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1. Flag to Flag - Dreamcast (January 12)
2. The Battle of Olympus - NES (January 18)
3. Thunder Force AC - Arcade/MAME (February 6)
4. Golden Axe - Arcade/MAME (February 14)
5. Rod-Land - Arcade/MAME (February 22)
6. Xexyz - NES (March 14)
7. Smuggler's Run: Warzones - Gamecube (March 26)
8. Rad Racer - NES (March 27)
9. Rad Racer II - NES (March 27)
10. Rise of the Triad 2013 - PC (April 23)
11. Call of Juarez: Bound In Blood - PC (June 2)
12. Call of Duty: World At War - PC (June 26)
13. Medal of Honor: Infiltrator - GBA (June 27)
14. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon - Island Thunder - PC (July 14)
15. Feel The Magic XY/XX - DS (August 9)
16. Clubhouse Games - DS (September 1)
17. Alone In The Dark - PC (October 12)
18. Super Ghouls N Ghosts - GBA (October 31)
19. Solaris - Atari 2600 (December 1)
20. *NEW* Star Control II (via The Ur-Quan Masters) - PC (December 26)

Most likely the final game I'm gonna beat this year, #20 brought quite a surprise to me. When this was nominated for this year's Together Retro, I may have quickly dismissed it as another boring space simulation, but then I was told that it had a free remake available, and I couldn't resist that. It started a little slow but then I saw the Ancient DOS Games episode on it before December came around and it got me a little more interested. I was liking the resource gathering and wasn't too excited about the space battles. So it turns out when I did get around to playing it, I was right. There's a LOT of space to explore, a lot of alien races to talk to, a lot of planets to mine, and a lot of stuff to do, one could get lost easily. But it comes down to making the right dialogue choices, setting the right courses, and getting all the necessary items for yourself and your ship. There's just so much to say and I can see why it's still a popular PC game nearly 25 years after its release. I'd put this easily in my personal top 10 best game list, and it's an experience you can't miss, especially since it's totally free! I played The Ur-Quan Masters, which was a community-driven remake of the better 3DO port of SC II.

I said I was going to talk about Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, right? So let's talk about it.

If you're waiting for the game to continue the story in Pirate's Curse, then this one isn't for you. This is more of a sort of reboot/retelling/side story/whatever. The game even makes fun of this fact early on with one of the NPCs.

The visuals are probably the biggest draw here. It's a really nice looking game. It's not fully 2D, just the enemies and such. Many of the backdrops are 3D, but they still look nice. It's all very high-resolution as well. I don't think there's a thing to complain about on the graphics front.



(This is about as kinky as it gets. It's surprisingly reserved for a Bozon game.)

Ditto the sound. As much as I tend to name-drop Jake Kaufman, you'd think I was a fan... and you'd be right. There are several games that I learn about through his involvement, and when he's there, there's a kick-butt soundtrack. Once again, he delivers. The man has some serious talent, and I was a big fan back when he was doing remixes for Dwelling of Duels as "virt".



Gameplay isn't Metroidvania proper, it's more a exploratory level-based affair. You go to an area, look around for stuff (and sometimes can't get to it), complete the level, and go back to town. An overworld map lets you move from location to location, and it also shows if you've collected all the baubles in an area.





One thing the game doesn't provide is a Super Metroid-style map. So much like the other entries in the series sans Pirate's Curse, you're just exploring. Areas are pretty large, but not so large that you can't figure out things eventually. And you'll get stumped on what to do next a couple of times, most likely. My advice is just to pay very close attention in one particular area once you get your mouse dance.

Yeah, that's right, the dances are back. I'm actually quite happy about this, since I like the various transformations more than just standard Metroid-style powerups. It's too bad that they don't get used quite as much as they could have. There are also a few optional dances as well. You've seen many of them before, but I still like 'em. You'll also find upgrades for each form as well, which hearkens back to the earlier entries as well.



