here you should bring the colorful fruit to a predatory plant of the same color ...


...to destroy this monster and go further!
(https://i.imgur.com/xuwnlt8.png) (https://i.imgur.com/xuwnlt8.png)
But it is totally harmless and just and obstacle before the next level.


Ducky is very powerful, she can kick big stones!
(https://i.imgur.com/UEpDww1.png) (https://i.imgur.com/UEpDww1.png)

Screenshots from Big Water Adventure will be post tomorrow. It is 4 AM and I want to sleep a bit.
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Sneak on November 13, 2020, 03:44:22 AM
думаю, здесь не надо материться

What kind of sharptooth is that monster? O_o

Ducky! What the? You could push that stone from cliff without Cera's help then!!! :O
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Goldenwind on November 13, 2020, 04:11:57 PM
The PS1 games were out there.  :taunttroll Wait till you see the GBA game where Littlefoot fights a giant scorpion.  :redclawscared

But yeah, this games were essentially, "kids first platformers" with tones reminiscent of the sequels. I think the second GBA game captures the urgency of the first movie better with actually tense Sharptooth chases.

The fact the games have no enemies really takes away the excitement for me. There should have been at least something with the Sharptooth in the first cutscene. :areyouserious

I feel like if they made a action/chase focused Land Before Time game with tones similar to the first movie, it would be probably be popular. Especially today.
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Stardisk on November 13, 2020, 07:22:34 PM
Oof, I made a couple of mistakes in the game title ("The Lang Before Time: Return to the Great Value") due to fatigue and professional deformation... and nobody pointed it out to me. :petrienotamused
Already fixed.

Quote from: Sneak on November 13, 2020, 03:44:22 AM
думаю, здесь не надо материться

What kind of sharptooth is that monster? O_o

Ducky! What the? You could push that stone from cliff without Cera's help then!!! :O
окей, хотя тут все равно никто не поймет, эта была отсылка для тебя, если ты видел этот мем (https://i.imgur.com/9gqJo21.jpg)

I think it is vegetable sharptooth :littlefoot

Ducky with Hulk's strength are also presented in the Big Water Adventure  :duckyOK
You will see her in the next pack of screenshots.


Quote from: Goldenwind on November 13, 2020, 04:11:57 PM
The PS1 games were out there.  :taunttroll Wait till you see the GBA game where Littlefoot fights a giant scorpion.  :redclawscared

But yeah, this games were essentially, "kids first platformers" with tones reminiscent of the sequels. I think the second GBA game captures the urgency of the first movie better with actually tense Sharptooth chases.

The fact the games have no enemies really takes away the excitement for me. There should have been at least something with the Sharptooth in the first cutscene. :areyouserious

I feel like if they made a action/chase focused Land Before Time game with tones similar to the first movie, it would be probably be popular. Especially today.
Not sure that I will play GBA games, because I have never had any GBA experience, so I don't have an emulator and has no idea how the GBA gamepad looks like. I would like to see LBT PC games, but the list of them contains only "educational" games, which I don't want to play.

I wish there would been an LBT game for PC with longer plot and the possibility to switch characters while playing. Every character would have had unique skills which were necessary to go further. For example, Ducky can go through small holes, Cera can crush some obstacles, Spike can carry bigger items, Petrie can access some high places, and Littlefoot has more dexterity which allows him to effectively avoid enemy attacks and make more accurate strikes.
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Stardisk on November 13, 2020, 08:03:41 PM
The Land Before Time: Big Water Adventure

I've already observed this game, and it has the worst game models and more boring and simpler gameplay, but the best cutscene models (you'll see them in a comparative table). View my review on this game in this thread (https://www.gangoffive.net/index.php?topic=17025.msg521833#msg521833)

So, there are only gameplay screenshots of this game. Click on an image to view it in full size.



"Hi, Mo!"
(https://i.imgur.com/ItDeFNn.png) (https://i.imgur.com/ItDeFNn.png)
...and he joyfully jumps out of the water in response.


Whe-e-e-e-e-e!
(https://i.imgur.com/4l7lUWr.png) (https://i.imgur.com/4l7lUWr.png)


Ducky is little Hulk, she fells trees by kick
(https://i.imgur.com/CQfusxg.png) (https://i.imgur.com/CQfusxg.png)
Animations are not synchronized, so the tree starts falling after the end of the kick animation.
Petrie is NPC who gives hints.


