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PartridgeSenpai
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Re: Games Beaten 2016

by PartridgeSenpai Mon Jan 04, 2016 7:59 am

Sarge wrote:The bananas were the worst. I wouldn't have minded if you could pick them up with any Kong, but no, you have to be the right Kong. Very annoying. A lot of the game is really solid, but there's a such thing as too much collecting, and the game certainly commits that crime.


I respectfully disagree that there's "too much collecting" in DK64. I agree with Popo Senpai that it really never feels onerous because the level design is so good, and the kong selection points are usually very forgiving. This is game, in my opinion, that does a collectothon very well.

An example of a game that does collectothon VERY badly (among numerous other things), play Earthworm Jim 3D. Imagine that instead of putting bananas in DK64, or notes in Banjo-Kazooie, on the paths to areas where the golden bananas/jiggys were, that they were off the path, in the air, and in all the most annoying places possible. That game REALLY makes collection feel like work in the worst possible way, and is a really dreadful Rareware-clone.

I totally agree with you on those racing mini-games though. Not a single easy one in the bunch, and the fact that you need to collect coins at the same time AND avoid getting knocked off and killed just makes it sooooo much worse.
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TSTR
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Re: Games Beaten 2016

by TSTR Mon Jan 04, 2016 9:20 am

1. Garou: Mark of the Wolves (Neo Geo AES)

Amongst messing with this last night I did a couple of run-throughs on tittybaby difficulty, a 1cc with Butt and a 2cc with Rock. This may be the best SNK fighter I've ever played. The art is just stunning and really shows off what the Neo Geo can do both in backgrounds and spritework. In addition, I feel that the entry barrier to this one is fairly low, which is always appreciated in a genre that can become very complex very quickly. I was soon able to pull off moves and combos within minutes of playing, yet there are systems in place for a lot of strategic depth to be employed. This is definitely one I will continue to come back to.
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Balasubbie
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Re: Games Beaten 2016

by Balasubbie Mon Jan 04, 2016 11:24 am

Games Beaten 2016.

1. Metal Slug X (PC)
2. Metal Slug 2 (PC)
3. Metal Slug 3 (PC)

I went into 3 with high expectations. So often do I see sitting atop 'best Metal Slug' list that I figured it'd be the pinnacle of the original SNK run of the series. Were my expectations met? Yes and no. Yes, in terms of the depth it introduces into the series. The branching, considerably different paths make replays a must and the fact there's different weaponry (or Metal Slugs) exclusive to certain paths reinforce this fact.

It falls apart somewhat on two points. The first being a considerably uneven difficulty. No other Metal Slug, in my experience, relies so heavily on memorization than 3. There are instances, most notably in the game's final act, that lock players into unwinnable situations. For instance, even if an enemy launches an attack a good two seconds off, you're still screwed because the portion of the screen you occupy is inescapable without taking a shot, regardless of jump, twitching or crouching. Now, this is both an arcade title and a Metal Slug entry, so merciless difficulty is expected, but here, it is disheartening in how unflinchingly cheap it manages to be.

Furthermore, the game's final level is a marathon. It is brimming with so much good stuff. Hell, each boss fight that dots its corridors are worthy, satisfying ventures that reward good play with heartening animations, and hell again, it even turns into a functional Shmup halfway through and maintains a fun air. Its letdown, however, is just how much of a marathon it happens to be. Whilst it is brimming with fun, by the time I reached the halfway, a lot of the goodwill for the ideas therein were eaten up by how much of a slog it works out to be. I watched a number of let's-plays to gauge to run time, and the last level works out roughly the same duration as the previous four combined. God help anyone who'd been playing this on the oXbox, where it'd launch you back to the level's start upon loss of all lives.