I only have a few gripes with the game, really. First, the auto-run/escape sequences can be a pain. There's one in particular in a tower that will troll you with a dead end from which you can't escape, right at the end of the sequence. I literally was like, "really, guys?" at that point. The last sequence can be slightly tricky as well until you get things worked out.





The other gripe is that, honestly, it's waaaaaaay too easy. Other than dying in pits or escape sequences, I don't think I died any in combat. And really, there's no excuse for it, because you also get overburdened with plenty of life-restoratives. This is a game that probably begs for a play on Hero mode, 'cause the base game is no challenge. It's still fun, just don't expect it to really push you much.



All in all, though, it's a fun, fun play if you've enjoyed any of the other games in the series. I'm on record as liking Pirate's Curse a bit more, but not amazingly more. You'll polish it off in 8-10 hours (and the timer apparently doesn't run in town, which is why my sub-seven hour time seemed low), but that's par for the course for these types of games. If you need something vaguely Metroid-y, or Monster World-ish, it's a fine purchase.

Games Beaten 2016

First 50:

Battleborn - PC
140 - PC
Last Duel - Arcade (PSP)
Alien on the Run - 3DS
Undead Bowling - 3DS
Chain Blaster - 3DS
Runny Egg - 3DS
Bound - PS4
Parasite Eve - PS1
Destiny - PS4
Destiny: The Dark Below - PS4
Destiny: The House of Wolves - PS4
Destiny: The Taken King - PS4
Otomedius Excellent - 360
Crimsonland - PC
Planet of the Eyes - PC
Destiny: Rise of Iron - PS4
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Final Cut - PC
Eve Valkyrie: Gunjack - PSVR
Elegy for a Dead World - PC
SOMA - PC
The Typing of the Dead: Overkill - PC
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood - PSVR
Actual Sunlight - Vita
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare - Jackal Assault VR - PSVR
Letter Quest: Grimm's Journey Remastered - Vita
Thumper - PSVR
Burrito Bison: Launcha Libre - iOS
Trackmania Turbo (VR Campaign) - PSVR
Gears of War 4 - Xbox One
Caladrius Blaze - PS4
Dariusburst Chronicles - PC
Assault Suit Leynos - PS4
Touhou Genso Rondo: Bullet Ballet - PS4
ABZÜ - PC
There's Poop in My Soup - PC
Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island - - Xbox One
Titanfall 2 - PC
Battlefield 4 - - PC
Super Mario Run - iOS
Nihilumbra - Vita *new*
Murasaki Baby - Vita *new*
Bullet Hell Monday - iOS *new*

Total: 93

Previously: 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

I spent the last few days playing a fair amount of touch based games, and the first two use the Vita's inputs quite nicely to create two moody, memorable experiences. The third game is the best in its genre I've played on iOS.

Nihilumbra tries to be somewhat philosophical/heady...at least in the way some stereotypically annoying freshman philosophy majors tend to be. Misfires in the "story" aside, however, the game offers a neat take on the puzzle platformer with some Metroidvania-esque progression based on acquiring new skills. Like Murasaki, the name of the game is new colors=new skills, and like in that game you have to utilize the touch screen to switch between colors, to apply them to the world, etc. I thought it was a fair way to spend a few hours, even if it was relatively easy.

Murasaki Baby features a lot of hand drawn animation that reminded me of the character and world design found in old-school Tim Burton films (Frankenweenie, Nightmare Before Christmas, etc.), and it was a joy to watch the characters interact as the little stories unfolded throughout my time with the game. This one gave me at least a couple of head scratchers in a place or two, but usually the answer could be found with a swipe of the Vita's rear touch pad. That said, if Muraski Baby wasn't so damn charming, I'd probably have given up on it due to the frustrating lack-of-responsiveness in the control scheme at points. Still, it was worth sticking it out and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something different and/or something that is truly unique to the Vita.