One of 3 racing levels
(https://i.imgur.com/M2LIkIG.png) (https://i.imgur.com/M2LIkIG.png)
You have to arrive to finish earlier than unknown dinosaur on the background. Of course you have a lot of obstacles on your way, but not the dinosaur. But you're moving a bit faster than him.


Bonus game with Mo
(https://i.imgur.com/rZTvLvj.png) (https://i.imgur.com/rZTvLvj.png)
The only level where you can play as Mo. You have to swim the level, jump through the rings and avoid whirpools, because they swap left and right control buttons. Also Mo can't stop here, you can just to slow down or accelerate him. If you jump through all the 30 rings, there will be a secret cutscene unlocked.


The simple puzzle game by Petrie
(https://i.imgur.com/RHj2cnl.png) (https://i.imgur.com/RHj2cnl.png)
But it is the only place of all 3 games where you can control him!
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Sneak on November 14, 2020, 04:54:46 AM
"The Lang Before Time: Return to the Great Value"
 :bang  :lol :lol :lol
Let me guess, your mind typed this after Lang folders and php variables. :D



I don't think I have seen that meme, and your link is broken.


Nice new banch of screenshots! ^^



Wait, if trees start falling before Ducky even punched them, or vice versa... O_o She's not Hulk! She's psychic!!! :O
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Stardisk on November 14, 2020, 08:57:46 PM
The comparison table of game models of PS1 games

Return to the Great ValleyBig Water AdventureGreat Valley Racing Adventure
Cutscene modelIn-game modelCutscene modelIn-game modelCutscene modelIn-game model
:littlefoot
(https://i.imgur.com/wSNHWiC.png)(https://i.imgur.com/FLCIPEI.png)(https://i.imgur.com/6N5LSKQ.png) (https://i.imgur.com/hHV93Ef.png)(https://i.imgur.com/07c8uSf.png)(https://i.imgur.com/PJkQXxk.png)(https://i.imgur.com/q5WXutX.png)
:duckyOK
(https://i.imgur.com/bYyyOCv.png)(https://i.imgur.com/I1rRjrN.png)(https://i.imgur.com/chHnvd5.png) (https://i.imgur.com/BEA9MIa.png)(https://i.imgur.com/SGFbpBV.png)(https://i.imgur.com/EcI1XpQ.png)(https://i.imgur.com/6YMJHP8.png)
:cerasmug
(https://i.imgur.com/jSws9VT.png)(https://i.imgur.com/7Ozj8gl.png)(https://i.imgur.com/1RuNhus.png) (https://i.imgur.com/dw1kPDY.png)(https://i.imgur.com/lrCMUx3.png)(https://i.imgur.com/LUr2UjT.png)(https://i.imgur.com/4E1smQi.png)
:petrie
(https://i.imgur.com/8qRf4tn.png)(https://i.imgur.com/Z8b3kJE.png)(https://i.imgur.com/89d7uMS.png) (https://i.imgur.com/Xzdcmfp.png)(https://i.imgur.com/A4pxiQU.png)(https://i.imgur.com/B1FwQOy.png)
x
:spikeblush
(https://i.imgur.com/HmD1Ik1.png)(https://i.imgur.com/9TSeFCt.png)(https://i.imgur.com/awUkULc.png) (https://i.imgur.com/TaSpxh8.png)(https://i.imgur.com/hs62Gzd.png)(https://i.imgur.com/HlVvu5G.png)(https://i.imgur.com/vxucj71.png)
:MoEvil
x
x
(https://i.imgur.com/uvwokEb.png) (https://i.imgur.com/KujUcWL.png)(https://i.imgur.com/0Lc3DrI.png)
x
x
:sharptoothgrrr(https://i.imgur.com/XsfL3xa.png)
x
(https://i.imgur.com/fX9sQPz.png)view sea sharptooth (https://i.imgur.com/0ZkJAKJ.png)(https://i.imgur.com/8vtcISV.png)
x
x
:ozzysmug(https://i.imgur.com/IxrJCbw.png)
x
x
x
x
x

Almost all the pictures in the column "Big Water Adventure" -> "Cutscene model" are clickable. Only developers of Big water adventure used different models for cutscenes, and they are really nice.
The developers of other games used ingame-models for cutscenes too, but with shadows and a bit more polygons.

