Games Beaten 2016

[Sarge]

Are there any other games with a reputation for difficulty on this forum that I am overlooking (and really need to beat)?

I don't know about this forum, but go beat Viewtiful Joe on Adults difficulty. I did that once and I will never do it again.

Haha, yeah, that was rough going. I remember a few friends of mine being psyched for it, then when the final game came out, they were like "why is this so hard?" It's a great game, but it doesn't pull any punches. Never did try V-Rated.

Another one, if you haven't tried it, is the original release of Devil May Cry 3. Man, that was tough. Made the rest of the series look like a cakewalk. Thanks, Japan, for making Hard our Normal.

[ElkinFencer10]

Are there any other games with a reputation for difficulty on this forum that I am overlooking (and really need to beat)?

I don't know about this forum, but go beat Viewtiful Joe on Adults difficulty. I did that once and I will never do it again.

Haha, yeah, that was rough going. I remember a few friends of mine being psyched for it, then when the final game came out, they were like "why is this so hard?" It's a great game, but it doesn't pull any punches. Never did try V-Rated.

Another one, if you haven't tried it, is the original release of Devil May Cry 3. Man, that was tough. Made the rest of the series look like a cakewalk. Thanks, Japan, for making Hard our Normal.

Good GOD, Devil May Cry 3 was hard. There were a few parts that were pretty tough, but it was the last boss battle that really kicked my ass. I spent an entire day - like six or seven solid hours - trying and failing to beat that until I finally got it through a mix of 30% figuring out the pattern and 70% pure luck.

[Ack]

1. Metal Slug (MVS)(Run and Gun)
2. Puzzle Link (NGPC)(Puzzle)

I've been working on this one off and on for a couple of years now. It's a puzzle game by Yumekobo(which went officially defunct around the death of SNK) for the Neo Geo Pocket Color which focuses on making connections between four types of blocks with the same color/shape that are not already touching to cause them to disappear. Connect the right blocks, and you can cause a massive chain reaction that clears nearly the whole screen and gives you a boatload of points. The game features three game modes: Normal, Clear, and Battle. Normal has a stage setting where the player must swiftly destroy rows of descending blocks and connect the two C blocks before any of the blocks reach the bottom of the screen. Battle operates like an instant action version of Normal. But the Clear mode features preset arrangements of blocks that the player must clear within a set number of connections.

To focus on Normal for a bit, this is the game's "arcade" mode, and it features 8 sets of levels. While Normal offers a difficulty selection, this only sends you to a specific set from the 8, and clearing each level in a set unlocks that set as a permanently selectable choice. So if you clear set 6, for instance, you can now access set 7 regardless of whatever difficulty you selected. While the sets all feature the same kinds of blocks to clear, the difficulty ramps up in the speed by which the blocks descend. The higher the level, the faster the descent. Different levels also feature a different number of block types, so some will have only two(quite easy to deal with), while the hardest ones feature all four different types. When you get all four different block types, luck begins to factor into the arrangement, because you may sometimes completely screw yourself over by getting rid of a block that you actually will need in twenty seconds. To cause the C blocks to appear which will let you advance, you need to earn a certain score on each level. There is also a timer, though the game does not end if you fail to beat the level under the time limit; instead, rushing through unlocks one of 90 cards found in the game. The cards are Pokemon-style entries, though they have no practical purpose whatsoever and really aren't related at all. Basically they're just fluff.

Normal mode I beat...oh, sometime in early 2014. It was Clear mode that gave me the most trouble. There are apparently 61 levels in Clear mode, which seems a strange number to end on. Each one offers a new arrangement of blocks and tells you how many connections should be used to clear all of the blocks. You do not always have to follow this, so some levels can be cleared in fewer connections, while some may take more. That's ok, all you have to do is beat the level to advance, though some arrangements are quite tough. Some of the longer ones threw me for a while, and I set the game down for a year over one particular design that required 11 connections. I finally beat level 58 today and then managed to fly through the rest of them with ease only to discover how close I was to being finished.

Puzzle Link...it's fun, but it can also be a bit frustrating, and it feels like it wishes it was more than it actually is. I've got the sequel. Maybe I'll give it a go and finally finish it around 2018 or so.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Good GOD, Devil May Cry 3 was hard. There were a few parts that were pretty tough, but it was the last boss battle that really kicked my ass. I spent an entire day - like six or seven solid hours - trying and failing to beat that until I finally got it through a mix of 30% figuring out the pattern and 70% pure luck.

I know that feeling. It took me approximately seven hours of continuous play to get through the final three stages in R-Type Delta, and it was grueling. (I did it though!!!)

[Sarge]

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) (repeat)
7) Mighty Final Fight (repeat)
8] Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (repeat)
9) Monster In My Pocket (repeat)
10) Battle of Olympus
11) Gunstar Heroes (repeat)

Yeah, I played through Gunstar again. This time, I decided I needed at least a little more challenge, so I avoided the game-breaking homing shot+lightning. Seriously, it does require you to be on your toes a bit more. Only thing I regret is not taking fixed shot over free. You might think moving and shooting is the name of the game, but it's far easier to draw a bead on the bosses if you can sit still and pepper them from their safe spots.

There's really not much that can be said that hasn't already been said, it's probably still Treasure's best game. You can even read my (admittedly terrible) blabbering about it in Gamespite Journal 12.

