Games Beaten 2017

[MrPopo]

Sounds like you guys need to play yourselves some Ultraman.

[Sarge]

I've tried to be more cognizant of the scores I give, using more of the scale like you do, Exhuminator. So I actually did score something as a 2.0 this year! Target: Renegade was the lucky recipient of my deeming it a turd sandwich. Right above it are Castle of Dragon and that Golden Axe III game, at 2.5.

I kinda like GameFAQs' scale to keep me a little closer to realistic. Converted to a 10-point scale, you end up with:

1.0 - Unplayable
2.0 - Terrible
3.0 - Bad
4.0 - Poor (I think of this as just slightly below average)
5.0 - Playable (otherwise known as "meh" or "a'ight")
6.0 - Fair
7.0 - Good
8.0 - Great
9.0 - Outstanding
10.0 - Flawless

I still don't know if I like it perfectly, though. I'd get rid of "flawless" and slip another category in between "fair" and "good".

[Exhuminator]

I don't want to get off topic, so I'll spoiler this response to Sarge.

1.0 - Unplayable
2.0 - Terrible
3.0 - Bad
4.0 - Poor (I think of this as just slightly below average)
5.0 - Playable (otherwise known as "meh" or "a'ight")
6.0 - Fair
7.0 - Good
8.0 - Great
9.0 - Outstanding
10.0 - Flawless

That's about how I see my ratings as well, hence I've never given out a 10/10. If I give a game a 7/10 that means it's actually good in my opinion. I know plenty of folks think scores are archaic, or diminishing even, and that's a fair viewpoint. But I grew up with games getting scores in mags, and it's just what I'm comfortable with. Yes it's a little silly to take a gaming experience and encapsulate it with a numerical branding. However a score also captures the takeaway of the experience ever so succinctly. I do try to express in my reviews why I chose the score I did all the same.

Keep beating those games people!

[Sarge]

Continued off-topic:

I have used 10.0, but that's why I like the shifted scale. No game is flawless, so "outstanding" fits with a 10.0 for me. Even Chrono Trigger isn't perfect in my mind, but it's the closest, at any rate. It's also why I've rated more games as 6.5 or 7.5, they're good but not amazing games. It's still hard to overcome at times, because I'm so used to magazine scoring from back in the day.

[dsheinem]

Games Beaten 2017
Inside - PS4
Street Fighter V - PS4
TIMEframe - PC
Rituals - PC
Mother Russia Bleeds - PC
Horizon: Zero Dawn - PS4
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Switch
Here They Lie - PSVR
Dexed - PSVR
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - PSVR
Last Voyage - iOS
Ghost Blade HD - PS4
What Happened to Edith Finch - PS4
Fast RMX - Switch
Puyo Puyo Tetris - Switch
Garou: Mark of the Wolf - Vita
Star Wars: Republic Commando - PC
Battlefield 1 - PS4
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Switch
Shock Troopers - PC (Arcade)
Shock Troopers 2nd Squad - PC (Arcade)
Gravity Bone -PC
A Thousand Flights of Loving - PC
Forza Horizon 3: Hot Wheels - PC/X1
Eve: Valkyrie- PSVR
Farpoint - PSVR
Painkiller: Battle Out of Hell - PC
Ghost Squad - Wii
Monument Valley 2 - iOS
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare - PS4
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 - 360
Tekken Advance - GBA
100ft Robot Golf - PSVR
Final Fantasy XV: A King's Tale - X1
Star Wars Racer Revenge - PS2
Just Cause 3 - PS4
Toadled - PC
Gulity Gear Xrd -Revelator- PS4
Mortal Kombat XL - PC
Destiny 2 - PS4
Dishonored - PS4
Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition - PS4
Nex Machina - PS4
Dying Ligt - PS4 *new*
Arizona Sunshine- PSVR *new*

Total: 45

Previously: 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

Dying Light is a game that I am glad I took a chance on as I was never really able to get into the studio's previous efforts (the Dead Island games). The game very much favors melee weapon and hand-to-hand combat for the first half of the campaign and then switches to being much more gun-heavy in the second half. The story is reasonably well told and the side missions are sometimes interesting, and all together it holds up well as an FPS/RPG hybrid in the vein of something like the recent Far Cry games (but with much more parkour/climbing). I plan to play the DLC ("The Following") as well since I bought the version with that on the disc.

