Games Beaten 2016

[ZBomber]

Spirit Tracks is actually the only main series Zelda game I have yet to play. But Phantom Hourglass' controls WERE really strange, and are a perfect example of implementing unnecessary system gimmicks (putting the system to sleep on a certain screen? Come on!). Other than the weird controls and the stupid temple with the hourglass you have to do 3 or 4 times, I remember the game being fun at least.

It's being released on the North American VC today though so I will probably play through it again in honor of Zelda's 30th anniversary.

[Exhuminator]

After finishing both, I'd say Phantom Hourglass was a 7/10 and Spirit Tracks was a 6/10.

[MrPopo]

The controls are the big focal point for this game, and while I don't think they are good I do feel people are making them out to be worse than they actually are. The dog fights were fine and actually kind of fun. However, the parts I had difficulty with were anything that required ground movement - particularly the boss fights. The one on the snow world in particular gave me some difficulty, but not in a fun way.

The weird thing is there's that one Landmaster level that is on rails just like in Star Fox 64, and that one controls just fine. It's very specifically the all range mode ground levels where the controls stick out as being bad because you now have to use the left stick to move forward and back, rather than adjusting your aim. If they had left the ground vehicles as always moving forward even in all range mode I think it would have controlled so much better and kept the gamepad integration for just the precise work, rather than the "use the gamepad to aim at all" situation the all range ground vehicles were in.

[Sarge]

I liked both PH and ST, and thought the touch controls weren't perfect, but worked overall. (There's a d-pad patch for 'em, by the way.)

I know a lot of folks hated Spirit Tracks because the overworld was literally on rails, but I liked it a lot more than Phantom Hourglass.

Oh, random responses to other dangling threads in this... thread:

Gargoyle's Quest is the bomb, but Demon's Crest is one of the best SNES games ever. It's proto-Symphony of the Night. It's got some incredibly strong graphic design as well. I wish I could play a sequel.

I really enjoyed Retro City Rampage a lot. I actually didn't tire of all the references, because I've not played too many games that pulled that shtick. I suppose if you've played a lot of other games that have pulled the same thing, it might be old at this point. Of course, I didn't get all the references, being somewhat deprived as a child of a good deal of pop culture.

[MrPopo]

I found Spirit Tracks' overworld to be frustrating when dealing with the evil trains. With Phantom Hourglass I could just draw my route for whatever made the most sense and then cannon away the obstacles. Spirit Tracks was more active and required you to figure out the patterns and sometimes you just got screwed.

[ElkinFencer10]

Spirit Tracks wasn't nearly as good as Phantom Hourglass, but I actually enjoyed the way that they used the touchscreen for the control scheme. What it necessary? No, but it worked really well IMO.

[ZBomber]

The controls are the big focal point for this game, and while I don't think they are good I do feel people are making them out to be worse than they actually are. The dog fights were fine and actually kind of fun. However, the parts I had difficulty with were anything that required ground movement - particularly the boss fights. The one on the snow world in particular gave me some difficulty, but not in a fun way.

The weird thing is there's that one Landmaster level that is on rails just like in Star Fox 64, and that one controls just fine. It's very specifically the all range mode ground levels where the controls stick out as being bad because you now have to use the left stick to move forward and back, rather than adjusting your aim. If they had left the ground vehicles as always moving forward even in all range mode I think it would have controlled so much better and kept the gamepad integration for just the precise work, rather than the "use the gamepad to aim at all" situation the all range ground vehicles were in.

That's a really good point. All range mode in the land master/chicken walker really is where things become a nightmare. I can't remember having issues with anything during the on-rail mode.

[PartridgeSenpai]

I played them too far apart and both too long ago to really compare them, but I really enjoyed both Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. Shooting my cannon to the music and tooting my train horn to the music was always just so fun, as well as upgrading with new ship parts. I wouldn't hesistate to recommend them to anyone who likes adventure games on DS

Also, I really liked the gimmick where you had to close the DS to solve that one puzzle in PH. It gave me a good chuckle

[Markies]

1. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (GCN)
2. Max Payne (XBOX)
3. Eternal Poison (PS2)
4. Dragon Warrior III (NES)
5. Arkanoid: Doh It Again(SNES)
6. Super Mario Brothers 2 (NES)
7. Phantasy Star Online (DC)
8. Power Stone (DC)

I beat Power Stone on the Dreamcast this afternoon!