That said, I'm still gonna put a lot more time into it and, as a Metal Slug fan, I'm opening to my views changing on the fact, and it is still a really good game, but initial impressions have lead me to be somewhat disappointed. Anyone share/counter this sentiment? Always interested to hear/read.
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alienjesus
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Re: Games Beaten 2016

by alienjesus Mon Jan 04, 2016 11:33 am

I pretty much agree 100%. 3 gets a lot of love for just how crazy over the top it gets, but for me it's just too frustrating to really enjoy - way too many cheap shots.

The pinnacle of the series in terms of playability for me is probably still the first game. Unlike most though, I really like Metal Slug 4 though. It feels like a step back to basics.
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ElkinFencer10
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Re: Games Beaten 2016

by ElkinFencer10 Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:09 pm

So far, I've finished a game every day of the new year. I finished Fatal Frame for Xbox on the 1st, I finished The Order: 1886 for PS4 on the 2nd, and I finished Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop for Wii yesterday. I'm hoping to finish NyxQuest for WiiWare tonight when I get home from work tonight.
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Blu
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Re: Games Beaten 2016

by Blu Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:19 pm

1. Xenoblade Chronicles X - Nintendo Wii U - January 3

I liked it. The mechanics take some getting used to. Skells rule but I found their interface and usage more confusing after I finally got used to ground character gameplay. There's no hand holding whatsoever. The font at times can be squint inducing. Gorgeous visuals in the environment, coupled with not-so-great character models. Fuck Tatsu. I hate that anthropomorphic potato. The story's pretty decent with some interesting twists. A solid RPG that the Wii U has been direly needing. If you like exploring, there's plenty to do. Overall, 8/10 for me.
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ElkinFencer10
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Re: Games Beaten 2016

by ElkinFencer10 Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:30 pm

Blu wrote:1. Xenoblade Chronicles X - Nintendo Wii U - January 3

I liked it. The mechanics take some getting used to. Skells rule but I found their interface and usage more confusing after I finally got used to ground character gameplay. There's no hand holding whatsoever. The font at times can be squint inducing. Gorgeous visuals in the environment, coupled with not-so-great character models. Fuck Tatsu. I hate that anthropomorphic potato. The story's pretty decent with some interesting twists. A solid RPG that the Wii U has been direly needing. If you like exploring, there's plenty to do. Overall, 8/10 for me.

Tatsu sucks, and the character models definitely look like the original Xenoblade's model just upscaled, but damn, that environment....Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it the largest continuous open world that's ever been in a video game? Also, how on earth did they get a world that renders in 720p to look that damn beautiful? That game is a masterpiece of squeezing every last drop of the Wii U's processing capabilities. I loved every minute of the roughly 100 hours I sank into it.
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Balasubbie
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Re: Games Beaten 2016

by Balasubbie Mon Jan 04, 2016 3:57 pm

alienjesus wrote:I pretty much agree 100%. 3 gets a lot of love for just how crazy over the top it gets, but for me it's just too frustrating to really enjoy - way too many cheap shots.

The pinnacle of the series in terms of playability for me is probably still the first game.
Unlike most though, I really like Metal Slug 4 though. It feels like a step back to basics.


Odd you should mention that. Having cleared 3 in the most dismal fashion possible, I immediately went back to Metal Slug 1 to kinda cleanse the palate.
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ElkinFencer10
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Re: Games Beaten 2016

by ElkinFencer10 Mon Jan 04, 2016 11:25 pm

Yep, finished NyxQuest tonight. I started Zombie Defense on Wii U (it's $4 on the eShop right now with the sale, and despite being a super generic title and theme, it's a pretty neat tower defense/RTS blend that I've had a lot of fun with tonight), am slowly whittling my way through one of those Hatsune Miku games on my Vita, and will probably start Shadow the Edgehog on my Gamecube in the next couple days (I refuse to use hedgehog in the title; he's just too edgy for that).
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BoneSnapDeez
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Re: Games Beaten 2016

by BoneSnapDeez Mon Jan 04, 2016 11:26 pm

More like too hedgy, amirite??
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