Arizona Sunshine is another zombie-based FPS, though since it is in VR it feels quite distinct. I played the game with the Aim Controller (the VR Gun that came with Farpoint) and really enjoyed the feeling of sniping zombies throughout...it very much feels like you are walking through a House of the Dead game but with a gun that allows you to fire down its sights. The immersion works well, the game runs smoothly and looks good, and the B-movie quality script is surprisingly endearing and effective at putting you in the mindset of the protagonist. It is certainly in the top tier of PSVR games I have played (and I have played a lot of them by now), and would probably be the best horror-related one if the masterpiece that is RE7 didn't exist.

[Xeogred]

1. Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour (PC)
2. Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter* (PC)
3. Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter (PC)
4. D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die (PC)
5. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (PC)
6. Deadcore (PC)
7. Yakuza 4 (PS3)
8. Hyper Light Drifter (PC)
9. Doom 2: Valiant (PC)
10. Resident Evil 7 (PS4)
10. Doom 2: Ancient Aliens (PC)
11. Doom 2: Vanguard (PC)
12. Doom 2: Doom 2 The Way id Did (PC)
13. Doom 2: Community Chest Pack 4 (PC)
14. Doom: Doom The Way id Did (PC)
15. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (PC)
16. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 (PC)
17. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (WiiU)
18. Dishonored 2 (PC)
19. Kirby's Dream Land (GB)
20. Kirby's Dream Land 2 (GB)
21. Super Mario Land (GB)
22. Super Mario Land 2 (GB)
23. Mighty Final Fight (NES)
24. Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES)
25. Trip World (GB)
26. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Genesis)
27. Aladdin (Genesis)
28. Streets of Rage (SMS)
29. Bare Knuckle (Genesis)
30. Bare Knuckle 2* (Genesis)
31. Bare Knuckle 3* (Genesis)
32. Marchen Adventure Cotton 100% (SNES)
33. Earthworm Jim* (Sega CD)
34. Ghouls'n Ghosts (Genesis)
35. Contra (NES)
36. Super C (NES)
37. Final Fight 2* (SNES)
38. Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES)
39. Final Fight 3* (SNES)
40. Operation C (GB)
41. Contra Hard Corps [End B] (Genesis)
42. Mega Turrican (Genesis)
43. Prey (PC)
44. Dark Souls 3 DLC: Ashes of Ariandel & The Ringed City (PS4)
45. Spec Ops: The Line (PC)
46. System Shock Enhanced Edition (PC)
47. Tekken 7 (PS4)
48. Nier Automata [Platinum] (PS4)
49. Nier (B) (PS3)
50. Drakengard 3 (A-C) (PS3)
51. FEAR Extraction Point* (PC)
52. FEAR Perseus Mandate* (PC)
53. Transmissions: Element 120 (PC)
54. Ratchet & Clank (PS4)
55. Rise of the Tomb Raider (PS4)
56. Sonic CD* (PC)
57. Alan Wake* (PC)
58. Deus Ex* (PC)
59. Momodora III (PC)
60. Mega Man 7* (PS4, MMLC2)
61. Mega Man 8* (PS4, MMLC2)
62. Mega Man 9* (PS4, MMLC2)
63. Mega Man 10* (PS4, MMLC2)
64. Rockman & Forte* (SNES)
65. Mega Man Legends (PSX)
66. Sonic Mania (PC)
67. Mega Man Legends 2 (PSX)
68. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (PC)
69. Yakuza 0 (PS4)
70. Metroid Samus Returns (3DS)
71. Blue Revolver (PC)
72. Caladrius Blaze (PC)
73. Crimson Clover World Ignition (PC)
74. Deathsmiles (PC)
75. Ikaruga* (PC)
76. Jamestown (PC)
77. Metal Slug (PC)
78. Metal Slug 3 (PC)
79. Metal Slug X (PC)
80. Mushihimesama (PC)
81. Dead Space* (PC)
82. AM2R* (PC)
83. Trouble Witches Origin (PC)
84. Blaster Master Zero (3DS)

