Games Beaten 2015

Anything that is gaming related that doesn't fit well anywhere else
Gamerforlife
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Re: Games Beaten 2015

Post by Gamerforlife »

Sacred Citadel

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A very solid, old school hack n slasher. It's similar to games like Castle Crashers or Shadow over Mystara in that there is an rpg element to it with levels, stats, equipment, elemental attacks, etc. The game pays tribute to various classics like Golden Axe, Guardian Heroes, old Konami beat 'em ups, etc. in various ways. The first stage feels like the first level of Guardian Heroes and the first time you ride an animal you will immediately think of Golden Axe. And there are environmental hazards everywhere like Konami's old TMNT games. You've got super attacks too, a la X-Men.

The game has an interesting art style that you'll either love or hate. The soundtrack is okay. There's nothing memorable, but I never found myself wanting to hit the mute button either. You tend to not notice it most of the time as it tends to get kind of drowned out by the sounds of battle. There's some decent voice acting in the game, though I tended to skip most dialog as I didn't really care about the story and am not familiar with the series this game is a part of. I just wanted to stab, stab, kill, kill, kill, story be damned.

The boss fights are actually pretty good, better than most games in this genre. As proof, here's a video of one of the boss stages (player just happens to be using the same class I did too):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy6RdnQ_iD0

And you get to ride a freaking tank in this game!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z8hpXEjfq0

The game's replay value comes from the different character classes, though they're not dramatically different in play styles. The ranger stands out the most because he can be played as an entirely ranged character. There's local and online multi-player, though I can't imagine the online community still exists for this game (you can get the MP trophies via local play I think and if you're playing the PS3 version that amounts to just 1 trophy I think). And you can replay levels for gold ranks or to complete challenges based around finishing stages with no deaths, within a set time limit, or with a certain damage total.

It's not up there with the best genre entries on XBLA/PSN, but it's a decent enough brawler to be worth a pick up if it ever goes on sale again
RyaNtheSlayA wrote:
Seriously. Screw you Shao Kahn I'm gonna play Animal Crossing.
alienjesus
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Re: Games Beaten 2015

Post by alienjesus »

1. Star Fox 2 SNES
2. Sonic Advance 2 GBA
3. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Wii U
4. Advance Wars: Dark Conflict DS
5. Joy Mech Fight Famicom
6. Grandia PS1
7. Money Idol Exchanger Game Boy
8. The Battle of Olympus NES
9. Lost Kingdoms 2 GC
10. Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon DS
11. Code of Princess 3DS DL
12. Discworld Saturn
13. Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru [For the Frog the Bell Tolls] Game Boy
14. 3D Sonic the Hedgehog 3DS DL
15. 3D Streets of Rage 3DS DL
16. Pokémon Shuffle 3DS DL
17. 3D Altered Beast 3DS DL
18. 3D Super Hang-On 3DS DL
19. 3D Space Harrier 3DS DL
20. 3D Galaxy Force II 3DS DL
21. 3D Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master 3DS DL
22. Sonic 3 & Knuckles Mega Drive
23. Bayonetta Wii U
24. Fighting Vipers Saturn
25. Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan 3DS
26. Super Castlevania IV SNES
27. Shovel Knight Wii U eShop
28. Discworld II: Missing, Presumed...!? PC
29. Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo Saturn
30. Chameleon Twist N64
31. Live a Live SFC
32. Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland DS
33. Splatoon Wii U
34. Mega Man X Wii U VC
35. Game & Watch Gallery Advance GBA
36. Metroid: Zero Mission GBA
37. Saturn Bomberman Saturn
38. Touch My Katamari PSN
39. Banjo-Tooie N64
40. Transbot SMS
41. Talmit's Adventure Mega Drive
42. Alien 3 SMS
43. Shinobi 3DS VC *NEW*
44. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Vita *NEW*
45. Super Street Fighter II X: Grand Master Challenge 3DO *NEW*

Shinobi

There are 4 distinct games called Shinobi in the Shinobi series (5 if you count the Arcade and SMS games as distinct entries!), so lets clarify which one I'm talking about here. The Shinobi I've beaten here is the Game Gear game, known in Japan as The G.G. Shinobi.

The G.G. Shinobi draws quite a lot from The Revenge of Shinobi on the Mega Drive, using the same methodical gameplay and slower pace than Shinobi 3. It offers lots of new innovations though with the ability to switch between multiple multicoloured ninjas like some sort of super saiyan team, all of whom have unique abilities and spells to make use of. You have to unlock them first, via a megaman level select. Beat the level and take out the boss to gain new powers.

