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You have good taste, then, sir.

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)
28. Pikmin (Wii)

29. Pikmin 3 (Wii U)

Pikmin 1 didn't quite scratch my Pikmin itch as much as I wanted it to, so I sat down and played through Pikmin 3 between last night and today. The only thing I knew about this game going in is that I remembered hearing it was a little short. Compared to the dungeon crawling epic that is Pikmin 2, then yes, I suppose that's true, but I think this game was just as long as it needed to be. I collected all the fruit and it took me 36 days and about 18-ish real time hours.

This game controls totally left-handed with the Wii U tablet and with the right hand manning the stylus. Granted, plaything through the whole thing in one sitting did a bit of a number on my wrist, but I'm just gonna hope that feels better by morning XP. I'm not sure I like it better than the Gamecube controls, but I like it better than the Wiimote+numchuk controls. The only thing you can't do is direct your hoard in a direction like you can with the C-stick in the Gamecube games. Although you DO have a dodge roll you can get and activate with left and right on the D-pad which is pretty freaking sweet. Using the stylus to aim isn't an exact science, at least if you wanna play with the TV + tablet instead of just the tablet, but you get used to it pretty quick.

The graphics are BEAUTIFUL. This is one of my favorite looking games of last (this?) generation. All of the landscapes are beautifully detailed with tons of graphical detail and vibrant colors. The monsters look fantastic, and the really big ones are always a joy to even see just because of how oddball they are and fluidly they move. The level design is proper quality as well, as it always encourages you to inspect all of your surroundings to find dat fruit. Three main party members as well as a "Go To" feature on your map allows for some serious multi-tasking if you're up for it, and there are some decidedly more fiendishly hidden fruit that will require tactical use of all three members each wielding Pikmin of their own.

The combat is Pikmin as usual, more or less, but the world bosses are GREAT. One of my favorite parts of the game. This is the best the Pikmin themselves have ever been balanced, in my opinion. The two new types, rock and flying, replace the old types of purple and white, and have fantastic utility to both of them in that the flying can handle flying enemies easier, and rocks don't cling to things but do damage on impact as well as breaking enemy carapaces. Add in the exploration utility of things like the normal 3 (and yellows which are good at digging now and not nearly as useless as they used to be), and this is definitely one of the best designed games in the series.

Verdict: Highly recommended. A lot of care and detail went into this game, and it shows. It's a great adventure you can get through in a day or two, but it's a damn fun and memorable one. Definitely worth a try if you liked either of the other games even a little

What...you spent 18 hours straight playing Pikmin 3? I did get the game myself just recently and i probably will try to beat before the end of the year. I just have to get couple of more essential Wii U games out of the way first.

Xeogred wrote:I plan to give Ninja Gaiden NES another shot soon. I have admitted to not being a fan, but maybe the mood is perfect now. I'll check it out.

This is a weird game. It presents itself as a frustrating, overly-punishing game, and unlike Castlevania or Contra it doesn't seem to make any attempts to draw the player in when starting fresh.

However, persistence brings out the excellence in this game, and once familiarity is gained it really begins to shine, for me outclassing the other staple sidescrollers, as it offers a unique, sharp experience.

Definitely look forward to your thoughts on this one.

dunpeal2064 wrote:

Xeogred wrote:I plan to give Ninja Gaiden NES another shot soon. I have admitted to not being a fan, but maybe the mood is perfect now. I'll check it out.

This is a weird game. It presents itself as a frustrating, overly-punishing game, and unlike Castlevania or Contra it doesn't seem to make any attempts to draw the player in when starting fresh.

However, persistence brings out the excellence in this game, and once familiarity is gained it really begins to shine, for me outclassing the other staple sidescrollers, as it offers a unique, sharp experience.

Definitely look forward to your thoughts on this one.

Loved it as a kid but could never get past the 3rd stage. Bought it on Wii U 2 years ago. Beat it in just over a hour with a few deaths. Last stage esp. There is a couple bosses later in the game that seemed hard at first but you can exploit them and make it easier. Still one of my favorite NES games.

PartridgeSenpai wrote:29. Pikmin 3 (Wii U)

Pikmin 1 didn't quite scratch my Pikmin itch as much as I wanted it to, so I sat down and played through Pikmin 3 between last night and today. The only thing I knew about this game going in is that I remembered hearing it was a little short. Compared to the dungeon crawling epic that is Pikmin 2, then yes, I suppose that's true, but I think this game was just as long as it needed to be. I collected all the fruit and it took me 36 days and about 18-ish real time hours.

This game controls totally left-handed with the Wii U tablet and with the right hand manning the stylus. Granted, plaything through the whole thing in one sitting did a bit of a number on my wrist, but I'm just gonna hope that feels better by morning XP. I'm not sure I like it better than the Gamecube controls, but I like it better than the Wiimote+numchuk controls. The only thing you can't do is direct your hoard in a direction like you can with the C-stick in the Gamecube games. Although you DO have a dodge roll you can get and activate with left and right on the D-pad which is pretty freaking sweet. Using the stylus to aim isn't an exact science, at least if you wanna play with the TV + tablet instead of just the tablet, but you get used to it pretty quick.

