Games Beaten 2017

[PartridgeSenpai]

Partridge Senpai's 2017 Beaten Games:

1. Tales of Hearts R (Vita)
2. UPPERS (Vita)
3. Volume (Vita)
4. Overlord: Minions (DS)
5. Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS)
6. Overlord II (PS3)
7. Overlord: Dark Legend (Wii)
8. La-Mulana (Remake) (PC)
9. Infamous: Second Son (PS4)
10. htol#NiQ: The Firefly Diary (Vita)
11. Blood Bowl (360)
12. Dead to Rights: Retribution (360)
13. Bioshock Infinite (360)
14. Bioshock Infinite: Burial At Sea Part 1 (360)
15. Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea Part 2 (360)
16. Singularity (360)
17. Seifuku Densetsu Pretty Fighter X (Saturn)
18. Ultraman: Hikari No Kyojin Densetsu (Saturn)
19. Donkey Kong 64 (N64) (repeat)
20. Song of the Deep (PS4)
21. Naruto Gekitou Ninja Taisen 3 (GCN)
22. Banjo-Tooie (N64) (repeat)
23. Wario Land (VB)
24. Yakuza HD Edition (PS3)
25. Yakuza 2 HD Edition (PS3)
26. Vanquish (PS3)

27. Watchdogs 2 (PS4)

Heard some raving about this on the Podquisition podcast last week, and they really sold it to me. Add that in with how I was able to get it for just over 20 bucks at the local resale store in the middle of last week. HOoooly crap was it worth it. For the record it took me about 40 or 50 hours to get through it on normal mode. I did every main and side mission along with the Zodiac Killer DLC. I also did not play the multiplayer at all, as it didn't interest me (and I also don't have PS plus, but things like getting invaded and bounty hunted are still things even if you don't pay for online (but you can turn them off like I did really easy)).

These GTA-style game has been done so well before that newer entries in this genre live and die by their theme and story telling. Watchdogs 1 had the theme, but fell SO hard on the storytelling part (or so I've been told). The sequel seems to have learned from all the complaints about the first game and really made a quality sequel.

The theme and narrative this time along goes for a much more Saints Row 3-style approach, and it's much to the game's benefit. It never reaches quite that level of 4th wall breaking or insanity, but it's somewhere between Watchdogs 1 and Saints Row 3. I have some minor complaints about the pacing of the story, but that's a potential problem in any game like this. There's also one main character who kiiinda feels like they were thrown in near the end of the writing phase given all of the story content they just don't feature in for some reason, but that's a minor complaint. The story itself was really well told, though. There's also A LOT of really surprisingly well implemented representation of various minority groups, which I also greatly appreciated. Not enough games seem to have that now a days. The dialogue is so nerdy and silly. It gave me a very Saints Row feel in that regard. There were many a goof that had me in stitches laughing. The characters are all very vibrant, unique, and funny. MUCH more so when compared to the boring pile of tar that was the first game's protagonist.

The gameplay is somewhere between GTA and Infamous, which I suuuper dug. There are no control points around the city like in Saints Row or Infamous, but instead missions you can do to progress the story (or just side stories) a lot like GTA. However, like Infamous, as you do things you can earn XP to level up and gain skill points to put into a tech tree. You can even find these level-up points scattered around the map in places a lot like Infamous. Honestly I had tons of fun in the 20-ish hours I spent JUST wandering around the map looking for goodies. San Francisco looks amazing, and it was just so much fun to drive around and see all the sights.

The gameplay is very GTA V-ish, but a bit closer to Saints Row. Markus also feels like he controls a lot tighter than the "more realistic" movement of the GTA V characters. You can climb up buildings a lot, but you're no Cole Mcgrath: Your climbing skils are much more like that of a normal fairly fit guy. It's got gunplay like Saints Row/GTA but your hacking powers feel a lot like Infamous, which is why I use those two games as a comparison to this one so often. You also have a little flying drone and a jumping RC car-thing which you can use for doing anything from distracting enemies, to setting up traps to stealthing past enemies. I played the game mostly stealthily, as it felt more appropriate for the narrative (and my play-style because I don't aim well on a controller), but there are a time or two where you're forced to take things very head-on with action. Using the RC-car and drone in tandem to set up traps and to activate cars and bombs to fuck with people just never got old though. It was always such a refreshing puzzle in a new location: It's a really well crafted stealth game in that regard, though it can be played actiony as well. I did a lot of the non-story repeatable missions (which you can do online co-op in but I did solo) just because I loved that stuff so much.

Verdict: Highly Recommended. If you like GTA-style open-world-in-a-city games, you will definitely like Watchdogs 2. Perhaps you won't adore it as much as I did, but this is definitely one of my favorite games I've played in this genre, right up there with Saints Row 3 and Infamous 2.

