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BoneSnapDeez
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by BoneSnapDeez Thu Sep 21, 2017 8:50 pm

1. Chrono Trigger (SNES)
2. Gyromite (NES)
3. Lucy -The Eternity She Wished For- (Steam)
4. Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (Famicom)
5. Radical Dreamers (SNES)
6. Video Games 1 (TI-99/4A)
7. Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken (Famicom)
8. Exile (TurboGrafx CD)
9. Exile: Wicked Phenomenon (TurboGrafx CD)
10. Xak (PC Engine CD, Xak I・II)
11. Xak II (PC Engine CD, Xak I・II)
12. Neutopia (TurboGrafx-16)
13. Captain Silver (Sega Master System)
14. Märchen Veil (Famicom Disk System)
15. Vanguard (Atari 2600)
16. Kangaroo (Atari 2600)
17. Front Line (Atari 2600)
18. Mario Bros. (Atari 2600)
19. Harmonia (Steam)
20. Donkey Kong (Atari 2600)
21. Jungle Hunt (Atari 2600)
22. Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes (TurboGrafx CD)
23. Gorf (Atari 2600)
24. Neutopia II (TurboGrafx-16)
25. Dungeon Magic (PlayStation 2, Taito Legends 2)
26. The Lost Vikings (SNES)
27. Blue's Journey (Wii Virtual Console)
28. Wizard Fire (Wii, Data East Arcade Classics)
29. Super Mario Run (Android)
30. Dragon Warrior II (NES)
31. Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure (GOG.com)
32. Witch & Hero (Nintendo eShop)
33. Phoenix (Atari 2600)
34. Emerald Dragon (Super Famicom)
35. Sky Skipper (Atari 2600)
36. Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
37. Cadash (TurboGrafx-16)
38. Cadash (Genesis)
39. Popeye (Atari 2600)
40. Mega Man 2 (NES)
41. Mother (Famicom)
42. Scramble (Game Boy Advance, Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced)
43. Super Cobra (Atari 2600)
44. Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II (GameCube)
45. Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo (Steam)
46. Donkey Kong (Wii Virtual Console)
47. Donkey Kong Jr. (Wii Virtual Console)
48. Donkey Kong 3 (Wii Virtual Console)
49. Donkey Kong Jr. Math (Wii Virtual Console)
50. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (Nintendo 64)
51. Xak: The Art of Visual Stage (Super Famicom)
52. Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U)
53. Super Mario Bros. (Famicom)
54. Super Mario Bros. 3 (Famicom)

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Just havin' a little fun here. I typically don't "double dip" by purchasing import versions of games I already own domestic copies of. But these two came with my Sharp Twin Famicom and I'll find any excuse to (re)play a Mario game.

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Now, Super Mario Bros. is exactly the same in Japan as it is in the U.S. And mean that literally, there's a "world" ROM, which was followed later on by the PAL ROM. Just for kicks I inserted my North American Super Mario Bros. into my Retron 5 as soon as I finished the Japanese game, and the auto save state booted right up at the princess rescue. Ha! Anyhow, brilliant game. Still pretty damn difficult for me, I must concede. Every time I play there's probably a 50/50 chance I'll actually finish.

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Import Super Mario Bros. 3 is a different beast altogether. All the princess and Toad text is in Japanese. Some small changes to level design where made for the U.S. release, but it's nigh imperceptible. The biggest difference is the fact that in this game a fully powered-up (cape, fire flower, etc) Mario shrinks down to small Mario when hit. Contrast this to the American version, where Mario loses health incrementally. It makes for a tougher experience overall, and I think I prefer the American version a bit more.
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In any event, still an unstoppable game. Hard to believe this was released in '88!
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Sarge
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by Sarge Thu Sep 21, 2017 10:55 pm

Definitely mind-blowing. I understand why folks loved it so much, even if it did irk me that all my friends ignored a lot of the other great games like Mega Man.

I'm lazy, so I edited my previous post with the next beaten game, Wizards & Warriors. It's been a long time since I played through the game. It's not the most amazing thing in the world; the game is basically an arcade game on NES, with infinite quarters. Given the infinite quarters, the difficulty is also calibrated as such, with lots of swarming enemies and tricky jumps. Given the infinite continues (in-place, no less!), frustration is kept to a minimum. The only thing you'll have to do on a single life is beat the bosses, and they're not terribly difficult. Even Malkil is a pushover if you find the right spot to stand in his room of doom. He teleports all over the place, but finding the right defensive spot will see you through to victory.