[PartridgeSenpai]

There's really not much that can be said that hasn't already been said, it's probably still Treasure's best game. You can even read my (admittedly terrible) blabbering about it in Gamespite Journal 12.

If we hadn't gotten basically ALL of the dialogue cut out of our version of Dynamite Headdy here in the West, I could more vehemently disagree that Gunstar Heroes is Treasure's best game. But considering that theme and character on top of the great mechanics are big parts of why I like that game, I must say that it can't really top Gunstar Heroes, which is really to speak to the quality of both games. It's a shame Treasure really seemed to drop off the face of the earth in terms of really excellent platformers/actioners after the Genesis. Nothing on the GBA or Saturn seemed to compare to their glory days

[Exhuminator]

It's a shame Treasure really seemed to drop off the face of the earth in terms of really excellent platformers/actioners after the Genesis. Nothing on the GBA or Saturn seemed to compare to their glory days

You should check out the Wii then, because Sin & Punishment: Star Successor is Treasure's best game.

[Sarge]

The US version of Dynamite Headdy is balanced terribly, though. It gets brutally, unfairly hard toward the last third of the game. Of course, the Japanese version is a bit fairer, so perhaps that would make it a bit better as well. I still don't think I'd put it as their best, but then again, I'm a big run-and-gun fan. Gunstar speaks to me in ways Headdy doesn't, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy my time with it.

Honestly, almost every Treasure game is great in its own way. Heck, I even enjoyed Advance Guardian Heroes and Gunstar Super Heroes, two games that get a lot of flak for not being enough like their namesakes. I think Mischief Makers is a superb, underrated gem. Even something like Light Crusader eventually shines.

Anyway, games beaten. I finished the main storyline of Dragon Age: Inquisition. There's soooo much content that I didn't get to, though. I'll probably want to go through the final bits of DLC to, especially to clarify some of that ending. Hopefully it'll do that.

[MrHealthy]

January
1. Fez (PC)
2. Sakura Spirit (PC)
3. Mega Man 1 (PC - Legacy Collection)
4. Mega Man 2 (PC - Legacy Collection)
5. McPixel (PC)
6. Tower of Heaven (PC)

Fez is a charming platformer based around exploration and collecting. It uses a very unique take on a world flipping mechanic. To simply collect the standard 32 cubes and finish the game is not that overly challenging, as was quite relaxing. Collecting the 32 Anti cubes is straight up sadistic. I think I found about half without a guide, which is pretty good all things considered. The 3 red cubes are completely insane. I have no idea how anyone found those without help. Anyways, I enjoyed it, and would play a sequel if one ever came out.

Sakura Spirit barely qualifies as a game. In fact, I honestly debated putting it on here simply because I don't think it should be called a game. Its more like porn targeted at nerdy, anime loving, high school aged boys, except they took out all the porn. Seriously, its just a bad porn plot without the sex, and all of the innuendos.
Admittedly, the artist does have talent, but looking at these supposedly erotic images just felt weird when you don't even get to see anything. It made me feel like I was staring at someone on the street, clearly perving on them, with no pay off. I'd rather just go look at real porn.
It doesn't even work well as a visual novel for pervs, because unlike every other visual ever, you don't make any damn choices that effect the story (save for one late game choice that changes one scene).
At least the music was pretty good.

Ah, Mega Man, my go to series to replay. I've played them all numerous times, except for Mega Man 1. I've only ever beaten that one once before. I seem to recall not thinking it was as hard as people say. But upon playing it again I now understand. Mega Man 1 is bullshit. Level design is crap, physics are slightly off, and the boss fights are just kinda off putting. I don't really know how I beat it so easy the first time. But I struggled this time.

Mega Man 2 is leaps and bounds better then number 1. It shocked me playing them back to back how much of an improvement it is. From the graphics, the music, the level design, physics and boss fights. Everything is improved. It reminds me of how big of a jump Uncharted to Uncharted 2 was. And while it is an unpopular opinion, I wish it don't go so far downhill again with Mega Man 3.

McPixel is disappointing. Its sort of supposed to be a comedic take on MacGyver. But it isn't all that effective. And what starts as a light hearted easy to play game, click on things to try and disarm the bomb in the scene, quickly just becomes too repetitive and boring. I can't really recommend it at its normal price of 5 dollars. Even as a more of a joke game, there are better options out there, like the more recent Shower with your dad simulator.

If you have not heard of or played Tower of Heaven go do it right now: http://askiisoft.com/games/tower-of-heaven/
Go ahead, its short, only 11 levels. I can wait.

...

Have you finished? Good.
Its a pretty great little game don't you think? I first played it back when it release in 2009. Its soundtrack has been on my ipod / phone ever since. I would love to see a fleshed out expanded version of this game. But even if that never happens, I'd be okay with that, because Tower of Heaven does what it sets out to do in a nice tight little package (oh good, the sakura spirit innuendos have infected me...). Even though its short, I found the story to be delivered in a very powerful way. Its simplicity is what makes it great, and somehow makes it complex.

[ElkinFencer10]

It's a shame Treasure really seemed to drop off the face of the earth in terms of really excellent platformers/actioners after the Genesis. Nothing on the GBA or Saturn seemed to compare to their glory days

You should check out the Wii then, because Sin & Punishment: Star Successor is Treasure's best game.

I'm planning to play Rodea The Sky Soldier after I finish Muramasa and Project Zero 2, but Star Successor is the next Wii game on my list after that. I've had it for years; I don't know why I never got around to playing it.