Like MegaMan, some levels will be easier with certain powers, but unlike Mega Man there seems to be a clear 'correct' route through the game as each ninja you rescue is incedibly good on one of the other levels except the green one, which you should leave for last.

After the 4 levels are done, you go to the final bosses fortress where you have to make heavy use of all 5 ninjas powers. This is pretty cool, but it can feel pretty cheap too - some of the challenges are very very hard and require perfection, and you can tear through lives pretty quickly. The level is also massive and a maze and it can get very frustrating. I'd have preferred a selection of normal sized levels that require all 5 ninjas rather than this massive monstrosity.

Still, the game is a lot of fun, and a clear contender for one of the best on Game Gear. I beat it for my summer games challenge, and you can read a few more of my thoughts about it in that thread. Pick it up and play it. I recommend the 3DS VC version if you do, it's much nicer than dealing with that blurry Game Gear screen.


Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

The Metal Gear series is a series I've only gotten into recently. I played Metal Gear Solid as part of my summer marathon in 2013, played Metal Gear 1 & 2 for Together Retro in 2014 along with Metal Gear Solid on GBC, played Metal Gear Solid 2 for my summer challenge in 2014 and finally played Metal Gear Solid 3 for this years summer games challenge.

I played Metal Gear Solid 3 on the HD Collection for Vita, which is a pretty solid (hurr) way to play it, besides a few dodgy controls involving the rear touch screen. Fortunately they're not stuff you really need (tiptoe to look over stuff for example), and it's less of an issue than it was for MGS2. Although the HD Collection calls this 'Snake Eater' in reality the version of the game included is the Subsistence version with the updated camera. The game also includes the bonus Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 games from the Subsistence disc, but unfortunately contains none of the other bonuses that came with that, including Snake vs. Monkey and the comedy cutscene theater thing. It's debateable which version of MGS3 is the best because of this.

A lot of people claim that MGS3 is the best game in the series, and of what I've played so far, I'm inclined to agree. There's somewhat of a learning curve with this one - the more open environments and new stealth mechanics take a bit of getting used to, and I feel like on of the hardest parts of the game is the initial mission where you must rescue the scientist from the abandoned building.

The story of Metal Gear Solid 3 is intriguing, and the villains are some of the best in the series. Both are ridiculous and cheesy, but that's part of the fun - Metal Gear happily straddles the line between silly and serious and creates a unique eclectic experience. The boss fights are also solid, with The End being the highlight.

The 1960s setting is awesome and I love the James Bond style music that features. New mechanics like camouflage and the stamina gauge are cool and the improved close combat options turn the game on its head as far as I'm concerned.

Lastly, I loved the ending. It turns the whole story on it's head and makes you think about it in a different way. Naked Snake/Big Boss is a much, much more intriguing character than Solid Snake and I'm glad there's been a lot more games featuring him since MGS3 instead of Solid.

MGS3 lives up to the hype for me -it's a gaming masterpiece, and definitely one of the best games on PS2, even if that's not how I played it. It's one of the best games on Vita too :lol: I don't currently have a PS3 to play MGS4, so I'll probably move towards picking up Portable Ops and Peace Walker next. I'm sure they'll be as great as ever.


Super Street Fighter II X: Grand Master Challenge

This game is better known as Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo.

Let me let you in on a secret - I'm not a big fan of Street Fighter as a series. I can't deal with fireball spam, I struggle with the CPU fighters and I honestly just don't find any entry in the series to be as fun as 3D fighting games like Tekken and Dead or Alive, or even some other 2D fighters. That said, I DO have some nostalgia for it, as I had it on SNES as a kid like basically everyone else did. The main reason I picked this up though was to finally have a decent new game for my underloved 3DO.

I played through the regular story as Cammy for a while as I'd never played a version of SF2 with the 4 additional characters before, but I don't really get Cammy's moves (what on earth is the point of that crappy spinning punch thing that is hellish to pull off?) and I didn't enjoy trying to do Shoryuken movements on the 3DOs kinda meh d-pad, so I eventually swapped to Chun-li instead.

The game is a very nice playing and smooth version of SF2. I didn't notice any lag, even on the fastest game setting and the music sounds excellent on 3DO (at least when my 3DO audio isn't dying...). The big flaw of the game doesn't come from the game itself though, but rather the system.