Gating is accomplished by forcing collection of enough gems to pass a guard, or finding keys to open doors or chests. These can be pretty tricky to track down at times; one particularly evil one is in the third area, where a ridiculous jump has to be made unless you found the item to help you fall more slowly in the previous stage. Otherwise, you're dependent on either a potion drop or riding a perfectly placed bubble and jumping at the right time (not easy since you're at the top of the screen). You'll also find permanent items along the way. There's a throwing dagger (which can be upgraded to an axe), a potion of levitation, the previously mentioned item to fall slowly, and some other items that I never used. Apparently pressing select uses them. I wish I'd known about some of them, apparently stuff like the Boots of Force will open treasure chests without the proper key!

For an early NES game, and a Western one at that, the graphics are solid, and the programming is as well. This was one of those projects Rare apparently cared about, so even though it's a bit of a trifle, there's fun to be had. Oh, and the game has one of my favorite soundtracks on NES. Simple instrumentation, but there's just something about the melodies that I love.
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Segata
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by Segata Sat Sep 23, 2017 2:10 am

Ys VIII. Best Ys game since VI. The game is really great. One of the better setups in the series since the older titles. It changes some things while still remaining to be a Ys game. I loved the idea of finding castaways and building a town and defending the down at points and gathering supplies. The Past and the Present mechanic is great.
Dana is fantastic as a character and to play as. her sections in the past are great. It's interesting that technically there are no real towns aside from Castaway village. It's also interesting there is no evil character. You are just preventing something natural.
The music is interesting esp for a Ys game. Sure you get your typical ys greatness but I kid you not, it has songs that sound like anything form Dragon Quest, Tokyo Mirage Sessions, Skies of Arcadia as well as Ys. Posted this earlier but even a section that is very similar to a part ion Skies of Arcadia. I don't mind Ys VIII reminds me of some other great games as Ys VIII still retains it's own DaNA.
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ElkinFencer10
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by ElkinFencer10 Sat Sep 23, 2017 2:08 pm

Games Beaten in 2017 So Far - 99
* denotes a replay

January (10 Games Beaten)
1. Persona 4 Arena - Playstation January 1
2. Chrono Trigger - SNES - January 7
3. Ys: The Vanished Omens - Master System - January 8
4. MUSHA - Genesis - January 10
5. Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below - PlayStation 4 - January 11
6. Ys I - TurboGrafx-CD - January 13
7. Ys II - TurboGrafx-CD - January 14
8. Dragon Quest Builders - PlayStation 4 - January 23
9. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - PlayStation 4 - January 26
10. School Girl/Zombie Hunter - PlayStation 4 - January 29


February (12 Games Beaten)
11. Fire Emblem Heroes - Android - February 3
12. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD - Wii U - February 5
13. Dante's Inferno - PlayStation 3 - February 7
14. Hotel Dusk: Room 215 - DS - February 11
15. Persona 4: Dancing All Night - Vita - February 12
16. Sniper Elite 4 - PlayStation 4 - February 17
17. Pony Quest - NES - February 19
18. Halo Wars 2 - Xbox One - February 22
19. Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions - PlayStation Portable - February 24
20. Hotline Miami - PlayStation 4 - February 26
21. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light - Famicom - February 27
22. Bad Dudes - NES - February 28


March (6 Games Beaten)
23. Root Letter - PlayStation 4 - March 2
24. Vroom in the Night Sky - Switch - March 10
25. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Switch - March 17
26. Super Bomberman R - Switch - March 18
27. Super Mario Run - Android - March 24
28. I Am Setsuna - Switch - March 24


April (9 Games Beaten)
29. Mass Effect: Andromeda - PlayStation 4 - April 1
30. Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army - PlayStation 4 - April 2
31. Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 2 - PlayStation 4 - April 2
32. New Frontier Days: Founding Pioneers - Switch - April 3
33. Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 3 - PlayStation 4 - April 4
34. Persona 5 - PlayStation 4 - April 17
35. Alienation - PlayStation 4 - April 18
36. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc - PlayStation 4 - April 23
37. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair - PlayStation 4 - April 29