@Sneak
Quote from: Sneak on November 14, 2020, 04:54:46 AM
"The Lang Before Time: Return to the Great Value"
 :bang  :lol :lol :lol
Let me guess, your mind typed this after Lang folders and php variables. :D
I also laughed on that, but yes, you are right, when I was writing that I thought about work...

Quote from: Sneak on November 14, 2020, 04:54:46 AM
I don't think I have seen that meme, and your link is broken.
Didn't know that links from googleusercontent are temporarily... so I've replaced link.

Quote from: Sneak on November 14, 2020, 04:54:46 AM
Nice new banch of screenshots! ^^
Wait, if trees start falling before Ducky even punched them, or vice versa... O_o She's not Hulk! She's psychic!!! :O
Thanks!
Not exactly, I pushed the button, Ducky kicked the tree, and when the animation finished, the tree started falling.
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Sneak on November 15, 2020, 04:18:09 AM
Now I see Mo's in-game model from second game is the best, comparing to others, it seems.

остальные - ааааааааа! РАЗВИДЕТЬ!!!
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Goldenwind on November 15, 2020, 10:26:30 AM
THEY WASTED THE SHARPTOOTH JUST LIKE THAT!?  :screechconfused They just have him stand there waiting for the tree to fall on him. And you race a fast biter. WHY ARE THEY RACING WITH A FAST BITER!? SHOULDN'T THE FAST BITER BE CHASING THE GANG!?   :RedclawTerrified
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: OwlsCantRead on November 15, 2020, 01:11:18 PM
Looks like all the budget in Big Water Adventure went to Mo. :MoEvil
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Stardisk on November 15, 2020, 10:15:59 PM
Quote from: Sneak on November 15, 2020, 04:18:09 AM
Now I see Mo's in-game model from second game is the best, comparing to others, it seems.

остальные - ааааааааа! РАЗВИДЕТЬ!!!
Well, yes, Mo's in-game model in Big Water Adventure is the best. Except of cutscene models from the same game, they are really great imo.
But I also think that Littlefoot's, Ducky's and Spike's in-game models from Return to the Great Valley are good enough.
I have no idea why nobody could make good Cera's in-game model. Maybe developers didn't like her :D

Quote from: Goldenwind on November 15, 2020, 10:26:30 AM
THEY WASTED THE SHARPTOOTH JUST LIKE THAT!?  :screechconfused They just have him stand there waiting for the tree to fall on him. And you race a fast biter. WHY ARE THEY RACING WITH A FAST BITER!? SHOULDN'T THE FAST BITER BE CHASING THE GANG!?   :RedclawTerrified
Looks like you have played Big Water Adventure too, haven't you? I also was unpleasantly surprised how easy was the "battle" against sharptooth.
These racing levels don't have any plot justification. But if you win in the race, you'll get 5 treestars, without them you'll collect only 25/30

Quote from: OwlsCantRead on November 15, 2020, 01:11:18 PM
Looks like all the budget in Big Water Adventure went to Mo. :MoEvil
I think developers didn't make quality models for the others because all the game is pseudo 3D and practically all the playtime you will see the character from the side (and they are looking acceptable). The screenshots in the table were taken from the character select menu.


By the way. if somebody wants, I can record a video of some moments which you are interested.
or make a whole stream of any game in discord
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Sneak on November 16, 2020, 06:31:30 AM
well, I already watched gameplay of all three games on Youtube recently.
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: StardustSoldier on November 16, 2020, 09:39:48 PM
Quote from: Stardisk on November 15, 2020, 10:15:59 PM
By the way. if somebody wants, I can record a video of some moments which you are interested.
or make a whole stream of any game in discord

I would love to see a gameplay video or two. I would totally watch that. :yes
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: OwlsCantRead on November 16, 2020, 11:51:40 PM
Quote from: StardustSoldier on November 16, 2020, 09:39:48 PM
Quote from: Stardisk on November 15, 2020, 10:15:59 PM
By the way. if somebody wants, I can record a video of some moments which you are interested.
or make a whole stream of any game in discord

I would love to see a gameplay video or two. I would totally watch that. :yes
Return to the Great Valley was just played in a speedrun marathon. :lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-p4EMcc2uw
Title: Re: LBT PlayStation One Games
Post by: Sneak on November 17, 2020, 03:22:08 AM
Can't look away from dinosaur's head with locked jaw.  :lol