Finally, Bullet Hell Monday. I cleared all 50 stages (5 chapters of 10 stages each) of this over multiple hours today (all without spending any money) and think that the challenge/reward the game offers is very fair. I played it on my iPad Pro, which made otherwise tiny bullets much more manageable to navigate, and would probably not recommend playing this on a smaller phone (at least not past the first few levels). That said, I have played many other well regarded shmups on iOS (including Cave's fantastic offerings) and this one really is superior: it is the perfect marriage of hardware platform, level design and progression maps in the game, and that classic shmup-derived adrenaline rush that the best games in the genre can provide. It is the best in its genre on the system, in my opinion, and would strongly encourage any fan of bullet hells to give it a serious look.

I'm at a weird place number-wise for the year. Do I knock off two more games and hit 95 without too much difficulty, or do I put in the work to hit 100 by December 31st? I still have a couple of 2016 games I want to plow through to have a good sense of my GOTY, so perhaps that experience with shape my final tally. Decisions, decisions...

First 50:

51. Ori and the Blind Forest - Xbox One
52. AM2R - PC
53. Total Annihilation - PC
54. I Am Setsuna - PS4
55. Planetary Annihilation Titans - PC
56. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - PC
57. Dark Reign - Rise of the Shadowhand - PC
58. Dragon Age Inquisition - Jaws of Hakkon - PC
59. Dragon Age Inquisition - The Descent - PC
60. Dragon Age Inquisition - Trespasser - PC
61. The Witcher 3 - Hearts of Stone - PC
62. The Witcher 3 - Blood & Wine - PC
63. ReCore - Xbox One
64. Final Fantasy Tactics - PS1
65. Resident Evil 6 - PC
66. Knuckles Chaotix - 32X
67. Assault Suit Leynos - PS4
68. Might & Magic 2 - Gate to Another World - PC
69. Might & Magic 4 - Clouds of Xeen - PC
70. Might & Magic 5 - Darkside of Xeen - PC
71. Might & Magic 4&5 - World of Xeen - PC
72. Rise of the Triad - PC
73. Batman Arkham Knight - PC
74. Rise of the Triad (2013) - PC
75. Dishonored 2 - PC
76. TIS-100 - PC
77. Tyranny - PC
78. StarCraft II - Nova Covert Ops - PC
79. Raiden Fighters 2 - Xbox 360
80. Pokémon Omega Ruby - 3DS
81. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter - PC
82. 7th Dragon III Code VFD - 3DS
83. World of Final Fantasy - PS4
84. Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished - TG-CD
85. Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished - The Final Chapter - TG-CD
86. Duke Nukem 3D 20th Anniversary World Tour - PC
87. Titanfall 2 - PC
88. Final Fantasy - NES
89. Eradicator - PC

File this one under FPS hidden gems. Eradicator is one of those 2.5D FPS's where it isn't quite using full polygons like Quake, but it still manages to have very interesting level design and some verticality thanks to being able to jump and a variety of bridges and moving platforms that lets the level wrap back on itself. More importantly, the gameplay is extremely tight and it has a lot of good weaponry in it.

The story is something involving needing to blow shit up. It's an excuse plot of the highest order. It's an excuse for you to run through a facility and kill all the dudes and flip all the switches and explode all the things. That said, the individual levels have a lot of good design to them; I'd go so far as to say this is probably the strongest level design I've seen in an FPS of this era. The levels tend to have multiple objectives that require you to scour them and do a fair amount of backtracking to nail them all. The objectives all also make sense in the context of the thin story being told. A lot of care went into this aspect.

This game also has a ton of weaponry in it. You don't actually have to find any guns, just ammo. Your weapon is some sort of multifunction thing that can transform or something to use the ammo you find. And there end up being 15 different weapon slots, including the melee weapon. I ended up finding about 2/3 of it useful. There were several ones that were either of general low effectiveness or just not worth the effort when there's an easier to use weapon that's almost as good in terms of damage. One neat thing the game does is it has a picture in picture function. This first gets used when you look at security monitors, but it can also be used to control your remote bombs (including steering the moving ones), get a view of where your missile is going (for long range sniping) and in one notable level you use it to control some enemies to flip switches you can't get to. It ended up being some very clever design.

If you're a fan of FPS's of this era I cannot recommend this one enough.