May (14 Games Beaten)
38. Puyo Puyo Tetris - Switch - May 4
39. Fire Emblem Gaiden - Famicom - May 6
40. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Switch - May 6
41. Outlast II - PlayStation 4 - May 7
42. Dishonored - PlayStation 4 - May 10
43. Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together! - Switch - May 12
44. Pikmin - Gamecube - May 12
45. Metal Slug - Neo Geo MVS - May 13*
46. Dariusburst CS: Chronicle Savior - PlayStation 4 - May 14
47. Batman: The TellTale Series - PlayStation 4 - May 17
48. Batman: Arkham VR - PlayStation 4 - May 18
49. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia - 3DS - May 25
50. Farpoint - PlayStation 4 - May 27
51. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - Xbox 360 - May 29


June (10 Games Beaten)
52. Star Trek: Bridge Crew - PlayStation 4 - June 2
53. The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - PlayStation 4 - June 3
54. Rebel Galaxy - PC - June 18
55. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II - Vita - June 20
56. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault - PC - June 21*
57. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault - Spearhead - PC - June 21
58. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault - Breakthrough - PC - June 22
59. Aliens Versus Predator - PC - June 23
60. Army Men - PC - June 24*
61. Apartment 666 - PC - June 26


July (20 Games Beaten)
62. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist - Genesis - July 12*
63. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Hearts of Stone - PlayStation 4 - July 15
64. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine - PlayStation 4 - July 22
65. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - PlayStation 4 - July 24
66. Splatoon 2 - Switch - July 25
67. Kamiko - Switch - July 25
68. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge - Xbox - July 26
69. Panzer Dragoon - Saturn - July 27*
70. Snake Pass - Switch - July 27
71. Buck Bumble - Nintendo 64 - July 28*
72. Castlevania - NES - July 29
73. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - NES - July 29
74. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse - NES - July 29
75. Super Castlevania IV - SNES - July 30
76. Castlevania Adventure - Game Boy - July 30
77. Castlevania Adventure Rebirth - Wii - July 30
78. Contra Rebirth - Wii - July 31
79. Heavy Fire: Special Operations - Wii - July 31
80. Heavy Fire: Black Arms - Wii - July 31
81. Panzer Dragoon II Zwei - Saturn - July 31*


August (9 Games Beaten)
82. Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius - Steam - August 4
83. Panzer Dragoon Saga - Saturn - August 5
84. Sunrider: Liberation Day - Steam - August 6
85. Emily is Away - Steam - August 8
86. Ys III: Wanderers from Ys - SNES - August 19
87. Nights of Azure - PlayStation 4 - August 25
88. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - PlayStation 4 - August 26
89. Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut - Xbox One - August 27
90. Devil's Third - Wii U - August 30*


September (9 Games Beaten)
91. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle - Switch - September 4
92. Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom - Wii U - September 4
93. Daytona USA - Xbox 360 - September 6
94. Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara - Wii U - September 6
95. Cave Story+ - Switch - September 10
96. Cosmic Star Heroine - Steam - September 14
97. Lego Worlds - Switch - September 16
98. Metroid: Samus Returns - 3DS - September 18
99. Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls - PlayStation 4 - September 23


99. Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls - PlayStation 4 - September 23

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SPOILER ALERT

This review contains minor spoilers for Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

SPOILER ALERT


Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is a spin-off to the Danganronpa series that takes place in the same timeline as the first two games but adopts a totally different genre.  Whereas Trigger Happy Havoc and Goodbye Despair were mostly visual novels (albeit with some adventure and exploration involved), Ultra Despair Girls is a third person shooter.  While the storytelling and overall tone of despair isn't quite as well done here as in the first two games, it's still a great game for fans of the Danganronpa series.

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The game takes place shortly after the events of Danganronpa 2 and stars Komaru Naegi, little sister of the first game's protagonist, Makoto Naegi, and Toko Fukawa, one of the other characters from the first game.  When a Future Foundation mission to rescue a "Captive" goes awry, the clueless and mostly helpless Komaru, recently rescued from an 18 month kidnapping and confinement, finds herself on a hostile island filled with homicidal Monokumas with only this bizarre and rather distasteful girl, Toko, to help her survive.  Thus begins her mission to escape the Towa City and find out what the hell has been going on in the world since her imprisonment began.