* replay

Blaster Master Zero was awesome. 25 some years later I get to play a good Blaster Master sequel! (I actually like Blasting Again on the PSX, but this is the kind of sequel I wanted). It's a nice remix of the original game with a lot of new elements and some areas, while humorously mixing up the storyline for both the original Japanese version of Blaster Master along with the hilarious English localization about rescuing your frog. Surprisingly I found the story to be pretty enduring and fun along the way, so it was really cool. Gameplay gets a little repetitive in the back half, but yeah overall this is damn good if you want a good Metroidvania. Wrapped it up with 100% at 5:29.

[jfe2]

I've beat a few games this year after taking a hiatus from the hobby. I don't collect at all anymore, but I have been using some free time to slowly work through my giant backlog of games that I have collected in the past.

Pokemon Yellow - GB
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX - GBC
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons - GBC
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages - GBC
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - GBA
Monster Tale - NDS
Retro Game Challenge 2 - NDS
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment - Steam
Dragon Quest IV: Chapter of the Chosen - NDS
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride - NDS
Patapon - PSP
Aliens: Infestation - NDS
Kirby Squeak Squad - NDS
Megaman X4 - PS1
Snatcher - SCD
Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions - PSP
Volgarr the Viking - Steam

I may have forgotten a few, and one or two of the Zeldas may have been from the end of last year, but I think that's all of them. I'm about to pick up Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation again for a bit tonight. I started it a couple of months back and had some stuff come up that kept me from playing. I'll try to keep this updated through the end of the year!

[dsheinem]

holy shit, jfe2 uncloaks!

[MrPopo]

holy shit, jfe2 uncloaks!

If he put the cloak back on maybe it would smother that fire.

[Exhuminator]

75. Ghost Sweeper Mikami: The Master Exorcist with the Nice Body | 7/10



Ghost Sweeper Mikami: Joreishi wa Nice Body (The Master Exorcist with the Nice Body) is a Super Famicom action-adventure-platformer developed by Natsume in 1993. It's based off an anime and manga franchise which I'm not super familiar with. Furthermore this game hasn't received an English fan translation, so the copious cutscenes were unintelligible for this gamer. I got the basic gist though; Reiko is trying to complete a statue by collecting its gems stolen by evil spirits, for profit. Things don't turn out as planned.

The player controls Reiko who can fight off ghosts and monsters with her enchanted baton. Reiko can find special weapons and spells, which helps her along stages as she jumps and fights to the end. Bosses meet the player at the end of stages, you know the drill. Despite having typical gameplay, Natsume did a good job of making this experience above average for a licensed game. Reiko controls well, hit collision is spot on, graphics are simple but clean, and the "ghost" motif is expressed well in enemies and bosses.

As good as it is, I wouldn't quite call Ghost Sweeper Mikami: The Master Exorcist with the Nice Body a "hidden gem". The stages lack overall design variety and constantly whacking enemies gets a bit repetitive, not to mention the bosses are damage sponges. Also this game is over before you know it, due to low difficulty and quick stages. But what's here is good for genre enthusiasts who enjoy SFC imports. There's a constant sense of palpable humor to the experience, making for a delightfully campy aesthetic. Any game that lets you ride a giant cat and fight bunnygirls is doing something right.