Games Beaten 2016

[Markies]

Since this is my first calendar year on Racketboy, I think I should participate in the Games Beaten Challenge. The last couple of months, I've posted in these threads just to get my feet wet. Now, it's time to see how many games I can beat in a calendar year!

1. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (GameCube)

I beat this game yesterday and it was pretty fantastic. The presentation, graphics, voice acting and sound are just top notch. You feel like you are in a Star Wars Movie. Also, the flying is much better as you feel like you are flying in a 3D space.

The mission styles get really repetitive as I got really tired of all the escort missions. Also, blowing up the Death Star a second time is just not as impact full. The mission objectives can be vague and they don't really point exactly what you need to it. And much like the original Rogue Squadron, the game can get really unfair and hard near the end.

Overall, I enjoyed the experience. The presentation and enjoyment saved it for me. It can be really fun at times along with being really intense.

[Sarge]

1) Bonk's Adventure (NES)
2) Little Samson
3) Holy Diver

Holy Diver is bullcrap. Pure, unmitigated, bullcrap.

I can handle the first three stages reliably, and the fourth stage isn't too bad, either. I picked up with save states because I wanted to be able to quit when I wanted. It became necessary to abuse them when I hit the level four boss. That freakin' eyeball tower is ridiculously hard, since one wrong move sends you plummeting to your death. It's the worst of the sort of unfair bosses.

The rest of the game also hits you with a lot of unfair stuff, stuff that would take a lot more foreknowledge to really get through it relatively unscathed. I've watched someone go through, and he makes it look easy, but it's anything but, as most of us already know from other games.

My biggest problem with the game is that the whole game feels cheap and unfair, like a badly-balanced arcade title. It's hard in the worst way. Where something like Battletoads, as difficult as it is, feels fair once you get things down, this felt anything but. I know I resorted to save states far more often than in my practice Battletoads runs. It's got too much randomness in it for a game that difficult.

I "beat" it, at any rate. Glad to be done with it. Don't torture yourself like I did.

EDIT: Going back and checking that video again, I had the right idea in some places, it just takes perfect execution to make it all work. I think I could probably beat it legit if I beat my head against it enough (it does have unlimited continues), but I'll be darned if I'm going to do it now.

[MrPopo]

Funkdoc ran Holy Diver at both GDQs in 2013, and it's amazing to watch live. Especially since he's so good at doing his own live commentary. And yeah, the game is utter bullshit.

[Sarge]

I figure it'd take me a couple days solid play to get to where I could pull it off. That's what it took for Battletoads. I saw a couple of places where I could improve my run. The last boss is actually really easy. I think the primary roadblock to any run is still going to be that level 4 boss.

It's all about learning to manipulate the BS, I suppose.

I should look and see if there are videos of that run, I'd love to see another take on how to tackle some of the trickiest bits.

[MrPopo]

Both of Funkdoc's runs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmBzfuzBKXI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AECA6Xfwz0I

[Sarge]

Thanks for the links. Learned some tricks that might help out should I try to tackle it again.

[PartridgeSenpai]

Tales of Vesperia

I knew I'd probably like this game, but I had no idea of how much I'd like it. I utterly adored this game. The combat system was great fun, and never felt stale, for all of the 72 or so hours I spent on the game. Especially once you get the 'Combo Plus' skills for Yuri, his combos are just so damn satisfying to pull off.

The characters were also really well written and well voice acted to boot. To a certain level they were tropey, but they actually had some really great subtleties to them that made them very endearing to me, but maybe it's because I just don't watch much anime Xp

End verdict: I super enjoyed this game, and it turned me into a super-Tales fan. Currently having a lot of fun going through Tales of Symphonia

Also, thanks for those links Popo Senpai. It's crazy to watch him go through that game so effortlessly O.o

[MrPopo]

Shameless plug: Awesome Games Done Quick 2016 starts tomorrow and runs for the next week. They have a good variety of runs encompassing both retro and modern as well as several challenge categories, like whip-only Castlevania and reverse boss order Super Metroid.

[Sarge]

I have a weird history with Tales games. They're always really hit and miss with me. I loved Symphonia to pieces, but Vesperia fell a bit flat (I still beat it, though!). I didn't initially cotton to Abyss, but it ended up being one of my favorites. The original is pretty good, and I went through Destiny, but I have yet to finish off Eternia. But I somehow suffered through Legendia... at least the first part of the game.

Anyway, I'm playing a bit of Tales of Hearts R now, and it's pretty spiffy so far. The pacing is absolutely blistering right now, and I really, really appreciate that.

[BogusMeatFactory]

Shameless plug: Awesome Games Done Quick 2016 starts tomorrow and runs for the next week. They have a good variety of runs encompassing both retro and modern as well as several challenge categories, like whip-only Castlevania and reverse boss order Super Metroid.

I love agdq and will be having it running 24/7 in the apartment. I love having my wii u for getting twitch.tv displayed on my tv.