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The game is broken into five chapters, each one filled with a variety of (admittedly simple) puzzles and a boss fight.  The game starts out extremely interesting as it gives a bit more backstory to what the survivors of the Killing School Life had been up to since their escape from Hope's Peak Academy.  Unfortunately the plot goes from interesting to okay around the end of chapter 2.  It's not that the writing suddenly tanks or anything.  Rather it just feels like it plateaus a bit whereas the first two games kept taking the drama to new heights with each chapter.  I do try to give credit where credit is due, however, and the writers did do an excellent job with Toko's character development.  I felt that she was a fairly static character, all things considered, in the first game, and they really delved into her personality and flaws in this game, giving her character a depth that she never quite achieved in the first game.

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Visually the game looks pretty much like you'd expect from Danganronpa with only fairly minor enhancements over the first two games.  The sound, unfortunately, doesn't quite live up to the first game's masterpiece soundtrack.  It's not bad, per se, but it's just pretty average all around.  The enemy character designs are quite well done, though, even if the soundtrack doesn't stand out.  Over the course of the game, you fight close a dozen different kinds of Monokumas, and different Monokumas require different strategies and different ammunition types.  Each type of Monokuma is well designed and much more than just a pallet swap, something that a lot of games tend to fall victim to.

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Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls doesn't really stand out as being particularly impressive, especially for those who aren't fans of the Danganronpa series, but it's a very competent even if average game.  Those just looking for a good shooter may not find what they want here, but even if it ranks third out of three in this department, the story is worth playing through.  It doesn't quite live up to the high standards set by Trigger Happy Havoc, but it's a good game in its own right.  Just don't expect Game of the Year material.
Exhuminator wrote:Ecchi lords must unite for great justice.

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Sarge
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by Sarge Sat Sep 23, 2017 9:42 pm

I'm hearing on some fronts that the Ys VIII localization is pretty bad. Anyone got any feedback on that?

January:
1) The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition (PC) (8.5) (1/1) (~5.5 hours)
2) ActRaiser (SNES) (8.0) (1/2) (~4 hours)
3) Bonk's Revenge (GB) (6.0) (1/3) (~1 hour)
4) Tiny Toon Adventures: Babs' Big Break (GB) (6.5) (1/3) (~1 hour)
5) Blackwell Legacy (PC) (7.0) (1/5) (2.6 hours)
6) Blackwell Unbound (PC) (7.5) (1/7) (2.2 hours)
7) Blackwell Convergence (PC) (8.0) (1/7) (2.4 hours)
8) Blackwell Deception (PC) (8.0) (1/8) (4.7 hours)
9) Blackwell Epiphany (PC) (9.0) (1/9) (6.5 hours)
10) Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4) (8.0) (1/22) (~55 hours)
11) Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (360) (8.0) (1/28) (~.5 hours)
12) Deep Duck Trouble Starring Donald Duck (SMS) (6.5) (1/31) (~1 hour)

February:
13) Quackshot Starring Donald Duck (GEN) (7.5) (2/7) (~2 hours)
14) Fire Emblem Heroes (Android) (8.0) (2/9) (~10 hours)
15) Super C (NES) (9.5) (2/20) (~0.5 hours)
16) Contra (NES) (10.0) (2/20) (~0.5 hours)
17) Mickey's Dangerous Chase (GB) (6.5) (2/24) (~1 hour)
18) My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (3DS) (8.5) (2/25) (~19 hours)
19) Mega Man 2 (NES) (10.0) (2/28) (~0.8 hours)

March:
20) Final Fantasy XV (PS4) (8.0) (3/2) (~33 hours)
21) Blaster Master Zero (NS) (9.0) (3/10) (~6.5 hours)
22) Espgaluda II Black Label (360) (8.0?) (3/17) (0.5 hours)
23) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (NS) (9.5) (3/28) (~70+ hours)

April:
24) Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (PC) (8.5) (4/7) (~5.5 hours)
25) Hyper Light Drifter (PS4) (8.0) (4/9) (~8 hours)
26) Gekido Advance: Kintaro's Revenge (GBA) (7.5) (4/16) (~3 hours)
27) Vanquish (PS3) (8.5) (4/17) (~7 hours)
28) Journey (PS3) (6.0) (4/19) (~2 hours)
29) GunForce (SNES) (4.0) (4/22) (~20 minutes)
30) GunForce 2 (ARC) (7.0) (4/23) (~30 minutes)
31) GunForce: Battle Fire Engulfed Terror Island (ARC) (6.0) (4/23) (~20 minutes)
32) Mighty Final Fight (NES) (8.5) (4/29) (~30 minutes)