I had always heard amazing things about this game considering all of the great Capcom games that had been made for the Dreamcast. It is a very unique fighter. I think of it as a 3D version of Super Smash Brothers, but with only two characters. There are weapons and boxes you can throw at your enemies, but you can also punch, kick and grab your opponents as well.

The main draw are the Power Stones, which basically turn your character into like a Super Saiyan type. You need to collect 3 gems for it to happen and only three gems ever appear, so if your opponent grabs one, you have to beat it out of him. The gems are really interesting, but most of the match is revolved around the gems and that it can get old really quick. Some enemies are much cheaper compared to others as well as the spike is kind of insane. Also, the sub boss is incredibly hard while the final boss is incredibly easy.

It's a fun game that has potential. It doesn't initially grab me as being fair or balanced, but it is very unique and very enjoyable to play. I like aspects of it, but it can get a bit repetitive as all the matches boil down to the two of you chasing after the gems.

[Sarge]

January:

1) Bonk's Adventure (NES)
2) Little Samson
3) Holy Diver
4) Holy Diver (legit!)
5) Mitsume Ga Tooru
6) TMNT II: The Arcade Game (NES)
7) Mighty Final Fight
8] Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
9) Monster In My Pocket
10) Battle of Olympus
11) Gunstar Heroes (repeat)
12) Dragon Age: Inquisition
13) Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser
14) Captain America and the Avengers (NES)
15) StarTropics
16) Double Dragon II: The Revenge (NES) (save states)
17) Double Dragon II: The Revenge (NES) (legit)
18) Crisis Force
19) Esper Dream 2
20) Felix the Cat
21) Moon Crystal
22) Panic Restaurant
23) Frankenstein (NES)
24) Crystalis
25) Nekketsu Kakutou Densetsu

February:

26) Killer Instinct (GB)
27) Mashin Hero Wataru Gaiden
28) Sly Spy (Arcade)
29) The Red Star (unreleased XBOX, also on PS2)
30) Adventure Island 4
31) Cocoron
32) Batman: Arkham Knight
33) Xeodrifter (Vita)
34) Doom 2
35) Brandish: The Dark Revenant
36) Magical Pop'n
37) The Ninja Warriors (SNES)
38) Phantasy Star (SMS)
39) Phantasy Star III
40) Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
41) Brandish: The Dark Revenant (Dela Mode)

March:

42) Freedom Planet (Milla, 82 lives lost)
43) Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
44) Lara Croft Go
45) Oniken
46) Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
47) Batman: The Video Game (GB)
48) Batman: The Video Game (NES)
49) Super Spy Hunter

April:

50) Mega Man 2
51) Mega Man 4
52) Mission: Impossible (NES)
53) Mega Man 6
54) Super Mario Bros. 3
55) Sword Master
56) DuckTales 2
57) Rush'n Attack (NES)
58) Mega Man 3
59) Mega Man 5
60) Mega Man
61) S.C.A.T. - Special Cybernetic Attack Team
62) TaleSpin (NES)
63) Double Dragon III (NES)
64) Donkey Kong (NES)
65) Astyanax (NES)

May:
66) Master Chu and the Drunkard Hu
67) The New Ghostbusters II (NES, proto)
68) Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PSP, via Dracula X Chronicles)
69) Revenge of Shinobi

I know a lot of people love this game, but I'm gonna do some sacred cow-bashing. It certainly looks good, sounds good, and plays well. However, at heart, it's an arcade game, with all the BS that entails. Cheap deaths abound, some of the platforming is sketchy as all get-outs, the double-jump timing is really tight, and that last boss maze area is garbage and not fun.

I'm going to count this as part of the summer challenge, because I've never beaten the game before; however, calling it an unquestioned classic is really a stretch in my mind.