Games Beaten 2015

[dsheinem]

Thoughts:

Probably the best, fairest write up of this game I've seen! Nicely stated!

[Exhuminator]

Kinda heartbreaking that they never made a sequel.

It's true there has not been a sequel, but there are a lot of different versions of Popful Mail to play, with enough variation to make them worth tracking down. The PC-8801, PC-9801 and PC Engine CD-ROM versions are for the most part similar to each other, but the Super Famicom and Mega-CD versions differ significantly both from each other and from the previous versions.

For fun, here's the box art to the other versions, because I love boxart okay:

[Xeogred]

The DC is also available on PS3 and 360 but suffers from serious performance issues on both of those platforms.

And yeah, the reworked boss fights are very nice, as is implementing the DLC right into the main game. Although the visual standard of the DLC is much higher and so kinda sticks out like a sore thumb, especially on the Wii U version.

PC is definitely the place to play the game with the U version coming in a close second. The touch screen stuff is neat and well implemented but nothing trumps a keyboard and mouse for the game.

I wanted to play it on PC but my laptop will suffer a bit playing some PC games since it tends to get really hot about 1-2 hours of game... and i played this game 6-8 hours marathon for 3 days

WiiU could be a better choice when it gets cheaper or i save some money. I want Bayo 2 so that console is a complete must now.

How bad is the PS3 version?

To be honest I still think I'm partial to the original release because of the gold tint. They took that out in the DC and it definitely... changes the mood up greatly in several areas. I think Ryan or some others here and myself talked about it awhile back. China in particular did not feel nearly as atmospheric in the DC to me as it did in the original. I think it's really weird that wasn't an option or anything in the DC.

The additional DLC was amazing though and the character models were improved a lot. I played the DC on the Wii U myself and it was really cool and different enough, so it was definitely an alternate take on the game.

[Damm64]

To be honest I still think I'm partial to the original release because of the gold tint. They took that out in the DC and it definitely... changes the mood up greatly in several areas. I think Ryan or some others here and myself talked about it awhile back. China in particular did not feel nearly as atmospheric in the DC to me as it did in the original. I think it's really weird that wasn't an option or anything in the DC.

The additional DLC was amazing though and the character models were improved a lot. I played the DC on the Wii U myself and it was really cool and different enough, so it was definitely an alternate take on the game.

I didn't know it has those kind of changes. I'll get it some day and it would be a good reason to replay the whole thing again. I'll do some research on the PS3 version to see if it is broken or not.

[J T]

A Wolf Among Us (01/03/15)
Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+ (All courses S ranked on 01/08/15)
Distance (beta 3315, 01/11/15)

Wow! What a beast this game becomes! It starts off as just a nice little space racer, but becomes an insane timed physics puzzle game with all of the tricks you have to pull off in the later levels and challenges.

Let me explain what I mean by "beat" this game: I completed the Adventure Mode, then I got gold medals on all the Sprint speed trials, and I completed all of the Challenge levels (all gold, except the last one). I did not bother with the Stunt or Speed&Style modes because I wasn't enjoying them and I've seen what the game has to offer. I might change my mind and go back to them, since after completing the final few challenges, I got pretty adept at doing stunts.

The game is still in beta, so there are more levels to be added, not to mention there are like a thousand community levels. It gets so insanely difficult, that I also wanted to mention the beta number is 3315, because I could imagine them changing the difficulty since the last couple of tracks in Challenge mode are just so brutal. The last two challenges can each be completed in under two minutes if you know what you are doing, but they each took hours of practice. I was trying to get a gold medal in the final challenge, and I was 4 seconds away once, but the level is so hard to just get to the finish line that I eventually gave up on the gold and settled for my Silver medal. I feel really proud to have the Gold on the Combustion track, a Gold on the Detached challenge, and a Silver on the Elevated challenge. These were all hard earned and among the toughest video game challenges I have ever completed in my life (seriously).