May:
33) Final Fantasy V (SFC) (6.0) (5/1) (~33 hours)
34) Super Adventure Island (SNES) (7.0) (5/2) (~1 hour)
35) Dragon Spirit: The New Legend (NES) (7.5) (5/3?) (~30 minutes)
36) Mighty No. 9 (PS4) (5.0) (5/6?) (~5 hours)
37) Contra III: The Alien Wars (Hard) (SNES) (8.5) (5/11) (~1 hour)
38) Operation C (GB) (7.5) (5/22) (~1 hour)

June:
39) Super Dodge Ball (NES) (9.5) (6/1) (~15 minutes)
40) Bare Knuckle III (GEN) (7.5) (6/3) (~1 hour)
41) Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) (9.5) (6/5) (~30 minutes)
42) Wizards & Warriors X: Fortress of Fear (GB) (4.0) (6/8) (~1 hour)
43) Castlevania: The Adventure (GB) (3.5) (6/9) (~1 hour)
44) Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King (PC) (8.0) (6/15) (~8.5 hours)
45) Streets of Rage (GEN) (9.0) (6/17) (~45 minutes)
46) Ghouls 'N Ghosts (GEN) (6.5) (6/17) (~4 hours)
47) Contra: Hard Corps (GEN) (8.5) (6/18) (~50 minutes)
48) Mighty Gunvolt Burst (NS) (7.5) (6/23) (~3 hours?)
49) Exile's End (PC) (8.0) (6/24) (~5 hours)

July:
50) Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4) (8.5) (7/1) (16h53m)
51) Pharaoh Rebirth+ (PC) (8.0) (7/3) (7 hours)
52) Jackal (NES) (9.0) (7/9) (45 minutes)
53) Golden Axe III (NES) (2.5) (7/9) (~45 minutes)
54) Rygar (NES) (7.0) (7/10) (~2 hours)
55) Faxanadu (NES) (8.0) (7/14) (~6 hours)
56) Tekken 3 (PSX) (6.0) (7/24) (~20 minutes)
57) Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4) (8.5) (7/30) (38h16m)

August:
58) Contra: The Alien Wars (GB) (3.5) (8/1) (~30 minutes)
59) Super Smash Bros. (N64) (8.0) (8/6) (~20 minutes)
60) Battletoads (Japan) (NES) (7.5) (8/10) (~40 minutes)
61) Castle of Dragon (NES) (2.5) (8/10) (~1 hour)
62) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (NES) (3.0) (8/10) (~30 minutes)
63) Strider (NES) (6.5) (8/11) (~2 hours)
64) Commando (NES) (3.5) (8/11) (~1 hour)
65) Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa (NES) (6.5) (8/12) (~1h30m)
66) Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (GEN) (4.0) (8/12) (~1 hour)
67) Dragon Scroll: Yomigaerishi Maryuu (NES) (5.0) (8/13) (~4 hours)
68) Mega Man 8 (SAT) (7.0) (8/17) (~4 hours)
69) Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (PS4) (8.0) (8/19) (4h42m)
70) Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (PS3) (6.5) (8/25) (~30 minutes)
71) Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (DS) (7.5) (8/27) (25 hours?)
72) Daikatana (GBC) (6.5) (8/28) (~3 hours)
73) Bionic Commando (NES) (9.5) (8/30) (~1.5 hours)
74) Adventure Island II (NES) (6.5) (8/31) (~3 hours)