Street Fighter uses 6 attack buttons - heavy punch, mid punch, light punch, heavy kick, mid kick and light kick. On the SNES, this works well on the SNES' 4 face buttons and 2 shoulder buttons. On the Mega Drive it works fantastically with the not-too rare 6 button controller. On the 3DO though, it causes an issue. The 3DO only has 3 face buttons and 2 shoulder buttons to work with, so they had to map the buttons in a really odd way.

Thus, the face buttons A, B and C are mapped to light, mid and heavy kick respectively. L is your light punch and R is you heavy punch. And your mid punch button is P. For those not familiar with the 3DO, P is the start button.

It's not a perfect solution, but it works ok I guess. It's definitely better than playing the Mega Drive game on a 3 button pad for sure. The main issue I had is as a SNES Street Fighter veteran I kept trying to use R for heavy kick and A for light punch. I guess I need to mess with the controls a bit and see what works for me.

There is a 6 button 3DO pad (it looks awful) and also an adapter to connect SNES controllers instead, but both are kinda pricy and I don't see the point of buying them just for this. It's a good version of the game, and one of the best games on 3DO, but the control issues are a genuine concern.

And no, I didn't fight Akuma. I suck too much at Street Fighter for that.
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Markies
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Re: Games Beaten 2015

Post by Markies »

I beat Jet Grind Radio on the DreamCast this afternoon!

I rather enjoyed this game. The sound is fun, the art direction and color is amazing and the game play is rather addicting. It is just really enjoyable to go out, do trick and spray paint graffiti while listening to some funky tunes. I think the game would have been better in a sandbox environment cause when it starts introducing bad guys, the game becomes a bit annoying and frustrating. It is a rather unique game, but very fun and very enjoyable!
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BoneSnapDeez
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Re: Games Beaten 2015

Post by BoneSnapDeez »

I'm debating whether I should download the Shinobi GG games from the VC or wait until the Retron 5 Game Gear adapter drops.

Generally I don't go digital unless a physical version is nonexistent. Made an exception for Shantae though. Eff the price of that game.
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Michi
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Re: Games Beaten 2015

Post by Michi »

BoneSnapDeez wrote:I'm debating whether I should download the Shinobi GG games from the VC or wait until the Retron 5 Game Gear adapter drops.

I wasn't even aware they they were making a Game Gear adapter. I've sort of been waiting for their next system to see if they add a Master System slot.
MrPopo
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Re: Games Beaten 2015

Post by MrPopo »

First 50:

51. Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne - PC
52. Starflight - PC
53. Skies of Arcadia - Dreamcast
54. Aliens versus Predator Classic 2000 - PC
55. Super Star Wars - SNES
56. Shadowrun: Hong Kong - PC
57. Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel - PC
58. The Catacomb - PC
59. Azure Striker Gunvolt - 3DS

This is a game from Inti Creates with Keiji Inafune as a design consultant. You can definitely see his fingers on the general gameplay, which starts with a Mega Man Zero base but puts its own spin on things.

Your character has a similar movement set to Zero; you get a dash, a jump, and you can wall kick. One thing that will throw you sometimes is that you don't have the wall slide that you have in the X/Zero series, so you have to be actively jumping off the wall.

The big gameplay thing that differentiates Gunvolt is that instead of using your gun as a primary attack you instead had the ability to summon a lightning field around yourself. That lightning field will do some damage to anything inside it, but you can also tag enemies with your gun. A given enemy can have up to three levels of tag, and different guns let you have different numbers of total tags (with other effects). Your lightning field will shoot out lightning bolts that do a lot of damage to tagged enemies (with more damage for more tags). You also fall slower when you activate the lightning field (important for some of the platforming). So the gameplay turns into firing a few quick shots and then using your field (which is limited but recharges). For boss fights this means you will spend more time dealing with dodging their attacks but you will continue to be able to do damage.

The game also has a scoring system that consists of you chaining enemy kills. You get bonuses for things like killing multiple enemies and you lose your chain if you get hit. You also have to cash in your chain by hitting a checkpoint (which you don't have to do) or using an offensive skill (bonus move). This gives you a larger score for the stage which then lets you get more materials for the crafting system. I'd say this portion is completely optional, though.

The bosses are very pattern based and show all the experience they've gotten in designing good Mega Man esque bosses. You definitely learn a lot about how to deal with them as you fight them and it's quite satisfying to beat them.

