Games Beaten 2015

[dsheinem]

Hmmm, I don't think Dig Dug "loops" in the sense that you've experienced all the gameplay by the end of 12 levels. There are too many substantive changes that take place between what you are calling "the loop" and the kill screen...

[BoneSnapDeez]

The scenery of level 13 essentially matches that of level 1. "After level 12" is also where the one walkthrough on GameFAQs places the loop, for what that's worth. I also consulted an attorney (prfsnl_gmr) because I can't see the stage colors - and he said 12 as well. Lastly, I have found YouTube Longplays that use 12.

But I also agree with you, the enemy behavior continues to evolve and one must keep playing to see everything. In any event, I continued to play waaaaaaay beyond level 12 (my daughter didn't want me to quit) - that's simply the bare minimum in my mind and I was merely stating it for the benefit of others. Of course, this is all somewhat arbitrary with these old games. I guess it's a question of whether one considers it "beaten" after all the stage settings have been observed or after every enemy / pattern / whatever has been seen. I consider the former to be perfectly valid, but I also strive for the latter.

God help whatever person plays until the kill screen shows itself. I wouldn't want to do that even with save states.

I'll tackle Dig Dug II eventually. I want to 1CC it and have made it stage 27 or so on one credit.

tl;dr I don't think we really disagree on anything. And I don't think I can handle one more "is it really beaten?" discussion ever again.

[noiseredux]

You should play Elevator Action.

[Exhuminator]

I'll tackle Dig Dug II eventually.

Skip that one and play this.

[dsheinem]

And I don't think I can handle one more "is it really beaten?" discussion ever again.

And I don't really want to have that discussion again...especially in this thread.

Let me ask you this, though: do you (or others) often/ever play games anymore without the intent of getting to an ending (credits, loop, 1cc, etc.)? I have...for the most part...continued to enjoy arcade games that have very tough "beat" requirements without chalking them up on the "games beaten" list. I play more shmups now, for example, than I did back when I was putting them on this list. The big difference now is, when I play them, they rarely go up here.

The same goes for golden age loopers and what not. They can still be a substantive part of your gaming time and something you can enjoy, even if you sit down to play them with the understanding that they won't end up on this list. In fact, you may enjoy them more if you understand that they likely won't...

In other words, I am just wondering if you (or anyone else) have made playing decisions based on whether or not you can find a way to argue that the game belongs on this list (e.g. "I'll pick Phoenix because if I hit the loop I'm 'done' and thus can count it")...or if you are letting the fact that you can argue for a way to post it up here keep you from ever truly working towards kill screens and what not.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Oh no, I still have many upon many hours of "Games Played" that I haven't listed here.

To still use Dig Dug as an example, I invested some time into the Atari 2600 port, but since every level looks downright randomized I couldn't make any determination about its "doneness" and thus it wasn't listed.

I've also sank tons of time into games like Wizard of Wor, Pac-Man, Yars' Revenge, Galaxian, Lunar Lander, Asteroids, Space Invaders, Joust, Berzerk, and Robotron 2084 (and tons I'm forgetting) without ever listing them here.

So no, I don't go out of my way to find beatable games or "list-padders" or whatever. But if I do find myself invested in a game I will of course research it to see if there is any proper end in sight or how I can reach it.

I'll tackle Dig Dug II eventually.

Skip that one and play this.

Looks cool, but I don't own it.

You should play Elevator Action.

That's Taito, yes?

I'm sure I have it on some compilation. Never been crazy about it though.

[alienjesus]

And I don't think I can handle one more "is it really beaten?" discussion ever again.

And I don't really want to have that discussion again...especially in this thread.

Let me ask you this, though: do you (or others) often/ever play games anymore without the intent of getting to an ending (credits, loop, 1cc, etc.)? I have...for the most part...continued to enjoy arcade games that have very tough "beat" requirements without chalking them up on the "games beaten" list. I play more shmups now, for example, than I did back when I was putting them on this list. The big difference now is, when I play them, they rarely go up here.

The same goes for golden age loopers and what not. They can still be a substantive part of your gaming time and something you can enjoy, even if you sit down to play them with the understanding that they won't end up on this list. In fact, you may enjoy them more if you understand that they likely won't...

In other words, I am just wondering if you (or anyone else) have made playing decisions based on whether or not you can find a way to argue that the game belongs on this list (e.g. "I'll pick Phoenix because if I hit the loop I'm 'done' and thus can count it")...or if you are letting the fact that you can argue for a way to post it up here keep you from ever truly working towards kill screens and what not.

I choose what I play based on what I want to play, and determine when (or if) I'm calling them beat based upon what I want to achieve in them when I do so. I'll be adding 3D Space Harrier soon, and yes, I used credits to finish it, but (spoilers) I feel I've got what I wanted to out of the game as I've played through all the levels twice over and fought the secret boss. That's enough for me.

I definitely don't try to pad my list, but when I experience a new game, I deifnitely look for a way to call it beat if it's debateable - I want to talk about it on the thread. But I don't like to just do it arbritrarily - it's hard to talk about if you barely experienced it. I also will continue to play games that I may have used credits and whatnot for.

I also avoid putting games I've already beaten on my list unless the port offers something new or different - this list is about sharing new experiences for me.


TL;DR: No, I don't put things on to pad my list, and if I enjoy the game I will put more time in to learn the extra nuances. If I don't though, I'm happy to call it beat and move on.

[dsheinem]

I never suggested any "padding"...was just curious if/how this list informs game selection/play experiences

[noiseredux]

I never suggested any "padding"...was just curious if/how this list informs game selection/play experiences

personally I play what I want. It's my body. Like you, I may dump hours into a shmup (not this month) and never add one to this list. I also play a lot of sports games, and don't add anything here.

I don't pick what to play based on "can I beat it?" or anything like that. I'm playing Dragon Age Origins now, because I felt like it. I go where my mood takes me.

But obviously for the A-Z Challenge the point is "can I beat it?" so there's that exception.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Well if I kept a "Game Played" list it would certainly end up much longer than my "Games Beaten" list.

I also continue to play and "re-beat" many games once I beat them initially.

For instance, I have actually gone on to 1CC three shmups this year, even though I initially listed them regardless of credits used.

But obviously for the A-Z Challenge the point is "can I beat it?" so there's that exception.

I think I'm going to start this after the Summer Games Challenge. I don't want too much stuff all intermingled together.