September:
75) The Mafat Conspiracy (NES) (5.0) (9/1) (~1.5 hours)
76) Snake's Revenge (NES) (8.0) (9/4) (~4 hours)
77) Ys: Memories of Celceta (VITA) (7.5) (9/4) (~25 hours?)
78) Skate or Die 2: The Search for Double Trouble (NES) (5.0) (9/7) (~2 hours)
79) 1943: The Battle for Midway (NES) (7.0) (9/9) (~2.5 hours)
80) Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom (ARC/360) (5.0) (9/9) (~1 hour)
81) Arkista's Ring (NES) (6.0) (9/9) (~1 hour)
82) Bad Dudes (NES) (4.0) (9/9) (~45 minutes)
83) G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor (NES) (7.0) (9/10) (~2 hours)
84) Target: Renegade (NES) (2.0) (9/10) (~1 hour)
85) Gyruss (NES) (8.5) (9/11) (~1 hour)
86) Renegade (NES) (3.5) (9/12) (~30 minutes)
87) Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS) (9.0) (9/18) (11h35m) (16h total time)
88) Rambo (NES) (4.5) (9/19) (~3 hours)
89) Return of Double Dragon (SFC) (8.0) (9/20) (~1 hour)
90) Wizards & Warriors (NES) (6.5) (9/21) (~1.5 hours)
91) Wizards & Warriors III - Kuros: Visions of Power (NES) (6.5) (9/23) (~4 hours)
92) Wolverine (NES) (3.0) (9/23) (~1 hour)

So, I've never finished Wizards & Warriors III. I always thought it looked interesting in Nintendo Power, but every time I booted it up, I wouldn't stick with it. It's a little like the start of Zelda, the game just kinda turns you loose. You want to start by gathering some money in the places you can get to, though, and buy a few keys so you can start entering all the locked doors. You'll eventually get what you need for your first class change, to a thief. Oh, right, you don't stay your knightly self this time, you can increase levels in a thief guild, a magician's guild, and the knight's guild as well. Each change grants a new ability. For example, the thief moves quickly, and each level increases the speed. The first level, that's pretty much it, but then you get a crowbar to pry your way into houses, and the last level has you running around with a giant key that can unlock anything. Unfortunately, you lose the ability to attack... the wizard is the same, going from fireball-tossing to a non-offensive force field to the ability to levitate. Thankfully the knight levels eventually replace what you lose, but it's still rather weird. Gaining levels in these fields requires finding a statue (bronze/silver/gold), then passing a platforming and combat test.

Anyway, there's a lot of backtracking involved, with a good deal of precision platforming as well. You'll always be hunting for money whenever possible for keys and for life. Expect to get lost a lot, or at least not remember where the heck you saw something earlier if you're not taking notes. Everything is broken into three major areas: the town, the castle, and the "Underworld", which is basically just caverns under the town. Each ability will see you proceed further with places you couldn't go before.

Strangely, the whole thing feels a little off compared to W&W or Ironsword. Not that those games haven't felt a little weird, anyway, but there's something budget-level here that doesn't sit well. Despite the ambition on display, the hit detection feels wonky, and the graphical style is missing a lot of the little flourishes that were present in the previous games. It actually reminds me a lot more of some PC-style platformers of the time than the typical NES game. Still, it's not a bad game at all, and I like that I was finally able to check it off my list.

As for Wolverine... well, it looks a'ight. I thought it looked like a passable platformer in magazines, but looks can always be deceiving. The game plays pretty terrible. Wolvie has almost no range, which in itself isn't bad, but it is when you have zero hit recoil. You can basically stand on enemies and you get zero invincibility period. Watching your life drain away at a prodigious rate brings a sickening feeling to your stomach. I'll go ahead and say it, I save-stated the mess out of this one. The sad part is that the platforming itself is very solid, and feels well-programmed. This could have been so much better.

Actually, it's got a Tim Follin soundtrack. More often than not, if a game had his work, the soundtrack rocked and the game sucked. The rule holds true here.

EDIT: I will say, watching the longplay of Wolverine was really interesting. Learned a few things. I still think it sucks, but perhaps the game isn't quite as hateful as it could have been otherwise.
Last edited by Sarge on Sat Sep 23, 2017 10:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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BoneSnapDeez
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by BoneSnapDeez Sat Sep 23, 2017 9:45 pm

You skipped Fabio.
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Sarge
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by Sarge Sat Sep 23, 2017 10:11 pm

He's probably next on the list, actually. ;) Been a long time since I played through that one, too. But I figured I'd go for one that I'd never finished before first.
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by Segata Sun Sep 24, 2017 3:36 am

Sarge wrote:I'm hearing on some fronts that the Ys VIII localization is pretty bad. Anyone got any feedback on that?

.