Right now I need to revisit the stages to get some hidden items so I can get the true ending, which I believe involves another boss fight.
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MrPopo
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Re: Games Beaten 2015

Post by MrPopo »

First 50:

51. Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne - PC
52. Starflight - PC
53. Skies of Arcadia - Dreamcast
54. Aliens versus Predator Classic 2000 - PC
55. Super Star Wars - SNES
56. Shadowrun: Hong Kong - PC
57. Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel - PC
58. The Catacomb - PC
59. Azure Striker Gunvolt - 3DS
60. Mighty Gunvolt - 3DS

This was a bonus game that was given out to people who purchased Azure Striker Gunvolt early in its life, and I think you can purchase it for money now. It's a short game in the style of NES games, similar to how Dark Void Zero was an NES version of Dark Void. The game has three characters, Gunvolt, Beck from Mighty No. 9, and a character from Gal Gun. The game consists of one stage from Gal Gun, three from Gunvolt, and a final boss from Gunvolt that is a reference to a particular fight in Gunvolt (in Gunvolt they pull a switcheroo on a boss, and Mighty Gunvolt reverses the switcheroo). It's fun to see how they implement the Gunvolt boss patterns in NES style. Several of them get stripped down to their essence, and the super moves they use at low health have a tamer implementation. It's a short fun game though I don't know if I'd be happy spending more than $5 on it (again, I don't know its actual price).
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BoneSnapDeez
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Re: Games Beaten 2015

Post by BoneSnapDeez »

Michi wrote:
BoneSnapDeez wrote:I'm debating whether I should download the Shinobi GG games from the VC or wait until the Retron 5 Game Gear adapter drops.

I wasn't even aware they they were making a Game Gear adapter. I've sort of been waiting for their next system to see if they add a Master System slot.


You know you can use a Power Base Converter, right? 8)
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prfsnl_gmr
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Re: Games Beaten 2015

Post by prfsnl_gmr »

1. Cut the Rope (3DS)
2. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
3. Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (XBOX)
4. Jewel Link Chronicles: Mountains of Madness (NDS)
5. Super Mario 3D World (WIIU)
6. Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
7. Kirby Triple Deluxe (3DS)
8. Gunman Clive (3DS)
9. Child of Light (WIIU)
10. Gunman Clive 2 (3DS)
11. Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition (WIIU)
12. Shifting World (3DS)
13. VVVVVV (3DS)
14. Mega Man 9 (PS3)
15. Mighty Switch Force 2 (WIIU)
16. Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (PS3)
17. Castle Crashers (PS3)
18. Pushmo (3DS)
19. Steamworld Dig (3DS)
20. The Unfinished Swan (PS3)
21. Blaster Master (NES)
22. Samurai Shodown II (NEOGEO/PS2)
23. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (2600)
24. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (PS3)
25. Shining Force II (GEN)
26. Rayman Legends (WIIU)
27. Gorf (ARCADE)
28. Fairune (3DS)
29. Mighty Gunvolt (3DS)
30. Ikachan (3DS)
31. Block Boy! (3DS)
32. Legend of the Dark Witch (3DS)
33. R-Type Delta (PS1)
34. Half-Life (PS2)
35. Soul of Darkness (3DS)
36. Cubit the Hardcore Platforming Robot (3DS)
37. Alien on the Run (3DS)
38. Bit.Trip Presents...Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien (WIIU)

Bit.Trip Runnner was easily my favorite game in the original Bit.Trip series, and it remains one of my favorite auto-scrolling platformers. Runner 2, however, is better than the original in every way. First, and perhaps most remarkably, the game has a better soundtrack than the original. (The soundtracks for the game's 25 NES-themed retro levels was composed by Disasterpiece, who did the soundtrakcs for Fez and the film, It Follows.) The controls are slighty more responsive; the levels are more varied; and the game is full of alternate paths, rewards, and secrets that encourage multiple playthroughs. (To "beat" the game, I achieved a perfect run of every level on "just right" difficulty and unlocked all of the characters, outfits, and "retro" stages.) The game is also extremely player-friendly, allowing you to adjust its difficulty between stage and placing a checkpoint at the middle of each level (which your character can skip for 50,000 bonus points). Finally, and even more so than its predecessor, the game does a fantastic job of inducing a semi-euphoric trance state during your time with it. It moves very quickly, and you really have to go into "the zone" to complete it. The game's perfect combination of aural, tactile, and visual stimulus make the game's challenges much easier to accomplish, however, and they result in a singular gaming experience. I highly, highly recommend it.
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BoneSnapDeez
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Re: Games Beaten 2015