[Blu]

1. Runbow - Wii U
2. Battlefield 1 - Xbox One
3. Until Dawn - PS4
4. Super Mario Sunshine - Gamecube
5. Titanfall 2 - Xbox One
6. Wario Ware, Inc: Mega Party Game$ - Gamecube
7. Pikmin 2 - Gamecube
8. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Wii U
9. Dawn of War 2 - PC
10. Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising - PC

Pretty solid. I still dig the squad-based tactics of this game. I've started Retribution and I'm not sure how I feel about it so far. I think there's something I don't enjoy as much with a return to some of the mechanics of how you produce units. We'll see as it goes on.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I really need to update this thread...I have actually beaten several games recently, but I don't want to update until I have completed BOTW. (I just gotta find all those shrines!)

[BoneSnapDeez]

I really need to update this thread...I have actually beaten several games recently, but I don't want to update until I have completed BOTW. (I just gotta find all those shrines!)

I thought you hadn't played any video games for months. I was getting concerned.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I've actually been playing a ton lately. Getting all of the shrines in BOTW just takes a really long time...

I have beaten Jump Trials Supreme (3DS), Ace Mathician (DS), Color Commando (DS), and 3D Fantasy Zone II W (3DS). (The last one is insanely good, BTW.) I also got through the 3D version of the SMS Fantasy Zone port this morning, but I ended up relying on a save right before the boss rush. (I'm glad I did, because the last two attacks from the last boss are a bit unfair.) I will probably 1CC it before turning back to 3D Fantasy Zone: Opa Opa Bros. (i.e., the enhanced 3DS port of the arcade game) and the 3DS port of the SMS version of Fantasy Zone II. After that, I will probably try to tackle Super Fantasy Zone and, if I came find a copy, Game Gear Fantasy Zone. (I might also try out the secret Fantasy Zone game in Arnold Palmer Golf.)

I also put a lot of time into Warlock's Tower (iOS) and PicDun (DS), but they are both on hold. (Warlock's Tower is awesome, but the final levels are too much for my meager intellect. PicDun is just too long, and it wore out its welcome.)

[Sarge]

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) (~30 minutes)
36) Mighty No. 9 (PS4) (5.0) (~5 hours)

So yeah, Mighty No. 9. It's... okay. There are good and bad points, but the bad is really bad.

The good: Dashing is actually a lot of fun! The absorption mechanic is one I thought I would hate, but not actually. It's actually a bit of a rush to see how efficiently you can weaken an enemy, and dash in to absorb it. You don't have to do this, but it's usually advantageous to do so.

Also, infinite air dashes are fun.

Some of the stages are pretty fun, too. Mostly the ones that don't have a ton of spike traps, which we'll get to shortly.

The bad: Spike traps. Oh, the spike traps. Several stages have them, and they have really big hit boxes. Plus, you have a lot of knockback, and no window of invincibility to get off of them, you just die. Furthermore, there are some ridiculous spots where you're required to precision air-dash through them. It's not very fun, quite frankly. Worse than that, there are several troll-ish areas where the screen doesn't show you what's below, and SURPRISE! Spike trap! The first stage I picked had several of these, plus several insta-death sequences, one of which I couldn't figure out how to pass originally because the game does such a poor job of explaining its mechanics. Long story short, you have to do an absorption on a nearby enemy, which gives your shots the ability to shoot through walls, letting you clear out the explosive barrels. You might notice this while playing eventually, but probably not right off the bat. It's bad design.

There are also quite a few spots where you are forced to take damage. It's also terrible design. And a few troll deaths like the last elevator that drops out from underneath you.

Boss weaknesses are spoiled for you before you even enter the stage. If you have a weakness weapon, there's an "Advice" tab that appears, with a message from one of the defeated Mighty Numbers. They'll also appear in a segment during the stage to help you out. Funny thing is, though, often the boss weapon is rather ineffectual compared to your standard shot, so... eh.

Graphically, the game looks like a 3DS game. It's very sparse, and could have been a lot better. I'm not graphics snob, but it doesn't look much better than the average indie game. Sound design is... okay. Some tunes that recalled Mega Man, some forgettable, some iffy voice acting and some that's okay. About what I expected, although I didn't think the game needed voice acting at all.

All in all, it was worth the $10 I dropped on it. Definitely not worth the original retail price, though. This game really suffered from sky-high expectations, and it bombed out not from being awful, but being extremely uneven and not meeting those expectations.

[Segata]

I just beat Final Zone and Ranger X on Genesis this morning.

[PartridgeSenpai]

Some people think Binary Domain is better than Vanquish, but that's just crazy talk. While the cutscenes and plot beat Vanquish's, the moment-to-moment gameplay doesn't even remotely compare. Also Binary Domain is a total cakewalk on normal difficulty, whereas Vanquish puts up a fight.

Agree to disagree then
Maybe I just liked the shooting robots apart better ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ . I didn't think Vanquish was too hard, with the exception of a part or two. Vanquish just has a lot more bosses that LOVE 1-shotting you (which thankfully I only fell victim to once or twice). I also liked BD's weapons better, so tomato tomahto I guess. They're at least as good as each other, I'd say

[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)

* replay





Review: Contra is perfect.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Pretty much yeah.