Xseed is missed for sure. It's bad but not Grandia on PS1 bad nor Arc Rise Fantasia Wii bad. The VA for everyone except one character is good. It's the dialogue that isn't the best. Translating the name of locations can sometimes be poor(esp one key location). It doesn't ruin the game or hurt the narrative much at all. It just lacks the touch Xseed had. Xseed just has extra polish and good at adding some humor.

Also, I love W&WIII as a kid. I never beat it as a kid. Then one day about 6 years ago after close to 20 years I put it in my NES and beat it in one go. I dunno why but my reflexes are much better now than as a kid.
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by ElkinFencer10 Sun Sep 24, 2017 6:49 am

Games Beaten in 2017 So Far - 100
* denotes a replay

January (10 Games Beaten)
1. Persona 4 Arena - Playstation January 1
2. Chrono Trigger - SNES - January 7
3. Ys: The Vanished Omens - Master System - January 8
4. MUSHA - Genesis - January 10
5. Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below - PlayStation 4 - January 11
6. Ys I - TurboGrafx-CD - January 13
7. Ys II - TurboGrafx-CD - January 14
8. Dragon Quest Builders - PlayStation 4 - January 23
9. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - PlayStation 4 - January 26
10. School Girl/Zombie Hunter - PlayStation 4 - January 29


February (12 Games Beaten)
11. Fire Emblem Heroes - Android - February 3
12. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD - Wii U - February 5
13. Dante's Inferno - PlayStation 3 - February 7
14. Hotel Dusk: Room 215 - DS - February 11
15. Persona 4: Dancing All Night - Vita - February 12
16. Sniper Elite 4 - PlayStation 4 - February 17
17. Pony Quest - NES - February 19
18. Halo Wars 2 - Xbox One - February 22
19. Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions - PlayStation Portable - February 24
20. Hotline Miami - PlayStation 4 - February 26
21. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light - Famicom - February 27
22. Bad Dudes - NES - February 28


March (6 Games Beaten)
23. Root Letter - PlayStation 4 - March 2
24. Vroom in the Night Sky - Switch - March 10
25. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Switch - March 17
26. Super Bomberman R - Switch - March 18
27. Super Mario Run - Android - March 24
28. I Am Setsuna - Switch - March 24


April (9 Games Beaten)
29. Mass Effect: Andromeda - PlayStation 4 - April 1
30. Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army - PlayStation 4 - April 2
31. Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 2 - PlayStation 4 - April 2
32. New Frontier Days: Founding Pioneers - Switch - April 3
33. Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 3 - PlayStation 4 - April 4
34. Persona 5 - PlayStation 4 - April 17
35. Alienation - PlayStation 4 - April 18
36. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc - PlayStation 4 - April 23
37. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair - PlayStation 4 - April 29


May (14 Games Beaten)
38. Puyo Puyo Tetris - Switch - May 4
39. Fire Emblem Gaiden - Famicom - May 6
40. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Switch - May 6
41. Outlast II - PlayStation 4 - May 7
42. Dishonored - PlayStation 4 - May 10
43. Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together! - Switch - May 12
44. Pikmin - Gamecube - May 12
45. Metal Slug - Neo Geo MVS - May 13*
46. Dariusburst CS: Chronicle Savior - PlayStation 4 - May 14
47. Batman: The TellTale Series - PlayStation 4 - May 17
48. Batman: Arkham VR - PlayStation 4 - May 18
49. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia - 3DS - May 25
50. Farpoint - PlayStation 4 - May 27
51. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - Xbox 360 - May 29


June (10 Games Beaten)
52. Star Trek: Bridge Crew - PlayStation 4 - June 2
53. The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - PlayStation 4 - June 3
54. Rebel Galaxy - PC - June 18
55. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II - Vita - June 20
56. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault - PC - June 21*
57. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault - Spearhead - PC - June 21
58. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault - Breakthrough - PC - June 22
59. Aliens Versus Predator - PC - June 23
60. Army Men - PC - June 24*
61. Apartment 666 - PC - June 26