Post by BoneSnapDeez »

First 50:
1. Grandia (PlayStation)
2. Jungle Hunt (Xbox - Taito Legends)
3. Jungle Hunt (Atari 2600)
4. Jungle Hunt (Plug & Play - ColecoVision Flashback)
5. Donkey Kong (Atari 2600)
6. Donkey Kong (Intellivision)
7. Donkey Kong (ColecoVision)
8. Bubble Bobble (NES)
9. Side Arms: Hyper Dyne (PSP - Capcom Classics Collection Remixed)
10. 1941: Counter Attack (PSP - Capcom Classics Collection Remixed)
11. Ys: The Ark of Napishtim (PSP)
12. The Ninja Kids (Xbox - Taito Legends)
13. Neutopia (TurboGrafx-16)
14. Golden Axe Warrior (Xbox 360 - Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection)
15. Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2 (Dreamcast)
16. Growl (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
17. Arabian Magic (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
18. Dungeon Magic (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
19. Gekirindan (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
20. Ys II (Saturn - Falcom Classics II)
21. Darius Gaiden (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
22. G Darius (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
23. Giana Sisters DS (DS)
24. RayStorm (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
25. Mr. Do! (ColecoVision)
26. Beauty & the Beast (Intellivision)
27. Boxing (PlayStation 2 - Activision Anthology)
28. Crystalis (NES)
29. Dragon Warrior (NES)
30. Faxanadu (NES)
31. Tombs & Treasure (NES)
32. Kirby's Dream Land (Game Boy)
33. Kirby's Adventure (NES)
34. Kirby Super Star (SNES)
35. Hoshi no Kirby 64 (Nintendo 64)
36. Kirby: Triple Deluxe (3DS)
37. Dig Dug (Wii - Namco Museum Megamix)
38. Phoenix (Xbox - Taito Legends)
39. Phoenix (Atari 2600)
40. Pleiads (Xbox - Tecmo Classic Arcade)
41. Kangaroo (Atari 2600)
42. Final Fantasy Adventure (Game Boy)
43. Gorf (Atari 2600)
44. Richard Scarry's Huckle and Lowly's Busiest Day Ever (Pico)
45. Mickey's Blast Into the Past (Pico)
46. Secret of Mana (SNES)
47. Psycho Soldier (PSP - SNK Arcade Classics 0)
48. Genshi-Tou 1930's (PSP - SNK Arcade Classics 0)
49. Datsugoku: Prisoners of War (PSP - SNK Arcade Classics 0)
50. SAR: Search and Rescue (PSP - SNK Arcade Classics 0)

51. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)
52. Tic-Tac-Toe / Shooting Gallery / Doodle / Quadra-Doodle (Channel F)
53. Robot War / Torpedo Alley (Channel F)
54. Pinball Challenge (Channel F)
55. Elevator Action (Xbox - Taito Legends)
56. Elevator Action II (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
57. Altered Beast (Xbox 360 - Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection)
58. Congo Bongo (Xbox 360 - Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection)
59. International Soccer (Commodore 64)
60. Out of this World! / Helicopter Rescue! (Odyssey²)
61. Alien Invaders - Plus! (Odyssey²)
62. Ice Hockey (Atari 2600)
63. River Raid (Atari 2600)
64. Frankenstein's Monster (Atari 2600)
65. Ys II (Famicom)
66. Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (Turbo CD)
67. Gremlins (Atari 2600)
68. Frogs and Flies (Atari 2600)
69. Ice Climber (NES)
70. Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (PlayStation 2)
71. Ghosts 'n Goblins (PSP - Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded)
72. Ikari Warriors (Atari 2600)
73. Donkey Kong Junior (Atari 2600)
74. Donkey Kong Junior (ColecoVision)
75. Ys: Memories of Celceta (Vita)
76. Guevara (PSP - SNK Arcade Classics 0)
77. New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS)
78. Evolution (Plug & Play - ColecoVision Flashback)
79. Ys I (GOG.com - Ys I & II Chronicles+)
80. Ys II (GOG.com - Ys I & II Chronicles+)
81. Mushihimesama Futari Ver 1.5 (Xbox 360)
82. Evoland (GOG.com)
83. Phantasy Star (Sega Master System)

I liked it.
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