*Old*

Ronin - PS4
A King's Tale - Final Fantasy XV - PS4
Senran Kagura Estival Versus - PS4

*New*
Infamous Festival of Blood



Oddly enough, I have not played Infamous 2 or Infamous 1. Second Son introduced me to the series. I tried Festival of Blood because it's supposed to be stand alone, kind of like Second Son and First Light

Kind of weird having no karma system as that seems to be a talked about feature in these games and Second Son focused on it a lot

This game was fun. I like the supernatural subject matter, the visual storytelling, and Zeke and Cole exhibit more charm than every single character in Second Son. The combat get repetitive after a while though, and I wish these Infamous games would do a bit more with melee combat. There's potential there, as I like doing combos with Cole's melee weapon and staking vamps, but once the game introduces those girls with the uzis and the First Borns every battle just becomes a fire fight

I didn't like the game trying to push me towards playing online user generated missions, but I have to admit, some of the stuff on there is fun, with people doing silly stuff like a Halloween party using all the games NPCs and other, even more creative things

In fact, I even found an article pointing out some stand outs from the main game itself

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/07/ ... -missions/

Is it just me or do a lot of devs like doing supernatural themed DLC?

I loved rhythm thief, I thought it was a ton of fun

I remember actually having a rough time with some of the stages in Rhythm Thief. And I've played games like PaRappa, Space Channel 5, Bust a Groove, and UnJammer Lammy without any issues

I also didn't like having to constantly tap on the screen to find stuff in Rhythm Thief. I'm not gonna say it's a bad game, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would

January:

February:

March:

April:

May:

June:

July:

August:

September:

October:

November:

December:
159) Rise of the Tomb Raider - Lara's Nightmare (PS4) (DLC)
160) Titanfall 2 (PS4)
161) Soul Blade (PSX)
162) Axiom Verge (PC)
163) Owlboy (PC)
164) Nitro Ball (ARC)
165) Desert Breaker (ARC)
166) Dead Connection (ARC)
167) Crystal of Kings (ARC)
168) Crime Fighters (ARC)
169) Vendetta (ARC)
170) Super Contra (ARC)
171) Contra (ARC)
172) Sunset Riders (ARC)
173) Rastan Saga (ARC)
174) Growl (ARC)
175) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (ARC)
176) Red Clash (ARC)
177) Dreaming Sarah (PC)
178) Crimson Clover WORLD IGNITION (PC)
179) Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (PS4)
180) Adventures of Mana (AND)



Finished off Adventures of Mana. The easiest way to sum up the game is to ask this question: Did you enjoy Final Fantasy Adventure? If you did, you'll enjoy this, particularly if you're looking at a new playthrough. If you didn't, this won't change your mind. It's a new coat of paint, a higher-res PSX-era look for a game that started the Mana series. It's just as snappy and simple as it was on the original Game Boy.





Just make sure you keep keys stocked, and save often. This is so much of a port that you can actually get stuck in one of the dungeons if you run out of keys, a level design flaw that was also in the original game. You'll also want to keep Mattocks on hand until you get the Morningstar.



You can also customize your build, through Warrior/Monk/Sage/Wizard levels. These add to the four main stats, in different amounts. All level-up choices give at least one point to MND and VIT, with Sage and Monk giving two points to those stats, respectively. Warrior and Wizard give two points to STR and INT, to the exclusion of each other. If you're looking to min/max (i.e. grind to the highest level), you'll want to stick to STR/INT level-ups, since you'll always get points in MND and VIT. I pretty much went nearly full strength, only taking INT every now and then to get my MP pool up. Ignoring VIT will make you a little bit of a glass cannon on some bosses, but some of the special moves shred them so well that it won't matter. That spinning sword attack is legit.



I should also point out the game is pretty darn easy. I know there's a little bit of auto-lock on some weapons, and I'm assuming that's for touchscreen players. I played with a Moga, and it made for a nice experience. I really don't remember how aggressive enemies were in the original, but the ones in the last area really didn't attack too much, so it might be a good bit easier than the original. I need to revisit the game, it's probably been 20 years since I last beat it. Just... not now, obviously.