July (20 Games Beaten)
62. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist - Genesis - July 12*
63. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Hearts of Stone - PlayStation 4 - July 15
64. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine - PlayStation 4 - July 22
65. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - PlayStation 4 - July 24
66. Splatoon 2 - Switch - July 25
67. Kamiko - Switch - July 25
68. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge - Xbox - July 26
69. Panzer Dragoon - Saturn - July 27*
70. Snake Pass - Switch - July 27
71. Buck Bumble - Nintendo 64 - July 28*
72. Castlevania - NES - July 29
73. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - NES - July 29
74. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse - NES - July 29
75. Super Castlevania IV - SNES - July 30
76. Castlevania Adventure - Game Boy - July 30
77. Castlevania Adventure Rebirth - Wii - July 30
78. Contra Rebirth - Wii - July 31
79. Heavy Fire: Special Operations - Wii - July 31
80. Heavy Fire: Black Arms - Wii - July 31
81. Panzer Dragoon II Zwei - Saturn - July 31*


August (9 Games Beaten)
82. Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius - Steam - August 4
83. Panzer Dragoon Saga - Saturn - August 5
84. Sunrider: Liberation Day - Steam - August 6
85. Emily is Away - Steam - August 8
86. Ys III: Wanderers from Ys - SNES - August 19
87. Nights of Azure - PlayStation 4 - August 25
88. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - PlayStation 4 - August 26
89. Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut - Xbox One - August 27
90. Devil's Third - Wii U - August 30*


September (10 Games Beaten)
91. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle - Switch - September 4
92. Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom - Wii U - September 4
93. Daytona USA - Xbox 360 - September 6
94. Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara - Wii U - September 6
95. Cave Story+ - Switch - September 10
96. Cosmic Star Heroine - Steam - September 14
97. Lego Worlds - Switch - September 16
98. Metroid: Samus Returns - 3DS - September 18
99. Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls - PlayStation 4 - September 23
100. Weeping Doll - PlayStation VR - September 23


100. Weeping Doll - PlayStation VR - September 23

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Weeping Doll serves as proof that it's not just the Wii U that has astoundingly bad shovelware. I got Weeping Doll as part of a two-pack download during a recent PSN Flash Sale, and I'm extremely glad that I got the two for $5 instead of the usual $20 because, truthfully, even $2.50 is overpaying for this game.

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The basic premise is that you're a maid to some rich family that calls you freaking about something trying to kill them. Naturally, you immediately set to work cleaning the house. Once you start hearing suspicious sounds, however, you realize "Hey, maybe something's amiss here" and start trying to figure out what's going on. 45 to 60 minutes of rudimentary puzzle solving and sub-par voice acting later, you're at the end of the game. About five minutes after that, you actually realize you're at the end of the game. The problem with the ending is that there isn't one, really; the story wraps up, but you're given no prompt that you've finished the game. You just wander aimlessly until you either get frustrated and quit or wander back into the foyer where you started and notice that all of the portraits on the walls have been replaced with the faces and names of the development team (although, truthfully, I'm not sure I'd want my name or face associated with this game). Oh, and when you're doing this wandering? There's no actual "movement" per se; you can pick where you want to go by positioning the character's ghostly looking outline, and then you press X to "warp" there pretty much. It's dumb.

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The visuals look terrible even by PSVR standards (they look worse on the headset than they do on a TV or in screenshots), the sound effects are bare-bones and uninspired, and the voice acting is so bad that it wouldn't be the slightest bit out of place in the late 1990s. The story itself is moderately interesting for a little bit, but it quickly loses any charm it may have initially held. Add all this to the fact that the sound kept cutting out on me - which I originally thought was my ear buds messing up until I found that no other VR game gave me that issue - and you've got what could graciously be described as "a hot mess."

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Weeping Doll is a straight cluster. The visuals are terrible, the sound effects are boring, the story is mundane, and the voice acting is horrendous. The puzzles do little more than insult your intelligence, and there's not a single scare to be found, either jump scare or atmospheric dread. There's seriously nothing redeeming about this game at all except "It's in VR" if you like virtual reality (I do), but even then, with Resident Evil VII's PS VR support, why would you even need this? If you can afford a PS VR headset in the first place, you can afford a game that's actually worth playing because this sure as hell isn't that.
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by pierrot Sun Sep 24, 2017 2:44 pm

Segata wrote:[...]Arc Rise Fantasia Wii bad.

There isn't a localization team in existence that could have possibly helped this game. I played a bit of the intro portion of the Japanese version, years ago, and the story and dialogue are atrocious. I couldn't stand more than an hour or so, before I just stopped, and never looked back. For the game's sake, I really hope the gameplay is fantastic, because the introduction to the story/characters is such an abject disaster.
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