The graphics are BEAUTIFUL. This is one of my favorite looking games of last (this?) generation. All of the landscapes are beautifully detailed with tons of graphical detail and vibrant colors. The monsters look fantastic, and the really big ones are always a joy to even see just because of how oddball they are and fluidly they move. The level design is proper quality as well, as it always encourages you to inspect all of your surroundings to find dat fruit. Three main party members as well as a "Go To" feature on your map allows for some serious multi-tasking if you're up for it, and there are some decidedly more fiendishly hidden fruit that will require tactical use of all three members each wielding Pikmin of their own.

The combat is Pikmin as usual, more or less, but the world bosses are GREAT. One of my favorite parts of the game. This is the best the Pikmin themselves have ever been balanced, in my opinion. The two new types, rock and flying, replace the old types of purple and white, and have fantastic utility to both of them in that the flying can handle flying enemies easier, and rocks don't cling to things but do damage on impact as well as breaking enemy carapaces. Add in the exploration utility of things like the normal 3 (and yellows which are good at digging now and not nearly as useless as they used to be), and this is definitely one of the best designed games in the series.

Verdict: Highly recommended. A lot of care and detail went into this game, and it shows. It's a great adventure you can get through in a day or two, but it's a damn fun and memorable one. Definitely worth a try if you liked either of the other games even a little

I played the entire game with button controls and it worked great, Curious to try stylus controls sometime though.

I'm curious that you thought yellow were the most useless before though. If anything, in Pikmin 1 they were by far the most useful. Being able to throw them further and being able to take out big enemies and large walls in seconds using bomb rocks relegated red and blue pikmin to only being useful when water or fire was around really.

In Pikmin 2, the further throwing was still useful, and they areguably had the most useful immunity - whereas blue pikmin set on fire could be put out, and red pikmin drowing could be whistled to shore, and any colour pikmin poisoned could be snapped out of it and pulled to fresh air, there is nothing you could do against electricity without yellows as it instantly killed enemies - it was literally the most dangerous hazard in the game. Sure, white and purple pikmin were more overpowered in that one, but they were mroe limited too.

If anything, Blue pikmin are the least useful overall, but definitely the most essential.

Kuruwin wrote:What...you spent 18 hours straight playing Pikmin 3? I did get the game myself just recently and i probably will try to beat before the end of the year. I just have to get couple of more essential Wii U games out of the way first.

Honestly, I thought I played through it all in one sitting from yesterday morning to yesterday evening, but my in game clock sort of says that's impossible, so I guess I just forgot that I started it the previous night and beat it over two sittings ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

alienjesus wrote:I played the entire game with button controls and it worked great, Curious to try stylus controls sometime though.

I thought there were button controls! I could just never figure out how to activate them ;_;

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)

* replay

The mastermind is finally revealed... Mother Brain! Funny ending, with a strange final boss before this reveal that felt a little out of place. Maybe the bird robot is a reference to another series?

Operation C rules and was a blast. The music was top notch and it has two top down levels Super C styled. You just have to adjust to the slower framerate compared to the console games, but otherwise it still plays really well. I was working on this a lot of yesterday throughout the day and finally got it. You want to basically perfect levels 1-4, so you have a lot of lives for the final boss in 5. At least... that's how I conquered it. Level 3 was the harder one with a tough boss too. But the big secret to Operation C is that Homing is the boss here. If you can do a perfect run through 1-4 with it, it should be a breeze after awhile. It was cool how weapon power ups stacked in this one, I'm not sure if they did in the others? Although I wasn't sure if it effected everything, but if you got two Spreadshot's it would increase with speed and spread.

It was awesome that Operation C was entirely unique. It seemed to pull most influences from Super C for some of the levels, but otherwise this game was chalk full of its own unique bosses and enemies, so it was a nice different experience. Highly recommended if you like the others. I found it to be a little easier in ways, but you can have some bad runs and if you don't have weapon powerups it can prove to be pretty tough in spots.

I guess there's a GB conversion of Contra 3 that looks cool, not sure if I'll put too much into it though but it's neat it exists. As I said though, Operation C is instead its own thing so it's cool to see a bunch of new stuff.

Xeogred wrote:I guess there's a GB conversion of Contra 3 that looks cool, not sure if I'll put too much into it though but it's neat it exists.

There's also a port of Contra 3 to the GBA, called Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX. The biggest change to it is the top-view stages from the original Super NES game were replaced with two stages from Contra: Hard Corps (the Military Train and Big Battle stages).

I don't know if you've played Contra Force (NES) yet, but it kind of sucks, I'd skip that. Contra Hard Corps on Genesis is amazing. The PS1 entries; Contra: Legacy of War and C The Contra Adventure are both kinda "meh", not terrible but skippable. Neo Contra and Shattered Soldier on PS2 are both pretty good, worth playing. Contra ReBirth on Wii is excellent, I really enjoyed that one. Contra 4 on DS is very good also, but is one of the hardest Contras. I think only Shattered Soldier is harder than it.

I've not played Hard Corps: Uprising, no opinion there.

Good work on Operation C! It is such an underrated game.

Fun Fact: The villain from Operation C returns for the other portable Contra game, Contra 4.