By the way, the remixed music is great, but if you're feeling really nostalgic, you can switch to the original GB music.

It's on sale right now, or at least it was when I bought it. $6.99 for around ten hours of entertainment ain't bad at all. 8/10.

Games Beaten in 2016 So Far - 130

January (20 Games Beaten)


February (8 Games Beaten)


March (8 Games Beaten)


April (13 Games Beaten)


May (6 Games Beaten)


June (13 Games Beaten)


July (7 Games Beaten)


August (15 Games Beaten)


September (8 Games Beaten)


October (10 Games Beaten)


November (6 Games Beaten)


December (16 Games Beaten)


130. Weapon Shop de Omasse - 3DS - December 27



Weapon Shop de Omasse is a very unique game. To some folks, that isn't going to be a good thing. I wasn't sure how I felt about it for the first 30 or 45 minutes, but the game grew on me after a while. It ended up being a good kind of "unique" for me. It's another of Level 5's games, so you know it's going to be creative if nothing else. I can safely say that I've never played another game quite like it.



So you play as an apprentice blacksmith working in his master's shop to fill weapon orders on a rental system. Apparently demand for weapons has soared SO MUCH amidst fears of the Evil Lord's return that the raw materials for weapons have dried up, making supply unable to keep up. The way around this is to use what materials blacksmiths can afford to make weapons to rent rather than to sell. Weapon Shop de Omasse is a unique blend of tycoon sim, rhythm game, and RPG. You decide what weapons to make across different types (sword, axe, spear, dagger, etc) and what stats to make weapons for (slash, pierce, or blunt). Different customers will prefer different types of weapons and fight enemies weak to different damage types, so you have to take that into consideration. You also lose the weapon and receive no money if the customer fails his or her quest, so you have to be selective with regards to who you rent weapons to and who you deny. This is where the tycoon sim aspect comes into play.



When you're actually making the weapons is the rhythm game aspect. When you forge a weapon, you get a hunk of superheated metal that you have pound into shape by tapping the touch screen in time with the rhythm of the background music (don't worry, they give you markers like any rhythm game). The longer your streak is, the better your weapon's stats are. This is my one grip with the game - there are certain places on the weapon that striking will give you diminished points (but still count as a hit for your streak) as well as certain places that you're not supposed to hit and count as a miss even if you're in time. The problem is that I couldn't figure out how to tell where you're supposed to hit and where you're not. I'm sure there is a way to tell, and the game probably even told me in the tutorial after I had gotten bored reading it, but I couldn't figure it out.



Now for the RPG element, both your customers and your weapons level up. Each time a customer completes a quest, he or she levels up, and every time a quest is completed with a particular weapon, that weapon gains experience points. When you polish your weapons, these points are added to its stats. You can also polish each weapon once after forging before it's used in a quest, and I made a point to do that when I had time, but the stat increase is marginal when it hasn't been used in a quest. That's where a bit of risk vs reward comes into play; do you send a particularly strong weapon with a customer on a quest or not? If you do, your customer will have a better chance of completing the quest, netting you money, materials, and more experience for your weapon; if the customer fails that quest, though, you lose your awesome strong weapon forever with nothing in return. Decisions, decisions.



There are two types of customers that you'll encounter. You've got your main customers, and each of them have distinct personalities - a pair of acrobatic twins, an adorable old grandmother who was a kick ass warrior in her youth, a stereotypical warrior guy, an overzealous Frenchman, a samurai, a lady pirate, and a drag queen with way too much ass showing (he used male pronouns, so he wasn't transgender). You also have your NPCs, and that's actually what they're called - NPC E, NPC R, NPC A, etc. They're very aware of their status as NPC in a fourth wall shattering sort of way; if you give on a really strong weapon, he'll say "Wow, you sure you don't want to save this one for a real character?" and after completing a quest, some will say "I'll be back later! I'm going to go walk in circles saying the same thing over and over again." It's funny, but it doesn't break the 4th wall so much that it's irritating.