If you enjoyed their other game (Nitronic Rush), don't be afraid to pick Distance up even while it is still in Early Access. I haven't had any technical problems with it yet, except for one bit of nearly unplayable slow down in one short lava filled area. The game is nuts with how fast and crazy the driving can be and it's an absolute blast to play. Even when replaying the final challenges over and over and over again, I was still enjoying myself, which really speaks to how enjoyable the gameplay is since I would normally get bored of such repetition. And if you have trouble with difficult driving games, don't worry, the main adventure never gets too hairy and you can always play easier community levels if you like. I really loved this title. It challenges even the almighty F-Zero series for being one of my favorite futuristic racers.

[TSTR]

^bout to get on that stat, sounds amazing

[CFFJR]

Have you played Gurumin on PSP yet? It's another cute whimsical Falcom game with a female lead. Totally different from Popful Mail gameplay-wise though: it's a 3D dungeon crawler with a rotating camera and almost PS1/N64 style graphics. I had fun with it. From what I recall it was <10 hours too, which is always nice.

I have not, but I'm willing to check it out one of these days.

I am seriously excited to play this based on what you and others have said about it. It sounds more like survival horror than action, and more like the first movie than any other Alien game. I'm definitely playing this one with some good headphones on in the dark.

Yes, its definitely more survival than anything else. If you alert the alien and it catches you before you can hide, you're dead, end of story. Its smart, relentless, and it cannot be killed.

The game definitely evokes the first movie in a lot of ways. There are also a couple of brief dlc episodes that let you play bits from the first movie, if that tickles your fancy.

That sounds like the right set up to play though. I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts when you play it!

It's true there has not been a sequel, but there are a lot of different versions of Popful Mail to play, with enough variation to make them worth tracking down. The PC-8801, PC-9801 and PC Engine CD-ROM versions are for the most part similar to each other, but the Super Famicom and Mega-CD versions differ significantly both from each other and from the previous versions.

Yeah, I've been considering trying one or two of them out. Particularly the pc engine and super famicom versions, if only because I can buy copies of those, whereas I'd be forced to emulate the 88 and 98 versions.

My only issue is the language barrier. Even if a game is playable without reading, it kinda screws the immersion for me when I can't even read the menus. Feels like there's a wall between me and the game. That's my hangup though, and it doesn't mean I won't try!

I love the Popful box art though. They're all great, but I've always wondered why the hell the raccoons are undressing Mail (and why she's allowing it) on the pc98 cover.

[outlaw_moon]

Elder Scrolls 3 Morrowind for XBOX.

And with that, I am happy to announce that I finished my PS2, XBOX and GG backlog of games I am ready to take on 360, PS3 and the Wii. I cannot wait! You guys don't know how long I have been waiting to report this. I did skip the games on my list that are getting and have gotten the HD treatment like Ico & Shadow of the Colossus, Jack and Daxter, Zone of the Enders etc.

P.S. a shout-out to my last job for laying me off so that I can have some free time to catch up

[Exhuminator]

1. Devil's Attorney (Android) 7/10
2. Resident Evil 5 (co-op) (360) 8/10

Resident Evil 5 is a fun action adventure game, but not much of a survival horror one. Depending on what you're hoping to get out of the experience, you're likely to either enjoy or loathe it. As a dumb summer blockbuster kinda game with explosions and violence galore, personally I found Resident Evil 5 to be a fun time. Doubly so in that I played it co-op. Indeed Resident Evil 5 is one of the funnest co-op experiences I've ever had. With solid controls, high quality graphics, and game design that mostly respects the player's free time, Resident Evil 5 isn't a hassle to play. (Except for the tedious final boss sequence that surely looked better on paper than it was actually entertaining to deal with.) I wouldn't call Resident Evil 5 the best game in the series, but it certainly exceeds beyond certain other entries, despite how much franchise purists disparage it. (I punched that boulder with gusto son.) Series veteran's may find Resident Evil 5 a bit too easy, but this game's Mercenaries' Mode is a hardcore challenging endurance test for sure.

[Xeogred]

Nice to see a good review for RE5, I've always had a soft spot for it despite going against a lot of what the series was about up to that point. I still like RE4 a lot more, but RE5 is tons of fun too. Graphically it holds up really well too, better than RE6 somehow if you ask me.