Weapon Shop de Omasse is a longer game than you would expect, but it's charming. Within the first hour, you'll probably know whether or not it's a game that you'll like. I, personally, loved it, and I definitely recommend it, especially if you want a more laid back management game. It's not a fast paced action game, but it is a clever game that shows you the OTHER side of role playing games.

I am glad to see the positive reviews for Shantae 1/2 Genie Hero. I picked up a copy of the game a couple days ago, and I am playing through it with my children right now. I love playing it, and they love watching it. It looks great; it sounds great; and it is overflowing with charm (even if it is a bit too easy).

.....

Elkin: I am glad that I am not the only one who plays through ridiculous, completely random 3DS eShop games. My collection on that system is completely out of control, and if you are ever looking for any recommendations, please let me know.

.....

First 50

51. Armillo (WII U)
52. Human Resource Machine (iOS)
53. Alone in the Dark (iOS)
54. The Room 3 (iOS)
55. Monument Valley (iOS)
56. Hysteria Project (PS3/PSP)
57. Azarashi (iOS)
58. Pink Hour (iOS)
59. Kero Blaster (iOS)
60. Pink Heaven (iOS)
61. Severed (iOS)
62. Rex Rocket (iOS)
63. Potatoman Seeks The Troof (iOS)
64. Bloo Kid (iOS)

Well...It's official...I have now beaten ten other games while playing through DQVII. I'll reach the end eventually...

.....

Rex Rocket is a Mega Man-inspired, hard-as-nails action platformer with light "metroidvania" exploration elements and an amazing soundtrack. I really appreciated the game's design, and I certainly appreciated its tough-but-fair difficulty. I spent so much time fighting the touch controls, however, that it soured my experience somewhat. I also never felt compelled to "explore" all the game had to offer, and I completed it with only 80% or so of the items and upgrades hidden throughout the game. (If every section of the game had not been so grueling, I might have found exploration a little more fun.) Accordingly, I would heartily recommend this game to anyone that can play it with the tactile controls, but I have a hard time recommending the iOS port.

Potatoman Seeks the Troof is a surreal platformer that is to Pitfall! (2600) what Hotline Miami is to Metal Gear (NES). That is, it is an approximation of playing a classic game on acid, peyote, Mountain Dew Baja Blast, etc. It only lasts about 40 minutes, and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. (In addition to Pitfall!, the game reminded me a bit of the drastically underrated 3DS eShop title 50 Pinch Barrage. I recommend it to anyone seeking a short diversion.

I picked up Bloo Kid because Bloo Kid 2 is the game after Bloody Vampire in my 3DS eShop collection and because I hate playing series out of order. It ended up being a remarkably fun and challenging single-screen, hop-and-bop platformer that, while looking and sounding like the wretched DOS platformers of my youth, plays drastically better than any of them. In it, clearing a level of all the enemies grants you one star and the ability to move to the next level, picking up the star that drops at the end of a level grants you an additional star, and clearing the level without taking any damage grants you a perfect, three-star score. You have to accumulate a set number of stars to open up each of the games eight worlds, and simply clearing all the levels is insufficient to proceed. It is not too challenging to acquire perfect scores in the first world, but I settled into being satisfied with two-stars about half-way through the second. Each world consists of 15 standard levels and a challenging boss battle, and while the gameplay is not the least bit varied, the game throws enough new challenges at you to keep things interesting through all six of its worlds (i.e., all 96 of its levels). I enjoyed it, and I am actually really looking forward to playing through its sequel (with tactile controls!).

.....

EDIT: I just realized how may "metroidvania" games I played this year. Here is my ranking of all the 2D ones I played this year:



All of them are good, and I recommend all of them to fans of the genre. (Ninja Smasher! was the genre's biggest surprise, and despite its low ranking, I was quite satisfied with Bloody Vampire.) I am also certain that Rex Rocket would have edged out both Dust and Ninja Smasher! if I had played it with tactile controls.